At worst, someone recalls American Sherman tanks and British heavy tanks Churchill. Meanwhile, many do not even know that imperial Japan, Germany's main Pacific ally, also had armored forces. Of course, against the background of the tank forces of the USSR, Germany, the USA or Great Britain, the Japanese tank fleet during the Second World War was more than modest, but still its development is of certain interest for history buffs and military equipment.

Japan acquired tanks back in the mid-1920s. The first Japanese tank units were equipped with imported British and French combat vehicles. It is known, for example, that at that time the Japanese army had about two dozen French light tanks "FT-17". At the same time, the Japanese began to develop their own machines based on the foreign models they had in service.

These were the first steps towards the beginning of mastering the production of tanks. The first tanks created by the Japanese in the late 1920s were completely unsuitable for adoption and the army abandoned them. Work on the creation of its own tank fleet, however, continued. At the end of 1929, the first serial Japanese Type-89 tank appeared. The armor of the new combat vehicle was rather weak - the frontal projection was only 17mm. However, such weak armor was typical for many tanks of the late 20s and early 30s. The tank was armed with a 57 mm cannon with mediocre ballistics. All other parameters of the tank also left much to be desired. However, in general, at that time it corresponded to the world standards of the late 1920s.

Tank production in Japan in 1939-1945

Despite the weak characteristics of the new vehicle, it was the first Japanese tank to enter service with the imperial army. It will be produced until 1939, but total amount of the units produced against the background of Europe and the USSR, it certainly looks ridiculous - only about 400 tanks. By 1931, the Japanese had completed the prototype of another tank, which would later be called the Type-92. This tank was armed only with 13mm and 6mm machine guns. The armor was only 6mm and did not always save even from small caliber bullets. The tank was designed in accordance with the requirements of the cavalry and had enough good speed and mobility, but its armor and armament were already frankly weak even for the early 30s. Nevertheless, the tank was produced until the mid-30s and the total production was over 150 tanks.

Simultaneously with the Type-92, the Type-94 TK tankette was being produced, which was supposed to become something like a mobile supply unit for the Japanese troops. It was planned that the main function of the "Type-94 TK" would be the transportation of ammunition, fuel and food to remote garrisons, as well as the supply of active armies or the transportation of infantry in the area of ​​hostilities. As practice has shown, the tankette was used not only for transporting goods and soldiers, but also as a means of waging a battle with the enemy, provided that the latter did not have anti-tank defense, as well as a reconnaissance armored vehicle. The production of these tankettes by Japanese standards was quite large - about 800 units.

The obviously weak armor and armament characteristics of the produced tanks prompted the Japanese to make further efforts to develop their armored forces. In 1935, a new light tank, named "Ha-Go" (Type-95), was put into service. The tank also had weak armor - only 12mm in the frontal projection of the hull, had a 37mm gun. The Japanese cavalry leadership remained fairly high-speed parameters of the tank, not taking into account the weapons and armor, which just did not suit the representatives of the infantry command. And yet this tank will eventually become the most massive Japanese combat vehicle of World War II - over 2,000 tanks of this type will be produced during the war years. Japan in the 30s continued to step up efforts to improve its tank fleet and the result was the emergence of medium tanks "Chi-Ha" (Type-97) by the end of the 30s. This tank, along with the "Ha-Go", will become one of the most massive Japanese tanks of the Second World War. In all theaters of operations, these tanks will be present in the ranks of the Japanese troops. The tank was armed with a 57-mm semi-automatic cannon, was better armored than all its predecessors (the forehead was 27mm), and also had good dynamic characteristics- indicators of speed and mobility. Overall, this tank was the most successful solution. Japanese tank building.

Above were listed the main types of tanks that were used by Japan during the Second World War. Alas, due to limited resources, as well as other factors, the Japanese leadership preferred the development of shipbuilding and military aviation to the detriment of the tank industry. This was due to the fact that Japan had to pay great attention cover their naval supply channels, and for this it was necessary to maintain a large naval and cargo fleet, as well as to have aircraft carriers and carrier-based aircraft. In addition, on the islands of the Pacific Ocean, the jungle and swampy terrain did not allow the tanks to act the way they acted in Europe, the conditions for their use were fundamentally different and they did not play such a decisive role in the battles of the Pacific campaign that they played during the battles in Europe.

All these factors led to the fact that by the mid-40s, Japan was seriously lagging behind in the field of tank production from all major military powers participating in the war. The lag was not only quantitative, but also qualitative - the combat value of Japanese tanks in the middle of the war was already catastrophically low. As the Americans gradually gained the upper hand in the Pacific confrontation, Japan's possibilities for replenishing its tank fleet also narrowed. The dwindling resources were used for the needs of the fleet and aviation. Tank production declined rapidly. In the last year of the war, Japan was able to release only 145 tanks. In total, in the 30s and 40s, Japanese industry provided the army with 6450 tanks. Against the background of the volume of production of tanks in the USA, USSR or Germany, these are of course very modest figures.

Japanese tanks 1939-1945

In 1940, work began on a deep modernization of the Chi-Ha medium tank, and as a result, the designers got a completely new vehicle - Type 1 Chi-He. One of major differences"Chi-He" from its predecessor was a body: for the first time in Japan it was made not riveted, but welded. This in itself had a positive effect on the survivability of the vehicle in combat conditions. In addition, the thickness of the hull armor increased, reaching 50 mm "in the forehead" and 20 mm at the sides and stern. A new three-man turret was installed on the tank, and a fifth crew member appeared - the loader. This made it easier for the tank commander. The Chi-He was equipped with a 47-mm Type 1 cannon, developed on the basis of an anti-tank gun, but with improved recoil devices and a trigger. The projectile of this cannon penetrated the normal armor up to 68 mm thick at a distance of 500 meters. The same gun was installed on the Shinhoto Chi-Ha. The increased thickness of the armor led to an increase in the Chi-He's mass by one and a half tons compared to the Chi-Ha. New diesel "Mitsubishi" with a capacity of 240 Horse power not only compensated for this increase, but also allowed Chi-He to reach speeds of up to 44 km / h. Production of a new tank began in 1941 by Mitsubishi and the Sagami arsenal. At the same time, the production of "Chi-Ha" did not stop. Until 1945, 601 Type 1 Chi-He tanks were built. Individual vehicles remained in service with the Japan Self-Defense Forces until the late 1960s.

From 1938 to 1944, Japanese engineers were engaged in the modernization of a number of serial tanks, but for the most part things did not progress beyond the construction of one or more prototypes. So, on the basis of the light tank "Ke-Ni" was created a new model - Type 2 "Ke-To", built in only a few copies. On the basis of "Ha-Go" in 1943, a light tank "Ke-Ri" with a 57-mm gun in a new turret was designed. This car was also produced only in small series. There were other projects, but the limited volume of the article does not allow us to tell about them.

In 1944, work was completed on a new light tank Type 5 "Ke-Ho". Its layout and armament resembled the Chi-He, but it was equipped with a two-seat turret and a 150 horsepower diesel engine. Chassis had six double rollers on each side. The thickness of the Ke-Ho's armor was 25 mm in the frontal part, and 12 mm along the sides and in the stern. The tank weighed 8.4 tons. According to the test results, the tank was recognized as successful, but they did not manage to establish its serial production before the surrender in Japan.

