Type 45 24 cm howitzer
| Type 45 24 cm howitzer | |
|---|---|
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| General Information | |
| Military designation: | 四五 式 二十 四 糎 榴 弾 砲 |
| Manufacturer country: |
 Japan
|
| Development year: | 1912 |
| Production time: | 1912 to 1944 |
| Number of pieces: | 80 |
| Weapon Category: | Howitzer siege gun |
| Technical specifications | |
| Pipe length: | 3.892 m |
| Caliber : |
240 mm |
| Caliber length : | L / 16.2 |
| Weight ready for use: | 38,000 kg |
| Elevation range: | –2 to +62 degrees |
| Side straightening area: | 360 ° |
| Furnishing | |
| Closure Type : | Screw lock |
| Ammunition supply: | individually |
The Type 45 24 cm howitzer ( Japanese 四五 式 二十 四 糎 榴 弾 砲 , Yongo-shiki nijūyon-senchi ryūdanhō ) was a howitzer used by the Imperial Japanese Army in World War I and during the Pacific War from 1912 to 1945 has been. The designation Type 45 indicates the year the troops were introduced, the 45th year of the rule of Emperor Meiji or 1912 according to the Gregorian calendar.
history
During the Russo-Japanese War 1904/05, the Japanese army had good experience with the 28 cm L / 10 howitzer during the siege of Port Arthur . The aging 28-cm howitzer was to be replaced by a similar but more modern weapon. While originally an Armstrong design and built under license, the new gun was designed entirely by Japanese engineers and was the first heavy gun of its kind to be designed and manufactured during the Japanese Empire . In 1912 two Type 45 howitzers in 20 cm and 24 cm calibers were presented . After short tests, the production of the larger caliber was commissioned. Although designed for field use, the Type 45 howitzer with a weight of 38,000 kg was intended solely as a siege gun. About 80 copies were produced between 1912 and 1944. Although its technology was considered obsolete by 1930 and it was limited by its short range of 14,000 meters, the Type 45 remained in service until the end of the Second World War .
Calls
The Type 45 howitzer was first used in 1914 during the siege of Tsingtau . Lieutenant General Kamio Mitsuomi , commanding the Japanese troops, had strict orders to avoid high casualties from infantry attacks on heavily developed positions, as was the case with the siege of Port Arthur. For this reason, the Imperial Japanese Army offered over 140 guns, including some Type 45 howitzers. After seven days of bombardment, Tsingtau had to surrender.
It was not until 1941 that Type 45 howitzers were used during the Battle of Hong Kong , when the 1st Heavy Artillery Regiment took part in the bombardment of British troops entrenched on Hong Kong Island .
During the invasion of the Philippines in 1942, the American-Filipino forces withdrew to the Bataan Peninsula . The first Japanese attack to crush the enemy failed due to resistance from the Allies . Therefore, the commander in chief of the 14th Army , Lieutenant General Homma Masaharu , sent strong artillery units to deal with the situation. Among the 300 cannons called up were eight Type 45 howitzers of the 1st Heavy Artillery Regiment. On April 3, 1942, the Japanese guns opened fire at 9:00 a.m. and continued until 3:00 p.m. In the six-hour bombardment, the 1st Heavy Artillery Regiment alone fired 1047 rounds.
In the course of the invasion of the Philippines on May 4, 1942, the island fortress Corregidor was bombarded , with Type 45 howitzers firing a total of 2915 rounds. Corregidor fell into Japanese hands on May 6, 1942.
In February 1940, two Type 45 howitzers were relocated to the Kotō Fortress (Chin. Hutou , Hulin ) in Manchuria to strengthen the Japanese defense in the event of a Soviet attack. The Japanese army had eight fortresses built along the border with the Soviet Union, of which the Kotō fortress on the Ussuri River was the strongest. Large-scale fortifications, similar to the Maginot Line , were guarded by the 4th Border Guard Unit. The 1400-strong crew had two batteries of field guns and howitzers, the Type 90 240 mm railway gun and the experimental 41 cm howitzer . When the Soviets attacked the Japanese positions around the fortress Kotō in August 1945 in Operation Auguststurm , the entire fortress crew was destroyed and all guns except the railway gun were lost.
technology
When it was introduced in 1912, the Type 45 Howitzer was a modern siege gun by the standards of the time. Their 200 kg grenades could have a devastating effect at a distance of 14,000 meters. The 38,000 kg howitzer was transported in ten parts. Four larger parts weighing up to 6 tons were pulled by heavy tractors, while the lighter parts were transported by trucks. It took 50 men two days to set up the gun emplacement with the help of a 10-ton crane (part of the Type 45 battery ).
Technical specifications
- Caliber: 240 mm
- Caliber length: L / 16.2
- Pipe length: 3.892 m
- Elevation range: −2 ° to + 65 °
- Side straightening range: 240 °
- Gun weight: 38,000 kg
- Bullet weight: 200 kg
- Muzzle velocity V 0 = 400 m / s
- Maximum range: 14,000 m
- Number of items produced: 80
literature
- Clayton Chun: The Fall of the Philippines 1941-42 (= Osprey Military Campaign Series. 243). Osprey Publishing, Oxford et al. 2012, ISBN 978-1-84908-609-7 .
- Steve J. Zaloga: Defense of Japan, 1945 (= Fortress. 99). Osprey Publishing, Oxford et al. 2010, ISBN 978-1-84603-687-3 .
- Leland Ness: Guide to Japanese Ground Forces 1937-1945: Volume 2: Weapons of the Imperial Japanese Army & Navy Ground Forces Helion & Company, 2014, ISBN 978-19099-8275-8 .
Web links
- Type 45 24cm Howitzer. Taki's homepage, accessed on April 14, 2016 (English).
- Model 45 (1912) 240-mm howitzer. LoneSentry.com, accessed April 14, 2016 .
- The Japanese Artillery Order of Battle Bataan & Corregidor. corregidor.org, accessed April 14, 2016 .
- Japanese Field Artillery. US Military Division of the War Department, accessed April 14, 2016 . PDF
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Ness, p. 149.
- ↑ Type 45 24cm Howitzer. Taki's homepage, accessed on April 14, 2016 (English).
- ↑ a b c The history of battles of Imperial Japanese Artillery Forces. Taki's homepage, accessed March 12, 2015 .
- ^ A b The Japanese Artillery Order of Battle Bataan & Corregidor. corregidor.org, accessed April 14, 2016 .
- ^ Ness, p. 154.