Tube packs and Hold alls

[DoubleCanister]

Hello,



Hello, I was reading observations from American and British observers of the Russo Japanese war and they state that IJA soldiers were issued a blue cloth hold all, (when the Japanese expected combat they would drop tornisters and stuff rations and ammo into the hold all. I believe the sketches are from the British observers. Would perplexes me is that the sketch depicting how the thing was worn also seems to depict a second one over the other shoulder and securing the entrenching tool. None of the observers seemed to mention it (though I may have been less than thorough in my reading). Interestingly the Ukiyo - e of the battle of Nanshan depicts most of the IJA soldiers with the dual hold all arrangement. Does anyone know if this was standard issue and whether IJA soldiers dropped their tornisters for khaki tube packs (while the blue ones were reserved specifically for the attack?).

Thanks,

Chris

[MilitariaOne]

Greetings Chris,

While I do not possess an answer, I did coincidently come across the attached image today. This is a much later drawing 1919, but it shows hold alls in use. In any case, I thought you'd at least wish to view the attached image too.

Njoy

V/r Lance

[Nick Komiya]

I do not specialize in the Russo-Japanese War and only cover that epoch as a passing point in the evolution of certain gear. So I am in no position to explain what foreign observers saw in a specific battle of that war.

At the time of that war, coats were slung from the right shoulder as common practise and white sashes were also worn in chriscross fashion, having similar significance to headbands in the last mass assault before they shifted the focus of attack to the 203 Heights.

Another form of carry-all common from Samurai times were cloth sheets called Furoshiki in which you bundled up items in candy wrap fashion and tied the ends after slinging over the shoulder. Nowadays Furoshiki tend to be smaller, but in those days they were bigger as they served as suitcases. Shelter-halves were also good substitutes for furoshiki as they had the same shape and size. So there are many possibilities.

Unfortunately the woodblock prints were done by artists, who did not actually witness the charges, so realistic bulk is not represented in them, making it impossible to tell coats, sashes, shelter-halves, tube bags and furoshiki apart.

If I come across a battle specific answer in any of my researches I will let you know by replying to your thread.

[DoubleCanister]

You stated that coats could be worn slung over the shoulder, and now that you mention that, everybody in the ukiyo-e has a khaki roll, even the higher ranking officers on the right except for one, who is depicted wearing a khaki coat.

[Nick Komiya]

Unfortunately you will have to learn Japanese first, but you will likely find the answer in one of the reports of the “Special Examiner’s Committee for Improving Uniform, Field Accommodation, Equipment and Portable Rations” (see post 2)

They reviewed the soldier's equipment and food rations down to every gram. See below a sample of their 1896 Infantryman's load comparison by country.

[DoubleCanister]

More research yielded a conclusive answer. Colonel J. W. G. Tulloch of the Indian army confirmed Mr. Komiya's greatcoat conjecture. Col. Tulloch writes that for soldiers going into action, the greatcoat was "Worn en bandouliere over the left shoulder".