Artillery Assault on Hong Kong

[nathanmg@rogers.com]

I have several questions about how the Japanese organized the artillery attack on Hong Kong Island on 18 December 1941.

1) Did the guns belong to the 38th Division or two the battalions?

2) Who would have formulated the plan?

3) If the guns belonged to the Division, would the colonel’s in command of the 228th, 229th and 230th Battalions been aware of the plan?

4) How were Japanese guns loaded and fired?

5) What was the muzzle velocity of the Japenese field artillery?

[Kyt]

This sounds like a uestion for "tom!" If he doesn't pop-in to Chat in the next couple of days it maybe worth PMing him

[tom!]

Hi.

Taki would do better as he has more detail informations.

He has answered the questions at axis history forum:

Axis History Forum • View topic - Artillery in Invasion of Hong Kong

Here some pics:

type Meiji 38 improved 75 mm field gun, main piece of the divisional field artillery regiments:




type 90 75 mm field gun, mainly used by motorized field artillery units:




type 91 105 mm howitzer, main piece of the heavy battalions of the divisional field artillery regiments:



Yours

tom!

[nathanmg@rogers.com]

Taki has answered on the other forum. I posted on here not knowing who reads which, though there seems to be much overlap.

Thanks for the pictures.

I assume that the names of the positions firing the guns are the same as in the English Army -- that is, Number 1, NUmber 2 etc. Am I correct?

Nathan

[tom!]

Hi.

Not sure about that, sorry.

regarding muzzle velocity:

The japanese ammunition for 75 mm guns (type Meiji 38 field gun, type Meiji 41 75 mm cavalry gun, type Meiji 41 pack howitzer/infantry gun, type 94 pack howitzer) has been standardized in the late 1920th. The ammunition was patronized. So muzzle velocity and range depends mainly on the barrel length and elevation.

I have no exact infos on the particular muzzle velocities.

Yours

tom!