Japan foreign weapons

[Kriegerfaust007]

I’ve heard that the Japanese military used some Beretta M38 submachineguns from Italy, but I don’t know any details. Does anyone know when and how many were imported, what branches of the military they were issued to (navy? army? etc.), and if there’s any evidence for which campaigns they saw action in? Also, were they kept in 9x19 Parabellum, or rechambered for a Japanese round to make logistics easier?
http://www.dragonsoffire.com/ARTICLE%3A … PISTOL.php

“In early August of 1943 the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal received the first and only shipment of 50 guns of the model MP 38/43 with the specified magazines and 50,000 rounds of ammunition. (omitted) Distribution of the weapons is unknown and survival of the single digit count is limited to specimens captured in the South Pacific Territories.”. Beretta Model 38 - Wikipedia.

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Jeffrey Dees

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Enthusiast of WWII history and technology2y

Yes, albeit in small numbers.

The IJA/IJN ordered small batches of Swiss licensed MP-28’s, Austrian MP-34’s and Italian MAB-38 submachine guns in the 1930’s, on the order of an estimated 6,000 MP-28’s and MP-34’s each, and then an order for 350 MAB-38’s. To my understanding the MP-28’s and MP-34’s were delivered in full by the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, while only 50 MAB-38’s (of the later Model 38/43 variation) were actually delivered in 1943.

All these requests and orders were made so they could be issued exclusively to Japanese paratroopers or Naval Special Landing Forces (ie the IJN equivalent of Marine forces).

This does not include the likely utilization of captured Mauser C96 “machine pistols” used in China during the Second Sino-Japanese War in the late 1930’s, since China (both Nationalist, Communist, and warlords alike) had an interesting adoration for the Mauser Broomhandle design to where they bought large quantities of German manufactured examples, Spanish manufactured copies, and even produced significant quantities of them in China, both in semi-automatic and fully automatic variants. ---------- Japanese Submachine Guns

Like many of the major powers at the beginning of the Second World War the Japanese had shown little interest in submachine guns. Purchasing a limited number of Bergmann MP28/IIs and MP34s for testing and limited issue during the late 1930s. Many of the photographs of Japanese soldiers and marines armed with submachine guns show them armed with Austrian MP34s (see image #1 & #3). By the beginning of the Second World War this was the Japanese military’s most commonly issued submachine gun.

MP34 (source). ------------------------https://www.lonesentry.com/blog/mp34-submachine-gun-steyr-solothurn.html

[Kriegerfaust007]

Dutch bolt-action Hembrug 6.5mm rifles and carbines from Indonesia were issued out to anti-British Indian allies of the IJA. Huge stores of British arms and equipment were captured at Singapore. During particular battles, repurposed weapons of all kinds, including aircraft weapons both Japanese and foreign were used. It appears that some U.S. equipment was issued out in the Philippine Islands.
IMA-USA used to have a captured Dutch mannlicher that the Japanese had converted to 7.7x58 and to accept a type 30 bayonet. . WWII — Japanese soldiers with captured Russian equipment at the Battle of Khalkhyn Gol (Mongolia - c. May-Sep 1939) [1100x850]

![r/HistoryPorn - WWII — Japanese soldiers with captured Russian equipment at the Battle of Khalkhyn Gol (Mongolia - c. May-Sep 1939)

[Kriegerfaust007]

The Type Otsu (Japanese: 試製自動小銃乙, Shisei jidō shōjū otsu , lit. Experimental Automatic Rifle Otsu ) was a Japanese prototype self-loading rifle, a copy of the Czechoslovakian ZH-29. ![ZH-29 Semi-Automatic Rifle] ZH-29 semi-automatic rifles were designed by Vaclav Holek in the early 1920s. Significant quantities were exported to China, others were captured after the German annexation of Czechoslovakia. But, can you tell me why it is called ZH-29 and in what film or video game you have seen the ZH-29? . 40 dutch madsen

[CollectBloom798]

Keep the Japanese content a coming. I love playing as Japan and I think more Japan content will bring more players on their side! DF please focus on maps of the pacific or the Battles of Khalkhin Gol next as we desperately need MORE Japan!! ij

[SzepWaxweiler]

@Kriegerfaust007

The last image is not Japanese man its Portuguese Madsen but nice job

[CaptainBeel]

Interesting information here, thanks everyone.

