Type 92 Heavy Machine Gun

Infobox Weapon|is_ranged=yes
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caption=Type 92 heavy machine gun at the Yasukuni Shrine
name=Type 92
type=machine gun
origin=flag|Empire of Japan
era=WW2
designer=Kijiro Nambu
design_date=1932
production_date=1932 to 1941
service=1932 to 1945
used_by=Japan
wars=WW2
spec_type=Heavy machine gun
caliber=
part_length=721 mm
cartridge=Type 92 semi-rimmed 7.7 mm
feed= metallic feed trays with 30 rounds
action=gas operated
rate=450 round/min (max.), 200 round/min (practical)
range=800 m
range_max=4,500 m
velocity=732 m/s (2,400 ft/s)
weight=55.3 kg (gun & tripod)
length=1156 mm
variants=
number=

The Type 92 Heavy Machine Gun entered service in 1932 and was the standard Japanese heavy machine gun used during World War II by the Imperial Japanese Army and Collaborationist forces. Captured weapons were also used extensively by Chinese National Revolutionary Army troops.

The Type 92 was essentially a scaled up version of the Type 3 Heavy Machine Gun, with its calibre increased to 7.7 mm, and like the Type 3 was air cooled, ammo strip fed, and based on the Hotchkiss M1914. It was sometimes used as a light anti-aircraft gun during the Pacific War. Nicknamed "woodpecker" by Allied soldiers because of the characteristic sound it made when fired. The Type 92 had a maximum range of 4500 meters, but a practical range of 800 meters.

The weapon was normally crewed by a unit of twenty men, split into two ten men sections, an ammunition team with eight horses, and a weapons team with two horses. The large number of men reflects the need to carry everything by foot. The tripod was designed with integrated carrying poles, so that the weapon could be transported fully assembled by between two and four soldiers. It was expected that four soldiers could carry the gun in this fashion over 100 meters in 28 seconds. A large amount of ammunition was also carried by the unit in "Otsu" 30 kg and "Kou" 20 kg ammunition boxes. The "Otsu" ammunition box held 750 rounds in 25 strips, the "Kou" box held 540 rounds in 18 strips. In addition spare barrels and tools were carried.

A number of different sights were produced for the weapon, the Type 93 and Type 94 periscopic sights as well as the Type 96 telescopic sight. A ring-type anti-aircraft sight was also produced.

References

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* [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/Japan/IJA/HB/HB-9-2.html US Army technical manual TM-E 30-480 at hyperwar]
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