BRT SPECIFIC VEHICLES AND ORDNANCE
JAPANESE ORDNANCE NOTES
19. Vickers 8-Inch Coastal Defense Gun Turret: Four of these gun turrets were present on Betio Island during the invasion in November 1943. They were placed in tandem on the extremities of the island. The two on the east end of the island were mounted in circular concrete emplacements and could be traversed through 360°. The two on the southwest of the island were mounted in a stair step emplacement made of concrete, sand, and coral. The top gun turret could be traversed through 360°, while the bottom gun turret could traverse through 270°. These guns have been referred to as the "Singapore Guns" because of the belief that they were part of the war spoils from the capture of Singapore. It has been proven, however, that the guns were originally purchased from Vickers by Japan in 1905 as part of a contract for 12 guns. The muzzle velocity was lower than similar guns. None of the ammunition for these guns was manufactured after 1919, and pre-invasion trials showed spotty performance. Each 8-in. Gun Turret is treated as an Open Topped Armored Cupola (D9.5) and for CC purposes as an immobile Open Topped AFV [EXC: PAATC NA]. The manning crew cannot BU (even if Stunned) and receives a +3 CE DRM. The BPV for the 8-in. Gun is 43.
ERRATA: The Japanese 200L Basic AP To Kill number is "19".
25. Type 10 8cm, Naval High-Angle Gun: This gun was used primarily for coastal defense. Mounted on a pedestal to take advantage of its anti-boat capability, the type of mount used on some islands diminished the gun's effectiveness in AA fire. Although identified as 8cm, a true measurement of the bore shows that it was actually 76.2mm, with a muzzle velocity slightly lower than Russian guns of similar caliber. The anti-aircraft rounds used were capable enough, but the gunners at Tarawa set the fuses too high. A complement of 16 guns made up the third company of a Special Naval Landing Forces unit. The Gun is available from 1921 through 1945. See Japanese Multi-Applicable Ordnance Notes D and E.
RF 1.2 in central Pacific, 1.6 in other areas. The BPV for the Type 10 is 38.
ERRATA: The Japanese 76L Basic AP To Kill number is "13".
U.S. VEHICLE NOTES
59. LVT2(m): For the invasion of Tarawa, the Second Marine Division had many LVT1s and LVT2s (approximately 75 of the former and 48 of the latter) that were modified by bolting on 1-inch boiler-plate. The field modified version of the LVT1 is essentially the same as the LVT(A)2 (U.S. Vehicle Note 48). These field-modified vehicles also had one or two .50-cal. machine guns mounted on the front cab. One Browning .30-cal. was also mounted on each side. The gun mounts were on a track that allowed the positioning of the weapon in almost any direction; these skate mounts also prevented any attempts to dismount the machine guns. For the invasion, 15 of these modified LVT had grapnels welded onto their stern sides that were designed to remove wire obstructions as the vehicle moved toward the landing beach. See U.S. Multi-Applicable Vehicle Notes D, H, Q, and T.
+ If designated as being equipped with a wire-removal grapnel, no Bog check is required when entering Wire. Instead, on a dr of ≤ 2, the Wire is removed from play (a Wire/
+ Dates and RF are: 11/43 (1.5), 1/44 (1.4), 7/44 (1.3), 1/45 (1.2). The BPV for the LVT2(m) is 48.
