The Type 96 and Type 97 were Japanese 150 mm calibre mortars used during the Second World War. The Type 96 designation was given to this mortar as it was accepted in the year 2596 of the Japanese calendar (1936). It had a caliber of 150.5 mm, and approximately 90 were produced. The Type 96 was used in Iwo Jima and China, but its performance is not known. In 1941 the weapon was developed into the more portable Type 97 150 mm Mortar, which simply has the recoil absorber removed. Specifications References Notes Bibliography US War Department Special Series No 30 Japanese Mortars and Grenade Dischargers 1945 External links http://www3.plala.or.jp/takihome/mortar.htm#96 Infantry mortars of Japan 150 mm artillery World War II mortars of Japan Military equipment introduced in the 1930s