Armoured Trains Sneak Preview

Specification9 1/2 x 11 3/4 in

528 single-color pages, plus 16 pages of color 1,400 b/w photos & 64 color photos;

100 drawings; Publication date: November 2016

List price: $75.00

Copyright © Paul Malmassari

Armoured TrainsAn Illustrated Encyclopaedia 1826–2016

Paul MalmassariTranslated and Edited by Roger Branfill-Cook

Naval Institute PressAnnapolis, Maryland

JAPAN

This cannon, crudely placed on an

elevated platform and installed inside

a Russian bogie wagon, allowing only

for head-on fire, appears primitive in

comparison with contemporary

armoured trains that were armed

with cannon in rotating turrets.

(Photo: Paul MALMASSARI Collection)

A well-known photo of an interesting

machine-gun wagon, with a mixed

Czech and Japanese crew, typical of

the forces that defended certain

sections of the Trans-Siberian Railway.

(Photo: All Rights Reserved)

AFTER 1894, in their moves to establish footholds and expandtheir territorial gains on the Asian Continent, the Japanese

Empire became embroiled in several conflicts, first with theChinese Empire, and then with the Republic of China. Amongstother territorial gains, the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–95 gaveJapan Formosa and Port Arthur in Manchuria. Korea became aJapanese colony. Then Japan participated in the Allied interventionin Siberia from August 1918 to October 1922. In 1931 Japanconquered Manchuria and renamed it Manchukuo. Finally, theSecond Sino-Japanese war, which broke out in 1937, became partof the wider Second World War.

Japanese armoured trains were used during the intervention inSiberia from 1918; in 1931 during the invasion of Manchuria; thenin 1932 in the move against Shanghai; and finally across the wholeof occupied Chinese territory. After the Japanese defeat in 1945,Japanese armoured trains were used by Chinese forces during theChinese Civil War, and perhaps even in Korea.

Preface xxIntroduction xx

Angola xxArgentina xxArmenia xxAustria xxAustro-Hungarian Empire xxBelgium xxBosnia Herzegovina xxBrazil xxBulgaria xxBurma (Myanmar) xxCambodia (Kampuchea) xxCanada xxChile xxChina xxColombia xxCongo-Léopoldville xxCroatia (Post 1991) xxCroatia, Free State of xxCuba xxCzechoslovakia xxEgypt xxEstonia xxFinland xx

France xxGeorgia xxGermany xxGreat Britain xxGreece xxGuatemala xxHonduras xxHungary xxIndia xxIndonesia xxIraq xxIreland xxItaly xxJapan xxLatvia xxLithuania xxMalaysia xxMalawi xxMauritania xxMexico xxMorocco xxMozambique xxThe Netherlands xxNew Zealand xxNicaragua xxNorth Korea xx

Norway xxParaguay xxPeru xxPoland xxPortugal xxRepublic of Congo xxRhodesia (Zimbabwe) xxRomania xxRussia and URSS xxSlovakia (Free State) xxSlovakia (post 1944) xxSouth Africa xxSouth Korea xxSpain xxSweden xxSwitzerland xxThailand xxTunisia xxTurkey xxUkraine xxUnited States of America xxUruguay xxVietnam xxYugoslavia/Serbia xx

Index xx

Contents

A fine photograph of a Japanese

armoured trolley in service in Siberia. It

is surrounded by Czech Legionnaires.(Photo: Vojenský ústedni archive-Vojenský historický

archive)

This photograph shows the ultimate

appearance of a Russian armoured

wagon, formerly part of Kalmykov’s

forces but then taken over by the

Japanese. Note the Japanese touch of

the additional armour, and the overall

arrangement of the train which

appears less haphazard than in its

original version.(Photo: All Rights Reserved)

Intervention in Siberia (1918–22)Japan intervened in the Russian Civil War as part of the interna-tional coalition that numbered some 25,000 men, first going intoaction in Siberia in July 1918 at the request of the AmericanGovernment, with the despatch of an initial contingent of 12,000men under Japanese command.1