In 1943, the Osaka arsenal developed a new 75 mm Type 3 gun equipped with a muzzle brake. From a distance of 100 meters, it could penetrate 90 mm armor, and from 1000 meters - 65 mm. This weapon was equipped with a new medium tank, put into service in 1943 under the designation Type 3 "Chi-Nu". Structurally and in the layout of the modules, he repeated the "Chi-He", weighed 18.8 tons and could reach speeds of up to 39 km / h. Until the end of the war, only 60 tanks of this type were built. All of them were stationed on the Japanese islands and did not take part in hostilities. However, against the background of other Japanese production vehicles of that time, the Type 3 Chi-Nu was the most powerfully armed tank.

The new model of the Type 4 "Chi-To" medium tank did not have time to go into mass production. Compared to the Chi-Nu, it was significantly better armored (the thickness of the armor "in the forehead" of the hull was 75 mm, along the sides - up to 35 mm) and was equipped with a long-barreled 75-mm cannon, developed on the basis of an anti-aircraft gun. In addition to the cannon, the tank was armed with two Type 97 7.7 mm machine guns. Compared to earlier models of medium tanks, "Chi-To" weighed much more - about 35 tons. At the same time, thanks to a 400-horsepower diesel engine, the tank could accelerate to 45 km / h. The modified design of the undercarriage and wider tracks provided the Chi-To with good maneuverability. In total, 5 copies of this machine were built until 1944.

On the basis of the Type 4 Chi-To design, two samples of the Chi-Ri medium tank were developed and built. This vehicle was armed with two guns at once. A 75-mm cannon, similar to the one mounted on the Chi-To medium tank, was housed in a rotating turret. A 37-mm cannon (from the Ke-To tank) was placed in the frontal hull plate. On the second copy, the 37 mm cannon was replaced with a machine gun. The hull of the tank was welded, the armor plates on the sides were located at a slight slope. There is a version that when designing the hull, Japanese engineers were "inspired" by the German "Panther". The tank was installed diesel engine"Kawasaki", built under license from BMW. Compared to the Chi-To, the hull armor along the sides and in the stern was reinforced and reached 50 mm. Maximum speed cars - 45 km / h.

The tactics and organization of the armored forces of Japan

Active formation tank units and units began in Japan simultaneously with the conduct of active hostilities. In 1931, on the territory of Manchuria, the Kwantung Army was formed and exercises were held, as a result of which the first charters and instructions for the armored forces were developed. The Gunchzhin Tank Brigade was in those years the main experimental unit that determined the tactical and technical requirements.

In the 1930s, tanks and armored vehicles were considered in the Japanese army as a means of close reconnaissance and infantry escort in battle. The formation of large independent armored units during these years was not carried out, the tanks served to strengthen the infantry divisions.

Nevertheless, back in the early 1930s in Japan, there was a lot of talk about the fact that, at least in Manchuria, it is still necessary to create large motorized formations that would not be inferior to the units of Japan's main rival, the Red Army. In practice, this plan could not be realized, and during the Sino-Japanese War, tank regiments were divided into port, and sometimes even piece by piece and attached to infantry units.

Japanese military tank theories were influenced by three military conflicts: the use of armored vehicles by the Italians in Abyssinia in 1935-1936, the Spanish Civil War in 1936-1939, and the conflict on the Khalkhin Gol River in 1939. By 1940, the Japanese began to consider tanks not only as a means of reinforcing infantry and cavalry, but also as a weapon of deep penetration into enemy defenses. A new field manual was written, recognizing tanks as independent combat missions... As a result, the structure of the divisions has also undergone changes. So, in the Kwantung Army, instead of a mixed mechanized brigade, two tank groups (or brigades) appeared, each of which included three tank regiments. Some infantry divisions received mechanized units.

To commence full-scale action in Pacific the Japanese army had 18 separate tank regiments, each of which, according to the staffing table, included four companies. In addition, tank companies appeared in the infantry divisions - as a rule, of 9 Type 95 "Ha-Go" vehicles. The 1st and 4th special landing units of the Imperial Navy were also replenished with similar companies. There were separate tank companies in the reserve of the main command.

Tank units were attached to the armies in preparation for the offensive. Two regiments took part in the operation of the 14th Army against the Philippines, three regiments - in the battles of the 15th Army for Thailand and Burma and the 25th Army for Malaya.

In 1942, based on German combat experience in Africa and Europe, Japan began to enlarge its tank units. From now on, medium tanks were to become the main striking force in them. In March 1942, it was decided to form tank groups, which were actually divisions. Each division was to consist of two tank brigades, an infantry and an artillery regiment, engineering battalion, reconnaissance battalion, quartermaster battalion and support. Each division was assigned a communications company. The Chi-Ha and Type 89 tanks were assigned the task of supporting the infantry. The tanks of the enemy were to be fought by Shinhot Chi-Ha vehicles.

During 1943, the tank regiments were further reformed. Some of them received an additional company, while others, on the contrary, were reduced in composition. In any case, the Japanese had to fight in very specific conditions, which did not allow the use of tanks and armored vehicles on a massive scale.

On the defensive, the Japanese used tanks for counterattacks or ambush fire. A skirmish with enemy tanks was allowed only in last resort... By the end of the war, the views of the Japanese command changed, and tanks began to be seen as the most effective ground anti-tank weapon.

After 1941, much attention in the Japanese armored forces began to be paid to training soldiers for battles in the jungle, hot regions, mountains, in the absence of any developed road network. The methods of using tanks in amphibious operations were studied. The actions of small mobile groups, consisting of various types of troops, were practiced. Against a poorly armed enemy, this tactic proved to be very effective. But with such opponents as the USSR and the USA, it worked much worse, mainly due to the better technical equipment of the armies of these states and a large number of guns that could fight against relatively weakly protected tanks in Japan.

Japanese tanks after World War II

After the capitulation in 1945, Japan dropped out of the process of creating tanks for a long time. However, the growing Cold War led to the fact that in the 1950s, the Americans began to supply the Japanese Self-Defense Forces with a limited number of armored vehicles. Since 1950, about 250 M4A3E8 tanks have arrived from the United States. 375 copies of the M24 Chaffee were delivered in 1952.

In 1954, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces initiated the development of a new tank. Tactical and technical requirements were formulated, taking into account the specifics of the potential theater of military operations, in which the new tank was to fight. The tank had to be built compact enough and relatively lightweight so that it could be delivered to the battlefield in a special truck. It was supposed to install a 90-mm gun as the main armament.

Within the framework of this concept, several tank projects were developed. The first of these was the STA-1 project. This car was equipped with a water-cooled diesel engine "Mitsubishi" DL10T, and later it was equipped with a diesel "Mitsubishi" 12HM-21WT, which had significantly less problems with overheating. As the main armament, according to the requirements, a 90 mm cannon was used. The tank was only 2.2 meters high. The car did not go into mass production. One of the reasons for abandoning further development was a very unsuccessful loading system.

In parallel with STA-1, work was underway on another prototype - STA-2. It also did not go into production, but prototypes STA-3 and STA-4 were built on the basis of the first and second STA. In general, they were very similar to their predecessors. However, the STA-3 had a semi-automatic gun loading system, which increased the rate of fire.

