OSPREY VANGUARD 35

ARMOUR OF THE PACIFIC WAR

Text and Colour plates by

Steven J. Zaloga

VANGUARD SER I ES

EDITOR: ~IARTIX \\' !:,,\[)ROW

ARMOUR OF THE PACIFIC WAR

Ttxt and colour plaIts I.ry

STEVEN J. ZALOGA

OS I'REY I'UHLISBI;';C 1.0:\DOX

Prelude to War

'Tu mtmfS pouv lits In ils tanks. IIMJ btCflmt a/mlllls Ilral OUr gmf7ullffllllt Ilg(Jlll.lllkl JlnU'r;Clln /a,(f$ is II ~II/~ aga""/Ih,,, MI (1.lld ,\/" Ullli.J':

(Gen. Ushima, commanding J :lf)o .. ne5e 32ml Army, Okinawa, 19~5)

Although land engagements, and the role of tanks [II these cngagcrncn~, in the I'acific thC3tr1; in World War II IUI\"<: been O\'Croh3dowt'tl by the dramatic carrier battles al sea. it should' be «:~m~rcd lhal til<: US deployed over a third of her 101:01 lank ha\talion~ in lhe Pacific. Terrain diffICulties. at finl thoughl insurmOUlltabk. lalcr cncouragm the development of imponant dO!OC+ lupporllactics; and campaigns such as thoee on the I'hilippim;s, IwoJima and Okinawa wcn-toscc the employment of armour on a 5<;ale wmpa",bk with thai in Europe. Fe"" mOl~ cla .. <sic examples of blh,d<lieg C"UI Ihan th~ So';Ct dcstruction of th~ Japancso:: Kwantung Arm) on the plains of Man­churia in t945.

AmlOur first appeared in Asia during the chaotic civil wan in Chilla;1I the t92os. Amtourcd trains and more cOl1ventional /\FVs saw action on man) occasions, as the Chinese Kuominlang Party's N:ltional Rcvolutionary Army under Chiang Kai_ shck !tnlgglcd w C:$tabli~h a IHllional govemmenl against rcsistan~ from northeTlt ,,·arlOT(b, and later against Communist guerillas. Foreign powers f~hed in these. murky waters; Soviet, and later Gem,an assistance reached the NRA, and White Russian mercenaries fought for the warlonb. Uy 1930 tlte NRA had acquired in V:lriouS wa}'l! about 36 Renault FT-r7 tanks and some 24 Carden Loyd machine gun carriers, apart from itsannoured train 'Ieee.

Profiting by tht general chaos, japan's Kwan­lung J\ nn)'. $tationw in 1\·l anehuria, provok .... d excusts to spread jap.lnesc influellcc. Attacking the city or Mukden, the j ap.1l'csc had scizw all i\lanchuri:1 by February 1932. The 5UCCC$5C:S or thcir fcw tanks and annourcd cars around Harbin

3

Tn><" modh, ... ' .... k 0/'.100 Jopon_ 1fh T • .u.. R<I!':' _ Coo. p!oot"ll ... phdI ....... "II &8'd"ll ..... ~" >i M •• d, ItJ90 'h.o TJ .... ., _. , ........ """ ... _h.m ........ .of J . .... - .. r_ i. 0.1 ... t. th .. lot. ,~n. ........ m.lor •••• ;. _ .17 .... _ wi,k ,lie .... .... 1, .;. of _ eom"""7' (J ....... Gt'1UMI .... )

promplro tht formation of l.h~ lank regimcms, 1"-0 in the Hom.:: Islands and Ihe3rd Tank Regt. in Manchuria, Jalc in 193'.1. Thi! was soon joined by the M("(;hanisal l\ l ixt-d Hde., buih around a mOlori~ infantry regimen! and the _ph Tank R~I .. which fidded the nC .... Ty~ 9,1 lankcue. Designed sp.:cilicaJly for uSoe in China, Ihis two-man machine gun ~arrier had a small armoured trailer, and WlU i'"cudcd to re-supply isolated inramry under fill:. In rile! it was much more often u~'d a.o; a lighl 5upport lank, and Wall gradually passed on 10 $COUI platoons and the lank companks assigned 10 inf.lnlry formations 35 III .. 4th Tank Regt. aC<luircd newer eq uipment.

In t935th ... :"·Iixed Mech. Ikt.... scnt a detachmcn! indudiu!o: t"ukr!! ..... T}lX" Be,! mnlinms and" n,·w T ype 95lighl tank to take part in rnanocuvl'Cll in the Gl1:at ... r Khingan Mountains along with mOiorised infantry "nd ~tl ppor\ tl nit~. l>e<:p snow caused problcnu for Ihe t"llks aud wheeled transport alike, and the OUlcome of Ihe uen::isc proved significant in the dcvelopment of I.J A armoured uniu. Teehni· cal rcquirernenl.'l for better lubricant~, and fOT the greater ,·cr.!-Mility in elttTCntC conditions offered by diesel ellgines were perha])! less important than Ihe douhUi raiSt:d in the minds of jal)'1nae plannen as to the feasibilit y of meehaui'l«l for­nlalions. The inability of Iruck-I)Omc inf."llIlry 10 kccp up ... ilh lanks poilllL-d to the need fOT tn,eked or h"lf-u""cked pen6nnel carrien; hut , given thc high induslri:,1 priori ly enjoyed by Ihe Na,l"s ship-

building programme, AmI)' resources wen: bardy adequate for a modest production of tanks, lei alone a major eltercisc in infantT} mechanisation. Con. !if:quently. thc Army showed liule inten::;t in armoured dh1SiollS until alieT /he .• pread of WaT ill J!HI-4~·

Nevertheless, the Kwantung /\ nny app~iated the mobility and firepo ... er offered by tanks. and eonlinuw to build up iUi armoured stn:nglh as I:<juipmenl becalm." available. T he Mixed Mcch. Bdl':. was assignw an imponanl pMt in a potential drive on Peking in [he event thM fult-scale war broke OUI wilh China; and in Ihe meantime border fighling conlinued againJ;1 both Ihe Chin~, and [he Soviel3 in Mongolia and Sib,~ria.

Both enemj~ built ul' their :,nnourffi uni Ui, war)" of j apanoe imentions. The Speci,,1 Far East Red lIanner /\ rmr (O K))V A) w:u reinfoTCw with fi\'e b.~ttalion! of T-~6 and T-~7 tanks, which ski r­mishL-d along the borders during 1934-35. The NRA forml-d an Annoured Car "nd Tank Corps al Chungking in Apri l 193~ ";Ih a few improvised vehicles, and foreign lank purch~ began in 193~. In 1936 three tank b.~ttalion! were formnt under the command of Xu T ing-rao. The tSI ,\ m){I. Bn. al Shanghai had 3~ Vicken Carden Loyd Am­phibiou5 Tanks Modd 1931, and 50me Vickc~ 6-Ion E umks. The 2nd Armd. lln., also al Shanghai. had Lhe remainder of the ~o ViekcT!; E tanks which had been acquil1.-d; four VCL Model 1936 ligh t tanlui; and the surviving VCI. machine gUll earrien from a b.llch purchasro in [9~9. At Nanking the 3rd Armd.Bn. Imd len P~KI)fw [ Ausf.A tanks, 20 Fiat CV-33 lanket t~, and a " umocr ofSd K r~ ~21

and 2~2 "rmourffi can; a small number of Frcnch Renault ZIl light [anb "cre :IC(luirffi later.

War Breaks Out Although border dashes increased following J apan's February t936 mi litary coup, mOl\I of Ihe beller Chinese unilS were .!'liII cornmiued to the suppression or·handits' and ... arlords. Filmll). on 7 j uly 1937, J apan opted for alt ... "ul war against China: the K wa"Hrng Arm} auacked from the nonh, while an expedi[iom,TY force tupponed by about [00 tanks land«l from the Jea and drove on

Peking through T icn-tsin. TheJapano::sc: aim was to seizc nOrlhenl China without delay, and the tanks provided thc nl'Ccss,'lry speed alld shock. The IJA aMUml'd that Chiang Kat-shck would llccept their J(:izure of the north: and indeed. within Ii,'c months they had scil.l-d ncarly all tcrritory north of the Yellow River, inhll bit~1 by 90 mill ion people, ... "thout serious resistance:. Chiang chose: to stand and light around Shanghai, ealculating thaI the large: foreign population in the: area would att ract the aUt::ntion, and perhaps Ihe intervention on China's !x·halr. of the \\\-stcn' powe:rs.

The NRA's bc:st Gcnnan-trained di\~sions wcre sent 10 Chapei province surrounding the in­tem:uion;11 cil)" alqng with m()ln of the small armoured force. T he J apanCSO': rcspond~1 as an­licip.1Ied. In additiqn to Marinc ullit s already in Shanghai, Marinc uniu with armour and Army uniu with about 200 tanks and tankettes were landl"tito contest thc NRA bui ld-up_ The Chinese uniu wcrt: routed ,,·ith hcav)· 10S5eS, including most qf their armour. j apan's Shanghai expediliqnary force moved north , linking up with the Peking expedilion:lry force which was driving southwards through the coastal provinces. The invasion of China oa;upicd jal>3nese tOfCd) for ahout a year, Ihe last pOrlS of Hankow and Canton falling in

autumn 1938. The: N RA was left large!) un­molestl"tl in the enlpty inlerior of the cquntf), since the IJA bardy had the forco 10 garrison the areas Ihe)' had already captured. -nle war in China would drag on. a l much rt-duced intensi ty, for the next $even yeal"ll.

The invasion was not entirely withoul it5 cosu, ho .... o::\'er. [n onc ofiu fe ..... batt[efield victories tho:: NRA slJrrounded and destroyed a large enemy loree, including 40 tanks and 70 armoured cars, ;11 T aierchuang on 6 7 I\pril 1931:1. The ChinC!e inf.1t1lry uni" irwoh'~i in Ihis ao:: tion were fortunate in bc:ingr:quippcd with Ihe German ['ali: 3637n1m :lI1ti-lank gun.

Khalkia. Gol The Soviet Ullion, anxious over the japmlC!e iI1l'asion,5wallowl-d IlaSt diAcrel1ces and helped re­e<:[ uip Ihe NRA. Soviet loons financed the purch:.sc of 87 '1'-26 Model 1933 light lanks in 1938, and &lvie t advison; assistl-d in thc (ormation of the 200th Mt'Chanisc:d Dil'uion "nlil wilhdrnwn following the Russo-German Nqn-Aggrcmqn I'aci in 1939.

..". ';'f .......... ~ r __ ""'H KNII.;' tb N~"""'. LoM 1>tdJ... &..1dH . .... 11 hmb<" of Vkke .. Mod,1 In' lip' , ... ~. (1"0"'"5...,.. ... ) .... .. r ",M. !Jo ....... or . rno __ "".,. ( ... d'II.........t1~ __ hor •• , ,hd. Lod_ ...... Ut I".. y. '-I

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Amollgolhersupplies pro\~d.;-d were 8A-6 and FAI annoul1;d can, anill"l) and trucks_

The Soviets iIUOn had their own problems with Ihe Japant'llC: Kwantung Army_ Then: h:ld bttn long-standing border disputcs l"",wecn Russia 's puppet, Mongolia , and theJ ap.1ncsc: in ~Ianchuria_ In July 1938 lighting broke oul at Changkufeng (Lake Khas."ln ) bel,,-een Ihe Kwantung Army and lIu." joint Mongolian/Soviet OKDVA forces" Tlu­Japanae ,,'ere pushetl back, bUllook heart when, at Ihis critical stag(-, Sial in"s purge oflhe So,';"1 officer corps hit the nwks ofOKDVA_Japan I'I,tlmt-d a fUl II,,; ,' eu"f"u"I .. I;un III~ fuUuw;,,!; 'U""""T; UUI U)' Ihal lime command of an OKDVA heavily rein_ forced with armour had p.-usnl 10 an em:rgctk )'oung cavalry commander. Crorgi Zh"kov.

J ap:lncsc forces massing in Ihe dispuled border arca around Khalkin Gol (Nomonhon) on Ihl"

Ty ... ., m •• U~", , ... k of '0' c-7'1o T ... .11 R<JIL cnooot"'ll'" i"'~_loricIJe _ 1",Io_r" 110"''' olM • ..ua _ 3J ...... .,. 'flO, d~n .. J , .... Pkill_ ' .10''''1. O~. ew ... by <.h. ....... rd.. 0(1;, 10 ......... lilte .1o.lIS M:). , ... TYf<" •• m p •• _ . 1f_1 .... _"'.' US ..... rlllp",," I .. fao • .,. ........ 1"._ • •• ,1-•• altl" ..... n.., .. "II • • , ... bel ......... ar .... ' t.olpu. ;.,..1 .... '10. ........... ,. (IJS ....... ,)

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OUler Mongulian frontier included all armoun:d task fOTCe, Ihe Yasuoka Delaehment, It..-d by LI. Gen. ~ I a.\-aomi Y;uuok:.; comprising ckmcllts of Ihe lTd and .ph Tank RegIS .. il fidded 73 tank! . Col. Yoshimaro commanded t"O It'n_,ank corn­panin of the 3rtl, wilh Type 8g rnedium5; 1.1. Col. Tamada commanded Ihree COm l):inics ofTYIX" 95 light tanks from the .ph. These unils were laler reinforced, it 5C<;;ms, wilh 'lOme arthe newerTn:oe97 m~-diurns. The So"it:ls secretl} massed a far larger annourt"d force tolalling at lelUt 550 tanks and 450 armoun:d cars. The 61h and IlIh Tank Ik ln. had BT-7~; IIIe 7,11, 81h aI,d ylh Anml.Bdn. h,"l BA-,u annoured cars. There "ere also a m"nl,..,r ofT-~6 infarnry lank mutations, and Ihe 8th ~Iongulian

Armd.lbllalion. The J apan~ made early progress, bUI Iheir

drive was ulunted by a couIller-aHad by we So"iel IlIh Tank and 71h Armd.Brigades. So"iet 1000000Io the Jap.lnc:se 37mm anI i-lank guns anti ~ l oI()1o\' Cocktaits were high, amounting 10 aboul 120 AFVs; bUI Ihe Yasuok;. De tachment losl over half ils lanb when it ran into Soviet 45mll1 anti-lank

guns. By the time the SoviclJIlaunehed a counter­oifell§ive in August the Kwamung Army had few tanks left , while theSovicucouJd still f!tld "y8 tanks and 346 a rm()Ul'L-d can.

Japan's crushing defeat :It Khalkin Col had important consequences. The IJ /\ quickly realised Ihal their tanks, armed at besl with a low-veloci ty ;,7mm gun, were no malch for contemporary Europcall designs mounting long-barrelled anti­tank guns. The 45mm wcapon of the BT-7 easily proved iusuperiorityovcr the T ypeBg and evellthe lie" Type 97 mediums. 011 the hard clay of the Mongolian plains eyen the whL~led BA-6 and BA-10 anllourt-d can; had shown thenl5ClvC$ dlCctive. This defe.1e led Japan to begin development of a mon: heavi ly anllL-d vcn;ion of the Type 97, and of a ne'" 47mm anti-tank gun. More irnportandy, perhaps, the lJA !limed away from Ihe smoking wrecks on the Mongolian steppe and concentrated thei r attcn tion southwards. Ulllhreatelll-d by Ihe K,,·an tung Amly in '941 - 4'.1, the Soviets were able todraw uniu from OKDV 1\ resen 'cs for the critical defence: of Moscow.

T .. Mockt '~ li3'" .... k ... r,lte ChIBe .. _ h M~. 1Ji~ . .. "ri .... the f;/"' ..... t_ tk a.. ..... · LocI .. R-.lI .. -""'''1 ,~ (Ui N.d ..... " ..... 1_)

The War Spreads With Manchuria and coos!lll China se<:u red , J al)'"ln ep:d French Indo:>-China and the oil-rich Dutch East Indies as its ncxt prey; but increMing Amer­ican pressure k-d to the fatefu l decision to challenge US power in the Pacific bydcstroying the American I'aci lic fleet at Pearl Harbor ot5 prelude to an ambitious advance through SE Asia.

