Tango01 | 17 Oct 2019 10:22 p.m. PST |
…1941-1942 "Contrary to popular believe the Japanese military entered WW2 with an aircrew safety parachute and harness derived and copied from the A-type Leslie Irvin pattern, an American that emigrated to England who developed a chute to deploy with a rip cord to replace the static line used by most pilots and balloonists up to the 1920's. The first specifically designed Japanese military parachute was the Type 01 of 1941, similar to the German RZ version, which has more in common with the Italian D-30 series chute, having a canopy diameter of 28feet (8.5metre) in a pronounced hemispherical shape with skirting and vent hole for stable flight. The Italians used the Salvatore parachute that opened by hand grip rip cord and in the beginning were ardent users of paratroopers although by 1941 there were two understrength lightly equipped divisions. The parachute lines were connected by a single point length to the paratroopers belt and had the effect that the man hung slightly face downwards hunched in an ideal position for a face first landing. The harness was modified in the later Type 03 leaving out the lift webs, and the rigging lines were brought to a single point connected to a large steel ‘D' ring behind the paratroopers neck for a more upright controlled landing. Standard German teaching was to dive head first out the door and to take the landing in a forward roll, the British and Americans jumped feet first, although the particular Japanese method of opening of the folded and packed chute by static line was for safety sake dangerous and liable to failure. Each paratrooper also carried a 24feet (7.3metres) reserve chest-pack, and it should be noted that basic Japanese naval parachutists training program required jumps between 300-500feet (90-150m), which would not give much time to deploy the emergency chute, let alone hesitate in deploying the main canopy. Japanese paratrooper training also required a jump from as low as 100ft, and were taught by the German instruction teams who were probably horrified by the sight of their teachings being taken to extreme. The Russian military used a square shaped canopy static line deployed chute and a ripcord reserve parachute in 1942…" Main page link Amicalement Armand |
Legion 4 | 18 Oct 2019 1:07 a.m. PST |
Yes, a little known Arm of the IJFs. Paratrooper were used fairly successfully briefly in the early conquest of the Dutch East Indies, etc.. Like many units of the IJFs they generally took heavy losses. Both the IJ Army and IJN had paratroop units. Including Army Glider Infantry and a Glider Tank Troop. link link And jumping at less than 250 ft was/is close to suicidal, but many things the IJFs seem to be that way.
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Tango01 | 18 Oct 2019 12:24 p.m. PST |
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Trajanus | 19 Oct 2019 8:01 a.m. PST |
The concept of Navy Paratroops kinda makes me smile! |
Tango01 | 19 Oct 2019 11:44 a.m. PST |
Good for a different wargame… (smile) Amicalement Armand
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Wolfhag | 19 Oct 2019 10:04 p.m. PST |
The Airborne in Grenada dropped from 400 feet onto the runway. I saw a guy have a main chute malfunction and his reserve popped open when he was about 50 feet above the ground, he was OK. The lowest drops I've ever heard of was Russian operatives in WWII being dropped behind German lines from a PO-2 biplane by jumping out the door into a snowbank from about 10 feet above the ground. Wolfhag |
Legion 4 | 20 Oct 2019 6:34 a.m. PST |
Yeah, it generally takes about 250 ft. for a chute to fully deploy. So in some cases your chute would open just shortly before you hit the ground. All Training drops usually are at about 1200-1300 ft. Gives you more time to react to a malfunction, etc. Even at US ARMY Airborne School at Benning, we were told about the Russians dropping low into snowbanks. IIRC they did take some losses just on landing. |
Daniel S | 20 Oct 2019 1:52 p.m. PST |
You never know what kind of nasty stuff is hidden by the snow, up in northern Sweden both Bv202 and Bv206's have managed to impale themselves on logs hidden by the snow and at least one is supposed to have needed a new main gun after smashing gun first into a large rock hidden by the snow. (Not seen the photos of that one my self so it could have been an 'improvde' tale told to us 'southrons' on visit for winter and deep snow training.) |
Legion 4 | 20 Oct 2019 3:40 p.m. PST |
Of course you wouldn't be able to tell what might be under snow. Until it's too late. |
deadhead | 28 Oct 2019 1:13 p.m. PST |
"The concept of Navy Paratroops kinda makes me smile!" from Trajanus. I can see his point. But the US Marines in WWII had Airborne units, so not just the Japanese who came up with this seemingly odd idea. |
Legion 4 | 29 Oct 2019 2:54 a.m. PST |
The USMC had 2 ParaMarine Bns in WWII. But as far as I know they never made any combat jumps. Today the USMC and USN[SEALs] send both to the US ARMY Parachute School at Ft. Benning, GA. Before WWII with the Germans and others created parachute and glider units. It was like any combat asset. Regardless of branch of service. The US, UK, etc., added parachute and glider troops to their forces as well. To give them the capabilities that these type troops are designed for. The parachute and/or glider troops[see German missions at Eban Emal and Grand Sasso] could be inserted quickly behind enemy lines in large numbers to capture & hold key locations, or assault a position from the rear, etc. If use properly they can be very effective. |
Marc33594 | 29 Oct 2019 6:23 a.m. PST |
There were actually 3 ParaMarine battalions but you are correct, no combat jumps for them. Among issues not really thought out was providing transport aircraft for a large scale combat jump. |
Legion 4 | 29 Oct 2019 6:41 a.m. PST |
I stand corrected, I thought 2 were at Guadalcanal along with 2 Raider Bns. Which as time went on those Bns were eventually disbanded and those Marines assigned to other USMC units. And yes, one of the reasons for no USMC drops was lack of transport. And those transport crews had to be trained for dropping paratroops as well. |
Marc33594 | 29 Oct 2019 7:02 a.m. PST |
A very good article on the ParaMarines link |