Japan has always been considered a maritime power. Its fleet has successfully competed even with its much larger militarily and economically neighbors for centuries. Later, and in the air, the Japanese gain experience, allowing them to dominate their region.

But as far as the ground forces are concerned, here the Japanese were among the lagging behind over and over again and often suffered insulting defeats. On land, Japan was inferior to the enemy in strength and infantry training, small arms and artillery. The same was typical for the armored forces of the Land of the Rising Sun.

In the 30s of the 20th century, the Japanese military quickly realized that the Type 89/94 tanks widely used by them did not at all satisfy the realities. The country suffered heavy losses of vehicles battle after battle. Therefore, a decision was made in the face of difficult economic situation design and deliver to the front as quickly as possible new tank, capable of withstanding more successful enemy samples. Thus begins the battle path of the tank "Chi-Ha", which means "middle third".

The history of the creation of the tank "Chi-Ha"

In the period of the 30s and early 40s of the last century in Japan, there was a sharp confrontation between two large groups within the Ministry of Defense. The first cell, which included mainly representatives of the General Staff, was, for obvious reasons, more powerful. She promoted the idea of ​​creating a locust tank.

In their opinion, it was necessary to build light tanks, easy to manufacture and transport. The enemy should have been taken by the number of such tanks, that is, crushed by quantity. Of course, such models were actually easy targets even for anti-tank rifles, not to mention the powerful and often well-trained enemy tank brigades.

The second group was of the opinion to create an average japanese tank, with good armor, acceptable running characteristics and great firepower. On their side was the trump card that such a machine is characterized by great survivability. But to produce such medium tank was more costly.
It is not difficult to guess that the first group close to power promoted its idea, and Japan soon began to produce Chi-Ni light tanks on an industrial scale.

But we must pay tribute, the work on the design of the medium tank type 97 "Chi-Ha" was not curtailed, but was carried out in parallel. And this was not in vain, because after the first battles, the losses of the Japanese armored forces with the predominant use of "Chi-ni" turned out to be so high that they exceeded all permissible limits.

The authorities of the country urgently ordered to deliver to the front the medium Chi-Ha that had just passed the tests.

In general, there is such historical fact that the Japanese managed to make a really qualitative leap in tank building, due to the fact that during the “Chinese” conflict they were able to capture the German Panzerkampfwagen II tank. The engineers of the Land of the Rising Sun quickly dismantled the captured sample to the screw, and then were able to set up the production of their own machines.

At the same time, Japanese designs were not exact copies German counterparts. They used developments and innovations, thanks to which it was even possible to surpass the best European models in some respects. But in general, the project 97 "Chi-Ha" was at that time quite outdated, with a lot of vulnerabilities.

Design features of medium tanks "Chi-Ha"

Booking

Tank "Chi-Ha" received surface-hardened rolled steel armor. The thickness of the frontal sheets and the mask of the gun reached 25 millimeters. The protection of the stern was of the same thickness.

The tower received 20 mm sheets, and the sides - 22 mm. The roof of the car reached a thickness of 12 mm.


Least of all, the Chi-ha tank was protected by armor from below, from the side of the bottom - the steel sheets there were 8 mm thick.

The side armor was vertical, and the frontal part was stepped. All armor plates were attached to the steel hull with bolts and rivets, which was considered clearly obsolete technology, but made it possible to quickly change structural elements that had become unusable, sometimes right on the battlefield.

Armament

The turret was adapted to mount a 57 mm gun with a barrel length of 18.5 calibers. It was often criticized for frankly poor armor-piercing performance, but low penetration was compensated by its low mass and short recoil. This was a very important property given the compactness of the tank's internal space.

Another big disadvantage of the gun was the small angles of pointing the barrel.

In the vertical plane, they reached only from -9 to 15 degrees, and in the horizontal from -5 to +5. For comparison, the most advanced tank of that time - the German "Tiger" - surpassed the Japanese in vertical guidance by 4 degrees, and in the horizontal more than twice - by 14 degrees.

The commander of the "Chi-Ha" was supposed to be to the right of the gun, and the loader to the left. The car was equipped with two machine guns:

  • one ahead of the body (course);
  • the second is in the tower.

The caliber of machine guns was 7.7 mm.

