Restricted THIS LEAFLET MUST NOT FALL INTO ENEMY HANDS D. OF A. (NDIA) section D. JAPANFSE. AMMUNITION LEAPLE ueartet D 1. INTRODUCTION ’ ‘This Section is intended to cover ail shell and projectiles ved from dischangers (except grenades which ave dealt with in Seezion C), all morar bombs, and rocket projectiles. "The following division ‘of the Seotion has been arranged tentativ D 1—Introduetion. * : D 2—Resorved, 1 3—50-mm. Disehargers- PD 4—Finned Bangalore Torpedo (Atready isce D_ 5—Roservea. D Spigot Charge. (Alroady isrue). 1D 7—-Bom», Hs, 220.man, Spigot Mortar (225-Kg) (Already issued), D_ §—Ammanition for the G0.mm. Type '89 Discharger (Rifled). D_ §—Aummsuision for the 70-mm, Type Taisuo 11 Discharger {Bifled). D 10—Ammunition for the 70mm, Barrage Mortar (Smooth Pore). + D 1—Reserved. D 12—-Resorved. D 18—MLL, Mortars—Genoral Notes. 1 M—M.L. Mortar Bomb Fazes, D 1¢—Ammunition for the Mortar, MLL, Samm. D 16—Ammmanition for the Mortar, MT, 82-mm. (Chinese). D 17—Anmunition for the Mortar, M.L., 90-mm, 1 18—Ammnnition for the Mortar, MDa, 120-ma. D 19—Ammunition for the Movtar, M-L., 160-mm. D 90—Reserved. D 21—Reserved, D 22—Reserved. D 93—Reserved. 24 Reserved. 95—Rocket Projectile 12.0m. H.B/Incendiary. 26—Reserved. 91—Rocket Projectile 60-Ke, HE. 28 Reserved. 20—Koskot Projectile 20-cm, HE. 30—Reserved. 81—Rocket Projectile 20-Ky, LE. 82—Reserved. ¢ D 88—Rocket Projectile 45-0ra. HB. S19 General Notex veeeuveeD2 IDENTIFICATION 2 To assist quick identification of the many different types of projecti combinations, 2 Summary of the more common disel included at the ond of this leaflet. Comparative iliuss as Plates A to H. As tle Finned Bangalore Torpedo, ‘Mortar Bomb have been described in detail in J. A. Ls. been omitted from the Plates, sand their fuze argor, mortar and rocket projectiles is s of the diflerent projectiles are included -Kg. Spigot Charge, and 920-mm. ° Spigot 4, D. Gand D, 7 respectively, they bave 8 Drawings of the more common fuzes also have been shown in the charts as it may be some time before detailed J. A. Ls. on cach type of ammunition can be issued. The action of these fuzes is detailed briefly below :— Fuze, Percussion, D.A., Type ’8& (Small)—Plate ‘A 4. On discharge, the set-back ferrule sots back over the retaining ferrule compressing the three spring projections and locising itself by means of these projections to the retaining ferrule. At the same time, by means of the sliding picco, the lower spring is compressed by the ferrule setting back. ‘After the initial set-back, when acceleration decreases, the set-back ferrule and retaining ferrule move forward together under force of spring freeing the brass segments which ily outwards owing io centrifugal force. ‘The striker is then held off the cap only by the spring and functions normally on impact. Fuze, Time, Type '89 (Small)—Plate ‘ 5, The fuze is initiated by the shock: of discharge and operates after the set time interval, The powder in the lower time ring burns in a clockwise direstion, that in the upper ring in an anti-clool- wise direction. Fuze, Percussion, Graze (with Optional Delzy) Type '93—Plate ‘E’. G. The fuze, may be used cither with slight delay or without. If slight delay is required the head portion of the iuze is unscrewed and a deiay plug inserted on top of the lead washer aud the head portion serewed back again. ‘his delay plug is packed with the iuze in its cylinder. + 7. On firing, the complete detonator and sti er assembly housing scts back about j inch, shearing the light copper shear wire on which they were suspended. ‘This leaves the detonator together with the small sliding piece free to move forward on graze (eny slight check). During flight the complete housing is kept back by air pressure on the nose of the bomb, while the detonator is ept off the striker by the light ereep epring. ‘This enables greater certainty of funetioning on impact or graze. On imuct or graze the detonator sets forward, overcoming the light erecp spring, to initiate the bomb. 8. If the set-back force is insufficient to cause the shear wire to shear, such as might happen with a low charge or for other reasons, this wire will shear in any case on impact. The nbly housing will be forced inwards freeing the sliding piece and allowing te detonator to set forward on to the striker. 9. The fuze is therefore extremely quick-acting for antipersonnel use, but must be fitted with tho delay plug for use against light earthworks etc. where a slight delay is required. Fuze, Percussion, Graze (with Optional Delay) Type 100—Plate ‘E’. 10. ‘The action of this fuze is identical with that of the Type 98 fuze above. Fuze, Time and Percussion, Type 3 (for Mortar Bombs)—Plate ‘©’. 