Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank

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Type 97 Chi-Ha
Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank on display at the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Russia
TypeMedium tank
Place of originJapan
Service history
Used bySee Operators
Wars
Production history
Designed1936
Unit cost126,000
Bell crank
Operational
range
210 km (130 mi)
Maximum speed 38 km/h (24 mph)

The Type 97 Chi-Ha (九七式中戦車 チハ, Kyūnana-shiki chū-sensha Chi-ha or simply "Type 97/57") was a

Second World War. It was the most widely produced Japanese medium tank of World War II.[7]

The 57 mm main gun, designed for

Type 95 Ha-Go light tank, but used six road wheels instead of four.[7] The 170 hp Mitsubishi air cooled diesel engine was a capable tank engine in 1938.[7]

The Type 97's low silhouette and semicircular

Type 97-Kai ("improved") or Type 97 Shinhōtō Chi-Ha (Japanese: 新砲塔チハ; "New turret Chi-Ha").[5]

History and development

With the

Type 95 Ha-Go light tank, although with a two-man turret, thicker armor, and more power to maintain performance.[10]

The

Type 97 Chi-Ni prototype proposed by Osaka Army Arsenal, which had the same 57 mm main gun.[7] With the out-break of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, the peacetime budgetary limitations were removed and the more capable and expensive Mitsubishi Chi-Ha model was accepted as the new Type 97 medium tank by the army.[7]

Japanese tank designations

Chi (チ) came from Chū-sensha (チュウセンシャ, "medium tank").

imperial year 2597, corresponding to the year 1937 in the standard Gregorian calendar.[8] Therefore, the name "Type 97 Chi-Ha" could be translated as "1937's medium tank model 3".[8]

Design

Type 97 Chi-Ha radio operator and vehicle Radio Set Type 96 Mark 4 Bo.

The Type 97 hull was of riveted construction with the engine in the rear compartment. The tank had a four-man crew including a driver, bow machine-gunner, and two men in the turret.[10] In the forward compartment, the driver sat on the right, and bow gunner on the left.[11] The commander's cupola was placed atop the turret. Internal communications were by 12 push buttons in the turret, connected to 12 lights and a buzzer near the driver.[11]

The Type 97 was equipped with a

Type 89 I-Go tank. The cannon was a short-barreled weapon with a relatively low muzzle velocity, but sufficient as the tank was intended primarily for infantry support.[12] The main gun had no elevation gear, therefore, the gunner used his shoulder to elevate it.[13]

The tank carried two 7.7 mm

traverse, but the main gun was in a "semi-flexible mount" allowing a maximum 10-degree traverse independently of the turret.[15]

The thickest armor used was 25 mm on the gun mantlet and 15–25 mm on the hull front.[6] Power was provided by an air-cooled "V-12 21.7 liter diesel Mitsubishi SA12200VD" engine, which provided 170 hp (127 kW).[6]

Development of the improved Shinhōtō Chi-Ha

Main article: Type 97 ShinHōtō Chi-Ha medium tank
Type 97 Shinhōtō Chi-Ha medium tank

The shortcomings of the Type 97, with its low-velocity 57 mm gun, became clear during the 1939

Type 1 47 mm tank gun was produced. The gun's longer barrel generated much higher muzzle velocity, resulting in armor penetration superior to that of the 57 mm gun.[19] The 47 mm tank gun was mounted in a new, larger three-man turret creating a new version of the Type 97.[5] It was designated the Type 97 Shinhōtō Chi-Ha ("new turret" Chi-Ha) or Type 97-Kai ("improved"). It replaced the original model in production in 1942. In addition "about 300" of the Type 97 tanks with the older model turret and 57 mm main gun were converted.[5]

Production

Type 97 Chi-Ha, front-angle view with IJA officer

The Type 97 medium tank was manufactured by

Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks, but larger than any other tank fielded by Empire of Japan.[4]
The following number of units were produced for the years 1938 to 1943:

Type 97 Chi-Ha tank[4] (57 mm gun):

