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Type 94 90 mm infantry mortar

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Type 94 90 mm mortar
Japanese Type 94 90 mm mortar
Place of origin Empire of Japan
Service history
Used by Imperial Japanese Army
WarsWorld War II
Production history
Produced1934-1940[1]
No. built518[2]
Specifications
Mass159 kg (350.5 lb)
Barrel length1.27 m (4 ft 2 in)
Shell weight5.22 kg (11 lb 8 oz)[3]
Caliber90 mm (3.5 in)
ActionManual
Elevation+45 to +80 degrees
Traverse-29.18 to +26.5 degrees
Muzzle velocity227 m/s (745 ft/s)
Effective firing range3.8 km (2.4 mi)

The Type 94 90 mm mortar was a 90 mm smoothbore mortar, introduced in 1935, used by the Japanese in World War II. The Type 94 designation was given to this gun as it was accepted in the year 2594 of the Japanese calendar (1934).[4]

Japanese 90mm, 120mm, and 150mm mortars were labeled as "trench mortars" and were effectively controlled by Imperial Japanese Army artillery units instead of infantry units. [5] Initially Japanese trench mortars where primarily developed as chemical-delivery weapons, but would mainly see service in conventional roles during the Greater East Asia War. [6] The Type 94 90mm mortar was replaced in production by the similar but lighter Type 97 90mm mortar, which removed unnecessary recoil mechanisms. [7]

Design

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Two Type 94 infantry mortar in action.

By giving the Type 94 an especially heavy and stable mount and bipod, a massive shock absorber group, a powerful projectile, and a lengthy tube and heavy powder charge capacity for long range, Japanese designers intended the weapon to serve as a substitute field or artillery piece that could be hauled in pieces to remote locations, a useful attribute for an army short on transport as well as modern towed large-caliber field howitzers and artillery. The Type 94 had a range of some 4000 yards.[8]

Combat record

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The Type 94 was encountered throughout the war in China. In the Pacific campaign, it was first used against U.S. forces in the Philippines, and later at the Battle of Guadalcanal. Because of its weight, it was normally employed in static siege or defense situations. Japanese forces sometimes went to great lengths to transport these heavy mortars to remote jungle locations when preparing defensive works.

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ Ness, Leland. Rikugun: Volume 2 - Weapons of the Imperial Japanese Army & Navy Ground Forces (p. 53).
  2. ^ Ness, Leland. Rikugun: Volume 2 - Weapons of the Imperial Japanese Army & Navy Ground Forces (p. 53).
  3. ^ Chamberlain, Peter (1975). Mortars and rockets. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco Pub. Co. p. 15. ISBN 0668038179. OCLC 2067459.
  4. ^ War Department Special Series No 25 Japanese Field Artillery October 1944
  5. ^ Ness, Leland. Rikugun: Volume 2 - Weapons of the Imperial Japanese Army & Navy Ground Forces (p. 53). Helion and Company.
  6. ^ Ness, Leland. Rikugun: Volume 2 - Weapons of the Imperial Japanese Army & Navy Ground Forces (p. 53). Helion and Company.
  7. ^ Ness, Leland. Rikugun: Volume 2 - Weapons of the Imperial Japanese Army & Navy Ground Forces (p. 53). Helion and Company.
  8. ^ George, John B. (Lt. Col), Shots Fired In Anger, NRA Press (1981), pp. 368-371

Bibliography

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