Japanese Self Propelled Guns

Mig Eater · Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2015 1:38 pm Post subject: Japanese Self Propelled Guns

We once more delve into the seemingly never ending Japanese unit list with some of their late war self propelled guns.

Click of the unit names to visit their D-day wiki page for more information & pictures.

120mm Naval Short

In the closing stages of the war the Japanese navy modified fourteen Type 97 Chi-Ha "Shinhoto" tanks, fitting them with a short barrelled 120mm naval gun. The massive weapon required multiple recoil cylinders and could only just fit inside the Chi-Ha's small turret. Because of this an extension was built onto the back of the turret to hold the ammunition. There also wasn't any space inside the tank for the crew to loading the gun, so instead the loader had to stand on top of the tank and push the ammunition threw the back of the turret. All of the tanks were issued to the Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces who deployed them to several bases around Japan to defend against the expected American invasion.

120mm Naval Long

When American occupation forces entered Tateyama gunnery school in Yokosuka they discovered a Type 97 Chi-Ha tank that had been modified by removing the turret and fitted it with a 120mm Type 10 naval cannon. Only a single vehicle was found and it is unclear if it was a makeshift weapon built by the gunnery school or if it was a prototype there for testing. Due to the weapons extreme weight and powerful recoil it is dubious that the Chi-Ha's light riveted hull could survive the stress of firing the weapon for long. However it would have been be a great threat to any Allied armour.

Type 5 Ho-Chi

The Type 5 Ho-Chi was a project to mount a Type 96 150mm artillery cannon onto the hull of the Type 97 Chi-Ha. It is believed that the Osaka arsenal built and tested the weapon and mount but wasn't able to fit it onto a prototype tank before the war ended.
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Zengar_Zombolt · Plasma Trooper **Joined**: 30 Apr 2008

were these vehicles thrown in a body of water too?

Joking aside, I htink I learned mroe about WW2 stuff from this mods reports than the whole history channel in the early 'thousands
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I am Zengar Zombolt, The Sword That Cleaves Evil!

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Mig Eater · Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2015 9:50 am Post subject:

Not thrown, but many Japanese prototype vehicles ended in a watery grave when the ship transporting them to America for testing sank during a hurricane.
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Zengar_Zombolt · Plasma Trooper **Joined**: 30 Apr 2008