Type 3 Chi-Nu medium tank
Type 3 Chi-Nu | |
---|---|
Type | Medium tank |
Place of origin | Empire of Japan |
Production history | |
Designed | 1943 |
Produced | 1944–1945 |
No. built | 144 to 166[1][2] |
Specifications | |
Mass | 19 tonnes (21 tons)[3] |
Length | 5.64 m (18 ft 6 in) |
Width | 2.41 m (7 ft 11 in) |
Height | 2.68 m (8 ft 10 in) |
Crew | 5 |
Armor | 20–50 mm[4] |
Main armament | Type 3 75 mm tank gun (L/38)[4] (Armor penetration: 90 mm at 100 m, 65 mm at 1,000 m) |
Secondary armament | 1 x 7.7 mm Type 97 machine gun[4] |
Engine | Mitsubishi Type 100 21.7 L V-12 diesel 240 hp (179 kW) at 2,000 rpm (12.63 hp/tonne) |
Suspension | Bell crank |
Operational range | 210 km (130 mi) |
Maximum speed | 39 km/h (24 mph) |
Type 3 Medium Tank Chi-Nu (三式中戦車 チヌ, San-shiki chū-sensha Chi-nu, "Imperial Year 2603 Medium tank Model 10") was a
The Chi-Nu did not see combat during the war. All produced units were retained for the defense of the Japanese Homeland in anticipation of an Allied invasion.
History and development
At the outbreak of the
At the later stages of the war, large numbers of American M4 Sherman tanks arrived at the front line and increased pressure on Japanese armored forces. The Imperial General Headquarters (大本営, Daihon'ei) decided to develop a new medium tank to counter the enemy threat as well as a replacement for the Type 97.[6]
The Army Technical Bureau had been working on the Type 4 Chi-To medium tank as the counter to the M4 Sherman, but there were problems and delays in the program. As a result, a stopgap tank was required. The Type 3 medium tank Chi-Nu was developed to cope with the M4 Sherman.[7] Development of the Type 3 Chi-Nu occurred in 1943. The low priority given to tank production meant that the Type 3 did not actually enter production until 1944, by which time raw materials were in very short supply, and in 1945 much of Japan's industrial infrastructure had been destroyed by American strategic bombing. This led to its production run being severely curtailed.[1][8] Only a total of between 144 and 166 units were produced.[1][2] The Type 3 Chi-Nu was the last tank that was fielded by the Imperial Japanese armed forces, and was still in production at the end of the war.[7]
Design
Armor and protection
The Type 3 Chi-Nu retained the same chassis and
Armament
The main armament of the Type 3 Chi-Nu was the 75 mm Type 3 tank gun. The gun could be elevated between -10 and +25 degrees. Firing a shell at a muzzle velocity of 680 m/s (2,200 ft/s) it gave an armor penetration of 90 mm (3.5 in) at 100 m (110 yd) and 65 mm (2.6 in) at 1,000 m (1,100 yd).[11][12] Secondary armament was a 7.7 mm Type 97 machine gun.[4]
Mobility
The Chi-Nu had the same engine as the Type 1 Chi-He, producing 240 hp and a top speed of 39 km/h.[2][13]
Service record
The Type 3 Chi-Nu was allocated to the
Survivor
One surviving Type 3 medium tank is on display at the
Variants
- Type 3 Chi-Nu Kai prototype/Chi-Nu II
- A "modification plan" for the Chi-Nu was for it to be up gunned with the Type 5 75 mm tank gun (L/56.4) and a Type 4 Chi-To turret.[17] The exact status on the progress of the Chi-Nu Kai prototype is unknown.
See also
Japanese tanks of World War II
Tanks of comparable role, performance, and era
- Argentine Nahuel DL 43
- Australian Sentinel
- British Cromwell
- Canadian Ram II
- German Panzer IV
- Hungarian Turán III
- Italian Carro Armato P 40
- Italian P43(proposal)
- Romanian 1942 medium tank (proposal)
- Soviet T-34
- United States M4 Sherman
Notes
- ^ a b c Zaloga 2007, p. 22.
- ^ a b c Taki's Imperial Japanese Army: Type 3 "Chi-Nu"
- ^ a b Hara 1972, p. 18.
- ^ a b c d e Tomczyk 2005, p. 14.
- ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 19, 20, 21, 33, 36.
- ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 20, 21, 22.
- ^ a b Taki's Imperial Japanese Army: "Tanks after Chi-Ha" Retrieved 2 May 2016.
- ^ Tomczyk 2005, p. 5.
- ^ Tomczyk 2005, pp. 3, 32.
- ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 17, 21.
- ^ Tomczyk 2005, pp. 3, 5.
- ^ Taki's Imperial Japanese Army: "Tank Guns" Type 3 75mm Tank Gun
- ^ Taki's Imperial Japanese Army: Type 1 "Chi-He"
- ^ Rottman & Takizawa 2008, p. 16.
- ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 21, 22.
- ^ Tomczyk 2005, pp. 11, 15.
- ^ Tomczyk 2005, pp. 38–42.
References
- ISBN 978-0-7603-1475-3.
- ISBN 978-0-7603-1500-2.
- Hara, Tomio (1972). Japanese Medium Tanks. AFV Weapons Profiles No. 49. Windsor: Profile Publications Limited. OCLC 220832093.
- Rottman, Gordon L.; Takizawa, Akira (2008). World War II Japanese Tank Tactics. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-234-9.
- Tomczyk, Andrzej (2005). Japanese Armor Vol. 4. Gdańsk: AJ Press. ISBN 978-8372371676.
- ISBN 978-1-8460-3091-8.