Osprey, Men-at-Arms #362 The Japanese Army 1931-45 (1) 1931-42 (2002) OCR 8.12

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The Japanese Army 1931-45 (1 ,

1931-42

CONTENTS THE BACKGROUND, 1894-1931

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• Jllpan at \\"Ir· theJapanese soldilng.eom ~

Dedication To my !emlly

Pur>/i$tIing Ud,

All rlgM1S _ _ . A.pan from any t""dolAI"'lllOt Ill. purpose olllrival. stuay.

-ro. including lhose Ils(.'d for oil drilling. These s:"llletiom failed 10 pcn.uade Japan to make peace with Chiang K.1i-shek's Nationaiisl government. and inlema1.ional pressure w;u increased b}' a creeping oil eml>iving British aircraft withdrawn to lndia. 12 April Japanese l.'1ke Miguangye, l..hrealening oillields. 29 April Japanese seize Lasltio, cutting Bunna Road supply rome to China. I May Mandalay abandoned. 8 Mfl)' Fall of MyiLkyina. 10 May Rearguard battle at Kalewa covers Commonwealth retreat across Chindwin River. J2 MfI)' Monsoon rains slow Japanese pursuit. 20 1\1a)' After a goO-mile retreal north-wcstw'ards into India, and 13,000 casualties, the last of Ihe Commonwealth forces leave Bunna. Invasion of the Philippines 1941 7 December US Far East Air Force on Luzon island largely destroyed by Japanese air attacks.

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10 & 12 December First of 57.000 Japanese troops land in far north and south of Luzon. Gen. MacArthur has g'drrison of one US and nine Filipino di,isions. but only L"S LrOOpS arc properly trained and anned.. 22 Oeamber Main Japanese force lands in Lingaren Gutf. :\·W Luzon. and dlives south. 24 DtcnnbeT Japanese landings in Lamon Baron east coast threaten the capital. Manila. Rapid ad\-ances force Gen. MacArthur to \\ithdr:m" US/Filipino for· ces towards a final defensive redoubt on the Bataan peninsula. An lnfantry un/1 ~,. to boliO'll

• convoy of NI....n 80 trucQ during the 1842 often.Iv,ln the P.clflc. All the of'fkers and men ... __rtng bopka' uniforms. marlY of them In .hlrtsleeves. and the second pattem cortl -.on

he 90 tunic h'aS usually adapted to confornl \lith the ne,,' regulations. The main characteristic of this transitionaJ tunic \\~.lS the shifting of the rank bars from the shoulders to the old high collar - the fixing loops on Ihe shoulders were usually left in place. Pholographs of the time show some fairly makeshift attempts al lhis adaptation, which seems to ha\'e becn undertaken by the individual soldier or a 10call)' elllployt:d seamstress, The Type 98 tunic \I';l,S made from lhe sallle \oJinter and summer materials as lhe Type 90, with Lhe same five front buttons and four concealed pockclS \\'ith bUlloned external naps, but had a stand·and-fall collar. The summer version of lhe 1938 tunic was incorporated \\;th other unifonn items illlo ,I tropical uniform (which is co\"ered in the fonhcoming second ~lAA book in this sequence). The colour of the c10m used for both \\'eighlS ofullifonn \'aried greatly. and it is difficult 10 describe a standard shade, Unifonns were often manufacturcd on a local basis and such colour variation~ wcre bound 10 resuh frOIll differences in the exact materials and dves used. Officers' Type 90 & Type 98 uniforms

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As in most other contemfXlr.u), annies. Japanese Ann) office~ were expected to procure their own uniforms from commercial tailors. Though om;ollsl)' made to a regulation basic design, details of colour. materiaJ and quality tlms \'a.lied \I;de1y depending upon the maker and the individual's means, One difference between lhe 1930 pattern enlisted man's and ofiicel"s tunic \\,,15 that the stiff collar was sligltu)' highel' on Ille lauer, As part of the 1938 pattern field uniform Japanese officers usually wore a superior quality \'ersion of the cnlistt..-'{I ranks' semi-breeches, \I'ith either leather ICb"btings or puuees. Some officcl'S chose to wear l1ared riding breeches instead of the standard trousers, \\~th high leather boots. TIle breeches were held lip b}' braces which crossed at the back. adjusted by means of a doth half-belt at the back. and fastened at the ankle by four small buuons. TIle Japanese officer':, T)'"»C 90 (1930) senice dress consisted of a fi\·c--bullOIl. high-collared tunic worn \lith a p.."lir of slrdight-cut trollSen>. a peak.ed cap and brO\l'll leather shoes, General officer.; had plain collars: those of more junior

