"Correct military terminology from translation - Japanese" Topic

I have, whilst researching Japanese in Indochina 1945, been directed to Japanese Wiki (thanks to dwight shrute). This proved a more helpful source than I first thought. However, I am seriously stumped with trying to change a ‘straight' translation into military terminology.

This is the list in Japanese

中隊級直轄部隊
• 独立野戦高射砲第62中隊
• 独立自動車第34中隊　
• 兵站自動車第186中隊　
• 特設自動車第36中隊　
• 特設自動車第39中隊　
• 特設自動車第40中隊　
• 建築勤務第49中隊
From Japanese wiki link

Which Google translator shows as

Squadron-level direct force
• Independent Wilderness Anti-aircraft Guns 62nd Squadron
• Independent Auto 34th Squadron　
• The 186th Squadron of the Brigade Station　
• Special Auto Vehicle No. 36 Squadron　
• Ad Hoc Auto 39th Squadron　
• Special Auto Vehicle 40th Squadron　
• Building Service Squadron 49

Can anyone help with what these units would be listed as in English/American OoB? For example I'm pretty certain the first unit is
• 62nd Independent Expeditionary AA Company
Also that the ‘Auto' refers to Tank or Armour and the last unit is a Workshop or Engineers.

Anyone help please?

Could the last be pioneers?

Your list is translated from Chinese.
Translating from Japanese gives this.

Company-level unit
• Independent Field Fire Artillery 62nd Company
• Independent Car 34th Company
• Logistics 186th Company
• Special Car 36th Company
• Special Vehicle No. 39 Company
• Special Car 40th Company
• 49th company in construction

The minor differences may be helpful to you.

Thanks Dogenes

I got that straight of the Japanese Wiki so I wonder what Chinese characters are doing there?

Yes that does help though. And is intriguing.

John

The Japanese essentially adopted the Chinese character set for writing their language when they started to have a written form. (See link ). Similar to the way we write English using an essentially Latin alphabet.

Chris

I went through the chapter on "Military Terms and Characters" in TM-E 30-480 Handbook on Japanese Military Forces (1 Oct 1944, reprint 1991) and these are the closest equivalent WW2 American terms I could find:

中隊級直轄部隊 Company Level Units

• 独立野戦高射砲第62中
62nd Independent Field Anti-Aircraft Artillery Company

• 独立自動車第34中隊
34th Independent Motor Company

• 兵站自動車第186中隊
186th Logistics Company or 186th Supply Company

• 特設自動車第36中隊
36th Special Motor Company

• 特設自動車第39中隊
39th Special Motor Company

• 特設自動車第40中隊
40th Special Motor Company

• 建築勤務第49中隊
49th Construction Company

That's awesome thanks all particularly Ryan T some research you undertook for me.

Very much appreciated.

Regards

John

Being cheeky now but….

anyone got any idea what the 'auto companies' consisted of?

After surrender the French put together at least one unit (Cambodian Armoured Commandoes, which became 9th Escadron 5th Cuirassiers) of largely ex-Japanese tanks in Saigon.

Thanks John

I am pretty sure all of the Motor Companies are transport units. The tank, tankette, armoured car, and motor infantry units all use different Kanji in their titles.

TM-E 30-480 indicates that a Motor Transport Company had about 50 trucks on strength. The standard trucks were the Model 97 4x2 built by Nissan, the Model 1 4x2 manufactured by Toyota, and the heavier Model 94 6x4 truck. The first two had a load capacity of 1.5 tons. The "special" designation may indicate the companies using the heavier truck.

The AA Company would most likely have been equipped with four or six Model 88 75mm AA guns. The Construction Company might have Komatsu prime movers and/or light or medium road rollers; but much more likely it was just picks, shovels, and wheel barrows.

Thanks to Ryan T again. Good stuff. Makes sense.

I do wonder if the Independent Mixed Brigsde was more an HQ for a grouping of service units. I found a Japanese ref which suggests that it controlled various Hospital and support element and was based in Hue. The 2nd Div being th Saigon command.

The only mention of Independent Mixed Brigades in TM-E 30-480 states that these units were formed in China for garrison duty and typically consisted of 5 infantry battalions, an artillery "unit", an engineering "unit" and a signals "unit".