B)' latc 194 1 J :lpa ll'$ amlOured rorce had grown considerably. T he Mixed Mtthaniscd Bele, had been rcpla~1ld by the: lSI and 2nd T ank Groups, cach with three regimcnts, stationed with the Kwantung Army; besides these thtre wen: more than a dozen other tank regiments, and mon: w~rc fonning. Srnaller formations "'en: attached to Army and ~I :trine units: ten infantry divisions cach had a nine-tank compan)', usually with the Type 95 !f(l-

glJ, as did Ihe ~[a,;ne lSI IU 41h ~ Iobik Bell"5" and nine independenl light compank., came under Army commands, Then.- were SOllie .11 ['atrol Comp'IIlies of light tankli and lankellcs, usually a!lachw to in r.1.ut ry unilS or fomuuions in place of hOI'S(.'d cavalry 5(;OUI$, Experienced only in open terrain, and now r.1.cing jungle, Ihe Japanese wen: still lilr more eonvinccd "rth!" value of lank support than wen: their opponenl$,

Allicd doubt! abou t Ihe polcmial oflankli in tht' tropia were typified b} Brit ish dis]Xl5itions in ~ I alaya and lIumla, guarded anI} II} a handful of LanChc,lcr .. m.l ~' I ,""rurr 11c, ,·i"!IIUII ",.",IIU""[

car$. The Netherlands East IndiN; Arm)' (KNI Lj, mon: receptive, had taken ddivery of only 24 of 75 ordered VCL Modd 19361ight tanks by December, and ~5 of 600 Marmon Herrington lighl tanks ordered for six new mechanisl.'d brigades. Avaiiable armoured Glf unit.'l induded one with 12 t\his

,

Straussler ,\CSl)s, onc wilh locally.built O\'er· \'alwagcn or US M3'\ I !K:OUl cars, and one " 'ith Krupp P:llu.crkrnnwagen. In t94~ II Squ., King's Own Hus-'>:lrs arri,'ed with 16 Vickers Mk VI light tanks.

The only US (auks in the Pacilio: were the 108 MS light tanks of 19~nd and 19.1th T:lllk Bns. forming the I'ro\oisional Tank Croup sent to LU1.on in Novcmber 1941 . In addition 1here ""en: 50 SI' ,\is 'Self.Propdkd ~lounlJ', MS 751l1m Cun l\I ~lOr

Carriages comprising old Frcnch 75mt1l guns moullted in half·tracks rut lank destroycrs.

Type,7 r .... · .. . r ,., t~_. T .. k c.......,..,.t ~_. i .. . .. Ddbo • • Dd b.rck ... _, wt.lk " '1"" to ..-. rho Mo ,.or.Jk •• II I.·.-r_ G .. ""ka ... l i .. Odober .~ ... m ... ' or . loI. ".it w ...

d .... ... yHI"'." ..... bow. "" US M.or!.. '7"' ''' A{f ....... ...... -.10 1oo.1p'" wro. 'M _'" d ... ,. i" whi •• • r ""rt. 1>1 .... (US "'""r)

Initial Allied Defeats

..... ,. j31),111'5 amphib;ou.~ landings:u the northt'rll neck of tile .\Ialay Peninsula on a ~('mbt-r 19-1' caught Ih" \w·o Il riti~h ' :lnk regiments r('qut'!;wd by LI. Gen. Perci\'al still at 5(';\. Th" ddcndcrs' COtWklion

lhal ll1<: mountainous jungle "'ali imp.l ssablc, C!lpttiall)'lo ul1lks, w;t'l tH)1 shart'd by IhcJ ;II), .. n~: Yamashita's ~51h ,\rm)' had '-/' I tanks of the 1St, 61h and r 4th Tank Regiments. The lSI, organistd like mOSI olhers in four companies each wilh \ell TyJlC 97 and tWO T )JX 9.'1 f/a-J'.O plus :In HQ company with rour Type 951ighl tanks, penetrated tht J itra Iinc on I I Decnnlxr. The most important lank battlc "as on 1 Janu;'tl) HIP, when the 6th Tank Reg!. broke Ihe Slim Ri\cr lint' north of SiJlg".lpore; in this figh ting the dtfcndcT1i 1051 ,h('if 50

or 50 ,\ Iannon IleMington armoured cars and Brell c.uriers. Singapore feU on '.'I l'ebruaT). F:.ced b} rf" anli-tank weapons, Ihe thTtT n-gi",("n!~ had proHd (kd~i,,(" (oJapdn'~ rapid victor)- .

The Philippinefii Luzoll sal'. tht, onl} UllJjor t;mk-H.-tank fighting of tht' initial phase oi"(h" I'acific I'.ar. T he 1J1\'S4Ih and 71h T:lllk RegiS., and sc\'Cral ,lIIall .. r unilS, I'.ere land.-d in .he Philippines. The US I'ro,-isiona! T ank Group counln-anach·d Iht' Linllay"n Gulr landin~ (h" first ""eoullter ritme on ~1 Dt.-ccmbn, when Type 95' ofth", 4th Tank R~'gl . amhu,h~-d a patrol from the J92nd Bn. ncar Damort~. Thei(' unils remained in COnlaC] a5 the US fon.:es re· trl'atoo. On 3 ' Dcccmlxr a skirmish at lIaliuag COIit

n..~~..ro .. M,",,' I~_h' •••• ..r,..d !>Ion-T ••• "' ... ___ dwrUol. t~U I. , .... lip. I •• _ a-pio.il", ... lXoot:-- '!I4lI th.l • ..l ••• pp" ....... ,.,. ""'P'~"" of , ..... 1rfH,1d. [us~C)

9

theJapancsc eight T ype 95 fla-go. T he Provisional Tank Group remained in action, though poorly handled by high~ r command. and many lanks wen' lo,n n ~'i.-dI<'Mly ;n hasly wilhdmw;lls. Surviving lanlel "cr~ among the lasl of the US rcarguard [0

withdraw into thl' U ... laan Peninsula, and the 13.$t lank·"'s.-tank action took place on 7 Apri l t9-12 when twocllemy lanks were da\ rop:d by the 1\135.

Se\'cral M3s wcre cl' pturC'd intact. and used to replace 10liM:S by the 71h Tank Regt. in later lighting. After the fall of Bataan a special unit was fonned for the landing on Corrcgidor; the 7th Regt. h"d bccomr eOllvineed that the Type 97 (:I".lra·$ 57111111 gun was inadequate ew~n against the M3, and a few T ypc 97tlll (47nt tn Slrinho/a Clrl-ha) wcre ru~hed to 1i. .. ta;U\. Two took part in the Corregidor landing of 5 1\b r thongh ironically cnough, thc) had to be towed olr lhe Stl'Cjl belleh approa~hes by the detacbment commander, 1\ laj. Matsuoka. in a captun.-d 1\13.

Dutch East Indies T he IJ t\ 4th Tank Rcgt., \'ClcranS of Khalki n Go! and lhe Philippines, landed onJ ava in March t!).j2, when mueh of th~ Elm I ndla had ''In:ady r. .. lIe11. The)' did 11<)1 sc-e ~uch d ramatic !lC'r"ice as in earlier b.l 11les; there Wt're few Dutch tH 'Vs on J ava, and both sides used llflnour in the K1:ondal)', illfantry su ppan role B __

J apanese fort:a in Burmll ... erc~upporH:d by the I~t,

2nd and 14th T ank Regiments. Allied forces in Uurm;' fielded two annourcd units, the Uri tish 7th Annd.lktc. and th~ Chines!: lIooth ;\k ehllnised Dhision. T he former, consisting or~lIId Royal T ank

"Yr_ . .... , .. c ol' ,he _ )I.b ";_ "' ........... T .. c<o< Sa. . ,. tlnl ... . <<><_.,.t ... _U.t 8«10.. " • • , .... bt ...... y Ill . ' r ... T ..... wo.. n .... " .......... ,.1 "" .. ,,.; ... , .... ,,, , ••• ,10"-", .... ,,1. k<I '" ,Io.b ~.., bo __ rty .... ~..,. .... ./0 . . ... phi_ • .,.,... .... ,;."" i" ,h. c.., ... t .... c.,; .... ' .... I . r l,u5 "IT_ .. ....... ....,It ..... '1 . 11 _ ... I~ bo ,,,", PTO. (USMC)

-Regiment and 7th lI ussal'$, was fresh fmlll Lhe \\'alcrn l><Xrt lind nc"l~ C([uipp'-'<i wilh i\[3 Stuarts; il had been diverted to Rangoon when 1\C'oOo'S of the [;,11 of Singapore fc;.chtd it at sea. Fighting with the n;arguard IhroughoUllhc retreat from Burma, it inflicted 115 share of damage on the JaIIaIlOC, hut did nOl enCOUnter enel1') tanks; il5 Story i~ told more fully in Vanguard 17, Tilt Sluml Ughl T~nJ. Stria.

T he Chinese 700lh i\oIcch.Di.· .. l)."\rtially formed wilh Sm'j",. hdp in 1938--39, c()nsisl~-d orone (auk and one moto,;sro infantry regiment. The Chine51': .... "Cn: reluctant 10 send .my troops j>o'tfl icularly their only :LnIlOUral unit \0 foreign ooltkfltJds, hut were convinced by Gtn. Stilwl'l]'~ pn-dicl ion of lhe COIl.$l!(tU(;Ilce; [0 Chiml of the Japancso: cuuing thdr supply rolllC from Burma. T ht' unit fought ~urprisingJy well in the Hukwang Valley in March '!M~, being singled out forStilwdl's praise; bUI, like the British 7th Armd.lldc., it 1(l51 mOSI of its equipment in the process. T he 111I1 .. ~ J:apanC$C tank unit, enabled the 1J i\ to maintain a rdentlcu punuit of the Allied forces back to India; bUI only the 14th T ank Regt. remained in Burma after t il<: campaign.

• Jal);\U'S early "iclOria "en' gTeall) :.idl:d by Ihe skilful and imaginative usc of tanks against CIlcrnics

,;:1,: ..-:...

" •• , ... Tn"" 1I .. ,. IiJloI .... k ... 0 h ......... ...... , '" d."I1 .... " US Mari_ , ....... d u ..... , _ bo, .. J., r .... T .... .... : ;, do. .... if<d 'he She ......... QtJIU CAl.. boo, ..... II •• M k .... d , ........ , by ..... k r M.t"~ (USM C)

who wcre ill"prep:,red [0 dea l with them. Shocknl OUI ofthcir complacenl contempt for theJapanesc, and their misplacc:d confidence ill the imagined natural barrieT$ to cnemy amlour, somc uuiu simply panicked. and other! wcre ham .. strung by their lack of adequate A{I' weapons.

Ne\'erthclCS$, these "it:IOrie" were Ihe lasl ofthcir kind. Foreed toapprcci:ue the ,'alueoftankse,'en in ex trcme terrain, Ihc Allies increasingly pro,';dl-d armour support in sulllOCfjuen( campaigns. In COn1ra5t, Ihe IJA was lulled inlO a false scnse: of security by ilS .. ictories in 194 [-4~' Although the Type 97-':'" made il~ debut at Concgidor in May (9'1~. il did nOI appear in any quantity unt il lhe Saipan lighling uf 19+4 nearly live ycaT!l afte r developmcn1 began in m>ponsc to the Khalkin Gol defeat, and by which l im~ it .... 'as hopcieMly out .. dated, ~ince theacalalion or"capons tn:hnology in E.urope had brTd a 1l10IT po ..... crfu l gcncntt ion of Allit'(j lauks. Another problem was the inability of Japanese indust\')' to satisfy mil.ilar)' demands, overburdened as il was by naval r""luiremcnts .

Interestingl), German SUCct'!lSfS in Europe, ralhcr tlmn j apan's Asian "!cIOrie", shaped the

"

0- .. r.lot badt.d "rs.u .... ... ,,, .t.~ Yo ..... loa ........ Iou. r . ........... _ T .... _ woo. COL.oIl.U>O.H<'IO "" ... wi, h MJA I lip. ",ab 0' II>< ~..! M."-' T.u ~ .... ,h. 10.11 .MI. i. ,h • •• .,... ... , J ... I~ .. ia .. ( th. 'MAC T .... Boo., "', • • I .... rI,"" by .". ,.. M.riA< T . .... B., {lI$M C)

dc\-dormcll l of the .ank forcl". In J ul) 19.1~ till' T ank GroUpl! in Manchuria WCre disl.mndL'(1 and~,

new Mechanised ,\ ""} wlU foun(k-d al 5:1Op­ingchicch. This consiSIL'll orthe lSI and 2nd Tank Dh'S., each of 1""0 lank brigades tilch of two n:gimcnts, plll~ li rnOlOrised inr.~nlry lmd a mot­oriscd artillery regimen! and su pporting units. TIn.­division had a nominal strength of 87 light , 249 rn .. :dium and 40 reserve tanks. l.aler in '942 a :Wl Tank Di .... was form~-d in China, and a 41h at the Chil)a T ank School inJ al);UI. Only twoof thescs:, w combat as complete formal ions: lIn." 2nd in lIlt" I'hi lippinn in 194-\ 45, and the 3nl during the great 19.11 oilhuive in China.

The Allied Ripo .. te \ VithJapan on l\ usu .. lia 's dool"Stcp in Ne .... ellinc .. , and threatening US forces in the Pacific and. later, on Ihe AtcUlian~, Allied moves 10 build up tank slrcllgth in the tht at re we", essential. Australia att(f New Zealand had already formed units for the Wcstcm ~rt; the new threat halted ti,rthcT Australian (kplopnctlls to l\friGI , and develop-

I~

tnent of the il1digenous Sentinel tank hegan although in the evcnt A,,~trali,m "nil$ "M:(! only llritish and US types in wmbat. At Ixak 5trength in tl).l2 ,\ "stralia had fOllr lauk brigades. ctj"ippro with ,\ Iatitda, "'3 Light and ." 3 l\ lediutn, twO brigades forming the 1St Armd.Div.: but manllOwcr problems forn'fi a reduction, and by t9.H onl)· one brigade rmmined.

New Zealand :.J.';(I formed a nurnbcrofarmoured unit~, nUl onl> (Inc squadrc>n aCIU"lIy saw action in the P,,,: ific.

T he US eV('nluall}' fielded the largest numbc:r of armourffi units in the I'"cific, totalling one-third or "Il i t~ tank battalions and all il$amphibian lank and tr.u:tor ballaliorl$. T he US Arm>' usually allached one tank ballalion 10 caeh inr'l1ltry di\>ision in oolllb.~ l: their organisadoll diffe red lillie from those ,.;rving in the ETO, although occasionally such changMt "ere madc a' , uhstituting ~I! o tank d,~troyel"!i forlhc l\ 17 or l\15 105mm howitu r lank!;. Th .. US Marin6 hCg'.In r..ui"ing light lanks ;n '941, imcnding to allach one l:mllaJion to cadi d;vi~<)n , but this was nOt achieved unlil '9oM: ill earlier b'lLlla onl> tletacht-d oompani('!l wen: :l\'ailable. In 19-1-3 USMC mnk b.'IILalions nom­inally cocnpri!lCd 67 M3 Light tanks, though l\14'b Sherman companies were added as ,hey l)C(amc :lvailable.

The Sou th-West Paci fic

TtJ.o lil"$! ,,~ uf ,\ lIied armour sinCl~ II>!' 19~1 ddfi,1lI \0<1.$ on :-'0:-" Cum('a and in Ih" Solomons. ~nlliollll "nl" hampc-rni h) lad of ""ItoUgh tank landing bargn and. 011«" ash~. b\ th" d"llid) jungled and mal'\ih) I.'rr.iu. M ()51 aCliom ;moh'f'd dispentd ~uh"uni ,s ~upponing infant!,,) hy mudnlt 001 Japancst hunkl"D, :md h~<lking up em-1IIY rounlCf.a llack!l" ith machine gun and canutH fif(". The Ii,..,.c oflcnsiv(' deployment wal Ihe I;.ndilll( in August 19-1 ~ of CoO.A. lSI Marine Tauk lin. on Guadakanal: Ih" dO!l<'o(juarlcT fightinl\" heR' w;u so $3\'<Igt: Ihal CCII. V;lUdergrifl recalled Ihl" blOl)tI· splaJlMd lanita 'Iooking like llK"al-griu(kD', Lack­inganti-Ian~ w(""pons. thcJapanesc infantry wo"ld dimb on 10 the lanls, trying to pry open hald>a and fiR' Ihll)U~h ,-ision slits; the)" "("IT mo_.-n do ... n b) US infantry. or by other tanks using machine gull! and cauisu:r. The first cornpan) w.., later rrinrorcnl, and in No\"tmOcr CO.S, 7nd ~ I arin~ T ank Kn. abo landed. LlII~ in October thcjap,IIWSl' Sumi)'oshi For.:r w;u landed for a com't~ro(]"hL.i\'r

:ICTt):!S the ~Iatanika Ri\'rr: it wa~ slIppontd b) I ~ (;!II-ha mrolurn lanks of the I~t I mlt-p~ndent T ank Co., formed fmm \'~Irran CITW, oflhe 41h Co., './ nd r ank Rt,!!:l .. bUI mOliI w~rr d("<II'o)"1 II) Marin~

]711,m A T gun~ while enlllSinl;" till' ri\~r. Ila\';ng ~izcd Xew Kril;l;n and ,~W I l"('land ill

\ ugusl Iq.p, Ih~Japan~ g"J.fri,;oned Rabaulw;lh Iheir 81h Tank R<,gt.; 'iOmr art',,", III :-:~W Guin~a

WNt' also occupied, In ~pt<'mtx-r Ih<';r all<'rnplcd landing'>' al ~ I ilne Ba} w<' ..... uppOrtrd b) T)'I'" 95 tanks. Tht AU <ITalian ATIII} mlpo nded, and de­t achlll~nu of ~ 1 3 SIu:,ru of 7/61h Armd.Reg!. fi~1 "'w :l( lio11 around C.'IM· ":nd:.l;,drrr. T hi, unit'. continued clOSt' support during lh~ bloody lIuna ~ampaign. lasl;ns; into ''In, w;uS<'(:n :llI~ntial h~­Ih~ Ausn-.dian infantry. d"pit~ Ih~ <'normous dinicult i.'S of ,ank <'mplo) menl in the ;-.Jrw Guinea Jungl~. In October 19-'3 Iht' Au,tralian lSI Tanl;. Btl. ~nl~rcd combat 011 11K II UOII Pcnmsuia, and iu ~ I :uild;u proof al;"aUlSt 1m- ~IK'''')''S :Hmm gUlls

W~Tl:' all illltllC."d;al~ !OUITOIi. i tld«d, III 1m-

'3

fighting arouud I' abu, onc Mati lda took 110 less than 50 hi t! frolll 75111111 gun! without a singh: penetration.

