Article about: With your knowledge and references I'm hoping you can clear up something for me. I've always wondered what these markings on the bottom of many ammo boxes mean? I know they are numbers but f
It's your lucky day. I knew I had seen those codes yesterday and here they all are again, all neatly in a row for you. So "Su" stands for powder containing Staple Fiber. The code chart below should solve all your remaining mysteries, all in just one stroke.
This is part of a cartridge guide manual, but unfortunately not dated. An interesting hint regarding issue timing of the document is there for the reduced charge code, "G". It says, "Though this code has been discontinued, they may still be found on supplies held by units. Recent versions would show the word 減装, next to the powder number on the outer box".
Of course "Z" stands for Zohso 増装, increased charge, which generally should not be found within normal unit supplies.
Yes, I read the doubting remark in the Gunboards thread, but use of G and Z is quite logical, if one did not want to give the game away to the Chinese, who after all read kanji as well as the Japanese. Easy for the Japanese to remember and impossible for the Chinese and Americans to figure out, what more can you ask for?
Anyway, that is a genuine wartime document, which I provided as proof. It was a document captured by the Americans and returned to Japan post war, so even the US National Archives can vouch for its authenticity.
Last edited by Nick Komiya; 10-03-2017 at 06:26 PM.
After the China Incident broke out in July 1937, Japan had to severely restrict use of cotton imports. Use of pure cotton was already prohibited for civilian use in 1938 and a mix with a kind of rayon became mandatory. This material was called staple fiber, which the Japanese called スフ Su-Fu (abbreviation for staple fiber). This word is commonly stamped inside helmet covers, because they had to use that instead of cotton as stuffing.
This fiber also replaced cotton in the production of Nitrocellulose in ammunition, thus the Su from Su-Fu.
It is well known that citizens even had to give up Futon beddings towards the end of the war for producing explosives from the cotton wadding.
This is great information Nick. Mucho Thanky!
Actually, there are a couple more marks that folks are asking me about in the lower right corners of two of these boxes. They are an encircled M and what looks like an encircled one over a zero. I can't find them in any of the amazing documents you provided. Last questions - I promise!
Last edited by arisakadogs; 10-04-2017 at 08:00 PM.
No, I don't recall having come across them in the last couple of days. Actually, there are many many more markings out there that you are not even asking about, so it's high time an ammo guy made a serious go at the National Archives of Japan.
10 years ago I was staggered by the amount of unpublished secrets waiting to be discovered in the archives and I've been writing about them ever since, but there's still lots more to write about, so it's time for me to go back to my own research.
Besides the search word I already gave you, ask Takehito to try 標識ｘ兵器
Voila, all mysteries solved in one shot!
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