Edwin Libby – Small Arms Review

The Japanese Type 92 (1932) 7.7mm Heavy Machine Gun

SAR Staff — Mon, 11 Dec 2000 17:10:23 +0000

Japanese gunners with Type 92 Heavy Machine Gun. Malaya, 1941. Photo: Japanese wartime magazine.

By Edwin Libby

The standard heavy machine gun employed by Imperial Japanese forces in the Pacific War was the Type 92, commonly called the “Juki” by the combatants of both sides. This weapon derived its name from its Japanese designation Jukikanju, or “heavy machine gun” and, although this weapon was regarded a medium machine gun by U.S. forces because of its infantry rifle caliber, the gun’s 122-pound weight with tripod readily demonstrated the logic of its “heavy” classification. The gun was air-cooled and 61 pounds was accounted for by a very heavy barrel housed in a massive receiver casing with large radiator flanges to draw heat away form the mechanism during firing. A slow rate of fire of 350 to 400 rounds per minute, and a hollow-sounding report at a distance, earned the Juki the derisive name of “woodpecker.”

Two Australian Troopers with captured Japanese Type 92 HMG with optical sight. New Guinea, 1944.

The design of the Japanese Type 92 originated with the French Model of 1897 Hotchkiss heavy machine gun, several of which were purchased from the Paris-based Hotchkiss Company, and these guns were used with great success against the Russians in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. In that war the Japanese Army originated the technique of overhead fire in support of their infantry assaults, but they also used their tripod-mounted Hotchkiss guns to deliver direct fire from front line positions. Although this latter tactic proved to be exceedingly costly in Japanese lives, its success signaled the need for mobile firepower to support infantry on the battlefield. It also stimulated the quest for a light machine gun among the nations who recognized this need from their participation or observation in this first great modern war. After building the French Hotckiss MG under license and after modifying this gun to improve its reliability, the Japanese Army adopted a heavy machine gun of indigenous design, designating it the Taisho Type 3 Model of 1914. This gun was a much developed and refined version of the original French gun with a new and original locking system created by the gun’s designer, Kijiro Nambu, a Japanese Army officer who was to become Japan’s premier firearms designer. Several years later Nambu further refined his Type 3 heavy machine gun with greatly improved iron sights, with added optical sights, and with a new and powerful 7.7mm cartridge for which the refined gun was chambered. In 1932 this gun was adopted by the Japanese Army as the Type 92 heavy machine gun, and this gun was the Japanese heavy machine gun most frequently encountered on the battlefields where U.S. troops were engaged.

Ammunition of various types – ball, tracer, and armor-piercing – on 30-round rigid brass or steel feed strips was used in the Type 92 heavy machine gun. The strips offered a marked contrast to the flexible ammunition belts used by U.S. light, medium, and heavy Browning machine guns and captured Japanese Juki positions littered with empty feed strips and spent cartridge cases remain vivid in the memories of many U.S. combat Marines and soldiers. Each feed strip was packaged in a cloth-covered cardboard sleeve which, with its top removed and the strip engaged in the gun’s feedway, was used to guide the strip and to protect the cartridges on it from dirt and debris. To deliver sustained fire, strips were easily hooked together as they were fed into the gun by the assistant gunner; each cartridge was oiled by a brush in the feedway as it was drawn into the gun.

Ball ammunition of 7.7 diameter (.303 in. caliber) used in the Japanese Type 92 heavy machine gun was loaded typically with a bullet of 204 grains, one of the heaviest rifle caliber ball bullets used in World War II, and very heavy in comparison to the 154-grain ball bullet of the .30 caliber M2 cartridge used in U.S. Browning machine guns. This ammunition gave the Japanese Juki an effective range of 1500 yards, and a remarkable maximum range of 4500 yards. Three different types of optical sights of various powers (4-, 5-, and 6-power) enhanced the accuracy and effectiveness of this weapon. Whenever opportunity was presented the Japanese carefully located and concealed their heavy machine guns and the support positions for these guns, established fire lanes and precise target areas, and registered the fire of these weapons. A Juki in a prepared position and manned by a competent crew was a deadly weapon and a formidable obstacle for any attacking troops.

U.S. Troopers examine a Type 92 HMG captured from the Japanese in 1943.

