Japanese Armed Forces in World War II. Japanese small arms of the period of the second world war. Battle of Midway
Like the special forces of large countries such as Nazi Germany or the United States, the most experienced and skilled fighters were recruited into the special forces of Imperial Japan. These were battle-hardened soldiers and commanders, distinguished by their combat skills, lack of fear and irresistible hatred for their enemies. However, the command of the Japanese armed forces, unlike their opponents, did not care too much about their subordinates. Often, special forces units were “disposable” - they made desperate suicide missions and, characteristically, they were successful.
The combat experience and skills of the soldiers were multiplied by their weapons - samples created to perform certain narrowly focused tasks. The weapons of the special forces of Imperial Japan and their purpose will be discussed in this article.
Giretsu Kuteitai- "Heroic paratroopers" - the elite troops of Imperial Japan, who participated in a number of desperate special operations.
The main task of these fearless fighters was to cause the greatest damage to the enemy aircraft. Under the cover of night, paratroopers were supposed to land on enemy military airfields and bases, bring chaos to the enemy ranks, kill personnel and blow up equipment, fuel and ammunition depots, and provisions.
The paratroopers sewed their own equipment, preferring inconspicuous clothing without any body protection, but with pockets and pouches for placing grenades and ammunition.
They did not take provisions and medicines, making room for grenades and explosives. From small arms, paratroopers preferred compact versions of the Type-100 submachine gun with a folding butt, landing versions of the Arisaka “Type 99 TERA” rifles, which were assembled from three parts (barrel + handguard and stock + bolt group), 8 mm Nambu pistols, hand grenades Type 99 and Type 99 Mortars, which, after landing, were immediately unfolded and used for overhead fire at short distances.
Takasago volunteers Taiwanese volunteers are special units of the Imperial Japanese Army recruited from young Taiwanese aboriginal men. The Japanese command planned to use them to wage war in the jungle.
The experience of life in the tropics and special weapons, consisting of Type 99 rifles and special curved knives resembling a crescent moon, which could be used as a melee weapon or a ritual object (associated with tribal beliefs), made it possible for these special forces to successfully fight against American and Australian soldiers.
Volunteers mined trails, made pit traps and made ambush attacks, accurately firing their rifles and, in case of close combat, attacking the enemy armed with a knife. Many soldiers of the Taiwan Volunteer Squads applied special insignia to their faces - with black paint, or scarred their foreheads - using the ritual knife described above, carving a dot on their forehead - a symbol of devotion to Japan. Such a custom is similar to the tradition of shaving a mohawk on your head from the US Army, in particular the fighters of the 101st division during the Second World War or the soldiers - "berserkers" during the Vietnam War.
Airborne Marine Corps of the Japanese Navy- the elite troops of Imperial Japan, the main use of which was sabotage operations and the capture of the coastline from the sea.
Depending on the task at hand, soldiers could be armed with a variety of weapons, including obsolete weapons such as Type 99 rifles, Type 26 revolvers, Type 96 and Type 99 machine guns, Type 100 submachine guns, grenades and bombs of various designs, 50 mm and 70 -mm mortars.
Armor-piercers used 20 mm Type 97 anti-tank rifles. There are unconfirmed reports of the use of weapons supplied by Nazi Germany - Bergmann submachine guns and some samples of anti-tank grenades - by the Marine Corps.
Teishin shudan- Another special detachment of paratroopers of the Imperial Japanese Army, which distinguished itself in battles against the Americans in 1944-1945.
Due to the unpreparedness of the army for large landing operations and lack of experience, paratroopers often crashed to death or, upon landing, could not immediately begin an effective battle against their enemies.
However, it was precisely for these units that certain types of weapons were developed: the Type-100 variant with a folding butt, the “collapsible” Arisaka rifles, Type 2 and Type 99. As anti-tank weapons, the paratroopers used Type-4 70mm rocket launchers and Type -5.
In ground operations, armored support for the paratroopers was provided by Type-95 Ha-Go light tanks armed with a 37 mm anti-personnel cannon and two 7.7 mm machine guns. The paratroopers' weapons and combat tactics proved to be quite effective - the fighters of this special squad caused serious damage to the United States army.
Fukuryu- "creeping dragons" - were fighters of special assault squads, the main task of which was to cause maximum damage to the enemy's navy. Combat swimmers were dressed in special suits that allowed them to be at a depth of up to 10 meters, and armed with Type 5 mines.
Mina was a five-six-meter bamboo tube filled with fifteen kilograms of explosives. The swimmers created a kind of minefield, waiting for the moment to detonate their bombs under the bottom of the passing landing craft. During the detonation of the charge, the combat swimmer received damage incompatible with life.
Two episodes are known when combat swimmers effectively used their weapons - on January 8, 1945, the LCI (G) -404 landing ship was seriously damaged by a Japanese kamikaze swimmer near the Palau Islands, and on February 10, in the same area, swimmers attacked the USS Hydrographer (AGS-2 ).
Unfortunately, the Imperial Japan Command was unable to use its special forces with maximum efficiency. However, the American and Australian troops paid tribute to the heroism and selflessness of the Japanese soldiers, and the engineers of the victorious army admired the samples of Japanese weapons received in their hands, actively used the experience of Japanese designers in developing their own weapons.
For example, the Nambu 14 pistol served as the prototype for the .22 long rifle Ruger pistols, later used by the US Army as a silent special operations pistol. world war.
Good World Evil (Myth)
Japanese small arms of the Second World War period are little known outside of the Land of the Rising Sun itself, although many of these designs are extremely interesting, as they are an original mixture of peculiar national traditions formed under the influence of foreign designs.
By the beginning of the war, Japan came up as the most industrialized country in Asia. In those years, the Japanese arms industry, which was formed in 1870-1890, included both state arsenals and private arms firms. But the beginning of active hostilities in 1941 revealed a sharp lag in production volumes from the needs of the army and navy. It was decided to expand the production of weapons by connecting a number of civil engineering and metalworking firms to the military program. Speaking about the weapons production in Japan of that period, it is necessary to mention: the backlog of the technical base led to the fact that when all industrialized countries switched to new technologies in the manufacture of small arms (stamping parts from sheet steel, welding, etc.), the Japanese continued to use traditional methods processing on metal-cutting machine tools, which hindered the growth of output and affected its cost.
The experience of waging war in China and the battles at Lake Khasan forced the Japanese command to bring its concept of combat in line with the requirements of modern warfare. In October 1939, a new field manual for the Japanese army was adopted, which became the guide for the ground forces until the end of the war in 1945. It noted that the main type of hostilities is the offensive, which had the goal of "surrounding and destroying the enemy on the battlefield." The charter gave priority to the infantry over other branches of the military. For a more effective solution of tasks on the battlefield, its maximum saturation with automatic weapons was assumed.
In 1941, the Japanese rifle division was armed with: rifles - 10369, bayonets - 16724 (some infantrymen were armed only with bayonets), light machine guns - 110, PTR - 72. The cavalry brigades were armed with: carbines - 2134, sabers - 1857, light machine guns - 32, heavy machine guns - 16, heavy machine guns - 8. This, perhaps, was enough for the war in China, but by that time it was clearly not enough.
One of the main miscalculations made during the war years by the Japanese military command can also be attributed to the fact that, having made the main bet on machine guns as the most important means of infantry weapons, in time it could not appreciate the full significance of new types of small arms for modern warfare - submachine guns and self-loading rifles. The lost time, as well as the heavy losses of personnel in the infantry units, suffered by the Japanese in the battles for the islands in the Pacific theater of operations in 1942-1944 were caused precisely by the lack of much-needed infantry support weapons.
Speaking of Japanese weapons, it is necessary to dwell in more detail on its complicated designation. It, as a rule, consists of a two-digit number - according to the last years of the adoption of this model for service. The chronology in Japan began from 660 BC and was carried out according to the periods of the reign of emperors. Emperor Meiji ruled from 1868 to 1911, so the designation of the rifle "type 38" corresponds to the 1905 model. From 1912 to 1925, Emperor Taisho ruled, in accordance with this, the Type 3 easel machine gun is a model adopted by the Japanese army in 1914. Since 1926, the throne of the Land of the Rising Sun was taken by Emperor Hirohito. Under him, the name of small arms samples received a double interpretation. Thus, weapons adopted in 1926-1940 had a designation according to the last years of the common Japanese calendar, i.e. began in 2588 (1926). In 1940, in the 16th year of the Showa era (the reign of Hirohito), the Japanese calendar turned 2600 years old, therefore, in order not to be associated with a multi-digit complex designation, it was decided to consider the year 2600 as 100, and when identifying weapons, omit the number for simplicity "10", leaving "0". So, the 1940 model submachine gun was called the "type 100", and the type 5 rifle became the 1944 model.
