Monday 12 October 2015

Imperial Japanese Navy Ammunition - 30mm Projectiles

 
 
 
Imperial Japanese Navy Ammunition
 
 
 
 
30mm Ammunition
 
 
 
 
Two 30mm aircraft cannon, the Type 2 and the Type 5, were in use by the Japanese.  These guns are of Oerlikon design and use similar ammunition.  The Type 5 gun uses a longer case and a slightly heavier projectile than the Type 2.
 
 
Case:  The case for the Type 2 gun is of typical Oerlikon design.  It is a comparatively short brass reduced-rim case slightly necked.
 
The case for the Type 5 gun is longer, has a more pronounced neck, and is of the rimless type.
 
 
Length of Case 
Type 2: 3.58 inches
Type 5: 4.81 inches
 
 
Projectiles:  Like the 20mm ammunition, the type of projectile is indicated by painting the projectile body a solid color.  However, some of the Type 5 projectiles were unpainted except for a narrow band behind the nose fuze.
 
The following dimensions are common to all projectiles:
Type 2 ----- Type 5
Diameter at bourrelet: 1.18 in ----- 1.18                                         
Width of rotating band: 0.24 in ----- 0.31 in                                       
 
 

  
30mm Type 5 High-Explosive Projectile
 
 
Fuzing: Rotor type fuze
 
Lenght of projectile (without fuze): 3.53 inches
Lenght of complete round: 8.31 inches
 
Filling: Pentolite
 
Color and Markings:  Maroon overall
 
Remarks: The pentolite is in a precast block surrounded by cardboard.
 
 

 
30mm Type 2 and Type 5 High-Explosive Incendiary Projectiles
 
 
Fuzing: Rotor type fuze
 
Length of projectile (without fuze):
-Type 2: 2.83 inches
-Type 5: 3.53 inches
 
Length of assembled round (fuzed):
-Type 2: 6.57 inches
-Type 5: 8.31 inches
 
Filling: Pentolite and White Phosphorus
 
Weight of filling (Type 2):
-Pentolite: 3.56 grams
-White Phosphorus: 19.94 grams
 
Color and Markings: Greenish-Yellow overall.
The Type 5 projectile is sometimes unpainted except for a greenish-yellow band at the nose.
 
Remarks:  The one-piece projectile contains only one cavity.  The H.E. is surrounded by a cardboard below which is contained the W.P. in a metal canister.
 
 
 
 
Type 5 30mm High-Explosive Tracer Projectile
 
 
Fuzing: Rotor type fuze
 
Length of projkectile (without fuze): 3.53 inches
Length of complete round: 8.31 inches
 
Filling: Pentolite
 
Color and Markings:  Red overall, or a red band at the nose.
 
Remarks:  The body of the projectile contains two cavities separated by a steel septum.  The upper cavity contains the H.E. filling, while the lower contains the tracer.
 
 
 
 
Type 5 30mm Tracer Projectile
 
 
Fuzing: Nose Plug
 
Length of projectile (without fuze): 3.53 inches
Length of complete round: 8.31 inches
 
Filling: None
 
Color and Markings: Red overall, or a red band at the nose
 
 
 
 
 
Type 2 and Type 5 30mm Practice Projectile
 
 
Fuzing: Dummy fuze
 
Length of projectile (without fuze):
-Type 2: 2.83 inches
-Type 5: 3.53 inches
 
Length of assembled round (fuzed):
-Type 2: 6.57 inches
-Type 5: 8.28 inches
 
Filling: Blind loaded
 
Color and Markings:
-Type 2: Black overall with a red dummy fuze
-Type 5: Not painted
 
Remarks:  The projectile body and case are the same in appearance as the H.E.I. round.  This is used as the first round in the magazine, to clear the gun bore.
 
