JAPANESE TYPE 89 ‘KNEE MORTAR’ ROUND

JAPANESE TYPE 89 ‘KNEE MORTAR' ROUND
Deactivated HE round for a Japanese Type 89 'knee mortar', 5.5 x 2 in. dia., with a steel case, brass fuse, and copper propellant cup at the base. This cup would have held a bag of propellant with a primer at the center. When fired, the propellant gases would escape through holes in the base, and the copper cup would expand into the rifled tube of the mortar, increasing accuracy. The body of the projectile is marked with a red band at the top, indicating Imperial Japanese Army use, and a yellow band at the center. The fuse further bears Japanese characters indicating the type, designation and date of manufacture. Lacking the safety pin with a hemp pull cord. Shows expected age wear overall, else very good. The 'knee mortar' moniker is a misnomer derived from the curved base plate fitted to the Type 89. American soldiers were reported to have received severe bruising or broken bones from firing captured examples with the base plate against the thigh.