Production Charts for almost Everyone!

[BruceP]

Thanks to Nick Komiya, here are some 1944 &1945 production charts for shingunto, bayonets, rifles, machine guns, and grenade launchers! We are still working on full translations and I've posted below what we have so far. What is still a mystery is exactly WHAT the numbers mean! They appear to be numbers and ratios. if you divide the smaller number in each block by 45, you get the bottom number, to the third decimal point (thanks to Stegel).

Any further ideas of meanings and translations would be greatly appreciated! Here's what we have so far:

(translation by John Johnson)
品目 Hinmoku Item
造兵刀 Army sword Production (not sure of this translation)
現代鍛錬刀 Gendai tanren gatana Modern training sword
九五式軍刀 Type 95 gunto
三五年式銃剣 1935 model rifle bayonet
九九式小銃 99 model short rifle
一00式機関短銃 100 model sub machine gun
八九式????筒 89 model grenade launcher
九九式??関銃 99 model light machine gun

Along the top, I can't get anything for the first two columns but after that it's a list of months from April to March with 計,Kei = Total in the final column. You will notice that each vertical column has running "total" for each weapon in each month, too.

(translation my SteveM)
名造 Manufactured in Nagoya
東造 Manufactured in Tokyo
本部 Headquarters
東一造 Manufactured in Tokyo #1
大造 Manufactured in Osaka
小造 Manufactured in Kokura

[BruceP]

Here's the first page, which still needs translation:

[GHP]

...
Any further ideas of meanings and translations would be greatly appreciated! Here's what we have so far:

(translation by John Johnson)
...
造兵刀 Army sword Production (not sure of this translation)
現代鍛錬刀 Gendai tanren gatana Modern training sword

造兵刀 Army sword Production (not sure of this translation)
現代鍛錬刀 Gendai tanren gatana Modern training sword[/QUOTE]

1. 造兵刀

Zōhei-tō.
Perhaps a contraction for 陸軍造兵廠刀 Rikugun Zōhei Shō Tō ????
Zōhei = arms manufacture/ordnance; Zōhei Shō = Arsenal.
I'd go with "Arsenal Sword"

2. 現代鍛錬刀 Gendai tanren gatana Modern training sword

Tanren-tō [vice katana/gatana]
This should be rendered as "Modern FORGED sword." 鍛錬 Tanren (forge) also means "severe training" .... but here it literally means "to forge".

--Guy

[GHP]

Here's the first page, which still needs translation:

分割撮影ターゲット
Bunkatsu Satsuei Tāgetto
Segment Shooting [Photographing/copy] Target

分割した部分の撮影順序
Bunkatsu sh!ta Bubun no Satsuei Junjo
Segment Shooting Order: 12

分割撮影した理由: ３A版以上のため
Bunkatsu Satsuei Sh!ta Riyū: 3 A-ban ijō no tame
Purpose for Segment Shooting: For 3A sized version/publication

文書等名: 昭和１９年同鍛錬軍刀産計画表
Bunsho Nado Mei: Shōwa 19-nen Dō Tanren Guntō-san Keikaku-hyō
Documents, etc. Name: Shōwa 19 [1944] Forged Military Sword Production Schedule [chart]

上記のとおり分割撮影したことを証明する
Jōki no tōri bunkatsu satsuei-sh!ta koto o shōmei suru
The segment shooting as described above was certified/approved


--Guy

[BruceP]

Guy, that's fabulous info, thanks!

Is it accurate to say that the line "Arsenal Sword" means none traditional, and the "Gendai modern forged sword" line is traditionally made?

[STEGEL]

Thanks Guy!

Would it be fair to say that this is a forecast chart for scheduled production as oppossed to actual production figures??

Also Bruce,

if you divide the smaller number in each block by 45, you get the bottom number, to the third decimal point

This is true of the bottom row for the type 95 guntos only. This is the seventh row from the top of the 1944 chart (include header)
Other lines have similar charateristics, but different divisors -not 45.

[GHP]

Guy, that's fabulous info, thanks!

Is it accurate to say that the line "Arsenal Sword" means none traditional, and the "Gendai modern forged sword" line is traditionally made?

Bruce, I cannot answer your question as that study is outside my expertise. I'll leave it to our resident experts to say which is which.


--Guy

[GHP]

Would it be fair to say that this is a forecast chart for scheduled production as oppossed to actual production figures??
...

My understanding is this document lists the swords produced and delivered in 1944. "Schedule" here is like a chart/graph.


--Guy

[imperialjapan]

Guy's translation was just the record of the photographing of the original document.
The 4th line he translated is the name of the document, and that says '計画表,' which means ’schedule.' That said, the numbers (hand written) look specific enough to be actual production numbers.

[BruceP]

Since the 1945 chart ends with August, I would say it's an actual monthly tally. If it were projections or requirements for the year, then the 1945 chart would be filled out for 12 months.

Stegel, that's interesting that the divisor is different for each weapon. That could support the theory that the divisor is the desired production quantity. The ratio/percent figure would then give a quick analysis of each production lines capability. But I'm just speculating.