Type 96 and Type 97 150 mm infantry mortar

The Type 96 and Type 97 were Japanese 150 mm caliber mortars used during the Second World War. The Type 96 designation was given to this mortar as it was accepted in the year 2596 of the Japanese calendar (1936). It had a caliber of 150.5 mm. The Type 96 was used in Iwo Jima and China, but its performance is not known. In 1941 the weapon was developed into the more portable Type 97 150 mm Mortar, which simply has the recoil absorber removed. Approximately two hundred Type 96 and Type 97 heavy mortars were produced in total.