OSPREY VANGUARD 35

ARMOUR OF THE
PACIFIC WAR

Text and Colour plates by

Steven J. Zaloga
 VANGUARD SER I ES

EDITOR: ~IARTIX \\' !:,,\[)ROW

ARMOUR OF THE
PACIFIC WAR
Ttxt and colour plaIts I.ry
STEVEN J. ZALOGA

OS I'REY I' UHLIS BI;';C 1.0:\DOX

Prelude to War

'Tu mtmfS pouv lits In ils tanks. IIMJ btCflmt a/mlllls AmlOur first appeared in Asia during the chaotic
Ilral OUr gmf7ullffllllt Ilg(Jlll.lllkl JlnU'r;Clln/a,(f$ civil wan in Chilla;1I the t92os. Amtourcd trains
is II ~II/~
aga""/Ih,,, MI (1.lld ,\/" Ullli.J': and more cOl1ventional /\FVs saw action on man)
(Gen. Ushima, comma nding J :lf)o.. ne5e occasions, as the Chinese Kuominlang Party's
32ml Army, Okinawa, 19~5) N:ltional Rcvolutionary Army under Chiang Kai_
shck !tnlgglcd w C:$tabli~h a IHllional govemmenl
Although land engagements, and the role of against rcsistan~ from northeTlt ,,·arlOT(b, and later
tanks [II these cngagcrncn~, in the I'acific thC3tr1; in against Communist guerillas. Foreign powers f~hed
World War II IUI\"<: been O\'Croh3dowt'tl by th e in these. murky waters; Soviet, and later Gem,an
dramatic carrier battles al sea. it shou ld' be assistance reached the NR A, and White Russian
«:~m~rcd lhal til<: US deployed over a third of mercenaries fought for the warlonb. Uy 1930 tlte
her 101:01 lank ha\talion~ in lhe Pacific. Terrain NRA had acquired in V:lriouS wa}'l! about 36
diffICulties. at finl thoughl insurmOUlltabk. lalcr Renault FT-r7 tanks and some 24 Carden Loyd
cncouragm the development of imponant dO!OC+ machine gun carriers, apart from itsannoured train
lupporllactics; and campaig ns such as thoee on the 'Ieee.
I'hilippim;s, IwoJima and Okinawa wcn-toscc the Profiting by tht general chaos, japan's Kwan-
employment of armour on a 5<;ale wmpa",bk with lung J\ nn)'. $tationw in 1\·l anehuria, provok ....d
thai in Europe. Fe"" mOl~ cla.<sic examples of excusts to spread jap.lnesc influellcc. Attacking the
blh,d<lieg C"UI Ihan th~ So';Ct dcstruction of th~ city or Mukden, the j ap.1l'csc had scizw all
Japancso:: Kwantung Arm) on the plains of Man- i\lanchuri:1 by February 1932. The 5UCCC$5C:S or
churia in t945. thcir fcw tanks and annourcd cars around Harbin
3
 building programme, AmI)' resources wen: bardy
adequate for a modest production of tanks, lei alone
a major eltercisc in infantT} mechanisation. Con.
!if:quently. thc Army showed liule inten::;t in
armoured dh1SiollS until alieT /he .• pread of WaT ill
J!HI -4~·
Nevertheless, the Kwantung /\ nny app~iated
the mobility and firepo ... er offered by tanks. and
eon linuw to build up iUi armoured stn:nglh as
I:<juipmenl becalm." available. T he Mixed Mcch.
Bdl':. was assignw an imponan l pMt in a potential
drive on Peking in [he eve nt thM fult-scale war
broke OUI wilh China; and in Ihe meantime border
Tn><" modh, ... ' .... k 0/'.100 Jopon_ 1fh T • .u.. R<I!': ' _ Coo.
p!oot"ll ... phdI ....... "II &8'd"ll ..... ~" >i M ••d, ItJ90 fighling conlinued againJ;1 both Ihe Chin~, and
'h.o T J .... ., _. , ........""" ... _h.m ........ .ofJ. .... - .. r _ [he Soviel3 in Mongolia and Sib,~ria.
i. 0.1 ... t. th .. lot. ,~n. ........ m.lor •••• ;. _ .17
.... _ wi,k ,lie .... ....1, .;. of _ eom"""7' (J....... Both enemj~ built ul' their :,nnourffi uni Ui, war)"
Gt'1UMI....)
of j apanoe imentions. The Speci,,1 Far East Red
lIanner /\ rmr (O K)) VA) w:u reinfoTCw with fi\'e
promplro tht formation of l.h~ lank regi mcms, b.~ttalion! of T-~6 and T-~7 tanks, which ski r-
1"-0 in the Hom.:: Islan ds and Ihe3rd Tank Regt. in mishL-d alo ng the borders during 1934-35. The
Manchuria, Jalc in 193'.1. Thi! was soon joined by N RA forml-d an Annoured Car "nd Tank Corps al
the M("(;hanisal l\ lixt-d Hd e., buih around a Chu ngking in Apri l 193~ ";Ih a few improvised
mOlori~ infantry regimen! and the _ ph Tank vehicles, and foreign lank pu rch~ began in 193~.
R ~I .. which fidded the nC .... T y~ 9,1 lankcue. In 1936 three tank b.~ttalion! were formnt under
Designed sp.:cilicaJly for uSoe in China, Ihis two-man the command of Xu T ing-rao. The tSI ,\ m){I. Bn. al
machine gun ~arrier had a small armoured trailer, Shanghai had 3~ Vicken Carden Loyd Am-
and WlU i'"cudcd to re-supply isolated inramry phibiou5 Tanks Modd 1931, and 50me Vickc~ 6-
under fill:. In rile! it was much more often u~'d a.o; a Ion E umks. The 2nd Armd. lln., also al Shanghai.
lighl 5upport lank, and Wall gradually passed on 10 had Lhe remainder of the ~o ViekcT!; E tanks which
$COUI platoons and the lank companks assigned 10 had been acquil1.-d; four VCL Model 1936 ligh t
inf.lnlry formations 35 III .. 4th Tan k Regt. aC<luircd tanlui; and the surviving VCI. machine gUll earrien
newer eq uipment. from a b.llch purchasro in [9~9. At Nanking the
In t935th ... :"·Iixed Mech. Ikt.... scnt a detachmcn! 3rd Armd.Bn. Imd len P~ KI)fw [ Ausf.A tanks, 20
indudiu!o: t"ukr!! ..... T}lX" Be,! mnlinms and" n,·w Fiat CV-33 lanket t~, and a " umoc r ofSd K r~ ~21
T ype 95lighl tank to take part in rnanocuvl'Cll in the and 2~2 "rmourffi can; a small number of Frcnch
Gl1:at ... r Khingan Mountains along with mOiorised Renault ZIl light [anb "cre :IC(luirffi later.
infantry "nd ~tl ppor\ tl nit~. l>e<:p snow caused
problcnu for Ihe t"llks aud wheeled transport alike,
and the OUlcome of Ihe uen::isc proved significa nt
in the dcvelopment of I.J A armoured uniu. T eehni· War Breaks Out
cal rcquirernenl.'l for better lubricant~, and fOT
the greater ,·cr.!-Mility in elttTCntC conditions offered Although border dashes increased following
by diesel ellgines were perha])! less important J apan's February t936 mi litary coup, mOl\I of Ihe
than Ihe douhUi raiSt:d in the minds of jal)'1nae belle r Chinese unilS were .!'liII cornmiued to the
plannen as to the feasibilit y of meehaui'l«l for- suppression or·handits' and ... arlords. Filmll). on 7
nlalions. The inability of Iruck- I)Omc inf."llIlry 10 j uly 1937, J apan opted for alt ..."ul war against
kccp up ...ilh lanks poilllL-d to the need fOT tn,eked China: the K wa"Hrng Arm} auacked from the
or h"lf-u""cked pen6nnel carrien; hut , given thc nonh , while an ex pedi[iom,TY force tu pponed by
high induslri:,1 priorily enjoyed by Ihe Na,l"s ship- about [00 tan ks land«l from the Jea and drove on
 Peking through T icn-tsin. TheJapano::sc: aim was to a utumn 1938. The: N RA was left large!) un-
seizc nOrlhenl Chi na without delay, and the tanks molestl"tl in the e nlpty inlerior of the cquntf), since
provided thc nl'Ccss,'lry speed alld shock. The IJ A the IJA bardy had the forco 10 garrison the areas
aMUml'd that Chiang Kat-shck wou ld llccept th eir Ihe)' had already captured. -nle war in China
J(:izure of the north: and indeed. within Ii,'c months would drag on. al much rt-duced intensi ty, for the
they had scil.l-d ncarly all tcrritory north of the next $even yeal"ll.
Yellow River, inhll bit~1 by 90 mill ion people, The invasion was not entirely wit houl it5 cosu,
..."thout serious resistance:. Chiang chose: to sta nd ho .... o::\'er. [n onc ofiu fe ..... batt[efield victories tho::
and light around Shanghai, ealculating thaI the NRA slJrrounded and destroyed a large enemy
large: foreign population in the: area would att ract loree, including 40 tanks and 70 armoured cars, ;11
the aUt:: ntion, and perhaps Ihe intervention on T aierchuang on 6 7 I\pril 1931:1. The ChinC!e
China's !x·halr. of the \\\-stcn' powe:rs. inf.1t1lry uni" irwoh'~i in Ihis ao:: tion were fortunate
The N RA 's bc:st Gcnnan-trained di\~sions wcre in bc:ingr:quippcd with Ihe German ['ali: 3637n1m
sen t 10 C ha pei provi nce surrounding the in- :lI1ti-lank gun.
tem:uion;11 cil)" alqng with m()ln of th e small
armoured force. T he J apanCSO': rcspond~1 as an- Khalkia. Gol
licip.1Ied. In additiqn to Marinc ullit s alread y in The Soviet Ullion, anxious over the japmlC!e
Shanghai, Marinc uniu wit h armour and Army iI1l'asion,5wallowl-d IlaSt diAcrel1ces and helped re-
uni u with about 200 tanks and tankett es were e<:[ uip Ihe N RA. Soviet loons financed the pu rch:.sc
landl"tito contest thc N RA bui ld-up_ The Chinese of 87 '1'-26 Model 1933 light lan ks in 1938, and
uniu wcrt: ro uted ,,·ith hcav)· 10S5eS, including most &lvie t advison; assistl-d in thc (ormation of the 200th
qf their armour. j apan's S hanghai expediliqna ry Mt'Chanisc:d Dil'uion "nlil wilhdrnwn following the
force moved north , linking up with the Peking Russo-German Nqn-Aggrcmqn I'aci in 1939.
expedilion:lry force which was driving southwa rds
..". ';'f .......... ~ r__ ""'H KNII.;' tb N~"""' . LoM
through the coastal provinces. The invasion of 1>tdJ... &..1dH . ....11 hmb<" of Vkke.. Mod,1 In' lip'
(1"0"'"5...,..... ) .... .. r ",M. !Jo ....... or . rno _ _ "".,.
China oa;u picd jal>3nese tOfCd) for ahout a year, (, ... ~.

... d'II.........t1~ __ hor• • , ,hd. L o d _ ...... Ut I".. y.

Ihe last pOrlS of Ha nkow a nd Canton falling in
' -I

5
Amollgolhersupplies pro\~d.;-d were 8A-6 and FAI
annoul1;d can, anill"l) and trucks_
The Soviets iIUOn had their own problems with
Ihe Ja pant'llC: Kwantung Army_ Then: h:ld bttn
long-standing border disput cs l"",wecn Russia 's
puppet, Mongolia, and theJ ap.1ncsc: in ~Ianchuria_
In Jul y 1938 lighting broke oul at Changkufeng
(Lake Khas."ln ) bel,,-een Ihe Kwantung Army and
lIu." joint Mongolian/Soviet OKDVA forces" Tlu-
Japanae ,,'ere pushetl back, bUllook heart when, at
Ihis critical stag(-, Sialin"s purge oflhe So,';"1 officer
corps hit the nwks ofO KD VA_Japan I'I,tlmt-d a
fUl II,,;,' eu"f"u"I .. I;un III~ fuUuw;,,!; 'U""""T; UUI U)'
Ihal lime command of an OKDVA heavil y rein_
forced with armour had p.-usnl 10 an em:rgctk
)'oung cavalry commander. Crorgi Zh"kov.
J ap:ln csc forces massing in Ihe dispuled border
arca around Khalkin Gol (Nomonhon ) on Ihl"
Ty ... ., m ••U ~", , ... k of '0' c-7'1o T ....11 R<JIL cnooot"'ll'"
i"'~_loricIJe _ 1",Io_r" 110"''' olM • ..ua _ 3J...... .,.
'flO, d~n ..J , .... Pkill_ ' .10''''1. O~. ew ... by <.h.
.......rd.. 0(1;, 10 ......... lilte .1o.lIS M:). , ... TYf<" • • m p•• _
. 1f_1 .... _ " ' .' US ..... rlllp",," I.. fao • .,. ........1"._• •• ,1-
•• altl" ..... n.., .."II • • , ... bel ......... ar .... ' t.olpu. ;.,..1.... '10.
...........,. (IJS .. .....,)
6
OUler Mongulian frontier included all armoun:d
task fOTCe, Ihe Yasuoka Delaehment, It..-d by LI.
Gen. ~ I a.\-aomi Y;uuok:.; comprising ckmcllts of
Ihe lTd and .ph Tank RegIS .. il fidded 73 tank!.
Col. Yoshima ro commanded t"O It'n_,ank corn-
panin of the 3rtl, wilh Type 8g rnedium5; 1.1. Col.
Tamada commanded Ihree COm l):inics ofTYIX" 95
light tanks from the .ph. These unils were laler
reinforced, it 5C<;;ms, wilh 'lOme arthe newerTn:oe97
m~-diurns. The So"it:ls secretl} massed a far larger
annourt"d force tolalling at lelUt 550 tanks and 450
armoun:d cars. The 61h and IlIh Tank Ik ln. had
BT-7~; IIIe 7,11, 81h aI,d yl h Anml.Bdn. h,"l BA-,u
annoured cars. There "ere also a m"nl,..,r ofT-~6
infarnry lank mutations, and Ihe 8th ~Iongulian
Armd.lbllalion.
The J apan~ made early progress, bUI Iheir
drive was ulunted by a couIller-aHad by we So"iel
IlIh Tank and 71 h Armd.Brigades. So"iet 1000000Io
the Jap.lnc:se 37mm anI i-lank gu ns anti ~ l oI()1o\'
Cocktaits were high, amounting 10 aboul 120
AFVs; bUI Ihe Yasuok;. De tachment losl over half
ils lanb when it ran into Soviet 45mll1 anti-lank
guns. By the time the SoviclJIlaunehed a counter-
oifell§ive in August the Kwamung Army had few
tanks left, while theSovicucouJd still f!tld "y8 tanks
and 346 a rm()Ul'L-d can.
Japan's crushing defeat :It Kh alkin Col had
important consequences. The IJ /\ quickly realised
Ihal their tanks, armed at besl with a low-veloci ty
;,7mm gun, were no ma lch for contemporary
Europcall designs mounting long-barrelled anti-
tank guns. The 45mm wcapon of the BT-7 easily
proved iusuperiorityovc r the T ypeBg and evellthe
lie" Type 97 mediums. 011 the hard clay of the
Mongolian plains eyen the whL~led BA-6 and BA-
10 anllourt-d can; had shown thenl5ClvC$ dlCctive.
Th is defe.1e led Japan to begin development of a
mon: heavi ly anllL-d vcn;ion of the Type 97, an d of a
ne'" 47mm anti-tan k gun. More irnportandy,
perhaps, the lJA !limed away from Ihe smoking
wrecks on the Mongolian steppe and concentrated
thei r attcn tion sout h wards. Ulllhreatelll-d by Ihe
K,,·an tung Amly in '941 - 4'.1, the Soviets were able
todraw uniu from OKDV1\ resen 'cs for the critical
defence: of Moscow.
T . . Mockt ' ~
f;/"' .....
.. "ri .... the t_
li3'" ....
(Ui N.d ..... " ..... 1_)
k ... r,lte ChIBe.. _ h M~. 1Ji~ .
t k a.. ..... · LocI .. R-.lI .. -""'''1 ,~
The War Spreads
With Manchuria and coos!lll China se<:u red , J al)'"ln
ep:d French I ndo:>-China and the oil-rich Dutch
East I ndies as its ncxt prey; but increMing Amer-
ican pressure k-d to the fatefu l decision to challenge
US power in the Pacific bydcstroying the American
I'aci lic fleet at Pearl Harbor ot5 prelude to an
ambitious advance through SE Asia.
B)' latc 194 1J :lpa ll'$ amlOured rorce had grown
considerably. T he Mixed Mttha niscd Bele, had
been rcpla~1ld by the: lSI and 2nd T an k Groups,
cach with three regimcnts, stationed with the
Kwantung Army; besides these thtre wen: more
than a dozen othe r tank regiments, and mon: w~rc
fonning. Srnaller formations "'en: attached to Army
and ~I :trine units: ten infantry divisions cach had a
nine-tank compan)', usually with the Type 95 !f(l-
glJ, as did Ihe ~[a,;ne lSI IU 41h ~ I obik Bell"5" and
nine independenl light compank., came under
Army commands, Then.- were SOllie .11 ['atrol
Comp'IIlies of light tankli and lankellcs, usually
a!lachw to in r.1.ut ry unilS or fomuuions in place of
hOI'S(.'d cavalry 5(;OUI$, Experienced only in open
terrain, and now r.1.cing jungle, Ihe Japanese wen:
still lilr more eonvinccd "rth!" value of lank support
than wen: their opponenl$,
Allicd doubt! abou t Ihe polcmial oflankli in tht'
tropi a were typified b} British dis]Xl5itions in
~ I alaya and lIumla, guarded anI} II} a handful of
LanChc,lcr .. m.l ~'I ,""rurr 11c, ,·i"!IIUII ",.",IIU""[
car$. The Netherlands East IndiN; Arm)' (KNI Lj,
mon: receptive , had taken ddivery of only 24 of 75
ordered VCL Modd 19361ight tanks by December,
and ~5 of 600 Marmon Herrington lig hl tanks
ordered for six new mec hanisl.'d brigades. Avaiiable
armoured Glf unit.'l induded one with 12 t\his
,
Straussler ,\CSl)s, onc wilh locally.built O\'er·
\'alwagcn or US M3'\ I !K:OUl cars, and one " 'ith
Krupp P:llu.crkrnnwagen. In t94 ~ II Squ., King's
Own Hus-'>:lrs arri,'ed with 16 Vickers Mk VI light
tanks.
The only US (auks in the Pacilio: were the 108 MS
light tanks of 19~nd and 19.1th T:lllk Bns. forming
the I'ro\oisional Tank Croup sent to LU1.on in
Novcmber 1941 . In addition 1here ""en: 50 SI',\ is
'Self.Propdkd ~lounlJ', MS 751l1m Cun l\I ~lOr
Carriages comprising old Frcnch 75mt1l guns
moullted in half·tracks rut lank d estroycrs.
Type,7 r....·.. . r ,., t ~_. T . .k c.......,..,.t ~_. i .. .
..Ddbo • • Dd b.rck ... _, wt.lk " '1"" to . . - . rho Mo ,.or.Jk ••
II I.·. -r_ G . .""ka... l i .. Odober .~... m ... ' or . loI. ".it
w ...
d .... ... yHI"'." .....bow. "" US M.or!.. '7"' ''' A{f ....... ......
-.10 1oo.1p'" wro. 'M _'" d ...,. i" whi •• • r ""rt. 1>1 .... (US
"'""r)
Initial Allied Defeats or 50 ,\Iannon Il eMington armoured cars and Brell
c.uriers. Singapore feU on '.'I l'ebruaT). F:.ced b}