Mobility

The engine for the Chi-Ha tanks was produced at Mitsubishi factories. Its power was 170 hp. The cooling was air, the launch was carried out using an electric starter. Two fuel tanks are located on both sides of the engine compartment and hold 120 and 115 liters, respectively.

According to the characteristics of the course, the Chi-Ha tank did not have special qualities.

If we consider the installation of rollers, rollers and drive wheels on one of the sides, then the layout looked like this:

  • Double rubber-coated rollers in the amount of 6 pieces (the outer rollers were on a spring suspension, the middle ones were placed on a Hara-type suspension);
  • 3 support rollers;
  • Drive wheel located in front of the machine;
  • Track with small links (96 tracks 330 mm wide and 120 mm pitch).

It is known that in the process of testing "Chi-Ha" two prototypes were created. The chassis of the first of them was immediately approved, and with it the model went into mass production. The second prototype was distinguished by an increased number of rubber-coated support wheels. There were 8 of them, thanks to which the tank got a smooth ride and, accordingly, accurate shooting. But the production of such machines would cost the Japanese leadership even more, so the factories were instructed to build massively cheaper samples.

Combat use

The first appearance of the Chi-Ha tanks on the battlefield can be attributed to the relatively easy battles of the Japanese army at Halkin Gol. Despite the superiority of the Japanese units, the loss of armored forces caused fears of the command.

Completely obsolete at that time, the Ha-Go machines noticeably lost in survivability and efficiency to the still insignificant number of new Chi-Ha. Based on the results of the battles, the leadership decided to mass-produce new models of tanks for the entire army.


In 1941, the full-fledged combat path "Chi-Ha" begins. Japan invades Malaya and the Philippines, where the theater of heavy battles unfolds on numerous islands. Most often, tanks were used to escort infantry and clear territories. But the severity of the battles lay in the fact that now the Japanese were opposed by the prepared and powerful American Stuart tanks.

It turned out that the first production models of "Chi-Ha" lose American counterparts in almost all respects. Because of this, the latest, improved Shinhoto Chi-Ha, with new anti-tank guns, began to be thrown onto the islands.

Prior to this modification, the Chi-Ha main barrel did not pierce tank armor. Now the car has received a smaller caliber gun (47 mm), but a longer barrel and projectile. Due to this, the projectile had a higher initial acceleration and powerful penetrating power, capable of incapacitating enemy tanks.

The battles in Malaya for Japan were much easier, since a much worse prepared, weak enemy had practically no heavy weapons damaging armored formations. Therefore, the losses of combat vehicles were insignificant.

But in 1943, on the islands, Japan was forced to go on the offensive, for which various modifications"Shinhoto Chi-Ha", including floating ones. However, units of the enemy, reinforced by American help, offered fierce resistance. In 1944, having got involved in another battle with US tanks, the Japanese again suffered significant losses.

Approximately the same scenario awaited "Shinhoto Chi-Ha" on the island of Guam.

In the final phase of the war, Japanese tanks offered heroic resistance on the Indonesian islands, but the superior enemy forces still broke all the defensive redoubts.

Recent fights with the participation of "Shinhoto Chi-Ha" took place in Burma and China. In Burma, Japanese tanks again, although they offered decent resistance, gave way to power. At first, Japan acted more successfully on the territory of China, but after the involvement of the Soviet side in the battles, it again began to suffer defeat after defeat.

Tank losses were catastrophic. And the war itself was drawing to a close, so the pressure of the allied forces rapidly marching to victory could not be broken.

After the Second World War, "Chi-Ha" could still be found in military conflicts. In China, during the Third Civil War, both warring parties used these combat units in battles. In Japan itself, the tank was used until the 60s of the 20th century, but mainly as training vehicles.

Modifications

To be objective, the Chi-ha tank was a great help when it came to a poorly trained and unprepared enemy. He successfully fought in China, on numerous islands until serious rivals, like the USSR or the USA, were included in the game. Both superpowers had in abundance capable of fighting formations and, most importantly, machines tested in serious battles.

Japan bought out the projects of the Tiger and Panther tanks, one of the flagships of the tank structure at that time. But the successful solutions of these developments were introduced very late, when the course of the war was finally broken, and Japan was forced to defend more and counterattack, respectively, to suffer heavy losses.


But this does not negate the fact that there was simply no more successful tank "Chi-Ha" in the Land of the Rising Sun. This formed the basis for the fact that many modifications were created on the basis of this medium tank.

