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| Japanese Explosive Ordnance – Army Ammunition – Navy Ammunition |
| Chapter 4 – Section 3 |
| ARMY MORTARS |
| Type 89 - 58-mm H.E. Mortar |
| Weight complete round: 1.6 pounds. |
| Weight main charge: 5.4 ounces. |
| Explosive components: |
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Main charge: TNT. |
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Propellant: Nitrocellulos diphenylamine flaked powder. |
| Over-all length (without fuze): 4.33 inches. |
| Maximum diameter: 1.97 inches (50 mm). |
| Color: |
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1. Black over all with red band at nose, and |
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a. Yellow band below the bourrelet and white band forward of rotating band, |
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b. Or, yellow band widway on the shell. |
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2. Maroon color over all for Navy use. |
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3. Green nose, black body with yellow and white bands. |
| Fuzing: Type 88 small instantaneous fuze. |
| Weapon in which used: Type 89 grenade discharger. |
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Description: The body of this shell is made of three parts. The propellant base housing houses the propellant container and the percussion primer. The main shell base cover is threaded to the top section on one end and to the propellant housing on the other. The top section has an opening in the top to receive the fuze. |
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On firing, the gases generated blow through the ports in the base housing, expanding the copper rotating band into the rifling of the discharger giving a gas seal and imparting ro-tation to the shell. |
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Remarks: The Navy version of this shell is exactly the same in construction as the Army version; the only variation being in the color scheme. Two minor variations of construc-tion have been found. |
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1. The nose portion screws on (LH) the body directly below the bourrelet. The base is solid instead of being closed with a base plate. |
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2. Similar to the first variation except the threads are right hand. |
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Figure 296 – Type 89 58-mm High-Explosive Mortar. |
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