[nJul) 1943 the US t\ rmy and i\ larina attacked towards i\ lunda airfield on Nc" Georgia !lIpponcd by thm: i\ 13AI pla toons from thc USMC 9th, loth and I I (h Derense II ns_: again, (he deadl) spr.<yof pdlelJl fmm canister rounds proved their va lue. In No\'cmu.:,r lhe fighting spread 10 llougainville, "hich pro'·cd co be onc orthe mOSI long-clr.>wn-olll campaigns. The 3rd M"rinc Tank 8n:5 M3AIs helped capum:: the :Iirficld during the initial landingsal Cape T omkina, bUI w·ere Ihen hailed by dense jungle ami heavy rains. In '!H4 th" US I\ m,y', 754lh T :Ul k Bn. proved more sueemful. I II J uly 19.J5 the Ausll<Ilian 2/~th Amld.Regt. sent Mmildas to North 1H>lIgailll'ille to rollt Ollt enemy

M3 7S"'''' G~c, .... , ........... '. I .. I .... I'.dllc • • I~' 'S !'M" com .... ...... <e . , eo ... GI ........ , •• i. ~bo-. ' !Kl- E:o ch .\1.0";". dl .... l_ I0.oI I ~ ;", • Sp.<lal W ... _ . ~ .-.I I~tf p ..... , .... ,..,.,. ... r~1 f .... .... ft~ • ...-•• ;",JI . .... . . ,1-108. d.f ... « . TIU • .,...kk r ........ ok ,., M . rl_ SW .... 1. ,..In."';"'. Ih.--.01"" . ..... ""110, .. . .... h ..... m o M .... fIidal c~ ... uki". _ I .... h .. IL (G...'lI'r .... Ii.)

'4

rolU":S on BILka , and though the ground was 100 swampy for dose ~lIpporl their long_range suppon­ing fin: W'L' successful.

T he horron or the terr .. i" wen: IIOW hen: mOl"(" cxtn:mc than at C"pe: Glollcnter. Marine 1St Tank lin. Shermans and lighl lank1; landed in Occ<'mber 19-43 ..... ith 5Om<' limited succ~ but !;Ollie encm) strongpoims were SQ inaccessible thaI Shl-rmarul wcre lo..,dt'(l on to LCi\1s and uS('ti as miniature warships to bombard bunken near the shore. Anemion shifttocl WC5t ... ~ .. m in spring 19+1 whef! Gen. ~ l acAr!hur ordered a bold ill$Crtiotl orlroops far down Ih<' ro."l51 at the Japanese 5upply bases of I-Iollandia "nd Aitape. byp.1S.<;ing man>· strong lprrison!. I n Apri l these ObjN:li\'o wert: captured, Ihe 631",1 T ank Dcstrop~·r and !-,ph Tank1; Brl!. I""ding lalcr to help t:Xtend the perimeter. Nearb) Iliak Island was the next target, and M4J\ I Shem':tII~ lIf Ihe IXYJrd Sep.Tan);. C.o. gave short shrifi 10 ~ix T ype 95 II~-go stationed there. [n AUl:IIst 19H AU~lra[ian troops relieved US unil$ a t Aitape, and pushed eastwards towams Wew;tk supported hy the invalu:thle M:.titdas of 2/41h

Armd. Regiment. T he SlJk employment of New I:'.taland HIIIQ took place in t'ebrual)' 19H when the Special Army Tank Sqn., with Valentine Il ls, supported the landin~ on Green Island.

T hel"<': had been plans lO commit Au~trnl;an

troop" to III(' I)hilippi nl~ campaign at the end of 1944: i.mead, however. it was agreed that Ihey .... ould t:lkc over an) furt her o~r.H;on5 against J ap.l nese g:.rrisonJi 011 New Guinea. and would attack liornt"() to captul"I: importan t oilfield! and port faci lities. In April 1945 ~ /9th ,\ rmd. Regt. ~ I atildas landed in support of 26th Inr. Bde. on Tamkan. which wa'l feeling ly dt"SCrib ... ·d as 'a mft of mud anchon.-d in the Celebes Sea' not surpris­ingly, the Mati ldas' o~rnl ions were Jome .... hat limited. Landings at lk ll nci Ba) followed; and II/9th Armd.Regt. detaehmcIl t5 took p:m in thcscizureof RrooklOll and Labuan Island .. The largcst ~; nglc

deployment of A ustm lian tanks came in J uly '945 when the 1.11 T ank Regt. took parI in the landings a l 11K': Balikpapan oil fields, the gun-t:InQ being gh-en dle.:live support by tht -funnies' (Frog flamc .. thrower tanks, ;"I ali lda bulldo1.cn; and a Co\" ..

cnanlcr brirlgda)'c r) of the Armd.Sqn_ (Specia l uluipment). Although Balikpapan ,,-;u rar lnol"<': 'lankabl," terr..in th;", tht:" New Guineajunglc, the ,\ Iatildas ..... t~ slill widely di~pnsnl to suppon lhe jnli.n lry ..

The Central Pacific In eonlrdSt to lactiO! in the South .. W('St Pacific, tanks wen: u!lt'd in much larger nlLnl~rs, and in nonE and ellCt:l l\"c \\-d.ys, (luring the Is l anrl~hopping

camp.lig" in the Central I'aafic. While bearing liltk rcscnlblam;c to traditional \:oet ;cs a~ employed in Europe, Ihe bUliker.busting, Aa!l1" thrower a t· tacks and amphibian fire supporllhat t:"haractt'rised th<:sc ()I~rations weI"<': still cenl"'! 10 th" cond uct of the e:l1 np'l.ign.

T,..... '5 11.-« gr, ... SSLF ... 10 "" ....... , .' .. <_ '0 .,10 c..... J . ........ ,,10 Tank R~. _ So;I"'''' UK<! I •• ~ ........ "_k . p.t. .. ,ho- ............ ""'V or , ... US _<.10 .... _ ,10 •• i~.' or , 'II ,i J~-, It .... ..... ....,.."'" 1..- • ,1;.-. Ioi, r ....... M.f.\" she ...... or " ad M.ria. T .... Ii . .. (USMC)

'5

lido .. .s.. ... oT .' J"'~ ''H4 _ So;"" .... h.,.h T ••• R .... Ia...dood ... Ia ....... ' oI..Jl~ Jopo_ , .... < ............. " ••• of ,.~ Pu;~~ W • ., _Iy .. of +1 'onk. """'''''" ... ..... ' ....... , .... • "''''p' . ........... pI>nI .ftor ,"" "'''''' • Ty~ ,., f"",

If;::~==~.~. ';"--':'·;~:::~~:·'~~~~:~r'!~.!L";::: < .... < .. ri.ol~ :t.hl . ... 1., bu ..... 5'. c....Ia..IB .......... m "" ___ 'Ia,~ f 2. I •• 10< ... <. B ....... i. 0 TYP" ~ I/.·to of 'h .......... i'.(U5 No..,.)

Tarawa The st rug~le for thu w"" lch~-d (oral atoll in the GilIx:rt Islands played agn-at part in ~h"ping future US armour employment in the I',,("ilk. The main en~my defen~-n weIT on Belio islcl, where Ihe elite 71h Sascbo Special :'\:I\'al Landing FOITe rill<: J3p.~noeC(llli\"Ic:Ul l o Ihe US "-'arine'll wasdug in, with the 6th YokOllub SNl.F. ""d seven en· .renched Tnx: 95 light t"nkJ,

Tarawa .'~W the first U!!I': ofanllraC5 in:l ronlcstet! landing though th~y had Ix-.:n used ,II Gu"d"l· canal filr logistic suppon and thr lirst landing by tanks on a I><:aeh lu.'ad u"der din'Ct Ii,..,. Orib.jn:lll~ de\'eloped 10 1r3l1sporl suppJiC!l, the amphihious tr.;lctOI1i had sho'", their pou;mial lb. landing troops on alOlJs ",here ofl:.shore reefs p""cnlcd COI1\'cluional landing craft from reaching thc beacha, Th(" L\r r _1 v("rsion was Iln ,mnourro. ahhoush a linle light plating had bttl1 added to the forward ~ll pcr.iI.m:lUre of nlO!lt of thoso:: u~'(1 al Tanlwa. Litll" nlO.e amlUur was ,-,.rried h~ tire

"

;ml'rtwC(1 LV")"2, lLnd the troop compartment! Wen- coml'lc td) op<:n. Th(" lanks a.'Il\iglled to SUP IXln thc l nd Marin" Division's landing wc~ "-'IA ~ Shcnl1:lIl!; of CO.C, • .'.!arine t\mphibiollS Corps T ;nrk lin .. and "-'3'\ 1 Lighl tanle< oftl and C CO!;., 2nd .\Iarine T ,mk Il:LII~lion. The landil1g took plaCI' (In Betio on 20 November .g.n.

/\bout 100 1.\ T 'I and L VT _l amtnlt'.lI werc lL'OC(J b) the initialthn-.; aSS:llLh wa,,~ thc )' pro'·cd thdr value nOI onl} :15 tr.omport ovc. the rccf, hut in ollcring the M arinl~ some limited protCClion from the fierce lire " 'hich gre<'lt-d thent 011 the beach laler "ava.. brought in on landing e..ali Ix:c:lusc of lack o(;untr .. a. Slllli-red hea,,}-c3.$uald"", Thin as it was, Ih" armnurofthc l.V r ·2 pro\'ed its wonh. and the L \ ~r.1 w:l5 sI1 IJSt'<J uentl)' withdrawn from IISC in contC!lI ~'(1 landing:'!. More lin'power w;u nc.:dl:'<l, how~'\'cr: the ,untraes' cxpo$C!d machin .. guns we~ useless :lg-.. insl bunken or .'ven eutrenched tTOOps. and dangerous 10 usc hecau,';e of ellemr snil><:rs, T his kd to the pro\';~ioll of armoured shields, and th" de"dopm("11\ of the LVT (A)·. and (" )-4 amphibious tal1 k$.

Thc Ii"., tankJ to hi , Bea<:h RlxI I we~ si~ Shennan! dropped. 1.200 )"ards offiho' ", T he ,lmlloWll hid huge sht'll holC!\ left U)' the naval bombardment, and 011(" Sherman ,,"all lO<It in one at onrc. I'rc\'enlro from movin)o: 011' the be:leh hy

thickly scatterecl .' Iarinl! CMualties, Ihe othel'S tried W 1'I\O\'e Ihrough Ihe shalla"." and Ihrtt more flooded Ihdr engina in shell holes, The lunivin~ au(,\(;n alKI (:I1l\\ (,\1. mo\'ed inlalKl again; OUC\(,(lWilS knocked OUI. bUl CHI' \G.\l.sun'i,'ed a lucky hil from a /la-KG "hien jammed her tunTl ring. and pnxnl"l) r.umned Ihe JaJl3nO!' lank, damaging her own gun in Ihe process. (ltt\\(.\t mad<:: it h:u:k to the Ixaeh, and u:!<::d heT hull machine gUll to lupport the inr. .. nLl).

Eight Shermans from 2nd and 3rt! I'latoons, dropped IIOll1e JOO )'anl! on' Red 3, 1000t one ofthdr numlxr in a shdl hole. The th~ survivors of'lnd Platoon wnlt into aClion on Red 2; one "as knocked OUI Il) .1 Japan('!;(' infantl)'man ",iLh a magnetic mine, and .. nolher l>et:ame bogged in a shell hole. The pl:lloon had two tanks baek in action OIl 0 + t, "Mn one was 1000t in a mdl hole ",hile l1)ing to approaeh an enemy posil;on Ihrou'lh the shallow,. and Ihe O(hcr "<u knocked OUI by US monar lire. The fourSherman! of3rt! Plaloon "ere all knocked out. onc II) a US ~av) dh'e-bomlxr and thTre burning aftcr hiu b) an enemy gun; ho"c\'er, <:tROIt \I)(lretumed to Ihe bailie after her driver rut out the lIames by driving into the sea, That night Ollt' or the bogged tanks 0(1' Red I,

nCIlI\, w;u ~'C()\lCrec!, and fought on 1) + I alongside the 'toothl('S!l' ( 111\ \ I; \I . and the charm! but fdll) fl)11I1I \1111.

No M3AI s gal Mhort' on 1). l)a). four LC Ms carT)ing tanks of'.!I1d 1'111I00n. CO.C. ~nd '\ Iarine Tank Bn. bcing sunk o/fthe beach. Two lanu gol inlO action 011 I) + I, but one was losl to a mOlgnNi<: mine, The olher two plOltooll$landed all 12 ofthcir !-1 :Jr\ IS sOCCC'SSfull) on I) + 'I. The .8 lanb ofCo.B beg:an landing on I) + I, losin~ Ii\'e 10 engine flooding atld shell holes, I)uring the fighting the Stuarts' canisler rounds wreaked their usual havoc <In ban7.ai-<:harges, bUI Ihe 37mm gun Wall in­dli'('ti"e again ~t fernw;on<:rcte bunk('n 10 the ('X tl,,,t Ihal some frustratN! umkrn drovc righl up 10 the larget and lin:d H I~ directly through till' gunslits,

Arter cOnlinued mOPlling-up op<'r.lliolll l!.cl io was Iin:IUy laken ]6 houn :after th(' ini liall:anding, at a COSt of t, t 13 dead and '1,'190 wounded ~ I arincs; tl~ ~,600 JaJl3nesc Marina and ~.200 labour )ltl'$<)nnd weTC wiped out. The Stuart. standart! ~u;pmcnt of Ihe US~ I C battaliolll. had been clearly shown to Ix inadC<luate. but Ihe Sherman had pro\ed both ofrensively and dcfcnsi\<d ) SUCt:CS5-

fu l, Rc-ctluipmcnt was carrie.:! OUI company by cnrnpan) in US!- IC tank hall:llio1\5, The nt'Cd for namethrower lanks, to bum out bunken which

",. lU_r. , .... ,,"". of , 5 J..- ........................... Cool. tIl,l<td c... ... n.~.Io'k'-(j, ... ..rIol.""';""'.I.t.Co.t.. c...w .... . N._ .n ... AM -, __ ~ hll ...... 1 .. _ bd ... ..., ~ ..t.l, •• ~ boo ......... _r_l>fftO"' ............. . ..r .... ,.. " ..... (UI> Na,_t Ardol., ... )

, 7

~ted gU ll fire. W,LS abo noted; initi:tll), Ihe MarinN c:xp('rimc:ntc:d wilh Oamclhmwcrs moun· led on lil;hl lanks and amlraa.

M.kin T hc Arm) attack on ncighlJouring ~ I akin Island WM swill and chcapcomparni wll h T arawa. Thcll' well' 1"'0 T Y]M' 9,S lIa'/!!I on Makin, hU I Ihcy ... ell' nOl e"mlln l~rc<l b) Ihe ' 931'(1 Tank lin., which support ... d th ... landing thr onl)' US " nil in the Pacilk 10 u~ Ihe M3 1..1'(" 1:1n \" in ... omb:l\.

