The Type 88, sometimes known as "Hanyang 88", was a Chinese rifle that was issued to the regular Nationalist Revolutionary Army during Second Sino-Japanese War. The name derived from the Hanyang Arsenal factory that made this rifle. The rifle had a bayonette attachment under the rifle to use when the Japanese were using Banzai charge. Another standard rifle the NRA used was Chiang Kai-Shek rifle yet another copy of German made rifles from Hanyang Arsenal. Combatants Republic of China Empire of Japan Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Cheng, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren, Xue Yue, Mao Zedong, Peng Dehuai Fumimaro Konoe, Hideki Tojo, Matsui Iwane, Jiro Minami, Kesago Nakajima, Toshizo Nishio, Yasuji Okamura, Umezu Yoshijiro Strength 5,600,000[] 4,100,000 (including 900... Hanyang Arsenal (Traditional: 漢陽兵工廠; Simplified: 汉阳兵工厂; Hanyu Pinyin: ) was one of the largest and oldest modern arsenals in Chinese history. ... Bayonet OKC_3S _ Ontario Knife Company. ... Banzai charge (or banzai attack) is a term related to the Japanese samurai spirit and ideology of not accepting the shame of defeat. ... The Type 24 rifle, also known as Chiang Kai-shek Rifle and Type Zhong Zheng (中正式) after the Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek was a Chinese-made copy of the German Karabiner 98k. ...

This firearm was supposed to be a copy of the German Gewehr 88, albeit inferior than the original counterpart. No matter how badly this rifle was, China was in need of a standardised weapon in a forced desperate struggle with Japan, as they still hadn't prepared themselves for a full-scale war with them. This rifle was used throughout the Second Sino-Japanese war until the early part of Chinese civil war when the Hanyang factory was closed down in 1947. The Gewehr 88 was a German rifle adopted in 1888. ... Combatants Chinese Nationalists Chinese Communists Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Mao Zedong Strength 4,300,000 (July 1946) 3,650,000 (June 1948) 1,490,000 (June 1949) 1,200,000 (July 1946) 2,800,000 (June 1948) 4,000,000 (June 1949) The Chinese Civil War (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese...

According to NRA veterans, the Type 88 rifle will literally break apart after one single shot. Also because this rifle is a bolt-action gun, most Chinese soldiers will suffer from the Japanese Banzai charge leaving the Chinese to fight hand to hand battles with bayonet against katana sword. Also according to a military website that specializing on old guns about the notority of Type 88 rifle:

"This rifle was simply adored by the Chinese, and was produced by them as the Type 88 Hangyang rifle. The Chinese rifles are not considered safe to shoot by anyone.If you have one and want to shoot it, I recommend light handloads, and keep an eye on the receiver for cracks – but they probably ought to be treated as wall hangers."

See Also

• National Revolutionary Army
• German-trained divisions in the National Revolutionary Army
• Sino-German cooperation
• Gewehr 88
• Chiang Kai-Shek rifle

The National Revolutionary Army (NRA) (Chinese: 國民革命軍; pinyin: guo2 min2 ge2 ming4 jun1) was the national army of the Republic of China. ... The German trained divisions were divisions in the National Revolutionary Army trained under Sino-German cooperation. ... Close Sino-German cooperation, dating back to the 1920s, was instrumental in modernising the industry and the armed forces of the Republic of China, especially in the period immediately preceding the Second Sino-Japanese War. ... The Gewehr 88 was a German rifle adopted in 1888. ... The Type 24 rifle, also known as Chiang Kai-shek Rifle and Type Zhong Zheng (中正式) after the Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek was a Chinese-made copy of the German Karabiner 98k. ...

Links

• pictures of a Type 88
• review of Gew 88 partial info on type 88