 


40mm Armor-Piercing Projectile


Weight of complete round (without fuze): 1.17kg
Weight of projectile, filled (without fuze): 0.78kg
Weight of filling: 0.023kg
Filling: Cast TNT

Diameter at bourrelet: 1.57 inches
Length of projectile (without fuze): 5.24 inches
Length of assembled round: 10.33 inches
Length of propellant case: 6.18 inches
Propellant: Cylindrical lengths of smokeless powder, 95.9g
Width of rotating band: 0.63 inch
Diameter of base of propellant case: 1.89 inches
 Fuzing: Small A/P base fuze

Color and Markings: White with a green tip

Remarks: This round indicates use of the 40mm Vickers-Armstrong as a dual-purpose gun.

 


40mm High-Explosive Anti-Aircraft Projectile


Weight of complete round (without fuze): 1.18kg
Weight of projectile, filled (without fuze): 0.79kg
Weight of filling: 0.07kg
Filling: Cast TNT

Diameter at bourrelet: 1.57 inches
Length of projectile (without fuze): 5.01 inches
Length of assembled round: 10.4 inches
Length of propellant case: 6.18 inches
Propellant: Cylindrical lengths of smokeless powder, 95.9g
Width of rotating band: 0.63 inch
Diameter of base of propellant case: 1.89 inches
Fuzing: A.A. powder time fuze

Color and Markings: Maroon with 12mm green band around ogive

Remarks: This round was evidently designed only for anti-aircraft work, having no impact or tracer element.  It is used in the Navy's Vickers-Armstrong guns, which are belt-fed with automatic fuze cutters attached.




40mm Tracer Projectile


Weight of complete round (with nose cap): 1.28kg
Weight of projectile, filled (with tracer and nose cap): 0.9kg
Weight of filling: 0.07kg
Filling: None

Diameter at bourrelet: 1.57 inches
Length of projectile (with nose cap): 6.61 inches
Length of assembled round (with nose cap): 11.3 inches
Length of propellant case: 6.18 inches
Propellant: Cylindrical lengths of smokeless powder, 95.9g
Width of rotating band: 0.63 inch
Diameter of base of propellant case: 1.89 inches
Fuzing: None

Color and Markings: Orange overall

Remarks: This round is similar in shape to the A.A. type.  The nose, of solid construction with two large wrench flats, screws into the projectile body just before the bourrelet with right-hand threads.  The inside is lacquered.  The tracer element is screwed into the base with left-hand threads.  It is used in the Vickers-Armstrong guns.





5cm (47mm) Complete Round and Common Projectile

 
Assembled round:
-Weight of complete round: 3.2 lbs
-Length of complete round: 9.25 inches

Projectile:
-Weight of filled projectile (with fuze): 2.4 lbs
-Weight of projectile (empty): 2.1 lbs

Dimensions:
-Length of projectile (without fuze): 5.31 inches
-Diameter at bourrelet: 1.84 inches
-Distance from base to rotating band: 1.25 inches
Width of rotating band: 1.69 inches

Filling: Loose granular black powder (50 grams)

Fuzing: Hotchkiss patent fuze screwed (R.H.) into base; a simple setback arming base fuze presumably of British manufacture.  The base of the fuze is stamped "Hotchkiss Patent DOC"
Weight of fuze: 2 oz

Case:
-Length: 5.19 inches
-Diameter at base: 2.38 inches
-Material: Brass (recovered); Steel (documentary)
-Weight (empty): No Data

The case is crimped into a groove in the base of the projectile by several short crimps.

Propellant: 5 C2 (Type 2 Year propellant) weighing 2.4 oz unperforated cylindrical sticks, approximately 0.5mm by 25.4mm, amber-coloured double-base powder.

The propellant sticks are enclosed in a compartmented bag of heavy brownish silk.

Primer: Small flush type (designation unknown)

Used in: Short 5cm gun
 
This gun, mounted on wooden-spoked wheels as a field piece, corresponds to old U.S. "landing guns" and is probably a copy of an obsolete British gun.  The breech block is the vertical sliding type.



 
Next Time: 80mm Projectiles

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