Type 4 20 cm rocket mortar. The baseplate is incorrectly positioned, extending backwards. It should face forward in order not to get damaged during firing.
During World War II there was considerable infighting between the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Japanese Navy as both competed for scarce resources. A consequence of this competition is that each produced similar but different weapons. An example of this competition was the Army Type 4 20 cm rocket launcher and the 20 cm Naval Rocket Launcher.[1]
The Type 4 rocket mortar was developed in the final stages of World War II by the Japanese Army Technical Bureau, as a low-cost, easy to produce weapon, which had an advantage of greater accuracy over conventional mortars. The Type 4 rocket used a double basesolid-propellant whose exhaust gasses were forced through six venturis drilled in the base of the rocket which spin-stabilized the projectile. The rocket used trinitroanisole explosives and was nose fuzed.[1]
The first units were deployed in 1943, and were used successfully in combat during the Battle of Iwo Jima and Battle of Okinawa. Due to its ease of construction and portability, the Type 4 was produced in large numbers and distributed to hidden arsenals for use as last-ditch weapons during the projected Allied invasion of the Japanese home islands.[1]
Although the weapon came with a standard mortar tube with tripod mounting, if necessary, the rocket-propelled round could be launched from an ordinary pipe or culvert with sufficient diameter, wooden rails, or even directly from a slope in the ground.[2]
type, rocket, launcher, type, rocket, mortar, 四式二十糎噴進砲, yonshiki, nijū, senchi, funshinhō, rocket, mortar, used, imperial, japanese, army, final, stages, world, type, rocket, mortar, baseplate, incorrectly, positioned, extending, backwards, should, face, forwa. The Type 4 20 cm rocket mortar 四式二十糎噴進砲 Yonshiki niju senchi funshinhō was a 203 mm rocket mortar used by the Imperial Japanese Army in the final stages of World War II Type 4 20 cm rocket launcherType 4 20 cm rocket mortar The baseplate is incorrectly positioned extending backwards It should face forward in order not to get damaged during firing TypeRocket artilleryPlace of originEmpire of JapanService historyIn service1943 1945Used byImperial Japanese ArmyWarsWorld War IISpecificationsMass227 6 kg 502 lb Barrel length1 923 m 6 ft 4 in 1 ShellTotal 83 7 kg 185 lb Explosive 15 6 kg 34 4 lb Propellant 8 4 kg 18 6 lb Caliber203 mm 8 in 1 Elevation40 to 65 Traverse300 Muzzle velocity175 m s 570 ft s Maximum firing range2 400 m 2 600 yd 1 Contents 1 Development and design 2 Photo Gallery 3 References 4 External links 5 NotesDevelopment and design editDuring World War II there was considerable infighting between the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Japanese Navy as both competed for scarce resources A consequence of this competition is that each produced similar but different weapons An example of this competition was the Army Type 4 20 cm rocket launcher and the 20 cm Naval Rocket Launcher 1 The Type 4 rocket mortar was developed in the final stages of World War II by the Japanese Army Technical Bureau as a low cost easy to produce weapon which had an advantage of greater accuracy over conventional mortars The Type 4 rocket used a double base solid propellant whose exhaust gasses were forced through six venturis drilled in the base of the rocket which spin stabilized the projectile The rocket used trinitroanisole explosives and was nose fuzed 1 The first units were deployed in 1943 and were used successfully in combat during the Battle of Iwo Jima and Battle of Okinawa Due to its ease of construction and portability the Type 4 was produced in large numbers and distributed to hidden arsenals for use as last ditch weapons during the projected Allied invasion of the Japanese home islands 1 Although the weapon came with a standard mortar tube with tripod mounting if necessary the rocket propelled round could be launched from an ordinary pipe or culvert with sufficient diameter wooden rails or even directly from a slope in the ground 2 Photo Gallery edit nbsp A schematic of rocket components nbsp A Type 4 rocket launcher in the Yasukuni Shrine nbsp A Type 4 launcher opened for loading nbsp A Type 4 rocket on a launch ramp References editBishop Chris eds The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II Barnes amp Nobel 1998 ISBN 0 7607 1022 8 Chamberlain Peter and Gander Terry Heavy Field Artillery Macdonald and Jane s 1975 ISBN 0 356 08215 6 Chant Chris Artillery of World War II Zenith Press 2001 ISBN 0 7603 1172 2 McLean Donald B Japanese Artillery Weapons and Tactics Wickenburg Ariz Normount Technical Publications 1973 ISBN 0 87947 157 3 US Department of War TM 30 480 Handbook on Japanese Military Forces Louisiana State University Press 1994 ISBN 0 8071 2013 8External links editType 4 on Taki s Imperial Japanese Army pageNotes edit a b c d e f Chamberlain Peter 1975 Mortars and rockets Gander Terry New York Arco Pub Co ISBN 0668038179 OCLC 2067459 1 Taki s Imperial Japanese Army home page Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Type 4 20 cm rocket launcher amp oldid 1112364351, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
