Type 89 15 cm cannon
Type 89 15 cm cannon | |
---|---|
General Information | |
Military designation: | 八九 式 十五 糎 加農砲 |
Manufacturer country: | Japanese Empire |
Development year: | 1929 |
Production time: | 1929 to 1945 |
Number of pieces: | 150 |
Weapon Category: | Fortress gun |
Technical specifications | |
Pipe length: | 5.963 m |
Caliber : |
149.1 mm |
Caliber length : | L / 40 |
Weight ready for use: | 10360 kg |
Cadence : | 2 rounds / min |
Elevation range: | −5 ° to +43 degrees |
Side straightening area: | 20 ° to the right, 20 ° to the left |
Furnishing | |
Closure Type : | Screw lock |
Ammunition supply: | individually |
The Type 89 15 cm cannon ( Japanese 八九 式 十五 糎 加農砲 , Hachi-kyū-shiki Jū-senchi Kannohō ) was a fortress gun that was used by the Imperial Japanese Army in the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Sino- Japanese border conflict and was used during the Pacific War from 1929 to 1945. The designation Type 89 indicates the year the troops were introduced, the year Kōki 2589 or 1929 according to the Gregorian calendar.
history
Development of the Type 98 15 cm cannon began in 1923 and was completed that same year. Originally used as a fortress or coastal gun, it became the main gun of the heavy artillery departments of the Imperial Army. The Type 98 was comparable to the US 155 mm Gun M1918 cannon, but had a shorter gun barrel and a shorter range than this.
During the Second Sino-Japanese War , heavy artillery was rarely used due to the poor road network. Instead were preferred mountain guns such as the 41 75 mm mountain guns type used. An exception was the Battle of Nanchang in March 1939 , in which the 2nd Independent Heavy Artillery Battalion provided fire support with four Type 89 cannons when crossing the Xiushui River. However, the Chinese resistance on the other side of the river was so low that the fire was stopped after a third of the planned fire plan.
In June / August 1939 six Type 89 cannons of the Heavy Muling Artillery Regiment (3rd Heavy Field Artillery Brigade ) were used during the Japanese-Soviet border conflict in the Battle of Nomonhan. A total of 82 Japanese guns with calibers between 75 mm and 15 cm took part in the firefight, which was victorious for the Soviet artillery. In addition to the disadvantage of the terrain, the insufficient supply of ammunition had an impact on the Japanese side and after three days the Japanese could no longer return fire.
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 89 cannons from the 9th Heavy Artillery Battalion. On April 3, 1942, the Japanese guns opened fire at 9:00 a.m. and continued until 3:00 p.m. In the six hours of bombardment, the 9th Heavy Artillery Battalion alone fired 1130 rounds.
In the course of the invasion of the Philippines on May 4, 1942, the island fortress Corregidor was bombarded , with Type 89 and Type 96 cannons firing a total of 3513 rounds in 15 cm caliber. Corregidor fell into Japanese hands on May 6, 1942.
At the Battle of Okinawa , Type 89 cannons were used for island defense.
technology
The Type 89 had a variable hydropneumatic recoil system and an interrupted screw lock . These had a mushroom-shaped head with reinforced locking screws. The gun had a spreader mount with removable ground spur . For the transport, the gun was divided into two loads. An 8-ton tractor pulled the pipe, while the other tractor was for the carriage.
- Caliber: 149.1 mm
- Caliber length: L / 40
- Pipe length: 5.963 m
- Elevation range: −5 ° to + 43 °
- Side straightening range: 20 ° to the right, 20 ° to the left
- Gun weight: 10,422 kg
- Bullet weight: 40.2 kg
- Muzzle velocity V 0 = 734 m / s
- Maximum range: 18,100 m
- Ammunition types: HE (high explosive), armor piercing , apron lighting, shrapnel
- Units produced: 150
literature
- Gordon L. Rottman : "Japanese Army in World War II, The South Pacific and New Guinea, 1942-43" Osprey Publishing, 2005, ISBN 978-1-84176-870-0 .
Web links
- Type 89 15cm Cannon. Taki's homepage, accessed March 16, 2015 .
- Chapter j. Model 89 (1929) 150-mm gun. Handbook on Japanese Military Forces, September 1944, accessed December 22, 2014 .
- Japanese 150mm Gun Type 89.Lone Sentry Blog, accessed March 16, 2015 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Type 89 15cm Cannon. Taki's homepage, accessed March 16, 2015 .
- ↑ Chapter j. Model 89 (1929) 150-mm gun. Handbook on Japanese Military Forces, September 1944, accessed December 22, 2014 .
- ↑ a b c d Japanese 150 mm Gun Type 89.Lone Sentry Blog, accessed March 16, 2015 .
- ↑ a b c d The history of battles of Imperial Japanese Artillery Forces. Taki's homepage, accessed March 12, 2015 .