The M.nhall blands

On • Fd:>nHII") 19-1-1 Ihc t..:!) Arm) and Marina I,mdcd 011 K"otjalcin, Ih"lall:f"'i1 atoll in Ih" "orld

mol"(' than 60 miles long, "'ilh a lagoon w miles ... ·ilk. Dcspite I\ mcrican fears ora !!!'Coml T araw; •. the Jap.1.nevdcf,·nders werr mOIl'KOItlrred and less

::: ::~-t.: k"_.ns:,Io; $.;;:::;';=-..;:!'.~~ M.- ....... IlliMC ........... _ ... t+Ioio. . .. raa .ko-. wtt"<...- -.- ..... ... no. s. ........ _ -....e !OI", . .nolo 10 ..... '" a- ........ nc1 ..,. • c..-I ..... R_ h_ .10 ....... _ •• _,,,.1, ........ t .. okol .... " • .tfe_ r ... ... i!':"'...w.-"~(ftri",~"'~ r",,1 .. __ ..... .--,- e ...... .....

,8

well «ltul'l'oo. T he 41h ,,1;.";ne Di\" . .... ;u targeunl on Ihe :Icljoinilllt; Roi·Nam"r Islands, ... hil<: I\ ml) Unil! allacked other islallds in Iho: aloll. The 75 amlnK'l oflho: 41h Amphibian Tr.t(tOr" lin., mainly L \ T-:rs " 'ilh boil-on armour, c:trried OUI the initial alI!l:IUI I, "hich ,,;u handkal'l'cd b) the in· exp,rrirnce of lhe c ........ s; luddl). Raj', d&nees had hecn hra,;ty f'Ou"d.-d Ill' Ihe NOlI)'. Wilh the 23111 Mari"." !\Short'. ten Sh.'nn.",s ami th~ ~ I :.A n 01', 'CSIX"<:lil"t·I) . (;os.C and A, "Ih Marine T ank Sn. l:lIldl'(] in suppon . T h ... ) bl~lc:d aer1)5S Ih ... ai rfteld in the Cf'Olrc ofth ... island, and in 1"0 hours Roi had f;lIkl1. N:unur, a 10tll~h('r objtclh· ...... ""as laktn b)" Ih ... ~'l4lh Mannes supported b) ICI1 My \ u 01' Co.K: JOnII' boggro ;n th ... $:Ind, and all .. crt att:.ckrd by swarming enemy ;nran!r}, .... ho "ere s ..... el" off their dN:k~ by machine gun and canister fi re. T he Shermans from Roi bier cruucd a u.nd $jli t 10 rdnforec Ihe SIUarts, but their litt le rcmainin~ rud and ammunilion had to be IX'lOkd and loaded into four lanu JI'" 1.1.1 .. JI.LI.IIU .. JO"'I.II andJt .\lIfL That l1l~hl Ihe Shermat1!i bllHi ... " I) a f"no"' J al'anae CQunler·allack, and 'lI'xt da> Ih"y led the final assault . A fe" en(,lII) tankeues and

one T ype 2 h'a-ml amphibiou! lank .... ere found ,",'hile mopping up I:ucr.

;\Ieanwhile lhe Army'S 71h Ojv. allacked lhe main headquarter.; on K .... "jalcin :rnd posilions on wrrounding islcts. The Army's premier 708lh Amphibian Tractor Bn. (Provisional I sPNrheadcd the aMault. T his .... as an amphibian lank b;ulalion, re-<:onfigun:d because not enough ofils L VT (Aj"s had been delll'ered. These annoured I. Vf-2S, fitted ";Ih a 37mm gun lurret derived from Ihe MY\l , and t ..... o .3()(al. machine guns, .... ere inu:ndt'li 10

provide fire support for amlrac unilS during Ihe landing, and 10 continue gil~ng supporl for Ihe infantry once ashore. For Operation · "-lintlock· 17 LVT(A)- Is were a"aiJable, :md the 708th also had lOme LVT(AH.!s .... ith manpack flameth roweTli in improvised bow mountings. The 708lh Un. landt'li "';th LVI'(A )-2S in the celllrc, flanked by Ihe L\rr (,\ j_15, and followed by wavo of unamloo L\'T-25.

'nle 71h o iv ..... ~ supportt'CI b)' lhe mixed 767th Tank Bn., with ;\ 14-'\1 Shermans, M.').'\I Swarts, an M 10 tank destroycr platoon and flamelhro ..... er tank!! - a total of 72 tanks, dispcl'$Cd in sub-units around the islets. There were 30 ofthesc in all, and t.:S trooP$ had to fight for ten oflhcm. The aloll fell in a wttk. and, substantially due to the lanks and amlraa, casualties were mueh lighter than had been feared.

..... "" .. TY ... "'3" ARV of,he,nI Mari_ Taalo 110 ... rK<n'~'" • Tl'P"" /I •. p .. r.h~ "i,h la.d~n' T ..... Co. . ne. 'h C ...... fi l hu,,1 of J~IY ' !H+ 1'he'<i,h.oed ... hi, .... rret -...r with. It . .. ji "un ""' .... "'" I. , 1M C1t.''''. TIt. ARV dlopltoro d ... ...... 1._' •• WpIoa., i ........ _ ........ U .ide. (USMC"", 1m .......... .,h )

Eniwe10k A similar atoll \0 Kwajaldn. EniwelOk was assaul. led using the smne taetio: naval bombnrdmcnt. and :'''111''''(; :'Hack q uickl} followed by .:.nk landings. T he 708lh Bn. totalled 17 L \rr(A )_IS and 102 amlracs. The Marines pro\idcd the Shermans of the 2nd Separate T ank Co .. and Ihe ,\ rmy, Ilu: 766th Tank Bn.; the Shermans blastt'CI defenders from the ruins of Engt"bi Island during the initial fighting of 18 Febn.ar} 19+4. Lightlanlcs ofGo.C, 7G6th Un. supported the l06th I nfa11lry on the more StubbontJy defended Eni"'ctok Island, and the 22nd Marines and 2nd &'p.Tank Co. also came aeross from Engebi. A few dug-in Type 95 /la.go wereovcrrun,and thcusual counter-attacks, blasted by the Shermans, quickly exhausted the defenders.

On ~2 Febntary Ihe nnd Marines altaekl'li Parry Island. thrtt Ho-gQ tanks being {(uickly deslroycd by Shermans of lhe supporting 2nd Sep.Tank Co.: lhe remainder of the enemy lank com pall)' 011 Parry wru;:u briskly dealt with during a night coulllcr_al1aek, the lasl Japanese effort on Ihe island. During Ihe following Wt'Ck$ 29 other islets in Ihe atoll were ,aken.

'9

The Marianas This ..... alI the decisive h.1ttle or the e:lmp.1ign: the islands were the first or Japan's inner defensive belt to oc attacked, and olferl'rl airfields for OllCrations :Ig:lill!lt the Home Islands, T he large enemy garrison had Ocen n:inforel..:1 with the IJA's 9th Tank Regt" ..... ith T ype 9:' ligh t ta nk~, T ype! 97 mediums and a re ..... of the new Type! 97A"O' Shmholo Chr-ha. The , ~t and lind fu ...... en: on Guam, the 3n:1, 5th and 61h on Saipan, Then: wen: also nine /la_§, of an SN LF company on Saipan, and the similarly C(luiplX...:1 '1.ph Independent T"nk Co. on Guam. The garrison had additionally begun 10 receive the exccllerll ne ..... 47mrn Type I ami-tank 8un.

Saip.111 was tackkd first: on 's J une '!).H joo Arrn> and US~I C llm lTOlCll earried a5hofe a \ ..... 0-

no. <-'~"'P'-' ., .11""" of ........ " .... ' .. k . .... , ........... ,heIr J._ ~".rpoort • ...w ... .-<111 "" .... ~ ... pllll .... ~< •• ,""" Ity 11.1. """_. p ...... M ,10< ne .. 0( •• Mt .... $10.0""",. wi,k. 'J "~,.. ,.ok" .......... _ ,t.. _ .d..,k • • ...... _y. K ...... a, ........ ofeo.c. ilk i\t.,,_ T ouolo. II ... photOS ... "" .... -N.m •• " F.b ... .,. , _ 'pO." 'k co.. or _ k pi ......... Ilkh

~.:;::-~.::.:~;::';..;.~(U:;r:~.- of J.",,_ "'ad_

pronged :US;1U1l by the 2nd and 4th ~ I arine

Di,~sioru. The 708th Amphibi:". T ank BIl., re' con~tilu tC(1 sincc Eni ..... etok, was now the fint unit of its type to sec combat with a full tank compkmelll. 11 wnsisted of all HQ Co. with three L\,T(Al-2s and one of the ne" L \ ,',+,,; and fou r line companies, e:.eh of t3 LV1' (A -IS and four LVJ'(A)-.lS the laller with an opcn-lOppt'd 7smrn turret from the M8 IIOWit1.cr Motor Car­ri:lgc, Two ofiu romp<ln ies WCIT assigned weaeh of the Manne regimenu of 4th Div. :lllacking the Mluthcfn beaches; they opened fire some 300 yards offshore, and escorted the amtraCll up the beaeh and SO ffiC way in land, l '()sscs frolll cncml monar and artillery fire were heavy among the amtTOlC!l and L Vr(t\ )·\S, and the 708th wa!llater awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for iu part in the landing..

On the afternoon of the 15th the LCMs began landing thc lanu of the ~nd :md 4th Marine T <lnk IIn5 .. ",hid. by this date had \)e(:n re-organised with 46 M4A2 Shermans instead of the original 54 light tanks. For Saip.'l.u, each 1 •. ut3Iion <l lso har! an

additional 'of to 20f M :JI\' Satan f1a,m:thro\\cr tanks.

The Shennans began attackin'! l'nCm} gun poPtions "hich ,,'Cr'(' causinlj: havoc along [he goo­}"rd deep lxachlK-ad. That niKl1l dc-tachmcnu ofa Japoannc: S;-';U', supported by $('\·cr.ol T nlC :,lA .Hft, amphibious mnks. landed ncar Can pan on the left flallk of lhe northern bcacha. (The T yVC J, I~~ on ,I", TYl'r 95, wa .• givrn hunyaney lr)' fron, and n::ar pOnlOOflS. dropped l,ftn landing. I Alert !> lari­IlI'I called in naval Slar ,hell iIluminalion, and the Type 2S ..-cn:: blasted b} bawokas and Shennan guns. Dawn allack$ by IheSNLFT)'JlC95compa1lY and 'It li Co., 9th Tank Regt. wilh supporting infalltr}' wt re devastattd b)' mnk lire.

Tlw I1l'Xt day Ihe !>Il,rinc mnks If!<! the brcak-out from thl' Ixachhl'ad, 5Uppork'(i b} IOtl1l' or the L\'1\ A -IJ and -.p.. Although ans\\'l'ring the long. ~tll:fJuin::ment foran amphibian tank gun hea\;l'r than the 37111m. thl' I.\ - I' (A -of proved a lI1ixl'(i

bletiing. I'he brw:r "H,.Ct "1Il opclHop]1n1. and had furn'tilhe deletion of tile L \ I tA)-,', two rcar~ mOllllll'tl machine guns an oftcn f."ltal COil"

bimuion. in thc face of Japanl'3C infantr} attacks prc$2d 10 hand-to-hand range. EXp!'rience on Saipoanltd to thc filling oI't..-o shiekln:l .30ul. gum on the tll~t sidn. and \'ariou~ bow gun impro­,isallom.

I)urillg ,he brcak-out Sgl. Robert McCard'l Sherman was isola ted and knocked out b} cncm} artillery, !> lcCard 105! his life .. hile holding b;,d thc Jap.3llf:5C ,,-ilh machinc gun lirr: and grenades long cnough r(M' his err: .. 10 escape, and ""lllI pOlllhu­moos!} awarded onc of onl} t"'O Congrcuional

"

I ..J /'

.'

n.. okldlaa .".~.n .... ~ po .. tho> r ....... ,he LVT(Al-i dHlp P"""''''''' ... rl_ . ... i ......... ad .n~. bad u!"'rI ... eeo_ s..~ .... M ... i ........ , .... co bqa .. 10 .p ...... , defra . ........... bi .... ..... _ , .... 'Mrrfl. "Ill •• v .... kle, pI>o<os",pIwcI d .. rl"R ... ..,...u.8 ... P _,Iaa. DO> Tial.. .. ;,. J .. ly '~~ ..... . .. .ddi<l ..... 1 .,...,... _ II>.< , ............... KI., _ .10 •• t ...... "" '!i"C"-~ . t 1M IU ....... raT h .... i"'provl_ .hlold ad"«1 • .....-d. Ib~ ri • • '''" ... ... '0 p ..... oc< 1M lu •• <r r .... m .,,1"" .... (1I5~IC)

~,l cdaJs of Honor won by tankers in the Paci rK; . uller Ihal day landings by the Army'S 271h Dj" ,

wen: supporwd by COS. S (Shermans) and D (l\I!)A 1$) of the 762nd Tank Bn., and Co.D (M51\ 1S) or lhe 766lh.

On the evcning or ,6 June Vice-Admiral Nagumo ordered an all-out counter-attack; and Lt. Gen. Saito ordered Col. mddi GOtO of the 911l T ank Regt. to lead Ihe allack. Rcdu(:e(i from 90 to 44 lankll by dclachm"mll to Guam and I J losses 011 Ihe beacht-s, the unit formed up noisil y wilh the 1361h In[Regt. in the nIbble of Campan. They were heard by the tl6th and 2/lmd ~brinC$, who called up a Sherman platoon from Co.A, 2nd Marine Tank Bn.; sever .. l ~13 75mn\ SP~'I half. tr .. eks also look up position behind Ihe entrench~-d

"

infanlry. At 0:)00 on the morning of t7 june LIII." largClit singlejapanesc: tank attack of the island war IJcRan .

Illuminated by na\'lll SLar shells, the lead tanks were quickly knocked OUL b)' oo1.ooka and 37mm gun fire; in the confusion of bla1jng tanks olll('rs Str .. yed into nearby swampland, bc:<:oming stationary t:trgets. The ~laJ;nes cou.uef"anaeked, and at dawn the SP1'. b and tanks moved up LQ shell any enemy lankJs which did not s«rn sufliciently burned. Only t 2 japancsr. tanks survived the attack, silt each Type 97 mediums and T ype: 95 Hagll; halfofthesc: werc lost in an unequal contest with Shern13tls of CO.C, 2nd Marine Tank Bn. outside Carap;'ul on 2'lth j utle, and the Tdl were dt'Slroy~-d piecemeal by Army ~ 1 0LS.

The Marine tankers, delighled wilh the: "tank­able' terrain, continued 10 provide lire suppOrt , routing OUI bunkers aud caves with gunfire and flamethrowers. Nevertheless, lank losscs were quile hc;wy, both to artillcry and to magnetic min~. Japanese mine-teams soon found th:u their weap­OilS were onl> dfecth-e if carefully placed on

''111''Cl<lble points of thc Sherman, such aJ the n:ar fud tank; but such w:u their enomlOlIS bra vcr') thai US infant!)· had to work "cry dosel )' wilh the lanks 10 prott'Ct them. Saipml WaJ finall) dcclanxl stcurc on g jul y.

On Tin;:m, <USaultcd on 114 jul y by Marines backed by the lind and 4th ~larine Tank Bns" the enemy', 181h I nf. RL"gt. had 1:r T ypc 95 HII-go tank.~ under L'ommand. The Marina cncountcn:d onl)' light initial resistance, knocking out two of the lanks. The rCSI wen: kcpl for thc now-f.'1miliar night counter-attack." hich wasbcatcn offat a cost offive more Type 95l. Figh ting continued on Tinian for another wcck.

Meanwhile the 3rd Marine Div. ass.111lted Guam, supponcd by Ihe :rnd and 4th Marine SepTank Col., Ihe 3rrl Marine Tank Bn. and the Army', 706lh Tank Bn.; japanese tank uniu comprised Ihe 1St and :rnd Coos., 91h Tank Regl. "ith '19 CIII-M and HII-60. and the :r4th Ind.-r ank Co. with nine IIII_go. Fi"e 1I(1'go of t l9th Regt. allad:cd the beachhead shortly afte r the landings al Agat on ~I j uly. and all were deslroyed by bawokas and by Shennans of the 4th Scpal<lte Tank Company. TIl<' mil of the lSI Co. wer .. deslroyed by the :rnd Scp.Tank Co. "hen Ii,'c lIa-go attacked Ihe :rllnd Marines, and thrcc mon: were knockoxl OUI from the air. The japanese 114th

Ind.Tank Co. wa3 \;rtually wiped out by the $anle uniu during rc:cktOlS counter-attacks.

