Japanese Type 38 (1905) 75mm Field Gun (Regimental Gun)
Technical Information

Background
The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) Type 38 (1905) 75mm Field Gun was a license built Krupp 7.5 cm Model 1903 Field Gun built by Osaka Army Arsenal in Osaka. Known to the Japanese Army as a "Regimental Gun". The gun had two limitations: the barrel was only able to elevate to an angle of 16° to 30° and there were no equilibrators because the trunnions were at the barrel's center of balance. By 1930, replaced by the Type 90 75mm Field Gun.


Wartime History
During the Second Sino-Japanese War, roughly 400 were modified and became known as the "Improved Type 38" with a hollow box trail that allowed a barrel elevation to an angle of 43°. Also, the gun was trunnioned forward and equilibrators added to compensate for the muzzle weight. Although obsolete during the Pacific War, this field gun remained in service with the Japanese Army until the end of World War II.

Production
A total of 3,059 guns guns were built incluing roughly 2,000 Type 38 model with at least 400 later were modified into Improved Type 38s. Roughly 1,000 Improved Type 38 were built.

References
U.S. Army, TM-E 30-480 September 15, 1944

Technical Details
Caliber  75mm (2.95 in)
Muzzle Velocity   1,673 ft/s / 510m/s
Shell  13 lb / 6kg
Rate of Fire  6-8 rpm
Effective Horizontal Range  9,130 yards / 8,350 m
Maximum Horizontal Range  12,700 yards / 11,600 m
Total Weight   2,088 lb / 947 kg
Ammunition  High Explosive (HE), Armor Piercing (AP), Chemical, shrapnel shell, incendiary, smoke and illumination and gas