The Weapons: Japan
Type: Infantry Rifle
Action: Cock on Close Rotating Bolt
Overall Length: 50.2 inches
Weight: 9.25 pounds
Cartridge: 6.5x50mm
Magazine Capacity: 5 Cartridges
Feed System: Charger Clip
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: 1905
The Type 38 Arisaka rifle had been adopted in 1905, the 38th year of the Meji Emperor, as an improvement to the Empire’s first smokeless rifle, the Type 30. Serving throughout the First and Second World Wars, the Type 38 had been replaced by the Type 99 in 1939, but remained in large scale use throughout the war. The Manila Naval Defense Force had access to a wide variety of weapons, and it can be assumed the Type 38 was in abundance.
Type 99 Arisaka
Type: Short Rifle
Action: Cock on Close Rotating Bolt
Overall Length: 44 inches
Weight: 8.4 pounds
Cartridge: 7.7x58mm
Magazine Capacity: 5 Cartridges
Feed System: Charger Clip
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: 1939
The Type 99 was an upgrade of the older Type 38, modified into a universal short rifle pattern and chambered in a more powerful 7.7mm cartridge. Mainly deployed by the Imperial Army, the Type 99 was in most ways a more modern rifle, and was certainly more handy in length for urban combat.
Type 99SS Arisaka
As the war progressed and the situation deteriorated for the Japanese, the Type 99 began to see a distinct decline in quality of construction. Various special features of the early rifles disappeared first, followed by increasing cuts of more important areas, such as replacement of the adjustable ladder sights with fixed apertures, deletion of dust covers, and leaving unpolished welds across the weapon. Despite this, they remained functional, and issued to Japanese forces on various fronts.
Type: Short Rifle
Action: Cock on Close Rotating Bolt
Overall Length: 44 inches
Weight: 8.4 pounds
Cartridge: 7.7x58mm
Magazine Capacity: 5 Cartridges
Feed System: Charger Clip
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: ~1942
An interesting rifle that would see service primarily with the IJN, the Type I Carcano rifle had been produced in Italy just before the war. Essentially a Type 38 Arisaka with the action of the Italian M1891 Carcano, this non-standard rifle saw issue to various garrison units, and its appearance in the hands of the Manila Naval Defense Force is very likely.
Type: Infantry Rifle
Action: Cock on Open Rotating Bolt
Overall Length: 50.75 inches
Weight: 8.75 pounds
Cartridge: 6.5x50mm
Magazine Capacity: 5 Cartridges
Feed System: Charger Clip
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: 1939
The US M1903 Springfield rifle was not normally a component of the Japanese arsenal, but when the Philippines had been taken in 1942 a significant quantity had been captured following the collapse of the US Armed Forces in the Far East. Most had been stored in Manila warehouses, and as Admiral Iwabuchi prepared for his suicidal defense of the city these were opened to arm the various non-combat personnel that were absorbed into the MNDF. These rifles, mostly of Great War vintage, remained potent and accurate, with a handy size for the urban struggle to come.
Type: Short Rifle
Action: Cock on Open Rotating Bolt
Overall Length: 43.25 inches
Weight: 8.75 pounds
Cartridge: .30-06
Magazine Capacity: 5 Cartridges
Feed System: Charger Clip
Country of Origin: United States
Year: 1906
M1917 Enfield
Like the M1903, large numbers of M1917 Enfield rifles were also captured by the Japanese when the USAFFE collapsed in 1942. The M1917 had been the most numerous rifle in US hands during the Great War, but had been placed into a support role after the war as the M1903 resumed its primacy. Large numbers were given to the newly formed Philippine Army in the 1930s, and these joined the captured M1903 rifles in being issued out to the Japanese as the US Army approached Manila in early 1945.
Type: Infantry Rifle
Action: Cock on Close Rotating Bolt
Overall Length: 46 inches
Weight: 9 pounds
Cartridge: .30-06
Magazine Capacity: 6 Cartridges
Feed System: Charger Clip
Country of Origin: United States
Year: 1917
Type 97 Arisaka
A variant of the Type 38 Arisaka, the Type 97 was a dedicated sniper’s rifle. Fitted with a telescopic sight as well as a bent bolt handle, the Type 97 and the Type 99 (essentially the same scope attachment mated to a Type 99 Arisaka) were used throughout the Pacific Theater, and would make an appearance on the streets of Manila. Any urban environment was a natural habitat to a sniper, with many elevated positons and long, narrow sight lines, and Japanese snipers could be expected to use their rifles to deadly effect on the blasted streets of Manila. A notable feature of the Type 97 (and the Type 38) was that its small 6.5mm chambering produced very little muzzle flash and noise, making it all the more difficult to locate an enemy sniper.