Once they were in place, the security of the rail network wasassured by armoured trains, most of which had been brought to theregion by the withdrawing Czech Legion. The Japanese, however,refused to become involved to the west of Lake Baikal as theirpriority was focussed on the support of two White generals,Ataman Semyonov and General Kalymkov, and then later GeneralBaron von Ungern-Sternberg, who themselves were well-equippedwith armoured trains, On 5 April 1920 the Japanese contingent, the sole non-

Russian force remaining after the retreat of the American force,2

launched an offensive to disarm the local revolutionary forces, withthe ultimate aim of protecting the Japanese Home Islands, as wellas its colonies in Korea and Manchuria, against the threat of theanti-monarchist Bolsheviks. The Japanese crossed the Transbaikal,withdrew their support from Semyonov, and finally in October1922, giving in to international and domestic3 pressure, withdrewtheir contingent.

A fine view of the armoured railcar

that operated with, but sometimes

independently of, the armoured train

ORLIK. Note the Czech officer on the

left with a group of Japanese officers,

and also the latest modifications like

the searchlight mounted on the roof.(Photo: Paul MALMASSARI Collection)

A close-up view of one end of the

railcar, which still bears its Czech name,

with the inscription VUZ CIS.1 meaning

Wagon N° 1.(Photo: Paul MALMASSARI Collection)

6 • JAPAN

1. The 12th Division was the first to land on 3 August 1918 and went intoaction alongside the Czechs in the region of the Amur and the Ussuri rivers. Attheir peak, the Japanese contingent counted 72,000 men commanded byGeneral Otani, who in theory was nominal head of all the Allied troops. In factthe Russo-Japanese War was still fresh in local memory, and Russians mistrust-ed the growing power of Japan.2. The AEFS, the American Expeditionary Force in Siberia, was withdrawn on1 April 1920.3. The Japanese intervention had cost their forces 5000 dead from combat anddisease.

Armoured Trains in Manchuria, China and Korea (1931–45)The civil war that began in 19115 left China fragmented. On 18September 1931 in Manchuria, where Japanese influence hadreplaced that of the Russians since the war of 1905, minor damagecaused to a railway line6 passing close by a Chinese garrison, inwhat became known as the Mukden incident,7 gave Japan theexcuse to strengthen its hold by launching the invasion of theterritory.8 By occupying Harbin on 5 February 1932, the Japaneseconcluded their military conquest of Manchuria, one of the majorChinese provinces situated well to the north of the originalJapanese zone of influence. Subsequently, on 18 February 1932 theJapanese created the puppet state of Manchukuo, ruled by Pu Yi,which was never to be recognised by the League of Nations.If a lack of detailed records prevent us describing all the actions

in which armoured trains participated during the campaign, severaltypical engagements were reported in the press at the time. Althoughthe Chinese army in Manchuria had retreated in disorder, the raillines were by no means secure so that on 15 November 1931, forexample, when the Japanese tried to outflank the Chinese lines nearthe bridge over the River Nonni, Chinese cavalry succeeded incutting off the troop detachment who had disembarked from theirarmoured train, and only a small contingent of Japanese succeededin rejoining the train, under the protective fire of its guns.Though the whole of Manchuria was occupied by the

Japanese, they actually controlled only the towns and the railwaylines, along with a large part of the Chinese Eastern Railway. TheJapanese presence obliged the Russians to maintain 150,000 menalong the length of the frontier between Vladivostok and Manchuli(the station closest to the Manchurian frontier). The Japanesegarrison, in addition to tanks and artillery, maintained some thirtyarmoured wagons.In reprisal for a boycott of Japanese goods by the Chinese

authorities – in response to the invasion of Manchuria – in earlyFebruary 1932, the Japanese decided to take military action inShanghai. The Chinese resisted the Japanese aggression and amongother means, brought into use an armoured train on the Shanghai-Nankin line, operating principally by night, and added armouredwagons to their troop trains. It appears that their use ceased oncethe Japanese landed heavy artillery.On 7 July 1937 the Marco Polo Bridge incident between