Three-year work on the STA-3 and STA-4 ended in 1961 with the appearance and launch into serial production of the main battle tank Type 61. It weighed 35 tons. Its main armament was a 90 mm rifled cannon with an initial projectile velocity of about 910 m / s. Two Browning machine guns, 7.62 and 12.7 mm, were used as auxiliary weapons. The frontal armor of the hull was 55 mm thick, and the turret was 114 mm thick. The tank developed a speed of up to 45 km / h. From 1961 to 1975, 560 Type 61 tanks were built.

In 1964, design work on STB tanks began. According to the requirements, the new combat vehicle was supposed to weigh 38 tons and reach a speed of at least 50 km / h. The main armament was to use the 105-mm Royal Ordnance L7 cannon made in Great Britain.

In 1968, work began on the STB-1 prototype. A year later, a prototype of the tank entered trials, which lasted another year, until September 1970. In October 1970, the STB-1 was first shown publicly at the Japanese Self-Defense Forces parade. Nevertheless, the tank did not go into mass production due to a number of design flaws... Work on the STB project continued until, in 1973, the STB-6 prototype was put into service under the designation Type 74. However, this tank already falls outside the time frame of our material.

Summarize. The Japanese armored school was distinctive and developed dynamically. In the period from the 30s to the end of World War II, the Japanese developed dozens of unique projects, the overwhelming majority of which existed not on paper, but in metal - even in one or several prototypes. The designers took into account that the machines would have to fight in hot climates, mountainous terrain and jungle. In fact, Japanese tanks were second only to the vehicles of the most powerful opponents of the Land of the Rising Sun: Soviet Union, USA and UK. At the same time, some samples of equipment developed in Japan towards the end of World War II could well compete with the Shermans, Pershing and Thirty-fours. But for their mass production, the Japanese did not have enough industrial capacity, resources and time. And even after an almost ten-year forced break, when Japan in the mid-50s again began designing its own tanks, these machines turned out to be no worse than their foreign counterparts.

In the 1930s. Japanese armored units were given the opportunity to test their strength in a combat situation - in China. In 1935, a mixed mechanized brigade operated near Shanghai, and in 1937, together with the 3rd tank regiment, in the north of the Republic of China. At that time, only about 400 tanks were used in Manchuria.

In battles with Soviet units on the Khalkhin Gol River in 1939, the Japanese used a group of Type 89 medium tanks under the command of Colonel Yoshimaro (two companies of 10 tanks each) from
composition of the 3rd tank regiment and a group of light tanks "Type 95" "Ha-Go" (three companies of 10 vehicles each) under the command of Colonel Tamada from the 4th tank regiment. The tanks were supported by artillery, an anti-aircraft battery, sappers, and transport units.

During the July battles, the complete superiority of Soviet armored vehicles over Japanese was revealed. The maneuverable BT-7 tanks and BA-10 armored vehicles, due to their faster-firing guns, had a better chance of surviving in a direct collision than their opponents from the Land of the Rising Sun.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched an invasion of the Philippines and Malaya. On December 10, the advance units of General Homm's 14th Army began to land on the island. Luzon, and on December 22-24, the main forces of the army landed. In the Philippines, Japanese tanks first encountered American tanks - from November 1941 a tank group of 180 M3 "Stuart" tanks and 50 75-mm T12 self-propelled guns were deployed on Luzon. The Japanese landed here units of the 4th and 7th tank regiments and several tank companies. The tanks were delivered to the shore on landing barges and immediately left them ashore. From the first clashes on December 22 and 31, 1941 until the last battle on April 7, 1942, the light "Ha-go" played the main role here, although the medium "Chi-ha" also took part in the hostilities. Usually, tanks led infantry attacks, sometimes making quick dashes to objects already captured by paratroopers for the final breakdown of enemy resistance.

Units of the 7th Panzer Regiment captured several light Stewarts. The trophies of the Japanese were the T12 self-propelled guns (on the chassis of half-track armored personnel carriers), which in 1944-1945. they used the Philippines against the Americans. The withdrawal of the American-Philippine group of forces to the fortifications on the Bataan Peninsula brought the Japanese actions to an assault on the peninsula and the fortress island of Corregidor. In the battles on Bataan, "Chi-ha" acted more actively, sometimes using smoke grenade launchers. After the capture of Bataan, an amphibious force was formed to land on Corregidor. Previous battles showed low efficiency of 57-mm guns "Chi-ha" in tank battles with highly mobile, maneuverable "stewarts", moreover, capable of firing from long distances. Therefore, in addition to the "Chi-ha" company, the detachment included two "Shinhot Chikha", delivered earlier to Bataan and introduced into the 7th tank regiment. It is curious to note that the commander of this tank company, Major Matsuoka, operated on the captured Stuart. The landing on May 5, 1942 on Corregidor was the combat debut of the Shinhoto Chi-ha.

The Japanese 25th Army of Lieutenant General Yamashita, which invaded Malaya and had 211 tanks in the 1st, 6th and 14th tank regiments, was rapidly advancing towards about. Singapore. An attack on the island from the north, that is, from the land side, was considered impossible by the British, especially with the use of tanks. The Japanese thought differently. The rugged, jungle-covered terrain really made it very difficult for the vehicles to operate, they had to move mainly in columns along rare roads. Under these conditions, tanks were also used as a vehicle for transporting property. As a camouflage, the crews used "skirts" made of palm leaves or other vegetation, reinforcing them on the hulls and towers.

The losses of tanks were insignificant, which was aided by the enemy's lack of anti-tank weapons and the dominance of Japanese aviation in the air.

The operation began on December 7, and already on the 11th, the 1st Panzer Regiment successfully attacked the Jitra line of defense. According to the British, the appearance of the Japanese medium tanks of the 6th Panzer Regiment on January 7, 1942 at Kuala Lumpuru in Silanogre "caused indescribable confusion." Japanese tanks crossed the river and not only broke through the British defenses, but also captured rich trophies, including serviceable armored vehicles and light armored personnel carriers. To support the units that crossed the 9 February to Singapore, the Japanese led tanks across the Johor Strait along the railway dam. On February 15, Singapore was captured by Japanese troops, and tanks played a big role in this.

In the battles in Burma (January 21 - May 20, 1942), General Ida's 15th Japanese army used tanks from the 1st, 2nd and 14th tank regiments. On April 29, they cut the Burma road, and on April 30 they entered the city of Lashio, an important communications hub. In Burma, Japanese tankers took part in battles with the "stewarts" of the British 7th Hussars. In addition, the T-26s of the Chinese 200th Mechanized Division operated here, but they did not participate in tank battles with the Japanese.

After the landing on August 7, 1942, the 1st Division marines USA on about. Guadalcanal (in the Solomon Islands group) and its advance into the interior of the island, the Japanese on October 16 landed Sumimoshi's troops on the island, reinforced by the 1st separate tank company, which was manned by veterans of the 4th company of the 2nd tank regiment. After a series of local skirmishes on October 26, the Japanese attempted to cross the Matenika River and attack the US Marine positions on the opposite bank. Of the 12 Chi-ha that tried to wade across the river, most were lost to the fire of 37-mm anti-tank guns. Actually, this was the end of the tank battles. The Japanese did not manage to transfer reinforcements from Rabaul, and on February 1-7, 1943, they secretly evacuated from Guadalcanal.