INSIGNIA ON 1930 & 1938 UNIFORMS

Chi"". 1Ilo4O: th .... J.pans.. nntries pose on top of their pillboX, gu.rdlng the Chen!u wI........ station about 30 miles 'rom Shanghai. All are weari", the TrPe 98 (1938) unltonn; undet" magnification the irrtefted W-sh.ped 'chevron' in ann-of· ~ colour can be Hen aboQ the right breut pocket of the man on the !elL TheIr cork aun helmets .... the enlisted ranka' version of the second model topt - the most common type. They .... w••riog only the most baaic of belt kit for guard duty. (Robe" Hunt Ubrary)

The 1)'Pc 90 (1930) uniform conlinued to show the rank of the Japanese 50ldiel' by a "}'liICIll of reBo\\' metal stars 011 red cloth bars - for all branches of ser.;ce - which ,,'ere fasl,ened lI-alls\'crscly by loops to the outer shoulders of the tunic and greatcoat (see chan on page 34). The doth bars were officiall) 90mm long x 30mm \\;de. On the from of each side of the stiff tunic collar were att::lched collar patches CUltO a square edge at the from and a 'swallowtail' althe outside or rear. These patches were in the colour of the wearer's arm or branch of sen-ice: there is a cenain amount of confusion eing reduced 10 40nlll1 x 18mm, As war shonages began to bite tllcir dimensions \,'ere slightl)' further reduced to U~· to sa\'C pr~cious doth. On sen-ice dress NCO:, and pri\'atCS had plain k.haki shoulder straps bearing the same S\'$lcm of gold stars as appeared on the collar bars: NCQs had a gold suipc at tlle shoulder end of the strap. With the remO\'a1 of the brancb-t:oloured patches from the collar. their function h"aS officially tak.en o\"er b).' a coloured cloth 'dlt:\Ton' ill the shape ofan inverted 'W' \\"om above the right breast pocket. 1l1is \\'as

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ThIs sergeant is an officM candidata, as sho""'" by the circular badge with a cen~1 star wom on lh8 eollar of his 1 e38 tunle In plaee of the rank baniIntarastlr\91y, these are still worn on the shoulden!, He Is waarl"9 the f1nil type of cont sun helmet with a eold star badee pinned to the front: and his high boou would be brown Instead of otfleen!' blaek. His shln-gunto sword b worn In a metal seabbard with • protective

..euo.e.r eover. (Cheyenne Nodal

not, however, a universal feature; and by 1940 it "",IS ahUOSt completely discontinued, although some of the support branches - e.g. medical corps - continued 10 wear lhem until the end of lhe war. This was presumably because it was more imporlalll lhat doClors and olher specialist personnel be easily identifiable. In 1941 new regulations called for some branches ofscn;ce to be shown by a small slrip of appropriately coloured cloth under lhe collar rank. bar, these being confined to engineer, \·eterinary'. military band. accountant and medical personnel. PhOlographic eo.idence seems to suggest that this new s)'Stem was rarely used. howewr, and if any displa)' of branch colour was \\'orn then it \\-dS usually the older ·W·vinc:., 1933

1: Captain. l04th FM!'Id Artillery Reg!: Canton, 1938 2: Ueutenant, 117ttllnf Reg!, l08th lnl [)iv. summer 1938

3: Pte 1st Class, Raoilwily Proteetion Corps; Marw;hukuo, 1932

3: Major, 82nd tnl Reg!, 21st Inl [);Y, 1939

c

....- ----------------------NOMQNHAN & CHINA. 1939 1; Sergeant, 28th Inf Reg!, 7th lnf Dlv; Nomonhan, June 1939 2: 2nd Ueulenant, tank regiment; China, winter 1938139

3: CaptaIn, Englneeno; China, winter 1938/39

CHINA,

1937~39

1: Private 2nd Class, Inlantry; Peking, July 1937 2: Warrant Officer standard bearer. Infantry; Shanghai, August 1937 3: seaman 1st Class, Naval Landing Division: Shanghai. 1939

D

E

PACIFIC OFFENSNE. 1942 1;

~anl.Major, inlantry;~.