The n:maining tanks or Ihc :r191h Tank Reg1. were withdm\\,11 north 10 Taragm:; daytime en­eoumer!l had proved futile, and the) "'en: gr .. dually expcndt>d in a !!Cries of ferocious night anacks in support ofiuf.'1lltry. Fi\'e ('ki-ha sur ... i ... «t thcir last night atllKk on 819 August. since II,,: di~g\lstcd " h rines found thai their r.un-$()3kcd ba~ooka

rock<;ls were not IIs.able. Thc next da) Shermans routed Oll( Itl(: lllllt ene.my 5trongpoinl, dcstroying two lanks in combat and linding Ihe last scven $CuHlcd for lack offuc:l and parts. Saip.UI and Guam $3\\' (he III000t aggressive us<: ofjapllnese tanks of the "hole I'acilic War and IlI\dert in .. d the 01)$01-cscenee of the 1/(1'go and Chl-M, whose guns werc useless ag:lirm the Sherman, bUI whose :Irmour could tJO: pe.nclrnlL-d by bazook:u, hea ... y machinc gUllS, and even by rifle-grenades.

In the excellent lank countryofthc ~'arianasthe L \ r r (A)-4S were also able to operate inlalld in Ihe SUpport role.

Ihte I. Ih~ ..... <_0 .. , .. 11_ or Jo_ .. ",001<. _ , ~.

Phmppl_ .. ,h. U5 ".n'r ".dod ,~ __ , . ... dHo'_ . .... ,. ,.u-.. h~ ... ° I*lr or M, ... or 'k 6,-.1 TD ......... ,ro! I. "on"" ....... I" •• t • •• e.d or '!144' n... , ... k _ ... y ..... .. ... .,. ""k ... 'k .... a.,M.., .... ,""" ~ _ ...... r .. 1 I. t"t..,.,. •• Ppo>'1 .. 00''''.' , ...... '".~ ,Iool ....... , ........ . ........, 'h ........ 1_ .... _ ,0 'k .... u.r .. ..,..! do...- 1.1' .. , .,. ."uk. r •• _ ..... by 'lor J.P""""" (US " ..... Y)

'3

0...., J ...... 'l' ' MS 1M i:l7'~ TD IIa, g, • ..,. ...... ... 01 ....... Dr . ouolo • .....d • ....,10. or,h.J. _ lookTuk lI.<1I" -"0.," f "'W.'''''ykao<Md 0 .. , rour ~"""(;Ao'''' ' • .D,.'''''';~_' ,..., ._ • ..,.. n.. , ... _ , .... rll'" ha . ..... <omP"" y Ju .... Ia.. Kat ..... "" "n •• 'r. ""i ...... DB II .. ''''_' (US A ..... ,)

The Palau Islands On 15 s.:,pt~nlber J9-H the lSI Marine Dill. sulfcred heavy JOSSCli in la"ding on Pcleliu, another ht:;I\'il~ fortified coral crag like Helio. In the firsl waVl: 26 LVrs wen: JOSl and man) mon: dalliagoo. Eve') 0"(' of the finllanks which lhe lSI Marine Tank lin. PUI a5hol"(' in Ihe fourlh wave wa~ hit by gunfire. IM'lIC ,11,,\ afiCTnoon Ihe IJA '41h lnf.Div.'1 com­pany of ;,I)()UI 15 Ty~ 95 lIa-lQ charg.:o:! aclV5ll lhe island's airst rip in support of an inr.'lntry alUlck, in lO Ihe lin: ofb.1Y.ookas, ,17n1nl A( r guns and thrtt Shermans. The Shermans' AI' roullds wen: ~n 10 ~ dean lhn:mgh the thinly arrnoun'd T ype 955 withom apparent l'CIuh; switehing to 1-11'., the M:uints quickly blew the small tallk.~ apart, so thoroughly th:1I tht')' eould not later count tht number destroyed with any eertain ty. A few which reached Manne linn Wcrt quiddy accounted for. Once thc m:lin rt"lll!tancc had been o"crcome the Annis 710th Tank Bn.landed to help mop up; and

subsc."(juentJ} the M lOS of the 8191h T D 8 n. landed on ncighoowing A"guar Island.

The Philippines The largnl numUcrs of tanks cmploycd in Ihe Ccnlral I'acine sa,,"' action on the l'h ilippines. On Luzon lhe Ij /\ eommiucd the 2nd T ank Di .... ; the 7th Ind.T:mk Co. (,r ypl: SgCh,oro mediums) and a company of TYI~ 95 n llop w~'rc on I.e)·tc. t\ntieip:uing armoun:d rcsistanec. the US Army assiglled !\e"'en tank and three t:mk dcstroyer hatlitlions and a ilCparalc tank company to Ihc landin~. alongsidc the amphibian tank and tractor battalions.

The OctoUcr in ... asion of L.cyte was not Knously hampocrcd hy tht fcw enemy tanks, .... hich ",cre mainl y dtstroyed by bazooka teams; US tanks were fra: to suppOrt their infantry in Ihe way ",hich had become Jlanrlard in the I' :\dfie.

Recognising Iheir inadequacy, Gen. Y:una!lhita ordered the lanks oflli1 2nd Di .... dispcl"5Cd in static defensive dctaehrnents to dday lhe US arl\'ancc, "" hik his other units wi thdrew into rugged terrain in northcm LU1.On. The S/unhollJ Chi-/uJ'J 47mm gun

could penetmte the side, though nO! the froma] armour of the Shennan. Japan~ tanks .... e~ dug imo adobe ~vetmenu under hea,')" camouflage as the !Iueldi of defence S)"Slems; alternative positions allo ...... :d lauks to be moved around perimelers al nl~. Ixtaclunent sizeo< varil-d .... ide]y: Ihe 'rnlllk"St, al Urdancta. had nine tanks. whilt' Ihe 71h Tank Rcgl:s Shigcmi detachment II I San Manuel had 45, and the 6th Tank Rcgl:$ Ida Detachment a l :\luno1. had 52. bOlh the Janer mainl) Shmhoto Chi-

"'. The LU7.on landings Ix:gan on 15 Dt'Cembt-r 19+1: apan from a skinnish near Bina lonan Ihe first tank baltic was on 24JanU;tT) 1945:1\ San ~Ianud, "hen the Shigc;rni Detachment was anackt'd b~ the 16m lIlt: supported by divisional :\ 17 HMO! and CO.C, 716th Tank Ila lwlioll. TIll" H~Ic"s 105111m gun was dfl"l·li\"e in blasting away the adobe ~velmenu, and the infamry slo ..... ly gainl"(1 ground in hloody fighting. The 30 rcmaining IJA tanks launched a thn:e-".,."!" charge with int;mtr) sUI)­port in the early hours of ~8 January. and wen:: wipcd OUI. American /\F"V losses had lX"Cn three

Sht'rmans and one ~17. The Ida Detachmenl at Munoz was eucircled and smashed during 1 7 February. a brellk-oul attempt being SlOpped by artillery and the M y\u of the 716th Tank Baualion. Thc last major J aJJllIIl"SC dement, the 100h Tank Regl. , was destroyed around Lupao on 7- 8 February. By:. ~Iarch US forcn had dntroyed 103 Chi_Ira and t9 /la-go la!lb, ;Uld [wo I scm Ho-ro SP howil"l.crs. The lind Tank Di,. had paid a heavy prier for , uer($!; in delaying Ihe US Hdl'ance, the poor quality ofi u t"(juipmclll forcing passive taelics "hich posed lillie threat to American armour. "hich was hcavily commiw:d 10 infan try !uppon thcrNftcr. Arnong uniu which distinguished them· selv1:3 in the Manila fighting wen: the 4-\lh and 75.I[h Tank HilS., and Ihe637th TD IIn.( ~ I I& ) ..... on a l'rC;!idCl1lial Unit Cillilion.

~ -'r U1i .......... i . ' ....... P"" fa._ d... • ....,.loa ot J.po. ••• ~ad T ...... o;v . ...... 1o.1."ItT ... Ba.!_.-e. Sloe ........ r ....... c Co.. CUMY P"W, p"'- _ orr_ • . _ ( ...... or._ 1,h T.ol< Rt-trt. h..,do."", _. o. ' 1 J ..... .,. ,,..~ ..... u ........... .., •. ThT. '."'pur Ia.n , ...... p"" i ...... """,....,.loa or , .... J .... -.., , ..... _eeoo ..... loa •• s... M ..... I. Not~ t.It~t.".,_.ty .. ...ty ....... Ii ... la.iB.Ut •• ' 8;._ 1'I"01 r ............ 1.' .......... _ .10. h .. 11 old< ............ im ... _ ,be .... ret . (US A,....y)

lwoJim a TI~ 31'<1. "Ih and ~th M:uin~ Tank BII5. suppon('(\ tllt';r di\"i:siol\5 aft~r the landings of 19 February on this sulphuric "okanic island, lhe 1000gl1("$1 and b]oOOi("$t ~ I arine batt lefield oflhe "ar. Hattalion C5tabli~hm~nL had now grown to 6, Shennan", of I->hirh nine Imd ~4-~ Aarn .. ·throwcl1l. Th~ fighting involved COMly anempl$ 10 rom ,,~II·enlrcnch~-d dcfcndcl1l from Ihc cavcs "hich riddl('(\ lin: island b) 'corks£-~ .... and blowtorch' lactio opening up enemy posi liolll Wi lh lank firt" or t.;uche! charges, and burning thcm OUI .. ith A;omt'thro,,·cl1l. Tank 101!1CS, ("$JlC'Ciall) 10 mines. ~n rround mo.o;t

oollal;OII5 10 a l)(IUI 60 per «'Ill tt renllth, although most d:unag('(\ tanks we~ rc."f:ow·rrd Iatrr. Lt . Col. N;~hi h:ld hoped to USI" the S/l!1lho/~ Ch,."" tanks of his 261h Reg\. :~ a roving 'fin' brigade', hut "M

ordered to d~ploy Ih<:m as ~lIlrench(,(\ pillboxes, and lllOIIl ftll victim to b.·l:took:l$. t'ighting con­t;nu('(\ until 26 March,

26

Okinawa The.' hll"ge."llt I\nny M"rinr: combined ope .... u ion of th~ .. ar il1\"01\"(,(\ OH'r I .OOU amtt:l.es. "pari from OIIK-r landing craft. I'Mt ul~ri~IlCe prompted tlK bndin/l; of mot'1' amm.n than ~\'~r bd"~: right Ami) and two t;SMC tank 1>311aliol\5, IWO am· phibi,ltI tank ballalions, and IWO USMC ind~ l'(,rtdrrtl tank comparti('$, 10Ialling O\'1:r 800 tanh. In addi tion thue .. err hundrcd~ of Ma rine am· phibious tanlu, [\rm) 51' gun" half·tracks lind other AF"s. TlInk.inllrntl) tactia had brcomr 50 t'1'fin('(\ Ihal Gen. S~ph('rd oftb( fuh ~Iaril~ Diy. later OOnlmCnl('(\ thai 'if an) ou(' supporting ann can Ix- ,inglc:d O\It as lta,inS!: contributed more tha.n any oth(,T during the progrc1i8 of thc ClInI(Jllign, Ih(' lank would c('rtainl) have 10 Ix- seln:t('(\.' llu: only

M7 ' -:1"'''' II .... C. M .. """' ....... "" ..... M. I.....r._....,.... ol~" TO .... ..-..I.tI ... M.p' tU..,.III ............ t...-. •• J .. - .,..~ n.. _ I, M ......... 'p' Io!'" P.n~ ... ""' .. _. cnod;.~ .. i ......... '. w.' .... but~. '''-';'1 {i .. 0..._ r ... l<. """ ;" .......... _ J ............ (lIS "'._ ,)

IJ '\ amlOur encoumeft:d was the 'l7th Tank Regt .. wilh olll~' 13 HQ·go lind 14 Sl!inholo Chl·ha, largl'ly wiped om in the iIl.fau:d 5 May eounu:r-olfens;,'e.

Aller Okinllw:l prq)ar.Hion~ hegan fi),. the dreaded invasion of the Home Islands, which would han: brtn enormously o:o:stly. Enemy tank strength would have totalled 'l,970 in IWO divisions, six brigades and many smilller units. Thc US landings plluUled for Ko\'cmher '945 ,", ould have incloded at least rhrel' annourcd di"isions and several dozen HUlk baualions, had the ,\·bomb nOI brooght aoool Japan's surrcndcT in "ugu,t.

The Asian Mainland ........ The mOSI cxtclw\'e usc of armour outside Ih( O:ntTliI Pacific area was in Burma. British and Indian foreo increasingly deployed [links in clO!ie IUl'porl of inf.'lntl)' aft(,T sue~ in the ,\mkan fighting of t943, rising 10 a peak strength of o\'er a doun rcgimcn~. The I1nlll advance of 1945 took !:Ink uni~ OUI of clO!ie count I)' and on to the Haller

M •• orB Co., tt'~ T •• k " ,.nu.Io ... f._ .......... 00« •• • 10 • ......... _~ ..... t .... lIy' •• ~I~~. _h'~h I .... h ..... ~. 'n. n Mo..u ... 'l'1oo boo.tall_ .. N<I d .. ·v.--. aad .. d.er ._ ..... ric .""p"' •• com ..... y ;".ipla _ 'Io ... ~ .. (liS " .... y)

t('rra;n ofccmral Burma, when:: lanks spearheaded a record 300-milc advancr 011 Rangoon in thn't' ",ceQ. (This ~IOry is told in some detail in Vangu;lnl 6, TM l.u/Guml TankJ ill BrilIJk Sm:iu, lind Vanguilftl t 7, TN Sluarl l.,gkt TankSmu. ) The only ~ignificam .IaP:lncse lank unil to serve in Burma in Ihi~ period ",a.~ th" t41h Tank Regt.: ironically, its _Ith Co. used Stuarts captured from the retreating Uril ish 7th Amld.Bde. in 194'l, Unsuccosful again~1 British armour in the I mphal campaign, il ,,'as reduced by July t 9-M [0 onl ) four tanks. II "'lU rebuilt , panl)' wilh T ype 97kal, and fought al r-.leiktila; in ~ I art:h t945 its 11I.SIIanks were ",ipc:d OUi on Ihe Mandalay Ro,"ld by Sherman5 of 'l55 Tank Il rigade,

In Ihe I~umla Ro.'ld are:llhe US formed ajoirllly. manned Provisional Chinese T ank Group .... ilh fool' battalions of M3t\3 Stuarts and two of M4A4 Shermans. The only significanl Chinese tank units to !ICC combal after t94'l, they supportt'fl Chinese troop, with lOme 511{;('C$S.

'7

Manchuria Th~ !.,rg~1 5ingl~ mechanised opcralion of Ihe Far East war ;, I'rob'lbl} the least known, 111 Aug-uS! 1945 Ihe USSR invaded China and Manchuria, and Ihe K wanlungArmrwMovermn ill twowet:~ by a brilli ... u pill,~r rnuvcment. Tank strength ll(cumutaICd II' guard againSI a So\,;",\ dn\'e had Ilttn dr"i ned away since '943, \0 Ihc ('.(Cnlral l>acifie and 10 Ilorne Is[,lnwdcfeneC'S, t\ [though Ihe IJ A 3rrl Tank J);v. and !I('\'craJ regirnerus h"d been a\'I\iI;.blc rOt the '944 offensi\'r in China, by 19-15 Ihe K" anlUng Arrn) had onl} Ihe ilwltpcriencrd lSI alld 91h lud,T ank Belt'S" and vanous oompania allached 10 i"fanl!) fonnalioll5. The I!I 1341h and 351h Tank RegiS.) was al " Iukden, :lnd Ih., 91h (."lUI ,.ud 5211d Tank RegIS. ) at Ssupingchirh,

La _ I'tom.,p-. .... tIS • .r ••• ..,. ,II, -lol- load • ' ... _ '"""'p"r or .. '-'7 n':;"'''' liMe., ....... _ p .......... "".,.. "If ......... ""m ••• ~ ...,pa.<ood ...... .,('''''J.p'''-,...j T."", ();vi."'. n •• ;. ou>""""""' ~uJ1~ Di., c.._ c... ~"""."" .... t~ .2 , • ..a... ...... r ..... . ... 111 • .,.. ~ _ .... _ ..... _ • .... rpI" II ..... ,.11,. So ... ".". •••• i«l", ... ".,. Tn>< , II .... 7)1"'" t." cI ........ ~~ ..... ltk~ 6 .. , ...... <0 ............. h .~ J.p""'_ ,...j M~lo.,I. rt,. R .... _ Lu.-. (US Ann1)

,8

The th rre-pronged So'lel pincer in\'oIved the 61h Gu"rds Tank I\ rrny' of the TrallSbaikal From rnaking a surprise attaek o\'er Ihe 5up~l}

impassablIC Greater Khingan :\ Iouruains, "hil .. lhe r~l and 'lnd Far r.aslem Fronu d rove: soulh from Khab.1TO\,!;k and Vladi\'ostok, Ihe lhree frotHS m~"Cting al the base of Ihe KOl"Can l'enillSuJa. Anticip.;lll-d l"C.s upply diflieultielled lht, So\'icl.'l to Ihrow all IIH;ir resources into ;on aJl~u t lighlning gr.ob for Manchuria. Of th .. lotal of m 't'r 5,000 AF\'5 mOre Ihan had been usn! al Kursk- some were old 8'1" 7$ and KVs, stored in Ihe Far East since tg.p: bUI mOM "!"re '1"34/7& and /855. (rewed b) German Front \'l"leratl!.