1943 was a turning point - both Germany in Europe and Japan in Asia and the Pacific were forced to go over to strategic defense. Japanese garrisons on the Mariana Islands, which were part of inner belt defenses of the Land of the Rising Sun and those of strategic importance were reinforced by units of the 9th tank regiment of Colonel Hideki Goto: the 1st and 2nd companies (29 tanks "Ha-go" and "Chi-ha") were on about. Guam, 3rd, 5th and 6th - on about. Saipan. In addition, on the latter were deployed "Ha-go" of a separate tank company of the airborne detachment, and on Guam - the 24th separate tank company (9 tanks). There were also floating Ka-mi, and the anti-tank system used 47-mm Type 1 cannons.

On June 15, 1944, American troops landed on Saipan as part of the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions with amphibious tanks, and on June 16, the 27th Infantry Division. The Japanese used their tanks for counterattacks in conjunction with the infantry, but suffered heavy losses from infantry anti-tank weapons and M4 Sherman tanks. On June 16, Vice Admiral Nagumo ordered another counterattack. Under the command of Colonel Goto, 44 ​​tanks were sent to the island together with the 136th Infantry Regiment: "Ha-go", "Chi-ha", "Shinhoto Chi-ha" from the 9th Panzer Regiment and "Ka-mi" from the airborne tank company. The tanks secretly landed in the rear of the American Marine Corps entrenched on the west coast, but on the pebble beaches of Garapan, they made a lot of noise with their tracks. The Marines managed to call a Sherman platoon and several MZ self-propelled anti-tank installations. The Japanese lost 11 tanks on the beach. Nevertheless, at 2 a.m. on June 17, 40 Japanese tanks with armored infantry (a tactical technique rare for the Japanese) launched an attack. They had to move in open areas. Some of the tanks reached the positions of the Marine Corps, but under the light of illuminating shells fired from the ships, the Americans knocked out several tanks with the fire of Bazooka rocket-propelled grenade launchers and 37-mm anti-tank guns. The rest, trying to bypass the wrecked cars, got stuck in swampy places and soft ground and turned out to be motionless targets. After a counterattack by the American marines with tanks and self-propelled guns, the Japanese had only 12 tanks - 6 "Chi-ha" and "Ha-go" each. Some of them died on June 24 in an unequal battle with the "Shermans" (company "C" of the 2nd Tank Battalion of the Marine Corps), the rest - a little later in clashes with the M5A1 "Stuart" army units (according to other sources - from 37-mm fire anti-tank guns). Saipan was captured by the Americans only by 9 July and cost both sides heavy losses.

When the 3rd Marine Division and the 77th US Infantry Division landed on Guam on June 21, Japanese forces on the island included 38 Ha-go and Chi-ha tanks, concentrated off the west coast, where the Americans landed. Only "Ha-go" participated in the first clashes, although "Snee" would have been more useful - light tanks were quickly knocked out. 11 "Chi-ha" of the 2nd company of the 9th regiment, which was at the beginning of the landing as part of the 48th separate mixed brigade at Agana, was pulled to Taraga on the northern coast. They were used to support infantry in night attacks. A successful attack was carried out, for example, by five Chi-ha on the night of August 8-9 at position marines, whose bazookas were disabled due to the rain. But the very next day the American Shermans attacked a Japanese stronghold, knocked out two tanks and captured seven - they were either out of order or had no fuel. On August 10, the Japanese stopped resistance in Guam.

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

In the Philippines at the disposal of the 14th Army (14th Front) medium tanks "Chi-ha" and "Shinhoto Chi-ha" arrived from Manchuria in January 1944 as part of the 2nd Panzer Division. Soon the 11th Tank Regiment was reinforced with the Shinhoto Chi-ha, renamed the 27th Separate Tank Regiment, and sent to Okinawa. Thus, on about. Luzon remained three tank regiments (each with one light company and one with two companies of medium tanks) - a total of 220 tanks, including the Shinhot Chi-ha, as well as the Ho-no and Ho-ro self-propelled guns. On Leyte Island there were light "Ha-go" and several outdated medium "Type 94" of the 7th separate tank company. These forces were to face more than 500 American tanks and self-propelled guns.

On October 20, 1944, four infantry divisions of the 6th American Army landed on about. Leite, and by December 28 the fighting there had already ended. Medium Type 94s were lost while trying to recapture the runways. It is worth noting here that the struggle for the Pacific islands was not so much an attempt to take control over key points of sea communications, but rather to seize airfields. After the Japanese tanks on Leyte Island could not carry out a single more or less successful counterattack and were mostly knocked out, General Yamashita decided to use them on Luzon as stationary firing points, distributing infantry units to strong points and setting the task to delay the advance American parts. The tanks were dug in and carefully camouflaged; several reserve positions were prepared for them. For camouflage, the crews pulled wire nets onto the hull and tower, onto which they attached branches, leaves, grass. The protection of the frontal part of the turret was increased by hanging spare tracks, which, in principle, was uncharacteristic for Japanese tankers. Machines prepared in this way served as the core of strong points that differed from each other in size and strength. So, the point near Urdanet had 9 combat units, the Shigemi detachment near San Manuel - 45 (7th tank regiment, mainly "Shinhoto Chi-ha"), Ida detachment near Munoz - 52 (6th tank regiment).


The landing of the 1st and 14th corps of the 6th American army on Luzon began on January 9, 1945 January 17 took place tank battle at Linman-gansen - "Shermans" of the "C" company of the 716th American tank battalion knocked out 4 "Shinhoto Chi-ha" of the 7th Japanese tank regiment. On January 24, the same American tank company attacked Shigemi's detachment near San Manuel, supported by 105mm M7 self-propelled howitzers.

On the morning of January 28, the 30 remaining vehicles of this detachment, accompanied by infantry, launched a counterattack, but most of them were hit by tanks and self-propelled guns, and the Americans themselves lost only three Shermans and one M7. On January 30, a convoy of 8 Chi-ha and 30 vehicles breaking through from the encirclement was shot at Umungan.

Ida's detachment has also fought surrounded since February 1. The attempt to break through was stopped by the fire of American artillery and light tanks - "Stuarts". All Japanese tanks were hit. The 10th tank regiment was also unlucky - on January 29, its column came under fire. self-propelled units M10 of the 637th US anti-tank battalion, which knocked out four Shinhot Chi-ha. By May 5, the Americans had destroyed in the Philippines 203 Chi-ha and Shinhot Chi-ha, 19 Ha-go, 2 Ho-ro. The 2nd Panzer Division carried out the order, delaying the advance of the Americans into the interior of the island, but paid too high a price for it - it simply ceased to exist.

After the capture of the Philippines, the focus of the American command shifted to the islands of Formosa, Okinawa and Iwo Jima, which could serve as air bases for a direct attack on the Japanese islands. On February 19, 1945, the 5th US Airborne Corps, supported by 200 amphibious tanks, began landing on Iwo Jima. The 27th Japanese tank regiment was stationed here, which had 28 tanks - mainly "Chi-ha" and "Shinhoto Chiha". Lieutenant Colonel Nishi, who commanded them, intended to use the Shinhoto Chi-ha as nomadic anti-tank guns, which generally corresponded to the situation and the capabilities of the tanks. However, more often they were used in dug-out stationary positions. Unable to retreat, these tanks were soon hit by artillery or bazooka fire from the 1st Independent Tank Company, the US Marine Corps. However, at least one strong point, in which there were three "Shinhot Chi-ha", showed very stubborn resistance. It is no coincidence that battles on the small island continued until March 26. Following this, on April 1, the Americans landed four divisions of the 3rd Airborne and 24th Corps on the west coast of Okinawa. The landing force included more than 800 tanks and self-propelled guns, as well as a large number of amphibious tanks and armored personnel carriers. The Japanese 32nd Army had here only the units of the already mentioned 27th Tank Regiment, stationed in the northern part of the island - only 13 "Ha-go" and 14 "Shinhot Chi-ha".