The most famous and massive modification of the Chi-Ha tank was the Shinhoto Chi-Ha model. The gun, reduced in caliber, but the increased length of the barrel and projectile, allowed the machine to effectively deal with enemy tanks.

By special order marines a limited version of the Chi-Ha was also produced with a 120-mm cannon.

The platform was widely used to create self-propelled artillery mounts and howitzers. In total, about 180 of these machines were produced.
Great help to the military special modification"Ka-Ha", which, due to the installed dynamo machine, could destroy wired communication lines.

It is not known for certain whether it was used in hostilities, but 4 samples left the factory. Model "Ka-So" was an armored vehicle for artillery observers and gunners. "Ho-K" - a logging version, which was actively used in the jungles of New Guinea and significantly ensured the rapid advance of Japanese units and formations.

"Chi-Yu" - mine trawl, which also has a tower and weapons for protection.

Conclusion

There is no need to say that the Chi-Ha tank has become a very successful model. Its combat use suggests that the Japanese counterpart was not able to resist the prepared formations of a more powerful enemy.

But the military glory was entrenched for him due to the ingenuity and incredible sacrifice of Japanese tankers.


Official designation: Type 1 "Chi-ha"
Alternative notation: ?
Start of design: 1936
Date of construction of the first prototype: 1937
Stage of completion: mass-produced in 1938-1945, used by the Japanese army until the early 1960s.

Long fighting in China and the general world trends in tank building, implemented in the mid-1930s, made it very clear to the General Staff of the Japanese army about the discrepancy between Type 89 \ Type 94 tanks modern requirements. In this regard, in 1936 a new specification was developed, which provided for the creation of a medium tank with increased combat qualities.

During this period, relations between the two military-industrial groups within the Japanese army became most pronounced. Representatives of the first of them, which consisted of General Staff officials and specialists from the arsenal in Osaka, argued that the ground forces needed as many inexpensive and easy-to-use painful machines as possible. The second group, which included front-line officers and arsenal specialists in Sagami, was convinced that "herds of tankettes" would not solve the issue and it would be better to develop more powerful tanks, albeit in smaller quantities. Thus, the discussion about what a medium tank should be deadlocked, although the General Staff then played a dominant role. As a result, it was decided to order two prototypes of two different tanks for comparative tests. The arsenal in Osaka began to develop a tank under the designation "Chi-ni"("fourth medium"), which was distinguished by a rather modest mass. In parallel, Mitsubishi began designing a heavier machine, later known as Type 97 "Chi-ha"("third middle").

The first, at the end of 1936, entered the tests "Chi-ni". Structurally, this tank combined both foreign and domestic experience in tank building. Osaka arsenal specialists chose a chassis layout partially borrowed from the British Vickers Mk.E (6-ton) tank, which saved a little weight and made the ride smoother. The armament, although not quite up to the mark (one 37 mm cannon and one 7.7 mm machine gun), was considered quite sufficient. The security of the tank was also acceptable - the frontal armor of the hull and turret were up to 25 mm thick. On paved roads has been shown maximum speed up to 34 km/h.

Since at that time Mitsubishi was just completing work on its own project, the Japanese command gave a clear preference to “Chi-ni. However, after the outbreak of another war with China in the summer of 1937, opinions regarding the Osaka arsenal project changed. It turned out that the army needed a slightly different tank, equipped with enhanced weapons and better protection. It was not possible to modify the Chi-ni according to the changed requirements - the turret was not designed to install guns of a larger caliber, and an increase in the thickness of the armor inevitably led to an increase in mass and deterioration driving performance tank. In addition, the Chi-ni crew consisted of only three people, and the commander had to combine the duties of a gunner and loader.

Thus, the Mitsubishi project was now considered more promising. However, one should not think that "Chi-ha" was innovative in a constructive sense. Rather, on the contrary, Japanese engineers actively used the developments on the Ha-go light tank, borrowing a number of elements from it both in the design of the hull and chassis.

