Did Japs have radar and/or asdic(sonar)?
 

I was wondering. I thought ASDIC was a British invention used in combo with the Americans for the Atlantic battle during WW2. Now I am being pinged by ASDIC in december 41 by jap destroyers. Did the japs also have ASDIC? And later on, surface radar on ships?

Just curious.

I think the Japanese had some sort of ASDIC but I think only few ships actually had it. The Japanese had radar as well; I think it was available in '44 and it didn't work very well.

Yes, but not sure of the dates, check out the links on the research sticky over at the SH4 Mods forum. I do think in 41 they were rather equipped with hydrophones only but am not sure. Radar much later...first on the big ships only.

Their first operational radar was aircraft based (H-6 in august 42). Ships didn't get i til '43.

It's my understanding they had active as well as passive underwater detection gear from the start (certainly the latter).

The Japanese certainly had active sonar devices from the get go. The US Navy wasn't certain about this until skippers reported hearing echo-ranging and found themselves being pinged by escorts after attacking convoys.

The Japanese had the latest hydrophones and, I believe, rudimentary ASDIC in 1941. Remember in WW1 the IJN had been active in the Med supporting RN ASW patrols on the Otranto Barrage, the RN was sure to have given them access to their technology and research.

The IJN's main failing in the inter-war years to virtually ignore ASW, so, despite their excellence in other fields they were far behind other navies in ASW and never really caught up. That said, the IJN was a formidable and capable force with or without up to date technology.