WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
The Imperial Japanese Navy cover

The Imperial Japanese Navy

Chapter 58: (2) Men.
By Fred T. Jane
Open in WeRead

About This Book

The author surveys the development of Japanese naval forces from their earliest origins through rapid modern expansion, recounting earlier conflicts and the fleet’s contemporary organization. The narrative interleaves historical episodes with technical and institutional analysis: shipbuilding programmes, dockyards and harbours, armament and engineering (guns, torpedoes, armour, engines and boilers), and detailed descriptions of individual warships. Personnel matters receive extended treatment, including entry, training, pay, uniforms, mess arrangements, and character of officers and ratings. Numerous illustrations and appendices compile official reports, ship lists, and explanatory glossaries, while comparative observations relate foreign practices to domestic naval policy and capabilities.

XVIII
UNIFORMS, ETC.

(1) Officers

Japanese officers’ full-dress uniform is very like full-dress English. The difference lies in the sword, which is a dirk, and the cap, which is rather Russian in shape, and has a gold band round it.

The reefer jacket does not exist. In place of it they wear a dark blue military undress tunic, buttoning at the neck with stand-up collar, and black braid down the front. There are no gold insignia of rank; these are of black braid, with a loop for the military branch, just like the gold ones. Engineers, paymasters, and doctors have their stripes in black; but, being without the mauve, white, or red distinguishing badge between the stripes with their undress, it is impossible to distinguish. Cocked hats and frockcoats are identical with ours. Owing to the extra number of ranks, the stripes vary slightly from ours. They are:—

Sub-lieutenant or equivalent 1
1st class sub-lieutenant or equivalent 1½
Lieutenant 2
Senior lieutenant 2½
Lieutenant-commander 3
Commander 3½
Captain 4

These are the usual gold stripes.

Admirals have stripes just like ours. No special illustrations of these various stripes are given, as the photographs of officers of different ranks throughout the book show them clearly.

There is no dress uniform in the Japanese Navy, but the national kimino is often worn at dinner.

Constructors wear a uniform identical with that of paymasters in undress.

Warrant officers wear a uniform closely akin to that of commissioned officers. Ordinary warrant officers have no stripes. Chief warrant officers wear a half stripe.

(2) Men.

The uniform of Japanese seamen is identical with that of British seamen, save that the cap is a little flatter and nearer the French shape. The cap ribbon is just like ours—the name of the depôt instead of ship is on it in Chinese characters.