In Japan in those years, the development of small arms was led by the army weapons department, which subordinated all research institutes and institutions working on the creation of weapons. The designers tried to make the most of the achievements of Western countries in weapons, combined with the features of the national identity inherent in the Japanese. In developing new models of weapons, they sought to minimize their weight and size characteristics, first of all, the specific conditions of future theaters of military operations were taken into account. As confirmation of this, one can cite the fact that all Japanese machine guns developed in the 1920-1930s had an air-cooled barrel, enhanced by the use of multi-tiered transverse cooling ribs, since it was supposed to fight in the waterless semi-desert spaces of China.
By the beginning of World War II, the armament of the Japanese army consisted of both outdated small arms, which were used mainly to equip the territorial units of the occupying forces on the continent and in the metropolis, and the latest models, which were mainly in service with the line units.
SHORTS
Japanese tanker with a pistol
"Nambu" "type 14"
The personal weapons of the Japanese armed forces during the Second World War were diverse.
Among other examples of short-barreled weapons, one of the oldest models was the Hino revolver, created at the end of the 19th century. Numerous advantages of the mechanism of automatic extraction of spent cartridges of the Smith-Wesson system served as the basis for the creation of many copies and analogues on this basis. In Japan, after a thorough study of European and American designs of small arms, the Smith-Wesson Model 3 revolver was taken as the basis for the development of the first modern model of short-barreled weapons. A new, quite perfect for its time, 9-mm revolver was adopted in 1893 by the imperial army under the designation "type 26" (26th year of the Meiji era). The mechanism for extracting spent cartridges was turned on when the frame was opened and the barrel was tilted down. However, the designer Hino improved the analogue of the American revolver in a very peculiar way, almost completely changing its assembly and disassembly. The Japanese revolver received the left cheek of the frame, reclining on a hinge, which greatly facilitated access to the firing mechanism. Thus, when disassembling this revolver, it was not necessary to unscrew a single screw, which affected the high service and operational qualities of the weapon. Hino revolvers were produced by the Koshigawa arsenal in Tokyo until the beginning of this century. In total, more than 50,000 revolvers were produced.
Soon the pistol replaced the revolver in the Japanese army. The first Japanese pistol of its own design was the 8mm pistol, created by General Kijiro Nambu. It had two names: the Nambu "type A" automatic pistol and the "type 4" pistol. This sample served as the basis for the creation of a number of new Japanese pistols. Automation pistol "type 4" worked on the principle of using recoil with a short stroke of the barrel. The barrel bore was locked by a swinging latch. The peculiarity of this pistol is an automatic fuse installed in the front wall of the pistol grip. In accordance with the ideas of that time, the Nambu pistol, as a model of a military weapon, had an attached holster-butt with a telescopic clip for mounting in the pistol grip. During the Second World War, type 4 pistols were used only by soldiers and non-commissioned officers, who, according to the state, were given personal weapons. The main short-barreled weapons of personal self-defense of Japanese officers of all branches of the armed forces in the 1930-1940s were 8-mm pistols "type 14" and "type 94".
The Type 14 8mm pistol (1925) was created by the small arms design section at the Tokyo arsenal in Koishikawa under the direction of K. Nambu. This weapon had a fairly thoughtful and rational design with a simplified manufacturing technology. The automation of the pistol worked on the principle of recoil with a short barrel stroke. There were two types of fuses - external, flag type, and internal, locking the trigger with the magazine removed. Its main difference from the previous sample "Nambu" "type A" is two return springs, symmetrically located on the sides of the bolt, instead of one, asymmetrically installed in the "type 4" pistol. The weapon was designed to use a special 8 mm Nambu pistol cartridge. In 1937-1938, taking into account the experience of combat operations in Manchuria, the type 14 pistol was modernized. He received an enlarged so-called "winter" trigger guard for shooting with gloves and a stronger magazine locking mechanism.
The Type 94 8mm pistol (1934) was developed by Lieutenant General Kijiro Nambu to equip pilots and tank crews. Until the early 1940s, this pistol had a good finish, but during the war, the requirements for exterior finishes dropped sharply, some parts began to be produced from low-grade materials.
The Japanese Air Force unofficially used the 7mm Baby Nambu pistol, based on the Type 4 pistol. This sample was released in an amount of just over 6500 pieces.
RIFLES
Japanese infantryman with a rifle
"Arisaka" "type 99"
The main weapon of the Japanese infantry during the war years continued to be Arisaka magazine rifles with a longitudinally sliding bolt, which were the main weapon of the infantry of the Japanese army for half a century. In 1896-1897, the Japanese weapons designer Colonel Nariake Arisaka, who worked at the Koshikawa Imperial Artillery Arsenal in Tokyo, took the design of the Mauser rifle, model 1896, as the basis for creating a new model. rifle and cavalry carbine "Arisaka" "type 30" (mod. 1897), developed simultaneously with a 6.5-mm rifle cartridge with a semi-flange sleeve. These weapons belonged to magazine rifles with a sliding bolt with a turn. The bolt largely copied the bolt "Mauser". Locking was carried out by two lugs located on the stem of the shutter. In 1899, the Koshikawa arsenal began production of 6.5 mm Arisaka rifles and carbines. Despite the good ballistic qualities, all the advantages inherent in the Arisaka rifles were nullified by the capricious and unreliable locking mechanism, since it gave frequent failures at the slightest contamination or dusting of the shutter. A lot of complaints were caused by a complex bolt trigger, which consisted of small parts, the design of the fuse was significantly degraded compared to the German prototype. But the "Arisaka" "type 30" rifles continued to serve for many years. If during the Russo-Japanese and First World Wars they were used as a standard model, then during the Second World War they were in service mainly with training and auxiliary units stationed in Korea and China.
The thirties were a time of extensive renewal of the arsenals of the Japanese army and the modernization of weapons in accordance with the requirements of modern mobile combat. In 1937, the army received a modernized version of the Type 38 rifle - a 6.5-mm Type 97 sniper rifle (Model 1937), which differed from the standard model by the presence of a 2.5x optical sight mounted on the forearm light wire bipods to stabilize the weapon when firing and a bolt handle bent down.
Japanese paratrooper with a rifle
"Arisaka" "type 02" for the Airborne Forces
At the same time, the Japanese military industry began producing Type 38 carbines for the airborne troops. The development of military art and the emergence of a new concept of combat tactics for a new type of troops led the Japanese to the need to create specialized weapons and equipment, including light and compact small arms. The simplest way out of this situation was the modernization of existing standard weapons. A 6.5-mm Type 38 carbine for the Airborne Forces also belonged to a similar weapon. Due to the specifics of the application, it had a folding butt, which rotated on a hinge around its axis by 180 degrees and adjoined the forearm on the right side. These carbines were widely used during the landing operations of the Japanese airborne units of the Navy in the Pacific Islands in 1941-1942.
The large-scale war in China, which the Japanese waged since 1931, clearly showed the advantages of modern Western weapons, which were in service with Chiang Kai-shek's army, over many samples of Japanese small arms. In order to equalize the capabilities of the opposing sides, the Japanese gunsmiths, after a series of scientific research began to develop a new more powerful cartridge of increased caliber - 7.7 mm. In 1939, another design of the 7.7 mm flangeless rifle cartridge "type 99" (sample 1939) appeared. Arsenals in Nagoya and Kokura began to create new rifles and carbines for these cartridges. At the end of 1939, the Ordnance Department chose from a variety of designs submitted for the competition a weapon system designed by the Toriimatsu factory from the Nagoya weapons arsenal. It consisted of 7.7 mm long and short Type 99 rifles. To fully standardize all infantry weapons in the Japanese armed forces in 1942, a new Type 99 sniper rifle was adopted.
submachine guns
Japanese Marine with
submachine gun
"Bergmann" model 1920
For quite a long time, little attention in Japan was paid to such a promising type of automatic small arms as submachine guns. In the early twenties, in order to study the best practices in the use of the latest models of small arms by European armies, the Japanese purchased from the Swiss arms company SIG a small batch of Bergmann submachine guns mod. 1920 chambered for the 7.63mm Mauser pistol cartridge. Especially for Japan, this weapon was equipped with a magazine with an increased capacity of 50 rounds.
With the adoption of this weapon for partial armament of the Japanese armed forces, it did not end up in the ground forces, where, in theory, it should have brought the greatest benefit, but in the fleet. For a long time, Bergmann submachine guns were in trial operation. Their first combat use refers to the war in China, where they were used only by reconnaissance and sabotage units of the Marine Corps. The advantages and disadvantages of submachine guns for a long time were not fully disclosed by the Japanese high command.
