Jap Lunge Mines and Banzai Sticks – Last Ditch Weapons in WW2

During World War II, the ancient Samurai moral code of honor, obedience, duty and self-sacrifice found its way into Japanese military tactics, particularly during the last desperate months of the empire of the Rising Sun.

Beyond the high-profile Kamikaze air strikes, the Kaiten suicide submarines and the Shinyo explosive motorboats, Japan’s self-sacrificing warriors sometimes used glamorous methods in their attacks on Allied forces. Some of the more bizarre weapons of the war grew from this mindset, including a modern take on the classic spear, as well as an exploding spear for use against tanks.

Reliance on the Bayonet

The first two years of the war in the Pacific taught American troops about their Japanese opponent’s reliance on the bayonet. While most armies began to minimize the use of the bayonet during World War II, the Emperor’s Army still considered it to be a prime combat weapon, an extension of their soldiers’ commitment to the attack and a visible expression of the spirit of Bushido.

In a U.S. “Intel Digest” entry in the October 1943 issue, U.S. troops described their experience in bayonet combat with the Japanese:

In bayonet fighting, the Japanese apparently try to work in pairs. Their bayonets have a hook on the underside, at the hilt. One Jap tries to hook his opponent’s rifle long enough for the other to use his bayonet. I never saw these tactics work successfully.

I don’t believe that the Japanese soldiers have had a great deal of training in the technique of using the bayonet. They did very little fencing but attempted direct jabs. They did not use the butt stroke and were fooled by it in several instances (particularly by the vertical).

One Jap dropped the butt of his rifle to the ground and held the bayonet up at an angle against an oncoming U. S. soldier. The Japanese bayonet was a little longer and a little more pointed than ours, but this did not seem to give the enemy any advantage.

The Banzai Stick Identified

As the war continued, Japanese troops became starved for even the most basic weapons and supplies, and these shortages manifested themselves in some truly bizarre weapons and tactics.

On February 17, 1945, the US G-2 “USAFPOA Intelligence Bulletin”, described “Japanese Spear Attacks” encountered in the Philippine Islands. Despite the strange nature of these weapons, incredulous intelligence officers reported:

Numerous instances have been reported of Japanese attacks in which the participants carried “sharpened bamboo spears”, or bamboo poles with knives or bayonets affixed. These weapons were used to arm men for whom no better weapon could be supplied. It is interesting to note that, at least in one instance, the tactics and technique of fighting with bamboo spears has been prescribed.

A mimeographed file of operation orders of the KAKI Force (16th Division) captured on Leyte Island and published by ATIS SWPA contains the following notes on spear fighting: ‘Experience gained at Lumban, Laguna Province (Luzon, PI).) shows that in killing with bamboo spears, the chest is a very difficult spot to stab because of the ribs. The stomach, however, was found to be a most vulnerable spot.’

A “Banzai Stick” captured on Saipan during the summer of 1944. This is little more than a pole fitted with a metal spike. While crude, it was deadly at close range. Image: NARA

Obscure WW2 History: Jap Lunge Mines and Banzai Sticks

Jap Lunge Mines and Banzai Sticks – Last Ditch Weapons in WW2

During World War II, the ancient Samurai moral code of honor, obedience, duty and self-sacrifice found its way into Japanese military tactics, particularly during the last desperate months of the empire of the Rising Sun.

Reliance on the Bayonet

In a U.S. “Intel Digest” entry in the October 1943 issue, U.S. troops described their experience in bayonet combat with the Japanese:

In bayonet fighting, the Japanese apparently try to work in pairs. Their bayonets have a hook on the underside, at the hilt. One Jap tries to hook his opponent’s rifle long enough for the other to use his bayonet. I never saw these tactics work successfully.

I don’t believe that the Japanese soldiers have had a great deal of training in the technique of using the bayonet. They did very little fencing but attempted direct jabs. They did not use the butt stroke and were fooled by it in several instances (particularly by the vertical).

One Jap dropped the butt of his rifle to the ground and held the bayonet up at an angle against an oncoming U. S. soldier. The Japanese bayonet was a little longer and a little more pointed than ours, but this did not seem to give the enemy any advantage.

The Banzai Stick Identified

As the war continued, Japanese troops became starved for even the most basic weapons and supplies, and these shortages manifested themselves in some truly bizarre weapons and tactics.

On February 17, 1945, the US G-2 “USAFPOA Intelligence Bulletin”, described “Japanese Spear Attacks” encountered in the Philippine Islands. Despite the strange nature of these weapons, incredulous intelligence officers reported:

RTWT