The layout of the "Chi-ha" did not differ much from the original light tank. The hull had a mixed design, but almost all armor plates were fastened to a steel frame with bolts and rivets, which was an obvious anachronism, but allowed the replacement of individual components in the field. Booking was differentiated and ranged from 8.5 to 27 mm - in this respect, "Chi-ha" practically did not differ from "Chi-ni". In the front part of the hull, which had a stepped shape, transmission units were installed (consisting of a 4-speed gearbox, a multi-plate main clutch, a planetary turning mechanism, single-stage final drives and final drives) behind which were placed places for the driver (in the protruding wheelhouse on the right sides) and a machine gunner. The upper gable armor plate, with two hatches for servicing the transmission, had an inclination of 80 °, the lower one - 62 °.

The middle part of the body was occupied by the fighting compartment. The sides were vertical and made of armor plates with a thickness of 20-25 mm, however, the turret box took the form of a truncated pyramid and had an armor thickness of 20 mm and a slope of the sides of 40 °. The frontal sheet of the fighting compartment was set at an angle of only 10 °. A conical turret was installed on the roof of the box with a stern niche shifted to the left and a squat commander's turret with a mushroom-shaped cap. An escape hatch was made in the rear wall of the tower. A rectangular cutout was made in front of the turret for mounting a 57 mm Type 97 gun with a barrel length of 18.5 calibers. Its guidance sector turned out to be very modest - from -9 ° to + 15 ° in the vertical plane and 5 ° in the horizontal plane. Despite the insufficient armor penetration characteristics, the 57-mm gun had a small mass and a short barrel recoil, which was critically important in the conditions of limited turret space. The place of the tank commander was on the right side of the gun, the place of the loader was on the left. The thickness of the walls of the tower was 25 mm at angles of installation of 10°-12°. Additional armament included course and turret 7.7-mm machine guns Type 97.

The Chi-ha tank was equipped with a Mitsubishi V-shaped diesel engine with an HP 170 power. The cooling system is air, with an oil air cleaner. The engine was started from an electric starter. Fuel tanks of 120 and 115 liters were located along the sides of the engine compartment. The exhaust pipes were brought out on both sides and equipped with mufflers, protected in front by armored shields. Also, blinds were installed on the sides, closed in a combat position with armored covers, which rose on the march and were fixed in a horizontal position.

The chassis of the Chi-ha tank was not very original. Applied to one side, it consisted of the following items:

- six double rubber-coated rollers; four medium ones were blocked in pairs and equipped with a Hara-type suspension, and the outer rollers were equipped with an individual spring suspension;

- three supporting rollers;

— the directing wheel of a back arrangement;

- driving wheel front location;

- small-link caterpillar: 96 tracks with one crest 330 mm wide and 120 mm pitch.

Thus, the process of unification of individual elements, which began with the light tank "Ha-go", was continued on the medium tank "Chi-ha". In general, this process made rational sense, since it was greatly facilitated mass production tanks various types.

Both tank prototypes were built in early 1937. The first of them was equipped with a standard chassis, and the second received undercarriage. The number of support wheels was increased to eight, which had a positive effect on the smoothness of the ride. At the same time, the outer wheels retained their individual suspension, and the six middle wheels were blocked in pairs in a checkerboard pattern (front spoked on the left, rear with an alloy wheel on the right). Also, instead of three supporting rollers, four were installed. Certain advantages in such a scheme were undoubtedly present, but from an operational point of view, the Hara-type suspension was still more acceptable.

Comparing specifications obtained during testing of prototypes "Chi-ha" and "Chi-ni" the choice was made in favor of the first. The Mitsubishi tank did not have unconditional advantages, but more powerful weapons and a better distribution of responsibilities between crew members affected. In addition, the disembarkation and landing of tankers could be carried out through the tower hatch or through the hatch above the machine gunner's head. At the same time, the fighting compartment turned out to be too cramped, because of which it was necessary to use fender niches like those of the Hago tank, and the armor remained bulletproof. In addition, the tank did not have any means of external communication.

Despite the apparent inconsistency with the current world requirements, the Chi-ha were adopted by the Japanese army. Production began in 1938, when 110 pre-series and production tanks. Further, the release of "Chi-ha" continued in larger series:

1938 - 110

1939 - 202

1940 - 315

1941 - 507 (part of the tanks were equipped with a 47-mm gun)

1942 - 28.

Thus, medium tanks "Chi-ha" became one of the most massive in the history of Japanese tank building. However, their release did not end there.

