The Japanese Naval Paratrooper Specialty Patch Hoax

[Kiipu]

CINCPAC-CINCPOA PRELIMINARY POW INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 72

NAME: AOKI, Ryūji 青木隆治
RANK: CPO
UNIT: YOKOSUKA 1st SNLF (KARASHIMA Paratroop Battalion)

9. TRAINING AND OPERATIONS

PARATROOP EQUIPMENT Total weight carried by a fully equipped paratrooper came to between 100 and 110 kilograms.

PARACHUTE When the battalion left JAPAN for SAIPAN, it was expected that intensive training would be carried on and approximately three chutes were carried for each man. This was the newly adopted Type 1, Model 2, which had replaced the Type 3. The Type 3 had been responsible for a large number of accidents in training, but it was apparently the type used at MENADO.

[Kiipu]

It is interesting to note that although the 1st Yokosuka Special Landing Unit was relegated to ground duties by the time they were sent to Saipan, they seem to have brought their parachute equipment with them as I have in my collection a used Type 1 paratrooper parachute harness that was purportedly brought back by a GI from Saipan.

I see no problem with what you were told by the seller. According to 青木隆治 they had three parachutes for each paratrooper. Some of these would have ended up in the hands of veterans after the battle.

[Akira Komiya]

Dear Kiipu-san:
Thank you very much for clearing up a years long mystery to me; I must confess I shared the same doubts as Jareth-san on the harness’ having been picked up in Saipan. The parachute types mentioned by the author of the article must be the Type 1 (一式落下傘) and the Type 1 Special 一式落下傘(特). According to an article that was in a Japanese magazine in the early 70s, the original Type 1 parachute was supposed to be a canopy first opening type parachute using a pilot chute to drag out the canopy, whereas the Type 1 Special parachute is a lines first chute very similar in operation to the German paratrooper parachutes using a deployment bag. I never gave much weight to such article because almost all books touching on Japanese parachutes have the parachute types completely messed up, and also because it seemed that a completely different opening mechanism seemed to have warranted a new type designation to me, but there might be some truth in it.

[Jareth]

My navy paratrooper band possibly picked up on Saipan

[ghp95134]

至誠奉公
Shisei Hōkō
Sincere/Devoted Service

海軍落下傘部隊
Kaigun Rakkasan Butai
Navy Parachute Corps

唐島部隊
Karashima Butai
Karashima Group

水兵長藤江千代藏
Suiheicho Fujie Chiyozō
Leading Seaman Fujie Chiyozō

昭和拾八年一月廿九日
Showa 18th Year [1943], January 29th

パラシューーーーーート部隊
Parashu~~~~~~to Butai
Parashooooooooot Corps


-- Guy

[Bruce Pennington]

I hope I'm not out of place with this, but Akira-san responded to a post on this Wehrmact-awards thread: Wehrmacht-Awards.com Militaria Forums about the Type 89 seat pack parachute.

Photos and quote from that thread:

Akira said: "The parachute is a wartime Navy type 97 seat pack parachute (I can seem to see a rectangular full cord handle in the photo which makes it Navy, the Army has a red rubber knob instead) and it seems from the limited photos to be complete and with harness, seat cushion and rip cord, which is extremely rare and makes it extremely desirable. All Japanese aircrew parachutes had dual opening systems with both manual rip cords and static lines.
The parachute bag is a mismatch and belongs to a Type 89 Model 3 observer chute but such should not detract from the desirability of a complete Type 97 parachute."

Photos by Mauser HSc:


About the harness:
Akira-san: "If you are contemplating buying it, you should ask for a photo of the front of the harness to make sure that the harness has a slotted metal plate on the left side for the rip cord housing to clip in.
Please refer to the attached photo.
The Type 97 parachute is detachable and the Army also used a similar system except that the Army harnesses had a yellow strap with snaps to hold the pull cord. The Navy harness is rarer than its Army counterpart, although neither are common."

Photo by Akira-san

[Jareth]

Thanks Guy