Type 89, 50mm Grenade Discharger Light Mortar / Grenade Launcher (1929)
The Type 89 replaced the limited Type 10 grenade launchers by 1941.
The Type 89 weighed in at a manageable 10lbs and sported a 24-inch length, 10 inches of this made up by the firing tube itself. The Type 89 operated with 50mm modified grenade projectiles and was ranged between a 131 yard minimum and a 732 yard maximum. When compared to the Type 10, the Type 89 differed mainly in its use of a rifled barrel as opposed to the smoothbore one. Additionally, the Type 89 did away with the gas vent-based ranging system of the Type 10, replacing this instead with an adjustable firing pin for ranging. The lower the firing pin was set inside the barrel, the longer the expected range of the projectile would be. Conversely, the higher the firing pin was set in the barrel, the shorter the range. Aiming was utilitarian to the extreme as there was nothing more than an aiming line marked on the barrel - no optical sights were provided for. This proved manageable enough, especially for the trained Japanese soldier. The small cost in weight for the return of firepower was enough to offset the basic nature of the weapon. The array of ammunition was also a bonus.
A trained Type 89 crew could let off about 25 rounds-per-minute, comparable in number to the light mortar systems utilized by her enemies. The relatively lightweight of the Type 89 also meant that transport could be accomplished individually and via a handy leather case all the while maintaining a soldiers basic equipment and weapons load. The Type 89 maintained a psychological hold against the American Marine operating in the Pacific, now trained to hit the dirt at the sound of a launching Type 89.
Like the Type 10, the Type 89 was nothing more than the firing tube, an attached baseplate and the projectile itself. The soldier need only to set the baseplate down and angle the firing tube away from himself (fixed at a 45-degree angle). The projectile was then dropped (bottom-down) into the firing tube and activated by the firing pin at a predetermined range set by the operator. Type 89 operation formally required three personnel for optimal effectiveness but a single user could still operate the weapon if need be. The spade baseplate was designed so that the operator could pin the launcher base against a fixed object such as a fallen tree for recoil support when firing.
The Americans mistakenly translated the accompanying Japanese mortar manuals incorrectly and thought the Type 89 (and the Type 10) were designed to fire from the thigh, giving the weapons the collective nickname of "knee mortars". This was, of course, wholly wrong for firing a weapon with such recoil would (and did) lead to self-inflicted operator injuries if attempted.
A slightly new type of grenade was designed for the new Type 89. Like the Type 10 and other mortar systems, the Type 89 was made to fire a variety of projectile types to suit battlefield needs. The primary round became the Type 89 50mm HE "High-Explosive" projectile and operated with an impact-type detonator, able to cause a good amount of damage while adding a psychological effect. The Type 91 was a fragmentation-based round with a 7-second delayed time fuse useful in cutting through the thick foliage and canopies inherent in jungle warfare. The fuse was activated automatically in-flight after the grenade had been launched free of the firing tube. There was also an incendiary shell that could be used for both illumination (flare/signaling) and against personnel as well as the Type 94 practice shell for target training. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
MilitaryFactory.com does NOT sell equipment/weaponry. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information. Our disclaimer. Email corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com.
Specifications for the
Type 89, 50mm Grenade Discharger
Light Mortar / Grenade Launcher
Country of Origin: Imperial Japan
Manufacturer: State Factories - Japan
Initial Year of Service: 1929
Overall Length: 610mm (24.02in)
Barrel Length: 254.00mm (10.00in)
Weight (Empty): 10.36lbs (4.70kg)
Cartridge: 50mm
Action: Muzzle Loading; Trigger-Actuated
Feed: Single-Shot
Range: 393ft (120m; 131yds)
Sights: None.
Variants:
Type 89, 50mm Grenade Discharger - Base Series Designation.
Operators: Imperial Japan
BY YEAR:
• 1700 to 1799
• 1800 to 1899
• 1900 to 1909
• 1910 to 1919
• 1920 to 1929
• 1930 to 1939
• 1940 to 1949
• 1950 to 1959
• 1960 to 1969
• 1970 to 1979
• 1980 to 1989
• 1990 to 1999
• 2000 to 2009
• 2010 to 2019
• VIEW ALL
• Compare Guns
BY TYPE:
• Anti-Aircraft Weapons
• Anti-Material Rifles
• Anti-Tank Weapons
• Automatic Rifles
• Bolt-Action Rifles
• Carbine Guns
• Flamethrowers
• Flintlock Guns
• Grenade Launchers
• Hand Grenades
• Lever-Action Rifles
• Machine Guns
• Mortars
• Musket Guns
• Pistols / Handguns
• Recoilless Rifles
• Revolvers
• Rocket Launchers
• Shotguns
• Silenced Guns
• Sniper Rifles
• Special Weapon Systems
• Submachine Guns
• VIEW ALL
SPECIAL:
• 18th Century Warfare
• 3 Soldiers Statue
• Battle of Mogadishu
• Chainmail Armor
• Firearm Types Defined
• French Military Victories
• Medieval Crossbow
• Medieval Longbow
• Vietnam War Casualties
• Vietnam War Memorial
WORLD WAR 2:
• British Guns
• French Guns
• German Guns (ALL)
• German Rifles
• Italian Guns
• Japanese Guns
• Soviet Guns
• US Guns
• US Infantry Regiment-Level Guns
• Machine Guns
• Pistols
• Rifles
• Submachine Guns
• Sniper Rifles
• VIEW ALL
WORLD WAR 1:
• Pistols
• Rifles
• Machine Guns
• Mortars
• US Guns
• VIEW ALL
KOREAN WAR:
• Machine Guns
• VIEW ALL
VIETNAM WAR:
COLLECTIONS:
• Ancient Weapons
• British SAS Weapons
• Civil War Guns
• Colt Guns
• Glock Guns
• GROM Polish Special Forces
• Guns of Libya
• Guns of North Korea
• Guns of Syria
• Guns of WW1 & WW2
• Heckler & Koch Guns
• Kalashnikov Guns
• Modern Russian Guns
• Navy SEAL Weapons
• Spetsnaz Weapons
• Weapons of Desert Storm
• Wild West Guns
• Winchester Guns
HOLLYWOOD/GAMES:
©2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • Content ©2003-2013 MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Site Contact Email: militaryfactory at gmail dot com. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® trademarks and protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws.
Top MF Stuff: 2013 Military Pay Scale | Military Ranks | WW2 Weapons | Sniper Rifles | Kts to Mph | WW1 Aircraft | Automatic Rifles | Aircraft Cockpits | Vietnam War Weapons | Main Battle Tanks | Submachine Guns | Shotguns | French Military Victories
Most photographic images appearing on this site are courtesy of the United States Department of Defense and are approved for public use. Other images acquired through the public domain. Digital art work courtesy of Dan Alex. Business Consulting by Kyle Williams. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information.
