Pacific Wrecks - 75mm Anti-Aircraft Gun Type 88 Serial Number 1018

y Pacific Wrecks - 75mm Anti-Aircraft Gun Type 88 Serial Number 1018

Missing In Action (MIA)

Prisoners Of War (POW)

Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)

75mm Anti-Aircraft Gun Type 88 (1928) Serial Number 1018

IJA
47th Field Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion

Australian Army 1943

Gun History
Delivered to the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) as 75mm Anti-Aircraft Gun Type 88 (1928) serial number 1018. The barrel was painted in two tone camouflage. This gun was transported to the north coast of New Guinea and landed at Buna, Gona or Sanananda.

Wartime History
During the middle of 1942, this emplaced in the area of the Government Gardens south of Buna Station (Buna Mission) on a track west of Jiropa Point (Giropa) and west of Jiropa Creek (Giropa Creek). Operated by the 47th Field Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion to provide anti-aircraft defense over the Buna area.

During the Battle of Buna in late December 1942 or early January 1943 this gun might have fired horizontally as an anti-tank gun before it was captured intact by the U.S. Army 32nd Infantry Division.

After the battle, the gun, base and trailer were was recovered from the battlefield and transported to Australia for technical evaluation. This gun was tested at Defence Explosive Factory Maribyrnong in Maribyrnong, Victoria. During testing, at least four photographs were taken of the gun in various positions for Allied intelligence. The fate of this gun afterwards is unknown.

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Last Updated
April 19, 2021

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