Information about the uniforms worn by Japanese Naval Landing Forces in both English and Japanese has received very little coverage. The small amount available has typically been poorly researched and resulted in the dissemination of false information ranging from egregious to niche. The purpose of this article is to dispel some of these fantasies, such as the notion that Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF) had specific uniforms and the creation uniform designations by summarizing the most common uniforms worn by Naval Landing Forces, including SNLF, Special Base Forces, Guard Units, etc, from the outbreak to the eventual conclusion of the Pacific War.
The basis for Japanese Naval Landing Force uniforms in the Pacific War began with secretariat #6040 issued in November 1937, which unified the summer infantry uniforms for enlisted men and petty officers, and formally introduced a wool field cap.[1]Ministry of Navy, 11 Gatsu, 1937, 46-47, Ref.C12070364000, JACAR. The summer infantry uniform consisted of a Katsuao-Iro Natsu-IㅡGreen Summer Jacket, featuring an open-collar design with three buttons, four external pockets, fixed epaulets, and a bayonet loop on the left side, which was issued along with a pair of matching green trousers and green puttees. A round red on green rate insignia was to be worn on the right sleeve of the jacket. A small cloth tag denoting information such as the wearer’s name, rate, blood type, and unit was typically stitched on the left side of the jacket above the chest pocket. Depending on the unit the tags may be stitched elsewhere, such as on the opposite side, or directly on one of the chest pockets. The wool field cap or sentobo came in green and black for the respective summer and winter seasons. The cap’s insignia was a yellow anchor made of wool, later simplified to an embroidered yellow anchor around 1942. The summer version could be adorned with matching green havelocks (neck-flaps), which appeared to have been very common during the 1940’s in China, but less so in the Pacific.
In May of 1940 another important secretariat was passed, but unfortunately the secretariat itself is missing from archives.[2]Ministry of Navy, Showa 15 Nen Mokuroku (1), 1945, 38, Ref.C12070383700, JACAR. Luckily a booklet issued a few months later by the Navy’s Accounting School includes photographs that document the changes made by this missing secretariat, showing a simplified Green Summer Jacket that no longer featured epaulets and a new button-up Katsuoao-iro Natsu Juban or Green Summer Undershirt.[3]Naval Accounting School, Kaigun Tokushu Hifuku Shashinjo, 1940, Ref.D001001, NLFDL. By this point the green rates appeared to be in short supply, and the black winter rates were commonly worn in place of them. The May 1940 revision infantry uniforms would be worn by almost all Naval Landing Forces during the early stages of the war. However, a few of the November 1937 jackets remaining in circulation made their way into the Pacific as well and were worn in a transitional fashion with the new undershirts.
A platoon sized section of the 15th Guard Unit on Northern Hainan Island, circa 1942. The majority wear Green Summer Uniforms with black winter insignia, while a few wear dyed work uniforms instead. All of the armed personnel wear green wool field caps and button-up Green Summer Undershirts. (Naval Landing Forces Digital Library)
On April 1st, 1942, the Navy completely overhauled its insignia regulations, introducing a new simplified yellow on black shield-shaped insignia.[4]Cabinet, Goshomei Genpon – Showa 17 Nen Chokurei Dai 329 Go – Kaigun Fukusei Chukaisei no Ken, 1942, Ref.A03022722900, JACAR. These began to be widely used by mid-1942, but never succeeded in fully replacing the prior round insignia. This insignia change would serve as one of the many efforts made to reduce production costs as the war caused strain on Japan’s industry. This strain could be further observed in the overall decline in quality to the uniforms worn by naval infantrymen across many units, with a large number substituting the wool caps with standard-issue white Class I (winter) or black Class II (summer) cotton caps and the Green Summer Uniforms with dyed work uniforms.
Personnel believed to be part of the 22nd Base Force in Balikpapan, circa 1944. The sailor 1st class on the left side wears April 1942 regulation insignia on his sleeve, with a field cap featuring the simplified embroidered insignia introduced around 1942. The sailor on the right wears an earlier cap with a wool insignia that has noticeably deteriorated. As the Navy was generally not concerned about replacing outdated uniforms and equipment for its ground troops, units like the 22nd Special Base Force that were formed early into the war retained much of their early items until the war’s end. (Australian War Memorial 030382/05)
The extremely hot climate in the Central and South Pacific regions led to some men or even entire units to substitute their Green Summer Jackets and undershirts with the more practical Bosho Sagyo-I Heat-Resistant Work Tunics. The Heat-Resistant Work Tunics had mid-length sleeves and a single chest pocket on the left side.[5]Naval Accounting School, Kaigun Tokushu Hifuku Shashinjo, 1940, Ref.D001001, NLFDL Early versions had a single button, while the later pattern introduced around 1942 had three buttons. The color of these tunics was originally off-white, but as the war progressed they grew to be steadily more khaki in color and eventually green. Rate insignia was occasionally applied to the right sleeve, however it appeared to vary on a unit basis.
