Imperial Japanese Army Ammunition: 88mm to 120mm Projectiles

Japanese Explosive Ordnance: Army and Navy Ammunition

Type 100 8cm (88mm) High Explosive A.A. Long-Pointed Projectile

Weight of complete round: Not Available
Weight of complete projectile (with fuze): Approx. 19.6 lbs
Weight of empty projectile (with Aux Fuze): 7.4kg
Weight of filling: 0.9kg
Filling: TNT
Diameter at bourrelet: 88mm
Length of projectile (w/o fuze): 298mm
Length of propellant case: 570mm
Length of assembled round (w/o fuze): 804mm
Diameter of base of case: 100mm
Width of rotating band: Forward - 8mm Aft - 8mm
Distance between rotating bands: 6mm

Fuzing: Type 100 mechanical time fuze (combination time and impact) with an auxiliary detonating fuze. The auxiliary fuze is the same as that used in the 7cm (75mm) H.E.A.A. projectile Type 90.

Used in: Type 99 8cm A.A. gun. This is a gun modeled after one of the Germans 88mm guns.

Case:
-Length: 567mm
-Diameter at base: 137mm
-Construction: The case is made of drawn brass and is machined for about 2 and 3/4 inches above the rim - It is a rimmed case with a slight taper and a bottleneck.
Propellant: No.16 cylindrical, 2,330g



9cm (90mm) High Explosive Projectile

Weight of projectile, filled: 7.79kg
Weight of filling: 0.59kg
Filling: Crude TNT
Diameter at bourrelet: 90mm
Length overall (w/o fuze): 265.1mm
Length of projectile body (w/o nose piece): 209.6mm
Length protruding from case (w/o fuze): 246.1mm
Width of rotating band: No Data

Fuzing:
-Type 88 instantaneous nose fuze (Howitzer - mortar type)
-Type 88 short delay nose fuze (Howitzer - mortar type)

Used in:
This is an antiquated weapon classified as a mortar by the Japanese by virtue of length of tube, muzzle velocity, etc., but bearing only a remote resemblance to other Japanese mortars. It is breech-loading, using an interrupted thread breechblock, and employs projectiles embodying the conventional features of design of common breech-loading artillery pieces.

Remarks: The body of this projectile is painted black overall. There is a shallow groove immediately below the bourrelet hich may be painted yellow or green.



9cm (90mm) High Explosive Semisteel Projectile

Weight of projectile, filled: 7.86kg
Weight of filling: 0.65kg
Filling: TNT
Diameter at bourrelet: 90mm
Length overall (w/o fuze): 263.5mm
Length protruding from case (w/o fuze): 246.1mm
Width of rotating band: 15.9mm

Fuzing:
-Type 88 instantaneous nose fuze (Howitzer - mortar type)
-Type 88 short delay nose fuze (Howitzer - mortar type)

Used in:
This is an antiquated weapon classified as a mortar by the Japanese by virtue of length of tube, muzzle velocity, etc., but bearing only a remote resemblance to other Japanese mortars. It is breech-loading, using an interrupted thread breechblock, and employs projectiles embodying the conventional features of design of common breech-loading artillery pieces.

Remarks: The projectile is painted black overall with a 1/2 inch green or yellow band before the rotating band. The fuze adapter is painted red.



10cm (105mm) Ammunition

There are three 105mm howitzers and four 105mm guns in use by the Japanese Army. These guns are designated 10cm by the Japanese but have an actual bore diameter of 105mm. The projectiles are in most cases interchangeable for use in all these weapons and are assembled with different size cases for use in the different weapons. Only one weapon, the Type 14 year A.A. gun uses fixed ammunition, all the other weapons using semifixed ammunition. In this section the cases and projectiles will be treated seperately as was done with 75mm ammunition.

