Type 10, 50mm Grenade Discharger Light Mortar / Grenade Launcher (1921)
The lightweight Type 10 operated from a trigger action and suffered from limited range.
The Type 10 design centered around a smooth-bore firing tube attached to a simple baseplate. The weapon was loaded from the muzzle like most any other mortar system and fired by way of a trigger-type mechanism. Range was controlled via an adjustable gas vent. As a smooth-bore weapon, the Type 10 relied on the fins on its projectiles to maintain a flight trajectory. The typical projectile round became the Type 91 High-Explosive (HE) grenade though smoke (Type 11) and illumination rounds (Type 10 Flare/Signal, Type 91 Pyrotechnic) were part of the Type 10's forte. Therefore, the greatest strengths of the Type 10 lay not only in its lightweight design but also in its ammunition variety. The operator need only to set the launcher down to the ground and angle the tube away from him in preparation to fire. A live projectile could then be dropped down the muzzle, the vent gas system adjusted for range and the trigger mechanism activated to complete the firing operation.
With the arrival of the Type 89 in 1929, the Type 10 was relegated to target illumination duty and the like. Nevertheless, the weapon remained in service from 1921 to 1945 alongside the Type 89 and saw heavy use in the Pacific Theater.
An American translation error erroneously referred to the Type 10 and Type 89 grenade launchers as "knee launchers". This came from the Japanese manual which instructed soldiers to carry the launcher with the baseplate clipped at the belt, leaving the firing tube dangling out over the thigh. For a time, American GIs mistook this to mean that the mortar could be fired from the thigh, leading to a few accidents via experimentation as the weapon still packed quite a recoil when fired despite its small size and light weight. Such firing almost assured the operator a broken leg. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
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Specifications for the
Type 10, 50mm Grenade Discharger
Light Mortar / Grenade Launcher
Country of Origin: Imperial Japan
Manufacturer: State Factories - Japan
Initial Year of Service: 1921
Overall Length: 525mm (20.67in)
Barrel Length: 240.00mm (9.45in)
Weight (Empty): 5.73lbs (2.60kg)
Cartridge: 50mm
Action: Muzzle Loading; Trigger-Actuated
Feed: Single-Shot
Range: 213ft (65m; 71yds)
Sights: None.
Variants:
Type 10 - Base Series Designation
Operators: Imperial Japan
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