Two petty officers on guard duty in the Pacific, December 1943. The petty officer on the right wears a later variation of the Bosho Sagyo-I or Heat-Resistant Work Tunic in lieu of a Green Summer Jacket. A Class II summer cap made of cotton has also been worn in place of the expected green wool field cap. Note that he still retains pre April 1942 insignia. (Naval Landing Forces Digital Library)
On November 30th, 1943, RyakusoㅡStandard Equipment was introduced to the entire Navy.[6]Cabinet, Goshomei Genpon – Showa 18 Nen Chokurei Dai 910 Go – Kaigun Fukusei Hoka 4 Chokurei Chukaiseira no Ken, 1943, Ref.A03022880300, JACAR. The equipment included the Ryaku-I, a tunic similar in appearance and color to the Green Summer Jacket, but with four buttons instead of three, and an absence of the bayonet loop. Alongside the new tunic came matching green trousers and a green cotton cap. On December 1st, just a day after the introduction of Ryakuso, a five-button work uniform made its debut as well.[7]Ministry of Navy, 12 Gatsu, 1943, 2, Ref.C12070121100, JACAR. It was also green, had four pockets, and no bayonet loop. The only major difference was that the collar could be fully buttoned up, unlike the Ryaku-I which had an open-collar design like the Green Summer Jacket.
On August 21st, 1944, the Ryakuso was renamed to the Class III Uniform and officially became the Navy’s new standard uniform.[8]Cabinet, Goshomei Genpon – Showa 19 Nen Chokurei Dai 509 Go – Rinji Kaigun Daisanshu Gunsorei, 1944, Ref.A03022305600, JACAR. The December 1943 work uniform was commonly worn in place of the Class III Uniforms, so much that it is as often confused to be the uniform it served as a stand-in for. As these new uniforms were now the standard for the Navy, this applied to infantry as well, and would effectively replace the previous Green Summer Uniforms.
Much like their early days in Shanghai following the dawn of the Showa Era, Naval Landing Forces were once again wearing the same uniforms as everyone else in the Navy. Usage of the December 1943 work uniforms was extremely common in the Marianas, Philippines, and Japanese Home Islands from 1944-45, suggesting that almost any units formed in 1944 or later had issued these uniforms to their men. The Class III uniforms do not appear to be as common, but still have been observed in noticeable numbers throughout the Pacific as well.
Naval troops in Saigon, likely belonging to the 10th Guard Unit garrisoned in the city, surrender to Allied forces, 1945. The Officer wears a Green Summer Uniform with a mismatched Class III Cap. The petty officers in the front row wear a mixture of December 1943 Work Uniforms and Class III Uniforms, all with Class III Caps and green puttees. (Imperial War Museum SE 5172)
References
| ↑1 | Ministry of Navy, 11 Gatsu, 1937, 46-47, Ref.C12070364000, JACAR. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Ministry of Navy, Showa 15 Nen Mokuroku (1), 1945, 38, Ref.C12070383700, JACAR. |
| ↑3 | Naval Accounting School, Kaigun Tokushu Hifuku Shashinjo, 1940, Ref.D001001, NLFDL. |
| ↑4 | Cabinet, Goshomei Genpon – Showa 17 Nen Chokurei Dai 329 Go – Kaigun Fukusei Chukaisei no Ken, 1942, Ref.A03022722900, JACAR. |
| ↑5 | Naval Accounting School, Kaigun Tokushu Hifuku Shashinjo, 1940, Ref.D001001, NLFDL |
| ↑6 | Cabinet, Goshomei Genpon – Showa 18 Nen Chokurei Dai 910 Go – Kaigun Fukusei Hoka 4 Chokurei Chukaiseira no Ken, 1943, Ref.A03022880300, JACAR. |
| ↑7 | Ministry of Navy, 12 Gatsu, 1943, 2, Ref.C12070121100, JACAR. |
| ↑8 | Cabinet, Goshomei Genpon – Showa 19 Nen Chokurei Dai 509 Go – Rinji Kaigun Daisanshu Gunsorei, 1944, Ref.A03022305600, JACAR. |