Having received new tanks, the General Staff demanded to improve their tactical and technical characteristics. Minimal changes were made to the design of serial Chi-ha tanks. In particular, they began to equip command vehicles with radio stations with a handrail antenna, but they did not begin to fully radio all the tanks. It was necessary to carry out a more serious modernization, which was largely accelerated by the battles at Khalkhin Gol, where the advantage was revealed in a very sharp form Soviet tanks and armored vehicles equipped with 45 mm 20K guns. The three-month battle more than convincingly showed that the Japanese medium tanks were less effective than the light Soviet BT-7 and T-26. The most urgent was the issue of equipping the "Chi-ha" with a more powerful tank artillery system. The 47 mm Type 97 cannon was chosen as a replacement, with much better performance. So, with a barrel length of 48 calibers, an armor-piercing projectile weighing 1.4 kg received initial speed 825 m/s. At a distance of up to 500 meters, he pierced a vertically mounted sheet of armor 50 mm thick, which was considered a good indicator. The gun was installed in a mask with a wall thickness of 30 mm. The ammunition included 120 armor-piercing and armor-piercing fragmentation shots. Ammunition for machine guns has been increased from 3825 to 4025 rounds.

In connection with the installation of new weapons, the design of the tower had to be changed. It became noticeably higher and wider, and also received a developed aft niche. The commander's turret and the upper hatch (on the left side) were left in the roof of the tower and a periscope observation device was installed in front of it. There was also a stern hatch for loading ammunition and dismantling the gun. Next to him, with an offset to the port side, a 7.7-mm machine gun was installed. The rest of the tank has not changed.
The first prototype of an improved tank, known as Type 97 Kai or "Shinhoto Chi-ha"("third medium with a new artillery turret"), was presented for testing in 1940. The success of the updated design was obvious, and from the following year, the serial Chi-ha tanks began to be re-equipped with new turrets with 47-mm guns. A full-fledged production of "Shinhoto Chi-ha" was launched only in 1942, when 503 cars were assembled. In 1943, the Mitsubishi factories produced another 427 tanks, after which the assembly of the Shinhoto Chi-ha was discontinued.

Newly built cars received an upgraded ventilation system engine compartment, full-fledged armored silencer boxes were installed, and a box of spare parts was attached to the stern of the hull. A 12-button light alarm was also introduced for communication inside the tank. Later production tanks began to be equipped with smoke grenade launchers. Initially, a four-barreled grenade launcher was mounted on a frame on the side of the turret, but their installation above the gun's max turned out to be more successful.

Despite the rather mediocre fighting qualities the Chi-ha tank became a good base for tracked vehicles, which can be divided into two categories: special and maintenance.

Special armored vehicles:

- a unique modification of the machine for the destruction of wire communication lines, which has the name in foreign sources High-Voltage Dynamo Vehicle "Ka-Ha". Improvements to the tank came down to dismantling the gun and installing a dynamo with a generator direct current voltage of 10000 volts. As conceived by the creators, the electrical impulse sent through the telegraph wire was supposed to destroy the means of communication and enemy signalmen who had the misfortune to carry out negotiations on these devices at the same time. In total, four Ka-Khas were built, which were placed at the disposal of the 27th Independent Engineer Regiment stationed in Manchuria. No data could be found on their use.

"Ka-so"- an armored vehicle of artillery observers without weapons in the tower.

- armored logging machine, a limited series was produced for use in Siberia, but in the end they found use in the jungles of New Guinea.

"Chi-ki"- a commander's tank, distinguished by a modernized turret with a modified commander's turret and a second hatch in the roof, as well as an improved radio station, navigation devices, and additional signaling devices. In addition to the absence of a 57-mm gun, the command tanks were distinguished by a handrail antenna on the turret. At the same time, to compensate for the weakened armament, instead of a course machine gun, a 37-mm or 57-mm framed gun was installed in the frontal hull plate. Later, they still had to return to the turret gun mount, and a horizontal antenna was mounted on two high rods. Work on the modification of the "Chi-ki" was carried out in parallel with the design of a medium tank, and the first prototype was equipped with an experimental undercarriage with three two-wheel bogies. Only after testing was unification carried out and the tank began to be equipped with a standard suspension.

"Chi-yu"- modification of an armored mine trawl. The turret and armament were not dismantled, but a frame was attached to the front of the hull, in front of which a mine trawl was installed. The number of samples collected is unknown.