Japanese paratrooper
With
submachine gun
"type 100" for
Airborne
The lack of demand by the ground forces for such powerful automatic weapons as submachine guns led to the fact that the pioneers in their mass introduction in the mid-1930s were the newly formed troops - the airborne and marines. Only after repeated appeals to the high command of the Japanese armed forces to adopt submachine guns, the army weapons department in 1935 developed tactical and technical specifications for the creation of a new type of weapon. After a series of studies, Nambu presented a modified sample of the Type 3 submachine gun. Ground tests confirmed the conclusions of the weapons control commission on the compliance of this modernized model with the tasks set, and already in 1940 it was adopted by the Marine Corps under the designation - 8-mm submachine gun "type 100" (1940). Its design features include a relatively low rate of fire - 450 rounds per minute, which made it possible to control the weapon when firing, which was achieved due to the rather large mass of the shutter.
It was this quality that influenced the high accuracy of fire from the "type 100" submachine gun (unlike many other samples of this weapon), which was immediately liked by the Japanese soldiers, who highly appreciated it. During the war, the submachine gun underwent two modifications. For the Airborne Forces, its compact version was developed with a butt folding on a hinge, and for the infantry - with a non-folding butt and wire bipods attached to the barrel casing. But this submachine gun never became a weapon that fully satisfied all the requests and wishes of the army. After a number of works on improving the weapon, based on the study of the combat experience of its use, in 1944 it underwent a deep modernization, although it retained the same "type 100" index. The 1944 model submachine gun was distinguished by an increased rate of fire - 800 rounds per minute, the presence of a permanent diopter sight instead of an open sector sight, the introduction of a new part - a compensator - into the design of the barrel casing, as well as a protrusion-tide for installing a bayonet instead of the previous underbarrel cylinder. This weapon was used quite effectively by the Japanese Marine Corps in battles in Southeast Asia at the final stage of World War II.
MACHINE GUNS
The main type of collective small arms in the Japanese army during the Second World War were machine guns. The first machine gun adopted in 1902 in Japan was the Hotchkiss machine gun mod. 1897. It was the basis on which almost all Japanese machine guns were subsequently created.
This machine gun was modernized in 1914 by General Nambu, and under the designation "6.5-mm heavy machine gun" type 3 "(1914)" since then it has been used in almost all aggressive wars undertaken by the Land of the Rising Sun, until the end of the Second world in 1945.
Japanese machine gunner
with light machine gun "type 99"
In 1922, the first 6.5 mm "type 11" light machine gun (sample 1922) of Japanese design was adopted by the Japanese army. This machine gun has many peculiar features. His automation worked on the principle of removing powder gases from the bore. Locking was carried out by a wedge moving in a vertical plane. To enhance heat transfer, the barrel and barrel casing had numerous transverse cooling fins.
In the mid-1930s, a new type 97 machine gun (1937) was created, which became the main tank machine gun of the Japanese army during the Second World War. Its design largely copies the Czechoslovak ZB-26 light machine gun.
In the course of the war, the urgent need to create a special weapon that meets all the requirements of the airborne troops was revealed. Japanese paratroopers needed special types of light, compact, but at the same time quite powerful weapons. The Arsenal in Nagoya developed a modification of the 7.7 mm Type 99 light machine gun (mod. 1943) for the Airborne Forces. Its main feature was the possibility of easy disassembly into several parts: the barrel, gas system, receiver unit, stock and magazine. This was done at the request of the command of the Airborne Forces, because. automatic weapons were dropped in containers, separate from the paratroopers. To reduce the size, the pistol fire control handle in the transport position was folded under the trigger guard, and the additional emphasis on the butt was folded forward. The disassembly and assembly of these weapons was carried out very quickly, allowing the paratroopers to bring their weapons into combat position in a matter of minutes after landing.
ANTI-TANK GUN AND HAND ANTI-TANK Grenade Launchers
The rapid development of armored vehicles around the world forced the command of the Mikado army in the 1930s to look for effective means of countering the armored fists of their potential opponents. The imperial army at that time did not actually possess weapons suitable for confronting the new danger. The task was set to develop in the shortest possible time reliable infantry melee weapons suitable for anti-tank defense.
easel machine gun "type 92"
At first, the design of a universal heavy machine gun seemed to be the most promising, which could be used to fight both armored ground targets and enemy aircraft. Already in 1933, the 13.2-mm Type 93 heavy machine gun and its modification, the Type 92, were adopted by the Japanese army (it was installed as the main on-board weapon on tanks). It was, in fact, only a slightly modified French heavy machine gun "Hotchkiss". However, the great difficulties encountered in establishing the production of this complex and expensive model forced the Japanese to abandon the development of a line for the development of universal heavy machine guns.
A different fate awaited anti-tank guns. At somewhat lower costs in the production of anti-tank guns, they had no less, if not equivalent, efficiency of use than anti-tank machine guns. After a series of studies, the Japanese took the design of the Swiss 20-mm Hispano-Suiza aircraft gun as the basis for the new self-loading PTR. On its basis, an original sample of a heavy self-loading anti-tank rifle was soon created. And already in 1937, the 20-mm Type 97 anti-tank rifle was adopted by the Japanese infantry.
The first combat use of anti-tank rifles "type 97" refers to the war in China, and then they were used in battles with the Red Army near Lake Khasan (1938) and on the river. Khalkhin-Gol (1939). But the advantages and disadvantages of anti-tank rifles for a long time were not disclosed by the Japanese high command. According to Soviet sources, a 20-mm anti-tank rifle pierced 30-mm armor at distances up to 400-500 m. infantry practically unarmed in close combat. The changed conditions of the battle required new approaches for an extraordinary and urgent solution to the problem that had so suddenly arisen before the Japanese command.
Work on the creation of truly effective anti-tank weapons began to be carried out in Japan too late, and with the exception of a few, in fact, experimental models of anti-tank rifles and grenade launchers, nothing was created until the end of the war.
The Second World War clearly revealed the weaknesses inherent in the economy of militaristic Japan, showing the impossibility of meeting the growing needs of the armed forces without overcoming internal contradictions, including those between the army and navy. The Japanese army was inferior to the armed forces of many belligerent states in terms of the level of technical perfection, in terms of the degree of saturation of the troops with automatic weapons.
The victorious Japanese troops shout "Banzai!" upon learning of another victory in early 1942.[b]
They fought in the frozen steppes of Mongolia against the Red Army under the command of General Zhukov, in the hills and valleys of China against the Nationalist forces of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and the Communists of Mao Zedong, in the stuffy jungles of Burma against British, Indian and American troops, against American marines and soldiers on numerous islands and atolls of the southern seas and the central part of the Pacific Ocean. And no matter how strong the enemy, no matter how difficult the conditions of hostilities and the climate, they never surrendered. For they always fought to the last soldier. And for this they will be eternally remembered. [b]They are soldiers of the Japanese Imperial Army.
In the first months of the war, like their German allies, the Japanese swept away all the opponents opposing them.
Military tradition of the Japanese army 1900-1945
The Japanese soldier during the Second World War was a stubborn, hardy and resourceful fighter. In the steppes and valleys of Manchuria and China, in the foggy jungles of Burma and the islands of the southern seas, on the coral atolls of the Pacific Ocean - everywhere the Japanese army showed its fanatical tenacity in battle. American, British, Australian, New Zealand, Soviet and Chinese soldiers found that the Japanese infantryman was as good as his German comrade, if not better. Even more important was the ability of the Japanese soldier to use in combat modern technologies. Although the infantry remained the backbone of the Japanese army, its soldiers had a large arsenal of weapons, including tanks, small arms, aircraft and artillery. When these armaments were combined with tactical and operational doctrines for offensive and defensive operations, the warriors of the Imperial Japanese Army could more than match their Western adversaries.
The origins of the combat abilities of the Japanese infantryman date back to the military past of the country. Raised in the tradition of samurai warriors, the Japanese soldier, whether officer or private, was a skilled fighter, trained in the spirit of the ancient art of warfare. Indeed, militarism had a profound effect on the entire Japanese society throughout its history from the 12th century until the first contact with the West in 1856. He greatly influenced the development of Japan as a modern state. Samurai were not just a political elite, society perceived them as the conscience of the nation. The morality and spirit of a warrior also ensured the influence of the samurai on society, as well as material levers.
Understanding this fact makes it possible to understand the reason for the emergence of a "parallel" military government headed by the cabinet of the shogun, or generalissimo. Unlike medieval Europe, the samurai were superior to the aristocracy in both cultural and political leadership. Over time, Japanese society became militarized, based on feudal notions of service and loyalty to the nation. During Japanese contact with Confucian China, Neo-Confucian philosophy in turn influenced the development of the warrior code, or Bushido. It was the "warrior spirit" or Bushido that inspired Japan in 1856, after the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry's American squadron, to open its doors to the West for the first time, and then inspired her to rapid territorial growth in Northeast Asia. From the occupation of Taiwan in 1895 until the end of World War I, when Japanese armies seized the German concessions in China, Japan began to expand its empire. In the interwar period (1919-1941), in political and military influence in Asia, it was second only to the United States.
