Japanese Army weapons are generally copies of German or French designs or are deve-loped following their customs. In comparison with weapons used by other countries in the past few years, the Japanese weapons appear to be outmoded and ineffective.

This is particularly true in considering small arms for if the Japanese ever made any seri-ous attempt to standardize small arms and small arm ammunition there is little evidence of it in the many different calibers and types in use by them. The standard weapon prior to 1930 was 6.5 mm, but shortly thereafter this was superseded by 7.7 mm weapons. However, this change was never complete and 6.5 mm weapons were used extensively in the last war. The foreign influence is apparent particularly after 1939 when aircraft ma-chine guns of German and Italian design were copied.

The earlier aircraft machine guns and aircraft cannon were either modifications of Japa-nese ground mounts or copies of foreign guns. In more recent years, however, the Japa-nese designed aircraft cannon as large as 120 mm, but nothing larger than 57 mm was ever put in service use.

Most Japanese artillery weapons were characterized by their immobility as very few of them were designed for rapid motor transport. Although 105 mm and 150 mm weapons were frequently encountered, the standard field piece was 75 mm.

One outstanding characteristic of Japanese Army ammunition is the large variety of types and sizes of mortars which were in use. Mortars were used not as infantery support wea-pons but also as artillery pieces. They ranged in size from the 50-mm Grenade Discharger to the 320-mm Spigot Mortar.

The standard Antiaircraft Gun was a 75-mm gun but there was also an 88-mm Antiair-craft Gun which was one of their most effective artillery pieces and a 105-mm A.A. gun. The Japanese has designed a 150-mm Antiaircraft Gun for the defense of the home is-lands but this was used only in the last few months of the war.

The newest trend in research and development in ammunition was along the line of roc-kets. Very few types of Japanese rocktes were used during the war but there were many experimental models of antitank and artillery rockets in development, ranging in size from 75 mm to 60 cm.

Research was also being conducted on smooth-bore and recoilless weapons but this was a relatively new program and none of these weapons was ever developed beyond the ex-perimental stage.

ARMY – OLD COLOR SYSTEM

Japanese characters giving the type number of the projectile (painted on projectile) and type number of the gun (painted on the case) appear only when there is chance of con-fusion with similar projectiles or cases.

Chemical (Gas or Liquid Filled) Projectiles

Special-Purpose Projectiles

Projectiles designed for special purpose are painted black over all and are identified by a special symbol stenciled near the middle of the body. For a list of these projectiles and symbols, refer to the new color system.

Weight Variation Marking

The variation of individual projectiles from standard weight is important in the ballistics problem and can be corrected for insetting sights. The variation is therefore indicated by plus or minus signs painted on the projectile.

+ +

+

±

–

– –

ARMY – NEW COLOR SYSTEM

The new system is based on the old system, but is designed as a simplification in which fewer color bands are used. Body color of projectiles distinguishes broad groups. Color bands designate more specific features. The use of accessory markings such as type numbers, weight marks, dates, and arsenal symbols is the same in both systems.

Common Explosive Types

Hollow charge ammunition is distinguished from other types in the H.E. high grade steel (yellow band) group by the presence of the symbol .

Chemical (Gas or Liquid Filled) Projectiles

Projectiles designed for special purpose as listed below are identified by the over-all body color and by a special symbol stenciled near the middle of the body.

Sand-filled

Black