.....,.
j31),111'5 amphib;ou.~ landings:u the northt'rll neck
rf" anli-tank weapons, Ihe thTtT n-gi",("n!~ had
proHd (kd~i,,(" (oJapdn'~ rapid victor)-.

a
of tile .\Ialay Peninsula on ~('mbt-r 19-1' caught The Philippinefii
Ih" \w·o Il riti~h ' :lnk regiments r('qut'!;wd by LI. Luzoll sal'. tht, onl} UllJjor t;mk-H.-tank fighting of
Gen. Perci\'al still at 5(';\. Th" ddcndcrs' COtWklion tht' initial phase oi"(h" I'acific I'.ar. T he 1J1\'S4Ih
lhal ll1<: mountainous jungle "'ali imp.l ssablc, and 71h T:lllk RegiS., and sc\'Cral ,lIIall.. r unilS,
C!lpttiall)'lo ul1lks, w;t'l tH)1 shart'd by Ihc J ;II),.. n~: I'.ere land.-d in .he Philippines. The US I'ro,-isiona!
Yamashita's ~51h ,\rm)' had '-/' I tanks of the 1St, T ank Group counln-anach·d Iht' Linllay"n Gulr
61h and r4th Tank Regiments. The lSI, organistd landin~ (h" first ""eoullter ritme on ~1 Dt.-ccmbn,
like mOSI olhers in four companies each wilh \ell when Type 95' ofth", 4th Tank R~'gl . amhu,h~-d a
TyJlC 97 and tWO T )JX 9.'1 f/a-J'.O plus :In HQ patrol from the J92nd Bn. ncar Damort~. Thei('
company with rour Type 951ighl tanks, penetrated unils remained in COnlaC] a5 the US fon.:es re·
tht J itra Iinc on I I Decnnlxr. The most important trl'atoo. On 3 ' Dcccmlxr a skirmish at lIaliuag COIit
lank battlc "as on 1 Janu;'tl) HIP, when the 6th
n..~~..ro .. M,",,' I~ _ h' •••• ..r,..d !>Ion-T••• "' ... ___
Tank Reg!. broke Ihe Slim Ri\cr lint' north of dwrUol. t~U I. , .... lip. I •• _ a-pio.il ", ... lXoot:-- '!I4lI
SiJlg".lpore; in this figh ting the dtfcndcT1i 1051 ,h('if 50 th.l • ..l•••pp" ....... ,.,. ""'P'~"" of , .....1rfH,1d. [us~ C)

9
the Japancsc eig ht T ype 95 fla-go. T he Provisional Dutch East Indies
Tank Group remained in action, though poorly T he IJ t\ 4 th Ta nk Rcgt., \'ClcranS of Khal ki n Go!
handled by high~ r command. and ma ny la nks wen' and lhe Philippines, landed on J ava in March t!).j2,
lo,n n ~'i.-dI<'Mly ;n hasly wilhdmw;lls. Surviving when mueh of th~ Elm I ndla had ''In:ady r... lIe11.
la nlel "cr~ among the lasl of the US rcarguard [0 The)' did 11<)1 sc-e ~uch d ra matic !lC'r"ice as in earlier
withdraw into thl' U... laan Peni nsula, and the 13.$t b.l 11les; there Wt're few Dutch tH 'Vs o n J ava, and
lank·"'s.-tank action took place on 7 Apri l t9-12 both sides used llflnour in the K1:ondal)', illfantry
when twocllemy lanks were da\ rop:d by the 1\135. su ppan role
Se\'cral M3s wcre cl' pturC'd intact. and used to B_ _
replace 10liM:S by the 71h Tank Regt. in later
lighting. After the fall of Bataan a special unit was J apanese fort:a in Burmll ...erc~upporH:d by the I~t,
fonned for the landing on Corrcgidor; the 7t h Regt. 2nd and 14th T ank Regiments. Allied forces in
h"d bccomr eOllvineed tha t the Type 97 (:I".lra·$ Uurm;' fielded two annourcd un its, the Uri tish 7th
57111111 gun was inadequate ew~n against the M3, Annd.lktc. and th~ Chines!: lIooth ;\k e hllnised
a nd a few T ypc 97tlll (47 nt tn Slrinho/a Clrl-ha) wcre Dhision. T he former, consisting or~lIId Royal T a nk
ru~hed to 1i... ta;U\. Two took pa rt in the Corregidor
land ing of 5 1\b r thongh ironically cnough, thc) "Yr_. ....,..
c ol' ,he _ )I.b ";_ "' ........... T .. c<o< Sa.
. ,. tlnl ... . <<><_.,.t... _U.t 8«10.. " • • , .... bt ...... y Ill . ' r...
had to be towed olr lhe Stl'Cjl belleh a pproa~hes by T ..... wo.. n . ..." ..........,.1 ""..,,.;...,.... ,,, ,••• ,10"-",
the detacbment com mander, 1\ laj. Matsuoka. in a .... ,,1. k<I '" ,Io.b ~ .., bo __ rty .... ~..,. ...../0. . ... phi_ •
.,.,.......,;."" i" ,h. c..,... t .... c.,; .... ' .... I . r l,u5 "IT_.. .......
captun.-d 1\13. ....,It.....
' 1 . 11 _ ... I~ bo ,,,", PTO . (USMC)
 -
,;:1,: ..-:...

Regiment and 7th lI ussal'$, was fresh fmlll Lhe "US•• , ... Tn"" 1I..,. IiJloI ....k ... 0 h ......... ...... , '" d."I1 ...."
Mari_ , ....... d u ..... , _ bo, .. J., r.... T .... .... : ;, do. .... if<d 'he
\\'alcrn l><Xrt lind nc"l~ C([uipp'-'<i wilh i\[3 She ......... QtJIU CAl.. boo, ..... II ••M k ....d , ........, by ..... k r
Stuarts; il had been diverted to Rangoon when M.t" ~ (USM C)
1\C'oOo'S of the [;,11 of Singapore fc;.chtd it at sea.
Fighting with the n;arguard IhroughoUllhc retreat who wcre ill"prep:,red [0 dea l with them. Shocknl
from Burma, it inflicted 115 share of damage on the OUI ofthcir complacenl contempt for theJapanesc,
JaIIaIlOC, hut did nOl enCOUnter enel1') tanks; il5 and their misplacc:d confidence ill the imagined
Story i~ told more fully in Vanguard 17, Tilt Sluml natural barrieT$ to cnemy amlour, somc uuiu
Ughl T~nJ. Stria. simply panicked. and other! wcre ham .. strung by
T he Chinese 700lh i\oIcch.Di.·.. l)."\rtially formed their lack of adequate A{ I' weapons.
wilh Sm'j",. hdp in 1938--39, c()nsisl~-d orone (auk Ne\'erthclCS$, these "it:IOrie" were Ihe lasl ofthcir
and one moto,;sro infantry regiment. The Chine51': kind. Foreed toapprcci:ue the ,'alueoftankse,'en in
...."Cn: reluctant 10 send .my troops j>o'tflicularly ex trcme terrain, Ihc Allies increasingly pro,';dl-d
their only :LnIlOUral unit \0 foreign ooltkfltJds, armour support in sulllOCfjuen ( campaigns. I n
hut were convinced by Gtn. Stilwl'l]'~ pn-dicl ion of COn1ra5t, Ihe IJA was lulled inlO a false scnse: of
lhe COIl.$l!(tU(;Ilce; [0 Chiml of the Japancso: cuuing secu rity by ilS .. ictories in 194 [-4~' Although the
thdr supply rolllC from Burma. T ht' unit fought Type 97-':'" made il~ debut at Concgidor in May
~urprisingJy well in the Hukwang Valley in March (9'1~. il did nOI appear in any quantity unt il lhe
'!M~, being singled out forStilwdl's praise; bUI, like Saipan lighling uf 19+4 nearly live ycaT!l afte r
the British 7th Armd.lldc., it 1(l51 mOSI of its developmcn1 began in m>ponsc to the Khalkin Gol
equipment in the process. T he 111I1..~ J :apanC$C tank defeat, and by which l im~ it ....'as hopcieMly out ..
unit, enabled the 1J i\ to maintain a rdentlcu dated, ~ince theaca lalion or"capons tn:hnology in
punuit of the Allied forces back to India; bUI only E.urope had brTd a 1l10IT po .....crfu l gcncntt ion of
the 14th T ank Regt. remained in Burma after til<: Allit'(j lau ks. Another problem was the inability of
campaign. Japanese indust\')' to satisfy mil.ilar)' demands,
• over burdened as il was by naval r""luiremcnts .
Jal);\U'S early "iclOria "en' gTeall) :.idl:d by Ihe Interestingl), German SUCct'!lSfS in Europe,
skilful and imaginative usc of tanks against CIlcrnics ralhcr tlmn j apan's Asian "!cIOrie", shaped the
0- .. r.lot badt.d "rs.u.... ... ,,, .t . ~ Yo ..... loa ........Iou.
tnent of the il1digenous Sentinel tank hegan
r............ _ T .... _ woo. COL.oIl.U>O.H<'IO ""... wi, h MJA I lip.
",ab 0' II>< ~ ..! M."-' T.u ~ although in the evcnt A,,~trali,m "nil$ "M:(! only
.... ,h. 10.11 .MI. i. ,h •
rI,""
•• .,...... , J... I ~ .. ia .. ( t h. 'MA C T .... Boo., "', • • I ....
,.. M.riA< T . .... B., {lI$M C)
by.".
llritish and US types in wmbat. At Ixak 5trength in
tl).l2 ,\ "stralia had fOllr lauk brigades. ctj"ippro
with ,\Iatitda, "'3 Light and ." 3 l\ lediutn, twO
dc\-dormcll l of the .ank forcl". In J ul) 19.1~ till' brigades forming the 1St Armd.Div.: but manllOwcr
T ank GroUpl! in Manchuria WCre disl.mndL'(1 and~, problems forn'fi a red uction, a nd by t9.H onl)· one
new Mechanised ,\ ""} wlU foun(k-d al 5:1Op- brigade rmmined.
ingchicch. This consiSIL'll orthe lSI and 2nd Tank New Zea land :.J.';(I formed a nurnbcrofarmoured
Dh'S., each of 1""0 lank brigades tilch of two unit~, nUl onl> (Inc squadrc>n aCIU"lIy saw action in
n:gimcnts, plll~ li rnOlOrised inr.~nlry lmd a mot- the P,,,: ific.
oriscd artillery regimen! and su pporting units. TIn.- T he US eV('nluall}' fielded the largest numbc:r of
division had a nominal strength of 87 light, 249 armourffi units in the I'"cific, totalli ng one-third or
rn ..:dium and 40 reserve tanks. l.aler in '94 2 a :Wl "Il i t~ tank battalions and all il$amphibian lank and
Tank Di.... was form~-d in China, and a 41h at the tr.u:tor ballaliorl$. T he US Arm>' usually allached
Chil)a T ank School in J al);UI. On ly twoof thescs:, w one tank ballalion 10 caeh inr'l1ltry di\>ision in
combat as complete formal ions: lIn." 2nd in lIlt" oolllb.~ l: their organ isadoll diffe red lillie from those
I'hi lippinn in 194-\ 45, and the 3nl during the ,.;rving in the ETO , alt houg h occasionally such
great 19.11 oilhuive in China. changMt "ere madc a' , uhstituting ~ I! o tank
d,~troyel"!i forlhc l\ 17 or l\15 105mm howi tu r lank!;.
The Allied Ripo .. te Th.. US Marin6 hCg'.I n r..ui"ing light lanks ;n
\ VithJapan on l\ usu .. lia's dool"Stc p in Ne .... ellinc.. , '941, imcnd ing to allach one l:mllaJion to cadi
and threatening US forces in the Pacific and. later, d;vi~<)n , but thi s was nOt achieved unlil '9oM: ill
on Ihe AtcUlian~, Allied moves 10 build up tank earlier b'lLlla onl> tletacht-d oompani('!l wen:
slrcllgth in the tht at re we", essential. Australia att(f :l\'ailable. In 19-1-3 US MC mnk b.'IILalions nom-
New Zealand had already formed units for the inally cocnpri!lCd 67 M3 Light tan ks, though l\14'b
Wcstcm ~rt ; the new threat halted ti,rthcT Sherman companies were added as ,hey l)C(amc
Australian (kplopnctlls to l\friGI , and develop- :lvaila ble.
I~
The Sou th -West Pacifi c :ICTt):!S the ~Iatanika Ri\'rr: it wa~ slIppontd b) I ~
(;!II-ha mrolurn lanks of the I~t I mlt-p~ndent T ank
Co., formed fmm \'~Irran CITW, oflhe 41h Co., './ nd
TtJ.o lil"$! ,,~ uf ,\ lIied armour sinCl~ II>!' 19~1 r ank Rt,!!:l .. bUI mOliI w~rr d("<II'o)"1 II) Marin~
ddfi,1lI \0<1.$ on :-'0:-" Cum('a and in Ih" Solomons. ]711,m A T gun~ while enlllSinl;" till' ri\~r.
~nlliollll "nl" hampc-rni h) lad of ""ItoUgh tank Il a\';ng ~izcd Xew Kril;l;n and , ~W I l"('land ill
landing bargn and. 011«" ash~. b\ th" d"llid) \ ugusl Iq.p , Ih~Japan~ g"J.fri,;oned Rabaulw;lh
jungled and mal'\ih) I.'rr.i u. M ()51 aCliom ;moh'f'd Iheir 81h Tank R<,gt.; 'iOmr art',,", III :-:~W Guin~a
dispentd ~u h"uni ,s ~upponing infant!,,) hy mudnlt WNt' also occupied, In ~pt<'mtx-r Ih<';r all<'rnplcd
001 Japancst hunkl"D, :md h~<lking up em-1IIY landing'>' al ~ I ilne Ba } w<' ..... uppOrtrd b) T)'I'" 95
rounlCf.a llack!l" ith machine gun and canutH fif(". tanks. Tht AU <ITalian ATIII} mlpo nded , and de-
The Ii,..,.c oflcnsiv(' deployment wal Ihe I;.ndilll( in t ach lll~nu of ~ 1 3 SIu:,ru of 7/61h Armd.Reg!. fi~1
August 19-1 ~ of CoO.A. lSI M arine Tauk li n. on "'w :l(lio11 around C.'IM· ": nd:.l;,drrr. T hi, unit'.
Guadakanal: Ih" dO!l<'o(juarlcT fightinl\" heR' w;u so continued clOSt' support during lh~ bloody lIuna
$3\'<Igt: Ihal CCII. V;lUdergrifl recalled Ihl" blOl)tI· ~ampaign. lasl;ns; into ''In, w;uS<'(:n :llI~ntial h~­
splaJlMd lanita 'Iooking like llK"al-griu(kD', Lack- Ih~ Ausn-.dian infantry. d"pit~ Ih~ <'normous
inganti-Ian~ w(""pons. thcJapanesc infantry wo"ld dinicult i.'S of ,ank <'m plo) menl in the ;-.Jrw Guinea
dimb on 10 the lanls, trying to pry open hald>a Jungl~. I n October 19-'3 Iht' Au,trali an lSI Tanl;.
and fiR' Ihll)U~h ,-ision slits; the)" "("IT mo_.-n do ... n Btl. ~nl~rcd combat 011 11K II UOII Pcnmsuia, and iu
b) US infantry. or by other tanks using machine ~ I :uild;u proof al;"aUlSt 1m- ~IK'''')''S :Hmm gUlls
gull! and cauisu:r. The first cornpan) w.., later W~Tl:' all illltllC."d;al~ !OUITOIi. i tld«d, III 1m-
rrinrorcnl, and in No\"tmOcr CO.S, 7nd ~ I arin~
T ank Kn. abo landed. LlII~ in October thcjap,IIWSl'
Sumi)'oshi For.:r w;u landed for a com't~ro(]"hL.i\'r