  • 1938: 110
  • 1939: 202
  • 1940: 315
  • 1941: 507
  • 1942: 28
  • Total: 1,162

Type 97-Kai Shinhōtō Chi-Ha tank[4]
(47 mm gun):

  • 1942: 503
  • 1943: 427
  • Total: 930

Total production of the 57 mm & 47 mm gun Type 97 medium tanks was 2,092. Although production peaked in 1943 it was the last year any Type 97 was produced, as factories switched to the new tank designs, most notably the Type 1 Chi-He medium tank.[20]

Further development

Type 3 Chi-Nu medium tank

The last design that was based directly on Type 97 lineage was the

Type 4 Chi-To was a separate design, the last Japanese medium tank design to be completed during the war, considered equivalent to the German Panther tank, but with only two known to be completed by war's end.[23] By that time, the Japanese industry had been badly crippled by the American bombing campaign; as a result, few of these newer vehicles were ever built.[24]

The IJA's need to supplement their tank units with artillery led to a need for

tank destroyers arose, and experiments ranging from 47 mm to 120 mm guns were conducted.[26] However, due to naval priorities, raw materials for any IJA production were limited.[27]

Combat history

Type 97 Chi-Ha and Type 95 Ha-Go tanks of the Chiba Tank School during a military exercise (1940)

The Type 97 was deployed in China in combat operations in the

tankettes.[28]

Its first real test in combat against opposing armor came with the

Yasuoka Masaomi.[29]
Of the two regiments, only the 3rd Tank Regiment had been supplemented with four of the new Type 97 medium tanks. One was selected as the regimental commander's tank.

During fierce fighting against the

anti-tank guns.[31] Soviet shells struck the tank's drive gear, hull, and the engine area, causing the vehicle to erupt into flames. When the fire reached the tank ammunition, the tank exploded, tearing off the turret and throwing it several feet away from the hull.[32] Only the tank's gunner, who abandoned it, prior to the explosion, was uninjured. Yoshimaru's commander's body was recovered after the battle.[33]

World War II

Type 97 Chi-ha and Shinhōtō Chi-ha tanks from Japanese 11th Tank Regiment, Shumshu Island

From 8 December 1941 and into early 1942, during the

Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks), forming part of the "Saeki Detachment". The company was in the vanguard of the attack on northern British Malaya at the end of 1941. Later on, this same unit would be involved in forcing the defending British forces to abandon much of northern Malaya in the decisive Battle of Jitra
at the start of 1942.

One key to the overall Japanese military successes in Malaya and Singapore was the unexpected appearance of their tanks in areas where the British did not believe tanks could be fielded. The thick and wet jungle terrain did not turn out to be a decisive obstacle for the generally light Japanese tanks.

Later on, the 2nd and 14th Tank Regiments participated in the

Burma
Campaign from 1942.

Damaged Type 97 Shinhōtō Chi-Ha, Battle of Iwo Jima

The Type 97 Shinhōtō Chi-Ha tanks were first used in combat in the battle of Corregidor in 1942.[34] The updated 47 mm gun was easily capable of dealing with the armor of the American M3 Stuart light tanks, although in later combat service it was shown only to be effective against the sides and rear of the M4 Sherman medium tank.[35]

During the

defilade positions or even buried up to their turrets.[37]

During the Battle of Guam, 29 Type 97 and Type 95 tanks of the IJA 9th Tank Regiment and nine Type 95s of the 24th Tank Company were lost to bazooka fire or M4 tanks.[38] At the Battle of Okinawa, 13 Type 95s and 14 Type 97 Shinhōtō Chi-Ha tanks of the understrength IJA 27th Tank Regiment faced 800 American tanks of eight US Army and two USMC tank battalions.[39] The Japanese tanks were defeated in their counter-attacks of 4–5 May 1945. Similar conditions were repeated in the Kwantung Army's defense against the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, although there was little tank-versus-tank action. The Soviet Red Army captured 389 tanks.[40]

After World War II

Type 97 medium tanks used by the Chinese Communist People's Liberation Army moving into the Chinese city of Shenyang during the Liaoshen campaign in 1948
Demilitarized Type 97 tank with dozer blade

Some Japanese tanks remained in use, under new ownership, postwar by both sides during the

National Revolution Army at the end of war turned over their armor to the Republic of China. By the time the civil war restarted the Nationalist 3rd Tank regiment based in Beijing was exclusively equipped with Japanese tanks, including Type 97.[41][page needed
] Japanese armor was used because American aid to the Nationalists, including tanks and other vehicles had been severely curtailed.