TIt ~ war cudL'1:1 before the Rttl Army reached lite main dt.fcrH:e line "here lhe lJA brigad~ ,,'ere SI:otionL'tl , '!O lank fighliug was limited. Nl"\erthe:· Ins, Ihe opl"rat ion is widdystudied in thl" USS R as a rnQ(ld blit7.kricg olf(,l1siv(' , " h05C it'SSOns may ha\'" future significance .

Summary

AncrJapan·5SUCO;e..~ in 19.' r 42 taught the ,\lIit"l Ihal lanks could Ix: \'aJuahlc even in ['''cific terrain, rTlOfl lubM-qucn\ Allied operat ions involved tanks subordinated 1() In(,.,111)' ror cI~ fire support. Nc\,crthc!ClIS, in batlles such as Slripan, Okiml\\-.l, 1M dnve on R:lng(101l and lhe Manchurian invasion, 1:1111<$ p]a}'cd a pnm:,ry role. In many other battles it "lllI tanks which m .. de inf.1nll)' "d''anccs po!o'liblc. and !~ costly, in the face orlhc "cry skillc:dJapanl'SC defensive mcries. T he Cellini]

Pacific fighting piolll'ercd the uS(' of armour«! amphibioUll troop lritluporrers, viml 10 IUCC('!o$ in (onlcsred landings; had thoc been :\,.,.il,.bk ror the Normandy in\,a:iion, the landings would probably I\c:\'cr have been placed in jeopard y.

In contrast to Allied SUCCC5..'ICS, jap:lIIC!iC U~ of tanks aflcr t94.1! WM an unbroken series offailures. due in no snl<lll nlCilJ5u rt: \0 the poor quality of the tanks themselves. The TOOt of the problem lay in

IJ t\ ~ornplll~cnq, even in the facC' or the Khalkin Gol defeat of t939. and in Ihe low priori ty given to tank produ~tion by J :I».'n'$ badly o\-crstrctehed "ar industry. lIu l apan from technical weakness, Japanese tanh were aoo Ilnifomdy poorly handled aner '91'2. T llt'lies rang~-d from the p<l$sivity' of the '1nd Tank Di\,. on LU1.On. 10 Ihe redl~~ heroism of indle.:lual night b;lnl.ai-(:harges on many other isllmds, T ank IIni tJ "ere' subordinated 10 higher commanders ignor.l1l! of armoured warfare, whose orders limill-G the lactiesofunit comm<ludcn f.g. the' '16111 T ank Regt . on l" o Jima.

II IIlU$1 be: ackno" Irdgcd that Allll-d lur supremacy, oV<:l""hdrnins naval gunfire, and availability of infantry wcap01\5 ~uch as Ihe ha;r.ooka, all placed eXlrerne rCSlra;u\.li onJapanesc: lank cmpJo)'mC'nt. Had I.l t\ infant!) beC'n "!Juipped with a haZOQka-like "C<lpon in place of cnlde hand-

A ....... r ....... ,~e1'-4' ~ T."" II.., _~ ....... • r ....... loo .. m •• ood !.a ...... _ by ,~ .... :\!.tAl- I>L<GOfI ... ..,., Th. circlool '0' ;~ .. hi.~ t.dJ.<"." __ •• "",.ood C c.... .~ •• ~.-- ' ............... ', 3.-.1 Pt ................ I. poloo'rd loo r.-<I _ tliD.d I .... ~h~ _ ,h. .--•• ppliq'" . ......... po_I. (US A ..... ~l

"9

M, r.... , .. a.. of c Sq.., I~h 11.1 " tt,o.c-.. .... ... Im. 011 r ......... rrom ... o..r ... .., "" ... ,;.", ..r ..... 1'o •• aDd ......... , • • ~ •• _ .. ri.1 ']or cI ...... ror M."""lo y _ ., ,\\ .... ' !H~ T o <_'0 ....... , do.rs-. ......... i .. _ h.r ... .., riel •• "" ......... OOOUCll. th< '-eli". I . ..... ..... . h. 1'0 .. ....... ...,.,. ••• R.S' :' iiV'" badS' _."" r ...... pia ....... MI •• b clri ........ . -l .... , ..... lars' Allied . , •• _ ,.lor h .. U tolcIr, 0.. ... M.«: ..... U.;_J_ch ft. ....... r M."""b, . !'t ... u.., d'r ..... r.lI~ ." ,Jo_ ......... ... ' 0 I. r ... ..,·n .... or I .... I ~ h P ... p'''' .. (US Ar m yl

placed charges. Allied tank losst"S would havl" ~an:d.

T he quality of Allied tank tactics al$O varied. nrit ish and Indian tank u~ in Burma', nightm:Ul.· tl"ITain was surpruingly l"Declive. US '\1:lrine lanks in the Central Pacific tended to be used fat more aggressh-dy than ,\rm)' lanlu. pressing ahead falit and leaving isolated cnemyouLpo$lS to be deah with later. T he USMC encouraged thl" usr: of tanks right ul' front to spearhead allacks, accepting the artilJcI)' II", this ine\'itauly :Iur-Ieted . Army tank \lnilli, often lacking the thorough preparatory tank /inf.1ntry tmining upon whieh the M:lrincs insisted, wmetimes beha"cd in a mort: circumspect manner. Army inr.-mtry units ,",'en:often u11oomfon· " ble ,",'ilh tanks; and because of the fin: they :lllraclI::d ~mc di"isional comnmnden insis\~-d Ihal they be called fOI"l'o'"rd from behind the line only " 'hen specifIC \:,rge\.'l had been idl"ntifi~-d hardl)'

3'~

the best usc for them. In one area Ihe Arnl} exr.dkd. however; thdramphibian tank ball"lion, had f;lr more pr.Jelice than thcir Marinc counter· parts, and until laIC in the " ·,, r wcre usually OCIlCf m-ganiscd in their shon' attacks,

Bibliography T his subjt"C1 has bt-en largely ignom.1 in English language publications, "pari fmm Ihe Burma (llmpaign and f\ustralian armOUf SC<: below. Although some aspects have been dealt with in enthusiast jounmk, a.I: nOted bdow, US tank Opl"ratioru in the 1'1'0 are still a negl<:(;ted a",,, ; this aecount was based on rt:S(;arch in unpublished unit diano lodged at the Federal Record Center, Suitland, MlIl)-land.

&>gart, C., Tan); U,,//s oj/llf },'U'll llhmg Anlly. AFV News, Vol. '3 No. 4

Bog"rc, C., ]O!Jalll-M IIQm~lnlllJ Tonk VIII/S, AFV New~., Vol. '4 NO.4

Hara, 1'.. <:t ai , ]OpaHI.J1 TonAs ond Armolimf V,hU{IS,

Shul'l>an K yodo Pub., Tokyo, 1978 Hopkins, R .. t1UI/,n/ioll t11~1, Australian GO'·I.

I'ub. Scrvicr, Canberrn. '978

l)ern:!I, H., Ton/.. '/ radJ /0 Ran~l}(m, R. Ualc , London, 19711

P~II, H., 7N l.",,{oranl Tallks /11 Hnl'Jh Sm-;rr Vaniluard 6, o.PI1'), London, ' 9711

Pem:II, H., TIN .}I/IQ,I U,ltl Tau $mil \'anguard ' 7', o-pn:). London .• 1)80

1'10\. man.J , . 1""001"11 , ' (IS' ZwlllNl. Tankelle. \'01, . • 6 NOl. 3.(), & 17 Nos. 1':/

SandaTII, j .. TN Shnmoll Tallt 11/ /Jnllsll.Mmu,9P' 45 \'anguard ' 51, Ospr .. y. London, 11)80

Siruck, j ., .\llmn, Ta"h,,, Ihd>IlCi}k. AFV·G2. Vois. I Nos. g-I'l, &:1 Nos. 1·8

VOl!, F., TQnAII/bum 1/; /'QlUm'IIfTIIl'lffl K.VII.. I/m 19-/2, pri\'a te printing, u iden . 19G8

Zaloga, S., Ar".., ,II Ch"", 'f}:..'I>-45, Milila!) Manual, 1983

ZaJoga, 5., )II/Mnm TIUd Ma,bn.(J /9-1"45, }\Irfix Magazine. March 1977

bloga, 5 .• 7", ]apolfll' Tallk f"0,'1I11f 1lIt1'Dnfo 11'0' 19P'45. ,\f-"\, ~e .... s, \'01. 10 No. -I

Zaloga, S, &: T aga)'a, 0 ., ]apolltil Tau {"II /J III

lI'orld lI'ar II, AF\' i"e"'-" \ '01. 15 No. 5 Zaloga, S. , TIl, Shmnal/ Tan/.. III US OM Alii" &rr,U

(Vanguard 16), Chpl1'} , London, IgB:I

The Plates

.11. l 'i(Am Cardm u,.Jd AmphllllllfU TSIIA Mothll9]l, Ch.lft¥ 11/ Armoorf.- Balis/iliff ; IlslIl, 'i SNut,NII. //117

Chines!: lank.s gcncraJl) «'Iamrd dd;\'ery IIChcnll.'S. hen: a dark bron~c·grn:n ba~ ",i lh angular blotches of dark brown and bun' and black demarkalion, Comp<IIIY identification in Ihis un il ",;oj by rw gromc lric desigll~ ~uch ;.5 thi! shield, a r,m"poi nl Slar, or a cirdt inS('t). ,\,\ animn] nam" o r II number was p'.intt-d in ,ht design . Ih" ffi05l popul'lf ;.ppareml} ,drattOn" acrll h,,~ on the lank and Ill(' inS('l.

,b . 7yJN 91 TK TWIIII. ]aptJlltM ftd lwptrttlml 1..ll.II1 ,-4 ,_".1 ,',lIMit c-pay; A~k. Cit....,

'917 japal~ Arm) lanb in C hina in '937 bore II rOUT'

3 '

colour scheme of 'khakL 'parched gTas!;', carth bl'(ll'dl and yellow, Som .. question ~maillll as to exact shadcs. 'Khaki' has be1:11 itm'rprcted both as a mid·stone, .md :111 olil'c gTCt'n: we follow Ihe laller interprctation, bast.'tI on .'I(:\·cral colour photos. ' ])a rch~'tI grass' has ~n described as ochre; hcn; we prefer a dull dark gra'u. T he vcry dark chocolate brown could fade in lue to a ru,ty shade akin 10

automOlh'e primer. The yellow was painted in bands: instructions rt,comnt<:nd~xI a cross arrange· Illelll ..... hen M:Cn from :Ibol'r, Ihe arm$ mtcting Cemri!lIyon the turn'l. but this was 1101 invariable.

No regulalions governed Ihe lise of unit ill5lgma. Some unil~ poli,hl'(l or p.lintl'tl the sm:tll metal Japancsc A11l1}' Slar (i,stlCnl'(i on Ihe bow" Other tanks displa)'lxl on Ihe 1)0\\ a small painted flag, Ihe red sun on a white rectangle. Some regimenl.'l paillll'(l n:UIIl'S 011 hull side!. The 2nd T ank Reg!. painled bird namn on [anb of lSI Co .. mountain

MJ.A3 s ....... of' yd CIoI_...., T ......... ,....,..;."-1 T ... .. Graap P'""p-'" ... 10-0..., .h~ Ro ......... T .... I .. i>ol c.. . ... for ... ~ Boo ...... f ... , _ 3 ' o..:~ ... "". 'H+ ...... oaIld ,..u ........ _ .... i>o, ... _ I"~ ........ ..., .............. 1 i".ipllo i_ , ... _u" .. d ... m ....... ci"01,,, ...... IT, Ik ,...u.. .. "'I ... ..., .. il" ... hi, • ..... "". I"'KooI<d , .. ~ "'".IIt", .... .... ".Md. ....... «,d •• ly. (US A .... y)

"

llamMiOIl 2nd Co., and anima! name!on 3rd Co., in the phonetic Kana :,lphal)(1 r.uh<:r Ihan the id''Ogr.lphie Ka,~i,

Vcry popular was the use of Kana lc!t<:T$ on 1,,""'1 side!; IhCSt' had \'ari,,"$ rneaniug!, For instance, at th1: beginning of the ]'aeiCIe war Ihe I" Tank Regl. used Ihe le!ten; (iri, h, .lir, :",d IW for the 1St to 4th Cos_ R~llCCti\'dy, in ~fercnce 10 the unit', Chik"shinoharn training grounds. When a fifth company WlIS added in t9+3 Ihc !ellen changed 10 k(l, II, ')'11, NO. mi :mdJW for the I~t to 51h Co8. and the maintenance (ompany, in rcfcrcm:c 10 Kot)-· onomlya JUlJa. a ~hllllo <Imne al the ~glment'5 original Kurume home base.

In conlr,l.\l. the 8th T ank Rq<;t. used 'wo Kana letters for each of il.'l four cOlllpanit-s: i~, IuJ St, a Jt,

and yo St. The firsl referred 10 Ill<" comp.lny eummander (rap<:.::ti"cly Imada, Ham. Aganoand YOflChara j; the !!Ccond W:I.'lan abbrevialion ofsnuluJ (irula; 'tank company', A 51) Ie used by the [3th and 181h Tank Regts. featured the IcIl~t'!I;, Nt, sa,yo and ko, as ab!m:\'iationsortheeompan~ numb':Tli in Japan~ jciri is one, ni is IWO, mil is three, and!K) fonh .

On Ihe laukell'" shown here is Ihe insignia of ~ 1 1.

Fuji, and Ihe name l>oide Ihe ~ri al numocr is 'Fuji': bolh refer 10 Ihe unit commander, i'. laj. t·ujita. The unit insignia was also carried eelllrdlly on th .. hull and trailer rea r. The in!IC:t shows a samur:,i filii insignia used by anOlher T ype: !H compall )' in China, apl)li~ in Ihe same r.'lShion, /\ ( kft are pn:-t9-!0 tank signalling flags. The top flag is thaI of the company commander, The left rowan, the flags of the first 10 fourth \'ehidC5 of the t 5t Platoon; the 2nd Plaloon were ident ical , but with blu<: bands, The righl TO\Oo' arc, top to lXlItom, the 'masagc', 'formation', 'alen ' and 'communication' flaK', Measuring 60cm )( 4ocm, these flags were replaced by:tl least twodi lfeTCnt s)'5lcms later il\ lhe

Ma,ad •• of A Sq .... I. ' Au 'rona. "'rnwI. R .... . _r 1Ia" .... pa ...... 110 ........ MarloiooJlo lad .... i.di,'id.al 'a ...... _ a.d a .... ...,. _ ~ .. II old ..... ... _.~ co ..... (ro ... , ...... .... w_ abon '\h,sr I. ",~;" Cynlli. dlS;'.~ .. .-...d '" Sq • • ,rt.a", .. u do."., . .... i'. ' ......... m"", low _ 'he , .. ,..... do_ .. a.d _ 1M .,.11 froo,. ,iMO .....pm .... al <001" 0.. .. ('0' __ 'so')."" , ..... i", of,"~ po"'.' ~,b "' ........ Bd"._. oflip'Of' ....... a _ .. 0.1 _ • pal ......... , bo .... i." _ ......... (",,,, ,,,",,. War M .... otioJ vIo 0 . llali.j

war; but 115 mO'lt tank! had rad iOli their use became ullcommon.

/1/; I"rkm Cartlm Loyd LIght Tad Afoofll9:fi, I,CX IL balalj(m I'tthtu'(lgms; Bondonrg, /Ju/cit fAst Indtts.

'94' [)utch tanks retained deli\'ery 5Chemcs, in this ease d«rk bronze-grttn , Thc simple markings consisted

33

urthe Dutch tricolour hearing 'OfVfO', duplicated on the bow' with a white ' I)' between. o"cr a whitc four-digit stria l; .md in this rnmalion :I white vehide JUJlnb ... r Un Ihe hull sidc. Th ... Mannon HcrringtQ11! carrit'd the lIag marking larger on the hull side.

B2: Pan:."kampjU'lIgrn Ib, Clunr.Jr 3,d ArmOlmd BIII-labon; " ankmg. '937

Vehidcs received from Gemmny remained in their dark gre)' delivery ~hcmc. While at Nanking most were mark«l with the Kuomiruang sunbu rst national insignia. but no mctical markin~ " 'CTC

carried by thi, unit.

