Type 38 75 mm Field Gun
Encyclopedia
The was a 1905 German
design which was purchased by the Empire of Japan
as the standard field gun
of the Imperial Japanese Army
at the end of the Russo-Japanese War
.
naval weapons prior to World War I
, planners at the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff turned to Krupp
in Germany, for the latest trend in artillery design. Initial units were imported, and then eventually over 2000 units, which were designed “Type 38” in Japan, were produced under license by the Army’s Osaka Arsenal.
After World War I, these weapons were considered largely obsolete. However, by this time, Japanese production capabilities had improved, and the Type 38 underwent a re-design in Japan to improve the carriage, with a corresponding increase in elevation, range and rate of fire
to 10-12 rounds per minute.
and a solid box trail. It had a hydrospring
recoil system, interrupted screw type breechblock, and 1/16-inch gun shield.
At some point prior to the Second Sino-Japanese War
(sources differ as to when) the Type 38 was extensively modified. It was given a hollow box trail and the gun mounting was revised to improve performance. The new version was called the "Improved Type 38". Some 400 units were produced in Japan, and it is unclear exactly how many Type 38s were upgraded to the improved version: however, but both types were still in service in limited numbers by the start of World War II
, despite efforts to replace the design with the Type 90 75 mm Field Gun.
The Type 38 75 mm Field Gun (improved) was capable of firing High-explosive, armor-piercing warhead
, shrapnel, incendiary, smoke and illumination and gas
shells.
, Soviet-Japanese Border Wars
and in the Pacific War
.
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...
design which was purchased by the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
as the standard field gun
Field gun
A field gun is an artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march and when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances, as to opposed guns installed in a fort, or to siege cannon or mortars which...
of the Imperial Japanese Army
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...
at the end of the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
.
History and development
Although Japan had extensive experience with artillery, as the result of its war with Russia in 1904-05, and had the technology and industrial infrastructure to construct medium or large caliberCaliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
naval weapons prior to 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...
, planners at the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff turned to Krupp
Krupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
in Germany, for the latest trend in artillery design. Initial units were imported, and then eventually over 2000 units, which were designed “Type 38” in Japan, were produced under license by the Army’s Osaka Arsenal.
After World War I, these weapons were considered largely obsolete. However, by this time, Japanese production capabilities had improved, and the Type 38 underwent a re-design in Japan to improve the carriage, with a corresponding increase in elevation, range and rate of fire
Rate of fire
Rate of fire is the frequency at which a specific weapon can fire or launch its projectiles. It is usually measured in rounds per minute , or per second .-Overview:...
to 10-12 rounds per minute.
Design
The Type 38 75 mm Field Gun was a thoroughly conventional design for its day, complete with crew seats on the gun shieldGun shield
thumb|A [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine]] manning an [[M240 machine gun]] equipped with a gun shieldA gun shield is a flat piece or section of armor designed to be mounted on a crew-served weapon such as a machine gun or artillery piece, or, more rarely, to be used with an assault rifle...
and a solid box trail. It had a hydrospring
Hydrospring
A Hydrospring is a mechanical device that performs a similar function to a spring. The advantage of a hydrospring over a normal spring is the increased damping that it performs...
recoil system, interrupted screw type breechblock, and 1/16-inch gun shield.
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
(sources differ as to when) the Type 38 was extensively modified. It was given a hollow box trail and the gun mounting was revised to improve performance. The new version was called the "Improved Type 38". Some 400 units were produced in Japan, and it is unclear exactly how many Type 38s were upgraded to the improved version: however, but both types were still in service in limited numbers by 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...
, despite efforts to replace the design with the Type 90 75 mm Field Gun.
The Type 38 75 mm Field Gun (improved) was capable of firing High-explosive, armor-piercing warhead
Armor-piercing shot and shell
An armor-piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions...
, shrapnel, incendiary, smoke and illumination and gas
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
shells.
Combat record
Despite its obsolescence, the Type 38 75 mm Field Gun was found in theatres of operation in the Second Sino-Japanese WarSecond Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, Soviet-Japanese Border Wars
Soviet-Japanese Border Wars
The Soviet–Japanese Border Wars were a series of border conflicts between the Soviet Union and Japan between 1932 and 1939.Before Japanese occupation of Manchukuo, the Soviet Union had conflict with China on the border of Manchuria...
and in 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...
.