#japan

The development of Japanese armoured vehicles began like many other industrial nations, inspired by the pioneering tanks of World War I. Domestic production started in the late 1920s, with Japan's tanks battle-tested during the Sino-Japanese conflict and the early Pacific campaigns of the 1930s. However, stagnation set in due to budget cuts and turmoil in tactics, leaving Japan's tank forces outdated by World War II. Development in the 1940s was largely defensive, and the tanks on the frontlines were from the 1930s, giving a false impression of Japan’s capabilities. After the war, Japan relied on U.S. equipment until regaining sovereignty, when development resumed. Since the 1950s, Japanese tanks have embraced NATO principles while incorporating unique innovations, focusing on advanced, defence-oriented designs to maintain a robust self-defence force.

The F-4EJ Kai (F-4EJ改) was a vital upgrade for Japan’s aging F-4EJ Phantom IIs, extending their service life and enhancing combat effectiveness through the Aircraft Structural Integrity Program (ASIP). Introduced in the 1980s and first flown in 1984, the upgrade included advanced radar, improved avionics, and modern weapon systems, enabling the aircraft to remain operational until 2021. Sharing its radar and weapon suite with the F-16A, the F-4EJ Kai excels in long-range engagements using AIM-7Fs and dogfights with AIM-9Ls, though it struggles in close combat due to limited manoeuvrability. Pilots can exploit overshooting enemies by slowing down and using airbrakes, then striking with missiles or the gun, leveraging the ballistic computer for precise hits.

The P-51C-11 “Evalina”, named after the girlfriend of 1st Lt. Oliver E. Strawbridge, was captured by Japanese forces in China on 16 January 1945 while being flown by 2nd Lt. Sam McMillan. As the first fully functional P-51 to fall into Japanese hands, it was quickly repaired and transported to Japan for extensive evaluation, including performance trials and mock dogfights against domestic fighters. Evalina became a valuable tool for developing counter-strategies against the Mustang, one of the few Allied aircraft tested this thoroughly by Japan. Eventually, her generator failed during training, and with no replacement parts available, she was abandoned and reportedly bulldozed into a lake before the war’s end.

The Ki-100 (including the premium Ki-100-II) is a fighter-bomber found in the Japanese air tree. It may look similar to the Ki-61, because it is! It’s essentially a Ki-61 with a Ha-112 radial instead of a Ha-40 inline engine. It is known for its unique playstyle, which is a blend of energy and turn fighting. It can be equipped with some ordnance for Ground Battles. The Ki-100 and Ki-100-II are similar, the only differences being that the 100-II has a turbocharger under the engine. During the Second World War, it was introduced far too late, at a time when Japan was being bombed daily by B-29 Superfortresses.

The Yamato-class battleships were two Japanese battleships, Yamato (大和) and Musashi (武蔵), constructed during World War II and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). They were armed with nine 46 cm naval guns and over 150 anti-aircraft guns, and had a displacement of more than 72,000 tons, making them the largest and most powerfully armed battleships in history. While the Yamato and Musashi had a truly stupendous level of firepower and armor, both ships met their fates at the hands of American carrier aircraft and never participated in the massive battleship-on-battleship engagements that they were designed for.

IJN Furutaka (古鷹, named after Mount Furutaka in Etajima, Hiroshima) was the first heavy cruiser built for the IJN, but at the time of commissioning, she was designated as a “first-class cruiser”, as the term “heavy cruiser” was defined later. Originally built as a “fast scout cruiser”, she combines very good mobility with excellent firepower brought by the modified Type 3 №2 main battery guns. This is further enhanced by her very powerful torpedo armament, but at the same time, she is an attractive target for enemy aircraft, as her anti-aircraft and secondary armament are among the worst found on cruisers.

Kamikaze (神風 “divine wind”) was a military tactic used in the later stages of the Second World War, used by pilots of the Imperial Japanese Air Force and Naval Air Service. The tactic consisted of an aircraft loaded with explosives; the pilot would then attempt to deliberately ram the aircraft into enemy ships to inflict damage.

The Mitsubishi A6M Reisen, also known as the Navy Type 0 carrier fighter (零式艦上戦闘機, Rei-shiki-kanjō-sentōki), is a carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945 and was usually referred to by Allied pilots as the "Zero", even though its reporting name was "Zeke".

The Type 4 15 cm self-propelled gun Ho-Ro (日本語: 四式十五糎自走砲 ホロ, Imperial Japanese Army Type 4 15 cm self-propelled gun Ho-Ro) was a self-propelled gun (SPG) used by the Imperial Japanese Army during WW2. It was built on the existing chassis of the Chi-Ha medium tank. It was hurried into service, and arrived at the front lines too late to make any lasting impact on Japan’s war effort.