"Japanese Tank and Antitank Warfare " Topic

Model 93 Pressure Anti-Tank/Personnel Mine
The fuse could be set to react against weights ranging between 20 to 250 lbs.

Model 99 Magnetic Anti-Tank Mine
Time delay was 5 to 6 seconds and was loaded with 1.5 lbs of TNT.

Armor Piercing Anti-Tank Grenade
The lugs of the grenade forced the projectile to rotate and gave stability in flight.

link

United States Marine Corps tank crews also devised effective ways to use sandbags to protect their vehicles. The Marines layered sandbags over engine covers and rear decks to fight Japanese attacks with satchel charges and thrown antitank mines." Despite wide approval of the practice, there were also dissenting opinions. "
"
Marine Corps crews from C Company, 4th Marine Tank Battalion expanded the concrete modification to extreme levels. The Marines fitted two inch by twelve inch wooden planks to the sides of their Shermans with four inches of space left open between the planks and the sides of the tanks. The Marines poured concrete in the void. They wanted the concrete to defeat Japanese antitank guns and the wooden planks to defeat magnetic antitank mines. Forces in the Pacific found "that canvas or neutral materials applied on the tanks made the magnetic mines slide off." The modifications proved effective in adding protection to the tanks but the added weight often caused problems transporting the vehicles in Navy transport craft. Marine Corps tank crewmen in the Pacific responded to the unique nature of the Japanese methods of antitank warfare in some unusual ways. In order to prevent direct contact with tank hatches by hand emplaced mines and explosive charges, the men of C Company, 4th Marine Tank Battalion, mounted steel mesh cages on hatch covers. Additionally, some Marine units welded common nails, with the pointed end up, to the tops of their turrets and other surfaces of their tanks. The intended effect was to impale Japanese troops attempting to destroy American tanks from extremely close range. In some cases, armored vehicle crews did not have to look far for material to attempt to improve the armor of their vehicles."
link

Japanese Suicide Lunge AT Mine
YouTube link

Japanese WWII Anti-Tank Magnetic Mine Model 99
link

PHOTO INTERPRETER'S GUIDE TO JAPANESE MILITARY INSTALLATIONS
1945.

[PART I.] *
SECTION X. ANTITANK GUNS

link

Two thread merge.
Girls und Suicide lunge AT mine.
;-)

LOL Mobius. Robert

I was just reading about a strange incident involving a Japanese suicide-bomber: A Jemadar of the 7th Light Cavalry was so angry at the Japanese suicide-bombers, that when one was captured by a pair of Indian Sappers, he grabbed the pole-charge and hit the prisoner with it… Whereupon it detonated, killing the prisoner and the two Sappers and seriously wounding the Jemadar!

Guess the suicide-bomber kind of got his wish though he didn't take out a tank. Not what he was really looking for. Robert

Lawrence Journal-World – Oct 16, 1945
link

Type 97 37mm Anti-Tank Gun

Type 1 47mm Anti-Tank Gun

More Anti-tank tactics,
link
link

This is from Wiki so take with a grain of salt of course,
"The Japanese Army received about 25,000 dogs from their ally Germany and organized several dog training schools in Japan, and one in China at Nanjing. Some dogs were trained for demolition, but instead of strapping explosives to the dog, it was attached to dog-drawn carts.[10]"
link

"The following intelligence article and illustration appeared in the September 1945 issue of the Intelligence Bulletin published by the U.S. War Department for military training. Although the Japanese military did make limited use of dogs in WWII, the anti-tank dogs described seem to be the dogs used by the Russians against German panzers during WWII.

A Pacific report tells of a Jap Army outfit which will not be popular with the S.P.C.A.—a so-called Trained Dog Battalion, composed of four companies of 250 dogs each. There is a trainer to every four dogs. The brains behind this outfit envision trained dogs, with mines strapped to their backs, sent after advancing allied tanks. The mines are supposed to explode upon contact with the tanks.

Dogs are trained by tying meat under a tractor, and teaching the dogs to crawl under the vehicle for their chow. It takes 40 days to teach them to crawl under a slow-moving vehicle. Once Rover has been schooled properly, he is equipped with a saddle-bag pack loaded with explosive and firing device. A 20-inch wooden rod is rigged to the firing device, and sticks up above the dog's back. When the rod contacts the tank body, the fuze is fired. "

link

"Remote-Control Mines in Anti-Tank Warfare" from Intelligence Bulletin, February 1945

The following intelligence report on Japanese remote-control anti-tank mines is taken from the February 1945 issue of the Intelligence Bulletin."

[DISCLAIMER: The following text is taken from the U.S. War Department Intelligence Bulletin publication. As with all wartime intelligence information, data may be incomplete or inaccurate. No attempt has been made to update or correct the text. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the website.
" REMOTE-CONTROL MINES IN ANTI-TANK WARFARE

One of the latest antitank methods now advocated by the Japanese is the use of remote-control land mines operated by engineer troops. These are men who have been trained to function as an integral part of infantry antitank assault teams. Known to the enemy as Close Quarter Combat Units, these teams have been in a state of continual development in the Japanese Army since the advent of tank warfare in the Pacific.