This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V4N3 (December 2000)

Japanese Mobile Firepower of the Pacific War: The Nambu Type 99 Light Machine Gun

SAR Staff — Fri, 01 Dec 2000 20:49:05 +0000

By Edwin Libby

In the battle for Attu Island of the Aleutians chain off Alaska, soldiers of the American 7th Infantry Division encountered in May of 1943 a new type of light machine gun being used by the Japanese defenders of this piece of United States property, captured in June of 1942. The attacking U.S. troops discovered that this new weapon, the Nambu type 99 ( 7.7 mm) light machine gun, had been issued, almost exclusive of other Japanese LMGs, to all units of the 2300-man Japanese garrison which held the island. After Attu, American forces encountered the Type 99 Nambu LMG in every major land battle fought with the Japanese.

The Type 99 Nambu light machine gun originated with a design advanced by Lieutenant General Kkjiro Nambu in an Imperial Army competition for a new and more powerful weapon of this kind, and his design was adopted as the new Army standard LMG in 1939. The 7.7mm Type 99 LMG was viewed as an improvement over the 6.5mm Type 96 LMG, the preceding service standard that also had been designed by Nambu. Controversy over the development and adoption of the Type 96 predecessor centered on its 6.5mm cartridge that was thought by some to be inadequately powerful to meet the destructive capabilities expected of a weapon of this type. Although the 6.5mm cartridge produced sufficient range and excellent accuracy in the small arms in which it was used, it readily was apparent in comparison with the 7.7mm rimless machine gun cartridge recently adopted. It was also lacking in bullet diameter, size, and weight, and in muzzle energy required for the development of armor-piercing, tracer, incendiary, and other special purpose ammunition in common use with light machine guns. As well, by the late 1930’s the Japanese were very much aware of the superior capabilities of light machine guns of heavier calibers used by the major world powers, most of which had found their way into the motley armamentarium of their Chinese enemies and onto the battlefields upon which the Japanese fought. Official Japanese adoption of the Type 99 Nambu light machine gun in 1939 settled the LMG controversy and it placed Japan on par with the major world powers in possessing a first-rate weapon of this kind.

Designated Kyukyu Shiki Keikikanju, or “99 Type Light Machine Gun,” this weapon commonly was called Kyukyu Shiki Keiki, or “Type 99 Light,” by Japanese troops in the field. The Type 99 Nambu LMG essentially was a slightly redesigned Type 96 Nambu LMG strengthened substantially in its construction to handle a heavier cartridge. The Type 99 bore a close resemblance to the Type 96. The Type 99 Nambu LMG was a gas-operated, air-cooled, full-automatic, magazine-fed 7.7mm shoulder weapon with bipod which, like its 6.5mm Type 96 counterpart which was still being used in the field, was fired basically from the prone position. To steady the weapon in this position, a folding, adjustable monopod was fixed to the heel of the buttstock, a feature lacking in the Type 96. A 30-round box magazine with staggered feed was mounted on top of the gun’s receiver and the magazine was held in place by a magazine catch with a large oval-shaped release lever which provided a convenient quick release in changing magazines. Sights on the Type 99 Nambu were of iron with an inverted V blade protected by guards at the front and a drum-controlled peep with a windage adjustment at the rear. A 2.5 power optical sight that could be mounted on the top rear of the receiver was provided as an accessory, but this sight could be used only under favorable conditions of good light and clear visibility, and hence often it was not used. A rigid carrying handle, like that of the Type 96 LMG, was fixed to the top of the barrel just ahead of the receiver, and it offered a convenient one-handed grip for the gunner who had to move his position in a hurry. A nut-and-wedge barrel locking device was employed on the Type 99, and this device was a distinct improvement over the rotating locking lever of the Type 96 LMG, especially with regards to strength of the barrel to receiver connection. The nut-and-wedge lock of the Type 99 LMG was used with barrel headspace washers of varying thickness to allow headspace adjustment to control and eliminate gun malfunctions caused by cartridge case separation, a problem often encountered with the Type 96 LMG as a condition of wear. The Type 99 Nambu LMG weighed about 21 1/2 pounds with magazine and sling, and it was slightly but noticeably heavier than the Type 96. No doubt the Japanese Army officers who approved the Type 99 LMG as the successor to the Type 96 thought the Type 99’s heavier 7.7mm caliber and the special types of ammunition it could use justified the increase in the gun’s weight over that of the Type 96. However, the Type 96 LMG remained the favorite of the Japanese gunners in the field. When their units were in retreat, and especially under the conditions of the jungle warfare of the Southwest Pacific area, they often retained their Type 96 LMGs while leaving their Type 99 LMGs behind. Although this fact led to speculation among our forces that the Japanese favored a lighter weapon and demonstrated a disdain for the Type 99 LMG by leaving them behind, more likely a shortage of 7.7mm ammunition caused the Type 99’s abandonment.

