Type 96 and Type 97 150 mm infantry mortar

The Type 96 designation was given to this mortar as it was accepted in the year 2596 of the Japanese calendar (1936).

[1] Japanese 90mm, 120mm, and 150mm mortars were labeled as "trench mortars" and were effectively controlled by Imperial Japanese Army artillery units instead of infantry units.

Initially Japanese trench mortars where primarily developed as chemical-delivery weapons, but would mainly see service in conventional roles during the Greater East Asia War.

The Type 96 150mm mortar was never encountered by American or British troops, although it was used in China.

Both types were produced from 1937 to late 1943, with records indicating a total of 201 units delivered to the Imperial Japanese Army.