Military handbook of Japan
Later printing
War Department
Technical Manual TM-E 30-480 Handbook On Japanese Military Forces dated 15 September 1944 was the
US Army 's guide to the Japanese armed forces for the use of troops in the field. The "E" stands for "enemy."
It was 8" × 10½", bound in two removable olive pasteboard covers to facilitate the addition and deletion of material. It was originally 401pp., with 412 illustrations including diagrams, photos, charts. color plates of uniforms & medals. It detailed most of the known information about the
Imperial Japanese Military as of the publication date. It superseded the original TM E 30-480 dated 14 May 1941 and the second edition dated 21 September 1942. The handbook was classified "Restricted" (the lowest of the four wartime security classifications) to enable its dissemination to the widest possible audience.
Readers should take care when consulting TM-E 30-480 as there are many inaccuracies shown by post war research. It is a wartime publication subject to the limitations of wartime intelligence collection and dissemination.
TM-E 30-480 has been reprinted several times by several different publishers. The 1995 edition includes an Introduction by
David Isby and an
afterword by
Jeffrey Ethell ,
Louisiana State University Press ,
Baton Rouge
Louisiana 70803,
ISBN
0-8071-2013-8 , 403 pp., illus, in colour and b/w, maps, wraps. None of these editions is complete.
Contents
CHAPTER I. RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING.
Section I. General
Section II. Conscription system
Section III. Procurement of officers
Section IV. Training
Section V. Promotion, pay and awards
Section VI. Morale, discipline, and efficiency
CHAPTER II. JAPANESE MILITARY SYSTEM.
Section I. The Japanese High Command
Section II. Territorial organizations, including depot divisions
Section III. Field replacement system
CHAPTER III. FIELD ORGANIZATION.
Section I. Major organizations
Section II. Arms (nondivisional)
Section III. Services (nondivisional)
Section IV. Military Intelligence
Section V. Reorganization
CHAPTER IV.
JAPANESE AIR SERVICE .
Section I. General
Section II. Organization of the Japanese Army Air Service
Section III. Strategic doctrine
Section IV. Japanese air tactics
Section V. Equipment
CHAPTER V.
Special Forces .
CHAPTER VI.
JAPANESE MILITARY POLICE .
Section I. Administration
Section II. Recruiting
Section III. Uniform and Equipment
Section IV. Strength
Section V. Units
SectionVI. Distribution According to Areas
SectionVII. Military Police Dutied in the Field
SectionVIII. Morale and Value for War of the Military Police
CHAPTER VII. TACTICS OF THE JAPANESE ARMY.
PART I. General tactical doctrine
Section I. General
Section II. Offensive
Section III. Defensive
Section IV. Retrograde movements
Section V. Employment of tanks and mechanized units
PART II. Application of tactics
Section VI. Antiaircraft
Section VII. Antitank defense
Section VIII. Jungle warfare
Section IX. Small island defense
Section X. Coastal defense
Section XI. Japanese joint operations
Section XII. Japanese parachute troops
CHAPTER VIII. SUPPLY, MOVEMENTS, AND EVACUATION.
Section I. Supply
Section II. Movements
Section III. Evacuation
CHAPTER IX. WEAPONS.
CHAPTER X. EQUIPMENT.
Section I. Introduction
Section II. Infantry equipment
Section III. Artillery equipment
Section IV. Signal equipment
Section V. Engineer equipment
Section VI. Cavalry and reconnaissance
Section VII. Automotive and land transport equipment
Section VIII. Tentage
Section IX. Medical equipment
CHAPTER XI. UNIFORMS, PERSONAL EQUIPMENT, AND INSIGNIA
Section I. Standard Uniforms
Section II. Uniforms for Special Arms
Section III. Special cold and hot weather clothing
Section IV. Individual equipment
Section V. Insignia, Decorations, and Awards
CHAPTER XII. CONVENTIONAL SIGNS AND ABBREVIATIONS
Section I. Introduction
Section II. Geographic signs
Section III. Military signs
Section IV. Military abbreviations
CHAPTER XIII. MILITARY TERMS AND CHARACTERS
Section I. Japanese Year Dates
Section II. Japanese Weights, Measures, and Moneys
Section III. Method of Numbering Models
APPENDIX SUPPLEMENTAL DATA
Changes
TM E 30-480 Handbook on Japanese Military Forces had five Changes which were as follows:
Change 1: Japanese Airforces (1 January 1945); 39 pages,
Change 3: Field Organization (1 June 1945); 94 pages,
Change 4: Japanese Fortifications (1 July 1945); 68 pages,
Change 5: Naval Ground Units (1 July 1945); 11 pages,
Change 6: Weapons (15 September 1945); 228 pages,
Change 7: Japanese Military Police (15 August 1945);
References
TM-E 30-480 Handbook On Japanese Military Forces, 15 September 1944 (with printed changes 1 through 7)
External links