The Guns of the Rising Sun: Japanese Artillery in the Malayan Campaign By 1942MALAYA When we think of the Japanese conquest of Malaya, we think of bicycles, light tanks, and the relentless speed of the infantry advance. We think of the British collapse at Jitra, the disaster at Slim River, the surrender at Singapore. What we rarely think about is the artillery—the guns that softened up the British positions, broke up their counter-attacks, and paved the way for the infantry to sweep through. But the Japanese artillery was there. It was well-organised, well-handled, and in some cases, technically excellent. And it ranged from tiny mountain guns that could be carried on a mule to heavy howitzers that could lob a 31-kilogram shell nearly twelve kilometres. This is the story of the guns the Japanese brought to Malaya. The Lightweight Workhorses: Mountain Guns and Battalion Guns The backbone of Japanese artillery in Malaya was not the heavy siege gun. It was the light, portable weapon...