Type 97 tanks captured during the

Communist army. After victory in the civil war, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) continued to use them in their inventory.[42][43] The PLA's force of 349 tanks in 1949 consisted mainly of Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go and Type 97 tanks.[42] In Japan, a number of Type 97 tanks were demilitarized and used post-war for reconstruction.[44]

Variants

Main article: List of Type 97 Chi-Ha variants

Operators

 Empire of Japan
 Republic of China
 People's Republic of China
 Indonesia
 Republic of Korea

Survivors

Restored Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank at the Yūshūkan Museum, Japan
Rusting Chi-Ha on Shumshu island

Restored examples of the Type 97 are on display at the

United States Army Ordnance Museum, Aberdeen, Maryland. Numerous ruined examples of Type 97 tanks can be found on Saipan and on the Kuril Islands
.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "兵器臨時定価、予価、表送付の件 Military catalogue of the Japanese military". National Archives of Japan. Ministry of the Army.
  2. ^ "Banking and Monetary Statistics, 1914-1941, Part I". Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). January 1943 [1943].
  3. ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 10, 14.
  4. ^ a b c d Zaloga 2007, pp. 10, 17.
  5. ^ a b c d e Zaloga 2007, p. 14.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Tomczyk 2007, p. 19.
  7. ^ a b c d e Zaloga 2007, p. 11.
  8. ^ a b c d History of War: Type 97 Chi-Ha Tank
  9. ^ Zaloga 2007, p. 8.
  10. ^ a b Zaloga 2007, pp. 11, 12.
  11. ^ a b World War II vehicles website
  12. ^ Taki's Imperial Japanese Army: The Development of Imperial Japanese Tanks: "Shinhoto Chi-Ha"
  13. ^ Tomczyk 2007, pp. 7, 8.
  14. ^ Tomczyk 2007, pp. 19, 24.
  15. ^ Tomczyk 2007, p. 7.
  16. ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 13, 14.
  17. ^ Coox 1985, p. 437.
  18. ^ Tomczyk 2007, pp. 12, 13, 15.
  19. ^ Tomczyk 2007, pp. 13, 15.
  20. ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 10, 17, 20–21.
  21. ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 17, 21.
  22. ^ Tomczyk 2005, p. 3.
  23. ^ Zaloga 2007, p. 22.
  24. ^ Tomczyk 2005, pp. 3, 5.
  25. ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 17, 19.
  26. ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 19, 20.
  27. ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 3, 15.
  28. ^ Zaloga 2007, p. 12.
  29. ^ Coox 1985, p. 1119.
  30. ^ Coox 1985, p. 396.
  31. ^ a b Coox 1985, p. 401.
  32. ^ Coox 1985, p. 797 (photo).
  33. ^ Foss 2003a.
  34. ^ Zaloga 2007, p. 16.
  35. ^ Tomczyk 2005, p. 61.
  36. ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 34, 35.
  37. ^ [1] "The Most Effective Jap Tank" – Intelligence Bulletin, July 1945
  38. ^ Zaloga 2007, p. 35.
  39. ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 34–40.
  40. ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 11, 41.
  41. ^ a b Sun 2005.
  42. ^ a b c Zaloga 2007, p. 42.
  43. ^ Tomczyk 2007, pp. 19, 22.
  44. ^ Taki's Imperial Japanese Army: Articles on Japanese tank (Japanese text only)
  45. ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 10–11, 13–14.
  46. ^ Tomczyk 2007, p. 108.
  47. ^ 60年目の亡霊 (in Japanese). November 19, 2005. Retrieved July 15, 2018.

References

External links

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