The expansion of the empire's borders during this period was facilitated by the powerful development of its armed forces, and in particular the build-up of the army and navy on the western borders, which were constantly inspired by the ancient military spirit. It was he who promoted the Japanese troops in the Pacific and eventually in September 1945 led to the defeat of the very Western countries that once introduced the samurai to modern weapons.
Like most Western powers, Japan prepared its army for World War II for the first three decades of the 20th century. Although the Japanese army, which received modern weapons, studied the methods of warfare used by Western states during the First World War (1914-1918), many of the old techniques and methods of training soldiers were preserved long after the appearance in Japan since the Restoration of 1868 of the French, German and to a lesser extent British military instructors.
Three samurai in elaborately decorated traditional battle dress, early 20th century illustration. Influenced ruling class samurai, the militarization of Japanese society increased until the outbreak of World War II
Over the centuries, the samurai merged some aspects of Zen and Neo-Confucian teachings, which ultimately led to the emergence of Bushido (warrior code). Zen brought to Japanese society a rigid discipline or civil form of militarism (over time, sheltered under the cover of martial arts), and Confucianism - emphasized paternalism; as a result, Japan was exposed to the militarism of the samurai class. This philosophy quickly united the fragmented feudal country, just as Bismarck, after 1864, was able to unite Germany, relying on the Prussian army. Zen Buddhism, which was preached by the monk of the Zen sect Nantembo (1839-1925), had a greater influence on Japanese militarism than the official religion of the state - Shinto, since most of the prominent civilian and military figures in the early 20th century tended to preach Nantembo.
In addition to Zen and Confucianism, Japanese martial arts were influenced by Taoism and Shintoism. After nearly a century of civil war, Japan was unified by the influence of the samurai class on Japanese society. The famous swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, in his Book of the Five Realms, emphasized the differences in the influence of Zen and Confucianism on Japanese culture. He wrote: “Buddhism is a way of helping people. Confucianism is the way of civilization." As Japanese militarism evolved at the end of the 19th century, both traditions became more and more intertwined with the development of the views of the samurai and eventually turned into an integral socio-cultural lifestyle, thus giving rise to Japanese militarism.
Japanese militarism and Bushido
Musashi's book can serve as a key to understanding Japanese martial art as it developed in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Musashi wrote that "the art of war is one of the diverse paths of Japanese culture that should be learned and practiced by both political leaders and professional warriors." In The Five Spheres, he pointed out: “The art of military affairs is the science of military specialists. This art must be learned first of all by the leaders, but the soldiers must also know this science. Today there are no warriors who correctly understand the science of martial arts.
The Japanese soldier developed such qualities as devotion to the emperor, self-sacrifice, blind faith, obedience to officers and experienced soldiers, as well as honesty, frugality, courage, moderation, nobility, and at the same time an extremely developed sense of shame. This, in turn, led the samurai (and the Japanese soldier) to adopt the custom of ritual suicide dating back to the 8th century - seppuku or hara-kiri by cutting one's stomach (after which the assistant of the deceased had to cut off his head). This is important to know, since ritual suicides gave rise to many myths with which Europeans tried to understand the soul of the Japanese soldier and the motives that moved him on the battlefield. It is much more important to realize the simple fact that death and the possibility of death were a constant part of the daily life of the Japanese during the feudal period. Musashi keeps coming back to this:
“People usually imagine that all warriors are thinking about how to prepare for the coming of death that constantly threatens them. But as far as death is concerned, warriors are not the only ones who die. All people who are aware of their duty should be ashamed to violate it, realizing that death is inevitable. In this respect, there is no difference between the classes."
Not all Japanese soldiers ended their lives with ritual hara-kiri, like these two officers on Okinawa in 1945. Of the 120,000 Japanese defenders of Okinawa, more than 90% died in battle
Bushido, the code of the warrior, included the same principles that Musashi proclaimed in The Five Realms, including the concepts of heroism, death, and honor. Although the samurai class and the feudal order under which it was formed were abolished by Emperor Meiji in the second half of the 19th century by a special decree of 1873 known as the Imperial Rescript, the Japanese nevertheless remained true to the Bushido code. The imperial decree ended the era of feudalism in Japan and at the same time became the basis for the construction of a modern Japanese army. The imperial rescript included the Five Words, which became the code of conduct for officer and soldier. They stated:
[b]1. A soldier must do his duty to the country.
2. A soldier must be courteous.
3. A soldier must show courage in war.
4. A soldier must keep his word.
5. A soldier should lead a simple life.
The Japanese officers and soldiers took these five instructions very seriously. Over time, they were included in the Senjinkun, or soldier's code, which guided the Japanese troops during the Second World War. As one Japanese officer wrote after the end of the war, “We worked hard during the training period, keeping the Five Words in our hearts. In my opinion, they were the basis of our proper way of life.” Japanese Prime Minister General Hideki Tojo constantly reminded his troops of their duty to fight to the end or "commit suicide" in the line of duty, as called for in the soldier's code.
Senjinkun is absolutely accurate in its main message: devotion to duty and the emperor. The charter considered loyalty to be the "primary duty" of the Japanese soldier. Senjinkun taught: “Remember that the defense of the state and the growth of its power depend on the strength of the army ... Remember that duty is heavier than mountains, and death is lighter than fluff ...” Japanese soldiers were also instructed to be courteous towards each other and towards the defender - to the enemy. It may seem strange, considering what the Japanese troops did in China and the Pacific Islands, but the Bushido code directly condemned soldiers who could not show compassion for both civilians and the enemy. As for respect for authority, Senjinkun proclaimed that soldiers must unquestioningly follow the orders of their commanders.
A dead Japanese soldier in a field in the Philippines stabbed himself with his own bayonet to avoid being captured. According to the code of conduct, every Japanese soldier had to fight to the death or take his own life.
Valor Meaning
The code of the warrior indicated that the soldier must show courage. At the same time, the Japanese soldier was supposed to respect the "lower" enemy and honor the "higher", in other words, according to Senjinkun, the soldier and sailor had to be "truly valiant." The soldier was ordered to be faithful and obedient. Loyalty was understood as the readiness of a Japanese soldier to always protect his world. At the same time, the officers constantly reminded the soldiers of obedience and the need to fulfill all duties. Finally, the charter ordered the soldier to lead a simple life, avoiding "luxury, pampered behavior and pretentiousness."
In addition, Senjinkun emphasized that the main duty of a soldier is to fight and, if necessary, die for the Emperor. The practice of suicide or fighting "to the last" was widespread in the imperial army, as the examples of Peleleu and Saipan (1944) and Iwo Jima (1945) show. Some of this fanaticism or fatalism was instilled in young recruits by officers and senior soldiers during a period of intensive three-month training, "turning them into fanatics, ready to die for their emperor, their country and for the glory of their regiments."
But still, it is difficult to understand why Japanese soldiers, sailors and pilots were so ready to die. It helps to understand this better by the fact that the Malay ancestors of the modern Japanese were energetic and brave, and at the same time possessed the humility and loyalty received from the Mongols. These qualities combined in a typical Japanese soldier and could be revealed with the right education and cultivation. After intense training, the Japanese soldier began to believe that he could fight with courage, drive and courage that his opponent could not, following the orders of his commanders and obeying them unquestioningly.
"War Without Mercy" A Japanese infantryman in Indonesia stabs Indonesian rebels captured in early 1942 with a bayonet. Many of the locals were mistreated during the period of Japanese rule, with men forced into slave labor and women forced to sleep with soldiers.
Military service and Bushido
Such qualities of the Japanese soldier as devotion to duty and the desire for self-sacrifice were later used to train, educate and develop military skills. At the same time, the Japanese soldier relied on kiai - a fantastic force, or a source of power hidden in every person, which can be achieved by one's own effort. It was the basis of Japanese martial arts and skills. The term ki means "thought" or "will"; the meaning of the term ai is opposite to the concept of "unity"; in general, the essence of kiai can be conveyed as motivated power, combined with the desire to surpass the enemy. From this follows the principle of the superiority of spirit over matter, which underlies the Japanese arts of judo and karate.
