Hohei Machine-Gun Platoon

Includes HQ Section with one Command Sword team, two Machine-gun Sections each with two Type 3 HMG, one Small three-hole base & four Medium four-hole bases.

The Type 3 heavy machine-gun (HMG) had its origins in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 when the Japanese utilised a number of the French designed Hotchkiss Modèle 1900 heavy machine guns to great effect.

During 1914, the Japanese modified the ejection mechanism slightly and product the weapon to chamber the 6.5x50 Arisaka round; the resulting weapon was designated the Type 3 or Taisho 3 Nen Nikanju become the standard HMG of the Japanese Army.

The weapon incorporated many of the design aspects of the Hotchkiss including the distinctive cooling fins located along the length of the barrel and the strip feed (30 rounds per strip) method of supplying the gun with fresh ammunition. The cartridges themselves however had to be oiled before being fed into the weapon to minimise the risk of a stoppages. This sometimes proved troublesome especially in a dusty environment.

Miniatures are supplied unpainted and may require assembly.