11. After setting, the safety clip is removed ; on firing the time striker sets back on to the time detonator, overcoming its spring. This ignites the delay composition in the T-shaped channel, which in turn, after a short delay, ignites the combustible arming collar of Nitro-cellulose, This burns away igniting the time ring composition and arming the percussion striker. When the fuze inet for air burst, after the predetermined time has elapsed, the flash from the time ring travels via the GP. in the flash channel to the booster pellet, igniting it and initiating the main filling in the gaine. When the faze is set for percussion or, if impact occurs before the elapse of the set time, the percussion striker on impact will be driven on to its detonator thus initiating the geine direct,3 Fuze, Percussion, D.A. (with Optional Delay) Chinese—Plate E. 12. On firing, tho arming sleove sets back compressing the arming spring and jams over the locking ferrule. This frees the arming ball which moves ont and leaves the inertia pellet free (nulocked) to move forward during downward flight of the bomb. ‘The inertia pellet mnay move {oevard eufficiontly ducing flight for the two locking balls to be parted by the strikor shank thus [eeking the inertia polleb. Ox, on impact the inertia pellot scts forward while at the same timie the ecihocis driven ingcompressing its spring, the shank passing down to soparate the two locking balle forcing them out iuto the recess at the top of the inner body, thus locking the inertia pellet and eusuring positive penetration of the detonator by the striker point. ‘The flush from the detonator caer ddwn to iduite the G. P. booster in the gaine. In the drawing a straight through cbannel is provided for the flash, ic, the fuzo is shown sot instantancous. Tf delay is required the selector is Pimmed through 00° (¢orew-driver slot horizontal). In this case the flash hax to travel through staggered chanucl filled with pressed G. P. which introduces a slight delay in the functioning. 13, ‘The items marked with a“V"' in the Summary and Plates have been critically examined at Kigveo and the dotails givon aro definitely correct. Details of other items have been based on reports, mainly Amoriean and Australian, which have beon carefully cross-checked for correctness, STANDARDIZATION AND TYPES DISCHARGERS 14. Thotorm “Discharger” is applied to a group of weapons which project » shell, flare or other projectile. They are really a class of mortars but the term “Discharger” is preferable to distinguish them from ‘the more orthodox trench mortar which is also used, The Japanese usually distinguish them from their orthodox moztars by special name, the nearest literal translation of which in Bnglish is “Discharger”. 15: Thero are two calibres of Dischargers, 50-mm. and 70-mm. The former comprises a number of different types which are detailed in sheet 1 of the Summary. These 50-mm. Dis- Smegers will be dealt with in detail inJ. A.L.D._ ‘The ammunition used in Dischargers is detailed in Sheet 1 of the Summary ith the exception of grenades which are dealt with inJ. A. L.C1 (Gerials 1, 8 and.19). Comparative illustrations are algo givon of those items not already doalt with in other J. A. Ls. 16, Two Dischargers (or Mortars) in the 70-mm. ealibre arc used by theJapanose. ‘They are of cid deign and from reports it would scem that they are at least obsolescent, "The Type Taisho (Eicventh Year ype) willed Discharger is vory similar in privciple to the 6O-mm. Type 69 Ts: (eieter and fires & £15. shell of the same general design as the 50-mm. HH shell, Type "89. ‘The atiarger is, however, more claborate and has mechanism for clevating and traversing incorporated. It is in fact a rifled mortar and is described frequently in reports as a mortar. 17. ‘The 70-mm. Barrage Mortar (or Discharger) appears to be intended mainly for A. A. uso. Tt ie e crude wonpon cousisting of a spike, a base and asmooth-bore tube. | ‘The spike is driven inte the ground to give the tabe the elevation required and the A. A. projectile is gravity fired. The intention presumably is tohave a large numbor of these mortars to put up a concentrated barrage of smull parachute supported H. E. charges. A drawing of ‘the shell is given in Plate B which illus- trates the goneral principle. It will be appreciated that if any of these explosive cylinders are found lying about they must be handled very carefully. A kick or am attempt to litt the explosive cylinder may function igniter and cause it to explode. MORTARS 18 ‘Tho main calibres of mortars used by the Japaneso are 1-mm.,90-mm. and 150-mm- A moptar of Gbinese origin of $2-mnm. calibro is also believed to be used by the Japanese. Reports of a 120-mm. mortar have also been received. This is a Naval type and so far as is known this calibre Sea ecel iy the Aviay. 820-mm. calibre isa spigot mortar and owing to its largo woight and size, can only have a ‘restricted use. ‘Ammunition for mortars is detailed .in Sheets 8and4 of the Summary. Tt will be seen that thereare different types of mortars in each calibre and aleo different types of bombs, | As can ‘be expected, it is very diftoult to state definitely what bombs are interchanseable and whether all types eertee ttm vetzain calibre take all bombs of that calibre. So far as possible, however, ‘this information has been collated and detailed in the Summary,