'3
 fighting a rou ud I' abu, onc Mati lda took 110 less
than 50 hi t! frolll 75111111 gun! without a singh:
penetration.
[nJul) 1943 the US t\ rmy and i\ larina attacked
towa rds i\ lunda airfield on Nc" Georgia !lIpponcd
by thm: i\ 13AI pla toons from thc USM C 9th, loth
and I I(h Derense II ns_: agai n, (he deadl) spr.<yof
pd lelJl fmm canister rounds proved their va lue. In
No\'c mu.:,r lhe fighting spread 10 llougainville,
"hich pro'·cd co be onc orthe mOSI long-clr.>wn-olll
campaigns. The 3rd M"rinc Tank 8n:5 M3AIs
helped capum:: the :Iirficld during the initial
landingsal Cape T omkina, bUI w·ere Ihen hailed by
dense jungle ami heavy rains. In '!H4 th" US
I\ m,y', 754lh T :Ul k Bn. proved more sueemful. III
J uly 19.J5 the Ausll<Ilian 2/~th Amld.Regt. sent
Mmildas to North 1H>lIgailll'ille to rollt Ollt enemy
M3 7S"'''' G~ c, .... , ...........'. I.. I .... I'.dllc • •
com .... ...... <e . , eo ... GI ........ , •• i. ~bo-. ' !Kl- E:o ch
.\1.0";". dl .... l_ I0.oI I ~ ;", • Sp.<lal W... _ . ~ .-.I I~tf
p ..... , .... ,..,.,. ... r~1 f.... .... ft~ • . . . - •• ;",JI . .... . . ,1-108. d.f... « .
TIU • .,...kk r........ ok ,., M . rl_ SW .... 1. ,..In."';"'. Ih.--
.01"" . ..... ""110,.. . .... h.....m o M.... fIidal c ~ ... uki". _
I .... h .. IL (G...'lI'r ....Ii.)
'4
rolU":S on BILka, and though the ground was 100
swampy for dose ~lIpporl their long_range suppon-
ing fin: W'L' successful.
T he horron or the terr.. i" wen: IIOW hen: mOl"("
cxtn:mc than at C"pe: Glollcnter. Marine 1St T an k
li n. Shermans and lighl lank1; landed in Occ<'mber
19-43..... ith 5Om<' limited succ~ but !;Ollie encm)
strongpoims were SQ inaccessible thaI Shl-rmarul
wcre lo..,dt'(l on to LCi\1s and uS('ti as miniature
warships to bombard bunken near the shore.
Anemion shifttocl WC5t ...~.. m in spring 19+1 whef!
Gen. ~ l acAr!hur ordered a bold ill$Crtiotl orlroops
far down Ih<' ro."l51 at the Japanese 5upply bases of
I-Iollandia "nd Aitape. byp.1S.<;ing man>· strong
lprrison!. I n Apri l these ObjN:li\'o wert: captured,
Ihe 631",1 T ank Dcstrop~·r and !-,ph Tank1; Brl!.
I""di ng lalcr to help t:Xtend the perimeter. Nearb)
Iliak Island was the next target, and M4J\ I
Shem':tII~ lIf Ihe IXYJrd Sep.Tan);. C.o. gave short
I~' 'S !'M"
shrifi 10 ~ix T ype 95 II~-go stationed there. [n
AUl:IIst 19H AU~lra[ian troops relieved US unil$ a t
Aitape, and pushed eastwards towams Wew;tk
supported hy the invalu:thle M:.titdas of 2/41h
 Armd. Regiment. T he SlJk employment of New cnanlcr brirlgda)'c r) of the Armd.Sqn_ (Specia l
I:'.taland HIIIQ took place in t'ebrual)' 19H when ul uipment). Althoug h Balik papan ,,-;u rar lnol"<':
the Special Army Tan k Sqn., with Valentine Il ls, 'lankabl," terr..in th;", tht:" New Guineajunglc, the
supported the la ndin~ on Green Island. ,\ Iatildas .....t~ slill widely di~pnsnl to suppon lhe
T hel"<': had been plans lO commit Au~trnl;an jnli.n lry .
troop" to III(' I)hilippi nl~ campaign at the end of
1944: i.mead, however. it was agreed that Ihey
.... ould t:lkc over an) furt her o~r.H;on5 against
J ap.l nese g:.rrisonJi 011 New Guinea. and would The Central Pacific
attack liornt"() to captul"I: importan t oilfield! and
port faci lities. In April 1945 ~ /9th ,\ rmd. Regt. In eonlrdSt to lactiO! in the Sout h .. W('St Pacific,
~ I atildas landed in su p port of 26th Inr. Bde. on tanks wen: u!lt'd in much larger nlLnl~rs, a nd in
T amka n. which wa'l feeling ly dt"SCrib...·d as 'a mft of nonE and ellCt:ll\"c \\-d.ys, (luring the Isl anrl~hopping
mud anchon.-d in the Celebes Sea' not surpris- camp.lig" in the Central I'aafic. Wh ile bearing
ingly, the Mati ldas' o~rnl ions were Jome .... hat liltk rcscnlblam;c to traditional \:oet;cs a~ employed
limited. Landings at lk ll nci Ba) followed; and II/9th in Europe, Ihe bUliker.busting, Aa!l1" thrower a t·
Armd. Regt. detaehmcIl t5 took p:m in thcscizureof tacks and amphibian fire supporllhat t:"haractt'rised
RrooklOll and La buan Island . The largcst ~; nglc th<:sc ()I~rations weI"<': still cenl"'! 10 th" cond uct of
deployment of A ust m lian tanks came in J uly '945 the e:l1 np'l.ign.
when the 1.11 T a n k Regt. took parI in the landings a l
11K': Balikpapan oil fields, the gun-t:In Q being gh-en JT,..... '5 11.-« gr, ... SSLF ...10 ""....... , .'.. <_
. ........ ,,10 Tank R~. _ So;I"'''' UK<! I•• ~ ........"_k
'0 .,10 c.....

dle.:live support by tht -funnies' (Frog flamc .. . p.t. .. ,ho- ............ ""'V or ,... US _<.10 .... _ ,10 •• i~.' or
, 'II ,i J~-, It .... .........,.."'" 1..- • ,1;.-. Ioi, r....... M.f.\"
thrower tanks, ;"I ali lda bulldo1.cn; and a Co\" .. she...... or " ad M.ria. T .... Ii. .. (USMC)