~l-I

C,; TJ/J' ~ fia-go l.,Jg},1 T~nJ., 2nd Comll(ln,J, JllfJl/llm 71}, Tllnk RrgUlU'nl; l...lU.on, 1'}"IIpf1m($, January '!HZ

This tank is finisht'd in the sam ... four-colourKhe,ne as A2. This unit identified oompania by tradilional Jap'lIlac modfs: the hOI},' ($tar ), .l4f1l (bmnboo leal), oM (cherT) blossom) and /wla (flag) for 1St to 4th Cos. rcspc'(tivciy, Jh1inled fore and an and on both tUITeI sides. The four-digit serial number hcgan with IWO indicating type (here, '95' ) and elided wjlh two identirying the individual ,-chicle. Again. this was painuxl on both sides as well as forc and art.

Mt.An Qft..., 3r<! M.";_ T ..... II ... ~ • ..-or<! t1.~ .'",";p d~"; •• ,..., I .... Ji .... Ilf~I I ... of r ......... ry '~ N .... ~ .. u i •• i,.i ...... w .... appl"'~~ pt.t_ .. ia~'" "'u, •• ,..., "yl~ Qr Ib~ ... , ;""'1 .l"" • .r. taolplo. (VSMC)

C2: :\Ipl/ Slua,/ L'glrl Taak, A~II'a/ian 2,1&1r Ilrm{)llfta H't,mrnl; Papua /Stll! (;umra, Dtwnb" /!)p

Auslralian Slnar!s " 'l're modirl«l in various wapi hefore I><:ing is.su~'tl: a melal ring cover was filled al .he Inrre! ba~ .0 prr\"rm jamming, and a Mo"age box "as added 10 the right fender. Tanks were repain.ed darl bron~e-grcen. Squadron marking5 were in nonnal British •• yle: a !riangle, scluare and circle for l SI to 3.-.:1 S'lns. r~pt:<", i\'dy, wieh the lroop number inside, ;" Iarking oolour was a regimcllIal di~linClion for Ihe 'l16.h. yellow. Individual tank nam~ beginning wilh the squad­ron icller here, l:AHII\ "ere usually IMimed al

Ihe IIppe:r edg" or .h" 'U"""I sida. The lSI

/\ ustralian Armd. I)i" insignia (insc., right) was carried on the left front fender and tight rea r hull.

D,: J'a/rolm, Mk III CS, ya _'til.' ;;',a/o.rrJ f) i'1SiQrr ,~p«wI1(mk Squo.Jron: Crun IJlo.nJ, '9/-1

I_'ugc!) b:<S'.:<I on ehe re;t:areh b)' J. E, Plowman published in Tankrl/t m:tgazine, Ihisshows" spt:<"ial heal_resislanl dark hronzc-gre.-Il paint u!Cd Oil th" "l)per ~urfa ccs of this unit'$ V .. lentilll'$, wilh a

COm_" ..... "U M~ SIo.rm.o .. of ,..., "s<h n.",~, ... "" ...... T .. " B .. boo..u.R <Mo' -r _ i.1o.o '" ,.., ... _ alD.1 OkJ.a .... '. . h .... ~U_ " " ";"1 m ....... ' """ .. ,,-" '" J .. _ ' MSo '"'" ocolr .... U ..... ~M~ ....... u....u _~v ...... ,:.. .... r .d';", .k l ',."

;;".~:~l b=:;!'.ir~: ~=e.= .~:'C::=o~~!.;.~ •• i_ .. (US "' ..... rl

middle bronze-grttn on side and mher surfacn. The darker shade cXlcnd~-d over lhe Tf:af engine dt"Ck, and patches of the lighter gn:"Cn .... crt add~-d {}I'er lhr dark arca.s, Al k:l.$t one lank bore lhes<' ),ellow blotch" spra)'ed o\"er the side surf.-.cn. The squadron retained lhe dragon rampant insignia or the NZ I\rm~ T 'Ulk Bde .. and lhe old ~gimcnl"l Rash or ''-/ T anks' "hite ''.16' on " red S(lu"n:. T roop numhc" " CTf: Ilo.1iut t'd in "hitt· or )'e llo" Roman numerals on rurn't s;d~ and f(';U: HQ \links carried the numbers 'I' to '4' in an ' HQ squadron' diamond marking. I'hotOll. §ho" that not "n thdil'! markings " cre camed h~ all unit tanks. The brigade insignia i5 sho" n ;n!!et; on JOllie tanks lhe design was somewhat simpli fied.

D2: .IljAI Lq,1It Tad, US Army 191'd Tank Ilat/ahM: ,llak,n bland, .'\'Ot't'mM 19-13

US mnk!! in the I'TO .... en: painu.-d Olive ])rab, a 50111(,,,11:11 bro"'ner shack Ihan lhe British ('{Iu;"a­lenl , <:speda!!) "'hen f.1ded. /\rm} tanks carricd standard ",hiu.' star ins.ignia. U$uaJl y on the turret s.ides and, I"',uh!'r larg!,r, 011 thr engiur d<:ek lilr air

,6

n.. .... m .. 1 hi ll. " r Oki_ .... ..m.ed """ull .... 'J<>!-.' r .... . _k .. lie ... _."-P or ..... ~ ....... .. k~ __ ,h~r __ .... ..,......~ n.. . wo i. 'M ro ..... ro .... cI ..... "3'h Iloo. 'hl_' ore ....... to.;", .... Id i • .--...,..~ ... ,11 ~o<cI , • • uppo ... p~ .. 0>10 •• I_ , .... boo~kl"""...t ...... 'OSA'''' how' .. n , ..... of _ h.o.cIq"",.,~ .... < .......... y, ..,.;.h IIVSS .upno.i_ di . .... , _n i "'p ..... ~...-d .. """'& •• or ........ (US A . ... ,)

idC!IIifiC;lIion , i\ 'sJl'ct.-d number' (here '42') wa.s u~uaJl )' camed on thc turrel ch~~ks; unlike other tactical numbcl"$, the<;(' had no signifiean~e as to eomp.~n )' o r platoon, as the)' Wl're h"lUed con­so.-.:uti\'cly to !:Inks ora whole b.ltt:.lion. On thc hull sidl' i~ the usual Blut' ])rab ~rial n"rnl~r, and chalked aoo,'(' it the landing cr.ln number ' I.C M-4'; the word to II., cirdt-d ahel.d of this, i$ un· cKplainoo,

Whilc baLialions in the I'acifie used the samc company/vehicle bumper code systcm a'I in 'he 1'.1'0, b.-.llalion codC$ wen: nOI ~p]lli(-d. ~Iany uniu eamlY] ba.llalion insignia instead. On the right n:ar hull of this tauk is a Co. C buml~r codc and lank number (,C/42' ), "hile to the left i~ tht.' t93rd Bn. insignia, a red square on a ycllow triangle. This is n 'I)I'ilU:'d iu the insct dl"'oIwin~, which an: (Iell to

righll : 193rd, 763rd, 775th and 7161h Tank Il n~,; not all bMtalioll! SI"tm to han' uS<,"<l thl~ ill~;gnia, Ihough Iheir small SilO;- makt$ photo fl~,;IT(:h

difficult , Onl) Iht, 713th l'lamelhrowcr T ank lin, used standard battalion bumper codell,

E.,; 1.1'1'( .-1 ). , Amphlbran Tank, L'S Army ;a&h ,-fmplllblan ranA Hallallan; SIIipan, ]un! 19#

,\ rn \ I".iCS and amphibian tanks \\cn: originally painl~-d in :tlight blue; after thdr cornb.u debut tho;­/llarincs smru:d painting b;onds of colour o\'cr Ihis, a! it was hardl}' ideal camouflagl' oncc ashore , ,\ rm) \'eludes rccauu:d Iltl" lIChl"tnl" until thl" Marianas campa il.;n , but in fC!i llOn~ to en'\\ complainu a faCl(>ry schemeofOlin' Drab wa$latl'r ~ubst itUled, Older \'chidca could still be seen illthl" original blue, howcvcr,

\ \ 'hiw Sta rs wert: cOIl\·.,n lionall) marked on turn:1 and hull $ides, Vehide names, u5uall) $taning with the cornpan) letter, Weft" painted high at Ihc fronl of the side spon!lOl1 hen:, KI ,()(; "

RL~TUt, On the bow i~ thc batlalion insignia. a ~tar on a triangle, !IOrnetimes n:peated on the supcrstruc· IUfC front since Ihl" IXl\\ was often submerg<--d. On

Ih(' opposi tf' side of the 1101'.' is thl'" companYJ\'ehide bun'lX'r eock ' li-t5', 'I'hl'" 708th also u!it'd gwmt:lric l"""')l'ut} ir"i~lIiil. a "hitt' '>£IUOlrt' for A and ir 1"<'(1

lriangle for II the ins.:t:t\ right show$th .. IOCi'ltion and rdat;,"(' siu orchis marking on rhl" turret TCiLro( HI.OIK HI ~·II.It. abo\"e the fear hull markings. l'S

\ltM\ (,;.'7'A'i I\..~ The Stripn wen: a oommon marking Ql' both Arm} and Marinr amphibious vt:hides, indicatin!: thl" assigned landing beach, and uS('(! as a ronnaling identific:rtioll. Cos. A ami Il of the 708lh landoo al Blur Heach 2 on Saipao. ht:ncc two blue 5trill<"$. The olher two ('ompmri~ Illnded OIL Ydlow Ikach 2, but used "hilC ~tripe$ as no ydlo" p.1int was a \'ailablr.

£2: TYIN 95 Na·gfl L'I;hl TaM , DWU'oJ1Ia/ 7 ank Com,,(InJ, ]apanm l41h InJalllry lJirisio,,; I'tlfflu. &plm,brr 19H

Rtgular ioliS of 19.12 drop)) •. -d lhe )'ellow from Iht:

;2: ~~ ~~:.~. ~';.:.~~ rl:!:o::" ~ T:,.!!:!':r"~ .. : do ....... n... .'l \;_ hto"" •• ~ ... e ........... ;. ,~~ ... ,lm .. ,.1 ... Ipla; ..... , .. 0 ,,10_-.1 lian ... "Iou._ r ...... ,"" Ioalf-d...," ;" , ............. ofl~e ""'" KIe ... i(r .... Co.,j."" ,h. K.o..oji ..,rip' bo.W~ I .... .... ~;<I~ . ......... .. t, I . ... . AI ......... p~ ... i_ ...... 1 ... .

37

four-<:olOllr seheme though some older tanu retained it), aud rccommended thall;mks dC$tin~ for the South-Weilt I'adf>c \..,.-d a h;.!IC of willo" gr'et'n in plae .. of the usual ·khaki·. The two 5ubsidi"I)' colou", 'parchcd grass' and bro" n were unchanged. II WaJi also a(I\'ised Ihal gun harrri undcl"Sun.1.CM, and the "hole ar .. a Ixlow the f.'mlt-I'>. ht, paint~-.:I in 'pardu'd gr. •. .;:,;', I\lIthis paim had anti-rust propertir-s. I lowt'I-'c r. the schemt' of Ihis T nJt' 9;' sllo,,-, ho" r .. gu lat ions an.' oftrn ignored. Although finished in Ihe IIr" willo" g f('t~n. it i~ C'.ul1oullag~·d with Iht' old y<'llo" u.lncls and brown blotchl'S. and has no areas of'parched gra.\S' colour.

This rornp"ny ..... Iect.-d a tradition,,1 rising sun motif,,, hich readeTl rna)' n-cognisc as Ihe corpor"te emblem ofMiuuhishi InduslriC"i. The IWO plaloons 5(Tm to have paint('tl it in eomrast ing oolours. red :lnd ... hil" . Somt' tanks oflhis eompan~ had Cmpl~ 5Wl. drums fa~lcned o\cr the .... ar fendt'r> 10 car'1trooprs inlo:.ction! It was IlQt a pleasant rid,· ..

1-"1; ,\1#12 Shf7mOIl, L'S ,IIann. -Ilh Tanl: 80I/a/'OR: Satpan. ]unl I!H-I

" Iarine tanks originally arri\"cd in Oli\"e Drab finish, ,tnd u$ually retain<.'C1 it ." .. ,,' though nomi­nail ), til(" r('gttlalions "pccifi~-d a dark for.-st gn"('n. Illlhe "Iarianas thi~ unit painted tU1"l1:1 lOpS "hite, wilh 1;lrg~ numbcl'!l, praumabl)' in ordcr to co­ordinat(" air sirika. Some had painted numlxn, as here; OIher!! had sonic type of delaeh:lble canvas display. ~I:!rine dil"isions USI.-d a s»lcm of geometric insignia. sometimes print"" on uniforms and other divisional gear. the ~th u5ed a half-cirde, as 1I('t'Tl

hac enclosing a code number' 133'. At Ihe lime of Kwajalein Ihc "Ih Tank Bn. u5ed Immes starting with ICtl('n from thc middl.· ofthc alphabet: C.(). A u5ed 'H ' or ' f', e.g. \tnI'm: \1). IRO'~JI)I:...'.etc.; Co. C u5«1 'J' and ' K', e.g. Jl \(;I.F.JI.\t "1\(; "OW; etc.; anotherooml'3ny used . ~~ and 'G', e.g. (;01)\\ II(It II (;()U)blllC" JIl and our subj(,("l , IIIU; 11.\1.\ Aner ,-e""quipping for I wo Jima the batulioll S(ccms to have adopted ne ... narnl'Sstaning with ' B'. 'C' and ' D', prolmbl) referring to eompanit":S e.g. m~\cl\JlIl." . ('IlI'PY. t)()IlI~, etc.

T he lSI " Iarine Tank Bn. did not display a divisional devi«'. though it did usc a s),slem of g~-ometric company signs. Th .. 2nd MarinI.' Tank Bn. did not IIi\(' signs, bllt combinations of the

comp;my kltcr MId a smalllact1.::al n"mlxr, and a eomIKluy-initi:.lled IMmc: e.g. \-20 \lUll., I·-~O

C\L',\1l II·" ill ~n etc. The 3rd " Iarinc T ank Bn. on Iklugainvillc u5«l. in son", companiCll, lactieal numbcfll inside larg.:: rectangular markin~, and in nthel"!i, small geomelric ~haJl(". Whrn re-C<luipped wilh Slwnnans it inheritt-d the elephant insignia of Ill<' 1 ~ I .-\C ( I~t " Iarine ,\mphibious Corp:!! ) Tank Bn., and add.-d il.'l own (kV1cC a .... hite star "ith 'win~'. akin 11) that USI.-d on L'SMC aircraft.

1-'2: 1)"fH 97 (,h,_ha MttI,~m 'Tank, 51h Company, ]a(lanm!JIII Tonk Rtg/menl; Sa/pan. ]~nI '9#

A good ('''ample of the 19J2 Khemt of'kh;lki', 'parchl-d gra.'tS' and brown. The unit had a distinctivc s)·.tem of compan) markings in green alld whitl:, sho ... n tnS<:t second ldt 10 right, UI to ;,th Cos. and rnO!lt had twO ,mall IIational na~ Oil th~ IXI ..... "lust abo had a provincial name on thl: hull side, in this ('ast ·MillHe·. Some regimental t:U1U uS<.-d this claoornlc kih,~, tUlTel emblem, $)'mbolisin~:t ehr)"s,1.IlIhcmum o\·u 1I0"'ing .... ater. The CO"tra~t bct ... ttn the Japanese penchant for elegant lJo""'r mOti&, and the sa\'age br:I\'c'1' of their tfoopS, may seem incongruous to We:!'tcn,ers unf.1.miliar with :1 eOIll I)letely alien cultural lradi­tion, The kihll" is tradit ionally associalc<1 with the I'l th-ctntury hero :\ Iasashige Ku;;onuki, fatnl'd for his ill-falt'(l but dClcnnined dcfcnet' of his CIllJl,:ror- tl,,· emblem is thus a mark offcah) 10 Ihe Imperial hou'IC. The 9th Regl."s eOlllmand tanks used a hroken "hile band around the upper ~dge of til<' turrel sides; Lt. Col. Goshima's t:lI1k had Ihe pI"IJ\"inci;.1 !lame '/\.'10' on thc hull, "hile Ihe delachment commander on Guam had a Star turret insignia as ... ell as 111l' hand.

