Type 98 320 mm mortar
| Type 98 320 mm mortar | |
|---|---|
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| General Information | |
| Manufacturer designation: | 九八 式 臼 砲 |
| Manufacturer country: |
 Japan
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| Production time: | 1938 to 1945 |
| Number of pieces: | 600 |
| Weapon Category: | mortar |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : |
320 mm |
| Weight ready for use: | 1215 kg |
| Cadence : | 1 shot / min |
| Elevation range: | +45 degrees |
| Side straightening area: | 16 ° |
| Furnishing | |
| Ammunition supply: | individually |
The type 98 320 mm mortar ( Japanese 九八 式 臼 砲 , Kyūhachi-shiki kyūhō , German "Type 98 mortar") was a mortar used by the Imperial Japanese Army in the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War from 1938 to 1945 was used. The designation Type 98 indicates the year the troops were introduced, the year Kōki 2598 or 1938 according to the Gregorian calendar.
history
The Type 98 320 mm mortar was a so-called spigot mortar , in which the projectile was slipped over the mortar barrel. It was introduced into the Imperial Japanese Army in 1938. Due to its weight of 1215 kg and its short range of 1200 m, the mortar was primarily suitable for defensive tasks and was mainly used from protected positions. The mortar barrel and its projectiles could each be broken down into individual parts and transported by soldiers. The launch angle was set rigidly at 45 ° and was mounted on a steel plate. A different range could be set by placing the projectile lower (longer range) or higher (lower range) on the mortar barrel. Another way to vary the range was to reduce the propellant charge. After five to six shots, the launch tube was no longer operational.
The Type 98 mortar was first used during the Battle of Singapore , shortly afterwards during the invasion of the Philippines . It was not until years later that the Type 98 was used to defend Ivoyima . The 20th Independent Mortar Battalion appointed twelve mortar, which by the distinctive sounds of bullets flying from the US soldiers Screaming Jesus (dt. About screaming Jesus ) were called.
A few months later, Type 98s were also used during the Battle of Okinawa .
1200 bullets were produced for the Type 98 mortar.
Technical specifications
- Caliber: 320 mm
- Gun length: 1,217 m
- Elevation range: + 45 °
- Gun weight: 1215 kg
- Bullet weight: 300 kg
- Muzzle velocity V 0 = 110 m / s
- Maximum range: 1200 m
literature
- Philip Jowett: "The Japanese Army 1931-45 (1): 1931-42", Osprey Publishing, 2002, ISBN 978-1-84176-353-8 .
- 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 98 32cm Spigot Mortar. Taki's homepage, accessed May 3, 2016 .
- CLOSING IN: Marines in the Seizure of Iwo Jima. Marines in World War II Commemorative Series, archived from the original on January 24, 2009 ; accessed on May 2, 2016 .
Others
In the film Letters from Iwo Jima (director: Clint Eastwood ) you can see gun operators on a Type 98 battery when the gun is fired.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Type 98 32cm Spigot Mortar. Taki's homepage, accessed May 3, 2016 .
- ↑ a b c CLOSING IN: Marines in the Seizure of Iwo Jima. Marines in World War II Commemorative Series, archived from the original on January 24, 2009 ; accessed on May 2, 2016 .