'5
lido .. .s..... oT .'
J"'~ ''H4 _ So;"" .... h.,.h T ••• R....
oI..Jl~ Jopo_ ,.... <............. " ••• of
Ia...dood ... Ia ....... '
,.~ Pu;~~ W• ., _Iy .. of +1 'onk. """'''''" ... .....'....... , ....
•"''''p'. ........... pI>nI .ftor ,"" "'''''' • Ty~ ,., f " " ,
If;::~==~.~. ';"--':'·;~:::~~:·'~~~~:~r'!~.!L";:::
<....<.. ri.ol~ :t.hl. ...1., bu ..... 5'. c....Ia..IB .......... m ""
_ _ _ 'Ia,~ f 2. I•• 10< ... <. B....... i. 0 TYP" ~ I/.·to of ' h
.. ........ i'.(U5 No..,.)
Tarawa
The st rug~le for thu w"" lch~-d (oral atoll in the
GilIx:rt Islands played agn-at part in ~h"ping future
US armour employment in the I',,("ilk. The main
en~my defen~-n weIT on Belio islcl, where Ihe elite
71h Sascbo Special :'\:I\'al Landing FOITe rill<:
J3p.~noeC(llli\"Ic:Ul l o Ihe US "-'arine'll wasdug in,
with the 6th YokOllub SNl.F. ""d seven en·
.renched Tnx: 95 light t"nkJ,
Tarawa .'~W the first U!!I': ofanllraC5 in:l ronlcstet!
landing though th~y had Ix-.:n used ,II Gu"d"l·
canal filr logistic suppon and thr lirst landing by
tanks on a I><:aeh lu.'ad u"der din'Ct Ii,..,. Orib.jn:lll~
de\'eloped 10 1r3l1sporl suppJiC!l, the amphihious
tr.;lctOI1i had sho'", their pou;mial lb. landing
troops on alOlJs ",here ofl:.shore reefs p""cnlcd
COI1\'cluional landing craft from reaching thc
beacha, Th(" L\r r _1 v("rsion was Iln,mnourro.
ahhoush a linle light plating had bttl1 added to the
forward ~ll pcr.iI.m:lUre of nlO!lt of thoso:: u~'(1 al
Tanlwa. Litll" nlO.e amlUur was ,-,.rried h~ tire
;ml'rtwC(1 LV")"2, lLnd the troop compartment!
Wen- coml'lc td) op<:n. Th(" lanks a.'Il\iglled to
SUP IXln thc l nd Marin" Di vision's landing wc~
"-'IA ~ Shcnl1:lIl!; of CO.C, • .'.!arine t\mph ibiollS
Corps T ;nrk li n.. and "-'3'\ 1 Lighl tanle< oftl a nd C
CO!;., 2nd .\Iarine T ,mk Il:LII~lion. The landil1g took
plaCI' (In Betio on 20 November .g.n.
/\bout 100 1.\ T 'I and L VT _l amtnlt'.lI werc lL'OC(J
b) the initialthn-.; aSS:llLh wa,,~ thc )' pro'·cd thdr
value nOI onl} :15 tr.omport ovc. the rccf, hut in
ollcring the M arinl~ some limited protCClion from
the fierce lire " 'hich gre<'lt-d thent 011 the beach
laler "ava.. brought in on landing e..ali Ix:c:lusc of
lack o(;untr..a. Slllli-red hea,,}-c3.$uald"", T hin as it
was, Ih" armnurofthc l.V r ·2 pro\'ed its wonh. and
the L\ ~r.1 w:l5 sI1 IJSt'<J uentl)' withdrawn from IISC in
contC!lI ~'(1 landing:'!. More lin'power w;u nc.:dl:'<l,
how~'\'cr: the ,un traes' cxpo$C!d machin .. guns we~
useless :lg-.. insl bunken or .'ven eutrenched tTOOps.
and dangerous 10 usc hecau,';e of ellemr snil><:rs,
T his kd to the pro\';~ioll of armoured shields, and
th" de"dopm("11\ of the LVT (A)·. and (" )-4
amphibious tal1 k$.
Thc Ii"., tankJ to hi , Bea<:h RlxI I we~ si~
Shennan! dropped. 1.200 )"ards offiho' ", T he
,lmlloWll hid huge sht'll holC!\ left U)' the naval
bombardment, and 011(" Sherman ,,"all lO<It in one at
onrc. I'rc\'enlro fro m movin)o: 011' the be:leh hy
 thickly scatterecl .' Iarinl! CMualties, Ihe othel'S tried
W 1'I\O\'e Ihrough Ihe shalla"." and Ihrtt more
flooded Ihdr engina in shell holes, The lunivin~
au(,\(;n alKI (:I1l\\ (,\1. mo\'ed inlalKl again;
OUC\(,(lWilS knocked OUI. bUl CHI' \G.\l.sun'i,'ed a
lucky hil from a /la-KG "hien jammed her tunTl
ring. and pnxnl"l) r.umned Ihe JaJl3nO!' lank,
damaging her own gun in Ihe process. (ltt\\(.\t
mad<:: it h:u:k to the Ixaeh, and u:!<::d heT hull
machine gUll to lupport the inr... nLl).
Eight Shermans from 2nd and 3rt! I'latoons,
dropped IIOll1e JOO )'anl! on' Red 3, 1000t one ofthdr
numlxr in a shdl hole. Th e th~ survivors of'lnd
Platoon wnlt into aClion on Red 2; one "as
knocked OUI Il) .1 Japan('!;(' infantl)'man ",iLh a
magnetic mine, and .. nolher l>et:ame bogged in a
shell hole. The pl:lloon had two tanks baek in action
OIl 0 + t, "Mn one was 1000t in a mdl hole ",hile
l1)ing to approaeh an enemy posil;on Ihrou'lh the
shallow,. and Ihe O(hcr "<u knocked OUI by US
monar lire. The fourSherman! of3rt! Plaloon "ere
all knocked out. onc II) a US ~av) dh'e-bomlxr
and thTre burning aftcr hiu b) an enemy gu n;
ho"c\'er, <:tROIt \I)(lretumed to Ihe bailie after her
driver rut out the lIames by driving into the sea,
That night Ollt' or the bogged tanks 0(1' Red I,
nCIlI\, w;u ~'C()\lCrec!, and fought on 1) + I
alongside the 'toothl('S!l' ( 111\ \ I; \I. and the charm!
but fdll) fl)11I1I \1111.
No M3AI s gal Mhort' on 1). l)a). four LC Ms
carT)ing tanks of'.!I1d 1'111I00n. CO.C. ~nd '\ Iarine
Tank Bn. bcing sun k o/fthe beach. Two lanu gol
inlO action 011 I) + I, but one was losl to a mOlgnNi<:
mine, The olher two plOltooll$landed all 12 ofthcir
!-1 :Jr\ IS sOCCC'SSfull) on I) + 'I. The .8 lanb ofCo.B
beg:an landing on I) + I, losin~ Ii\'e 10 engine
flooding atld shell holes, I)uring the fighting the
Stuarts' canisler rounds wreaked their usual havoc
<In ban7.ai-<:harges, bUI Ihe 37mm gun Wall in-
dli'('ti"e again ~t fernw;on<:rcte bunk('n 10 the
('X tl,,,t Ihal some frustratN! umkrn drovc righl up
10 the larget and lin:d H I~ directly through till'
gu nslits,
Arter cOnlinued mOPlling-up op<'r.lliolll l!.clio
was Iin:IUy laken ]6 houn :after th(' ini liall:anding,
at a COSt of t, t 13 dead and '1,'190 wounded ~ I arincs;
tl~ ~,600 JaJl3nesc Marina and ~.200 labour
)ltl'$<)nnd weTC wiped out. The Stuart. standart!
~u;pmcnt of Ihe US~ I C battaliolll. had been
clearly shown to Ix inadC<luate. but Ihe Sherman
had pro\ed both ofrensively and dcfcnsi\<d ) SUCt:CS5-
fu l, Rc-ctluipmcnt was carrie.:! OUI company by
cnrn pan) in US!- IC tank hall:llio1\5, The nt'Cd for
namethrower la nks, to bum out bunken which
",. lU_r. , ....,,"". of , 5 J..- ........................... Cool. tIl,l<td
c... ... n.~.Io'k '-(j, ... ..rIol.""';""'.I.t.Co.t.. c...w.....
N . _ .n ... AM - , _ _ hll ......1.. _~ bd ... ...,
~ ..t.l, •• ~ boo ......... _r_l>fftO"' ..............
..r .... ,.. " ..... (UI> Na, _ t Ardol.,... )
,7
~ted gU ll fire. W,LS abo noted; initi:tll), Ihe
MarinN c:xp('rimc:ntc:d wil h Oamc lhmwcrs moun·
led on lil;hl lanks and amlraa.
M .kin
T hc Arm) attack on ncighlJouring ~ I akin Island
WM swill and chcapcomparni wll h T arawa. Thcll'
well' 1"'0 T Y]M' 9,S lIa'/!!I on Makin, hU I Ihcy ...ell'
n Ol e"mlln l~rc<l b) Ihe ' 931'(1 Tank li n., which
support...d th... landing thr onl)' US " nil in the
Pacilk 10 u~ Ihe M3 1..1'(" 1:1n \" in ...omb:l\.
The M . nhall blands
On • Fd:>nHII") 19-1-1 Ihc t..:!) Arm) and Marina
I,mdcd 011 K"otjalcin, Ih"lall:f"'i1 atoll in Ih" "orld
mol"(' than 60 miles long, "'ilh a lagoon w mi les
...·ilk. Dcspite I\ mcrican fears ora !!!'Coml T araw;•.
the Ja p.1.nevdcf,·nders werr mOIl'KOItlrred and less
::: ::~-t.: k"_.ns:,Io; $.;;:::;';=-..;:!'.~~
M . - ....... IlliM C ........... _ ... t+Ioio. . .. raa .ko-.
wtt"<...- -.- ..... ... no. s......... _ -....e !OI", .
.nolo 10 .....'" a- ........nc1 ..,. • c..-I..... R_ h _
.10....... _ •• _,,,.1, ........t .. okol.... " •.tfe_ r......
i!':"'
...w.-
"~(ftri",~"'~ r",,1 .. _ _ . . . . . .--,- e ...... .....
,8
well «ltul'l'oo. T he 41h ,,1;.";ne Di\" . .... ;u targeunl
on Ihe :Icljoinilllt; Roi·Nam" r Islands, ... hil<: I\ ml)
Unil! allacked other islallds in Iho: aloll. The 75
amlnK'l oflho: 41h Amphibian Tr.t(tOr" lin., mainly
L \ T-:rs " 'ilh boil-on armour, c:trried OUI the initial
alI!l:IUI I, "hich ,,;u handkal'l'cd b) the in·
exp,rrirnce of lhe c........s; ludd l). Raj', d&nees had
hecn hra,;ty f'Ou"d.-d Ill' Ihe NOlI)'. Wil h the 23111
Mari"." !\Short'. ten Sh.'nn.",s ami th~ ~ I :.A n 01',
'CSIX"<:lil"t·I). (;os.C and A, "Ih Marine T ank Sn.
l:lIldl'(] in suppon . T h... ) bl~lc:d aer1)5S Ih... ai rfteld
in the Cf'Olrc ofth ... island, a nd in 1"0 hours Roi had
f;lIkl1. N:unur, a 10tll~h('r objtclh·......""as laktn b)"
Ih... ~'l4lh Mannes supported b) ICI1 My \ u 01'
Co.K: JOnII' boggro ;n th... $:I nd, and all .. crt
att:.ckrd by swarming enemy ;nran !r}, .... ho "ere
s..... el" off their dN:k~ by machine gun and canister
fi re. T he Shermans from Roi bier cruucd a u.nd
$jlit 10 rdnforec Ihe SIUarts, but their litt le
rcmai nin~ rud and ammunilion had to be IX'lOkd
and loaded into four lanu J I ' " 1.1.1.. JI.LI.IIU ..
JO"'I.II andJt .\lIfL Tha t l1l~hl Ihe Shermat1!i bllHi ...
" I) a f"no"' J al'anae CQunler·allack, and 'lI'xt da>
Ih"y led the final assault. A fe" en(,lII) tankeues and
 one T ype 2 h'a-ml amphibiou! lank ....ere found Tl'P"" .. ..."".. TY... "'3" ARV of,he,nI Mari_ Taalo 110... rK<n'~'" •
/I•.p .. r.h~ "i,h la.d~n' T ..... Co. . ne. ' h C ......
,",'hile mopping up I:ucr. fil hu,,1 of J~I Y ' !H+ 1'he'<i,h.oed ... hi, ....rret -...r with.
. ..ji "un ""' .... "'" I. , 1M C1t.''''. TIt. ARV dlopltoro d ...
;\Ieanwhile lhe Army'S 71h Oj v. allac ked lhe It ...... 1._' •• WpIoa., i ........ _ ........U .ide. (USMC"", 1m
main headquarter.; on K ...."jalcin :rnd posilions on ...........,h )
wrrounding islcts. The Army's premier 708lh
Amphibian Tractor Bn. (Provisional I sPNrheadcd Eniwe10k
the aMault. T his .... as an amphibian lank b;ulalion, A similar atoll \0 Kwajaldn. EniwelOk was assaul.
re-<:onfigun:d because not enoug h ofils L VT (Aj"s led using the smne taetio: naval bombnrdmcnt.
had been delll'ered. These annoured I.Vf-2S, fitted and :'''111''''(; :'Hack q ui ckl} followed by .:.nk
";Ih a 37mm gun lurret derived from Ihe M Y\l , landings. T he 708lh Bn. totalled 17 L \rr(A )_IS and
and t..... o .3()(al. machine guns, ....ere inu:ndt'li 10 102 amlracs. The Marines pro\idcd the Shermans
provide fire support for amlrac unilS during Ihe of the 2nd Separate T ank Co.. and Ihe ,\ rmy , Ilu:
landing, and 10 continue gil~ng supporl for Ihe 766th Tank Bn.; the Shermans blastt'CI defenders
infantry once ashore. For Operation · "-lintlock· 17 from the ruins of Engt"bi Island during the initial
LVT(A )- Is were a"aiJable, :md the 708th also had fighting of 18 Febn.ar} 19+4. Lightlanlcs ofGo.C,
lOme LVT(A H.!s .... ith manpack flameth roweTli in 7G6th Un. supported the l06th I nfa11lry on the more
improvised bow mountings. The 708lh Un. landt'li StubbontJy defended Eni"'ctok Island, and the
"';th LVI'(A )-2S in the celllrc, flanked by Ihe 22nd Marines and 2nd &'p. Tank Co. also came
L\rr (,\ j_15, and followed by wavo of unamloo aeross from Engebi. A few dug-in Type 95 /la.go
L\'T-25. wereovcrrun,and thcusual counter-attacks, blasted
'nle 71 h o iv ..... ~ supportt'CI b)' lhe mixed 767th by the Shermans, quickly exhausted the defenders.
Tank Bn., with ;\ 14-'\ 1 Shermans, M.').'\I Swarts, On ~2 Febntary Ihe nnd Marines altaekl'li
an M 10 tank destroycr platoon and flamelhro .....er Pa rry Island. thrtt Ho-gQ tanks being {(uickly
tank!! - a total of 72 tanks, dispcl'$Cd in sub-units deslroycd by Shermans of lhe supporting 2nd
around the islets. There were 30 ofthesc in all, and Sep.Tank Co.: lhe remainder of the enemy lank
t.:StrooP$ had to fight for ten oflhcm. The aloll fell com pall)' 011 Parry wru;:u briskly dealt with during
in a wttk. and, substantially due to the lanks and a night coulllcr_al1aek, the lasl Japan ese effort on
amlraa, casualties were mueh lighter than had Ihe island. During Ihe following Wt'Ck$ 29 other
been feared. islets in Ihe atoll were ,aken.