Almost all of these vehicles were lost in an attempted counterattack on 5 May. The fighting in Okinawa went on until June 21, but the tanks no longer took part in the most fierce battles.

After the defeat of the 2nd Panzer Division in the Philippines, the Japanese command did not risk the remaining units and transfer additional tanks to Okinawa (and the very possibility of this, due to the complete domination of the Americans at sea, was more than doubtful), although the island was considered ethnically Japanese territory. Thus ended the fighting of the Japanese tank forces in the Pacific Ocean.

On the continent, hostilities unfolded in Burma and China. In Burma, after several "trial" operations in 1943, the Allies went on the offensive early next year. By the beginning of the battles with the British-Indian and American-Chinese troops, the tank forces of the Japanese were only the 14th Panzer Regiment. Moreover, his 4th company was armed with captured "stewarts", but after battles with British tanks, the company was reinforced with "Shinhoto Chi-ha". In this composition, this unit participated in the battles with the Americans near Mit'kina in the first days of August 1944. In March 1945, the last Japanese tanks in Burma were lost in clashes with the Shermans on the M'it'kina-Mandalay road. By May 6, the Allies had completely recaptured Burma.

The 3rd Japanese tank division was based in China, which included the 5th (8th and 12th regiments) and 6th (13th and newly formed 17th regiments) tank brigades. In 1942 - 1943. the Japanese used tanks sporadically in counter-guerrilla operations, in private offensives against the 8th People's Liberation Army of China in the Border Region, and against the Kuomintang troops in the Yichang region. The 8th regiment in 1942 was transferred to about. New Britain.

During the autumn offensive of 1943 in China, units of the 3rd Panzer Division were used to capture airfields, from which at that time B-29 bombers began raids on industrial facilities in Manchuria and about. Kyushu. In 1944, the 6th tank brigade was withdrawn from the division and sent to the Mongol border, so that of the actual tank units, the 3rd division retained only the 12th regiment. In this form, it was attached to the 12th Army. After the inclusion of two more motorized infantry regiments in its composition, the division turned into a mechanized or reinforced motorized one rather than a tank one. But it was at this time that decisive tasks began to be posed before the tank units.

In April 1944, an offensive against the Kuomintang troops began in the direction of Luoyang, Xin'an and along the Hankou - Changsha - Henyang - Canton railway. Its task was to seize the highway leading to the Korean coast and in the direction of Hanoi, the subsequent defeat of the Chinese troops and the connection of the Northern, Central and Southern fronts of the Japanese expeditionary forces. Within the framework of this "Operation No. 1" the 12th Army was operating. The 3rd Panzer Division, following the infantry together with the 4th Cavalry Brigade, took part in a number of battles. At the same time, tanks, motorized infantry and cavalry conducted maneuvering actions, made envelopes, long (up to 60 km per day) roundabout marches. With their active participation, on May 5, Linzhou was captured, on May 25, Loyang. By the middle of autumn, the Japanese occupied more than 40 cities, including Changsha, Henyang, Guilin, Shaozhou, Nanying, airfields near Henyang, Liuzhou, and Gangxiang. This success was largely due to the weakness of the enemy's anti-tank defense system. During the assault on populated areas, tanks were used to fire at gates or breaches in the walls surrounding most Chinese cities from machine-gun range. After the infantry entered the city, some of the tanks acted in front of it, while others went around to cut off the enemy's escape route. The 3rd Panzer Division and the 4th Cavalry Brigade also took part in the attack on the American air base near the river. Laohahe in the spring of 1945. In the operation that began on March 22 and the capture of airfields, the 3rd Panzer Division was solving rather auxiliary tasks, but the tankers played an important role in consolidating the success and repelling Chinese counterattacks (for example, in April in Sichuan). After that, the 3rd division with the rest of the forces was pulled to the north, to Peiping (future Beijing). Interestingly, after the surrender of Japan, the 3rd Panzer Division was not completely disarmed - the Americans and the Kuomintang used it to protect Peiping from capture by the People's Liberation Army, until in November 1945 it was replaced by the 109th Kuomintang Division.

It is quite typical for the situation in China at that time - the disarmament of Japanese troops here ended only in February 1946. By the beginning of the Manchu offensive operation of the Soviet troops in 1945, the Kwantung Army under the command of General Yamada, numbering more than 1 million people, included the 1st and 9th separate tank brigades, based, respectively, in the areas of the Shahe cities (south of Mukden) and Telin (northwest of Mukden), 35th Panzer Regiment along with 39th infantry division was located near the city of Sypingai. The 9th Brigade served as the tank reserve of the Kwantung Army. These areas were in the zone of the 3rd West Manchurian Front. Japanese tank forces were significantly weakened by losses in the autumn offensive of 1944 in China and the transfer of part of subunits and equipment to the Japanese islands.

In total, the Kwantung grouping, together with the 17th Korean Front, by August 1945 had 1,215 tanks. Soviet troops numbered 1.7 million people and 5.2 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns.

On August 9, the Soviet troops of the Transbaikal, 1st Far Eastern and part of the forces of the 2nd Far Eastern fronts went on the offensive. In the battles with the Red Army in August - September, Japanese tanks practically did not show themselves in any way and were captured mainly in parks. The troops of the Trans-Baikal and 1st Far Eastern fronts, for example, got, thus, up to 600 serviceable Japanese tanks.

"Chi-ha" and "Shinhoto Chi-ha" of the 11th Panzer Regiment, together with units of the 91st Infantry Division, were on the islands of Shumshu and Paramushir of the Kuril ridge, occupied by the troops of the 5th Japanese Front. They took part in the battles with the Soviet troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, which were conducting the Kuril landing operation. In addition, the Japanese had two separate tank companies in the Kuril Islands. To counter the Soviet landing (101st Infantry Division with a battalion of marines) on the island. Shumshu August 18 - 20, 1945, the Japanese additionally transferred tanks from about. Paramushir. Artillery support for the Soviet landing was provided by the ships of the Pacific Fleet. The fierceness of the fighting is evidenced by the remains of "Shinhoto Chi-ha", which are still rusting on the island. Shumshu and Paramushir were cleared of the Japanese on 23 August, and all the Kuril Islands by 1 September. On September 2, Japan surrendered.

A few words about the tanks intended for the defense of the Japanese islands. In the spring of 1945, the United National Defense Army had 2,970 tanks in two divisions, six brigades and several separate companies. The 1st and 4th Panzer Divisions made up a mobile reserve stationed north of Tokyo, the US-British landing on about. Kyushu was planned for November 1945, for Honshu - for the spring of 1946. It was to include three armored divisions, as well as a significant number of separate tank battalions. Surely, superiority would again be on the side of the Americans, but the Japanese tank units located in the metropolis, fully equipped and well equipped, apparently would have put up more serious resistance than in other places. However, this is pure speculation - the surrender prevented these battles. The Japanese tanks were handed over to the American occupation forces. After the surrender of Japan, "Chi-ha" and "Shinhoto Chi-ha" continued their combat service- during the Third civil war in China (1945 - 1949).