The influence of kiai on the mind of the samurai was incredibly powerful. Soon, samurai warriors (and therefore Japanese soldiers) came to believe that there were no limits to human endurance. The Japanese military leadership used the spirit of kiai as a practical element of military training. It was believed that with the right motivation, a Japanese recruit is able to overcome any obstacles and hardships. It was believed that with the right upbringing, the spirit of kiai, or hara (“insides”), could provide a soldier with superhuman qualities. As a result, the Japanese army adopted such heavy methods of training and training of soldiers, which, perhaps, were not in any other army in the world. One of the methods of punishment, for example, was the 80-kilometer march; during the training period, the soldier went through all the possible hardships that he could encounter on the battlefield and which, it seems, lay beyond the capabilities of an ordinary person. In preparation for the military service of a Western soldier in most armies, some reasonable limits of loads were established, which were considered the limit of human endurance. This was not the case in the Imperial Japanese Army. The Japanese soldier was obliged to meekly accept all the hardships and burdens. According to the warrior code, there is no limit to endurance, and as long as a person has not lost his hara, he can "go forward forever." It followed that a samurai of any rank could not refuse to carry out an order on the grounds that the task exceeded the strength of a person. The word "impossible" did not exist in the Japanese army.
Japanese soldiers were forced to think only about the offensive, even if the enemy outnumbered them, and the Japanese themselves lacked weapons and equipment. During the Second World War, many cases were recorded when Japanese troops launched attacks on fortified enemy positions without artillery, air or any other support, having only rifles and machine guns. As the events on Guadalcanal in August 1942 and the fighting in the Pacific theater in general showed, Japanese soldiers often senselessly rushed at American, British and Australian positions, losing a lot of people in the process, but not even being able to get close to the enemy. The Japanese commanders never interfered with such a practice, despite the unequal chances of success with the enemy. The refusal of a Japanese officer or soldier to attack was the deepest contradiction of the Bushido code.
Japanese soldiers hid around the corner of a building in Shanghai, ready for a gas attack (China, 1942). After the regular use of poison gases on the Western Front during the First World War, Japanese soldiers began to be intensively trained to act in gas masks.
Bushido clearly defined the relationship between the samurai and their behavior in battle. Although Bushido is sometimes interpreted as a refined form of European chivalry, it should be noted that this warrior code did not include any customs regarding the protection of women and children, since Japanese society remained deeply patriarchal. On the contrary, the samurai had complete power over the women in his estate, and his interests were paramount. This explains the widespread practice of the Japanese during the Second World War to use the women of the conquered areas as prostitutes. These "pleasure women", as they were called by the Japanese command, were completely dependent on the invaders and were completely exploited by both soldiers and officers. Chauvinism can also explain the ease with which Japanese soldiers killed innocent civilians in the occupied territories.
When British, American and other prisoners began to appear during the war, the Japanese could not find recommendations in the Bushido code on how to deal with a captured foreigner. Since the Japanese soldier never received clear instructions about the treatment of prisoners, his behavior towards the captured Americans and British varied from quite civilized to almost brutal. Explaining how the Japanese treated the prisoners of war of the Western armies, one of the Japanese officers at the end of the war stated: “Our soldiers did not receive clear instructions in advance. But when prisoners began to arrive, we sent orders to the units to send them to headquarters without inflicting wounds on them. I thought that although war is inhumane, we should act as humanely as possible. When I captured some of your (British soldiers) in Burma, I gave them food and tobacco." This attitude towards prisoners varied depending on where, when and under what circumstances they were captured. True, as one historian observes, "fighters are rarely inclined to kindness when they leave the battle." In addition, most Japanese soldiers viewed surrender as a dishonor that could not be forgiven.
Samurai perceived themselves as true patriots of Japan, defenders of the throne and the nation as a whole. The warrior code meant that diplomacy was a sign of weakness, and statements about reaching agreements were disgusting. The young officers, who dreamed of territorial expansion, published The Great Destiny, which summarized their views on the Emperor and Hakko Ichi-yu ("the whole world under one roof"): "With due reverence, we believe that the divine destiny our country lies in its expansion under the hand of the Emperor to the very limits of the world.
Japanese shooter chooses a victim in the jungle. The Japanese were better at salvo fire and, oddly enough, hit moving targets well. Nevertheless, snipers preferred to deal with the enemy pressed to the ground.
Field and fire training
The training of the infantrymen of the Japanese army included training in actions as part of the smallest unit (squad) in terms of numbers, then successively moving on to actions as part of a platoon, company, battalion and regiment; the final chord was the great maneuvers held at the end of each year. Training during the second year of service essentially did not change, but more time was devoted to the development of special skills needed by military personnel of various branches of the military. As for the qualitative side of studying military affairs, we can say that in the Japanese infantry it provided for gradual and consistent mastering of the material with a simultaneous increase in the intensity and depth of training. Japanese soldiers made long marches with full gear and exhausting endurance exercises; the military leadership considered this necessary in order to instill in the fighters the ability to withstand hunger and high loads for a long time.
The mythical notion that the Japanese soldier was best suited for fighting in the jungle should be clarified. In general, this is true, but it must be borne in mind that the Japanese infantryman was primarily trained in combat in any climatic and natural conditions, and not just in the jungle. In addition, the Japanese soldier received the skills to conduct a "correct" war, that is, military operations common on the Western Front during the First World War. Indeed, the fighting technique adopted by the Japanese soldiers of World War II, especially during the long war in China, was first tested in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.
A Japanese machine gunner prepares to meet Chiang Kai-shek's Chinese units on the Chekyang Front, 1943. Japanese machine guns differed from American and British ones in their low rate of fire and their tendency to "chew" cartridges and misfires, but they were not bad in defense.
Japanese soldiers were taught to endure all hardships in any climate and on any type of terrain. Training in mountainous conditions and in cold climates was considered especially important - practical exercises were held in Northern Japan, Korea and Formosa (Taiwan). There, Japanese infantrymen conducted "snow marches" (setcha ko-gun). These crossings, which lasted four or five days, were usually organized at the end of January or the first week of February, when the coldest weather sets in Northern Japan. In order to increase endurance, the soldiers were forbidden to use gloves, and overnight stays were organized in the open. The main purpose of such training was to accustom officers and soldiers to the cold. From July to August, long marches were made to accustom the personnel to the heat. Both were done with the aim of training the Japanese soldier to endure extreme temperatures, the harshest living conditions and all sorts of hardships.
In addition to these Spartan conditions, food and living conditions were also the most simple and practical. A Japanese soldier's diet usually included a large bowl of rice, a cup of green tea, a plate of Japanese pickled vegetables, dried fish and fried bean paste, or some local delicacies like fruits and vegetables. In the dining room there was a large straight table with wooden benches installed on a bare wooden plank floor. As a rule, the dining room was decorated with a large slogan or inscription praising loyalty to the Emperor or a reminder of one of the virtues of a warrior.
Directly, the training included bayonet combat (the bayonet is a “special attack weapon”), the basics of camouflage, patrolling, night action, shooting, marching, training in the basics of field hygiene, sanitation and first aid, as well as information about military innovations. On an individual level, each soldier was trained to fight in the war of the twentieth century, but at the same time, the code of Bushido lay at the heart of his upbringing.
A Japanese infantryman crosses a river on a hastily built pontoon bridge in the Chinese province of Shandong. Many of the soldiers supporting the bridge are wounded, but will not leave their place until the opposite bank is captured.
Field or "forced" marches
The great attention that was paid to the education of inflexibility and endurance led the Japanese army to actively include long transitions in the training process. This was done despite the many problems that Japanese soldiers had, forced to use uncomfortable leather shoes. Often, when performing training marches, a soldier had to throw off his boots and change into straw warisi sandals, which he wore in a bread bag and used during halts.
The pace of the march was set in advance, and it was forbidden to change it, no matter how difficult the transition was. The companies were supposed to march in in full force, and any soldier (or officer) who left the line was severely punished. A British observer attached to the Japanese army in the 1920s reported how a Japanese officer, who collapsed from overwork while on the march, committed suicide by committing hara-kiri "in the hope of washing away an indelible shame." Company commanders usually marched in the rear of the column, and the second or first lieutenant led the movement. After every 50 minutes of march, the company stopped and a ten-minute halt was announced so that the soldiers had the opportunity to straighten their shoes or drink water.
Field flag bearer of the 56th division of the Japanese army during the transition near the Irrawaddy River (Burma, February 1944).
Field hygiene
The Japanese soldier certainly observed the requirements of field hygiene. The barracks in the location of the units were meticulously cleaned, bed linen and blankets were ventilated daily. The Japanese army moved mainly on foot, and therefore great attention was paid to foot hygiene, if possible, socks were changed twice a day. All soldiers had to bathe, if possible, underwear changed daily or every other day. The cleanliness check was carried out in preparation for eating, and the commanders had to personally check the cleanliness of the hands, the condition of the nails and clothes.
