Customer Reviews

Japanese Infantryman 1937-45: Sword of the Empire (Warrior)

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I wanted to learn more about the Japanese soldier of World War Two from the viewpoint of the private. Gordon L. Rottman didn't disappoint. He describes squad and platoon organization, individual clothing and equipment, and follows a fictional soldier through his career. Most readers will find the Imperial Japanese soldier alien--because they expect the product of early 20th-Century Japan to think, feel, and act just like themselves. Let go of prejudice and it will be easier to see what life was like for a son of Nippon.

To be crudely blunt, life was Hell for the Imperial Japanese soldier. Japan was too poverty-stricken to support her soldiers in the field. The Japanese war machine took over the nation and bogged it down in a land war that made America's Vietnamese nightmare seem gentle. Don't forget--the utter fanaticism of the Japanese soldier led to Harry Truman dropping two atomic bombs on Japanese cities so that American soldiers and sailors and Marines wouldn't have to die storming the home islands. Death, and the promise of a Japanese Vahalla, must have been a blessed relief from disease, starvation, and boredom--and the terror of pre-invasion bombardment by the American Navy.

I really liked the detail on the light machine gun team and its equipment. Apparently, only four 30-round magazines were issued for the Type 96 and Type 99 light machine guns--and between 450 and 750 rounds of ammunition. The flexible nature of Japanese small unit organization was well presented. For a 64-page book targeting an English-speaking audience, this book is an excellent reference on the life and equipment of the lowest level of the Japanese military machine.

This book is short and to the point,
I only wish there we more books that detailed the Japenese ground forces during the war....

This book certainly let's it be known that they were most cases trained to fight by the sword and any other weapon available but to live under terrible conditions put on them by their own Country.
They were overtained and under armed by their own Country in most cases.

In spite of these demanding and brutal actions placed on them by their "Emperor" they were in almost all incidents willing to die by the sword and gave their lives not because of insanity but because of a belief I don't understand but they were dedicated to dying for their Country and Emperor...

I consider myself a dedicated and above average American infantry soldier who fought during Vietnam, in the first Tet that killed so many....
Yet my dedication mentally to my beloved Country pales in light of the tenacity of the Japanese, solder, sairor or airmen during WWII.

We owe so much to our American WWII Veterans who overcame this insane Japanese dedication to their Country (in my opinion) and destroyed them in most cases doing their duty in conditions with dedication far above the duty expected of them by our American Government and citizens...

This book somewhat explains the adversity our troops overcame eliminating our fanatical Japenese enemies.

Enemies who were in many cases sent to war with no weapons or ammuniation....knowing they were willingly going on a one way trip.