Any tank battles during the Pacific War?
- Admiral Yi
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Any tank battles during the Pacific War?
Dear Gentlemen,
Were there any tank battles between Japanese and Allied forces during the Pacific War? Sorry for asking but I am mostly interested in German and Japanese WWII-planes. So I don't know much about tanks and their history. Thx.
Were there any tank battles between Japanese and Allied forces during the Pacific War? Sorry for asking but I am mostly interested in German and Japanese WWII-planes. So I don't know much about tanks and their history. Thx.
- Michael Emrys
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Depends on how you define the Pacific War. If you include fighting between Japan and the USSR, there was a pretty good dust up on the border between Manchuria and Mongolia at Khalkin-Gol in the summer of 1939. That was probably the biggest tank vs. tank battle in that part of the world. The Soviets used more tanks when they invaded Manchuria six years later, but the Japanese had little to match them with, so there was little or no tank vs. tank fighting at that time.
Re: Any tank battles during the Pacific War?
The invasion at Wakde, New Guinea saw some tank vs tank combat IIRC. I'll run a quick check and get back with details.Admiral Yi wrote:Dear Gentlemen,
Were there any tank battles between Japanese and Allied forces during the Pacific War? Sorry for asking but I am mostly interested in German and Japanese WWII-planes. So I don't know much about tanks and their history. Thx.
The Japanese 2d Armored Division (Lt.Gen. Iwanaka) with 6th, 7th and 10th Tank Regiments was transferred from Manchuria to Luzon/Philippines in late July/early August 1944 and began arriving in September for assignment to 14th Area Army. By early January 1945, it was deployed in the Cabanatuan - San Miguel area with approximately 200 tanks prepared to counter the expected Allied invasion of Luzon at Lingayen Gulf. On 8 January it was ordered to the Tarlac area to block and defeat any enemy attempt to push southeast toward the Clark Field complex and Manila. It fought numerous engagements over the next month, but because the terrain was mostly rice paddies it could not use its tanks in the traditional way and was forced to dig them in at road junctions and other key positions. By 8 February, the Division had lost some 180 of its 200 tanks and its remnants became more of an infantry force than an armored unit.
[Source: Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP). Reports of General MacArthur: Japanese Operations in the Southwest Pacific Area. Volume II - Part II. WashDC: GPO, 1966. pp.327, 334-35, 436-38, 454, 458, 460, 463-65, 469-83, 506, 508, 515-19, 522, 523-26].
Over the past 40 years, I have seen numerous accounts of this Division's tank operations and battles in the Philippines, so it should not be difficult to find material on the subject. For example, here's a very useful link:
http://www3.plala.or.jp/takihome/history2.htm
--Larry
[Source: Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP). Reports of General MacArthur: Japanese Operations in the Southwest Pacific Area. Volume II - Part II. WashDC: GPO, 1966. pp.327, 334-35, 436-38, 454, 458, 460, 463-65, 469-83, 506, 508, 515-19, 522, 523-26].
Over the past 40 years, I have seen numerous accounts of this Division's tank operations and battles in the Philippines, so it should not be difficult to find material on the subject. For example, here's a very useful link:
http://www3.plala.or.jp/takihome/history2.htm
--Larry
There where also a few small tank clashes in the 1941-42 invasion of the Philippines. The Usa haveing a small number of m2A4/m3 tanks and the japanese a tank regiment.. There was also Im willing to gues some amall battles in China, Chinese tanks includeing German PZ1's, Italian L3, British light tanks and vicker 6 tons tanks, French renualts FT17 and Soviet T26 and scratch built armored cars all in small numbers
- Admiral Yi
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- Sewer King
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Tank battles in the Pacific
On August 2, 1944, the US Army 77th Infantry Division was attacking dug-in Japanese defenders near Barrigada, Guam, when it set afire a hut. This exposed a Type 97 tank that drove right at the Americans, causing numerous casualties. They brought all the fire they could to bear but failed to stop its advance right through one of their battalion command posts. It then turned toward the US Marine sector, where two Marine Shermans finally knocked it out.
In this same attack another tank, a Type 95, was hiding elsewhere in the jungle until four Shermans blew away its cover and easily despatched it.
That night, two more Type 97s with accompanying infantry attacked the 77th. The foot soldiers were cut down but again the tanks broke through and killed 20 more Americans. They were destroyed only when a mortar barrage caused their crews to abandon them.
The Japanese kept up what tank-infantry defenses they could through the week. Other tank assaults were defeated by the alert Army troops who heard them coming in time. Marine Shermans destroyed two more of their tanks on August 10, and seven more Type 97s were found abandoned. One of their captured officers said these ones had run out of fuel.
On all of Guam there had been only 38 Japanese tanks.
The Marines on Saipan faced what was reportedly the largest tank-infantry battle of the central Pacific. There the Japanese 9th Tank Regiment sent its 37 tanks alongside the 136th Infantry Regiment to retake a radio station from the 6th Marines. They attacked by daylight and en masse, against the American expectation. But they had not scouted well enough to see how strong the defense was, and were decimated by Marine artillery and naval gunfire.
Unfortunately for our interest, and unlike the small actions on Guam, this particular battle was not fought tank-vs-tank.
(cf Denfield, D. Colt. Hold the Marianas: Japanese Defense of the Islands. Shippensburg, PA, White Mane Press, 1997, pgs 56-59 and 201-203.)