Rations
In combat and on the march, the Japanese soldier's diet, or schichi bu no san, consisted of wheat flour and rice; each soldier had seven servings of rice and three of flour. Flour and rice were mixed and boiled in a large cauldron or kettle. The soldier received food three times a day. The main food was the same in the location of the part, but there the rice was usually supplemented with some kind of seasoning. Soldiers received bread once a week, but not without fail. Japanese soldiers, like many Asians, did not particularly like bread and preferred rice and flour with various additives to it. With all three daily meals, the soldiers received a hot drink - green tea or just hot water.
Between battles, Japanese soldiers are busy cooking. A common meal for a Japanese infantryman was a bowl of rice with pickled vegetables and dried bean paste. Local produce such as fresh fish was a welcome change.
Single purpose
Each stage of the preparation of the Japanese army in the interwar period was devoted to one goal - the selection, conscription and training of well-trained infantrymen. These soldiers were to receive a hefty dose of military knowledge and skill. The pre-conscript training process continued from the period of high school to college or university, and continuous training and study was to provide the Japanese army with a sufficient influx of trained officers and soldiers. This is what happened in World War II.
Inspired from the very beginning of military training by the "warrior spirit" or Bushido, over time, the Japanese soldier became one of the most trained and, without a doubt, one of the most fanatical opponents that the armies of the United States, China, Great Britain, Australia, the Soviet Union and New Zealand.
There is no doubt that the Japanese army during the Second World War was predominantly infantry. Only against the Soviet Union and China, and also only on a few Pacific islands, did the Japanese use armored and mechanized forces.
Most of the fighting on Guadalcanal, Burma, New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands was infantry fighting. It was in these battles that the Japanese soldier showed himself to be a resourceful and strong fighter, despite all the circumstances that opposed him. All this was the result of training and propaganda of the warrior code in the interwar period.
Japanese soldiers advancing on Chinese positions in 1938. The basis of the Japanese division was the shooter; most of the soldiers in this photo are armed with Arisaka rifles.
Japanese soldiers of the Imperial Army today
The courage of the Japanese soldiers and loyalty to their Emperor reminded of themselves many years after the war. Decades after the end of World War II, on the various islands where the Imperial Japanese Army fought, there were Japanese soldiers in shabby uniforms, unaware that the war had long since ended. Hunters from remote Philippine villages spoke of "devil people" living in the thickets like forest animals. In Indonesia, they were called "yellow people" who roam the forests. It did not occur to the Japanese soldiers that they could surrender to the local authorities, they continued their guerrilla war, the war for the Emperor. It was a matter of their honor. Japanese soldiers have always done their duty to the end, to the last drop of their own blood.
1961, Private Masashi and Corporal Minakawa
In 1961, 16 years after the surrender of Japan, a soldier named Ito Masashi emerged from the tropical jungle of Guam. Masashi could not believe that the world that he knew and believed in before 1945 is now completely different, that that world no longer exists.
Private Masashi was lost in the jungle on October 14, 1944. Ito Masashi bent down to tie his shoelace. He lagged behind the column, and this saved him - part of Masashi fell into an ambush set up by Australian soldiers. Hearing the gunfire, Masashi and his comrade, Corporal Iroki Minakawa, who had also fallen behind, rushed to the ground. Thus began their incredible sixteen-year game of hide-and-seek with the rest of the world.
For the first two months, the private and the corporal fed on the remains of NZ and insect larvae, which they found under the bark of trees. They drank rain water collected in banana leaves, chewed edible roots. Sometimes they dined on snakes, which happened to be caught in snares.
The Japanese used bicycles to increase their mobility whenever possible and, as a result, moved much faster than the British and American troops, who were too clumsy at the beginning of the war.
At first, they were hunted by soldiers of the allied army, and then by the inhabitants of the island with their dogs. But they managed to get away. Masashi and Minakawa have come up with their own language for safe communication with each other - clicks, hand signals.
They built several shelters by digging them in the ground and covering them with branches. The floor was covered with dry leaves. Nearby, several holes were dug with sharp stakes at the bottom - traps for game.
They roamed the jungle for eight long years. Masashi would later say: “During our wanderings, we came across other similar groups of Japanese soldiers who, like us, continued to believe that the war was going on. We were sure that our generals retreated for tactical reasons, but the day would come when they would return with reinforcements. Sometimes we lit fires, but it was dangerous because we could be discovered. Soldiers died of hunger and disease, were attacked. I knew that I had to stay alive in order to fulfill my duty to continue the fight. We survived only thanks to chance, because they stumbled upon the junkyard of an American air base."
The junkyard has become a source of life for soldiers lost in the jungle. Wasteful Americans threw away a lot of different food. In the same place, the Japanese picked up tin cans and adapted them for dishes. From the springs from the beds they made sewing needles, the awnings went to the bed linen. The soldiers needed salt, and at night they crawled out to the coast, collected sea water in jars to evaporate white crystals from it.
The worst enemy of the wanderers was the annual rainy season: for two months in a row they sat drearily in shelters, eating only berries and frogs. At that time, almost unbearable tension reigned in their relationship, Masashi later said.
A Japanese branch clears a narrow street in Malaysia in January 1942. The Japanese used similar tactics when fighting the British. The submachine gunner and two gunners cover their comrade, who carefully checks the paths of approach to the enemy.
After ten years of such a life, they found leaflets on the island. They contained a message from a Japanese general that they had never heard of before. The general ordered them to surrender. Masashi said: "I was sure that this was a ploy by the Americans to catch us. I said to Minakawa:" Who do they take us for ?!"
The incredible sense of duty of these people, unfamiliar to Europeans, is also reflected in another Masashi story: “Once Minakawa and I were talking about how to get out of this island by sea. We walked along the coast, unsuccessfully trying to find a boat. barracks with lit windows. We crawled close enough to see dancing men and women and hear the sounds of jazz. For the first time in all these years I saw women. I was desperate - I missed them! Returning to my shelter, I began to carve a figure out of wood naked woman. I could safely go to the American camp and surrender, but it was contrary to my convictions. I swore an oath to my emperor, he would be disappointed in us. I did not know that the war had ended long ago, and I thought that the emperor simply transferred our soldier somewhere else.
One morning, after sixteen years of seclusion, Minakawa put on homemade wooden sandals and went hunting. Days went by and he was gone. Masashi panicked. “I knew I couldn’t survive without him,” he said. “In search of a friend, I searched all over the jungle. Quite by chance I came across Minakawa’s backpack and sandals. I was sure that the Americans had captured him. Suddenly, a plane flew over my head, and I I rushed back into the jungle, determined to die, but not to give in. Climbing up the mountain, I saw four Americans waiting for me. Among them was Minakawa, whom I did not immediately recognize - his face was clean-shaven. From him I heard that the war was long over, but it took me a few months to really believe it.I was shown a photograph of my grave in Japan, where the monument said that I died in battle.It was terribly hard to understand.All my youth was wasted.In That same evening I went to a hot bathhouse and for the first time in many years I went to sleep on a clean bed. It was amazing!
Parts advancing on chinese city Hangu in 1938, suspended the advance in order to assess the damage caused to the enemy by artillery fire. In a battle with a strong enemy, such a display of the banner could be suicidal.
[b]1972, Sergeant Ikoi
As it turns out, there were Japanese soldiers who lived in the jungle much longer than Masashi. For example, Imperial Army Sergeant Shoichi Ikoi, who also served in Guam.
As the Americans stormed the island, Shoichi fought off his Marine regiment and took cover at the foot of the mountains. He also found leaflets on the island urging Japanese soldiers to surrender as ordered by the emperor, but he refused to believe it.
The sergeant lived as a complete hermit. He ate mainly frogs and rats. The form, which had fallen into disrepair, was replaced by clothes made of bark and bast. He shaved, scraping his face with a pointed piece of flint.
Shoichi Ikoi said: “I was all alone for so many long days and nights! Once I tried to shout to drive away a snake that crawled into my home, but it turned out only a miserable squeak. My vocal cords were inactive for so long that they simply refused to work. After that, I began to train his voice every day by singing songs or reading prayers aloud.
The sergeant was accidentally discovered by hunters in January 1972. He was 58 years old. Ikoi knew nothing about the atomic bombings, about the surrender and defeat of his homeland. When it was explained to him that his seclusion was meaningless, he fell to the ground and sobbed. Hearing that he would soon be flying home to Japan on a jet plane, Ikoi asked in surprise, "What is a jet plane?"
After this incident, under public pressure, government organizations in Tokyo were forced to send an expedition into the jungle to retrieve their old soldiers from their lairs. The expedition scattered tons of leaflets in the Philippines and other islands where Japanese soldiers could be. But the wandering warriors still considered it enemy propaganda.
