"Weird War Japanese armour suggestions?" Topic

Thinking about the usual European dystopian images of Weird War 2, a sort of Warhammer 40k meets Battle of the Bulge, provides some pretty clear ideas of German, Neo Sov forces fighting amidst snow strewn rubble of a post nuclear Berlin in the late 40's. Hoewever what would Japan be using, there are the Gear Krieg mecha options which are worth a lo but what types of tank would Japan possibly be using should she have been able to continue the struggle?

Would there be an argument for Japan arming herself with the likes of the Panther until she was able to develop a heavier tank platform herself?

QRF do a superb APC for the Japanese and Rebel minis have some lovely armoured Samurai esque figs, any suggestions for Armour?

Cheers Guys

Yes, Panzers built under license might work, though there is always Gigantor the Space-Age Robot.

My opinion would be Japan would stick with lighter tanks because of terrain and transportation issues that they have to deal with.

Walkers or weird minisub tanks might also be an option.

Godzilla? Omi?

Cheers guys, think you are right with the suggestion of lighter tanks, but they would have to be able to use something that could take on a Sherman and survive….a tall order for Japanese tank technology at the close of the war!

Something like a Japanese version of an amx 13

One of the Gear Krieg tanks used shape charges on a lance as a walker weapon. I thought that was pretty cool to get more punch. Even if you added it to a light tank and have it charge/ram a sherman.

With Japan securely on the defensive, and requiring something light but packing a punch, do you think they would consider the Hetzer, or the E-10, with walker support?

Superb models by Gear Krieg

Me, I'd skip tanks altogether for WWW2 Japanese and go straight to slightly retro-looking mecha and powersuits.

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Go with mechs that look like giant samauri like they used in their propaganda posters from the time. Also they did buy one Tiger I and 2 Panzer III from Germany and had the plans for the Panther. As I recall they were going to build small versions of the Panther. I would use 1/72nd scale Panthers for 28mm or 15mm Panthers for 1/72nd scale troops.

Mike "Bunkermeister" Creek
mediatealways.org
bunkermeister.blogspot.com
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For tanks, remember that the home front got the newest stuff, which incidentally was heavy tanks. Types 1-5 were each more impressive than the last model.

Some sort of 'super tank'…

If you want to field the 0-I, go for it!

I'm thinking about the Japanese as a possible opposition for a Soviet force Im working up at the moment, plus i'm just looking for an excuse to buy a coupole of 1/72 Shinden cos they look so damn cool, got to be my favourite www2 what if fighter.

I'm thinking Panthers and hetzer/ E-10 combination might just give Ivan something to think about, with hordes of Gear Krieg Walker stomping through the Jungle……

I'd totally go for the Gear Krieg walkers (shame they're so expensive).

Some sort of 'super tank'…

Like this?

No, not my work. HLJ was just loading too dang slow.

I recall seeing a photograph of some Japanese soldiers evaluating a Tiger I. Looking it up, the article mentioned that several Tigers were to be shipped to Japan but instead got shipped to the Russian front instead.

While I was looking at stating out Japanese tanks for AE-WWII, I thought it might be cool to stat out a Japanese Tiger. Simply use the stats from the Basra 1946 and replace out the MGs with Japanese versions. Then make up some upgrades (both weird and conventional) that are exclusive to IJA vehicles rather than German vehicles.

Looking through the Basra 1946 history fluff, I thought it would sort of a cool story of how some Tigers that were originally promised to be sent to the IJA get sent to the Russian front and eventually end up in Iraq where they eventually meet up with the Japanese who show up at the end of the story.

That is a thing of beauty……

Agreed the Gear Krieg stuff is ace, but very pricey!!, i'm using the AT-43 Kolossus for my Russians, I have 6 0f these models and they are outstanding for a fraction of the cost, superb quality and perfect match up for 15mm.

Backed up by some 1/72 JS-3's just to give that added sense of scale, as well as some APC's from Skytrex. Hopefully have some pics up as they start rolling off the painting table.