Serviceable vehicles taken from the Kwantung Army, including 350 Chi-ha, were handed over to the People's Liberation Army by the Soviet troops. On the other hand, Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang troops received a significant number of Japanese tanks, with the assistance of the Americans. The limited number of combat vehicles on both sides led to their use for direct support of the infantry when attacking individual strongpoints. In Peiping (Beijing) on ​​January 31, 1949 and in Nanjing on April 23, the People's Liberation Army of China entered on Japanese tanks - including the "Chi-ha".

In Japan itself, the surviving "Chi-ha" and "Chi-he" remained in service until the 60s. However, in these years they played rather the role of training machines, since the basis of the armament of the "security corps", and then of the "self-defense forces" of Japan were then American-made tanks.

"Chi-hee"

With regard to Japanese tanks during the Second World War, there is a widespread opinion about their complete backwardness from foreign competitors. It is true, but only in part. The fact is that the Japanese military and engineers, seeing the armored vehicles of the enemy, including potential ones, nevertheless made attempts to make a tank with the appropriate characteristics. Simultaneously with the Shinhoto Chi-Ha medium tank, a new armored vehicle was being developed, in the design of which all the shortcomings of the original Chi-Ha and its predecessors were taken into account. The "Type 1" or "Chi-He" project finally began to resemble the European tanks of that time, both in design and in combat qualities.

First of all, it should be noted the updated design of the armored hull. For the first time in Japanese tank building, most of the parts were welded, rivets were used only in some parts of the structure. In addition, in comparison with the Chi-Ha, the new Type 1 received a more serious reservation. The frontal rolled armor plates of the tank were 50 millimeters thick, the sides were twice as thin. The front of the turret was made of a 25 mm slab and was partially covered by a 40 mm gun mask. Of course, in comparison with foreign tanks, the level of protection "Chi-He" did not look like something unique, but for the Japanese military industry it was a significant step forward. When designing the "Type 1", the designers were faced with the task of increasing protection and firepower while maintaining the weight of the vehicle. For this reason, the frame of the tank was simplified as much as possible, and in some places of the structure it was completely removed, and the hull contours and a number of internal mechanisms were also changed. As a result of all the changes, the new medium tank gained only a couple of tons in weight relative to the Chi-Ha. Combat weight "Chi-Khe" was equal to 17.5 tons. The increased weight required the installation of a new engine, it was the "Type 100" manufactured by Mitsubishi. The 240-horsepower engine provided the tank with a power-to-weight ratio of 13-14 horsepower per tonne of weight. This was enough for a maximum highway speed of 45 km / h. The rest of the driving performance remained at the level of the previous tanks.

Another step towards bringing the tank to the generally accepted form in the rest of the world was the installation of a radio station on all vehicles and the introduction of a fifth person into the crew. The maintenance of radio communications was entrusted to the tank commander, who was relieved of his duties as a gunner. Aiming the cannon has now become the task of the individual crew member. The workplaces of the commander, gunner and loader were located in the fighting compartment, which required an increase in the volume of the tower. However, the armament remained almost the same as the previous tank "Shinhoto Chi-Ha". The main caliber of the Chi-He is the 47-mm Type 1 cannon. Despite the name, this weapon was not the same one that was installed on the Shinhoto Chi-Ha. Before being installed on a Type 1 tank, the gun underwent a major upgrade. First of all, the recoil devices have undergone significant changes. The suspension system, in turn, has retained the basic features, but has also been improved. Changing the mounting pins in practice led to a decrease in the width of the horizontal sector in which the gun could move. On "Chi-Khe" the gun barrel deviated from the longitudinal axis by only 7.5 ° to the sides. The ammunition load of the Type 1 tank was similar to that of the Shinhot Chi-Ha rounds - 120 unitary rounds of two types. Additional armament "Chi-He" consisted of two 7.7-mm machine guns, located according to the traditional scheme for Japanese tanks. One was mounted on trunnions in the loophole of the front plate, the other in the rear of the turret.

Major Type 1 design work was completed before the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, then the case ended with the construction and testing of a prototype. Mass production"Chi-He" began only in the middle of 1943. Naturally, by this time Japan could no longer afford the construction of especially large batches of new armored vehicles. As a result, no more than 170-180 Type 1 tanks were assembled, and about a year after its start, serial construction ceased. During operation in the army, the new tank received an ambiguous assessment. On the one hand, good armor of the hull's forehead, under certain conditions, protected the tank even from American guns caliber 75 mm. On the other hand, the 47 mm cannon still could not compete with the armament of enemy tanks and artillery. Therefore, "Type 1" could not have any tangible influence on the course of battles. Perhaps something would have changed if this tank was built in more, but there is reason to doubt this.

"Chi-Nu"

Realizing the not too bright prospects of the "Type 1", the Japanese command instructed the tank builders to make another medium tank, capable of normally fighting enemy armored vehicles. Project "Type 3" or "Chi-Nu" meant the replacement of weapons on the "Type 1". A 75 mm Type 90 field gun was chosen as the new main one. It was developed in the early thirties on the basis of the French Schneider cannon. In turn, on the basis of the "Type 90" they designed a new cannon, designed specifically for installation on the Chi-Nu tank. This modification of the gun was named "Type 3".

Due to the need to replace only the guns, the design of the Type 3 tank was taken practically unchanged from the Type 1. All the modifications related to improving the manufacturability of the assembly and ensuring the installation of a new, larger tower. The latter was a welded unit with a hexagonal shape. The tower was welded from rolled sheets with a thickness of 50 mm (forehead) to 12 (roof). In addition, additional protection of the frontal projection was provided by a 50-mm gun mask. The "consequences" of the installation of a new large tower are interesting. Its front part covered most of the driver's hatch. For this reason, the entire crew of "Chi-Nu" had to get into the tank and leave it through two hatches in the turret roof and one in its port side. In addition, for servicing the gun and loading ammunition in the rear of the turret, there was another fairly large hatch. All changes led to an increase in the combat mass of the tank. "Chi-Nu" in combat readiness weighed 18.8 tons. At the same time, driving performance has slightly decreased. The 240-horsepower Type 100 diesel engine could provide a maximum speed of only about 40 kilometers per hour, which was less than the corresponding figure for the Chi-He tank.

During the conversion of the Type 90 cannon to the Type 3 state, no significant design changes took place. The gun was still equipped with a hydraulic recoil brake and a spring recoil brake. In this case, the authors of the project had to go for a little trick. Since they were required to quickly modify the gun, they did not change its layout. The recoil devices remained in place, in front of the barrel. Because of this, a special armored tray had to be installed on the front of the turret to protect the rollback brake cylinders. The solid weight of the gun and the considerable dimensions forced to abandon the idea of ​​additional fine aiming without turning the turret. On the Type 3, the gun could only swing vertically from -10 ° to + 15 ° from the horizontal axis. The ammunition racks of the new tank contained 55 shells of two types, high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing. The latter, having initial speed at 680 m / s at a distance of a kilometer, they pierced 65-70 millimeters of armor. Additional armament "Chi-Nu" consisted of only one machine gun in the front of the hull.

