Historic context :

In the midst of the Russo-Japanese conflict in 1904, the army of the Land of the Rising Sun expressed an interest in Krupp's 10cm heavy field gun. With military industrial capacity reserved almost exclusively for the Navy, 20 German guns were imported in 1905.

It was on this basis that the Osaka Arsenal designed the Type 38 10cm field gun in 1907 ('38' standing for the year 1905, the 38th year of Emperor Meiji's reign). The first guns appeared in units in 1911, and 102 were built. This gun had an interrupted screw breech, a long barrel of almost 32 calibres and a hydro-mechanical (hydro-spring) recoil recovery system.

In 1914, Russia ordered 120 guns of this type, modified to the 4.2-inch (107 mm) calibre to be compatible with the Russian ammunitions. They served in the Tsar's armies during the conflict, and later in the Russian Civil War, under the name '42-line M 1905 Quick Firing Gun'

Technical data :

• Complete description : 42-line M 1905 Quick Firing Gun (Japan 10cm Type 38)
• Design year : 1905
• Calibre : 107.00 mm (4.2 inches - 42 lines)
• Weight in firing position : 2594 kg
• Weight for transportation :
• Tube length in calibres : 31.70
• Grooves : 0 (unknown)
• Projectile weight : 15.9 kg
• Initial speed : 540 m/sec
• Fire rate :
• Range : 10800 m
• Elevation range : -2 to +15 degrees
• Direction range : 6 degrees range

• Artillerie im 20. Jahrhundert           Franz Kosar                   Bernard und Graefe   2004  
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