Can Anyone ID this WW II Japanese Crate?

[wolf]

The only thing I was told at the estate sale was that it was a "bomb crate". It was shipped home by the GI (his address is still partially visible on the top lid.

 

 

 

It is definitely ordnance related because it has the Kokura Arsenal stamp on the underside of the lid. 

 

 

 

There are Japanese characters on the front

 

 

 

 

 

 

And on the back 

 

 

 

and this little tag was inside the crate

 

 

Is there anyone out there with a knowledge of Japanese who can tell me what this was for? Thanks.

 

[shemp h.]

I can read the characters in photos 4 and 5, they are from right to left top row3,8,Type,10 and 5. Second row right to left is 4,?, andType. Hope this helps.

 

       Bill 

[wolf]

Hey, it's a start! I will try to find some reference to Type regarding a weapon or Type regarding a particular ordnance. It might be either, as far as I know. Thank you.

Well. Research quickly indicated that the weapon commonly called the "knee mortar" by Americans was called the Type 10 grenade discharger by the Japanese. It fired Type 10 grenades, among others. I am going to leave this up for a little while to see if anyone can help with more of the translation but I am betting this was a crate of grenades for the mortar. 

[Mr. Bushido]

The letters in the box mean something like this.

 

(upper row)
「三八式十五糎榴弾砲」：Type 38 15 cm howitzer

 

「車載用」：For vehicles

 

(Middle row)
「四年式」：Fourth year

 

(bottom row)
「弾薬箱」：ammo box

 

「弾用」：ammunition

[wolf]

Thank you very much. That answers my question as far as I am concerned.