Instructions issued last summer to Japanese troops in the Southwest Pacific clarified the duties of these units, and outlined controlled-mine tactics, in an apparent effort to raise tank fighters to a status above that of arbitrarily organized suicide squads.

The basic components of a Close Quarter Combat Unit are its so-called "land-mine squads" and "destruction squads." These squads, of which there may be several in the unit, may be supported in action by a "reserve squad" and a "covering squad."

The successful tactical employment of such a unit seems to hinge upon the part played by the land-mine squads. These squads are composed of ten men each, with a noncommissioned officer in command of each squad. Since they must be experienced in minelaying, a good portion of the engineer strength of a unit is likely to be included in its land-mine squads. One man in each squad is designated as an "igniter"; presumably his is the responsibility of exploding the controlled mines at the proper moment. Actually, a squad must play a dual role: it not only lays and explodes the land mines, but must engage hostile supporting infantry as the antitank assault develops. Consequently, each squad is equipped with two, and sometimes three, light machine guns.

In preparing to attack hostile tanks, the land-mine squads plant remote-control mines along a road, defile, or similar corridor through which the advance of tanks is anticipated. These mines, usually electrically detonated, may be standard Japanese antitank mines, prepared dynamite charges, or aircraft bombs wired for detonation from a safe distance. It is interesting to note that the Japanese have conducted large-scale experiments with bombs used in this manner and claim that they are highly successful. When the mines have been laid, the Close Quarter Combat Unit takes an ambush position in such a way that the destruction squads can attack the tanks and the land-mine squads can engage the supporting infantry.

After the hostile tanks and infantry enter the mined area, the designated igniters explode the mines at a time when they will have the greatest effect, and the mine squads engage the infantry, attempting to separate them from the tanks.

In the resulting confusion, and while the supporting infantry is supposedly engaged, the destruction squads will rush the tanks with armor-piercing mines and prepared explosive charges, to destroy tanks not disabled by the controlled mines. Throughout this action the reserve squad and the covering squad give support fire to both the mine and destruction squads. As the action progresses, personnel of the reserve squad are used as replacements for the mine and destruction squads as they are needed.

When the tank-destroying mission has been completed, the unit withdraws under the protective fire of the covering squad. "

link

Shades of the modern IED. Robert

LOL.

lonesentry.com/blog/2012/03

link
Remains of a Japanese 47-mm. antitank gun and a crewman burned by flame-throwing tank.

"SECTION OF ANTITANK TRENCH, 6 ft. deep and over 14 ft. wide, forming part of two barrier defense systems at ends of "citadel" area on Butaritari. They ran part way across island and were extended by log fences"
link

Log AT fences on Makin.

"The Japanese also use the flame thrower as an antitank weapon. Experiments have convinced them that a flame thrower either can temporarily stop a tank and thus leave it vulnerable to destruction by explosives, or—if the weapon is used to full effect against the air intakes—can put the tank and crew permanently out of commission. "

link

Robert; what WW2 rules do you play and at what locations?

The Type 97 looks like a perfect beast.

*wikidive*

At 110lbs (150lbs with the shield), yeah, 'beast' is a good description.

Given a choice, I'd rather use a 47mm.

Hello there oldbob. Before my Stroke and moving to McMinnville I use to play Tank Charts and the WRG Rules for Armour & Infantry 1925-1950 with my friends. I have picked up a couple of the newer ones but haven't really found anyone to play with here. Especially since I have switched to 3mm-1/600 from 6mm lol. Robert

Lion. I thought the other AT Rifles looked heavy and huge LOL. Robert

Robert; I'm just getting into Bolt Action rules and started painting "IJA" 28MM stuff. I want to paint a 18th. regiment flag,just not sure how to position the character in the bottom corner?

Wish I could help oldbob. Robert

I'll figure it out, I know its the simpler of the two character for 10 then 8. Mike Hewitt's has a very good example on page 9 and 19 in his book, Uniforms and Equipment of the Japanese Army.

I think I have a copy of that lying around somewhere oldbob LOL. Robert

Tell you what, Kaos. Once I am employed again (in school for my last semester), if I'm still in the PacNorwest, I'll throw down for any game you care to set up. You might have to find me some lodging, but I'll travel up to 8 hours for a long-weekend gaming session.

I might even bring some stuff with me…

Robert; what you think of the Museum at Camp Withycombe. its closed now and I'm not sure when it will open again?

I'll have to keep that in mind Lion . Its been so long LOL. Robert

I really like it oldbob. I can't wait to see it after the renovations . I would like to knw when those will be done too. I also like going to FT.Stevens. I used to go there almost every year for the Civil War reenactment. Especially when I participated. Robert

PDF link

"Japanese horned type anti-tank mine being removed in an Oroku Peninsula town. This type of mine predominated among the anti-tank types used by the emeny throughout the Okinawa operation. Few anti-personnel mines as such were encountered. Note the methods being used to remove the mine. Okinawa – June 1945 "
link