https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...apan4601-1.jpg
MILITARY POLICEMEN STAND GUARD as Japanese soldiers carry rifles, light machine guns, and side arms from trucks into a building used as a collecting point (top
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https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...apan4601-1.jpg
MILITARY POLICEMEN STAND GUARD as Japanese soldiers carry rifles, light machine guns, and side arms from trucks into a building used as a collecting point (top
Shortly before taking them for a swim in Tokyo bay?
If I was doing it, that's exactly what would be happening. It's the easiest way. It ends any chances of the wrong thing happening.
Attachment 43048
Step number two.
If you get a chance, read Little Ship Big War: The Saga of DE343 by Edward Stafford. It tells the story of a destroyer escort from the builders yards to the biggest campaigns in the Pacific (including the ping line at Okinawa, where Navy losses rivaled Marine losses due to the Kamikazes and the issue actually came into doubt dues to those Navy losses) to Tokyo bay after the surrender and eventually to her mothballing and scrapping. His account covers the eventual disposition of some of those very rifles. As a representative of DE343, the William Warner Abercrombie, and two other ships, during the occupation, he managed to wangle a rifle for every man on each ship, bayonets for some, and officer's swords for a few. Quite a tidy job, that.
Bob
A lot of those rifles look very slab sided, without much contour. I wonder if these were someQuote:
Originally Posted by HOOKED ON HISTORY
of the late production last ditch rifles?
AZB
I don't see that many without forward top hand guards though. I think the photo lends to the perception of being featureless.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...0000army-1.jpg
Japanese ammunition being dumped into the sea on September 21, 1945. During the U.S. occupation, almost all of the Japanese war industry and existing armament was dismantled. (U.S. Army)
So, while a rather myopic U.S. government 'cheaped out' and dumped everything Japanese into the ocean the ever devious and strategic-thinking Russians busily spent the time, effort and money to ship all they captured - weapons, ammunition, war materials, machinery and even people, back to the motherland to be used for their future 'wars of liberation'.
Very interesting point. Probably balanced out by BAR's point about expiditing inaccessability to a possiable inserection by fanatical Japanese resistance? Shame either way Arisakas are very interesting rifles.Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul S.
Interesting story on the subject here.
http://www.history.army.mil/books/ww...%20Sup/ch5.htm
I wonder how many accidental discharges just by the shear number of small arms being turned in.
I watched a part of film in which German POWs were being employed to check each weapon for empty. Another was described as when they were checked, the bolt was removed and thrown in one pile, the rifle in another. Nevertheless, I can imagine the odd ka-bang took place...
Of course, the myopic U.S. government was aware that it was sitting on a huge pile of superior weapons and ammunition, some of which, to this day, are still being sold to its citizens as surplus.
Bob
I agree with Bob, the Russians had a mass of less than desirable firearms at war's end, so what would the addition of more do? The US had what amounted to the best military advancements at the time so why on earth would they want a massive stockpile of Arisakas? Collectors of the next century weren't in the picture for consideration. As it was the Japanese weapons not destroyed (according to a friend of mine that was there) appeared in Korea. That's part of what I meant by "The wrong thing happening".