There is no exact data on the production of Type 3 medium tanks. According to some sources, they began to be collected in mid-1943. Other literature indicates the fall of the 44th as the time of the beginning of construction. The same strange situation is observed in the estimates of the number of assembled cars. According to various sources, from 60 to 170 units were manufactured. The reason for such a large discrepancy is the lack of necessary documents, which were lost in the last stages of the war. In addition, there is no information on the combat use of Type 3 tanks. According to reports, all the tanks built entered the 4th Panzer Division, which until the end of the war did not take part in hostilities outside japanese islands... Sometimes the use of "Chi-Nu" in the battles for Okinawa is mentioned, but in the well-known American documents there is no information about the appearance of new equipment by the enemy. Probably, all the "Type 3" and remained at the bases, not having time to fight. After the end of World War II, a number of Chi-Nu tanks were used Japanese Forces self-defense.

"Chi-Nu", as well as several "Ho-Ni III" in the background, from the 4th Panzer Division

"Ka-Mi"

In Japanese tank building, there were several interesting projects that, for a number of reasons, did not receive a particularly massive implementation. An example is the "Chi-Nu" described above. Another "small-scale" project appeared in connection with the specifics of the war in the Pacific Ocean. In preparing for an offensive to the south, the Japanese command faced the question of landing amphibious assault forces on the islands and the continental coast. The support of the infantry with tanks was carried out exclusively with the help of tank landing boats and ships. In particular and therefore most Japanese armored vehicles had a combat weight of less than 20 tons. For obvious reasons, the military leaders wanted to get rid of the need to attract additional forces. Work towards creating a floating tank began in the late twenties, but then everything was limited to theory and a few experiments. Only in 1940, full-fledged design work began. Tank "Type 2" or "Ka-Mi" was to become the main means of fire support for troops landing on the coast. The terms of reference implied the following use of a floating tank: a landing ship delivers armored vehicles at a certain distance from land, after which it reaches the coast on its own. Nothing special, it seems. However, the designers of the Mitsubishi company were required to ensure both good seaworthiness of the tank and sufficient fighting qualities... It was allowed to do this in any suitable way.

"Ka-Mi" afloat. The similarity between a tank and a small vessel speaks volumes about its seaworthiness.

The light tank "Type 95" ("Ha-Go") was taken as the basis for the "Ka-Mi". The undercarriage of the old tank has been modified for use in water. The housings with the springs of the T. Hara system were hidden inside the case. The body itself has undergone major changes. Unlike the Type 95, the Type 2 was almost completely assembled by welding. Rivets were used only in those parts of the structure where a tight connection of parts was not required. The body was welded from rolled sheets up to 14 millimeters thick. Characteristic feature the shape of the hull became the new tank. Unlike its land-based counterparts, the sea "Ka-Mi" did not have a large number of mating surfaces. In fact, the body was a simple box with several bevels. The arrangement of the engine and transmission was traditional for Japanese tanks of the second half of the thirties. A 120-horsepower diesel engine was placed in the stern, the transmission in the bow. In addition, two propellers were installed at the stern of the tank. At the same time, to save weight and ease the maintenance of the engine, there was no partition between the engine and fighting compartments. In terms of renovation, it was quite convenient. But in a combat situation, the roar of the engine greatly interfered with the crew. For this reason, it was necessary to equip the "Ka-Mi" with a tank intercom. Without it, the test tankers could not hear each other. A new turret was mounted on a relatively wide top plate of the hull. It had a conical shape and accommodated the workplaces of two crew members: the commander and the gunner. The loader, mechanic and driver, in turn, were housed inside the body.

The main armament of the floating Ka-Mi was 37-millimeter cannons. In the first series, it was the Type 94, which was installed on the Ha-Go, but then they were replaced by the Type 1, which featured a longer barrel. The gun's ammunition was 132 shells. Guidance in the horizontal plane was carried out both by turning the turret and by displacing the gun itself within five degrees from the axis. Vertical guidance - from -20 ° to + 25 °. Additional weapons"Type 2" had two 7.7 mm machine guns. One of them was paired with a cannon, and the second was in the front of the hull. Before the start of several landing operations some of the Ka-Mi were equipped with additional equipment for the use of torpedoes. Two of these ammunition were attached to the sides of the tank on special brackets and discharged using an electrical system.

Type 2 "Ka-mi" (101st special amphibious assault squadron), with removed pontoons on board a transport that delivers reinforcements to Saipan Island

The original "Ha-Go" has undergone many changes, the purpose of which was to ensure proper seaworthiness. In particular, the shape of the upper part of the hull was due to the peculiarities of the chosen method of ensuring buoyancy. Since the tank itself could not swim normally on its own, it was proposed to install special pontoons on it. In the front part, a structure with a volume of 6.2 cubic meters was attached, in the back - a volume of 2.9. At the same time, the front pontoon had the shape of the bow of the watercraft, and the rear one was equipped with a boat-type plate rudder and its control system. To ensure survivability, the front pontoon was divided into six sealed sections, and the rear one into five. In addition to pontoons, a snorkel turret above the engine compartment was installed on the tank before moving through the water. Starting in 1943, the set of navigation equipment began to include a light metal structure designed to be installed on a tank turret. With its help, the commander of the combat vehicle could observe the situation not only through observation devices. Upon reaching the shore, the tankers had to drop pontoons and turrets. The reset procedure was carried out using a screw mechanism brought out into the machine. In the first series, the Ka-Mi tanks were equipped with only two pontoons. Later, according to the results of combat use, the front was divided into two independent parts. Thanks to this, the tank, dropping air containers, could continue to move forward. At the same time, the front pontoons were moved apart by the tank. Previously, they had to go around.

The combat weight of the Type 2 tank was nine and a half tons. The suspended pontoons added another three thousand kilograms. With this weight, the tank had a maximum speed on land of 37 kilometers per hour, and accelerated to ten on water. The supply of diesel fuel was enough for a march of 170 or for a voyage of a hundred kilometers. A floating tank could be used for over-the-horizon landing and, in fact, the only limitation on the landing of the Ka-Mi was the situation at sea, excitement, etc.

Japanese amphibious tanks Type 2 "Ka-Mi" captured on the island of Shumshu. On the islands of Paramushir and Shumshu, two battalions of the Japanese marines (rikusentai) were based, which had 16 tanks of this type.

Serial production of "Ka-Mi" began at the end of 1941. The pace of construction was relatively slow, which made it impossible to quickly re-equip the corresponding units of the Marine Corps. Nevertheless, tanks "Type 2" and in the amount of several dozen pieces managed to get good feedback... Which, however, were overshadowed by not too powerful weapons. Over time, the number of tanks in the troops increased, but the pace of construction still remained unacceptable. As it turned out, one of the consequences of the original design of the tank was the high labor intensity of production. Therefore, the first landing operation with the massive use of "Ka-Mi" took place only in June 44th, it was the landing on the island of Saipan (Mariana Islands). Despite the surprise of the attack and the darkness of the night, the Americans quickly coped with the advancing enemy. Combat use of "Type 2" continued until the very end of the war. V last months these tanks, due to the lack of amphibious operations, were used as conventional ground armored vehicles and stationary firing points. Of the 180 built amphibious tanks, only eight have survived to this day. One of them is in the tank museum of the city of Kubinka, the rest are in the countries of Oceania.

