Picture of the Day - Miscellaneous (7 Viewers)

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Graeme said:
Poor resolution scan from Aeroplane Monthly (January). You might be able to help Shinpachi?
View attachment 486939
Click to expand...

Yes, it's a plate from a Chinese machine gun.
Can be read like this -

卍 (Marking of 21st arsenal of Republic of China)
七九馬克沁重機關槍 Cal 7.9 (Chinese Type 24) Maxim machine gun = German MG08
８４５３
軍政部兵工署第二十一工廠造 (21st arsenal of military government's factory division)
 
Hi Shinpachi

This is the response I got from Barry Wheeler. I did mention the info came from you but he seems to direct the questions at me so I was wondering if I should reply simply directing him to you and this thread on ww2.aircraft.net? Or you can make contact with him yourself (e-mail address below). We seem to get these magazines in Australia three months after they're published in the UK - but it looks like no one has previously replied to the question and it's nearly April.

Hi Graeme,

Thank you for your response to the question in Aeroplane regarding the 'Japanese plate'. I thought there might be someone down-under who could provide an answer to this query.

Presumably, the machine-gun originates from the ground army rather than the Japanese air force. Do you feel that is more likely than a weapon carried in a Japanese aircraft? If the former, then the story has probably changed over the last 70 years. I shall put your response in an up-coming edition, but maybe leave it to the readers to surmise where and by whom the gun was used.

Thanks again.

Regards,
Barry

 

I think Graeme that you have obtained a great chance to be regarded as an expert of the Pacific War history in the UK now.
However, I don't think that there would be many to discuss details about the plate.

The Chinese type 24 machine gun (7.92mm) was warter-cooled and so heavy that it was used as a turret gun.
Japanese aviation machine guns (7.7mm/12.7mm) were air-cooled and the weight was almost half and less than the type 24.
If the plate in question was found in New Guinea, it would be natural to think that the relevant machine gun was brought in there by Japanese ground army from China.

Chinese soldiers with Type 24 machine guns.


Captured MG-08 machine guns by Soviet Troops.
 
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