Armor fights?

[Palantir]

I know this has probably been asked a million times (now 1,000,001 times) but since I haven't read any personally- were there very many US tank vs. Japan tank actions in the Pacific?

If so what type vs. what type & where?

Thanks!

[KG_Soldier]

http://www.ww2gyrene.org/tanks_2.htm

Not much about tank on tank in the Pacific.

Those little tin cans the Japanese had were mostly used as bunkers.

[KG_Jag]

In addition Lees were used by Commonwealth forces.

I wonder what they had in Philippines in 1941-42. I know they had horse cavalry.

[Palantir]

Nice link thanks.

I can imagine the Japanese tankers shock when the heavy Soviet armor rolled into view.

I wonder how many of those light tanks that were destroyed or bogged down in the middle of nowhere are still sitting in the jungle?


Would the Japanese Army as a whole be described as a "Light Army." No heavy armor or aircraft. Their navy was the "heaviest" for sure.

[KG_Jag]

Originally Posted by Palantir

Would the Japanese Army as a whole be described as a "Light Army." No heavy armor or aircraft.

I don't think they had a "light" army. However they had almost exclusively light armor. It was a force designed to fight in terrain and weather of Asia and the South Pacific.

If you think about their aircraft from the long view, they really weren't much different from Germany. Neither had heavy bombers. Germany flew the 109/He 111 and Japan the Zero/Betty throughout the war. The Japanese "Frank" was one of the best fighters of the war, when properly manufactured and maintained.

[KG_SSpoom]

If you dont count tanks used as bunkers in the pacific....
I would think that most of Japans mobile armour was used in China.
Possibly some US/Japanese armour contact in the Phillipines.

[KG_Jag]

After posting, I found an article that said we had M-3 Stuarts in the Philippines. Didn't see any reference to it, but I also wonder if there were also older types--perhaps given to Philippine troops. It would be in character, as they/we also had Peashooters and we had older sub types in that theater.

[Palantir]

The numerous island invasions in 1941/42 probably didn't make for good armor usage but I'm surprised that Japan didn't have any Amph-crawler type vehicles of some sort.

As far as the Tank-pillboxes used: were those just dug into the earth or poured fortifications?

{I could still see a fun CM:Pacific game made- the invasion portion would have to be well developed}

[KG_Kharkov]

There were 6 or 7 tanks on Tarawa (light Ha-Go types). I think the only armor on armor action between US and Japanese troops occurred in the Philippines toward the end of the war. It was very small scale. Armor was completely unnecessary for Japan's conquest ambitions.

Marines and Army basically used armor as mobile pillboxes to provide heavy support against bunkers and other tough to destroy emplacements. Since the Pacific wasn't much of a maneuver theater due to terrain, armor was a low priority for both sides.

[KG_Panzerschreck]

The Japanese had some very good guns, arty & mortars on the other hand.....