Type 92 10 cm Cannon
Encyclopedia
The was a field gun
used by the Imperial Japanese Army
during the Second Sino-Japanese War
and World War II
. It was intended to supersede the Type 14 10cm Cannon in front line combat service.
and split carriage trail, the Type 92 10 cm Cannon was designed particularly for long-range fire. The recoil system was hydropneumatic and it had a distinctive three-step interrupted thread breechblock. It fired a 35 pounds (15.9 kg) shell up to14200 yards (12,984.5 m) with standard high-explosive shells, and also had provision for special long-range shells that could reach 20000 yards (18,288 m)20,000 yards, as well as chemical
, armor-piercing
, smoke and incendiary
shells.
The gun barrel
was extremely long, making field transport very cumbersome. The gun was normally tractor drawn using its large wooden wheels with solid rubber tires, but could also be pulled by a 5-ton truck. Its greatest drawback was that it had spade plates on each trail leg that had to be pounded into the ground to anchor the gun in place.
Red Army
. It later was used in the Battle of the Philippines in 1942 during the assaults on Bataan
and Corregidor Island
, and it was transported to Guadalcanal
and used in the bombardment of Henderson Field
.
Field gun
A field gun is an artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march and when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances, as to opposed guns installed in a fort, or to siege cannon or mortars which...
used by 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...
during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second 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...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was intended to supersede the Type 14 10cm Cannon in front line combat service.
History and development
The Type 92 10 cm Cannon was developed from 1923-1924, as a long range alternative to the Imperial Japanese Army's existing 75-mm field artillery. Production was delayed due to technical issues, notably a desire by the Army to reduce the weight of the weapon to a minimal level, and additional requirements issued by the Army in 1927 to increase the range of the yet-to-be-completed weapon to 17500 metres (19,138.2 yd). A suitable prototype was finally completed in 1932, and after extensive testing, went into production and combat service in 1934. A total of only 180 units were produced.Design
Readily recognized by its long slender gun barrelGun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
and split carriage trail, the Type 92 10 cm Cannon was designed particularly for long-range fire. The recoil system was hydropneumatic and it had a distinctive three-step interrupted thread breechblock. It fired a 35 pounds (15.9 kg) shell up to14200 yards (12,984.5 m) with standard high-explosive shells, and also had provision for special long-range shells that could reach 20000 yards (18,288 m)20,000 yards, as well as chemical
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...
, armor-piercing
Armor-piercing shot and shell
An armor-piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions...
, smoke and incendiary
Incendiary ammunition
-World War I:One of the first uses of incendiary ammunition occurred in World War I. At the time, phosphorus—the primary ingredient in the incendiary charge—ignited upon firing, leaving a trail of blue smoke. They were also known as 'smoke tracer' for this reason. The effective range of...
shells.
The gun barrel
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
was extremely long, making field transport very cumbersome. The gun was normally tractor drawn using its large wooden wheels with solid rubber tires, but could also be pulled by a 5-ton truck. Its greatest drawback was that it had spade plates on each trail leg that had to be pounded into the ground to anchor the gun in place.
Combat record
Despite design issues with transportability, the Type 92 10 cm Cannon was very successful and was used for long-range counter-battery and bombardment roles. It was first used in combat with the IJA 7th Independent Heavy Field Artillery Regiment at the Battle of Nomonhan against the SovietSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
. It later was used in the Battle of the Philippines in 1942 during the assaults on Bataan
Battle of Bataan
The Battle of Bataan represented the most intense phase of Imperial Japan's invasion of the Philippines during World War II. The capture of the Philippine Islands was crucial to Japan's effort to control the Southwest Pacific, seize the resource-rich Dutch East Indies, and protect its Southeast...
and Corregidor Island
Battle of Corregidor
The Battle for Corregidor was the culmination of the Japanese campaign for the conquest of the Philippines. The fall of Bataan on 9 April 1942 ended all organized opposition by the U.S...
, and it was transported to Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
and used in the bombardment of Henderson Field
Henderson Field
Henderson Field is the name of several airports:* Henderson Field on Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands, renamed to Honiara International Airport in 2003....
.