Chinese and Japanese troops led to the outbreak of the SecondSino-Japanese War on the 28th of the same month, in which the

Japanese captured several Chinese cities. In March 1940 a centralChinese Government was installed by the Japanese, but the war wasgradually transformed into a series of guerrilla and counter-guerrillaactions. This conflict ended on 8 August 1945 with the Japanesesurrender,9 the occupation of Korea by Soviet forces and theoutbreak of the new civil war in China.

The lack of good roads in this immense territory meant that therailways were vitally important. The Japanese deployed large numbersof troops to protect the railway lines, and in turn these became aprincipal target for sabotage. The Imperial Army used severalarmoured trains10 and armoured trolleys. These units were obliged tooperate over two different rail gauges depending on the area:1520mm (5ft) Russian gauge in the northern zone of Manchuria,and 1430mm (4ft 81/2in) European gauge in the rest of the territory.

8 • JAPAN JAPAN • 9

5. The Republic of China was created on 1 January 1912 by Sun Yat-sen.6. The rail network in that region belonged to the Japanese Railway Companyof Southern Manchuria.7. The modern Shenyang.8. See also the Chapter xxx.9. The island of Formosa had been Japanese since 1895, and only becameChinese again in 1945. We do not know if the defence of the island’s railnetwork included armoured trains. 10. In Japanese: Soko Ressha.

Above; This type of armoured wagon

is typical of the Korean or Manchurian

rail network. Its construction is

straightforward, with an armoured

body attached to a standard bogie

flat wagon.

(Photo: Konstantin FEDOROV, Archivist, Collection)

Below: A view of the other end of the

wagon.

(Photo: Konstantin FEDOROV, Archivist, Collection)

Similar construction features are

evident on other armoured trains, here

lacking lateral MG nacelles. Note the

front observation post separated from

the main armoured hull. (Photo: Paul MAL-

MASSARI Collection)

Another similar view, perhaps the other end of the same train, showing the

various different types of protection, riveted plates, welded plates, sandbags.


This photo should be compared to

that shown in the chapter on Korea

(page xxx). The arrangement of the

opening flaps on the firing nacelle is

interesting, as is the tripod fixture for a

searchlight on the roof. In fact, this

photograph viewed in conjunction

with the preceding two proves that

the nacelles were diagonally opposed.


JAPAN • 11

In addition to armoured wagons intended to be included with normal trains, the

Japanese assembled armoured trains intended for offensive patrols. Here, the

pilot security wagons have been uncoupled. The insignia on the side of the

armoured wagon is that of the military railways.


As the war progressed, the armoured

trains received a distinctive camouflage

scheme. (Photo: Paul MALMASSARI Collection)

The first Japanese armoured trains, which according to AntoineBaseilhac ‘represented the only highly mobile powerful elementsacross the vast Manchurian plains’, were improvised from existingManchurian rolling stock. They also used captured Chinesearmoured train sections, which were often better constructed, manybeing former White Russian armoured trains brought to Chinawhen the Whites had fled Russia at the end of the Civil War. But tomeet the need for modern weaponry, two unique armoured trainswere built for use in Manchuria: the provisional armoured train in1932, and the following year the Type 94 armoured train. At thesame time, a large number of self-propelled units were put intoservice for use by rail reconnaissance patrols.