Repair and technical armored vehicles:

"Se-ri"- armored recovery vehicle. Instead of a standard turret, a small conical turret with a 7.7 mm Type 97 machine gun was installed, and a crane boom with a lifting capacity of 5 tons was installed in the aft. The boosted Mitsubishi Type 100 engine installed on the ARV developed a power of 240 hp, which, in combination with a winch, made it possible to repair and evacuate medium tanks in the field. This machine did not become serial - the release was limited to 2 or 3 copies.

- a fairly original modification of the armored bridge layer. In order to reduce laying time, a unique bridge drop design was developed using two missiles. In fact, the bridge flew several meters forward, causing the whole process to take several seconds. Another positive side, oddly enough, was its small carrying capacity. The bridge could easily withstand any Japanese light tank, but not an American one. However, serial production of T-g bridgelayers was not established.

"S-K"- Accurate data are not available. Presumably, the designation Experimental Trench Excavator S-K meant a trencher equipped with a steel plow fixed in the bow of the hull.

In addition, on the basis of the Chi-ha tanks of various series, many models of improved medium tanks and self-propelled guns, which is beyond the scope of this article.

Sources:
P. Sergeev "Tanks of Japan in the Second World War." 2000
S. Fedoseev "Medium tank Chi-ha" (Armored collection MK 1998-05)
S. Fedoseev Armored vehicles Japan 1939-1945" ("Historical Series", supplement to the journal "Technology-Youth"). 2003
Steven Zaloga, Tony Bryan "Japanese Tanks 1939-45"
Axis History Forum: Knocked out Japanese tanks

PERFORMANCE AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A MEDIUM TANK
"Chi-ha" sample 1938

COMBAT WEIGHT 14000 kg
CREW, pers. 5
DIMENSIONS
Length, mm 5730
Width, mm 2330
Height, mm 2420
Clearance, mm 420
WEAPONS one 57 mm Type 97 cannon and two 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns
AMMUNITION 120 shots and 3825 rounds
AIMING DEVICES telescopic gun and optical machine gun sights
BOOKING hull forehead - 25 mm
board - 22 mm
feed - 25 mm
tower - 20 mm
gun mask - 25 mm
roof - 12 mm
bottom - 8 mm
ENGINE Mitsubushi Type 100, 12-cylinder, diesel, air-cooled; power 170 hp at 2000 rpm
TRANSMISSION mechanical type: reducer, reduction gear box (8 + 2), cardan shaft, final clutches, final single row reduction gears
CHASSIS (on one side) four road wheels with Hara-type suspension, two rollers with individual spring suspension, three support rollers (all rubber-coated); caterpillar small-link, with one crest, 330 mm wide
SPEED 44 km/h on the road
HIGHWAY RANGE 210 km
OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME
Climb angle, deg. 30°-35°
Wall height, m 0,76
Ford depth, m 1,00
Ditch width, m 2,50
MEANS OF COMMUNICATION ?

Type 97 Chi-Ha Kai

Main characteristics

Briefly

in detail

2.0 / 2.0 / 2.0 BR

5 people Crew

Mobility

15.0 tons Weight

4 forward
1 ago checkpoint

Armament

104 shells ammo

15° / 20° UVN

single plane
vertical stabilizer

3,000 rounds of ammunition

20 rounds clip size

499 rounds/min rate of fire

Economy

Description


The Type 97 Chi-Ha Kai is a Japanese World War II medium tank based on the Chi-Ha tank from 1939-1941. Partially changed the base tank in production; in addition, a significant part of the "Chi-Ha Kai" was obtained by alteration from the usual "Chi-Ha". The name of the tank translates as "Chi-Ha (middle third) with a new artillery turret".

In the game, it also differs from the original Chi-Ha with a new turret and a different 47mm gun.

Main characteristics

Armor protection and survivability

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Mobility

Armament

main gun

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Describe the ammunition available for the main gun. Give recommendations on their use and on filling the ammo rack.

Additional weapon

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Machine gun armament

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Use in combat

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Advantages and disadvantages

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Flaws:

Historical reference

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Media

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see also

  • reference to the family of technology;
  • links to approximate analogues in other nations and branches.
  • topic at game forum;
  • page on Wikipedia;
  • page on Aviarmor.net;
  • other literature.
· Japanese medium tanks
Based on Chi-Ha

The most massive and most successful Japanese tank of the Second World War. Developed by Mitsubishi Jukoge KK in 1936. Adopted in 1937. Produced from 1938 to 1945 by Mitsubishi, Hitachi Seisakusho, Nihon Seikusho and the arsenal in Sagami (Sagami Rikugun Zoheisho " ).

