Tank vs Tank actions

All,

Where in the PTO realm were "Japanese Tanks" vs. US Tanks battles?

Please let me know.

Thanks.

 

well let me put it this way if a japanese tank ever came up against either a sherman or a stuart the u.s. tank would win because the armor of the japanese tank could be penatrated by standard rifle rounds which was a major disadvantage for the simple fact is the sherman or stuart tank could knock out a japanese type 97 tank in one shot that is really all it took most of the time.

 

Luzon, Dec. 1941 before and during the retreat to Bataan.

History 1

 

history 2

 

The list given above leaves off Saipan. A Japanese tank regiment engaged Marines along with some of their armor there in the first few days after the Marines landed.

 

Hey,

Thanks all who replied.

Kevin

 

you are welcome glad to help

 

There were also 7 Japanese Type 95 light tanks on Tarawa, 12 more light tanks on Tinian, two companies of 15 light and 14 medium tanks on Guam and 19 Type 95 light tanks on Peleliu for the Marines to deal with.

 

I believe there was a short, but fierce one on Makin Atoll as well. I had thought Makin was just a raid, but...I think I will go look into this.

 

But, with the possible exception of Tarawa none of these had tank on tank action and I'm pretty sure none of the M3 lights on Tarawa engaged enemy armor either.

 

sorry but what is PTO?

 

On the contrary, there were Shermans on Tarawa. USMC Tankers also had a target rich environment on Tinian, Guam and Peleliu, according to the book "Marine Tank Battles In The Pacific."

 

I am 100% certain that there was a large scale tank on tank action in 1945 because I just read about it three months ago. Infuriatingly I cannot recall the name of the island. It was a striking engagement because the Japanese did not use their tanks as immobile bunkers but hurled them at the Marines in a night assault along with a massive banzai charge.

Edit: Very likely to be Saipan.

 

There was a large Japanese tank attack on the night of D+1 on Saipan. The Japanese used 37 tanks in an attempt to recapture a radio station held by the 6th. Marines. No mention of US tanks being involved, however;

"General Saito's failure to "drive the enemy back into the sea" the first night after the landing did not discourage him from making a second try. During the afternoon of the 16th he ordered the 136th Infantry Regiment and the 9th Tank Regiment to launch a co-ordinated attack at 1700 toward the radio station that now lay behind the lines of the 6th Marines. Another, though un-co-ordinated, attack was to be carried out by the Yokosuka Special Naval Landing Force from the direction of Garapan.15

The scheduled hour came and passed, but the units assigned to the task were apparently too disorganized to carry it out on time. Meanwhile, the marines were able to prepare their night positions undisturbed except by artillery and mortar fire.

About 0330 the Japanese struck--chiefly against the 6th Marines. No less than thirty-seven Japanese tanks were involved, and perhaps a thousand infantrymen. They approached the American lines through a ravine that cut westward through the mountains toward the radio station. The tanks came in groups of four and five, each with a few riflemen aboard. Each group of riflemen carried at least one light machine gun. When they came within range, they were met by a furious barrage of fire from the marines' artillery, machine guns, mortars, bazookas, and rifles. Within an hour, a good percentage of the tanks had been either destroyed or incapacitated. Although the escorting infantrymen kept up the fight until about 0700, their efforts were fruitless. By the end of the battle the Japanese had lost at least twenty-four and possibly more of their tanks and an uncounted number of infantrymen. Saito's second counterattack was a total failure."


HyperWar: US Army in WWII: Campaign In the Marianas

 

From one of the actions described:

"After landing, they attacked the Americans in Ormoc. But, the details of their fight is not clear, because there is no survivor of the crew."


Seems kinda clear by the outcome................

tom