10 • JAPAN


Type 94 Armoured Train (1933 –45)The Type 94 armoured train was conceived after feedback fromoperating the previous provisional armoured train. Design began inOctober 1933 and the train was built in a year. No additionalexample was built so it was to was to remain unique. Althoughcapable of running at up to 65kph (40mph), it was essentially acoast defence/mobile artillery type of train rather than a tracksecurity patrol unit. Compared to the other armoured trains usedin China and Manchuria, its light armour protection of 6mm and10mm plates indicates that it was not designed for close-in combat.Its eight elements were as follows, from head to tail:

– Protection wagon (track control)– Artillery wagon N° 1 (Kó)– Artillery wagon N° 2 (Otsu)– Artillery wagon N° 3 (Hei)– Command wagon– Engine– Tender– Electrical generator wagon

A superb view of the complete train, which gives off an aura of invulnerability,

aided by its homogenous design. It underwent running trials from 16 November

to 16 December 1934, and had its firing trials on 8–9 December.


Left: A close-up view of the Generator

wagon, bringing up the rear of the train,

with its two 7.7mm Type 92 MGs for

close-in defence and the armoured

30cm searchlight.


Below: With its turrets aligned fore and

aft, the train is photographed between

Sakako and Furanten.


The protection (track control) wagon at the head of the train, equipped with a

30cm diameter armoured searchlight. Clearly visible are the 7.7mm Type 92

MGs for close-in defence and the sliding shutters closing the observation ports.

The central coupling knuckle indicates that this wagon has been built on the

base of a 30-tonne Type Ta-I mineral wagon.


The interior of the protection wagon, which appears to comprise a small

command post. Its layout is similar to that of the command wagon of the

temporary armoured train, and it too carries rails and sleepers mounted on its

sides. (Photo: All Rights Reserved)

This interior view shows one of the turret baskets of Hei wagon. At the very top

of the photo the breech of the 75mm gun is just visible. Although it seems to be

a relatively small weapon compared to the size of the wagon, each gun had a rate

of fire of some 20 rounds per minute. (Photo: All Rights Reserved)

The Kó wagon was fitted with a single

turret armed with a 100mm Type 14

anti-aircraft gun (here used solely

against ground targets) with a 270-

degree field of fire. Its maximum range

was 15km (9.4 miles). The 7.7mm Type

92 MGs in the forward turrets are for

use against ground targets, while those

in the rear turrets are dual-purpose

ground/AA. (Photo: All Rights Reserved)

Interior view of the forward part of

the Kó wagon, with its armour plates

backed with wood. In the background

is the turret revolving basket, while on

the left are some of the racks for the

200 shells the wagon carried.


The Otsu wagon was similar in design

to the Kó wagon, except that its super-

structure was higher to enable it to fire

over the latter. On this wagon all four

MG turrets could be used against

ground and air targets. The same as

used on board ship, the rangefinder

and its crew are visible on the roof,

with the binocular periscope to their

left. Within the camouflage pattern are

yellow, or ochre, bands intended to

break up the regular lines of the

wagon.



As with the other artillery wagons, the Hei wagon was constructed on the base of a 60-tonne wagon Type Chi-i. The

cannon are 75mm Type 88 anti-aircraft guns, also capable of engaging ground targets, with a horizontal range of 14km (8.75

miles), provided with 300 rounds each. (Photo: All Rights Reserved)

The interior of the Otsu wagon. The

ladder was needed for access to the

rotating basket of the turret, set at a

higher level than in the Kó version.


A postcard, based closely on the photograph on page xxx, depicts a typical train

on the Manchurian front, with its distinctive camouflage scheme and a rangefinder

in the near artillery wagon. (Postcard: Paul MALMASSARI Collection)

This illustration of a railway guard in winter kit and the locomotive of an

armoured train is from the cover of a packet containing a set of patriotic

postcards. (Illustration: Paul MALMASSARI Collection)

A colorized photo of a SO-KI in Manchuria. (Photo: Author Collection)

This postcard clearly indicates the contemporary camouflage scheme on the

trolleys and the trains. The trolley is being used as a tractor, hauling an armoured

wagon. (Photo: Author Collection)

Two photos of the SO-KI on

display in the Beijing Military

Museum.

(Photos: Author Collection)

16 • JAPAN

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