Type 14 10 cm Cannon
Encyclopedia
The was the first medium caliber cannon
totally of Japanese design and the first with a split trail
carriage. It was used Imperial Japanese Army
but was not considered successful and was replaced by the Type 92 10 cm Cannon
.
s, the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff instructed the Army Technical Bureau to begin work on new designs to modernize Japan's largely antiquated artillery. One priority was the development of a medium caliber artillery piece that would be able to provide greater firepower than the standard 75mm artillery currently in front line service. However, Japan lacked much of the technical expertise or industrial infrastructure to develop such as weapon, and initial prototypes issued as the "Type 7 10cm cannon" and the "Type 12 10cm cannon" were rejected as unsatisfactory.
However, with the incorporation of advancement in design taken from contemporary Schneider
designs, the Type 14 10 cm Cannon was finally accepted into service in 1925. However, due to technical and budgetary issues, only a total of 64 units were produced.
, which was in turn based on a 1905 Krupp
design, but is notable in that it was the first design done independently in Japan. It had an interrupted screw breechblock, a hydropneumatic recoil mechanism, heavy wooden wheels, and a split trail.
Ammunition was semifixed, with High-explosive, armor-piercing warhead
, shrapnel, and gas
shells, and time fuzes for smoke and incendiary projectiles.
It was designed to be transportable by a team of eight draft horse
s. However, in 1931, a tractor was designed for use with the Type 14, with a 50 horsepower
diesel engine
, which greatly increased its transportability, albeit at a top speed of 8 miles per hour.
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
totally of Japanese design and the first with a split trail
Split trail
The split trail is a type of gun mount or gun carriage for relatively small and transportable artillery pieces....
carriage. It was used Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
but was not considered successful and was replaced by the Type 92 10 cm Cannon
Type 92 10 cm Cannon
The was a field gun used by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. It was intended to supersede the Type 14 10cm Cannon in front line combat service.-History and development:...
.
History and development
Following reports based on first-hand observation of European artillery tactics in World War I by Japanese military observerMilitary attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
s, the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff instructed the Army Technical Bureau to begin work on new designs to modernize Japan's largely antiquated artillery. One priority was the development of a medium caliber artillery piece that would be able to provide greater firepower than the standard 75mm artillery currently in front line service. However, Japan lacked much of the technical expertise or industrial infrastructure to develop such as weapon, and initial prototypes issued as the "Type 7 10cm cannon" and the "Type 12 10cm cannon" were rejected as unsatisfactory.
However, with the incorporation of advancement in design taken from contemporary Schneider
Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric is a French global company. It was founded in 1836 by two brothers, Eugène and Adolphe Schneider.In the first part of the 20th century, Schneider et Cie associated itself with Westinghouse Systems, a major international electrical group at the time. The group began manufacturing...
designs, the Type 14 10 cm Cannon was finally accepted into service in 1925. However, due to technical and budgetary issues, only a total of 64 units were produced.
Design
The Type 14 10 cm Cannon was similar in design to the earlier Type 38 10 cm CannonType 38 10 cm Cannon
The was a field gun used by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War I, the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. It was a licensed copy of a 1905 Krupp design...
, which was in turn based on a 1905 Krupp
Krupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
design, but is notable in that it was the first design done independently in Japan. It had an interrupted screw breechblock, a hydropneumatic recoil mechanism, heavy wooden wheels, and a split trail.
Ammunition was semifixed, with High-explosive, armor-piercing warhead
Armor-piercing shot and shell
An armor-piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions...
, shrapnel, and gas
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
shells, and time fuzes for smoke and incendiary projectiles.
It was designed to be transportable by a team of eight draft horse
Draft horse
A draft horse , draught horse or dray horse , less often called a work horse or heavy horse, is a large horse bred for hard, heavy tasks such as ploughing and farm labour...
s. However, in 1931, a tractor was designed for use with the Type 14, with a 50 horsepower
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
, which greatly increased its transportability, albeit at a top speed of 8 miles per hour.