Type 92 10 cm cannon
| Type 92 10 cm Cannon | |
|---|---|
 Type 92 10 cm Cannon | |
| Type | Field gun |
| Place of origin |  Empire of Japan |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1932-1945 |
| Used by |  Imperial Japanese Army |
| Wars | Second Sino-Japanese War Soviet-Japanese Border Wars World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Osaka Arsenal |
| Manufacturer | Osaka Arsenal |
| Produced | 1932-? |
| No. built | 180 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3,732.3 kilograms (8,228 lb) |
| Barrel length | 4.681 metres (15 ft 4 in) L/45 |
| Shell | 15.77 kilograms (34 lb 12 oz) |
| Caliber | 105 mm (4.13 in) |
| Recoil | hydropneumatic |
| Carriage | split trail |
| Elevation | -5° to +45° |
| Traverse | 36° |
| Rate of fire | 6-8 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 760 m/s (2,493 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 18,300 metres (20,000 yd) |
| Sights | panoramic |
The Type 92 10 cm Cannon (九二式十糎加農砲, Kyūni-shiki Jyū-senchi Kannohō) was a field gun used by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II.[1] It was intended to supersede the Type 14 10cm Cannon in front line combat service.
History and development
The Type 92 10 cm Cannon was developed from 1923-1924, as a long range alternative to the Imperial Japanese Army's existing 75-mm field artillery. Production was delayed due to technical issues, notably a desire by the Army to reduce the weight of the weapon to a minimal level, and additional requirements issued by the Army in 1927 to increase the range of the yet-to-be-completed weapon to 17,500 metres (19,100 yd). A suitable prototype was finally completed in 1932, and after extensive testing, went into production and combat service in 1934. A total of only 180 units were produced.[2]
Design
Readily recognized by its long slender gun barrel and split carriage trail, the Type 92 10 cm Cannon was designed particularly for long-range fire. The recoil system was hydropneumatic and it had a distinctive three-step interrupted thread breechblock. It fired a 35 pounds (16 kg) shell up to14,200 yards (13,000 m) with standard high-explosive shells, and also had provision for special long-range shells that could reach 20,000 yards (18,000 m)20,000 yards, as well as chemical, armor-piercing, smoke and incendiary shells.[3]
The gun barrel was extremely long, making field transport very cumbersome.[4] The gun was normally tractor drawn using its large wooden wheels with solid rubber tires, but could also be pulled by a 5-ton truck. Its greatest drawback was that it had spade plates on each trail leg that had to be pounded into the ground to anchor the gun in place.
Combat record
Despite design issues with transportability, the Type 92 10 cm Cannon was very successful and was used for long-range counter-battery and bombardment roles. It was first used in combat with the IJA 7th Independent Heavy Field Artillery Regiment at the Battle of Nomonhan against the Soviet Red Army. It later was used in the Battle of the Philippines in 1942 during the assaults on Bataan and Corregidor Island, and it was transported to Guadalcanal and used in the bombardment of Henderson Field.[5]
References
- Bishop, Chris (eds) The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II. Barnes & Nobel. 1998. ISBN 0-7607-1022-8
- Chamberlain, Peter and Gander, Terry. Light and Medium Field Artillery. Macdonald and Jane's (1975). ISBN 0-356-08215-6
- Chant, Chris. Artillery of World War II, Zenith Press, 2001, ISBN 0-7603-1172-2
- McLean, Donald B. Japanese Artillery; Weapons and Tactics. Wickenburg, Ariz.: Normount Technical Publications 1973. ISBN 0-87947-157-3.
- Mayer, S.L. The Rise and Fall of Imperial Japan. The Military Press (1984) ISBN 0-517-42313-8
- US Department of War, TM 30-480, Handbook on Japanese Military Forces, Louisiana State University Press, 1994. ISBN 0-8071-2013-8
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