Type 95 75 mm Field Gun The was a field gun used by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II . It was intended to replace the Type 38 75 mm Field Gun and the Type 41 75 mm Cavalry Gun in front line combat units , but due to operational and budgetary constraints , only a small number were produced , and the Type 38 and Type 41 continued to be used . The Type 95 number was designated for the year the gun was accepted , 2595 in the Japanese imperial year calendar , or 1935 in the Gregorian calendar . History and development . Prior to World War I , the Imperial Japanese Army was largely equipped with Krupp cannons from Germany . After the Versailles Treaty , the Japanese Army switched to the French Schneider company , and developed the Type 90 75 mm Field Gun loosely based on the Schneider et Cie Canon de 85 mle 1927 . However , the Schneider design was very complex and expensive to build , requiring very tight dimensional tolerances which were beyond the limits of Japanese industry to sustain at the time . Maintenance was also difficult to sustain in front line combat service . The Army Technical Bureau , following combat experience gained in the Invasion of Manchuria and the Soviet - Japanese Border Wars reverted to a simpler and more rugged design for the Type 95 field gun , which entered production in 1935 . The Type 95 75 - mm gun has an appearance similar to the Model 90 75 - mm gun . It is derived from the Model 1933 Schneider 75 , which it closely resembles . However , only a total of 261 units were produced , and the Type 38 75 mm Field Gun and the Type 41 75 mm Cavalry Gun continued to be used by front line combat units until the surrender of Japan . Design . Although occasionally mentioned as a copy of the French Schneider et Cie Canon de 75 Mle 1933 , this connection is dubious . The Type 95 essentially utilized the Model 38 ( improved ) weapon with sliding - wedge type breechblock and hydropneumatic recoil mechanism on the split trail carriage used on the Type 90 . This hybrid design addressed the issue of the heavy weight of the Type 90 , which had created problems with field commanders , as well as the need for a simpler , more rugged design that could be transported by a team of six horses . As with the Type 90 , the Type 95 was built in two versions : one with wooden wheels suitable for animal draft , and another with solid rubber tires and a beefed - up suspension for towing by motor vehicle . Since it weighs only 400 pounds more than the Model 41 cavalry gun , it is possible that the Model 95 may be intended to replace that weapon . However , its use on Saipan and its close resemblance to the heavier Model 90 may indicate that the latter weapon is too heavy for efficient horse - draft , and too complex for the capabilities of Japanese industry . Though the Model 95 is split - trailed , it weighs actually less than the improved Model 38 75 - mm gun . The Model 95 is much lighter than its Schneider prototype , and has a sliding wedge rather than an interrupted thread breechblock . It incorporates all features of modern Japanese design . Combat record . The appearance of the Type 95 75 mm field gun caused considerable confusion with both Allied military intelligence and with Japanese troops . The Type 95 was inferior in technology and performance to its predecessor , with less range and lower muzzle velocity . Although cheaper to build and to maintain , and less in weight , it was not well received by field commanders . It was primarily assigned to units in China .