Figure wise i'm going to be using a mix of the new Clockwork Goblin 15mm plastics for power armoured troops, Battle Front Sapper Engineers with the 2 piece camo smocks and body armour for Soviet line troops with Peter Pig Greatcoated infantry for my penal Battalion figs.

Should start coming together in a few weeks time, thanks for all the input guys,much appreciated.

This section seems poorly named

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what was under development when the war ended, You will notice that most of it variations of the Chi-Ha chassis.

Artists rendition of the super heavy
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So maybe a Chi-Ha 1 or 2 sizes up from your figure scale and improvise the turret/super structure.

Alas, i've not seen an affordable wargameable suitable size for wargaimg version of Bonaparte from Dominion:Tank police (or the tank from metal slug)

Though if you are giving stuff legs, take a look as some of the mecha older anime, 2 series that spring to mind as having some fine looking reto-furturistic kit and smaller "Gashapon" models of them (whch would not look out of place next to 20mm or 15mm) are:

Votoms (some examples)

auction

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Dougrum

auction

like the idea of using the 1/72 Japanese tanks to get an imposing scale, re robots, I know Brigade models are working up some power armoured troopers in 15mm that have a strong retro MAK feel to them and I think these will be ideal for elite troopers

If you keep your eyes open and check hobbylink Japan regularly, you can snag an Akuyaku-1-go, the 'Miyazaki pig tank' that I pictured (mine is somewhere in the Pacific right now, slow-boat shipping). 1/72 scale model, btw.

If you wanted to make a 'Bonaparte' tank, well, he's *small*. As best as I can tell from scaling various sources, I'd need to use a 1/72 cast-hull Sherman to make the basic hull in 28mm. If you're gaming in 15mm, try a 1/144 scale cast-hull Sherman.

Much like the German, the Japanese were working on new heavy tanks and the like during the war. For Amphibious tanks and APC they started work on the Type 4 Ka-Tsu troop carrier:
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This was also used to carry torpedo's to attack landing craft and ships.

Also in the same class the Type 3 Ka-Chi, big brother to the Ka-mi:
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And the even Bigger brother the To-Ku:
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As for Army tanks they were all advanced versions of the Chi-ha Medium tank.
The Chi-nu had a bigger welded turret mounting a 75mm gun, contrary to the info from this site:
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There was a newer version of the Chi-nu that used a long barrel 75mm

The chi-to was a bigger version of the Chi-Nu with a 75mm gun:
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And then the big brother the Chi-Ri with a main 75mm long and a 37mm in the main body:
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I don't have any reference for the heavy tanks aside from the Type 95,but that was used during the war.

There are also Self Propels AT and Artillery pieces like the elephant the elephant look a like Ho-Ri:
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My reference shows the Ho-Ri looking more like the elephant that this picture.
The Ho-Ri II look very much like a Jagdtiger with a 105mm gun
Also another The Ka-To looked similar to the Nashorn that was a combo of the Na-To gun with the chi-re chassis.

If you want more info consider picking up the TankPower books on Japanese armour. They are great references with color three views and production history.

All pictures are from the WW2 Drawings site. Hope that helps.

My opinion would be Japan would stick with lighter tanks because of terrain and transportation issues that they have to deal with.

Even in the historical war, there was more to the Japanese fighting than just the amphibious assaults and jungle fighting against island hopping US forces. Extensive land battles took place in the Phillipines and the Asian continent where tanks did, or could have, made a significant impact.

In an extended-war style game (such as the 1949 time period of SOTR), for example, it would not be unexpected that the Japanses would come into increasing conflict with the Russians in northern Asia (google "Battle of Khalkhyn Gol" for a historical example), so the need to heavier tanks, like the Panther, Tiger II or others, would make a lot of sense. The Japanse Army would certainly have plenty of time to come to the realization that effective tanks are a prerequiset to modern, mechanized warfare.