'9
The Marianas
This ..... alI the decisive h.1ttle or the e:lmp.1ign: the
islands were the first orJapan's inner defensive belt
to oc attacked, and olferl'rl airfields for OllCrations
:Ig:lill!lt the Home Islands, T he large enemy
garrison had Ocen n:inforel..:1 with the IJA's 9th
Tank Regt" ..... ith T ype 9:' ligh t ta nk~, T ype! 97
mediums and a re ..... of the new Type! 97A"O' Shmholo
Chr-ha. The , ~t and lind fu ......en: on Guam, the
3n:1, 5th and 61h on Saipan, Then: wen: also nine
/la_§, of an SN LF company on Saipan, and the
similarly C(luiplX...:1 '1.ph Independent T"n k Co. on
Guam. Th e garrison had additionally begun 10
receive the exccllerll ne ..... 47mrn Type I ami-tank
8 un .
Saip.111 was tackkd first: on 's J une '!).H joo
Arrn> and US~ I C llm lTOlCll earried a5hofe a \ ..... 0-
J._
no. <- '~"'P'-' ., .11""" of ........ " .... ' . .k . .... , ........... ,heIr
~".rpoort •
,""" Ity 11.1. """_. p ...... M
...w ...
.-<111 "" ....~ ... pllll .... ~< ••
,10< ne .. 0( •• Mt .... $10.0""",.
wi,k. 'J " ~,.. ,.ok".......... _ ,t.. _ .d..,k • • ...... _y.
K...... a, ........ ofeo.c. ilk
N.m•• " F.b....,. , _
i\t.,,_T ouolo. II ... photOS ... "" .... -
'pO." 'k co.. or _ k pi.........Ilkh
~.:;::-~.::.:~;::';..;.~(U:;r:~.- of J.",,_
pronged :US;1U1l by the 2nd and 4th ~ I arine
Di,~sioru. The 708th Amphibi:". T ank BIl., re'
con~tilu tC(1 sincc Eni .....etok, was now the fint unit of
its type to sec combat with a full tank compkmelll.
11 wnsisted of all HQ Co. with three L\,T(Al-2s
and one of the ne" L \ ,',+,,; and fou r line
companies, e:.eh of t3 LV1' (A -IS and four
LVJ' (A)-.lS the laller with an opcn-lOppt'd
7smrn turret from the M8 II OWit1.cr Motor Car-
ri:lgc, Two ofiu romp<ln ies WCIT assigned weaeh of
the Manne regimenu of 4th Div. :lllacking the
Mluthcfn beaches; they opened fire some 300 yards
offshore, and escorted the amtraCll up the beaeh
and SO ffiC way in land, l '()sscs frolll cncml monar
and artillery fire were heavy among the amtTOlC!l
and L Vr (t\ )·\S, and the 708th wa!llater awarded a
Presidential Unit Citation for iu part in the
landing..
On the afternoon of the 15th the LCMs began
landing thc lanu of the ~ nd :md 4th Marine T <lnk
IIn5.. ",hid. by this date had \)e(:n re-organised with
46 M4A 2 Sherm ans instead of the original 54 light
"'ad_ tanks. For Saip.'l.u, each 1•. ut3Iio n <l lso har! an
additional 'of to 20f M :JI\' Satan f1a,m:thro\\cr
tanks.
The Shennans began attackin'! l'nCm} gun
poPtions "hich ,,'Cr'(' causi nlj: havoc along [he goo-
}"rd deep lxachlK-ad. That niKl1l dc-tachmcnu ofa
Ja poannc: S;-';U', supported by $('\·cr.ol T nlC :,lA .Hft,
amphibious mnks. landed ncar Can pan on the left bletiing. I'he brw:r "H,.Ct "1Il opclH op]1n1. and
flallk of lhe northern bcacha. (The T yVC J, I~~ had furn'tilhe deletion of tile L \ I tA )-,', two rcar~
on ,I", TYl'r 95, wa .• givrn hunyaney lr)' fron, and mOllllll'tl machine guns an oftcn f."ltal COil"
n::ar pOnlOOflS. dropped l,ftn landing. I Alert !>lari- bimuion. in thc face of Japanl'3C infantr} attacks
IlI'I called in naval Slar ,hell iIluminalion, and the prc$2d 10 hand-to-hand range. EXp!'rience on
Type 2S ..-cn:: blasted b} bawokas and Shennan Saipoanltd to thc filling oI't..-o shiekln:l .30ul. gum
guns. Dawn allack$ by IheSNLFT)'JlC95compa1lY on the tll~t sidn. and \'ariou~ bow gun impro-
and 'It li Co., 9th Tank Regt. wilh supporting ,isallom.
infalltr}' wt re devastattd b)' mnk lire. I)urillg ,he brcak-out Sgl. Robert McCard'l
Tlw I1l'Xt day Ihe !>Il,rinc mnks If!<! the brcak-out Sherman was isola ted and knocked out b} cncm}
from thl' Ixachhl'ad, 5Uppork'(i b} IOtl1l' or the artillery, !>lcCard 105! his life .. hile holding b;,d thc
L\'1\ A -IJ and -.p.. Although ans\\'l'ring the long. Ja p.3llf:5C ,,-ilh machinc gun lirr: and grenades long
~tll:fJuin::ment foran amphibian tank gun hea\;l'r cnough r(M' his err: .. 10 escape, and ""lllI pOlllhu-
than the 37111m. thl' I.\- I' (A -of proved a lI1ixl'(i moos!} awarded onc of onl} t"'O Congrcuional
I
..J
/'
.'
n.. okldlaa .".~.n ....~ po ..tho> r....... ,he LVT(Al-i
dHlp P"""''''''' ...rl_ . ... i .........ad .n~. bad u!"'rI ... eeo_
s..~ .... M ...i ........ , .... co bqa .. 10 .p ...... , defra. ........... bi ....
..... _ , .... 'Mrrfl. "Ill •• v.... kle, pI>o<os",pIwcI d .. rl"R
_,Iaa.
... ..,...u.8 ... P DO> Tial.. .. ;,. J.. ly '~~ ..... . ..
.ddi<l.....1 .,...,... _ II>.< , ............... KI., _ .10 •• t ......" "
'!i"C"- ~ . t 1M IU....... raT h. . . . i"'provl_ .hlold ad"«1
• .....-d. Ib~ ri • • '''"... ... '0 p ..... oc< 1M l u ••<r r .... m .,,1"" ....
(1I5~I C)
~,l cdaJs of Honor won by tankers in the Paci rK;.
uller Ihal day landings by the Army'S 271h Dj" ,
wen: supporwd by COS. S (Shermans) and D
(l\I!)A 1$) of the 762nd Tank Bn., and Co.D
(M51\ 1S) or lhe 766lh.
On the evcning or ,6 June Vice-Admiral
Nagumo orde red an all-out cou nt er-attack; and Lt.
Gen. Saito ordered Col. mddi GOtO of the 911l
T ank Regt. to lead Ihe allack. Rcdu(:e(i from 90 to
44 lankll by dclachm"mll to Guam and I J losses 011
Ihe beacht-s, the unit formed up noisil y wilh the
1361h In[Regt. in the nIbbl e of Campan. They
were heard by the tl6th and 2/lmd ~bri nC$, who
called up a Sherman platoon from Co.A, 2nd
Marine Tank Bn.; sever..l ~13 75m n\ SP~'I half.
tr..eks also look up position behind Ihe entrench~-d
infanlry. At 0:)00 on the morning of t7 june LIII."
largClit singlejapanesc: tank attack of the island war
IJcRan .
Illuminated by na\'lll SLar shells, the lead tanks
were quickly knocked OUL b)' oo1.ooka and 37mm
gun fire; in the confusion of bla1jng tanks olll('rs
Str.. yed into nearby swampland, bc:<:oming
stationary t:trgets. The ~laJ;nes cou.uef"anaeked,
and at dawn the SP1'. b and tanks moved up LQ shell
any enemy lankJs which di d not s« rn sufliciently
burned. Onl y t 2 japancsr. tanks survived the
attack, silt each Type 97 mediums and T ype: 95
Hagll; halfofthesc: werc lost in an unequal contest
with Shern13tls of CO.C, 2nd Marine Tank Bn.
outside Carap;'ul on 2'lth j utle, and the Tdl were
dt'Slroy~-d piecemeal by Army ~ 1 0LS.
The Marine tankers, delighled wilh the: "tank-
able' terrain, continued 10 provide lire suppOrt ,
routing OUI bunkers aud caves with gunfire and
flamethrowers. Nevertheless, lank losscs were quile
hc;wy, both to artillcry and to magneti c min~.
Japanese mine-teams soon found th:u their weap-
OilS were onl> dfecth-e if carefull y placed on
''111''Cl<lble points of thc Sherman, such aJ the n:ar
fud tank; but such w:u their enomlOlIS bra vcr') thai
US infant!)· had to work "cry dosel )' wilh the lanks
10 prott'Ct them. Saipml WaJ finall) dcclanxl stcurc
on g jul y.
On Tin;:m, <USaultcd on 114 jul y by Marines
backed by the lind and 4th ~larine Tank Bns" the
enemy', 181h I nf. RL"gt. had 1:r T ypc 95 HII-go tank.~
under L'ommand. The Marina cncountcn:d onl)'
light initial resistance, knocking out two of the
lanks. The rCSI wen: kcpl for thc now-f.'1miliar night
counter-attack." hich wasbcatcn offat a cost offive
more Type 95l. Figh ting continued on Tinian for
another wcck.
Meanwhile the 3rd Marine Div. ass.111lted
Guam, supponcd by Ihe :rnd and 4th Marine
SepTank Col., Ihe 3rrl Marine Tank Bn. and the
Army', 706lh Tank Bn.; japanese tank uniu
comprised Ihe 1St and :rnd Coos., 91h Tank Regl.
"ith '19 CIII-M and HII-60. and the :r4th Ind.-r ank
Co. with nine IIII_go. Fi"e 1I(1'go of t l9t h Regt.
allad:cd the beachhead shortly afte r the landings al
Agat on ~I j uly. and all were deslroyed by
bawokas and by Shennans of the 4th Scpal<lte
Tank Company. TIl<' mil of the lSI Co. wer ..
deslroyed by the :rnd Scp.Tank Co. "hen Ii,'c lIa-go
attacked Ihe :rllnd Marines, and thrcc mon: were
knockoxl OUI from the air. The japanese 114th
Ind.Tank Co. wa3 \;rtually wiped out by the $anle
uniu during rc:cktOlS counter-attacks.
The n:maining tanks or Ihc :r191h Tank Reg1.
were withdm\\,11 north 10 Taragm:; daytime en-
eoumer!l had proved futile, and the) "'en: gr..dually
expcndt>d in a !!Cries of ferocious night anacks in
support ofiuf.'1lltry. Fi\'e ('ki-ha sur...i ...«t thcir last
night atllKk on 819 August. since II,,: di~g\lstcd
" h rines found thai their r.un-$()3kcd ba~ooka
rock<;ls were not IIs.able. Thc next da) Shermans
routed Oll( Itl(: lllllt e ne.my 5trongpoinl, dcstroying
two lanks in comba t and linding Ihe last scven
$Cu Hlcd for lack offuc:l and parts. Saip.UI and Guam
$3\\' (he III000t aggressive us<: ofjapllnese tanks of the
"hole I'acilic War and IlI\dert in ..d the 01)$01-
cscenee of the 1/(1'go and Chl-M, whose guns werc
useless ag:lirm the Sherman, bUI whose :Irmour
could tJO: pe.nclrnlL-d by bazook:u, hea ... y machinc
gUllS, and even by rifle-grenades.
In the excellent lank countryofthc ~'arianasthe
L \ r r (A)-4S were also able to operate inlalld in Ihe
SUpport role.
Ihte I. Ih~ ..... <_0.., .. 11_ or Jo_ .. ",001<. _ , ~.
Phmppl_.. ,h. U5 ".n'r ".dod ,~ __ , . ... dHo'_ . .... ,.
,.u-.. ... ° I*lr or M, ... or 'k 6,-.1 TD ......... ,ro! I.
h~
"on"" .......I"• • e.d or '!144' n... ,... k _
t • •• ... y.......
....,. ""k ...'k.... a.,M.., .... ,""" ~ _ ......r..1 I.
t"t..,.,. •• Ppo>'1 . . 00''''.' , ...... '".~ ,Iool ....... , ........ .
........, 'h ........1_.... _ ,0 'k .... u.r....,..! do...- 1.1'.., .,.
."uk. r •• _ ..... by 'lor J.P""""" (US " ..... Y)
'3
0...., J...... 'l' ' MS 1M i:l7 '~ TD IIa, g, • ..,....... ...01 ....... Dr subsc."(juentJ} the M lOS of the 8191h T D 8 n. landed
. ouolo • .....d • ....,10.
or,h.J. _ lookTuk lI.<1I" - " 0 .,"
f "'W.'''''ykao<Md 0 .. , rour ~"""(;Ao'''' ' • .D,.'''''';~_' on ncighoowing A"guar Island.
,..., ._ •..,.. n.. ,... _ ,.... rll'" ha . ..... <omP"" y Ju.... Ia..
Kat ..... "" "n•• 'r. ""i ...... DB II.. ' ' ' ' _ ' (US A ..... ,)
The Philippines
The Palau Islands The largnl numUcrs of tanks cmploycd in Ihe
On 15 s.:,pt~nlber J9-H the lSI Marine Dill. sulfcred Ccnlral I'aci ne sa,,"' action on the l'h ilippines. On
heavy JOSSCli in la"ding on Pcleliu, another ht:;I\'il~ Luzon lhe Ij /\ eommi ucd the 2nd T ank Di.... ; the
fortified coral crag like Helio. I n the firsl waVl: 26 7th Ind.T:mk Co. (,r ypl: SgCh,oro mediums) and a
LVrs wen: JOSl and man) mon: dalliagoo. Eve') company of TYI~ 95 n llop w~'rc on I.e)·tc.
0"(' of the finllanks which lhe lSI Ma rine Tank li n. t\ntieip:uing armoun:d rcsistanec. the US Army
PUI a5hol"(' in Ihe fourlh wave wa~ hit by g unfire. assiglled !\e"'en tank and three t:mk dcstroyer
IM'lIC ,11,,\ afiCTnoon Ihe IJ A '41h lnf.Di v.'1 com- hatlitlions and a ilCparalc tank company to Ihc
pany of ;,I)()UI 15 Ty~ 95 lIa-lQ charg.:o:! aclV5ll landi n~. alongsid c the amphibian tank and tractor
lhe island's airst rip in support of an inr.'lntry alUlck, battalions.
in lO Ihe lin: ofb.1Y.ookas, ,17 n1nl A( r guns and thrtt The OctoUcr in ...asion of L.cyte was not Knously
Shermans. The Shermans' A I' roullds wen: ~n 10 hampocrcd hy tht fcw enemy tanks, .... hich ",cre
~ dean lhn:mgh the thinly arrnoun'd T ype 955 mainl y dtstroyed by bazooka teams; US tanks were
withom apparent l'CIuh; switehing to 1-11'., the fra: to suppOrt their infantry in Ihe way ",hich had
M:uints quickly blew the small tallk.~ apart, so become Jla nrlard in the I' :\dfie.
thoroughly th:1I tht')' eould not later count tht Recognising Iheir inadequacy, Gen. Y:una!lhita
number destroyed with any eertai n ty. A few which ordered the lanks oflli1 2nd Di .... dispcl"5Cd in static
reached Manne linn Wcrt quiddy accounted for. defensive dctaehrnents to dday lhe US arl\'ancc,
Once thc m:lin rt"lll!tancc had been o"crcome the "" hik his other units wi thdrew into rugged terrain
Annis 710th Tank Bn.landed to help mop up; and in northcm LU1.On. Th e S/unhollJ Chi-/uJ'J 47mm gun
could penetmte the side, though nO! the froma]
armour of the Shennan. Japan~ tanks .... e~ dug
imo adobe ~vetmenu under hea,')" camouflage as
the !Iueldi of defence S)"Slems; alternative positions
allo ......:d lauks to be moved around perimelers al
nl~. Ixtaclunent sizeo< varil-d .... ide]y: Ihe 'rnlllk"St,
al Urdancta. had nine tanks. whilt' Ihe 71h Tank
Rcg l:s Shigcmi detachment II I San Ma nuel had 45,
and the 6th Tank Rcgl:$ Ida Detachment a l
:\luno1. had 52. bOlh the Janer mainl) Shmhoto Chi-
"'.The LU 7.on landings Ix:gan on 15 Dt'Cembt-r
19+1: apan from a skinnish near Bina lonan Ihe first
tank ba ltic was on 24JanU;tT) 1945:1\ San ~Ianud,
"hen the Shigc;rni Detachment was anackt'd b~ the
16m lIlt: supported by divisional :\ 17 HMO! and
CO.C, 716th Tank Ila lwlioll. TIll" H~Ic"s 105111m
gun was dfl"l·li\"e in blasting a way the adobe
~velmenu, and the infamry slo ..... ly gainl"(1 ground
in hloody fighting. Th e 30 rcmaining IJA tanks
launched a thn:e-".,."!" charge with int;mtr) sUI)-
port in the early hours of ~8 Janu ary. and wen::
wipcd OUI. American /\F"V losses had lX"Cn three
Sht'rmans and one ~17. The Ida Detachmenl at
Munoz was eucircled and smashed during 1 7
February. a brellk-oul attempt being SlOpped by
artillery and the M y\u of the 716th Tank
Baualion. Thc last major J aJJllIIl"SC dement, the
100h Tank Regl., was destroyed around Lupao on
7- 8 Feb ruary. By:. ~Iarch US forcn had dntroyed
103 Chi_Ira and t9 /la-go la!lb, ;Uld [wo I scm Ho-ro
SP howil"l.crs. The lind Tank Di,. had paid a heavy
prier for , uer($!; in delaying Ihe US Hdl'ance, the
poor quality ofi u t"(juipmclll forcing passive taelics
"hich posed lillie threat to American armour.
"hich was hcavily commiw:d 10 infan try !uppon
thcrNftcr. Arnong uniu which distinguished them·
selv1:3 in the Manil a fighting wen: the 4-\lh and
75.I[h Tank HilS., and Ihe637th TD IIn.( ~ I I& ) ..... on
a l'rC;!idCl1lial Unit Cillilion.
~ -'r
~ad T ......
U1i .......... i . ' ....... P""
o;v. ...... 1o.1."ItT...
fa._d... • ....,.loa ot J.po. •••
Ba.!_.-e. Sloe ........ r....... c
Co.. CUMY P"W, p"'- _ orr_ • ._ (...... or._ 1,h T.ol<
Rt-trt. h..,do."", _. o. ' 1 J......,. ,,..~ ..... u .............,•.
ThT. '."'pur Ia.n ,...... p"" i ...... """,....,.loa or ,....
J....-.., ,..... _eeoo ..... loa •• s... M.....I. Not~ t.It~t.".,_. t y
. . ...ty ....... Ii... la.iB.Ut •• ' 8; . _ 1'I"01r ............1.' .......... _
.10. h.. 11 old< ............im ... _ ,be .... ret . (US A,....y)
lwoJ im a
TI~ 31'<1. "Ih and ~th M:uin~ Tank BII5. suppon('(\
tllt';r di\"i:siol\5 aft~r the landings of 19 February on
this sulphuric "okanic island, lhe 1000gl1("$1 and
b]oOOi("$t ~ I arine batt lefield oflhe "ar. Hatt alion
C5tabli~hm~nL had now grown to 6, Shennan", of
I->hirh nine Imd ~4-~ Aarn..·throwcl1l. Th~ fighting
involved COMly anempl$ 10 rom ,,~II·enlrcnch~-d
dcfcndcl1l from Ihc cavcs "hich riddl('(\ lin: island
b) 'corks£-~ .... and blowtorch' lactio opening up
enemy posi liolll Wi lh lank firt" or t.;uche! charges,
and burning thcm OUI ..ith A;omt'thro,,·cl1l. Tank
101!1CS, ("$JlC'Ciall) 10 mines. ~n rround mo.o;t
oollal;OII5 10 a l)(IU I 60 per «'Ill tt renllth, although
most d:unag('(\ tan ks we~ rc."f:ow·rrd Iatrr. Lt . Col.
N;~hi h:ld hoped to USI" the S/l!1lho/~ Ch,."" tanks of
his 261h Reg\. :~ a roving 'fin' brigade', hut "M
ordered to d~ploy Ih<:m as ~lIlrench(,(\ pillboxes,
and lllOIIl ftll victim to b.·l:took:l$. t'ig hting con-
t;nu('(\ until 26 M arch,
26
Okinawa
The.' hll"ge."llt I\nny M" ri nr: combined ope ....u ion of
th~ .. ar il1\"01\"(,(\ OH'r I.OOU amtt:l.es. "pari from
OIIK-r landing craft. I'Mt ul~ri~IlCe prompted tlK
bndin/l; of mot'1' amm.n than ~\'~r bd"~: right
Ami) and two t;S M C tank 1>311aliol\5, IWO am·
phibi,ltI tank ballalions, and IWO USMC ind~
l'(,rtdrrtl tank comparti('$, 10Ialling O\'1:r 800 tanh.
In addi tion thue .. err hundrcd~ of M a rine am·
phibious tanlu, [\rm) 51' gu n" half·tracks lind
other AF"s. TlInk.inllrntl) tactia had brcomr 50
t'1'fin('(\ Ihal Gen. S~ph('rd oftb( fuh ~Iaril~ Diy.
later OOnlmCnl('(\ thai 'if an) ou(' supporting ann
can Ix- ,inglc:d O\It as lta,inS!: contributed more tha.n
any oth(,T during the progrc1i8 of thc ClInI(Jllign, Ih('
lank wou ld c('rtainl) have 10 Ix- seln:t('(\.' llu: only
M7 ' -:1"'''' II .... C. M.. """'....... ""..... M. I.....r._....,....
TO ......-..I.tI ... M.p' tU..,.III ............ t...-. ••
ol~"
'p' Io!'"
0..._
J..- .,..~ n.. _ I, M ......... P.n~ ... ""'..
_ . cnod;.~ .. i . . . . . . . . . '. w.'.... but~. ' ' ' - ' ; '1{i. .
r... l<. """ ;" .......... _ J ............ (lIS "'._ ,)
IJ '\ amlOur encoumeft:d was the 'l7th Tank Regt ..
wilh olll~' 13 HQ·go lind 14 Sl!inholo Chl·ha, largl'ly
wiped om in the iIl.fau:d 5 Ma y eounu:r-olfens;,'e.
All er Okinllw:l prq)ar.Hion~ hegan fi),. the
dreaded invasion of the Home Islands, which would
han: brtn e normously o:o:stly. Enemy tank strength
would have totall ed 'l,970 in IWO divisions, six
brigades and many smilller units. Thc US landings
plluUled for Ko\'cmher '945 ,", ou ld have incloded
at least rhrel' annourcd di"isions and several dozen
HUlk baualions, had the ,\·bomb nOI brooght aoool
Ja pan's surrcndcT in "ugu,t.
The Asian Mainland
........
The mOSI cxtclw\'e usc of armour outside Ih(
O:ntTliI Pacific area was in Burma. British and
Indian foreo increasingly deployed [links in clO!ie
IUl'porl of inf.'lntl)' aft(,T sue~ in the ,\mkan
fighting of t943, rising 10 a peak strength of o\'er a
doun rcgimcn ~. The I1nlll advance of 1945 took
!:Ink uni~ OUI of clO!ie count I)' and on to the Haller
M•• orB Co., tt '~ T •• k " ,.nu.Io ... f._. . . . . 00« • • • 10 •
......... _~ ..... t .... lIy' •• ~ I ~~. _ h' ~ h I . . . . h . . . . . ~. 'n. n
.""p"' ••
Mo..u... 'l'1oo boo.tall_ .. N<I d ..·v.--. aad ..d.er . _..... ric
com ..... y ;".ipla _ 'Io ... ~ .. (liS " .... y)
t('rra;n ofccmral Burma, when:: lanks spearheaded
a record 300-milc advancr 011 Rangoon in thn't'
",ceQ. (This ~IOry is told in some detail in
Vangu;lnl 6, TM l.u/Guml TankJ ill BrilIJk Sm:iu,
lind Vanguilftl t 7, TN Sluarl l.,gkt TankSmu. ) The
onl y ~ign ificam .IaP:lncse lank unil to serve in
Burma in Ihi~ period ",a.~ th" t41h Tank Regt.:
ironically, its _Ith Co. used Stuarts captured from
the retreating Uril ish 7th Amld.Bde. in 194'l,
Unsuccosful again~1 British armour in the I mphal
campaign, il ,,'as reduced by Jul y t 9-M [0 onl ) four
tanks. II "'lU rebuilt, panl)' wilh T ype 97kal, and
fought al r-.leiktila; in ~ I art:h t945 its 11I.SIIanks were
",ipc:d OUi on Ihe Mandalay Ro,"ld by Sherman5 of
'l55 Tank Il rigade,
In Ihe I~umla Ro.'ld are:llhe US formed ajoirllly.
manned Provisional Chinese T a nk Group .... ilh fool'
battalions of M3t\3 Stuarts and two of M4A4
Shermans. The only significanl Chinese tank units
to !ICC combal after t94'l, they supportt'fl Chinese
troop, with lOme 511{;('C$S.
'7
Manchuria The th rre-p ronged So'lel pincer in\'oIved the
Th~ !.,rg~1 5ingl~ mechanised opcralion of Ihe Far 61h Gu"rds Ta nk I\ rrny' of the Tra llSbaikal From
East war ;, I'rob'lbl} the least known, 111 Aug-uS! rnaking a surprise attaek o\'er Ihe 5up~l}
1945 Ihe USSR invaded Chi na and Man churia, impassablIC Greater Khingan :\ Iouruains, "hil.. lhe
and Ihe K wanlungArmrwMovermn ill twowet:~ r~l and 'lnd Far r.aslem Fronu d rove: soulh from
by a brilli ...u pill,~r rnuvcment. Tank strength Kh ab.1TO\,!;k and Vladi\'ostok, Ihe lhree frotHS
ll(cu mutaICd II' guard againSI a So\,;",\ dn\'e had m~"Cting al the base of Ihe KOl"Can l'enillSuJa.
Ilttn dr"i ned away since '943, \ 0 Ihc ('.(Cnlral Anticip.;lll-d l"C.s upply diflieultielled lht, So\'icl.'l to
l>acifie and 10 Il orne Is[,lnwdcfeneC'S, t\ [though Ihe Ihrow all IIH;ir resources into ;on aJl ~u t lighlning
IJ A 3rrl Tank J);v. and !I('\'craJ regirnerus h"d been gr.ob for Manchuria. Of th .. lotal of m 't'r 5,000
a\'I\iI;.blc rOt the '944 offensi\'r in China, by 19-15 AF\'5 mOre Ihan had been usn! al Kursk- some
Ihe K" anlUng Arrn) had onl} Ihe ilwltpcriencrd were old 8'1" 7$ and KVs, stored in Ihe Far East
lSI alld 91 h l ud,T ank Belt'S" and vanous oompania since tg.p: bUI mOM "!"re '1"34/7& and /855.
allached 10 i"fanl!) fonnalioll5. The I!I 1341h and (rewed b) German Front \'l"leratl!.
351h Tan k RegiS.) was al " Iukden, :lnd Ih., 91h TIt ~ wa r cudL'1:1 before the Rttl Army reached lite
(."lUI ,.ud 5211d Tank RegIS. ) at Ssupingchirh, main dt.fcrH:e line "here lhe lJA brigad~ ,,'ere
SI:otionL'tl, '!O lank fighliug was limited. Nl"\ert he:·
La _ I'tom.,p-. .... tIS •.r•••..,. ,II, -lol- load • ' ... _ Ins, Ihe opl"rat ion is widdystudied in thl" USS R as
'"""'p"r or .. '-'7 n':;"'''' liM e., ....... _ p.......... "".,.. a rnQ(ld blit7.kricg olf(,l1siv(' , " h05C it'SSOns may ha\'"
"If........ .""m••• ~ ...,pa.<ood ...... .,('''''J.p'''-,...j T."",
();vi."'.
t~
....
n •• ;. ou>""""""' ~uJ1~ Di., c.._
.2 , • ..a... ...... r..... . ... 111 • .,..
~ _ .... _
c... ~""".""
..... _ • future significance.
.... rpI" II ..... ,.11,. So ... ".". ••••i«l", ...".,. Tn>< , II.... 7)1"'"
t."
,...j
cI ........ ~~ ..... ltk~ 6 .., ...... <0 ............. h
M ~lo.,I. rt, . R .... _ Lu.-. (US Ann1)
J.p""'_
.~

