With similar cultures, Japan and China both shared and conflicted thru
history. Their relationship would eventually deteriorate into direct wars
changing their neighbor status through World War II and beyond. Japan’s
aggression and territorial expansion emanated into the Sino-Japanese War,
preceded by their penetration into Korean territories and the intended
annexation of the Ryukyu Islands in 1879. Manchuria turned into a puppet
of the Japanese empire when Japan overran the country in 1932 under the
establishment of the Kwantung Army, and declaring Manchuria as the state of
Manchukuo.
Through these conflicts and eventual war with Russia, the Japanese
expansion and occupation of neighboring countries developed the necessity to
control captured armaments of manufacturing arsenals and private
sub-industries. As a result of these events and with the Japanese military
services utilizing a variety of automatic weapons produced within these
countries deems it appropriate to identify them in the relationship.
CHINA, through its Warlord control periods, civil wars, and defense of
invaders had accumulated a vast amount of ordnance arsenals throughout the
country. In 1932 a yearbook was produced on the country’s general political,
and economic status. One of the chapters was devoted to the condition of its
Army and Navy forces outlining arms, uniforms and equipment. The section on
arms provided a summary of Chinese arsenals listed as follows:
NOTE: This listing pertains to those arsenals
and industries involved in the specific manufacture and/or repair of automatic
weapons and associated ammunition [and may have also
been involved in other small arms ordnance production].
CANTON Arsenal: Canton, China. One of the 5 largest arsenals for small
arms production in the 1920’s, it’s 1930’s production capacity for small arms
ordnance was 8, [Vickers], machine guns and 700,000 ammunition cartridges per
month.
CHENGTU Arsenal: Chengtu, capital of Szchwan Province. Manufacturers of
small arms ordnance including machine guns and ammunition.
FOOCHOW NAVAL Arsenal: Foochow [Minhow], capital of Fukien Province.
Navy’s largest arsenal producing 10 water cooled Maxim machine guns per day.
HANYANG Arsenal: Hupeh Province, North China. Manufacturing 100 Mauser
pistols daily, and 50 Browning water cooled machine guns per month.
HANGCHOW Arsenal: Hangchow, capital of Chekiang Province. Specializing
in repair work, which included machine guns. Production of small arms
ammunition was 200,000 cartridges per day.
KAIFENG Arsenal: Kaifeng, capital of Honan Province. Manufacturer of
small arms ordnance including machine guns and their repair. Small arms
ammunition production was 50,000 daily.
KIANGNAN Arsenal: Shanghai, produced 50 browning water cooled machine
guns per month and their repairs. Also manufactured 170,000 rifle and pistol
ammunition cartridges per day. The arsenal was dismantled in March 1932 and
machinery relocated to the Hangehow Arsenal.
KUNGHSIEN, [HSIAOYI], Arsenal: Manufactured heavy and light ordnance
including machine guns.
NANCHANG Arsenal: Nanchang, capital of Kiangsi Province. Main products
were small arms including machine guns and ammunition.
PEIYANG [Tientsin], Arsenal, Tientsin, North China. Repairing 10 machine
guns per month and later in the mid 1930’s included manufacturing of small arms
ammunition.
TAIYUAN [FU] Arsenal: Taiyuan, [formerly Yangku], capital of Shansi
Province. Arsenal second only to the Mukden, Manchuria Arsenal. Manufacturing
a variety of heavy and light ordnance and ammunition, which included 500 Mauser
pistols, 30 Maxim and Czech ZBvz26 light machine guns per month along with their
repairs. Small arms ammunition production was 120,000 cartridges per day.
Manufacture also included copies of Thompson sub machine guns.
TEHCHOW Arsenal: Tehchow, Hopeh Province, North China, eastern outskirts
of Peiping. Manufacturers of machine guns and small arms ammunition.
TSINAN [FU] Arsenal: Tsinan, capital of Shantung Province, North China.
Manufactures of small ordnance including 11 machine guns and 1,700,000 small
arms ammunition per month.
There were also many small workshops throughout China during the restless
period that had been turned into small arsenals such as Kalgan and Jehol which
serviced various warlords. Some went out of existence and some remained such as
Johel which provided small arms repairs and furnishing of small arms
ammunition.
Continuing through the 1930’s and into World War II were additional
arsenals and private firms throughout China, Manchuria and Korea which were
involved in quantity production and servicing of machine pistols, light and
heavy machine guns, both prior to and during the Japanese Expeditionary Forces
occupation. As an example, the Japanese estimates for the small arms ordnance
program of fiscal year 1945 in China listed the following monthly
productions:
NANKING: 1000 light machine guns
TIENTSIN: 1500 light machine guns
500 heavy machine guns
Also repairing up to 10 machine guns per
month.
The following is a listing of
arsenals and private firms involved in small arms automatic weapons production
in these countries as evolved in the 1930’s and in preparation for World War II
through its conclusion in 1945.
CHINA:
CANTON PACIFICATION COMMISSION:
Pacification
Commission Repair shop, Chih Chiac,
Pan Yu, machine gun
repairs.
Naval ordnance Repair
shop, Chang Ti, Canton,
China, machine gun
repairs.
