Type 38 75mm

History

The Type 38 field gun of the Imperial Japanese Army was based on the German Krupp design. After the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Japan negotiated local license production, and its designs were legally reproduced for the Japanese army from 1905. The Type 38 was in ample supply before World War I. It is intended to be used for operations during conflicts and appears to all to be more or less a very traditional design and adequate artillery, consisting of a barrel and a wheeled frame. The rails are the overall feature of this gun The key, it serves both as a firing platform and as a transport assembly, containing the barrel and recoil mechanism on a one-piece stand. The wheeled rear frame allows the gun to move with the vehicle or pack animal as needed, while the rifle group can rotate the gun or move it short distances as needed.

The recoil mechanism is located below the barrel assembly and is loaded through the rear breech (intermittent screw type). Adjustments are made manually using the handwheel located on the carriage. A typical operator consists of six people, and ammunition is provided by nearby external supplies.

The accompanying gun shield provided little protection for the crew, and about 2,000 prototypes were (early) acquired by Krupp and (later) built at the Osaka Arsenal, Japan.

After the war, considering artillery developments elsewhere, Japanese engineers brought the Type 38 into a more modern form to produce the Type 38 (improved). A new box rail car was designed and implemented for Type 38(I), replacing the original design's "rod" rail arrangement. The recoil mechanism has been updated for better, and the barrel has been returned to the mount for improved balance.

The new weapon offers better performance figures, including increased range by increasing height due to a new frame design. The rate of fire was further increased to about 10-12 rounds per minute (from about 6-8 rpm). The barrel caliber remained at 75 mm (2.95 in), while the muzzle velocity was 1,978 feet per second. The yaw of the barrel was 7 degrees and the elevation range was -8 to +43 degrees. The system weighs a total of 2,504 pounds when ready for battle and 4,211 pounds when buckled and ready to travel.

With a range of approximately 13,080 yards, the typical projectile used is a 13-pound high-explosive round designed to engage entrenched enemy forces and fortifications. The improved version of the Type 38 can now also use armor-piercing rounds against enemy armor. A fragmentation, incendiary, illumination, chemical gas, and smoke bomb is also available, greatly expanding the weapon's tactical range of use.

The Type 38(I) saw its first combat action in the Soviet-Japanese border war from 1932 to 1939, and became a Type 2 in the second war.

The Type 38(I) was the standard field gun of the Japanese Armed Forces in 1935 and played an important role in World War II operations. In previous battles with the Chinese, given the expected results, the Type 38(I) tank performed well - especially against similarly (or sometimes less) armed foes. However, when the Type 38 confronted the Allies in jungle terrain after 1941, it accordingly showed its limitations.

By this time, most of the original Type 38 guns had all been converted to the newer Type 38(I) standard, but this had little impact in the short term. Due to the lack of domestic industrial production and natural resources in Japan, many Type 38(I) guns are still transported across the battlefield by pack animals rather than mechanized transport such as half-tracks. Comparable Allied artillery proved that the Type 38(I) design was obsolete by 1940s standards, leaving the Japanese at a significant field disadvantage in trying to make the most of their limited field artillery. All in all, the Type 38(I) crew fought valiantly, but were either surpassed or surpassed and surpassed by their contemporaries on the other side of the barrel. Since it was nearly impossible to deploy the system at high speed on horseback or manage fire operations over rough, dense terrain, the Type 38(I) had little tactical value until the end of the war.

However, it worked well in 1945, a testament to the desperate nature of the Japanese war machine at this point in the war - and its lack of industrial prowess.

The Allies officially designated the Type 38 as the "Type 38 Field Gun (Improved)."

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on the ammo carrier.

Changes