DESIGN AND MODIFICATIONS

Type 2597 "Chi-ha" - riveted hull and turret. The armor plates of the frontal part and sides of the hull were located at angles of 10 - 80 ° to the vertical. The turret is conical in shape with a stern niche and a commander's turret. Armament: 57-mm cannon with a barrel length of 18.5 caliber and two machine guns - forward in the hull and aft in the turret. The barrels of machine guns were protected by box-shaped armored casings.

"Shinhoto Chi-ha" (Type 97 kai - "Chiha" with a new turret and weapons). 47mm cannon "Type 1" with a barrel length of 48 calibers. Ammunition 104 rounds. The gun mantlet allowed the gun to swing with its shoulder rest in a horizontal plane without turning the turret. The tower is riveted with a developed aft niche and a commander's cupola. Combat weight 15.8 tons. Dimensions; 5500x2330x2380 mm. Crew 4 people. Most of the new tanks were a remake of the already released "Chi-ha". The newly manufactured vehicles were distinguished by the ventilation system of the engine compartment and the presence of light and sound communication between the commander and the driver.

1220 units of "Chi-ha" and "Shinhoto Chi-ha" were manufactured.

Type 1 "Chi-he" - a welded body of a simplified design. Straightened front hull sheet of increased thickness. The turret and weapons remained the same as those of the Shinhoto Chi-ha. Combat weight 17.2 tons. Dimensions: 5730x2330x2420 mm. Booking - 20 ... 50 mm. Crew 5 people. diesel engine 240 hp 600 units made.

Type 2 "Ho-ni" - an assault tank based on the "Chi-he" with a 75-mm Type 99 short-barreled gun, intended for fire support linear tanks and infantry in battle. Combat weight 16.7 tons. 33 units were made.

Type 3 "Chi-nu" - "Chi-he" with a new welded hex turret. Armament: 75 mm Type 3 cannon with a barrel length of 38 calibers. Combat weight 18.8 tons. Crew 5 people. Manufactured 60 units.

Baptism of fire "Chi-ha" received in 1939 during the battles with the Soviet troops in Mongolia, near Khalkhin-Gol. The 3rd Tank Regiment of the Kwantung Army had four combat vehicles of this type.

In the Philippines in December 1941, "Sneeze" first encountered American tanks. The light "Ha-go" played the main role in the battles, but the "Chi-ha" also participated in the hostilities, usually leading infantry attacks. Already the first battles showed the low effectiveness of the 57mm Chi-ha guns in tank battles with highly mobile, maneuverable "Stuarts", moreover, capable of firing from long distances. Therefore, along with the Chi-ha, the Shinhoto Chiha tanks began to be included in the units.


Tanks of the 23rd Tank Regiment of the Kwantung Army. In the foreground is the car of the platoon commander, the medium tank "Chi-ha", in the background - light tank"Ha-ho." The semicircular protruding cabin of the mechanic - the driver and the shape of the flaps of the hatch cover of the commander's cupola are clearly visible



Trophy tank"Chi-ha", captured by the Americans on about. Guadalcanal (top and bottom)




In the battles in Malaya, "Chi-ha" of the 1st, 6th and 14th tank regiments operated. They had to move mainly in columns along rare roads in the jungle. Under these conditions, tanks were also used as a vehicle for transporting property.

In Burma in the winter - spring of 1942, the Chi-ha tanks again participated in battles, mainly with the "Stuarts".

However, the main theater of combat use of Japanese tanks in general and Chi-ha tanks in particular were the islands Pacific Ocean. True, due to the specificity of geography, tank battles here were not massive. For example, on about. Guadalcanal in 1942, there was only one Japanese tank company. The culmination was the Japanese attempt to force the river. Mathenik and attack the positions of the US Marines on the opposite bank. Of the 12 "Chi-ha" who tried to ford the river, most were lost from 37-mm fire anti-tank guns. This ended the tank battles on the island.

