Type 89 Chi-Ro
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Type 89 "Chi Ro" on display at the United States Army Ordnance Museum in Aberdeen |
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| Type 89 Chi-Ro | |
|---|---|
| General characteristics | |
| Crew | 4 |
| Length | 5.73 m |
| Width | 2.13 m |
| Height | 2.56 m |
| Weight | 12.79 m |
| Armour and armament | |
| Armour | 6 to 17 mm |
| Main armament | 57 mm Type 90 gun 100 rounds |
| Secondary armament | 2 x 6.5 mm Type 91 gun (hull, coaxial) 2,745 rounds |
| Mobility | |
| Power plant | Mitsubishi A6120VD 6-cylinder air-cooled petrol diesel 120 hp (90 kW) |
| Suspension | leaf spring |
| Road speed | 26 km/h |
| Power/weight | |
| Range | 170 km |
The Type 89 Chi-Ro was a Japanese medium tank produced by Mitsubishi from 1932 to 1942, and used during the Second World War.
After the first Japanese tank was developed, the Type 87 Chi-I it was found to be too heavy at 18 tons and too slow to be to use as main tank in the army. So, a light tank at 10 tons weight was designed. The development period was relatively short, due to the designers' experiences with the earlier model. Rather than using weaker Iron armour, as they had on the earlier tank, the designers chose to use Steel plate armour developed by the Nihonseikosho Company. The armour was referred to as 'Niseko steel', abbreviated as Nihonseikosho.
The design was relatively conventional having been influenced by the British Vickers Mark C tank that had been purchased by Japan in 1927. The new tank was relatively conventional in design with riveted armour and a forward-mounted turret carrying the main armament, a Type 90 57 mm gun that was complemented by a coaxial Type 91 6.5 mm machine gun.
The development of the diesel engine was ordered to Mitsubishi Jukogyo Company.After efforts in two and a half years, Mitsubishi had accomplished the development of diesel engine. It was an air-cooling 120 hp diesel engine Mitsubishi A6120VD.It was loaded in the Type 89 Medium Tank from the 1934 production. Then, it was also used by the early production Type 95 Light Tank. This engine was reliable and easy to maintain.
The new design would be powered by a new water cooled petrol engine in the early "Ko" models, which was later changed to a diesel engine in the "Otsu" models.
In April 1929, the new light tank was finished. Its weight was 9.8 tons. It was designated the "Type 89 Light Tank." Later, it was re-classified as a "Medium Tank" because the weight increased to over 10 tons due to several improvements. The production of Type 89 Tank started in 1931 and it became the main tank of the Imperial Japanese Army. On the other hand, the first tank developed to the Type 95 Heavy Tank. However, the IJA had no interest in the heavy tank and it was produced in only small numbers.
The Chi-Ro was first tank that was mass-produced in Japan. The early model, "Ko," had a gas engine and mounted a machine gun on the right side of the hull and the late model "Otsu" had an air cooled diesel 120 PS/1800 rpm engine and mounted a machine gun on the left side of the hull. The diesel engine had several advantages, notably reduced vulnerability to fire and better fuel economy.
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[edit] Description
The Chi-Ro had a crew of 4 (commander/gunner, loader, driver and hull gunner). The turret was armed with a 57 mm main gun and a 6.5 mm machine gun mounted in the rear of the turret. There was another 6.5 mm machine gun mounted in the front of the hull.
The Type 89 main gun was the Type 90 57 mm Tank Gun with caliber of 57 mm, barrel length of 0.85 m (L14.9) el angle of fire of -15 to +20 degrees, AZ angle of fire of 20 degrees, muzzle velocity of 380 m/s ,penetration of 20 mm/500 m
Though the Type 89 Tank was good on the whole, there were still several small problems. For example, early model had a gap under the mantlet that allowed rifle fire to enter the turret. Work continued on improving the Type 89 after the production started, and as a result many variants exist. Japanese experience with tank design was still at an early stage and proceeded on a trial and error basis.
[edit] Combat history
Chi-Ro Tank was deployed in the tank force and used in the battles of China. First, the tank force belonged to the infantry arms and their duty was to support infantry. The short-barreled 57 mm gun of Type 89 Tank was effective at destroying machine gun nests and the 15 mm thick armor was enough to stop heavy machine gun fire. The tanks relatively low speed of 25 km/h was not a problem for the infantry support role.
The Type 89 first saw use during the First Battle of Shanghai in China in 1932 when it was part of the Imperial Japanese naval landing force. It subsequently saw service with the 25th Army during the invasion of Malaya and Singapore although by the beginning of the Second World War, it had already been replaced as the primary medium tank by the Type 97 Chi-Ha. The Type 89 was also in action in Burma and the Philippines before mid-1942 when they were transferred to operations in China.
Type 89 Tank was apparently superior to Renault NC27 tank, which was used together with Type 89 in China. Soon, Renault tanks were replaced by Type 89 Tanks.
[edit] Places were the Type 89 Chi-Ro Medium Tank was used
- Shanghai, China
- Jehol Province, China
- Hebei, China
- Quhar Province, China
- Taierchwang, China
- Hsuchou, China
- Nomonhan, Manchuria
- French Indochina
- Luzon, Philippines
[edit] Units with Type 89 Medium Tank
- 1st Independent Mixed Brigade
- 3rd Tank Regiment
- 4th Tank Regiment
- 7th Tank Regiment
- 2nd Independent Tank Company
- 1st Special Tank Company
- 1st Tank Battalion
- 2nd Tank Battalion
- 5th Tank Battalion
- Special Tank Company of China Detachment Tank Unit
- 7th Tank Regiment
- 8th Independent Tank Company
- 9th Independent Tank Company
- 2nd Tank Division
[edit] Variants
- Type 89A Chi-Ro Kō
Initially built with a petrol engine but after encountering the cold of Manchuria a diesel engine was installed instead.
- Type 89B Chi-Ro Otsu
Entered service in 1934 and hence also known as the Type 94. The multiple plates of the 89A front hull were replaced by a single sloped front plate with the hull machine-gunner sitting on the left of the driver. It had a new turret design complete with a cupola for the commander. The engine was a Mitsubishi air-cooled 6 cylinder diesel.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- TM-30-480, US War Department
[edit] External links
| Japanese armoured fighting vehicles of World War II |
|---|
| Tankettes |
| Type 92 Jyu-Sokosha | Type 94 Te-Ke | Type 97 Te-Ke |
| Light Tanks |
| Type 95 Ha-Go | Type 98 Ke-Ni/Type 2 Ke-To |
| Amphibious Tanks |
| Type 2 Ka-Mi | Type 3 Ka-Chi |
| Medium Tanks |
| Type 89 Chi-Ro | Type 97 Chi-Ha | Type 1 Chi-He | Type 2 Ho-I | Type 3 Chi-Nu |
| APCs |
| Type 1 Ho-Ha | Type 1 Ho-Ki | Type 98 So-Da | Type 4 Ka-Tsu |
| Self-propelled artillery (including AA guns) |
| Type 98 20 mm | Type 98 20 mm AA Half-Track | Type 1 Ho-Ni | Type 4 Ho-Ro |
| Japanese armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II |
