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Hub AI
TERA rifle AI simulator
(@TERA rifle_simulator)
Hub AI
TERA rifle AI simulator
(@TERA rifle_simulator)
TERA rifle
The TERA rifles (Japanese: 挺進落下傘小銃／挺身落下傘小銃, romanized: Teishin Rakkasan Shoujuu) were special Japanese takedown rifles developed for paratroopers of the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy. All designs were capable of either being broken down or folded into two parts and easily assembled or disassembled.
The Type 2 TERA rifle was officially adopted in 1943 by the IJA and saw use during the Battle of Leyte, but by the time it entered production, significant paratrooper operations had largely ceased.
Before the Pacific War, Japanese paratroopers only carried a Type 94 pistol and three hand grenades when jumping off their planes. The length of the Type 38 and Type 99 rifles made them impractical to be carried during deployment, so they were separately dropped in containers with their ammunition. The paratroopers often had difficulty locating and retrieving their rifles, forcing them to attack with only pistols, grenades, and whatever enemy weapons they could capture.
Development of dedicated paratrooper rifles were conducted by the 1st Laboratory of the 1st Army Technical Research Institute, which presented two different prototypes: the Type 100, which was designed to be carried broken down by a descending parachutist, and the Type 1 rifle, which could be carried with the buttstock folded.
While a handful of these prototypes were acquired by the IJA, neither were used during the Battle of Palembang, resulting in many rifles and heavier weapons of the IJA airborne forces being lost (a similar problem faced by German paratroopers during the Battle of Crete), and a renewed interest in developing a purpose-built paratrooper rifle.
In-mid 1942, the 1st Laboratory developed a practical take-down design based on the Type 100, but instead of using an interrupted screw, the detachable barrel was held in place with a tapered wedge. Tests conducted by the Futsu Proving Ground in October 1942 were satisfactory, and after a few tweaks, the Type 2 paratrooper rifle was officially adopted in May 1943.
The Toriimatsu factory of the Nagoya Arsenal built around 21,500 Type 2 rifles according to Ness, while Dabbs gives a figure of approximately 21,200 rifles. On the other hand, Harriman gives a figure of roughly 19,000 rifles produced in total.
Some rifles were used during the Battle of Leyte, though significant Japanese airborne operations ceased by the time the Type 2 entered production. Many, if not, most of the surviving TERA rifles today were captured by American forces in Leyte.
TERA rifle
The TERA rifles (Japanese: 挺進落下傘小銃／挺身落下傘小銃, romanized: Teishin Rakkasan Shoujuu) were special Japanese takedown rifles developed for paratroopers of the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy. All designs were capable of either being broken down or folded into two parts and easily assembled or disassembled.
The Type 2 TERA rifle was officially adopted in 1943 by the IJA and saw use during the Battle of Leyte, but by the time it entered production, significant paratrooper operations had largely ceased.
Before the Pacific War, Japanese paratroopers only carried a Type 94 pistol and three hand grenades when jumping off their planes. The length of the Type 38 and Type 99 rifles made them impractical to be carried during deployment, so they were separately dropped in containers with their ammunition. The paratroopers often had difficulty locating and retrieving their rifles, forcing them to attack with only pistols, grenades, and whatever enemy weapons they could capture.
Development of dedicated paratrooper rifles were conducted by the 1st Laboratory of the 1st Army Technical Research Institute, which presented two different prototypes: the Type 100, which was designed to be carried broken down by a descending parachutist, and the Type 1 rifle, which could be carried with the buttstock folded.
While a handful of these prototypes were acquired by the IJA, neither were used during the Battle of Palembang, resulting in many rifles and heavier weapons of the IJA airborne forces being lost (a similar problem faced by German paratroopers during the Battle of Crete), and a renewed interest in developing a purpose-built paratrooper rifle.
In-mid 1942, the 1st Laboratory developed a practical take-down design based on the Type 100, but instead of using an interrupted screw, the detachable barrel was held in place with a tapered wedge. Tests conducted by the Futsu Proving Ground in October 1942 were satisfactory, and after a few tweaks, the Type 2 paratrooper rifle was officially adopted in May 1943.
The Toriimatsu factory of the Nagoya Arsenal built around 21,500 Type 2 rifles according to Ness, while Dabbs gives a figure of approximately 21,200 rifles. On the other hand, Harriman gives a figure of roughly 19,000 rifles produced in total.
Some rifles were used during the Battle of Leyte, though significant Japanese airborne operations ceased by the time the Type 2 entered production. Many, if not, most of the surviving TERA rifles today were captured by American forces in Leyte.