1974 Lieutenant Onoda
Even later, in 1974, on the remote Philippine island of Lubang, 52-year-old Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda emerged from the jungle and surrendered to local authorities. Six months earlier, Onoda and his comrade Kinshiki Kozuka had ambushed a Filipino patrol, mistaking it for an American one. Kozuka died, and attempts to track down Onoda did not lead to anything: he hid in impenetrable thickets.
To convince Onoda that the war was over, he even had to call his former commander - he did not trust anyone else. Onoda asked permission to keep the sacred samurai sword he had buried on the island in 1945 as a keepsake.
Onoda was so stunned to find himself in a completely different time that he had to undergo a long psychotherapeutic treatment. He said: “I know that many more of my comrades are hiding in the forests, I know their call signs and the places where they hide. But they will never come to my call. They will decide that I could not stand the test and broke down, surrendering to the enemies. Unfortunately, they will die there."
In Japan, Onoda had a touching meeting with his elderly parents. His father said: "I'm proud of you! You acted like a real warrior, as your heart told you."
A Japanese soldier died in his trench, waiting for the appearance of enemy tanks and preparing to act as a "live mine", detonating an aerial bomb fixed at chest level at the moment when the tank passes over him. 1944, Mektila, Burma.
2005, Lieutenant Yamakawa and Corporal Nakauchi
The last case of detection occurred quite recently - in May 2005. In the jungle of the Philippine island of Mindanao, 87-year-old Lieutenant Yoshio Yamakawa and 85-year-old Corporal Tsuzuki Nakauchi were found, who served in the Panther division, which lost up to 80% of its personnel in battles in the Philippines.
They fought and hid in the jungle for 60 years - they put their whole lives in order not to lose honor before their Emperor.
[b] "Duty is heavier than a mountain, and death is lighter than fluff."
Soldiers' regulations of the Japanese Imperial Army Senjinkun
Excerpts from the Bushido Code:
"True courage lies in living and dying when it is right to die."
"You should go to death with a clear consciousness of what a samurai should do, and what degrades his dignity."
"You should weigh every word and invariably ask yourself the question whether what you are going to say is true."
"In everyday affairs, remember death and keep this word in your heart."
"Respect the rule of" trunk and branches ". Forgetting it means never comprehending virtue, and a person who neglects the virtue of filial piety is not a samurai. Parents are the trunk of a tree, the children of its branch."
"A samurai must be not only an exemplary son, but also a loyal subject. He will not leave his master even if the number of his vassals is reduced from one hundred to ten, to one."
"In war, the loyalty of the samurai is manifested in the fact that without fear to go to the enemy's arrow and spear, sacrificing his life if duty requires it."
"Loyalty, justice and courage are the three natural virtues of the samurai."
"The falcon does not pick up thrown grains, even if he is dying of hunger. So the samurai must show that he is full, even if he has not eaten anything."
"If in a war a samurai should happen to lose a fight and have to lay down his head, he should proudly say his name and die with a smile without humiliating haste."
"Being mortally wounded, so that no means can save him, the samurai should respectfully address the words of farewell to his superiors and calmly expire, submitting to the inevitable."
source resource www.renascentia.ru
Mood: Combat
Japan's participation in World War II proved tragic for the empire. Triumphant battles and territorial seizures were replaced by defeats on land and on water, one of which was the loss of the island of Guadalcanal. On January 14, 1943, Japanese troops began to evacuate the island, yielding to the troops of the anti-Hitler coalition. Ahead of Japan were many more lost battles, the most famous of which were in the "RG" selection.
Operation Mo
The battle between the ships of Japan and the United States in the South Pacific, in the Coral Sea in May 1942, historians consider one of the first defeats of the Asian military forces in World War II. Although the outcome of the battle was ambiguous. Prior to this, the Japanese had captured Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands and planned to occupy Port Moresby in New Guinea (hence the name of Operation Mo Sakusen) to strengthen their position in the ocean. The flotilla was commanded by Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue, who, by the way, was removed from command after the operation. And that's why. They say that in this operation, the enemy ships did not even see each other, aircraft carriers exchanged strikes and attacks. The Japanese sank several American ships, but they also had serious losses. The aircraft carriers Shoho and Shokaku, which played a key role in Operation Mo, were seriously damaged. As a result, Admiral Inoue canceled the attack on Port Moresby, and the remaining ships and aircraft were not enough to win the Battle of Midway. For the Japanese, a "black streak" began in the war.
Battle of Midway
During the naval battle in the area near the Pacific Midway Atoll in June 1942, the Japanese fleet was defeated by the American enemy. Japan attacked the atoll on which US troops were based. two groups: aircraft carriers under the command of Admiral Nagumo and battleships, led by Admiral Yamamoto. Historians believe that the Japanese attack on Midway was actually a trap to lure American destroyers into it. The forces of the imperial army were undermined by the previous battle in the Coral Sea, in addition, the Americans knew their plan and prepared a counteroffensive, striking first. Japan's losses in this battle amounted to five aircraft carriers and cruisers, about 250 aircraft, not counting human casualties. Most importantly, Japan lost its advantage over the enemy in aircraft carriers and aircraft based on them, and since then it has not attacked, but only defended itself.
Capture of Okinawa
The landing operation of the US armed forces in 1945 was codenamed "Iceberg". Its goal was to capture the Japanese island of Okinawa, which was defended by the 32nd Army under the command of Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima, for the subsequent invasion of troops into the country. The island was guarded by about 100 thousand Japanese, the American offensive was almost three times larger, not counting equipment and aircraft. The assault on Okinawa began on the first of April. Ushijima's troops resisted fiercely until the summer, sending kamikaze into battle. A fleet was sent to help, including the legendary battleship Yamato. One of their main functions was to divert fire on themselves so that suicide pilots could break through to the enemy. All ships were sunk by American aircraft. "Yamato" sank along with 2.5 thousand crew members. At the end of June, the Japanese defenses fell, the lieutenant general and officers of the Japanese headquarters committed ritual suicide - seppuku. Okinawa was occupied by the Americans, for whom the Iceberg was the last landing operation in this war.
Loss of Saipan
Another defeat of the Japanese army in the Pacific was the lost battle for the island of Saipan in 1944. This battle was part of the American Mariana operation to capture Saipan and two other islands - Tinian and Guam. According to various estimates, Japan lost about 60,000 troops in the battles for the islands. The Americans placed military bases on the occupied islands, blocking the supply of raw materials for the needs of the military and defense industry from the countries of Southeast Asia to the Japanese. After the loss of Saipan, Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo resigned, whose popularity began to decline after the defeat of the imperial troops at Midway. Tojo was later declared a war criminal by his own government and executed. The capture of Saipan and two other islands allowed the Americans to organize an offensive operation into the Philippines.
Battle for Iwo Jima
Towards the end of the war, hostilities were already taking place in Japan. One of the main victories of the Americans on land was the battle for the island of Iwo Jima at the end of the winter of 1945. Iwo Jima was strategically important to the empire. A military base was located there, which prevented the Americans from attacking the enemy from the air. The Japanese were preparing for an attack not only by strengthening ground defenses, but also by equipping underground defenses. The first American attack came from the water, the island was shelled from naval artillery, then bombers joined the battle, and after that, marines landed on Iwo Jima. The campaign was successful, the American flag was planted on Mount Suribachi, and the photograph of this event became a classic of military documentary. The Japanese, by the way, burned their flag so that the enemy would not get it. After the end of the campaign, Japanese soldiers remained in the underground tunnels, who for a long time waged a guerrilla war with the Americans.
Manchurian operation
The Manchurian operation, organized in 1945 by Soviet and Mongolian troops, effectively put an end to Japan's participation in World War II. The purpose of the operation was to defeat the Kwantung Army in Manchuria, Inner Mongolia, the Liaodong Peninsula and Korea. The Japanese armed forces were simultaneously dealt two main blows - from the territories of Mongolia and the Soviet Primorye - as well as a number of auxiliary blows. The Blitzkrieg began on August 9, 1945. Aviation began to bomb the Japanese in Harbin, Changchun and Jilin, at the same time the Pacific Fleet in the Sea of Japan attacked naval bases in Ungi, Najin and Chongjin, and soldiers of the Trans-Baikal Front smashed the enemy on land. Having cut off the Japanese troops' retreat, the participants in the operation divided their military formations into small groups and surrounded them. On August 19, the Japanese military began to surrender. With the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan was forced to capitulate, the war was over.
Although the scenario of the 4th Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905, 1938-1939, 1945) is unlikely, you still need to know the capabilities of a potential enemy.
Tokyo's current tantrums are a sign of the decline of the Land of the Rising Sun. Japanese civilization is seriously ill, its Spirit is struck, which is clearly manifested in the psychological state of the population, the endless economic stagnation.
