Type 97 heavy tank machine gun
The Type 97 heavy tank machine gun (九七式車載重機関銃, Kyū-nana-shiki shasai jū-kikanjū) was the standard machine gun used in tanks and armored vehicles of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, a heavy machine gun by infantry forces,[1] This weapon was not related to the Type 97 aircraft machine gun used in several Japanese Navy aircraft including the A6M Zero.
| Type 97 7.7 mm tank machine gun | |
|---|---|
 Type 97 Tank Machine Gun. | |
| Type | Heavy machine gun |
| Place of origin |  Empire of Japan |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1937–1945 |
| Used by | Imperial Japanese Army |
| Wars | Second Sino-Japanese War, Soviet-Japanese Border Wars, World War II, Chinese Civil War, Korean War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1937 |
| Produced | 1937–1945 |
| No. built | 18,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 12.4 kg (27 lb 5 oz) |
| Length | 1,145 mm (45.1 in) |
| Barrel length | 700 mm (28 in) |
| Cartridge | 7.7x58mm Arisaka |
| Action | Gas-operated |
| Rate of fire | 500 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 724 m/s (2,375 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 540 m (590 yd) |
| Maximum firing range | 3.42 km (2.13 mi) |
| Feed system | 20-round detachable box magazine |
| Sights | Blade front sight and aperture rear sight |
Development
Initially, the Type 11 Light Machine Gun was modified by the Army Technical Bureau for use in tanks and other armored vehicles, and was produced for this application under the designation "Type 91 Mobile Machine Gun". However, the basic design issues with the Type 11 remained, including its tendency to jam because of the slightest amount of grit or dirt, and the low lethality and lack of stopping power of its 6.5x50mm Arisaka cartridges.
During the early stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japanese forces captured a number of Czech ZB vz/26 light machine guns from China’s National Revolutionary Army; its numerous design advantages led to the development of the Type 97. This was used in a modified form for armored vehicles until 1940, when the Japanese Army switched to a rimless 7.7 mm cartridge.
Design
The Type 97 was mechanically similar to the Czech ZB vz. 26, with a different stock and pistol grip. It had a straight, vertical, 20-round box magazine and used the same 7.7 mm cartridges used in the Type 99 rifle. The gun barrel could easily overheat, which meant the gunner had to fire in bursts, or the barrel would be shot out.[2]
When fitted in a tank, a fixed focus 1.5x telescopic sight with a 30° field of view was used. To prevent injury to the gunner, a rubber eye pad was attached to the rear of the sight.
When used as an infantry weapon, a bipod was employed. Without the bipod, it weighed 11.25 kg (24.8 lb).[3]
Deployment
The Type 97 came into service in 1937, and was used on all Japanese tanks and other armored vehicles until the end of the war. The Imperial Japanese Navy also used the weapon in their combat vehicles such as the Type 92 Jyu-Sokosha Heavy Armored Car (tankette).[4]
It was much less common as a stand-alone infantry gun due to its weight.[5] As a result of this weight problem, the similar looking but different internally Type 99 light machine gun was developed in the same caliber and deployed instead.
It was used by Communist forces during the Korean War.[6]
Notes
- Bishop, The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II
- TM-E 30-480 (1945)
- Data card at the Sinbudai Old Weapon Museum, Camp Asaka, Japan
- Dragonsoffire.com
- Morse, Japanese Small Arms of WW2; Light Machine Guns Models 11, 96, 99, 97 & 92
- Kinard, Jeff (9 April 2010). "Machine guns". In Tucker, Spencer C.; Pierpaoli, Paul G., Jr. (eds.). The Encyclopedia of the Korean War: A Political, Social, and Military History. 1. A-L (2nd ed.). ABC-CLIO. p. 535. ISBN 978-1-85109-849-1.
References
- Bishop, Chris (eds) (1998). The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II. Barnes & Nobel. ISBN 0-7607-1022-8.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
- Mayer, S.L. (1984). The Rise and Fall of Imperial Japan. The Military Press. ISBN 0-517-42313-8.
- Morse, D.R. (1996). Japanese Small Arms of WW2; Light Machine Guns Models 11, 96, 99 97 & 92. Firing Pin Enterprizes. ASIN: B000KFVGSU.
- Popenker, Maxim (2008). Machine Gun: The Development of the Machine Gun from the Nineteenth Century to the Present Day. Crowood. ISBN 978-1-84797-030-5.
- Rottman, Gordon L. (2005). Japanese Infantryman 1937-1945. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-818-9.
- US Department of War (1994). Handbook on Japanese Military Forces, TM-E 30-480 (1945) (reprint ed.). Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 0-8071-2013-8.