January 1942

2: Superior Private, infantry; J .... ll, DEI, March 1942

3: Seaman 2nd Class paratrooper, 1st fYokosukaJ Special L-Ionding Unit;

Celebes, Of I, January 1942

PHIUPPINES & MALAYA, 1942 1: Seaman 1s1 Class standard bearer, Marm. O/Yision; Philippi"." 1941-42 2: StJperiol Private, 47th In! Regt, 48th Inf OIY; Philippines, 19e"i 90 dnd 98 models. Buth \\ere fObtened b\' bUllons dO\\,l lhe ch~t. \\1th lhe lalel model disp!:l\ing lhe rank bars on the mm-dO\\11 collar. Cold weather clothing. 1931-42

Gi\'en lhat thcJ;-lpanc"iC Anny W::-LS 10 .;pend a great deal of time lighting in the eXlTemely se\'cre conditiUIl'i of the \l;lllclltlrian and Chi,1C!oC \, inten. a great yariel\' of wimer branncnlS w("re i...., ued during lhi.. period. UndeOleath the wimer version of the 1930 and 1938 uniforms lhe Japant:SC soldier would .....ear eXlr;1 la}cl'S. including: grecn \\'uollell wimer shins and a \\·oollen roque 01' baladwa. (h"l'r the uniform trothel'S he might wear special padded oycnrou~I'S \\hich faSl.ened \\ith a c1od1 belt, and fur-lined ankh:l~ tied Wilh clOl.h t.lPl·S. Ovcr the wool ltmic he could \\'car an)' of the followinl{: l\';lIfrr H/ITMI The most common cold \,'calher garmClll in service in i\!rlilchuri:l rind China W:1S Ihe shecpskin-lined, slee\'t;!c"s surcoal or jel kin. This fastened at the from by laces or bultons, and reached dOl...n ttl jw>! above lht; knee: il normally had one breast and one waisl pocket. Locally lllanllf:.lClllred. it probabl)' \';IIied in details. 1\/1/(t'TC()(1I A special wimer coat. issued lO both enlisted men :md ollieers. W;L"i l1l;tc-!c of a hea\'\~ light khaki-e::oloured sailclolh matetial. Doublebreasled wilh I\\'() ro;\~ of brown plastic fmm butlons, it .......lS tined \,'ilh lleeee or' pile. It had a fur-faced collar and culIs. "ith remO\,lblc s!ct"vc:.. \\hich blltlUIlC:d unjust abo\'(' lhe elbow.llle ofiiccrs' H~nion would ha\'c bc'cn of supetior manllfdClure if not of sllJX'rior lnatcrial. rurlwl$ A vilal item ofwimcr c10lhing was the fur-lined hal. a muml COIf> \\ith fur inside and fur-lined flaps which could be wom either dO\\'n 10 tC)\'(~r thc ears or f::t.slelll.·d o\'er lhe crown b) buuons or a press stud. brlier t\-pe~ wom in :\Ianchuria in 1931 had thicl..er. shaggie,·-Iuol..ing Iining"i: lalcr llIocleis h::ld a more unifonn lining and a much neatingly ml"(liocre perfomlance. and sniper training concelllrated on cOllceahnelll for 11tt.-t: 00 (1939) rifle were introduced. Two special ·breal..-, of hand grenades including tlll"ee 'piw,:applc' 1~1)C:)..tlleTn){:s91

(1931).97 (1937) and 99 (I939): t,,·o

dirrerem stick grenades I,'cre

also u:.t..""tl. FOIIJ'differellll}l:leS

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of rifle gn:nade launcher T\1X"'i91, 2, 3 and lOO~COlild be lined to the Atlsaka to pn~.:d either frawnencuioll, .;moke or AT grenades.

lTl1lillhl' mid-I!J30s the sllilldard IrnpctialJapilnese oniccr'!> sword W regulated for cOltllllbsiot1ed olliccrl> ami thc I~86 for \\~IIT'llH officer". The traditional 'samurai' blades as llsed in feudal japan. though rarch d.lling from C".Ir1ier than tlte Edo Period. were :.l>lllctitlll.'S carried mtO b~IILll' 1)\ lllodemjapanesc officers, There were (\\0 t}'llCS: the longer IwtalUl or ftuhl of 2+-36ins. (the dilTerem names indicating whether it \I,Lscl. FirM (lffirm - browll and rcd Strap and laSSei. CfJmptlll)' & wlImmf QJfiurs - brown and blue sU'ap :Uld t.assel. ,vrgro.1lI-I/wjm: wrgmlll & rOrf}(1ml- brOl'1l1 Strap and t:L~SCI.

The stllnd.rd wool winter weight Type 98(1"38) unlfonn. wom wlttKH.st dlstln"ulshln" Inslgn'a. Not. th. varl~tlon 'n ..oIour between the different parts of the unlfonn, with the field c:ap .nd tunk: of • lighter khakl shad. than the bousers; and the typical X-shape made by lhe

cenv.. sec:urirtg straps tied over his puttees. He Is wearing Nil m.n:hlng kit with leather

Itnap.....k;

~nvas

havenaC 89 (I 92lJ) grellade launchcr/light 1I1011obooI'"

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"""on_ fiP<

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