The Japanse Army would certainly have plenty of time to come to the realization that effective tanks are a prerequiset to modern, mechanized warfare.

Very true. The 'problem' with the Japanese military is that it was intensely competitive, usually to the detriment of overall war achievements.

The related problem is that Japan was starving for resources (literally).

If I had to design some WWW Japanese tanks, one thing I would probably try would be taking some pretty ordinary tank design, and then augmenting the basic armament by mounting a variety of rockets around the turret.

Japanese military had used some HE rockets during the war, and by the end of the war they were also experimenting with some sort of anti-tank rocket launcher. Have them speed up the development a bit, and they would have those rockets operational a bit earlier on.

And for that particular look, do not forget to decorate all of the vehicles (or at least the command ones) with a rising sun flag waving over it – and possibly a tank commander poking out of a turret hatch and waving his heirloom sword (and shouting: "Drive me closer, I want to hit them with my katana!").

mdauben, I like your idea of Japanese forces fighting Soviet forces. If I recall after the Soviets captured Berlin, their eyes turned to Japan and I believe I read some counts of Soviet/Japanese tank battles in Manchukuo.

As for weird real life Japanese armoured vehicles, I would like to point out the engineering tank SS-Ki Bo Gata, armed with flamethrowers and MG, as well as able to carry a large demolition charge. And looking pretty weird.

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I'm interested in pitching my soviet forces against an imagined resurgent Late War Japanese force, evidently I think I read somewhere the JS-3 saw some service out in the region at the very close of hostilities.

Just need to work out some credible heavy tank capacity for the Japanese. Looking at the Gear Krieg range for the Japanese it seems to be heavily biased towards the assumption that the Japanese would automatically stick with the tankette concept as opposed to starting to explore ideas in medium/ heavy tank platforms.

My own feeling is the Japanese could certainly do with at least a medium class walker.

For Gear Krieg, you can actually convert German Donner and Uller walkers into Japanese designs (with turrets), as can be seen on Agis' page (and he came up with these late-war additions).

For tanks, all non-German Axis forces suffer from a lack of delving into their armoured catalogues. That doesn't mean that those vehicles don't exist in the universe, they just aren't statted up. And the Japanese get to field the O-I anyways, so you can run over T-34s and Shermans with that. :P

Yeah but the JS – 3 is a huge beast, however I am liking the idea of transforming the German walkers with japanese turrets. Still figuring out the Japanese though, will work up the infantry first.

The related problem is that Japan was starving for resources (literally).

Yes, well if you have to makes some changes to history to justify an extended WWII in either Europe or the Pacific. Resource availability, manufacturing capabilities, political leadership. Some of all of these need to be at least tweaked for one or both sides to justify extending WWII past the historic 1945 end date.

My thinking on this is Germany realizes a lot sooner they are on a hiding to nothing with Hitler and his idealogue driven dogma, so he is successfully eliminated in turn for a far more pragmatic strategic approach. Germany rationalises war production sooner looking for peace in the West so as to successfully face the threat from the East.

With a more pragmatic approach, the Me 262 comes into service sooner, halting daylight and night bombing, ensuring German Industry can make up the losses incurred in the East as well as introducing the newer weapons.

American and British forces are completely stalled at D-Day, taking appaling casualties and the fleet being pounded in the Channel by V weapons.

Britain, exhausted, and with promises of maintaining her Empire, regretfully sues for peace, America equally frustrated and wary of the Russians pulls out of the European conflict to focus on the Pacific campaign. Germany freed from Europe now focusses on the East.

So AE WWW2 now is a drawn out protracted conflict lasting into the 50's and beyond as the Germans and Soviets struggle in the Urals, whilst America and Japan fight a far longer campaign in the Pacific. Japan, bolstered by a resurgent Germany, now begins rapid industrialization taking on board the new blueprints and designs offered by Germany.

Brief outline but hope it sounds possible. Welcome to any suggestions and corrections, cheers