Type: Sniper Rifle
Action: Cock on Close Rotating Bolt
Overall Length: 50.2 inches
Weight: 9.5 pounds
Cartridge: 6.5x50mm
Magnification: 2.5x
Magazine Capacity: 5 Cartridges
Feed System: Charger Clip
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: 1937
Type 14 Nambu
The most common handgun in the Japanese military was the Type 14 Nambu, an interesting design using an internal bolt rather than the more common slide. Unlike most powers, the Japanese required officers to privately purchase their sidearms, with the domestic Type 14 being the most widely available. Firing the relatively underpowered 8x22mm cartridge, the pistol was not noted for power nor reliability, but as a handgun would find itself very useful in the tight quarters of urban combat rather than the jungles that characterized most of the Pacific War.
Type: Service Pistol
Action: Blowback Automatic
Overall Length: 9.1 inches
Weight: 2 pounds
Cartridge: 8x22mm
Magazine Capacity: 8 Cartridges
Feed System: Detachable Magazine
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: 1927
Type 94 Nambu
Another, but radically different, Nambu design, the Type 94 was introduced as a more compact handgun and was popular with air and vehicle crews as well as NCOs. Not officially issued by the Imperial Navy, the Type 94 was still available for private purchase and was thus seen in the holsters of IJN pilots as well as other personnel, and thus would be carried by these members of the MNDF into the street battle for Manila.
Type: Service Pistol
Action: Blowback Automatic
Overall Length: 7.4 inches
Weight: 1.6 pounds
Cartridge: 8x22mm
Magazine Capacity: 6 Cartridges
Feed System: Detachable Magazine
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: 1935
Type 26 Revolver
The Type 26 was the first domestic Japanese handgun, being a top-break double-action only revolver chambered in a proprietary 9mm rimmed cartridge. A simple and conventional design that trades the Nambu’s rapid reloading and follow-up for reliability, the Type 26 remained in service even in 1945, ten years after the end of production. Like the Type 94 it was commonly issued to NCOs and vehicle crews, and would appear in the hands of various MNDF personnel.
Type: Service Pistol
Action: Double-Action Revolver
Overall Length: 9.1 inches
Weight: 1.9 pounds
Cartridge: 9x22mm
Cylinder Capacity: 6 Cartridges
Feed System: Single Round
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: 1893
Type 11 Light Machine Gun
Acting on the reports of observers in the First World War, the Japanese had concluded that a light machine gun was an indispensable component of a modern arsenal. This resulted in Kijiro Nambu being tasked with designing such a weapon based on the Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie, although using a hopper loaded with standard rifle clips rather than a feed strip. Leaving production in 1941, the Type 11 remained in use for the duration of the Second World War.
Type: Light Machine Gun
Action: Fully Automatic (500RPM)
Overall Length: 43.3 inches
Weight: 22.5 pounds
Cartridge: 6.5x50mm
Magazine Capacity: 30 Cartridges
Feed System: Charger Clip (6x) via External Hopper
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: 1922
Type 96/99 Light Machine Gun
US National Archives, via History Link 101
Issues with the Type 11 had led the Japanese to examine foreign weapons in the later Interwar Period, and they found themselves favorably impressed by the Czech ZB26. In a similar manner to the British with their Bren, the Japanese adopted a similar design. Feeding from a top mounted box magazine, it fed the same 6.5mm cartridge as the Type 38 and Type 11, although an improved variant in 7.7 was also available, designated the Type 99. Another notable feature of both the Type 96 and Type 99 was their provision for a bayonet, a uniquely Japanese addition for a light machine gun.
Type: Light Machine Gun
Action: Fully Automatic (550RPM)
Overall Length: 42 inches
Weight: 20 pounds
Cartridge: 6.5x50mm
Magazine Capacity: 30 Cartridges
Feed System: Detachable Box Magazine
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: 1936
Type 92 Light Machine Gun
The Type 92 was a Japanese copy of the famed Lewis Gun of the first World War, including its 7.7mm rimmed cartridge (.303 British). The primary defensive weapon on Japanese aircraft during the war, by early 1945 very few were still flying as the Americans closed in on Manila. In preparing for the defense of the city, the MNDF stripped the grounded aircraft at Nichols Field in the south and Grace Park Airfield in the north of their weapons, redeploying them in a ground role.
Type: Light Machine Gun
Action: Fully Automatic (600RPM)
Overall Length: 39 inches
Weight: 19 pounds
Cartridge: 7.7x56mm
Magazine Capacity: 97 Cartridges
Feed System: Detachable Pan Magazine
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: 1932
Type 92 Heavy Machine Gun
Based on the French Hotchkiss M1914, the Type 92 heavy machine gun fired a rimmed version of the Type 99’s 7.7x58mm cartridge via feed strips. Known to the Americans as the “Japanese Woodpecker” due to its distinctive report, the weapon was the most common heavy machine gun in the Japanese arsenal, and as such would appear in the Battle for Manila as a tripod mounted defensive weapon.