ACS based on the "Chi-Ha" tank

Until a certain time, there was no place for self-propelled artillery installations in the strategic fabrications of the Japanese command. For a number of reasons, infantry support was assigned to light and medium tanks, as well as field artillery. Nevertheless, starting in 1941, the Japanese military initiated the creation of self-propelled gun mounts several times. These projects did not receive a big future, but they are still worth considering.

"Type 1" ("Ho-Ni I")

The first was the installation "Type 1" ("Ho-Ni I"), designed to combat enemy combat vehicles and fortifications. On the chassis of a medium tank "Chi-Ha", in place of the turret, an armored wheelhouse with a frontal sheet 50 millimeters thick was installed. This design was used on all subsequent Japanese self-propelled guns of that time. Only the guns and their installation systems changed. In the wheelhouse of a 14-ton combat vehicle, a Type 90 field gun of 75 mm caliber was installed. Rough horizontal aiming of the gun was carried out by turning the entire machine. Thin - with a swivel mechanism, within a sector with a width of 40 °. Angles of descent / elevation - from -6 ° to + 25 °. The power of such weapons was enough to destroy all American tanks at distances of 500 meters. At the same time, the attacking Japanese self-propelled gun itself was at risk of retaliatory fire. Since 1942, 26 Type 1 SPGs have been built. Despite the small number, these artillery mounts were actively used in most operations. Several units survived until the end of the war, when they became a trophy of the Americans. One copy of Ho-Ni I is in the Aberdeen Museum.

Self-propelled gun "Ho-ni II"

The next serial Japanese-made self-propelled gun was the "Ho-Ni II", aka "Type 2". A 105-mm howitzer "Type 99" was installed on a chassis with a wheelhouse, completely taken from the "Type 1". This self-propelled gun, first of all, was intended for firing from closed positions. However, sometimes, due to the situation, it was necessary to shoot with direct fire. The power of the gun was enough to destroy any American tanks at a distance of about a kilometer. Fortunately for the Americans, only 54 such gun mounts were built in 1943-45. Eight more were converted from serial Chi-Ha tanks. Due to the small number of self-propelled guns "Ho-Ni II" could not have a significant impact on the course of the war.

SAU "Ho-Ni III"

Further development of "Type 1" was "Type 3" or "Ho-Ni III". The main weapon of this self-propelled gun was the Type 3 tank gun, developed for the Chi-Nu. The ammunition capacity of the gun in 54 rounds theoretically allowed the self-propelled guns "Ho-Ni III" to become a serious weapon of war. However, all built three dozen self-propelled guns were transferred to the 4th Panzer Division. In view of the specific objectives of this unit - it was intended for the defense of the Japanese archipelago - all Ho-Ni III almost without loss waited for the end of the war, and then became part of the Self-Defense Forces.

Tank for artillery support of amphibious assault units armed with a 120-mm short-barreled cannon. Released in small series based on "Chi-ha"

In addition to the Ho-Ni family, there was another self-propelled artillery unit based on the Chi-Ha tank. It was a Ho-Ro / Type 4 self-propelled gun. It differed from other Japanese self-propelled guns in the design of the armored wheelhouse, as well as weapons. The Ho-Ro was the most powerful self-propelled gun in the Japanese Empire: the Type 38 150mm howitzer could destroy almost any target. True, the Type 4 self-propelled guns did not become widespread either. The entire series was limited to only 25 cars. Several of the first serial "Ho-Ro" managed to take part in the battle for the Philippines. However, later all available self-propelled howitzers were transferred to the 4th Panzer Division. As part of this unit, the Type 4 self-propelled guns managed to fight only in Okinawa, where several units were destroyed by the attacks of American troops.

Based on materials from sites:
http://pro-tank.ru/
http://wwiivehicles.com/
http://www3.plala.or.jp/
http://armor.kiev.ua/
http://aviarmor.net/
http://onwar.com/

"Type 95"

A further development of the theme of light tanks was the "Type 95" or "Ha-Go", created a little later, "Te-Ke". In general, it was a logical continuation of the previous cars, but it was not without serious changes. First of all, the design of the undercarriage was changed. On previous machines, the idler wheel also played the role of a road roller and pressed the track to the ground. On "Ha-Go" this detail was raised above the ground and the track acquired a more familiar form for tanks of that time. The design of the armored hull remained the same - the frame and rolled sheets. Most of the panels were 12 millimeters thick, which kept the level of protection the same. The basis power plant tank "Type 95" was a six-cylinder two-stroke diesel engine with a capacity of 120 hp. This engine power, despite the combat weight of seven and a half tons, made it possible to maintain and even increase the speed and maneuverability of the vehicle in comparison with the previous ones. The maximum speed of "Ha-Go" on the highway was 45 km / h.

The main weapon of the Ha-Go tank was similar to that of the Type 97. It was a 37mm Type 94 cannon. The suspension system of the gun was made in a rather original way. The gun was not rigidly fixed and could move both vertically and horizontally. Thanks to this, it was possible to roughly direct the gun by turning the turret and adjust the aiming using its own turning mechanisms. The gun ammunition - 75 unitary rounds - was placed along the walls of the fighting compartment. The additional armament of the Type 95 was initially two 6.5 mm Type 91 machine guns. Later, with the transition of the Japanese army to a new cartridge, their place was taken by Type 97 machine guns of 7.7 mm caliber. One of the machine guns was installed in the rear of the turret, the other in a swinging installation in the front sheet of the armored hull. In addition, on the left side of the hull there were loopholes for firing from the crew's personal weapons. The Ha-Go crew, for the first time in this line of light tanks, consisted of three people: a driver mechanic, a gunner technician and a gunner commander. The duties of the technician-gunner included control over the engine and firing from the front machine gun. The second machine gun was controlled by the commander. He also loaded the cannon and fired from it.

The first experimental batch of "Ha-Go" tanks was assembled back in 1935 and immediately went to the troops for trial operation. In the war with China, due to the weakness of the latter's army, the new Japanese tanks did not achieve much success. A little later, during the battles at Khalkhin Gol, the Japanese military finally managed to test the Type 95 in a real battle with worthy adversary... This check ended sadly: almost all the "Ha-Go" that the Kwantung Army had were destroyed by the tanks and artillery of the Red Army. One of the results of the battles on Khalkhin Gol was the recognition by the Japanese command of the inadequacy of 37-mm cannons. During the fighting, Soviet BT-5s, equipped with 45-mm guns, managed to destroy Japanese tanks even before they approached the range of confident defeat. In addition, the Japanese armored formations included many machine-gun tanks, which clearly did not contribute to success in battles.

Later tanks "Ha-Go" collided in battle with American technology and artillery. Due to the significant difference in calibers - the Americans were already using 75 mm tank guns with might and main - Japanese armored vehicles often carried big losses... By the end of the Pacific War, Type 95 light tanks were often converted into stationary firing points, but their effectiveness was also low. Last battles with the participation of "Type 95" took place during the Third Civil War in China. Trophy tanks were transferred to the Chinese military, and the USSR sent the captured armored vehicles of the People's Liberation Army, and the United States sent the Kuomintang. In spite of active use"Type 95" after the Second World War, this tank can be considered quite lucky. Of the more than 2300 built tanks, a dozen and a half have survived to this day in the form of museum exhibits. Several dozen more damaged tanks are local attractions in some Asian countries.

Photo: "Ha-Go", captured by American troops on the island of Io