Here, we introduce some military equipments at the days of the Russo-Japanese War. The Japanese forces in this time equipped with rifles, artilleries, telephones, submarines and various other equipments which had not been used before. Various ideas for new weapons were sent from common people, but many of those ideas were ineffective. 　In this connection, the Center for Asian Historical Records stores the following materials relating to military equipment.

1. Revising ordnance description chart and ordnance handling regulations 2. Research of captured cannons 3. Sending manuals describing the method of using trench mortars 4. Request for a bamboo shield test 5. Supplying portable telephones 6. The script signed by the Emperor, 1905, Imperial Ordinance No.261, the Submarine Fleet Ordinance 7. Procurement of vehicles and materials for the light railway between Andong Province and Liaoyang 8. Procurement of materials for balloons 9. Request for adopting an airship

Please click the following image to see materials relating to the Russo-Japanese War and the military equipment.

Source: National Institute for Defense Studies, Ministry of Defense   Title: Revising ordnance description chart and ordnance handling regulations Reference code: C02030788600 　These are the materials created in 1906 (39th year of Meiji) to 1910 (43rd year of Meiji). It is a summary of the new weapons to be added to the list of articles of Japanese military weapons.   Return to the top.     Source: National Institute for Defense Studies, Ministry of Defense   Title: Research of captured cannons Reference code: C03020150700 　This is a report on Russian artillery surveyed by the Technical Examination Department of the Ministry of Army. The report states that the shooting rang of artillery is ordinary and the shooting speed is excellent, but that since there are problems with the shells, "it would have no merits of organizing the artillery unit unless they have effective shells for these guns." (Original text in katakana) There are other materials such as: Title: Change of the formation of a field artillery troop organized with captured cannons(Reference code: C03020201900) Title: Regimentation of an artillery company consisting of the captured field artilleriesReference code: C03020250900) These are materials relating to Russian guns captured by the Japanese army.   Return to the top.     Source: National Institute for Defense Studies, Ministry of Defense   Title: Sending manuals describing the method of using trench mortars Reference code: C03026124900 　It was in the Russo-Japanese War that trench mortars were used for the first time. This material is the specifications of the trench mortar and the 5th image describes the details of the cross section drawing of the trench mortar. For the types and part of trench mortars and hand grenades, please refer to the charts (5th to 9th images) in "Presentation of trench mortars (Reference code: C03026742500)".   Return to the top.     Source: National Institute for Defense Studies, Ministry of Defense   Title: Request for a bamboo shield test Reference code: C03025741200 　This material is a letter about a bamboo-made shield that a Takano Takichi devised. This letter says that "The bamboo-made shield can deviate the direction of bullets if it is placed with an angle greater than 45 degrees." (Original text in katakana) (13th to 16th images) There are other materials such as: Title:Bamboo-made shield(Reference code: C03026058300) Title:Requesting the adoption of Bamboo-made shield(Reference code: C03026003300) These are materials relating to ideas about a shield devised by people in general.   Return to the top.     Source: National Institute for Defense Studies, Ministry of Defense   Title: Supplying portable telephones Reference code: C03026615100 　This material is an official document on the arrangement that the Ministry of Army supplied wired telephones to the 15th and 16th divisions through the Army Ordnance Depot Headquarters. The table shows the items of materials supplied and their quantity.   Return to the top.     国立公文書館所蔵   Title: Original script signed by the Emperor in 1905: Imperial ordinance No. 261: the Submarine Fleet Ordinance Reference code: A03020647900 　The Submarine Squadron Ordinance was promulgated in December 1905 (38th year of Meiji) right after the Russo-Japanese War ended. As a consequence, the submarine squadron was formally organized in the Japanese Navy.   Return to the top.     Source: National Institute for Defense Studies, Ministry of Defense   Title: Procurement of vehicles and materials for the light railway between Andong Province and Liaoyang Reference code: C03020267800 　This material is an official document concerning the railway operated by the Japanese army between Korean Peninsula and Liaodong Peninsula as well as their resource materials. There are descriptions of prices for locomotives and freight cars that Japan bought from the United States of America. (7th to 8th images).   Return to the top.     Source: National Institute for Defense Studies, Ministry of Defense   Title: Procurement of materials for balloons Reference code: C03020228000 　This material is a summary of documents exchanged between the Ministry of Army and the 3rd Army on organizing the emergency balloon unit. The 8th and 9th images show a table of materials for the balloon unit.   Return to the top.     Source: National Institute for Defense Studies, Ministry of Defense   Title: Request for adopting the airship Reference code: C03025678200 　The material is a summary of responses of army when Ono Kazuma made a request for adoption of "an airship", balloon with an engine. Arisaka Nariaki, Director of the Army Technical Examination Department states that "the airship is regarded to be technically feasible but is recognized to be far from being practical." (4th to 9th images.) この他にも、 Title: Manufacturing flexible light balloon ship(Reference code: C03025660500) Title: The plan of dropping bombshells from a balloon (Reference code: C03026511700)） These are materials relating to ideas about a balloon devised by people in general.   Return to the top.