Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent inert demilitarized genuine Original Japanese WWII Type 100 Mod 20mm I.T. (Self-Destruct, w/ Tracer) Anti-Aircraft Round for the Japanese Type 98 Anti-Aircraft / Anti-Tank Cannon. It is correctly marked 一〇〇式 in white paint on the projectile, and has a black body with red band just behind the bourrelet, and green and yellow bands before the rotating band.

This round was sent home in 1945 by United States Navy Reservist D. W. Christenson, a Mineman 2nd Class who was apart of Bomb and Mine Disposal Team #3. A scanned and printed copy of the original paperwork is included with the purchase.

The top of the round has an inert brass fuse without internals, which can be removed to inspect the interior of the round. The side is actually marked with a Japanese date: 3 八 十 昭. This marking is written right to left, and would be read: SHOWA (current reigning emperor) Juu-Hachi Nen (18th year of reign - 1943) 3rd month (March).

The cardboard tube is somewhat degraded, but still has markings on the end, indicating that it is for the Type 97 (自七九) Automatic Cannon, and that it is a type 100 (一〇〇 式) cartridge. This information is partially repeated on the side, along with a date of 昭 和 十 八 年 五 月. This would be read: SHOWA (current reigning emperor) Juu-Hachi Nen (18th year of reign - 1943) Roku-Gatsu (5th Month - May).

This example is offered in very good condition, and would make a great part of any WWII ordnance display. Measures 8 3/16" in overall length.

The Type 98 20 mm AA machine cannon was the most common light anti-aircraft gun of the Imperial Japanese Army. It entered service in 1938 and was used until the end of World War II. After World War II this gun was used by the Indonesian Army in the Indonesian National Revolution.

Design and Use
The Type 98 20 mm AA machine cannon was the most common
light anti-aircraft gun of the Japanese military. The Type 98 designation was given to this gun as it was accepted in the year 2598 of the Japanese calendar (1938). It entered service that same year and first saw combat in Nomonhan. It was used until the end of World War II. About 80% of the Imperial Japanese Army light AA guns were Type 98s. The gun could be emplaced in about three minutes by an experienced crew or fired inaccurately from its wheels.

This weapon and its variants were based on the French design of the 13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine gun of the 1930s, which the Japanese forces had bought and further developed at home. The Type 98 was also one of the two armament options for the IJA's Submersible Gun Mount Model 1.

Ammunition
- Type 100 armor piercing tracer. Weight 162 g projectile and 431 g complete round.
- Type 100 high-explosive tracer (with self-destruct). Weight 136 g projectile and 405 g complete round.

Variant
Two of the guns mounted together formed a variant known as the Type 4 20 mm twin AA machine cannon. Approximately 500 of these guns were produced.