Central China Airways. Canton reported to repairs Thompson weapons [sub
machine guns]
CHONG JING ARMS REPARATIONS WORKS: Shanghai, China. Production of
Mauser pistols.
CHONGQUING Arsenal: Chunking, China; Originally owned by warlord: Liu
Hsiang renamed to 21st Army Military Equipment Repair Depot.
Produced copies of the Czechoslovakian ZBvz26 light machine guns.
DAGU
NAVAL SHIPYARDS: Tientsin, China. Produced copies of the Czech. ZBvz26 light
machine guns.
GONGXIAN Arsenal: Kunghsien, China. Name later changed to
11th Arsenal produced copies of the Czech. ZBvz26 light machine guns
starting in 1937.
GUANGSI Arsenal Preparing Division: Kwangsi, China, production of ZBvz26
light machine guns.
GUANGDONG Weapons Manufacturing Factory, [1st Arsenal]:
Canton, China; later named the 41st Arsenal manufactured ZBvz26 light
machine guns.
KIANGAU Arsenal: Kiangau, North China. Important Japanese occupied
arsenal, manufacturing ordnance including 11 light and heavy machine guns per
month.
KWANGTUNG Arsenal: Canton, China, later name changed to 41st
Arsenal manufactured ZBvz26 light machine guns before and after its relocation
in 1938.
NANJING Arsenal: Nanking, China, later relocated and merged with
Chongquing Arsenal, which also controlled the 20th arsenal, all producing ZBvz26
light machine guns.
NANKING Arsenal: Nanking, China. [The head arsenal for all activities
in China, under the control of China Expeditionary Force.] Produced 40 Maxim
water cooled machine guns per month in the early 1930’s. Later production
through July 1945: 20 light machine guns, 80 heavy machine gun
repairs.
NORTH CHINA ENGINEERING CO. LTD: Located in PEKING, North China, produced
light machine guns.
PEIPING: Headquarters of the North China Area Army.
The North China Company, factory #1 located at 51 Yung Ho Kung Street.
Privately owned, started production as an arms factory in 1941. After capture by
the Japanese in 1944 it produced 80 light machine guns per month.
Kanegafuchi Diesel Industrial Company, [Yung Tseng Iron Works], #6 West,
Hsien Tan, Peiping, repaired heavy machine guns.
SHANGHAI Arsenal: Weapon Repair Factory, [sub factory], Yu Yuen Road,
Shanghai, China; repaired machine guns.
SHANSI Arsenal: Sinhsien, Shansi Province, North China. Manufacturer of
Chinese Type 38 machine guns and ZB vz26 light machine guns.
SHANSI MACHINERY BUREAU, [SHANSI MILITARY TECHNOLOGY PRACTIC FACTORY]:
Shansi Province, North China. Manufacturer of Thompson submachine guns, Mauser
pistols.
SICHANG Arsenal: Szechwan Province, China. Manufacture of Mauser pistols
and various small arms ordnance.
TAKU
NAVAL DOCKYARD Arsenal: Hopi Province, China. Produced copies of Mauser
pistols.
TUNG-SHAN Supply and Repair Depot: Tung-Shan, China. Serviced the
6th Area Army with supplies and repairs. Produced 20 light machine
guns and its three branch factories manufactured a total of 30 light machine
guns per month.
51st Arsenal: Kunming, China, later changed to 53rd Arsenal
after incorporating the 22nd arsenal produced ZBvz26 light machine
guns starting in 1941. The arsenal complex was moved to Chunking in 1937. In
1942 the 51st arsenal was combined with the 22nd and
53rd arsenals.
MANCHURIA: The ordnance activities were centered
in Mukden and the suburbs. During the Japanese occupation, depots were located
in Mukden, Chang-chun and Harbin controlled directly from Tokyo. The main
arsenal was at Mukden, Hoten Zoheisho KK, [Mukden Arsenal Co. Ltd]. This
facility contained some 218 buildings and also controlled 37 local small machine
shops. All together, they had a rated capacity for production of 1,680 machine
guns annually and the additional repairing of substantial amounts of machine
guns. In the last quarter of 1944, the actual production was reduced to 200 of
each type due to Allied bombing activity.
Manchuria Machine and Tool Company, 1-4 Kranko Gaj, Tassei Ku, Mukden, by
war’s end was in the process of manufacturing a newly designed machine pistol
originating from Tokyo. The weapon chambered for the standard 8 mm pistol
ammunition encompassed both Browning and the Japanese Type 14 pistol features.
The 20 completed models were confiscated by the Russians along with parts for 50
additional guns in various stages of assembly.
KOREA: Japanese Army Arsenal, Jinsen, [Inchon],
Korea. The arsenal was located 5 miles from the port of Jinsen and 20 miles
north of Seoul. Beginning in 1935 and through the end of World War II, it
produced a variety of small arms ordnance. These activities included the
assembly and repair of light machine guns along with ammunition production.
After World War II, in April 1946 an Allied inventory of disarmed
Japanese ordnance included an accounting of 12,446 light and heavy machine
guns.
ARTICLE: CHINESE + INFLUENCE