,8
Summary IJ t\ ~ornplll ~cnq, even in the facC' or the Khalkin
Gol defeat of t939. and in Ihe low priori ty given to
tank produ~tion by J :I».'n'$ badly o\-crstrctehed
AncrJapan·5SUCO;e..~ in 19.' r 42 taught the ,\lIit"l "ar industry. lIu l apan from technical weakness,
Ihal lanks could Ix: \'aJuahlc even in ['''cific terrain, Japanese tanh were aoo Ilnifomdy poorly handled
rTlOfl lubM-qucn\ Allied operat ions involved tanks aner '91'2. T llt'lies rang~-d from the p<l$sivity' of the
subordinated 1() In(,.,111)' ror cI~ fire support. '1nd Tank Di\,. on LU1.On. 10 Ihe redl~~ heroism of
Nc\,crthc!ClIS, in batlles such as Slripan, Okiml\\-.l, indle.:lual night b;lnl.ai-(:harges on many other
1M dnve on R:lng(101l and lhe Manchurian isllmds, T ank IIni tJ "ere' subordinated 10 higher
invasion, 1:1111<$ p]a}'cd a pnm:,ry role. In many commanders ignor.l1l! of armoured warfare, whose
other battles it "lllI tanks which m ..de inf.1nll)' orders limill-G the lactiesofunit comm<ludcn f.g.
"d''anccs po!o'liblc. and !~ costly, in the face orlhc the' '16111 T ank Regt . on l" o Jima.
"cry skillc:dJapanl'SC defensive mcries. T he Cellini] II IIlU$1 be: ackno" Irdgcd that Allll-d lur
Pacific fighting piolll'ercd the uS(' of armour«! supremacy, oV<:l""hdrnins naval gunfire, and
amphibioUll troop lritluporrers, viml 10 IUCC('!o$ in availability of infantry wcap01\5 ~uch as Ihe
(onlcsred landings; had thoc been :\,.,.il,.bk ror the ha;r.ooka, all placed eXlrerne rCSlra;u\.li onJapanesc:
Norm andy in\,a:iion, the landings would probably lank cmpJo)'mC'nt. Had I.l t\ infant!) beC'n "!Juipped
I\c:\'cr ha ve been placed in jeopard y. with a haZOQka-like "C<lpon in place of cnlde hand-
In contrast to Allied SUCCC5..'ICS, jap:lIIC!iC U~ of
A ....... r....... ,~ e1'-4' ~ T."" II.., _~ ....... • r....... loo ..m•• ood
tanks aflcr t94.1! WM an unbroken series offailures. !.a ...... _ by ,~ .... :\!.tAl- I>L<GOfI ... ..,., Th. circlool '0' ;~
.. hi.~ t.dJ.<"." __ •• "",.ood C c.... . ~ •• ~.-- '...............',
due in no snl<lll nlCilJ5u rt: \0 the poor quality of the 3.-.1 Pt ................ I. poloo'rd loo r.-<I _ tliD.d I.... ~h~ _ ,h.
tanks the mselves. The TOOt of the problem lay in .-- •• ppliq'" . ......... po_I. (US A..... ~l

"9
M, r.... ,..a.. of c Sq.., I ~ h 11.1 " tt,o. c-.. ....... Im. 011
r......... rrom ... o..r....., ""...,;.", ..r .....
1'o •• aDd ......... , • •
~••_ .. ri.1 ']or cI...... ror M."""lo y _ ., ,\\.... ' !H ~ T o
<_'0....... , do.rs- . ......... i .._ h.r... .., riel • • "" .........
OOOUCll. th< '-eli". I. ..... ..... . h. 1'0 .. ..........,.,. ••• R.S' : '
iiV'" badS' _."" r......
pia ....... MI •• b clri ........ . -l ...., .....
lars' Allied . , •• _ ,.lor h..U tolcIr, 0.. ... M. «:..... U.;_J_ch
ft. ....... rM."""b, . !'t... u.., d'r .....
r.lI~ ." ,Jo_ ......... ...
' 0 I. r... ..,·n .... or I.... I~h P ...p'''' .. (US Ar m yl
placed charges. Allied tank losst"S would havl"
~an:d.
T he quality of Allied tank tactics al$O varied.
n rit ish and Indian tank u~ in Burma', nightm:Ul.·
tl"ITain was surprui ngly l"Declive. US '\1:lrine lanks
in the Central Pacific tended to be used fat more
aggressh-dy than ,\rm)' lanlu. pressing ahead falit
and leaving isolated cnemyouLpo$lS to be deah with
later. T he US MC encouraged thl" usr: of tanks right
ul' front to spearhead allacks, accepti ng the
artilJcI)' II", this ine\'itauly :Iur-Ieted . Army tank
\lnilli, often lacking the thorough preparatory
tank /inf.1ntry tmining upon whieh the M:lrincs
insisted, wmetimes beha"cd in a mort: circumspect
manner. Army inr.-mtry units ,",'en:often u11oomfon·
" ble ,",'ilh tanks; and because of the fin: they
:lllraclI::d ~mc di"isional comnmnden insis\~-d Ihal
they be called fOI"l'o'"rd from behi nd the line on ly
"'hen specifIC \:,rge\.'l had been idl"ntifi~-d hardl)'
3'~
the best usc for them. In one area Ihe Arnl}
exr.dkd. however; thdramphibian tank ball"lion,
had f;lr more pr.Jelice than thcir Marinc counter·
parts, and until laIC in the " ·,, r wcre usually OCIlCf
m-ganiscd in their shon' attacks,
Bibliography
T his subjt"C1 has bt-en largely ignom.1 in English
language publications, "pari fmm Ihe Burma
(llmpaign and f\ustralian armOUf SC<: below.
Although some aspects have been dealt with in
enthusiast jounmk, a.I: nOted bdow, US tank
Opl"ratioru in the 1'1'0 are still a negl<:(;ted a",,,; this
aecount was based on rt:S(;arch in unpublished unit
diano lodged at the Federal Record Center,
Suitland, MlIl)-land.
&>gart, C., Tan); U,,//s oj/llf },'U'llllhmg Anlly. AFV
News, Vol. '3 No. 4
Bog"rc, C., ]O!Jalll-M IIQm~lnlllJ Tonk VIII/S, AFV
New~., Vol. '4 NO.4
Hara, 1'.. <:t ai , ]OpaHI.J1 TonAs ond Armolimf V,hU{IS,
Shul'l>an K yodo Pub., Tokyo, 1978
Hopkins, R .. t1UI/,n/ioll t11~1, Australian GO'·I.
I'ub. Scrvicr, Canberrn. '978
l)ern:!I, H., Ton/.. '/ radJ /0 Ran~l}(m, R. Ualc ,
Lond on, 19711
P~II, H., 7N l.",,{oranl Tallks /11 Hnl'Jh Sm-;rr
Va niluard 6, o.PI1'), London, ' 9711
Pem:II, H., TIN .}I/IQ,I U,ltl Tau $mil \'anguard
' 7', o-pn:). London .• 1)80
'(IS'
1'10\. man .J , . 1""001"11 , ZwlllNl. Tankelle. \'01, .
• 6 NOl. 3.(), & 17 Nos. 1':/
SandaTII, j .. TN Shnmoll Tallt 11/ /Jnllsll.Mmu,9P'
45 \'anguard ' 51, Ospr..y. Lond on, 11)80
Siruck, j ., .\llmn, Ta"h,,, Ihd>IlCi}k. AFV·G2. Vois.
I Nos. g-I'l, &:1 Nos. 1·8
VOl!, F., TQnAII/bum 1/; /'QlUm'IIfTIIl'lffl K.VII.. I/m
19-/2, pri\'a te printing, u iden . 19G8
Zaloga, S., Ar".., ,II Ch"", 'f}:..'I>-45, Milila!)
Manual, 1983
ZaJoga, 5., )II/Mnm TIUd Ma,bn.(J /9-1"45, }\Irfi x
Magazi ne. March 1977
bloga, 5 .• 7", ]apolfll' Tallk f"0,'1I11f 1lIt1'Dnfo 11'0 '
19P'45. ,\f-"\, ~e ....s, \'01. 10 No. -I
Zaloga, S, &: T aga)'a, 0 ., ]apolltil Tau {"II /J III
lI'orld lI'ar II, AF\' i"e"'-" \ '01. 15 No. 5
Zaloga, S., TIl, Shmnal/ Tan/.. III US OM Alii" &rr,U
(Vanguard 16), Chpl1'} , London, IgB:I
The Plates
.11. l 'i(Am Cardm u,.Jd AmphllllllfU TSIIA M othll9]l,
Ch.lft¥ 11/ Armoorf.- Balis/iliff ; IlslIl, 'i SNut,NII.
//117
Chines!: lank.s gcncraJl) «'Iamrd dd;\'ery IIChcnll.'S.
hen: a dark bron~c·grn:n ba~ ",ilh angular
blot ches of dark brown and bun' and black
dem arkalion, Comp<III Y identification in Ihis un il
",;oj by rwgromc lric d esigll~ ~uch ;.5 thi! shield, a
r,m"poi nl Slar, or a cirdt inS('t). ,\,\ animn] nam"
o r II number was p'.intt-d in ,ht design . Ih" ffi05l
popul'lf ;.ppareml} ,drattOn" acrll h,,~ on the lank
and Ill(' inS('l.
,b . 7yJN 91 TK TWIIII. ]aptJlltM ftd lwptrttlml
1..ll.II1 ,-4 ,_".1 ,',lIMit c-pay; A ~k. Cit....,
'917
j a pal~ Arm ) lanb in C hina in '937 bore II rOUT'
3'
colour scheme of 'khakL 'parched gTas!;', carth
bl'(ll'dl and yellow, Som.. question ~maillll as to
exact shadcs. 'Khaki' has be1:11 itm'rprcted both as a
mid·stone, .md :111 olil'c gTCt'n: we follow Ihe laller
interprctation, bast.'tI on .'I(:\·cral colour photos.
' ])a rch~'tI grass' has ~n described as ochre; hcn; we
prefer a dull dark gra'u. T he vcry dark chocolate
brown could fade in lue to a ru,ty shade akin 10
automOlh'e primer. The yellow was painted in
bands: instructions rt,comnt<:nd~xI a cross arrange·
Illelll ..... hen M:Cn from :Ibol'r, Ihe arm$ mtcting
Cemri!lIyon the turn'l. but this was 1101 invariable.
No regulalions governed Ihe lise of unit ill5lgma.
Some unil~ poli,hl'(l or p.lintl'tl the sm:tll metal
Japancsc A11l1}' Slar (i,stlCnl'(i on Ihe bow" Other
tanks displa)'lxl on Ihe 1)0\\ a small painted flag, Ihe
red sun on a white rectangle. Some regimenl.'l
paillll'(l n:UIIl'S 011 hull side!. The 2nd T ank Reg!.
painled bird namn on [anb of lSI Co.. mountain
MJ.A3 s....... of' yd CIoI_...., T ......... ,....,..;."-1 T .....
Graap P'""p-'" ... 10-0..., .h~ Ro ......... T .... I.. i>ol c... ... for ... ~
Boo ...... f ..., _ 3 ' o..:~ ..."". 'H+ ...... oaIld ,..u........ _
.... i>o, ... _ I"~ ........ ..., ..............1 i".ipllo i_ , ... _u"..
d ... m ....... ci"01,,, ...... IT, Ik ,...u.. .. "'I ... ..., .. il" . . .hi, •
....."". I"'KooI<d , .. ~ "'".IIt", .... .... ".Md.
.......«,d ••ly. (US A.... y)
llamMiOIl 2nd Co., and anima! name!on 3rd Co., in
the phonetic Kana :,lphal)(1 r.uh<:r Ihan the
id''Ogr.lphie K a,~i,
Vcry popular was the use of Kana lc!t<:T$ on
1,,""'1 side!; IhCSt' had \'ari,,"$ rneaniug!, For
instance, at th1: beginning of the ]'aeiCIe war Ihe I"
Tank Regl. used Ihe le!ten; (iri, h, .lir, :",d IW for the
1St to 4th Cos_ R~llCCti\'dy, in ~fercnce 10 the unit',
Chik"shinoharn training grounds. When a fifth
company WlIS added in t9+3 Ihc !ellen changed 10
k(l, II, ')'11, NO. mi :mdJW for the I~t to 51h Co8. and the
maintenance (ompany, in rcfcrcm:c 10 Kot)-·
onomlya JUlJa. a ~hllllo <Imne al the ~glment'5
original Kurume home base.
In conlr,l.\l. the 8th T ank Rq<;t. used 'wo Kana
letters for each of il.'l four cOlllpanit-s: i~, IuJ St, a Jt,
and yo St. The firsl referred 10 Ill<" comp.lny
eummander (rap<:.::ti"cly Imada, Ham. Aganoand
YOflChara j; the !!Ccond W:I.'lan abbrevialion ofsnuluJ
(irula; 'tank company', A 51) Ie used by the [3th
and 181h Tank Regts. featured the IcIl~t'!I;, Nt, sa,yo
and ko, as ab!m:\'i a tionsortheeompan~ numb':Tli in
Japan~ jciri is one, ni is IWO, mil is three, and!K)
fonh .
 On Ihe laukell'" shown here is Ihe insignia of ~ 1 1.
Fuji, and Ihe name l>oide Ihe ~ ri al numocr is
'Fuji': bol h refer 10 Ihe unit commander, i'. laj.
Ma,ad •• of A Sq .... I. ' Au 'rona. "'rnwI. R.... . _ r 1Ia"....
pa ...... 110 ........ MarloiooJlo lad.... i.di,'id.al 'a ...... _ a.d
w_
a .......,. _

do_
~ .. II old . . . . . .. . _.~ co ..... (ro ... , ...... ....

