doyler Posted August 8, 2018 Share #1 Posted August 8, 2018 THis was sent to me by a forum member. Im thinking the items were buried by the occupation forces. Wonder if the items were set on fire and burnt prior to burial. https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/workers-uncover-cache-of-wwii-firearms-swords-at-tokyo-elementary-school-1.541347 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themick Posted August 8, 2018 Share #2 Posted August 8, 2018 Thanks for posting this Doyler. Saw a similar article earlier today but the single picture was not a close up like here. My guess, given the bent barrels of the rifles with no remnants of wood stocks, suggests to me these were burned and then buried. Notice the knee mortar in the middle of the picture? Too bad there are no pictures of the swords found there. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themick Posted August 8, 2018 Share #3 Posted August 8, 2018 Now, upon closer inspection, I see the swords intermixed with the rifles. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted August 8, 2018 Author Share #4 Posted August 8, 2018 I think there is another pile in the upper right corner of the first photo too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted August 8, 2018 Author Share #5 Posted August 8, 2018 AGREED.Appears to be a knee mortar in the center of the pile as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rakkasan187 Posted August 8, 2018 Share #6 Posted August 8, 2018 It would be interesting to determine what building or buildings stood there in 1945, or it may have just been a central collection point where the Japanese military and or civilians were ordered to turn over any weapons they may have had, then the occupation forces in the area rendered them inoperable (firearms).. If the elementary school was there during WW2, maybe this was a cache of weapons for use by the teachers/students in the event that the US would invade Japan.. I have seen several propaganda photos of Japanese school children training with wooded swords and other weapons possibly to fight with as it was predicted that the US would invade, however the Atomic bombs had ended the war prior to invasion. Interesting article. It also appears in the photo with the hole where the items were unearthed on the right side about 4 or 5 knee mortars... Leigh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMI88 Posted August 9, 2018 Share #7 Posted August 9, 2018 The article is a little confusing -- it says the firearms were "believed to be replicas" but gives no further explanation. Maybe they just mean no longer functional. Either something was lost in translation or the author doesn't know anything about firearms (or both). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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