After 1943 the Type 99 LMG was the only one of Kijiro Nambu’s LMG designs left in production and it truly became the standard Japanese infantry LMG. In the course of its production history more than 46,000 Type Nambu LMGs were produced in three government arsenals and in two government-supervised private manufacturing companies. Despite heavy bombing of Japanese arms-producing factories and facilities, the Japanese continued to turn out Type 99 LMGs for frontline use and, although the quality of manufacture and materials used deteriorated as the Pacific War progressed, the Type 99 LMGs produced remained reliable, efficient, and formidable. The Type 99 Nambu LMG was rated by U.S. Ordnance personnel and by those who faced it in combat as one of the best LMGs of its time.

This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V4N3 (December 2000)

The Jap 11 and Merrill’s Marauders

SAR Staff — Fri, 01 Dec 2000 20:42:57 +0000

By Rick Cartledge

Around the end of World War I the Japanese Military saw the need for a light machine gun. By 1922 they had perfected and adopted a gun. This gun would remain in service with them until the end of World War II. This first Japanese light machine carried its name stamped across the top of the receiver. The characters translate as ’11th year model’. The ‘11’ refers to the year 1922. It honors the reign of Taisho, Emperor Yoshihito of Japan. Emperor Yoshihito served as the 123rd Emperor and reigned until 1926. These stampings date the gun’s adoption to the 11th year of his reign. Emperor Yoshihito served as the immediate predecessor to Emperor Hirohito.

The Specifics

The Jap 11 served as an incredibly well made and well thought out gun. Its solid feel and beautiful workmanship belie its weight of 22 and 1/2 pounds. The Japanese chose the 6.5 (0.256 inch) cartridge to conform the gun to their already extant Arisaka rifle cartridge. Unlike its successor, the Jap 96, the Jap 11 takes the standard 6.5 rifle round. The ‘11’ boasts a muzzle velocity of 2,440 feet per second. Its sight gradates from 300 to 1500 meters with no windage adjustment. The Jap 11 pounds out 500 rounds per minute in full auto only fire. All parts of the gun show excellent craftsmanship and attention to detail. The Japanese even made some heavy tripods for these guns.

Soldiers of the 5307 Composite Unit, Provisional, ‘Merrill’s Marauders’, on the march in Burma, 1944 — U.S. Army photograph

The Type 11 possesses two interesting features, one of which is unique to the gun. On examining the gun, one immediately notices the short off-set stock. This feature later appeared on the Japanese Type 97 tank gun, a 7.7mm gun freely adopted from the ZB-26. One suspects that the 97’s off-set stock comes from the Type 91, a tank mounted version of the Type 11. The Type 91 distinguishes itself from the Type 11 by carrying a long focal length telescopic sight. The Type 91’s sight resembles the Type 97’s long focal length except that it necks down just before the front clamp and front optic.

The Type 11 contains one unique feature, the feed hopper. This hopper supplies the bullets to the chamber by way of five round 6.5 Arisaka rifle stripper clips. The hopper feed serves as a magazine for six stripper clips. The king size hopper feed first appeared on the modified Type 11 designated in 1931 as the Type 91 tank machine gun. The Type 91 also boasted the previously mentioned long focal length scope. Some guns registered as Type 11s may actually be Type 91 tank guns sans scope.

An overview of the well-made Jap 11 with four Arisaka stripper clips — Doug Hollberg photograph

Some criticism of the Type 11 comes from its somewhat complicated internal parts. This criticism stems mostly from point of view, whether Japanese or American. The internals of the Type 11, though more complicated than American design, do work well. The reader shall learn this from the last Japanese soldier who fired this particular gun. He sat deep in the jungles of Burma finding no problem with his gun. The soldier’s bullets traveled straight and true. He found his problem to be the American bullets that were coming back. From the American bullets he did not escape.

Dolf Goldsmith, Ed Libby, and Kent Lomont

Two years ago, Forbes Mathews acquired the Type 11 and a Type 96 from a collector in other climes. Just after these two guns cleared to Forbes, Dolf Goldsmith came to Marietta to research his Browning book and witness the birth of his new grandson. As explained in greater depth in another article, Mr. Goldsmith met Mr. Mathews at a private shooting range in north Georgia. The newly acquired Type 11 became a major player in both of their meetings.

Close up of the Type 11 hopper feeder loaded with Arisaka stripper clips — Doug Hollberg photograph

Inside the well-equipped machine shop, Forbes and Dolf examined the newly acquired Type 11. Mr. Goldsmith first examined the exterior and mechanics of the ‘11’. He found the weapon to be in excellent shape. Mr. Goldsmith then tore down the Type 11. He found the interior parts to be well oiled and in excellent condition. Dolf found the hopper to be another matter. Though the hopper appeared to be in the same condition as the rest of the gun, Dolf found a piece missing.

