IJN
Justin Taylan 2003
History
The first of two guns built into an emplacment by
the Japanese Navy at Yavik on Kairiru
Island. It overlooks
the southern channel between Muschu and Kairiru Island. The
gun emplaced in a concere pit and has
an entrance behind it for crews to enter and exit.
Tetsuo Watanabe writes about these exact guns in:
The Naval Land Unit that
Vanished in the Jungle
"The heavy weapons we had were two 12-centimeter guns, [in fact, 140mm]
several mountain guns and 13mm machine guns. It was apparent that we did not
have the capacity to fight the well armed enemy. Besides we were a Naval Unit
with little experience in land battles. Having witnessed the the strength of
the enemy on the mainland [of New Guinea], I often wondered if our military drills
were meaningless."
Today
Gun is still emplaced in its wartime position. It
still has its breach attached. The gun is adjacent to a post-war cemetary
used by villagers.