But instead of forgetting past mistakes and going for large-scale cooperation with Russia, which would give Japan a second wind, Tokyo prefers to blow on the coals of old and imaginary grievances, it would be more logical to present claims to the United States, which still occupy their territory and subjected them to nuclear bombed cities.
Japan Self-Defense Force
The number of approximately 300 thousand people, the number of reservists about 50 thousand. The recruitment principle is voluntary. The population is more than 127 million people, which is comparable to the population of the Russian Federation.
Ground forces- about 150 thousand (for 2007), 10 divisions (9 infantry and 1 tank), 18 brigades (3 infantry, 2 mixed, airborne, artillery, 2 anti-aircraft artillery, 5 engineering, helicopter, 3 training), 3 groups air defense. Armament: about 1000, about 900 armored vehicles, about 2000 artillery and mortars (including self-propelled guns, anti-aircraft guns), 100 anti-ship missiles, more than 100 MLRS, about 700 anti-tank missiles, 500 military air defense systems, about 450 helicopters - of which about 100 percussion.
Air Force: The number of personnel is 43-50 thousand people, 250 fighters and fighter-bombers (including 160 F-15 Eagle), 10 reconnaissance F-4 Phantom II (RF-4E), approximately 50 electronic warfare aircraft, radar, tankers, 30 transport workers, 240 training (can be used as scouts, light fighters, bombers) - for example: 20 Mitsubishi F-2B fighter-bombers. The Air Force also has over 50 utility and transport helicopters.
Kawasaki T-4 training aircraft
Japanese Navy: The number is approximately 45 thousand people. Composition: 1 Hyuuga-class helicopter carrier destroyer, 4 Shirane and Haruna-class helicopter carrier destroyers, 8 Atago, Kongo, Hatakaze-class URO destroyers, 32 destroyers (5 Takanami-class, 9 Murasame-class, 8 Asagiri-class, 10 Hatsuyuki-class), 6 Abukuma-class frigates, 20 submarines - 2 Soryu-class (2009-2010, several more under construction), 11 Oyashio-class , 7 type "Harushio".
There is also 1 minelayer, 2 minesweeper bases, 3 sea minesweepers, 3 Osumi-class large landing craft docks (1 under construction), 2 small landing craft, 7 missile boats, 8 landing craft (including 6 project 1 hovercraft) , 25 mine-sweeping boats, 5 sea tankers, 4 training ships, 2 training submarines, 2 control ships, 2 search and rescue ships.
Maritime: 172 aircraft and 133 helicopters (2007).
Coast Guard - more than 12 thousand people.
Air defense: about one and a half hundred long-range Patriot systems (similar to our S-300s), more than 500 MANPADS and ZA, about 70 short-range systems Tan SAM Type 81. Air defense is reinforced by E-2 Hawkeye AWACS aircraft and 10 AWACS - “ Boeing 767. All this is combined with the automated control system and the Badge air defense systems of the Navy.
Feature of the Japanese Navy: all ships are new, the most "old" ones are from the mid-80s, most of them are new, from the 90s, 2000s.
Northern Army: the most powerful army in Japan, created to counter the USSR. Tokyo is currently strengthening the southern direction, but the process has just begun. It consists of: 1 tank division, 3 infantry, artillery brigade, air defense brigade, engineering brigade. They are armed with approximately 90% of coastal PC systems, more than half of the tanks, 90 MLRS, a third of the air defense systems and artillery, a quarter of the anti-tank systems of all the Japanese Armed Forces.
Our forces in the Far Eastern theater of operations
Pacific Fleet: In 2010, the fleet had 5 strategic missile submarines, 20 multi-purpose submarines (twelve of them nuclear-powered), 10 combat surface ships of the ocean and sea zone and 32 ships of the coastal zone. But part of the payroll is in conservation or requires overhaul- all ships of the 1980s-early 90s, only one Molniya-class missile boat of 2004. So, for example: the heavy nuclear missile cruiser Admiral Lazarev is in conservation, out of 4 destroyers three are in conservation and repair (from conservation a rare ship returns to the fleet).
In Vladivostok, a marine brigade, a separate regiment of marines and an engineering battalion. 1 separate coastal missile regiment. In Kamchatka, an anti-aircraft missile regiment - S-300P.
Fleet problems: reconnaissance, target designation, dilapidated ships, air support and aerial reconnaissance are not enough.
Naval aviation: 1 separate mixed air regiment - Kamenny Ruchey (in service with Tu-22M3, Tu-142M3, Tu-142MR), a separate mixed anti-submarine air regiment (Nikolaevka) with Il-38, Ka-27, Ka-29; a separate transport aviation squadron (Knevichi) with An-12, An-24, An-26; a separate mixed air regiment (Yelizovo) Il-38; a separate naval anti-submarine helicopter squadron (Yelizovo) with Ka-27.
Air Force: There are no aircraft on the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin, one base in Kamchatka - approximately 30-35 MiG-31 fighter-interceptors, an air base near Vladivostok - 24 Su-27SM, 6 Su-27UB (combat training) and 12 MiG-31 ( how many combat-ready - is unknown). In comparative proximity - in Siberia - two air bases with 30 Su-27 and 24 short-range bombers Su-24M, 24 Su-24M2. But there are no air refueling tankers and AWACS aircraft. That is, the planes do not "see far", and their presence in the air is limited.
Ground troops: on Sakhalin there is a motorized rifle brigade, on the Kuril Islands one machine-gun and artillery division is not covered from the air, there is no air force, military air defense is not sufficient.
Scenarios of the 4th Russian-Japanese
- Short-term private operation: Japan delivers a sudden strike (they will not warn, this is a fact, as in 1904 and 1941 - they surprised the Russians in Port Arthur and the USA in Pearl Harbor) on the fleet bases in Vladivostok and Petropavlovsk, while simultaneously ironing the 18th division from the air and sea (possibly Sakhalin), then a landing operation, we lose the Kuriles and, possibly, Sakhalin. If they want to capture Sakhalin, they will. They will try to destroy most of the ships and infrastructure of the Pacific Fleet. Then, with the support of the United States and the world community, they will demand peace, returning Sakhalin, but solving the problem of the Northern Territories. The armed forces of the Russian Federation will not even have time to “wake up” properly, as the war ends. This is the most possible option.
The Japanese Armed Forces have enough forces for this.
If the Russian Federation does not go to peace, it will have to restore the Pacific Fleet, prepare landing transports, and it is necessary to create a complete 2-3-fold superiority over the Japanese Navy and Air Force, otherwise the islands cannot be recaptured. This is not one year and big losses, because Tokyo over the years will create a powerful system of fortifications of the islands. And the world community will in every possible way condemn the aggressive preparations of the Russians.
All-out war: most unlikely scenario. Tokyo is not ready for it, but in principle it can prepare in a few years, if the Pacific Fleet continues to rust and age, the Air Force and ground forces in the Far Eastern theater of operations will not be strengthened. Nobody canceled the plan of "Great Japan" to the Urals. Let's say, in 5-8 years, Japan delivers a sudden blow, captures the Kuriles and Sakhalin with lightning speed, smashes the remnants of the Pacific Fleet, and lands airborne divisions in Primorye and Kamchatka. Moscow does not go for the demonstrative use of nuclear weapons, throwing units from Siberia, the Urals and the European part of Russia into battle, everything comes not together, but in parts. As a result, Japan, incurring losses, will capture the Far East, but there will not be enough forces for further advancement.
China, threatening a strike from the south, will demand its share, the US will want its share - Chukotka and Kamchatka. Tokyo will have to accept and succumb to the great powers. Moscow will be able to win only by using nuclear weapons (several strikes against enemy troops are enough) or by militarizing the Far East.
US position
Will morally support an ally, secretly “ask” Moscow not to use nuclear weapons. They themselves will not fight, in the event of a full-scale war and the defeat of the Russian Federation, they will demand a share. He will try to become an intermediary - offering to "reconcile", giving Tokyo the islands.
China
He will condemn Tokyo's aggression, but will not interfere; in the event of a total success, Japan will demand a share, threatening war. Maybe "on the sly" to occupy Mongolia, part of Central Asia.
What to do to prevent such scenarios
Strengthen your armed forces, including the Pacific Fleet, Air Force, ground forces.
To state clearly diplomatically that we will never give up what is ours, and in the event of war and the insufficiency of conventional armed forces, we will respond with all available means.
Start a massive development program Far East, encouraging the resettlement of the excess population from the European part of Russia and the demographic growth programs of the indigenous population (stimulating families with three or more children).
- If possible, take the place of the US as an ally of Japan By proposing joint space exploration programs, developing industrial and scientific projects together, Russia is huge - Japan's investments will find worthy use.