Type 91 10cm (105mm) High Explosive Projectile

Weight of projectile, filled (w/o fuze): 15.9kg
Weight of filling: 2.3kg
Filling: Cast TNT
Diameter at bourrelet: 104mm
Length overall (w/o fuze): 427mm
Length protruding from case (w/o fuze): 389.7mm
Width of rotating band: 22.2mm

Fuzing:
-Type 88 instantaneous nose fuze (Howitzer - mortar type)
-Type 88 short delay nose fuze (Howitzer - mortar type)

Used in:
-Type 91 howitzer, case 9 and 1/2 inches
-Type 88 field gun, case 11 and 1/8 inches
-Type 92 field gun, case 29 inches
-Type 14 year field gun, case 18 and 1/8 inches



Type 91 10cm (105mm) High Explosive Long Pointed Projectile

Weight of projectile, filled (w/o fuze): 15.7kg
Weight of filling (white composition): 2.3kg
Filling:
1.Cast TNT
2. White composition of ammonium nitrate, cyclonite, and guanidine nitrate
Diameter at copper bourrelet: 104.2mm
Length overall (w/o fuze): 501.7mm
Length protruding from case (w/o fuze): 423.9mm
Width of rotating band: 22.2mm
Width of copper bourrelet: 20.6mm

Fuzing:
-Type 88 instantaneous nose fuze (Howitzer - mortar type)
-Type 88 short delay nose fuze (Howitzer - mortar type)

Used in:
-Type 91 howitzer, case 9 and 1/2 inches
-Type 88 field gun, case 11 and 1/8 inches
-Type 92 field gun, case 29 inches
-Type 14 year field gun, case 18 and 1/8 inches
-Type 14 year A.A. gun (fixed ammunition), case 22 and 1/4 inches

Remarks: This projectile has been recovered with either a copper or a machined bourrelet



12cm (120mm) Shrapnel Projectile

Weight of projectile, filled (w/o fuze): 19.88kg
Ejecting Charge: Black Powder contained in the base of the projectile and in a central brass tube.
Shrapnel Filling: 539 lead balls (12.5g each) packed in a resin matrix. The balls are separated from the ejection charge by a steel disc which rests on a shoulder in the projectile cavity.
Diameter at bourrelet: 119mm
Length overall (w/o fuze): 314.3mm
Length protruding from case (w/o fuze): 293.1mm
Width of rotating band: 9.5mm

Fuzing:
-Type 88 35-second combination fuze

Used in:
-Type 38 Howitzer

Case:
-Length: 83mm
-Diameter of base: 128mm
-Weight (empty): 3 pounds, 4 and 5/8 ounces
-Construction: The brass case is straight sided and of the rimmed type

Propellant: The propellant is in two increments, each encased in a silk bag with a small ignition charge sewed to the bottom of each bag. The first increment is nitrocellulose in 5/16 inch square flakes and the second increment is nitrocellulose in 1/18 inch square flakes.
Weight of propellant:
-1st increment: 11 oz
-2nd increment: 6 and 3/8 oz



12cm (120mm) Armor Piercing High Explosive Projectile

Weight of projectile, filled and fuzed: 20kg
Weight of filling: 1.3kg
Filling: Picric Acid
Diameter at bourelet: 119mm
Length overall: 379.4mm
Length protruding from case: 339.7mm
Width of rotating band: 11.1mm

Fuzing:
-Type 88 small base fuze (Howitzer - Mortar type)

Case:
-Length: 83mm
-Diameter of base: 128mm
-Weight (empty): 3 pounds, 4 and 5/8 ounces
-Construction: The brass case is straight sided and of the rimmed type

Propellant: The propellant is in two increments, each encased in a silk bag with a small ignition charge sewed to the bottom of each bag. The first increment is nitrocellulose in 5/16 inch square flakes and the second increment is nitrocellulose in 1/18 inch square flakes.
Weight of propellant:
-1st increment: 11 oz
-2nd increment: 6 and 3/8 oz

Used in:
-Type 38 Howitzer




Next Time: 15cm Ammunition