G,: 7;"fH:: A-o_mi A",plu.blOu./ TOIII:, nul, ""I/ SNtF; OrfIIIX IJay. 1.l)·lt. I.?#

One oflhe tank.! landt-d at night during the baltle for Le)"tc in an allempt 10 block Ihe US ad"ance on Ormoc Sa}. The Ka-ml scr\T<I wilh the Special Naval I ~'lnding Forces Uap.mcsc M:.rino), and wert: p;linled in UN standard dark blue.grr)' (thougb SNLF T ype 95 1iglll t:mks wcre painl"" in Army e;II11ouOage ). Thl' traditional SN Lt' insignia was Ihe rising sun lIag, p,"Iinted on the IUITets of Ka­m, and T~ rx- 9;, tanks; and tank serial number> "~rc often pT('c~dcd by their arH;hor i ll~iguia. rather than

Ihe /\nn) !;IOI r. On Ih i~ Ail-ml th.: 5erial '651' was carlini on each $Cp;lral.: ass.:mbl~ al leasl ontt: IWitt on the fmnt ponloon, ontt on Ih.: lTar POIIIOOII, ontt on Ih.: .:ngine hood. ':IC. L' nil ill$ignia wrIT nOl u$lml. but one unil did U5I" Ihr rroc:rnl IJlOOII motif sho"'n inMI.

Gil; .11" .... 1' S/ImrtD'" fJ' .1I1l"'" Tlld &IJIlI,Ofl; OkUWlll.ll, Alml IfN5

B) this tim.: nlO!lI t\larine lank.-! had rr<:ri\'cd hea\') addition'll protcction agaimt magn.:tie minn and Ihe .. 7nml An' gun: in this unil trolek shOCll .. rrc wclded on the si,11'$. and s:tnd bags ~tacked Oil thr glacis. Unlike the Army, some "'arin.: Unil! n:gularl) clunouflOlg~od thcir AF\ 's, both anllrola arod tanl;,. TIl(' sou!'Cr of thc paint, and thcrefolT throaCt shades, arc obJcUIT; but period colour film irodic' .. ln $Olnd a nd lTd·brown in the tSI Tank Hn .. while othn units appal'mll}' used s ..... thn ofund­colour only. l\mtr.tOl "CIT ~~Iimn painted in these 001001'$, and ~elimcs had O<~ or morr grq sh.tda added o\cr the h:u.: lighl blu.:. On Okimw ... tilt onl) unil markings U§l'(1 b) Ih.: ,,, Tank nn. ",'Cn: ,hOI(" nUnlhers i,wde geom.:tric shapa. pre-

sum" bly (ompan~ illsi~nia in§("t; Ihis tank has a circkd',' high on the turn:1 side bet"ttn 1"0 I ... ck .m...

Iii : T-3" 8j. lui" MrcluutlMd UtipJ. $on" /1/ f il, fASfn"" F'IIfI/; .\llltIC""nll. /I"&,"SI '945

tAc'lIially similar 10 IhO'linish oftl ... !;, op.~r;Hing in Europe. this Q\"eratJ dark oIi,c grr<:n i! cnli\'~ncd only by "hile tactical nurnlll-t1i on turft'l , ides lllld rear, aiKI it broad .. hill' band i.doplctl b) Ihe 151 Far Eastern From for ~iriden1iliciL!ion l in~t . Note Ihal il barely eXlends on II) lht hull front and ,..,ar, and onl) pari of the way along Ih.: gun barn:l.

112: T.'JIN !Ilklll SJuMolG 0f/-44. }tl/MNM IIln Til,,}; H,t1mnll: $mr1lUlJn. I</Il"", A.nl,.J (;'fIfIP .. b psl

'9<5 This unit foughl Ihe 1~1 lank I"tltle of tht war, on 18-~0 /\UgU51. KveraJ daY' alitr tht armiscicc had Qfficiall)' broughl th.: war II) an end. The Soviel

:1')

altCnll1t on Shunlllshli cool1 !'m il ,ides h .. a,·y cal\lIah;"'I.

Thr rcgimelUal lu"", insigllia ".1.5 Ih .. Kanji ."mblll .lti . ·s.~m(lrai · ,ink l ldi l; thi~ was 3.Cluall )' a pIa) on words. sin"";1 could also be ;nl" rpreu-cl a$

IlK: Kanji ",,,,, .. ral "1 '. Ihe regimclUal numh .. r. Addilional har marking'!' wcre llrobably compa,,} ;ruignia; here 1"'0 small ,-enieal bu, ar .. caTTin:! on Ihe turrel, [,UI Olher lank!! had diagonal bars from

.. 'I ......... d·_ .. ,_..-.. __ .. , ............. loq .... "' •. _ ......... n..._...-. ....... _fft.--.... " .. "'_ •

-"'~ .... "' .. " ..... -'''''''" ...... ''_I ....... " .... -... ................. ..--.I·_~._ v ....... _ .. ., •• -. ...

=:::--=':"-~~..!'£"'.....::~= .. ;!:=::-=": ~_ ........ _on.1. .......... __ • ..., ....... '''''l~_''''' ..... _ .... _ .......... I .. _~ ..... _ .. ,--. ................ '" , .. ,_ ... __ ,.... .. ___ M".,," ,_ .. r __ .. ' .... __ ' ..... t...,......_ .... " .... ... ____ • • dooftI .... _,...._' ........ _._ ... _"' __ .<I"~, ............. _ M ..... ,_dn- • ., .. " -........ -.' .... _1 ... _ 10 ............. 1 ... ,_ ........ , ........................... ,. _ .. ' .... .. ( ........... 10 __ .... _ ....... ,_ ... ... _ .... W<_ "'_"_ne ~t... .... ~:=.":....-==~~.:=-.d.';;j"d=:; 10 __ . . ..... _ ... ____ "' •. __ ...

1 ___ .. ,..-,« .. _,.... Co , .... , ........ _ ,,"-< .. -., ..... " .... ,.-... -- .. ~ ... ~--~ •. ,., .... ,-- .. -,,' ...... - -, ...... ' ...... _ ........ __ ......... ..... , .... "' ..... "._ ,-...n..-~:.:~.:;·,~~~~~!:.~:.:1,f=-~,.: T ... II<t' DoI ... _ .... _"-_"" .. ____ ... _ ................. ,_ ... _-"< .................... ,-1 ......... _<11< ......... _"" ...................... ' .. 1 ........... _10<- '''''''''-1'''1''''<, ny ..... "so--~, ........................ " ......................... ,..... ... '"' ........ .. =.~;-=-~.:"'.J'..:.7 ... 't'~I'=.:;= ... .. ,-,,"" ........... _ ... ,..-'_.,' ............... -::;."i:'.:,~~7l'::'...!Z:;:;;:!:::.:'~"""':!':'.;;: ""~ .. " ........ u.. ... ,...._ ,"'_ ............... -.- .... .. ow. .. _ ......... ,""'-_ r __ ..... _ r, .... ~ ...... _ ....... ""-a .. _do ... 1 ........ ". ,, _ t_ .... __ "'.~ ..... "" .......... _ .. ,,_j .. "'-.-_ hl.'''"''''- .... .-..- ..... ' ... ' .. _Io_ :.:!!"i"~""':,::-'"....:.:::.':.~.:~~T .. ~"":': --G • .-... _, .. ·"""' .... _',"~ __ ..... """ ...... . . _ .. _ ........... ,j"" , .... , ............ , ....... ....... - .. '-"'-- ..... ",_' .... ,..,.. _ Go N_ .. _....-___ .. """!"' ... ,...-.~ ...... ...-."' .. bIo-• .. ___ ..... __ ... ---...'_noo,.,.... ......... ,,,_ ..... .- ---.. ....-.- r_ ..... __ "« -..... ...... Ood< • .r ............ ...-

~ . ~""t"r!:":?-~.=::::::: :=:""~~"..~C d ..... , .. · ... ., .....-- ~ ... t-..:£'.~".r.:::::. .. -~"::d=.!":.!:'~:! .. :':........:.:!:t~~~ f'<""'-'"'~ ,,' , ... -...._ ............... ,--"' .. """ ;",o,q.......-"-_ ..... -

rog .. 10 roge oflh .. hulI _,ides. The circle on Ih" hull ~ido here is bel ie, cd 10 indical" com pan) com­mander. lng" right is Ih .. SI)"-" of lic .. ut;:<: 1)1;,1 <' carri.~d by 1J/\ lanks on the hull rear. The 51ar indicalt'S Ann) SNI.F lank!! would sUOs,;tule an anchor. Th .. lop TO" of Kanji symboL. ar .. Ih .. a!Jhre,"iation of JmJ/u' IIn/(ll ' Iauk ~nlcm' and Ihe bmlom row is Ih .. numl~roflh .. r .. girncnl. Th~ ,\flIbi .. n"", .. rab aIT Iht· indi"itlu:,1 tank "umtx,r.

A,.-'" .......... ""' .... _ ... r..t.-. t.... ............ .,wvn .-.. ,-_ ow""" ... 10l0i, .... ,,,,.-'1..,. ....... _ .. K .... ....... _ .............. K_ 1 .... ' _ ........... 1<--. ... ~_ .... _ I).,._owI ......... _" .......... ""'..-.--,, ____ .,_ .... ' ... . _ , ......,..,...,--" .~ .. ,8 'I .... ~ __ c... .. .-,.... ........ . ................. \ .... ___ ..... .. .... ... ..... , ...... , , .... ____ ......... ..."... I~,," Ilw •• __ ...... ..,...... I""'!-"-' ........... _ ..... J)o,o,..

{ ....... ,~_ ... , __ ~ ......... - • .,. I>-<K-.

_ .. t ........... M:c: ' ..... u..~ ... ''''''=:r.:;'''''' ; ... d:;..:i:'~"t:.,..":!'_.' ... "'I ..... "" ..... ~1<IoIrloIooo In_

." lw ............. """' • ..(_ ~ ..... """....-..l_ .... ' _ ... _ ................. . I . ____ G, .. -..o<l_ -, ....... , .. -'-'-~ C. tlw..-.. _7 .......... "-"- ....... _ .... P ..... "'? ..... '>1',' .............. _ ......... ~r .... t ... 0;,-

~~ .. .:.:...'";,: ... ~~..;,.%'::-~';t"':' .. :.:: ""-,_""· ........ (:"I~ ., .... "T~ .... ' ____ 1 .. 100>' .... ~.- ,"'_ ....... _--- .... ,_ ..... ,",_ ....... "-'" 1),-

~:.:~,r~..:."'t":.i;::.:.."":!' ..!!.."':.. ":'!~=.~ '.:i 1""'- .~ Do I ... ~._ ... , ....... __ Ln.. ___ ..... _ ...... '. 1",. ' __ " ...... 1 ..... · .... .... _"---"-,oj" ' '''I'\'' "" .. -. ............. __ .... ___ 1 ..... -. ....... n. , ... _,..,,))) .... "~ ~~~.=--~':'::;.!~-=.:!!~'t::;:t: n.. "'"'" owl ..... ll .. _ . ... __ "'" ......... 'I ,~- ""'..,., ......

!:.r.ta. ,:,..!".: • .:: ...:.-=. ~= .............. i."!. "":"..":::: ... """" ...... -.. P ...... ,"" '11 .. "' ... , r.. ",,' ._ .... ....... ,,_ ...... '_ ..... " , ... K'",. ' .. _ ..... ... _ .... .-..{ .... hu"-"' .... _1._ r,(",.~~ .... _""',_ , .............. _ ......... . _~_ I~,_ ... ,,,,. ou-o ~-... ... _ u ...... ( ... ....... _ ... . j"- ...... 1Ma r. u, .. ~'" t ..... .,1_ ,_, .... I~_ 0 ............. ...... "- ... ) ~ to.-

=':..'::."!:~::-:--~;= ... ' .... n...-_ ~t:i ';:",;,,,t. "~ .. ':'"' ''''''''' .:..~'t: ~=::: .............. ~ ... M_· Go ~_ ... " "' .... ,...,..., .. .......

~!=-..:...... .,':'=""", ... 1::;-:'" ,-- "';' &::.~"'t

OSPREY . VANGUARD

1\ 5(:rin of l.looks dacribing key unlu and weapons sys tems of ~olh CCIl IUI)' warfare, prepared by leading military experts for the enthusiast and moodie r, and iIluJlrllling authcmic dela il~ ofarnlour and 5uPJxming vehidn. <:amouflagc, markings, uniforms, insignia and ,,"capons .

.-.""" ..... OCIII' __ "" r ..... ""I .... r I ... p .... c ..... ea _ .. Ie ....

Mi. AuIuldu." ........ "foku,""" .. bor die Parbt.f.l"

(3) US .. , lDr..,lry Dim;_ .93,..-45 (61 The Lee/G ..... , T ....... u.. Britis h Suvice (I I US lit Mar; ... Divlsioa '94'-45

( ' 3) The Churchill Tank ( ' 5) The Sherm ... Taok ill Bri,i." Se ..... ice

'!H~5 (16) The P&D.ll.cr ....... pf_II" .. m (17) Th" SUl ... rI LlSh! T ...... Seri .. _ (18) The P ... "er ... mpf_, .... IV (.,) AnnOill' oftbe Middle E .. I War. '!Ha-,8 (ao) The Tiller T ... ... ( • • jTb.,P..Kp(wVP ...... .... (ila) Tbe Centurion T .......... Baul .. (23) Briti.h T ...... u.. N. AI"';.,. '94-4" (I..t) Soviec Haovy T ..... . (.5) Gt. ......... Anno ........ Can aad Rfl:c:e Hill_

Tracl<s19~ (0:6) The Sh.erm ... T ... k'" US .nd Allied Se ..... ic:e (-7) Anno .. r orche Korn.n War '9so-sJ (as) The 6th P.n"er 0;"i.i08 '937'""4S

ST EVt:N J. ZALOGA WlU o.,n, '" '952 •• rc"",·td hit SA ill his,o'), fro", Union College, 2nd his M,\ from Columbia Unj"cni.),. l1e hu p"bli.htd over ' ... ·ellly booh and numcmul ~<l icles dealing wi,h mode.n mi litary ,ednology. esr~·cially armoured "chick

(29) Th .. M..f7. M.f8 Panoa T ...... (3O) Poli.h Ar ....... r '939'""45 (31 ) US U.lf.T ........ or World War U (3'1 ) The SdKr"IIS' H.lf.Track (33) Gte .......... LiSh' P.n"" ... '932-42 (341MI'3SerlH (n ) A ..... o .. rorche P.cificW.r (.]6) Lo". a ... S" Due rl Group (37) Mod .. rn So"i"" eo ... ba. T ...... (38) Mec ...... ....t t"r.n'ry (39) US Anno .... Camoufl.S ... nd Marki",1

'9' 7'""'t5 (40) US Li.h, T.nIo. ,,....-8.t ; M2.f C ... ff ..... M4'

Wl lk..r B"lIdOS .... d MSSI Sh .. rld .... (41 ) Th .. MI Abraml SaUl .. T .... 10 (411 ) Armo .... orlh .. Vi .......... War. (43) Th .. Mil B ... dJey W.n'ry Fi.h, ... S V .. hicl .. (+4) Anll.T ...... HeUc:opl .. ra (u ) A ... , ... ca: US Amphiblou. Aa .... h V .. hiclH (46) The R ..... "lt IT Lilht T ......

dcvdopmclII. Hi5 main ~ru of in ' e"",' ill ",ili'2ry affain in Ihe Smic' Uninn and Wlen, Ellrol'" in 'he Seeo"d World War. aud he h:u ... rillcn ... well on Amenean armQurro IOree. S'n'rfl Z .. logll livQ in Conn"",icIII.

n •• C·ISC<S·Sl)·\

,

I· \'10 ....... <:.**. U"l"l.",phib .Iio ,,~ MI 9.11 ott'''i"" ... • III TlLII • . : Hhu.haL 111:17. (1 ..... 1) t' .......... y Ift.lplL

A

B

2: M3,, 1 S, ........ , "W.' ... JI.~ 2/ijl h Armd.Kell1.: l'_pualNewUul"" ... 111-12. ~In"'l) T"....,t.l hriK_de in.lgnl ...

c

o

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I , L\'T(AI . I, IJIfA ..... y7o.! ..... mphlb. Tlonk Un., 8.lp ... ' I/H. ( I ~_) " .U.IIo .. _mpu' ...... ",.c~yI1 ;~.;"" ...

~TJI .. 911 11 .... "" OI¥.l .. "~~ · ... ,.,.p_ 141h I .. r. Ui>isiotL, peteU ... II/H. (In",,' ) f'I.U>o~ ....... 110 ... '" __ paIOy in.; .....

E

F

I , Ty,ea Ih .. ooI ouapIoIb. ~J., K .. .., IOht8SI.F': I.." .... 19-11 11-'1 "II~ .... ,;.., i_il";. _IL

2: M~.u.. I.;S~C I .. TIon~ BL; 0101 .. _ II.I~

(I~C_,..y .ujpi&.

G

II

H

I: T.34/86. 101.. M"",1o. C .......... ~Io' I .. rar "--" r"",,, M ........... 1iW6.j l ...... ,T..,. ... rf_oIeOaU.

il: Typo lt7 •• 18h1~1MMo C.~h .. J.",,_ " ' ..... "~ 11«.<.: K~.i_ UH~. {1_1I1.oIplo. ... t.1L -