Hohei Weapons Platoon

Includes Command Sword team, two Type 92 HMG teams, two Type 97 20mm Anti-tank Rifle teams, four Medium four-hole bases, one Small three-hole base and two base plug sprues.

Weapons support available to infantry companies included tripod-mounted Type 92 7.7mm heavy machine-guns, as well as the 20mm Type 97 anti-tank rifle.

Having used the French Hotchkiss Modele 97 to great effect during the Russo-Japanese war, the Japanese decided to develop a licensed version of its successor the Modele 1917 which became the Type 3 Machine Gun. Rather than sticking with the original French calibre, the Japanese converted the design to their then standard 6.5mm calibre. This resulted in numerous changes in the weapon including a built-in oiler to aid extraction and additional cooling fins.

Experience in China again showed that the 6.5mm round was inadequate, so the design was upgraded to 7.7mm, creating the Type 92 Machine Gun. Both the Type 3 and the Type 92 had a relatively low rate of fire (as compared to the machine guns of other nations) leading to them being nicknamed ‘Woodpecker’ by American forces.

Designed by Evan Allen
Painted by Aaron Mathie