Opposite view of the Type 11 hopper showing its attachment and the off-set sight — Doug Hollberg photograph

Prior to Mr. Goldsmith’s arrival, Forbes had consulted with Doug Hollberg and Herman Lisle about the ammunition. Mr. Lisle, a long time shooter and reloader, came up with a formula for making the 6.5 reloads. Then, as they say, it got down to cases. For the Type 11, Doug found that the Norma Japanese 6.5 cases work in the stripper clips. For the Type 96 he employed a different solution. Doug took a tip on the 96 cases from the shooters of the Banzai Society. He fabricated the 96 6.5 cases from 35 Remington. The 35 Remington cases neck down to 6.5 X 48. The Japanese and reloadable Norma 6.5 cases calculate to 6.5 X 50. Mr. Lisle calculated the load. Mr. Lisle’s load works well in either gun. .

Before assembling the ammunition, Doug placed a telephone call to Ed Libby. Ed complimented Mr. Lisle on his calculations. Mr. Libby explained that their 6.5 load would work in both the Type 11 and the Type 96, and also advised Doug of the previously mentioned different cases used in the Type 11 and Type 96. Mr. Libby then added this caution. DO NOT USE ANY WORLD WAR II JAPANESE AMMO IN JAPANESE LMG’s. Because the powder deterioration after more than 50 years can produce very hot loads. These hot loads not only can damage a prized war relic but also may do harm to the shooter.

Dolf Goldsmith reassembled the Type 11. He then took it to the firing range. Though the gun fired accurately, the missing part made it a single shot. Afterward, Forbes Mathews placed a telephone call to Kent Lomont. Mr. Lomont sent Forbes the needed part to fix the Type 11 hopper. Forbes, a master machinist, duplicated the part and sent the original back to Kent Lomont. Forbes Mathews later showed us the part and correctly remarked, ‘Don’t try this at home.’ With the gun fixed, Forbes and his son have spent many an afternoon ‘putting brass on the ground.’ In the following the reader will learn the history of this particular gun.

Merrill’s Marauders

The war went badly for the allies in Southeast Asia. Gen. Frank Dow Merrill had had enough of backing up. He vowed to take the fight to the enemy’s heart in Burma. Merrill’s Marauders, along with a unit called Mars Task Force, marched into Burma to take the fight to the Japanese. Both units on separate missions were aided by the Kachin. Even today, no matter what flag flies above them, the mighty Kachin walk free.

Capt. John K. Benfield Jr. joined Merrill’s Marauders early on. The Marauders arrived outside their main objective of Myitkyina Airfield on the night turning July 28, 1944. Capt. Benfield, Sgt. Patton, and Cpl. Wooten took bayonets to well dug in soldiers from the Japanese 18th Division. A night fight, both fierce and terrible, ensued. At battle’s end, only Capt.Benfield remained wounded but standing. His two incredibly brave friends and more than 30 of the Japanese soldiers had perished in the fight. The rest of the Marauders went through the gap to take the airfield. Capt. Benfield brought the Type 11 gun out of the fight. A piece of the Japanese defender’s shirt still remains embedded in the stock at this very hour. Just before his death several years ago, a photographer snapped a picture of Capt. Benfield holding the Jap 11. This photograph ran in Capt. John Benfield’s obituary. A copy of the article and a number of other authenticating documents came with the gun.

Close up side view shows the fine condition of this gun in jungle combat in 1944 — Doug Hollberg photograph

On a personal note, I found firing this particular Jap 11 to be extremely interesting. My uncle Will Howard served with Merrill’s Marauders. He knew Capt. Benfield. He very well may have seen this gun in the jungles of Burma so many years ago. Uncle Will did not come out of the jungle until 1946. Until the day he died Uncle Will had nothing but the highest praise for Gen. Frank Merrill and everyone who served with him. The United States Army agrees with Uncle Will. The Army Ranger School outside Dahlonega, Georgia proudly carries the name of Major General Frank Dow Merrill.

The Japanese kanji translates ‘ 11 the year model’ to honor the reign of Emperor Yoshihito. The serial number is below the kanji on top of the receiver — Doug Hollberg photograph

In the fullness of time, Forbes Mathews intends to pass this historic weapon to his son. This historic weapon fought battles long ago and half a world away. In time the old gun shall pass from one generation to the next. In the meantime, father and son will continue to shoot together. They have at their disposal a gun in wonderful condition that also embodies an almost incredible history.

This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V4N3 (December 2000)