Type 14 10 cm AA Gun
Encyclopedia
The was an anti-aircraft gun used by the Imperial Japanese Army
after World War I
. Only a small number were produced, and it was superseded by the Type 88 75 mm AA Gun
in production before the start of World War II
.
against the German
Luftstreitkrafte
’s fledgling squadron of combat aircraft, planners on the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff quickly realized that this new technology posed a threat which required countermeasures. This evaluation was further reinforced by reports from military observers on the European front in World War I
.
After the introduction of the Type 11 75 mm AA Gun
into front-line combat service, the Imperial Japanese Army quickly realized that it was underpowered and lacked the range necessary for civil defense
of Japanese cities from enemy air raid
s. A larger version, designated the Type 14 10 cm AA Gun was placed into production in 1925. However, it was expensive to produce and lacked both accuracy and range of fire. Only 70 units were completed before production was terminated.
with a horizontal sliding breechblock
, and a hydropneumatic recoil system mounted on a central pedestal. The firing platform was supported by six legs, each of which (along with the central pedestal) had adjustable screwed foot for leveling. The gun came with detachable wheels for transport, which were removed when in the firing position. Thirty to 45 minutes were required to prepare the gun for action.
It fired a 16 kilograms (35.3 lb) projectile to an effective altitude of 10500 metres (34,448.8 ft), which was a dramatic improvement over the Type 11 75 mm AA gun, but its rate of fire was still slow, and units were later retrofitted with an autoloader
during the Pacific War
. Some units were based in Kyūshū cities for defense against American air raid
s, but most were based at the Yawata Steel Works
in Kitakyūshū city.
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Only a small number were produced, and it was superseded by the Type 88 75 mm AA Gun
Type 88 75 mm AA Gun
The was an anti-aircraft gun used by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. It replaced the earlier Type 11 75 mm AA Gun in front line combat service, and at the time was equal in performances to any of its contemporaries in western armies and was...
in production before the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
History and development
Due to combat experience at the Battle of TsingtaoBattle of Tsingtao
The Siege of Tsingtao was the attack on the German-controlled port of Tsingtao in China during World War I by Imperial Japan and the United Kingdom....
against the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Luftstreitkrafte
Luftstreitkräfte
The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte , known before October 1916 as Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches , or simply Die Fliegertruppen, was the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I...
’s fledgling squadron of combat aircraft, planners on the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff quickly realized that this new technology posed a threat which required countermeasures. This evaluation was further reinforced by reports from military observers on the European front in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
After the introduction of the Type 11 75 mm AA Gun
Type 11 75 mm AA Gun
The was an anti-aircraft gun used by the Imperial Japanese Army after World War I. It was the first anti-aircraft gun in Japanese service, but only a small number were produced, and it was superseded by the Type 14 10 cm AA Gun and the Type 88 75 mm AA Gun in active service before the start of...
into front-line combat service, the Imperial Japanese Army quickly realized that it was underpowered and lacked the range necessary for civil defense
Civil defense
Civil defense, civil defence or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state from military attack. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mitigation, preparation, response, or emergency evacuation, and recovery...
of Japanese cities from enemy air raid
Strategic bombing
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability and public will to wage war rather than destroying its land or naval forces...
s. A larger version, designated the Type 14 10 cm AA Gun was placed into production in 1925. However, it was expensive to produce and lacked both accuracy and range of fire. Only 70 units were completed before production was terminated.
Design
The Type 14 10 cm AA gun had a single piece gun barrelGun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
with a horizontal sliding breechblock
Breech-loading weapon
A breech-loading weapon is a firearm in which the cartridge or shell is inserted or loaded into a chamber integral to the rear portion of a barrel....
, and a hydropneumatic recoil system mounted on a central pedestal. The firing platform was supported by six legs, each of which (along with the central pedestal) had adjustable screwed foot for leveling. The gun came with detachable wheels for transport, which were removed when in the firing position. Thirty to 45 minutes were required to prepare the gun for action.
It fired a 16 kilograms (35.3 lb) projectile to an effective altitude of 10500 metres (34,448.8 ft), which was a dramatic improvement over the Type 11 75 mm AA gun, but its rate of fire was still slow, and units were later retrofitted with an autoloader
Autoloader
An autoloader or auto-loader is a mechanical aid or replacement for the personnel that load ordnance into crew-served weapons, such as tanks and artillery...
Combat record
All of the Type 14 10 cm AA guns were assigned to the IJA 4th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division, based in KyūshūKyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
during the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
. Some units were based in Kyūshū cities for defense against American air raid
Air raids on Japan
During World War II the Allied forces conducted many air raids on Japan which caused extensive destruction to the country's cities and killed over 300,000 people. These attacks began with the Doolittle Raid in mid-April 1942, but did not resume until June 1944 when United States Army Air Forces ...
s, but most were based at the Yawata Steel Works
Nippon Steel
, also referred to as , was formed in 1970. Nippon Steel Corporation is the world's 4th largest steel producer by volume.-Early years:Nippon Steel was created by the merger of two giants, Yawata Iron & Steel and Fuji Iron & Steel...
in Kitakyūshū city.