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Type-98 20mm light automatic anti-aircraft gun

Due to the lack of a developed design school and traditions of self-creation of models of small arms and artillery weapons, Japan had to acquire licenses for the release of or illegal production of foreign models to equip its own armed forces. This fully applies to small-caliber anti-aircraft guns. Adopted in 1938, the 20-mm Type 98 automatic cannon, in its design, repeated the French machine gun Hochiss. 1930 This weapon was originally developed as a dual-use system: to combat lightly armored ground and air targets.

The 20-mm light automatic anti-aircraft gun type 98 (1938) was the standard mobile anti-aircraft automatic weapon used by the Japanese Army during World War II. The weapon has a two-wheel, split trail mount and can be drawn by draft animals or towed by truck. It can also be dismantled and carried by pack or hand. The gun is normally fired from the tripod formed by its split trail and a forward detachable outrigger.

The tall bed rested on two wooden wheels with knitting needles and was towed by a light truck or horse cart. The possibility of dismantling the gun for transportation by packs was also provided. On the position of the paws of the bed divorced, forming two rear supports, in addition to the third, front. After the final installation of the paws of the tripod (to calculate from 2-3 people, this process took 3 minutes), the gunner-gunner was located on a small seat. It can also be fired from its wheels, although accuracy and field of fire under these conditions are impaired.

A gun with an angle of vertical guidance: –10° - + 85° could fire targets in the 360° sector. The type 98 gun was quite powerful - the same as a Type 97 anti-tank gun. It pierced 30 mm armor at a distance of 245 m . The initial velocity of the projectile - 830 m / s. Reach in height - 3500 m.

Despite the relatively low rate of fire and 20 charging magazine, which limited the practical rate of fire, the gun was widely used in air defense. With a rate of fire of only 120 rpm this 20-mm gun was not considered an effective automatic anti-aircraft gun.

During the war the Japanse troops received about 2500 20-mm Type 98. In Japan, attempts were made to create a Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun [SPAAG] by installing 20-mm Type 98 on light tanks and various semi-tracked transporters and trucks. Due to the insufficient number of self-propelled chassis and the chronic shortage of anti-aircraft guns in the army, Japanese SPAAG were produced in very small quantities.

In 1944, the production of a twin version, designated as Type 4, began. Before the end of hostilities, Japanese industry was able to supply about 500 20-mm guns.

In the 1950s it was in service in the Chinese Communist, Viet Minh, and Thai armies.