There is some room for speculation about what the 26th Tank Regiment might've added to the defense of Iwo Jima, had its tanks not been lost en route to that island.
In this same attack another tank, a Type 95, was hiding elsewhere in the jungle until four Shermans blew away its cover and easily despatched it.
That night, two more Type 97s with accompanying infantry attacked the 77th. The foot soldiers were cut down but again the tanks broke through and killed 20 more Americans. They were destroyed only when a mortar barrage caused their crews to abandon them.
The Japanese kept up what tank-infantry defenses they could through the week. Other tank assaults were defeated by the alert Army troops who heard them coming in time. Marine Shermans destroyed two more of their tanks on August 10, and seven more Type 97s were found abandoned. One of their captured officers said these ones had run out of fuel.
On all of Guam there had been only 38 Japanese tanks.
The Marines on Saipan faced what was reportedly the largest tank-infantry battle of the central Pacific. There the Japanese 9th Tank Regiment sent its 37 tanks alongside the 136th Infantry Regiment to retake a radio station from the 6th Marines. They attacked by daylight and en masse, against the American expectation. But they had not scouted well enough to see how strong the defense was, and were decimated by Marine artillery and naval gunfire.
Unfortunately for our interest, and unlike the small actions on Guam, this particular battle was not fought tank-vs-tank.
(cf Denfield, D. Colt. Hold the Marianas: Japanese Defense of the Islands. Shippensburg, PA, White Mane Press, 1997, pgs 56-59 and 201-203.)
There is some room for speculation about what the 26th Tank Regiment might've added to the defense of Iwo Jima, had its tanks not been lost en route to that island.
Re: Any tank battles during the Pacific War?
In Burma during March 1944, 6x M3 Lee tanks of the British 3rd Carabiniers engaged 6 Japanese type 95 tanks, destroying 5 and capturing the 6th. Although Burma is in the Indian Ocean, the conflict there during WWII is generally included within the Pacific theatre for historical purposes.
In 1971, the 3rd Carabiniers amalgamated/merged with the Royal Scots Greys to form the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.
In 1971, the 3rd Carabiniers amalgamated/merged with the Royal Scots Greys to form the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.
Re: Any tank battles during the Pacific War?
The Oct 23rd attack along the Matanikua river on Guadacanal involved a mixed company of Type 98 mediums and type 2598 tankettes. Marine AT guns, tank destroyers and artillery accounted for 12, along with numerous infantry
The gods do not deduct from a man's allotted span the hours spent in fishing.
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~Babylonian Proverb
Re:
I know this is an old reply but since the thread has been restarted I will make a slight correction, the US had two tank battalions in the Philippines, 192 and 194, each with 54 M3 tanksTRose wrote:There where also a few small tank clashes in the 1941-42 invasion of the Philippines. The Usa haveing a small number of m2A4/m3 tanks and the japanese a tank regiment.. There was also Im willing to gues some amall battles in China, Chinese tanks includeing German PZ1's, Italian L3, British light tanks and vicker 6 tons tanks, French renualts FT17 and Soviet T26 and scratch built armored cars all in small numbers
The m2A4 was only used in combat in Guadalcanal, the Marines having received 36 of them in place of M3’s which were in short supply
Not that there was much difference between the M2A4 and the M3. The most obvious is that the M2A4 had a raised rear idler while on the M3 the rear idler was lowered to ground level
Re: Any tank battles during the Pacific War?
Hi.
Yours
tom!
The Type 98 Medium was a test prototype only with one built. These tanks on Guadalcanal were Type 97 Chi-Ha Mediums and Type 95 Ha-Go Lights.Kingfish wrote:The Oct 23rd attack along the Matanikua river on Guadacanal involved a mixed company of Type 98 mediums and type 2598 tankettes. Marine AT guns, tank destroyers and artillery accounted for 12, along with numerous infantry
Yours
tom!
Re: Any tank battles during the Pacific War?
I recline corrected
Thanks
Thanks
The gods do not deduct from a man's allotted span the hours spent in fishing.
~Babylonian Proverb
~Babylonian Proverb
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Re: Any tank battles during the Pacific War?
To all,
No one mentioned the Japanese tank attack on Peleliu. I don't have a real good description in front of me, but it was a Japanese tank company and I do seem to recall that they were engaged by Sherman tanks.
Mike
No one mentioned the Japanese tank attack on Peleliu. I don't have a real good description in front of me, but it was a Japanese tank company and I do seem to recall that they were engaged by Sherman tanks.
Mike
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Re: Any tank battles during the Pacific War?
22 December 1941Admiral Yi wrote:Dear Gentlemen,
Were there any tank battles between Japanese and Allied forces during the Pacific War? Sorry for asking but I am mostly interested in German and Japanese WWII-planes. So I don't know much about tanks and their history. Thx.
Damortis, Philippine Islands
Lt. Benjamin R. Morin led 5 M3 Stuarts of Baker co. 192nd Tank Bn. against the Imperial Japanese Armys 4th Tank regiment. M3's vs. Type 95 Ha-Go 37mm vs. 37mm
His Stuart was hit and burned out. he and his crew among the First POW's of the Japanese. the other 4 Stuarts took hits but were able to withdraw.
SOURCE- http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/rev-be ... ead-at-94/
"There are two kinds of people who are staying on this beach: those who are dead and those who are going to die. Now let’s get the hell out of here".
Col. George Taylor, 16th Infantry Regiment, Omaha Beach
Col. George Taylor, 16th Infantry Regiment, Omaha Beach