abon '\h, sr I. ",~;" Cynlli. dlS;'. ~ .. .-...d '" Sq • •

,rt.a",.... u do."., . ....i'. '.........m"", low _'he ,..,.....
a.d _ 1M .,.11 froo,. ,iMO .....pm.... al <001" 0.. .. ('0' __
t·ujita. The unit insignia was also carried eelllrdlly
on th .. hull and trailer rea r. The in!IC:t shows a
'so')."" , .....i ", of," ~ po"'.' ~,b
....... a _ . . 0.1 _ •
"'........ Bd"._.
pal ........., bo ....
oflip'Of'
i." _ .........
samur:,i filii insignia used by anOlher T ype: !H (",,,, ,,,",,. War M .... otioJ vIo 0 . llali.j

com pall )' in China, apl)li~ in Ihe same r.'lShion, /\ (

kft are pn:-t9-!0 tank signalling flags. The top flag is
thaI of the company comma nder, The left rowan,
the flags of the first 10 fourth \'ehidC5 of the t 5t
Platoon; the 2nd Plaloon were ide nt ical, but wit h
blu<: bands, The righl TO\Oo' arc, top to lXlItom, the
'masagc', 'formation', 'alen ' and 'com munication'
flaK', Measuring 60cm )( 4ocm, these flags were
replaced by:tl least twodi lfeTCnt s)'5lcms later il\ lhe
wa r; bu t 115 mO'lt tank! had rad iOli their use became
ullcommon.
/1/; I"rkm Cartlm Loyd LIght Tad Afoofll9:fi, I,C
X IL
balalj(m I'tthtu'(lgms; Bondonrg, /Ju/cit fAst Indtts.
'94'
[)utch tanks retained deli\'ery 5Chemcs, in this ease
d«rk bronze-grttn , Thc simple markings consisted
33
urthe Dutch tricolour hearing ' OfVfO', duplicated C,; TJ/J' ~ fia-go l.,Jg},1 T~nJ., 2nd Comll(ln,J, JllfJl/llm
on the bow' with a white ' I)' between. o"cr a whitc 71}, Tllnk RrgUlU'nl; l...lU.on, 1'}"IIpf1m($, January '!HZ
four-digit strial; .md in this rnmalion :I white This tank is finisht'd in the sam ... four-colourKhe,ne
vehide JUJlnb... r Un Ihe hull sidc. Th ... Mannon as A2. This unit identified oompania by tradilional
HcrringtQ11! carrit'd the lIag marking larger on the Jap'lIlac modfs: the hOI},' ($tar ), .l4f1l (bmnboo leal),
hull side. oM (cherT) blossom ) and /wla (flag ) for 1St to 4th
Cos. rcspc'(tivci y, Jh1inled fore and an and on both
B2: Pan:."kampjU'lIgrn Ib, Clunr.Jr 3,d ArmOlmd BIII- tUITeI sides. The four-digit serial number hcgan
labon; " ankmg. '937 with IWO indicating type (here, '95') and elided
Vehidcs received from Gemmny remained in their wjlh two identirying the individual ,-chicle. Again.
dark gre)' delivery ~hcmc. While at Nanking most this was painuxl on both sides as well as forc and art.
were mark«l with the Kuo miruang su nbu rst
national insignia. but no mctical markin~ " 'CTC Mt.An Qft..., 3r<! M .";_ T ..... II... ~ • ..-or<! t1.~ .'",";p
d~"; •• ,..., I .... Ji .... Ilf~ I I ... of r ......... ry ' ~ N.... ~ .. u
carried by thi, unit. i ••i,.i...... w .... a ppl"'~~ p t . t _ ..ia~'" "'u, •• ,..., "y l ~ Qr
Ib~ ... , ;""'1 .l"" • .r. taolplo. (VSMC)

~l-I
C2: :\Ipl/ Slua,/ L'glrl Taak, A~II'a/ian 2,1&1r Ilrm{)llfta
H't,mrnl; Papua /Stll! (;umra, Dtwnb" /!)p
Auslralian Slnar!s " 'l're modirl«l in various wapi
hefore I><:ing is.su~'tl: a melal ring cover was filled al
.he Inrre! ba~ .0 p rr\"rm jamming, and a Mo"age
box "as add ed 10 the right fender. Tanks were
repain.ed darl bron~e-grcen. Squadron marking5
were in nonnal British •• yle: a !riangle, scluare and
circle for l SI to 3.-.:1 S'l ns. r~pt:<", i\'dy, wieh the
lroop number inside, ;" Iarking oolour was a
regimcllIal di~linClion for Ihe 'l16.h. yellow.
Ind ividual tank nam~ beginning wil h the squad-
ron icller here, l:AHII\ "ere usually IMimed al
Ihe IIppe:r ed g" or .h" 'U"""I sida. Th e lSI
/\ ustralian Armd. I)i" insignia (insc., right) was
carried on the left front fender and tight rea r hull.
D,: J'a/rolm, Mk III CS, ya _'til.' ;;',a/o.rrJ f)i'1SiQrr
,~p«wI1(mk Squo.Jron: Crun IJlo.nJ, '9/-1
I_'ugc!) b:<S'.:<I on ehe re;t:areh b)' J. E, Plowman
published in Tankrl/t m:tgazine, Ihisshows" spt:<"ial
heal_resislanl dark hronzc-gre.-Il paint u!Cd Oil th"
"l)pe r ~urfa ccs of this unit'$ V.. lentilll'$, wilh a
COm_" ..... "U M~ SIo.rm.o .. of ,..., "s<h n.",~, ... ""...... T . ."
B.. boo..u.R <Mo' - r _ i. 1o.o '" ,.., ... _ alD.1 O kJ.a ....'.
. h....~U_ " " ";"1 m ....... ' """.. ,,-" '" J .. _ ' MSo '"'" ocolr
.... U..... ~M~ ....... u....u _~v ...... ,:.. .... r .d';", .k l ',."
;;".~:~lb=:;!'.ir~: ~=e.= .~:'C::=o~~!.;.~
••i_ .. (US "' ..... rl
middle bronze-grttn on side and mher surfacn.
The darker shade cXlcnd~-d over lhe Tf:af engine
dt"Ck, and patches of the lighter gn:"Cn .... crt add~-d
{}I'er lhr dark arca.s, Al k:l.$t one lank bore lhes<'
),ellow blotch" spra)'ed o\"er the si de surf.-.cn. The
squadron retained lhe dragon rampant insignia or
the NZ I\ rm~ T 'Ulk Bde.. and lhe old ~gimcnl"l
Rash or ''-/ T an ks' "hite ''.16' o n " red S(lu"n:.
T roop numhc" " CTf: Ilo.1iut t'd in "hitt· or )'e llo"
Roman numerals on rurn't s;d~ and f(';U: HQ
\links carried the numbers 'I' to '4' in an ' HQ
sq uad ron' diamond marking. I'hotOll. §ho" that not
"n thdil'! markings " cre camed h~ all unit tanks.
The brigade insignia i5 sho" n ;n!!et; on JOllie tanks
lhe design was somewhat simpli fied.
D2: .IljAI Lq,1It Tad , US Army 191'd Tank Ilat/ahM:
,llak,n bland, .'\'Ot't'mM 19-13
US mnk!! in the I'TO .... en: painu.-d Olive ])rab, a
50111(,,,11:11 bro"'ner shack Ihan lhe British ('{Iu;"a-
lenl, <:speda!!) "'hen f.1ded. /\rm} tanks carricd
standard ",hiu.' star ins.ignia. U$uaJl y on the turret
s.ides and , I"',uh!'r larg!,r, 011 thr engiur d<:ek lilr air
,6
n.. ....m ..1 hi ll. " r O ki_.... ..m.ed
lie ... _."-P or ..... ....... ..
~ k~ __
"""ull.... 'J<>!-.' r.... . _k ..
,h~r__ .... ..,......~
n.. . wo i. 'M ro ..... ro....cI ..... "3'h Iloo. 'hl_' ore ....... to.;",
.... Id i • .--...,..~ ...,11 ~o<cI , • • uppo ... p~ ..0>10 •• I_ , ....
boo~kl"""...t ...... 'OSA'''' how'.. n , ..... of _ h.o.cIq"",.,~ ....
<.......... y, ..,.;.h IIVSS .upno.i_ di . .... , _n i "'p ..... ~...-d
.."""'&•• or ........ (US A. ... ,)
idC!IIifiC;lIion , i\ 'sJl'ct.-d number' (here '42') wa.s
u~uaJl )' camed on thc turrel ch~~ks; unlike other
tactical numbcl"$, the<;(' had no signifiean~e as to
eomp.~n )' o r platoon, as the)' Wl're h"lUed con-
so.-.:uti\'cl y to !:Inks ora whole b.ltt:.lion. On thc hull
sidl' i~ the usual Blut' ])rab ~ rial n"rnl~r, and
chalked aoo,'(' it the landing cr.ln number ' I.C M-
4'; the word to II., cirdt-d ahel.d of this, i$ un·
cKplainoo,
Whilc baLialions in the I'acifie used the samc
company/vehicle bumper code systcm a'I in 'he
1'.1'0, b.-.llalion codC$ wen: nOI ~p]lli(-d. ~Iany uniu
eamlY] ba.llalio n insignia instead. On the right n:ar
hull of this tauk is a Co. C buml~r codc a nd lank
number (,C/42'), "hile to the left i~ tht.' t93rd Bn.
insignia, a red square on a ycllow tri a ngle. This is
n'I)I'ilU:'d iu the insct dl"'oIwin~, which an: (Iell to
righll: 193rd, 763rd, 775th and 7161h Tank Il n~,;
not all bMtalioll! SI"tm to han' uS<,"<l thl~ ill~;gnia,
Ihough Iheir small SilO;- makt$ photo fl~,;IT(:h
difficult , Onl) Iht, 713th l'lame lh rowcr T ank lin,
used standard battalion bumper codell,
E.,; 1.1'1'(.-1 )., Amphlbran Tank, L'S Army ;a&h
,-fmplllblan ranA Hallallan; SIIipan, ]un! 19#
and amphibian tanks \\cn: originally
,\ rn \ I".iCS
painl~-d in :tlight blue; after thdr cornb.u debut tho;-
/llarincs smru:d painting b;onds of colo ur o\'cr Ihis,
a! it was hardl}' ideal camouflagl' oncc ashore ,
,\ rm) \'eludes rccauu:d Iltl" lIChl"tnl" until thl"
Ih(' opposi tf' sid e of the 1101'.' is thl'" companYJ\'ehide
bun'lX'r eock ' li-t5', 'I'hl'" 708th also u!it'd gwmt:lric
l"""')l'ut} ir"i~lIiil. a "hitt' '>£I UOlrt' for A and ir 1"<'(1
lriangle for II the ins.:t:t\ right show$th.. IOCi'ltion
and rdat;,"(' siu orchis marking on rhl" turret TCiLro(
HI.OIK HI ~·II.It. abo\"e the fear hull markings. l'S
\ltM\ (,;.'7'A'i I\..~ The Stripn wen: a oommon
marking Ql' both Arm} and Marinr amphibious
vt:hides, indicatin!: thl" assigned landing beach, and
uS('(! as a ronnaling identific:rtioll. Cos. A ami Il of
the 708lh landoo al Blur Heach 2 on Saipao. ht:ncc
two blue 5trill<"$. The olhe r two ('om pmri~ Illnded
OIL Ydlow Ikach 2, but used "hilC ~tripe$ as no

Marianas campa il.;n, but in fC!i llOn~ to en'\\ yd lo" p.1int was a \'ailablr.
complainu a faCl(>ry schemeofOlin' Drab wa$ latl'r
~ubst itUled, Older \'c hid ca could still be seen illthl" £2: TYIN 95 Na·gfl L'I;hl TaM , DWU'oJ1Ia/ 7 ank
original blue, howcvcr, Com,,(InJ, ]apanm l41h InJalllry lJirisio,,; I'tlfflu.
\\'hiw Sta rs wert: cOIl\·.,nlionall) marked on &plm,brr 19H
turn:1 and hull $ides, Vehide names, u5uall) Rtgular ioliS of 19.12 drop))•.-d lhe )'ellow from Iht:
$taning with the cornpan) letter, Weft" painted high
at Ihc fron l of the side spon!lOl1 hen:, KI ,()(; " ;2: ~~n...~~:.~.
do .......
~';.:.~~rl:!:o::"~T:,.!!:!':r"~..:
.'l \;_ hto"" •• ... ,lm..,.1
e ........... ;. ...
RL~TUt, On the bow i~ thc batlalion insignia. a ~tar ~ ,~~
... Ipla; ..... , .. 0 ,,10_-.1 lian ..."Iou._ r...... ,"" Ioalf-d...,"
on a triangle, !IOrnetimes n:peated on the supcrstruc· ;" ,............. ofl~ e " "'" i(r .... Co.,j ."" ,h. K.o..oji ..,rip'
KIe...
bo.W ~ I .... ....~ ; <I~ t,
. ......... .. I . ... .AI......... p~ ...i_
IUfC front since Ihl" IXl\\ was often submerg<--d. On ......1....

