Japanese demolition equipment is similar in appearance, construction, and function, to that used by the Allies, and can be considered completely adequate for its intended use. The devices covered in this section are standard types and were in widespread use throughout the war.

Several long delay demolition devices were devised by both the Japanese Army and Navy, but were used only in very rare instances. These devices employed chemical de-lays and mechanical clockwork delays. They were of sound design and construction. Had these devices been mass produced, they could have been put to very good use by the retreating Japanese forces.

Some representative sabotage devices and materials are dicussed in this section as illus-trations of the types of materials used by the Japanese for this purpose.

As in the case of land mines, the Japanese did a great deal of improvising with demolition material in order that it might be put to special uses. Consequently, a very great variety of combinations and uses of materials was found. In general, Japanese materials of this type were good, but their employment was often faulty and inefficient.