Type 38 15 cm howitzer
Encyclopedia
The was a 1905 German
design that was purchased by the Empire of Japan
as the standard heavy howitzer
of the Imperial Japanese Army
at the end of the Russo-Japanese War
.
in Germany. Initial units were imported, and then further production was made under license by the Army’s Osaka Arsenal starting in 1911.
After World War I, these weapons were considered largely obsolete and efforts were made to replace it with the Type 4 15 cm howitzer
. However, it was still found in front line heavy artillery regiments.
and a solid box trail. It had a hydrospring
recoil system, interrupted screw type breechblock, and 1/16-inch gun shield. It was designed to be moved by a team of eight horses, but in practice, its heavy weight was a problem.
The Type 38 150 mm Field Gun (improved) was capable of firing High-explosive, shrapnel, incendiary, smoke and illumination and gas
shells.
Surplus weapons were also mounted on the chassis of the Type 97 Chi-Ha
medium tank
as the Type 4 Ho-Ro
self-propelled gun
.
, Soviet-Japanese Border Wars
and in the early Pacific War
. Against the Chinese, the Type 38 was used with some success due to the fact the Chinese were desperately lacking in heavy artillery in the early part of the war. However, whenever the Japanese did face Chinese heavy artillery typically armed with German 15 cm sFH 18 heavy artillery guns, e.g. in the Battles of Wuhan and Changsha, Japanese gun crews found themselves badly out-ranged and hopelessly out-gunned and the Type 38 was withdrawn from front-line service in 1942. However, as the Type 4 Ho-Ro self-propelled gun, units were deployed on Luzon
and other islands in the Philippines
, and were used in combat against American forces at the Battle of the Philippines
in 1944. Other units were retained on the Japanese home islands in anticipation of the projected Allied invasion
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
design that was purchased by the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
as the standard heavy howitzer
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
of the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
at the end of the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
.
History and development
As Japan's priority lay in her navy, the Imperial Army was given a back seat to new land warfare designs, as well as the raw material (steel) needed to build them. Thus, like the US who purchased French Renault tanks (Model 1917s) for its first tank units, the planners at the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff found it necessary to purchase artillery, and turned to KruppKrupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
in Germany. Initial units were imported, and then further production was made under license by the Army’s Osaka Arsenal starting in 1911.
After World War I, these weapons were considered largely obsolete and efforts were made to replace it with the Type 4 15 cm howitzer
Type 4 15 cm howitzer
The was a heavy howitzer used by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II.-History and development:The Type 4 15 cm Howitzer was designed by the Army’s Osaka Armory to rectify the shortcomings of the Type 38 15 cm howitzer – namely its lack of portability...
. However, it was still found in front line heavy artillery regiments.
Design
The Type 38 150 mm Howitzer was a conventional design for its day, complete with crew seats on the gun shieldGun shield
thumb|A [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine]] manning an [[M240 machine gun]] equipped with a gun shieldA gun shield is a flat piece or section of armor designed to be mounted on a crew-served weapon such as a machine gun or artillery piece, or, more rarely, to be used with an assault rifle...
and a solid box trail. It had a hydrospring
Hydrospring
A Hydrospring is a mechanical device that performs a similar function to a spring. The advantage of a hydrospring over a normal spring is the increased damping that it performs...
recoil system, interrupted screw type breechblock, and 1/16-inch gun shield. It was designed to be moved by a team of eight horses, but in practice, its heavy weight was a problem.
The Type 38 150 mm Field Gun (improved) was capable of firing High-explosive, shrapnel, incendiary, smoke and illumination and gas
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
shells.
Surplus weapons were also mounted on the chassis of the Type 97 Chi-Ha
Type 97 Chi-Ha
The was a medium tank used by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War, at Nomonhan against the Soviet Union, and in the Second World War. It was the most widely produced Japanese medium tank of World War II, although the armor protection was considered as average in the 1930s...
medium tank
Medium tank
Medium tank was a classification of tanks; the medium being intermediate in size and weight and armament between heavy tanks and light tanks.The medium tank concept has been eclipsed by the main battle tank.-History:...
as the Type 4 Ho-Ro
Type 4 Ho-Ro
The was a self-propelled gun developed by the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II.-History and development:Inspired by the Grille series of self propelled artillery vehicles developed by Nazi Germany during World War II, wherein a 15 cm sIG 33 Infantry support gun was mounted on a tracked...
self-propelled gun
Self-propelled gun
A self-propelled gun is form of self-propelled artillery, and in modern use is usually used to refer to artillery pieces such as howitzers....
.
Combat record
Despite its obsolescence, the Type 38 150 mm Field Gun was found in theatres of operation in the Second Sino-Japanese WarSecond Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, Soviet-Japanese Border Wars
Soviet-Japanese Border Wars
The Soviet–Japanese Border Wars were a series of border conflicts between the Soviet Union and Japan between 1932 and 1939.Before Japanese occupation of Manchukuo, the Soviet Union had conflict with China on the border of Manchuria...
and in the early Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
. Against the Chinese, the Type 38 was used with some success due to the fact the Chinese were desperately lacking in heavy artillery in the early part of the war. However, whenever the Japanese did face Chinese heavy artillery typically armed with German 15 cm sFH 18 heavy artillery guns, e.g. in the Battles of Wuhan and Changsha, Japanese gun crews found themselves badly out-ranged and hopelessly out-gunned and the Type 38 was withdrawn from front-line service in 1942. However, as the Type 4 Ho-Ro self-propelled gun, units were deployed on Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
and other islands in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, and were used in combat against American forces at the Battle of the Philippines
Battle of the Philippines
Battle of the Philippines may refer to several wars, military campaigns, and major battles which have been fought in the Philippine Islands, including:...
in 1944. Other units were retained on the Japanese home islands in anticipation of the projected Allied invasion
Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall was the Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan. The operation had two parts: Operation...
.