37
four-<:olOllr sehe me though some older tanu comp;my kltcr MId a smalllact1.::al n"mlxr, and a
retained it), aud rccommended thall;mks dC$tin~ eomIKluy-initi:.lled IMmc: e.g. \-20 \lUll., I·-~O
for the Sou th-Weilt I'adf>c \..,.-d a h;.!IC of willo" C\L',\1l II·" ill ~n etc. Th e 3rd " Iarinc T ank Bn.
gr'et'n in plae.. of the usual ·khaki·. The two on Iklugainvillc u5«l. in son", companiCll, lactieal
5ubsidi"I)' colou", 'pa rchcd grass' and bro" n numbcfll inside larg.:: rectangu lar markin~, and in
were unchanged. II WaJi also a(I\'ised Ihal gun harrri nthel"!i, small geomelric ~haJl(". Whrn re-C<luipped
und cl"Sun.1.CM, and the "hole ar..a Ixlow the wilh Slwnnans it inheritt-d the elephant insignia of
f.'mlt-I'>. ht, paint~-.:I in 'pardu'd gr. •..;:,;', I\lIthis paim Ill<' 1~ I .-\C ( I~t " Iarine ,\mphibious Corp:!! ) Tank
had anti-rust propertir-s. I lowt'I-'c r. the sc hemt' of Bn., and add.-d il.'l own (kV1cC a .... hite star "ith
Ihis T nJt' 9;' sllo,,-, ho" r..gu lat ions an.' oftrn 'win~'. akin 11) that USI.-d on L'SMC aircraft.
ignored. Although finished in Ihe IIr" willo" g f('t~n.
it i~ C'.ul1oullag~·d with Iht' old y<'llo" u.lncls and 1-'2: 1)"fH 97 (,h,_ha MttI,~m 'Tank, 51h Company,
brown blotchl'S. and has no areas of'parched gra.\S' ]a(lanm!JIII Tonk Rtg/menl; Sa/pan. ]~nI '9#
colour. A good ('''ample of the 19J2 Khemt of'kh;lki',
Th is rornp"ny ..... Iect.-d a tradition,,1 rising su n 'parchl-d gra.'tS' and brown. The unit had a
motif,,, hich readeTl rna)' n-cognisc as Ihe corpor"te distinctivc s)·.tem of compan) markings in green
emblem ofMiuuhishi InduslriC"i. Th e IWO plaloons alld whitl:, sho ... n tnS<:t second ldt 10 right, UI to
5(Tm to have paint('tl it in eomrasting oolours. red ;,th Cos. and rnO!lt had twO ,mall IIational na~
:lnd ... hil". Somt' tanks oflhis eompan~ had Cm pl~ Oil th~ IXI ..... "lust abo ha d a provincial name on thl:
5Wl. drums fa~lcned o\cr the ....ar fendt'r> 10 hull side, in this ('ast ·MillHe·. Some regimental
car'1trooprs inlo:.ction! It was IlQt a pleasan t rid,· .. t:U1U uS<.-d this claoornlc kih,~, tUlTel em blem,
$)'mbolisin~:t ehr)"s,1.IlIhcmum o\·u 1I0"'ing .... ater.
1-"1; ,\1#12 Shf7mOIl, L'S ,IIann. -Ilh Tanl: 80I/a/'OR: The CO"tra~t bc t... ttn the Japanese penchant for
Satpan. ]unl I!H-I elegant lJo""'r mOti&, and the sa\'age br:I\'c'1' of
" Iarine tanks originally arri\"cd in Oli\"e Drab their tfoopS, may seem incongruous to We:!'tcn,ers
finish, ,tnd u$ually retain<.'C1 it ." ..,,' though nomi- unf.1.miliar with :1 eOIll I)letel y alien c ultural lradi-
nail ), til(" r('gttlalions "pccifi~-d a dark for.-st gn"('n. tion , The kihll" is tradit ionally associalc<1 with the
Illlhe "Iarianas thi~ unit painted tU1"l1:1 lOpS "hite, I'lth-ctntury he ro :\ Iasashige Ku;;onuki, fatnl'd for
wilh 1;lrg~ numbcl'!l, praumabl)' in ordcr to co- his ill-falt'(l but dClcnnined dcfcnet' of his
ordinat(" air siri ka. Some had painted numlxn, as CIllJl,:ror- tl,,· emblem is thus a mark offcah) 10 Ihe
here; OIher!! had sonic type of delaeh:lble ca nvas Imperial hou'IC. The 9th Regl."s eOlllmand ta nks
display. ~I:!rine dil"isions USI.-d a s»lcm of geometric used a hroken "hile band around the upper ~dge of
insignia. sometimes print"" on uniforms and other til<' turrel sides; Lt. Col. Goshima's t:lI1k had Ihe
divisional gear. the ~th u5ed a half-cirde, as 1I('t'Tl pI"IJ\"inci;.1 !lame '/\.'10' on thc hull, "hile Ihe
hac enclosing a code number' 133'. At Ihe lime of delachment commander on Guam had a Star turret
Kwajalei n Ihc "Ih Tank Bn. u5ed Immes starting insignia as ... ell as 111l' hand.
with ICtl('n from thc middl.· ofthc alphabet: C.(). A
u5ed ' H ' o r ' f', e.g. \tnI'm: \1). IRO'~JI)I:...'.etc.; Co. C G,: 7;"fH:: A-o_mi A",plu.blOu./ TOIII:, nul, ""I/ SNtF;
u5«1 'J' and ' K', e.g. Jl \(;I.F.JI.\t "1\(; "OW; etc.; OrfIIIX IJay. 1.l)·lt. I.?#
anotherooml'3ny used . ~~ and 'G', e.g. (;01)\\ II(It II One oflhe tank.! landt-d at night duri ng the baltle
(;()U)blllC" JIl and our subj(,("l , IIIU; 11.\1.\ Aner for Le)"tc in an allempt 10 block Ihe US ad"ance on
,-e""quippi ng for I wo Jima the batulioll S(ccms to Ormoc Sa}. Th e Ka-ml scr\T<I wil h the Special
have adopted ne ... narnl'Ssta ning with ' B'. 'C' and Naval I ~'lnding Forces Uap.mcsc M:.rino), and
' D', prolmbl) referring to eompanit":S e.g. wert: p;linled in U N standard dark blue.grr)'
m~\cl\JlIl. " . ('IlI'PY. t)()IlI~ , etc. (thougb SNLF T ype 95 1ig lll t:mks wcre painl"" in
T he lSI " Iarine Tank Bn. did not display a Arm y e;II11ouOage ). Thl' traditional SN Lt' insignia
divisional devi«'. though it did usc a s),slem of was Ihe rising sun lIag, p,"Iinted on the IUITets of Ka-
g~-ometric company signs. Th .. 2nd MarinI.' Ta nk m, and T~ rx- 9;, tan ks; and tank serial number> "~rc
Bn. did not IIi\(' signs, bllt combinations of the often pT('c~dcd by their arH;hor i ll~iguia. rat her than
Ihe /\nn ) !;IOIr. On Ih i~ Ail-ml th.: 5erial '651' was
carlini on each $Cp;lral.: ass.:mbl~ al leasl ontt:
IWitt on the fmnt ponloon, ontt on Ih.: lTar
POIIIOOII, ontt on Ih.: .:ngine hood. ':IC. L' nil
ill$ignia wrIT nOl u$lml. but one unil did U5I" Ihr sum" bl y (ompan~ illsi~nia in§("t; Ihis tank has a
rroc:rnl IJlOOII motif sho"'n inMI. circkd',' high on the turn:1 side bet"ttn 1"0 I...ck
Gil; .11". . 1' S/ImrtD'"fJ' .1I1l"'" Tlld &IJIlI,Ofl;
OkUWlll.ll, Alml IfN5
B) this tim.: nlO!lI t\larine lank.-! had rr<:ri\'cd hea\')
addition'll protcction agaimt magn.:tie minn and
Ihe .. 7nml An' gun: in this unil trolek shOCll .. rrc
wclded on the si,11'$. and s:tnd bags ~tacked Oil thr
glacis. Unlike the Army, some "'arin.: Unil!
n:gularl) clunouflOlg~od thcir AF\ 's, both anllrola
arod tanl;,. TIl(' sou!'Cr of thc paint, and thcrefolT
throaCt shades, arc obJcUIT; but period colour film
irodic'.. ln $Olnd a nd lTd·brown in the tSI Tank Hn ..
while othn units appal'mll}' used s..... thn ofund-
colour only. l\mtr.tOl "CIT ~~Iimn painted in
these 001001'$, and ~elimcs had O<~ or morr grq
sh.tda added o\cr the h:u.: lighl blu.:. On Okimw...
tilt onl) unil markings U§l'(1 b) Ih.: ,,, Tank nn .
",'Cn: ,hOI(" nUnlhers i,wde geom.:tric shapa. pre-
.m...
Iii : T-3" 8j. lui" MrcluutlMd UtipJ. $on" /1/ f il,
fASfn"" F'IIfI/; .\llltIC""nll. /I"&,"SI '945
tAc'lIiall y similar 10 IhO'linish oftl ... !;, op.~r;Hing in
Europe. this Q\"eratJ dark oIi,c grr<:n i! cnli\'~ncd
only by "hile tactical nurnlll-t1i on turft'l , ides lllld
rear, aiKI it broad .. hill' band i.doplctl b) Ihe 151
Far East ern From for ~iriden1iliciL!ion l in~t . Note
Ihal il barel y eXlends on II) lht hull fron t and ,..,ar,
and onl) pari of the wa y along Ih.: gun barn:l.
112: T.'JIN !Ilklll SJuMolG 0f/-44. }tl/MNM IIln Til,,};
H,t1mnll: $mr1lUlJn. I</Il"", A.nl,.J (;'fIfIP ..b psl
'9<5
This unit foughl Ihe 1~1 lank I"tltle of tht war, on
18-~0 /\UgU51. KveraJ daY' alitr tht armi scicc had
Qfficiall)' broughl th.: war II) an end. The Soviel
:1')
altCnll1t on Shunlllshli cool1 !'m il ,ides h..a,·y
cal\lIah;"'I.
Thr rcgimelUal lu"", insi gllia ".1.5 Ih .. Kanji
."mblll .lti . ·s.~m(lrai · ,ink l ldi l; thi~ was 3.Cluall)' a
pIa) on words. sin"";1 could also be ;nl" rpreu-cl a$
IlK: Kanji ",,,,,.. ral "1 '. Ihe regimclUal numh.. r.
Addilional har marking'!' wcre llrobabl y compa,,}
;ruignia; here 1"'0 small ,-enieal bu, ar.. caTTin:! on
Ihe turrel, [,UI Olher lank!! had diagonal bars from
rog .. 10 roge oflh .. hulI _,ides. The circle on Ih" hull
~ido here is bel ie, cd 10 indi cal" com pan) com-
mander. lng" right is Ih .. SI)"-" of lic.. ut;:<: 1)1;,1<'
carri.~d by 1J /\ lanks on the hull rear. The 51ar
indi calt'S Ann ) SNI.F lank!! would sUOs,;tule an
anchor. Th .. lop TO" of Kanji symboL. ar.. Ih ..
a!Jhre,"iation of JmJ/u' IIn/(ll 'Iauk ~nlcm' and
Ihe bmlom row is Ih .. numl~roflh .. r..girncnl. Th~
,\flIbi .. n"", .. rab aIT Iht· indi"itlu:,1 tank "umtx,r.

A,.-'" ..........""'.... _ .......,,,,.-'1..,.

-... .... . ....
.. ' I......... d·_.. , _ . . - . . _ _ .. , ............. loq .... r..t.-. t...........
............ .,wvn
"' •._ ......... n..._...-........ _ f f t . - -.... " .." ' _ • .-.. ,- _ ow""" ...10l0i, _ .. K....
-"'~ .... "'.."..--.I·_~._
.....-'''''''"...... ' v' .......
_I _....... "....
.. .,••-. ... ....... _
~ _ .... _
.............. K _
I).,._owI
1.... ' _
.........
........... 1<--. ...
_ " ............ " ",8
'..- .--
=:::--=':"-~~..!'£"'.....::~= ;!:=::-=":
........ _on.1. .......... _ _ • ..., .......
. ,,
~
____ ., _ .... ' ... ._ , ......,..,...,--" .~ 'I ....
_ _ c... ...-,.... ........ .................. \ .... ___ ..... ..
................ '" ,.. ,_... __ ,.... .. ___ M".,,"
~_
..... _ .... _ .......... I.. _~
'''''l~_'''''
..... _ .. , - - .
.... ... ....., ...... , , .... ____ ............"...
•• _ _ ...... ..,...... I""'!-"-'........... _I ~,," Ilw
..... J)o,o,..

-.._............W<_-
{ ....... ,~_ ... , __ ~ ......... - • .,. I>-<K-.
, _ .. r _ _ .. ' .... _ _ ' ..... t...,......_ .... " ....
... _ _ _ _ • • dooftI .... _ , . . . . _ ' ........ _ . _ ... _ . . t ........... M:c: ' ..... u..~ ... ''''''=:r.:;''''''
_"' _ _ .<I"~, ............. _
M .....,_dn- •., .. " ; ... d:;..:i:'~"t:.,..":!'_.'..."'I..... ""..... ~1<IoIrloIooo In_

." ............. """' .• ..(_

... _ lw................. ~ .....
I. _ _ "_
" " ._
. . .G,
-. -..o<l_
... l _ .... ' _
. ' .... _1 ... _ 10 ............. 1... ,_ ........ ,........................... ,.
_ .. ' .... . . ( ........... 10 _ _ .... _
"'_ "_ne ....... , _ ...
-,......., .. -'-'-~
C. tlw..-.. _ 7.......... " - " - ......._ .... P....."'?

-., ......- --
..... '>1',' .............. _ ......... ~ r.... t ...
~t...
....~:=.":....-==~~.:=-.d.';;j"d=:;
0;,-
10 _ _ . . ..... _ ... _ _ _ _ "'• . _ _ ...
1_ _ _ .. ,..-,« .. _,....

,.... "' ..... "._ ,-...n..-

'
~
_ __
~--~
,,"-<..
.... ,--. ....
Co , .... , ........ _
.. ... ........ •. ,.,.........
-,,'.....".... ,.-... -, ...... ......
~~...:.:...'";,:...~~..;,.%'::-~';t"':'..:.::
~.-
1) , -
,"'_ .......
~:.:~,r~..:."'t":.i;::.:.."":!'
_--- .... ,_
""-,_""· ........ (:"I~ . , .... "T~ .... ' _ _ _ _ 1 ..100>' ....

":'!~=.~
..!!.."':..
..... ,",_ ....... "-'"

'.:i
~:.:~.:;·,~~~~~!:.~:.:1,f=-~,.:
T... II<t' DoI ... _ .... _ " - _ " " .. _ _ _ _ ...
1""'- .~ Do I... ... ,....... _ _
~._ Ln.. _ _ _ ..... _
...... '. 1",. ' _ _ " ......1..... ·.... .... _ " - - - " -
_ .................,_ ... _-"<...................., - ' '''I'\'' "".. - . ............. _ _ .... ___
,oj"
n. ,... _,..,,))) ....
-
1......... _<11< ......... _ " " ...................... ' ..1........... 1.....- . ....... "~

........................" .........................,..... ... '"'........ ..

_10<- '''''''''-1'''1''''<, ny ..... "so--
~,

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OSPREY . VANGUARD
1\ 5(:rin of l.looks dacribing key u nlu a nd weapons sys tems of
~olh CCIl IUI)' warfare, prepared by leading military experts
for the ent h usiast and moodie r, and iIluJlrllling authcmic del a il~
ofarnlour and 5uPJxming vehidn. <:amouflagc, markings,
uniforms, insignia and ,,"capons .
.-.""" ..... OCIII' __ "" r.....""I.... r I... p ....c..... ea _ .. Ie ....
Mi. AuIuldu." ........"foku,""" .. bor die Parbt.f.l"
(3) US .., lDr..,lry Dim;_ .93,..-45
(61The Lee/G ..... , T ....... u.. Britis h Suvice
(I I US lit Mar;... Divlsioa '94'-45
( ' 3) The Churchill Tank
( ' 5) The Sherm ... Taok ill Bri,i." Se..... ice
'!H~5
(1 6) The P&D.ll.cr....... pf_II".. m
(17) Th" SUl...rI LlSh! T ...... Seri.. _
(18) The P ..."er... mpf_, .... IV
( .,) AnnOill' oftbe Middle E. .I War. '!Ha-,8
(ao) The Tiller T ......
(• • jTb.,P..Kp(wVP..........
(ila) Tbe Centurion T .......... Baul..
(23) Briti.h T ...... u.. N. AI"';.,. '94-4"
(I..t) Soviec Haovy T ......
(.5) Gt. ......... Anno ........ Can aad Rfl:c:e Hill_
Tracl<s19~
(0:6) The Sh.erm... T ... k'" US .nd Allied Se..... ic:e
(-7) Anno .. r orche Korn.n War '9so-sJ
(as) The 6th P.n"er 0;"i.i08 '937'""4S
ST EV t:N J. ZALOGA WlU o.,n, '" '952 •• rc"",·td hit
SA ill his,o'), fro", Union College, 2nd his M,\ from
Columbia Unj"cni.),. l1 e hu p"bli.htd over ' ...·ellly
booh and numcmul ~<l icles dealing wi,h mode.n
mi litary ,ednology. esr~·cially armoured "chick
(29) Th .. M..f7. M.f8 Panoa T ......
(3O ) Poli.h Ar ....... r '939'""45
(31 ) US U.lf.T ........ or World War U
(3'1 ) The SdKr"IIS' H.lf.Track
(33) Gte .......... LiSh' P.n""... '932-42
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(37) Mod ..rn So"i"" eo... ba. T ......
(38) Mec ..........t t"r.n'ry
(39) US Anno .... Camoufl.S...nd Marki",1
'9' 7'""'t5
(40) US Li.h, T.nIo. ,,....-8.t ; M2.f C ... ff..... M4'
Wl lk..r B"lIdOS .... d MSSI Sh.. rld ....
(41 ) Th .. MI Abram l SaUl .. T ....10
(411 ) Armo .... orlh .. Vi .......... War.
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affain in Ihe Smic' Uninn and Wlen, Ellrol'" in 'he
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