I would welcome ‘foreign’ guns to Japan. After all, a European ‘copy paste’ in my opinion is much, much better than fairytale weapons or drawing board prototypes made in the last months of the War…

After all, we see here the evidence that Japan actually used these weapons.

Previously someone posted about adding more Swiss weapons to Japan, even if specific ones werent actually used, since some Swiss weapons were bought by Japan and Switzerland was also neutral.

Id support this. Once again, real guns from WWII era are better than OP prototypes or guns that never even existed outside of the designer’s head.

Swiss guns arent something one sees very often so yeah could be interesting and fun to see (Germany already has plenty of tech after all).

I’d really like to see the Hembrug rifle added to Japan, and I’m quite surprised they havent added the C96 Mauser yet.
Eg. If you watch Korean movies/tv shows set in the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945) they always have C96 Mausers.

Japan also just needs better pistols at this point the only useable one is the Nambu.

Side note:
Id like to see Dutch squads (for Europe + Pacific), some Dutch East Indies maps like Balikpapan and British Indian squads. I wonder if as well as that we could get a premium squad of pro-Japanese Indians or Indonesian resistance fighters.

[Kriegerfaust007]

@SzepWaxweiler

The last image is not Japanese man its Portuguese Madsen but nice job

Thanks to be honest us, japan have poor capacity mgs next to ussr, germany went down the rabbit hole of foreign arms capture/bought. To the Dutch which japan armed foreign Auxiliaries. which led to two models of Madsen’s which of course led to two tank guns. They had a bomber mound but that was a twin mount of the top drum mount. Anyways thanks

[Kriegerfaust007]

Japanese Army Officers Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless Pistol Japanese Army Officers Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless Pistol with a very rare Japanese Army holster and spare mag. This was a vet brought back pistol that was manufactured by Colt in 1919. While some of these pistols were directly purchased by Japanese companies, many more were obtained as a result of their take over of most of the Western Pacific rim. You can imagine how many must have been confiscated in the Philippines for instance. Many folks are not aware that most Japanese Officers carried pocket pistols, most commonly Fn 1910 pistols and 1903 Colts. Finding one still fully rigged out like this is a significant find. The holster is in exceptionally nice condition and the interior of the mag pouch is stamped that this is for a Colt in an Asian style of English. This is a must have for the serious Japanese martial pistol collector and a prime example of an Army Officers side arm.

FN Model 1910

[Kriegerfaust007]

Many Japanese officers found the full-size Nambu pistols too bulky and purchased smaller European and American semi-automatics, such as the 1910 and 1914 Mausers, 1903 Colt and 1910 Browning, for their personal use. Military Handguns of Imperial Japan.

[Kriegerfaust007]

. Borchhardt-Luger / M.73 revolver. Both dutch. The “Rekylgevær til Befæstningen M.1893”, an experimental light machine gun or automatic rifle with a top-mounted gravity-feeding magazine that actually saw service, but just like the Madsen-Rasmussen only on coastal fortresses with around 80 of them produced

[Kriegerfaust007]

. Type 92

[CaptainBeel]

I agree with the addition of the Type 92 though it would be quite the middle finger giving Japan a Lewis gun copy but still no tech tree Lewis gun for the Western Allies.

[Kriegerfaust007]

Well they gave it to russia first, give it to japan thenn germany lol, besides japan needs everything.

[Kriegerfaust007]

[Kriegerfaust007]

Pedersen T1 rifle, as made and tested in USA

Vickers-Pedersen rifle, made in UK

prototype Pedersen-type rifle, made in Japan

prototype Pedersen-type carbine, made in Japan

[Kriegerfaust007]

The Charlton automatic conversion with SMLE mag.

The Charlton with the modified Bren magazine.

The Charlton conversion blueprint

The Electrolux-built Charlton conversion.

The Ekins automatic rifle from Australia. MK1. . MK1S. ! kokoda 1
kokoda 2 . mccrudden. . AMC. OWEN GUN PROTOTYPES

[Kriegerfaust007]

. French indo-china Automatic Lee-Enfield Conversions
RSC Mle. 1917/18

[Kriegerfaust007]