Type: Heavy Machine Gun
Action: Fully Automatic (450RPM)
Overall Length: 45.5 inches
Weight: 122 pounds*
Cartridge: 7.7x58mm Rimmed
Magazine Capacity: 30 Cartridges
Feed System: Hotchkiss Strip
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: 1932
*Includes tripod
Type 95 Shin Gunto
A modern, factory produced version of the classic katana of the Samurai, the Type 95 was commonly found in the hands of Japanese NCOs and other personnel, as well as some officers. In this capacity it would serve alongside the more ornate and sometimes ancient swords carried by some members of old samurai families, and be used in combat as well as on civilians during the battle of Manila.
Type: Sword
Overall Length: 36 inches
Weight: 1.7 pounds*
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: 1935
*Without Steel Sheath
Type 89 Grenade Launcher
A combination of grenade launcher and light mortar, the Type 89 was an interesting weapon that provided a significant amount of firepower in a very compact package. Allowing a Japanese infantry squad to engage targets at over 100 meters with explosive ordinance, its highly mobile nature made it exceedingly difficult to locate and neutralize. The weapon would be of more limited use in the defensive battle on the built up streets of Manila, but could still be used to improve the firepower of Japanese strongpoints.
Type: Grenade Launcher
Rate of Fire: 25 rpm (Maximum)
Crew: 1
Range: 120 meters
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: 1929
Type 97 Grenade
The Japanese Type 97 was also a defensive fragmentation weapon, with a 4-5 second fuse. In order ot arm the grenade, the firing pin was screwed down to protrude from the base of the striker cap. In order to use, the safety pin would be removed, followed by striking the spring-loaded striker cap against a hard surface, such as a helmet. This would activate the fuse, which would in turn detonate the TNT charge inside. The grenade had a similar “pineapple” pattern as the US Mk2, although it only covered the sides of the grenade, which was otherwise of a cylindrical shape.
Type: Fragmentation Grenade
Weight: 1 Pound
Charge: 65 grams TNT
Fuse: 4.5 Seconds
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: 1937
Type 96 AA Gun
The Japanese Type 92 cannon was a 25mm automatic anti-aircraft weapon commonly deployed both on land and aboard ships by the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy. Based on a French Hotchkiss design, the weapon would be deployed singly as well as in dual and triple mounts. As the battle for Manila loomed, the MNDF was in possession of a large number of Type 96 cannons and 25mm ammunition, mainly from the half sunken ships that now filled Manila Harbor. Some would be left to serve in their intended anti-aircraft role, with the ships forming makeshift batteries, but many would be removed and emplaced around the city.The Type 96 could devastate soft targets like infantry and even lightly armored vehicles with murderous volleys of 25mm shells.
Type: Anti-Aircraft Gun
Rate of Fire: 260RPM
Crew: 9
Range: 6,800 meters
Caliber: 25mm
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: 1936
Naval Artillery
With a shortage of artillery, as well as other ground combat weaponry, the MNDF was forced to get somewhat creative in order to comply with Admiral Iwabuchi’s orders to fortify the city. The most ready source for heavy weapons was the large number of ships lying partially submerged in Manila Bay, themselves already having provided a substantial number of personnel in the form of now redundant crews. Emplaced around the city, often inside buildings or in other concealed positions, these combined with snipers and machine guns to create kill zones on the narrow streets and open parks of the city. Although harder to emplace than Army field guns, the naval types tended to be smaller, and thus easier to conceal in positions where the defenders intended to fight to the bitter end. These weapons were often fixed into the pavement or reinforced concrete floors of structures, and provide the defenders with a viable counter to US armored vehicles.
Type: Naval Gun
Rate of Fire: Various
Crew: Various
Range: Various
Caliber: 80-120mm
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: Various
Rocket Artillery
The Japanese had been slow to adopt the rocket as an artillery piece when compared to other major powers, such as Germany and the United States, but that did not mean that such weapons did not exist in the inventory of the Imperial Army. As the Americans advanced on Manila, several types were available to the MNDF, including the Army’s Type 4 200mm and the Navy’s 450mm rocket mortars. Other types used an aircraft bomb fitted with a rocket motor and fired from a simple wooden launching rail, and these types of bombs were readily available from the surrounding airfields, most of which were now disused as the Americans had all but destroyed Japanese air power in the Philippines. These had already seen limited use in the previous year on various battlefields, and were known for their distinctive sound as they descended on their target, leading to the American use of the term “Screaming Mimi”, first popularized for the German Nebelwerfer used in Europe.
Type: Rocket Artillery
Rate of Fire: Unkown
Crew: Unkown
Range: 2,400 meters
Caliber: 200mm
Country of Origin: Japanese Empire
Year: 1943
Specifications for Army Type 4