On Saipan in 1944, the Japanese used their tanks to counterattack together with the infantry and suffered heavy losses from the fire of infantry anti-tank weapons and Sherman tanks. The Japanese adhered to similar tactics on about. Guam. A successful attack was carried out, for example, by five "Chi-ha" on the night of August 8-9 on the positions of American Marines, whose "bazookas" were put out of action due to rain. True, the very next day the Shermans attacked a Japanese stronghold, knocked out two tanks and captured seven.



The crews of the 4th Tank Regiment inspect the first "Chi-ha" that came to them. In the background - medium tank 2594



Medium tank "Shinhoto Chi-ha". Burma, 1944


Saipan and Guam became the place of the most intensive use of Japanese tanks in the Pacific theater of operations. On June 16, they also carried out their last massive attack on Saipan. The fighting here also demonstrated the complete inconsistency of the "Chi-ha" with the requirements of the time - they were easily knocked out by the fire of "bazookas", tank and anti-tank guns, there were also cases of these vehicles being hit by fire heavy machine guns and rifle grenades.

On about. Leite, the Japanese tanks failed to carry out a single more or less successful counterattack and were mostly knocked out. The remaining tanks were used as fixed firing points. By May 5, 1945, the Americans had destroyed 203 Chi-ha and Shinhoto Chi-ha tanks in the Philippines.

On the continent, tanks of this type fought in Burma and China as part of the 14th Panzer Regiment and the 3rd Panzer Division, respectively.

By the beginning of the Manchurian offensive operation of the Soviet troops in 1945, the Kwantung Army included the 1st and 9th separate tank brigades and the 35th tank regiment. The 9th Brigade served as the tank reserve of the Kwantung Army. Japanese tank forces were significantly weakened by losses in the autumn offensive of 1944 in China and the transfer of part of the units and equipment to the Japanese islands. In total, the Kwantung grouping, together with the 17th Korean Front, by August 1945 had 1215 tanks of various types. Soviet troops numbered 1.7 million people and 5200 tanks and self-propelled guns. Japanese tanks almost did not participate in the battles and all were captured. The troops of the Trans-Baikal and 1st Far Eastern fronts, for example, got up to 600 serviceable Japanese tanks.




Medium tank Type 1 "Chi-he"


Artillery medium tank "Ho-i", captured by the Americans in 1945



The "Chi-nu" that did not enter the battle, intended for the defense of Japan. 1945


Events developed differently on the islands of the Kuril chain. "Chi-ha" and "Shinhoto Chi-ha" of the 11th Tank Regiment, along with units of the 91st Infantry Division, were on the islands of Shumshu and Paramushir. They took part in the battles with the Soviet troops who carried out the Kuril landing operation. In addition, the Japanese had two separate tank companies in the Kuriles. To counter the Soviet landing (101st rifle division with a battalion of marines) on the island of Shumshu on August 18 - 20, 1945, the Japanese additionally transferred tanks from the island of Paramushir.

Shumshu and Paramushir were cleared of the Japanese on August 23, and all the Kuril Islands by September 1.

After the surrender of Japan, "Chi-ha" and "Shinhoto Chi-ha" continued their military service- during the Third civil war e China (1945 - 1949). Serviceable vehicles taken from the Kaantun army, including 350 "Chi-ha", Soviet troops handed over to the People's Liberation Army. On the other hand, a significant number of Japanese tanks, with the assistance of the Americans, received the Kuomintang troops of Chiang Kai-shek.

As for the Chi-nu tanks, they entered the 4th Panzer Division, intended for the defense of the mother country, and did not take part in hostilities.

Simultaneously with the "Chi-ha", a specialized command tank "Chi-ki" was adopted for the headquarters of the regimental level. This machine was equipped with a more powerful radio station, navigation instruments and additional signaling devices. The 57-mm cannon was dismantled, and as compensation, instead of the course machine gun, a 37-mm cannon was installed in the frontal hull plate. In turn, on the basis of "Chi-he" command tanks "Ka-so" were produced. The 47-mm cannon on them was replaced by a mock-up, thus freeing up space for an additional radio station.

In Japan, the surviving "Chi-ha" and "Chi-he" remained in service until the 1960s and were used as training ones.



Soviet soldiers inspect Japanese tanks "Chi-ha" at the exhibition of trophies of the Red Army in the TsPKiO im. Gorky. Moscow, 1945