The following report was published in Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 43, January 27, 1944. [DISCLAIMER: The following text is taken from the U.S. War Department publication Tactical and Technical Trends. As with all wartime intelligence information, data may be incomplete or inaccurate. No attempt has been made to update or correct the text. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the website.]

JAPANESE DELAYED FUZE 20-MM AMMUNITION Recent reports from the South Pacific state that Japanese night fighters have used a new type of 20-mm explosive ammunition. The shell is said to have penetrating powers and to be equipped with a short delay fuze which causes explosion within the target aircraft or its wing. In one case a delay-fuze shell exploded two feet inside the aircraft that was hit. Usually a Japanese 20-mm aircraft cannon shell explodes on contact. One Japanese plane that was observed to be using delay-fuze 20-mm cannon ammunition was a single engine radial-type.

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