JAPANESE ARMY HANDBOOK 1939-1945 A.J.Barker LondonContents “The New York. Pole Ubrary Acknowledgements and Bibliography 1 The Japanese Soldier 7 The assistance of Mr K. M. White, Librarian at the Staff College, ranisation ofthe Japanese Arm Camberley, is gratefully acknowledged. 2 Organisation ofthe Japanese Army Because of the language problem there is a dearth of material on the 3 Japanese Infantry Weapons technical aspects of Japanese armament, and apart from the Pengu:n 4 Armour Special How the Jap Army Fights (published by Penguin Books and the LS 5 Artillery and Mortars Infantry Journal in Jane 1942), most of the available information has been 7 “al Warfare U extracted from wartime classified publications nct generally available 10 6 Engineer and Chemical Warfare Units the public 7 Special Forces m1 For the illustrations I must thank the Director and Photographic 8 The Japanese Army in Action 115 Librarian of the Imperial War Museum, and the publishers of Imperial Appendices ‘Sapanese Army and Navy Uniforms and Equipment 1 Organisation of Japanese Infantry Divisions 123 2 Organisation of Japanese Independent Formations 125 3 Organisation of a Japanese Tank Regiment Ler 4 Japanese Military Terms and Characters 128 Firs published 197 ISBN 0 710 ost 7 Allright reserve No part ofthis bok maybe Feproduced or transaid in any form orb ay thea, lctomi or mechanical eading pst oping, recording or by any infrraton rage find retrieval system, without person fo the Publisher in wei © ALS. Barker 1979 Published by Tan Aan Ld, Shepperton, Sure tnd piste athe United Kington ty Ta Allan Prining Ltd ' All colourarwork posed by Bryan FestenJapanese soldies oadirg a medium ‘anh M260. /1WM Chapter 1 The Japanese Soldier ‘The source of strength for any military power lies in its people, from whom the common soldier is drawn, In 1939 there were approximately 100 million Japanese citizens, 70 million of them in Japan proper. Japan was a hard- working nation, eking out its sustenance from the often barren land of those myriads of tight islands, and it retained its competitiveness in commerce through the willingness of its workers to work longer hcurs for less pay. The standard of living was low but the level of literacy fairly high. It had an economy ard a psychology whic produced soldiers who were strong and willing, who were accustomed to hardships perhaps greater than those in the normal course of military life, and who accepted military service as an inevitable and honourable thing. In World War II the Japanese soldier proved a tougk enemy — daring in attack, stubborn in defence. Even when his position seemed hopeless to him he usually fought on to the death. Right up to the end of the war he showed little readiness to surrender and almost always preferred to die in battle or take his own life rather than fall into the hands of his enemies. Few Japanese prisoners surrendered voluntarily; most of trem were either too weal‘ or too ill to offer any resistarce or to comm:t suicide, ‘The reasons for the Japanese scldier’s attitude and stern discipline lay in his early upbringing, his education, and his Army training. For several centuries before Japan adopted a European army sys:em and introduced conscriptior: (1872), the old warrior class — the Samurai — was held in high esteem. The makers of the twentieth century Japanese Army were quick to realise the edvantages to be gained by continuing to foster this spirit, and 80, by every means possible, the heroism and noble calling of the warrior were praised. When Japan started on warlike ventures and came out victorious, the prestige of the Arrry grew. The Japanese Army thus came to ‘occupy a unique position in Japan and for the 10 years before World War Il it pleyed a major part in governing the nation. Conscripts constituted the bulk of the army, and in normal times the term of service was two years. Most of the men in the ranks were peasants well suited to army life since their harsh frugal existence on Japanese farms hhad inured hem to hardships. Taey were stocky, well built with powerful backs accustomed to carrying heavy burdens, cnd — at the same time — simple, docile and obedient.