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"New Japanese Army Insignia" from Intelligence Bulletin, February 1945

[Intelligence Bulletin Cover: February 1945]  
The following report on Japanese collar and sleeve insignia originally appeared in the February 1945 issue of the Intelligence Bulletin.

[DISCLAIMER: The following text is taken from the U.S. War Department Intelligence Bulletin publication. As with all wartime intelligence information, data may be incomplete or inaccurate. No attempt has been made to update or correct the text. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the website.]

 
NEW JAPANESE ARMY INSIGNIA

As the U.S. Pacific offensive draws closer to the Japanese homeland, American soldiers may find on killed and captured Japanese a new type of collar and sleeve insignia.

Before the war began, the Japanese were very security-conscious. Their Army planned to discard, in wartime, not only insignia which would identify the number of the unit to which a man belonged, but even insignia of rank and arm or service. In practice this program proved a failure. Field commanders not only ordered the retention of rank insignia, but even originated cloth badges of various types. These were inscribed with the bearer's name, his unit, sometimes the name of his commander, and even a symbol for his division.

After the Japs had been at war with the British Empire and the U.S. for two years, the Japanese High Command finally decided to give official recognition to the demand for clear-cut identification of rank and of command. It was announced in October 1943 that a new type of insignia would go into effect on 1 January 1944.

Most interesting is the institution of badges for officers in command of units ranging from companies up through general officer commands (or a field officer holding a command calling for a general). These badges are made of aluminum, with silver leaves for company and field grade commanders, and gold leaves for officers holding general officer's commands. This is comparable to the U.S. practice of painting rank insignia on the helmet. It should aid snipers and other personnel in singling out Japanese unit commanders.

To make rank more obvious, insignia of rank is also to be worn on the cuffs of officer's coats and overcoats. Insignia of arm or service, hitherto worn only in action by military police and medical units, will take the form of a narrow colored strip beneath the usual collar insignia of rank. It is believed that this collar insignia will be somewhat larger than the familiar patches now generally encountered.

Since shoulder rank insignia of a type in use for some decades still are being encountered in all the Pacific and Asiatic theaters, there is little likelihood of the new insignia replacing the old overnight. In view of current Japanese supply headaches, a gradual replacement of present insignia is more likely.

DON'T REMOVE INSIGNIA

When this new insignia appears, souvenir hunters must be warned again against ripping insignia of rank from enemy uniforms—especially from officer's uniforms. Insignia collections and souvenirs for home are of no value when vital combat intelligence is lost. Combat troops must learn to leave all insignia on the uniforms of captured personnel so that intelligence officers can select, without difficulty, good prospects for interrogation. If these intelligence officers can get hold of the right Japs at the right time, they can learn urgently needed facts about the enemy's strength, his troop dispositions, his weapons, and the combat practice of his command. Information of this type may enable a U.S. commander to turn a possibly costly operation into a highly successful campaign.

 

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