Development of Japanese tanks in World War II

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The Empire of Japan produced its first indigenous tank in 1927, which was the Type 87 medium tank. Later, the Japanese purchased some Vickers 6 ton tanks and the Carden Loyd tankette and used these as a basis for further development, resulting in tanks such as the Type 89 Chi-Ro.

Having adopted the French Renault tank in 1918, just as both the Americans and Italians before them, Japan was influenced by the French school of thought in terms of armor design and employment. As with many other nations, the Japanese viewed the tank as a tool largely used to support infantry units and during their war in China, with the lack of opposition in terms of armor, Japanese tanks were successful. As with most nations tanks during the early experimental years were rarely allowed independent action unlike future Blitzkrieg actions.

With the defeat at Nomonhan by the Soviet Union in 1939, however, the Japanese decided to re-think their designs; although the emphasis remained with infantry support. With the beginning of the Pacific war, however Japan's priorities shifted to warship and aircraft production and the resources for the construction of armored vehicles for the Imperial Army were diverted or curtailed[1]

Another factor was that terrain in the Pacific and to the lesser extant South East Asia was not suited to armored warfare. These areas were largely tropical covered with thick jungle forests, apart from the invasion of Malaya large scale uses of tanks were limited and so investment in newer armor designs were not considered critical.

Therefore older tanks continued to be used, even though they were outclassed, as defensive emplacements and infantry support weapons. Japanese tanks remainded inferior to allied designs throughout the war. Advanced Japanese tank designs which could challenge allied tanks did not appear until close of World War II, however these were largely experimental or produced in small quantities; not enough to make an impact on battles.

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[edit] Initial tank procurement

After World War I, Japan showed an interest in tanks and obtained a variety of models. These units included the British Heavy Mk IV, the Medium A and also the French Renault FT-17 which became known as the Ko-Gata Sensha. A single example of Mk IV was purchased in October 1918 while six Whippets and thirteen Renaults were acquired in 1919[2].

In 1925, the Japanese Army decided to establish an armored force. They planned to form three light tank battalions and one heavy tank battalion. However, the problem was how to acquire tanks for these units. At the time, there were only 16 tanks in Japan. The Japanese Army sent a mission to Europe in order to import more tanks from the UK or France. They requested new models of the tank, but European countries would not sell new models because of shortages of the latest models. The only available model was the old Renault FT-17 tank, which the Japanese Army reluctantly imported them to arm their tank force. In 1927 they purchased its successor, the Renault NC-1 from the French which they called the Otsu-Gata Sensha (Sensha = "battle wagon"). Both of these models were still in active Japanese service in 1940. Additional units and parts came from the takeover of French holdings in South East Asia.

[edit] Japanese design

Many engineers in the Japanese Army Technical Bureau were adamant in their designing of a tank, and for both security and logistical reasons, insisted that the tank should be made in Japan. General Suzuki, the chief of the Japanese Army Technical Bureau protested against the Ministry of War decision to purchase foreign designs, which ultimately led to the decision being rescinded. The engineers were allowed to develop a tank, but due to steel production priorities and engineering inexperience the work would prove challenging. Until that time, Japanese Army engineers had developed very few motor vehicles; several kinds of trucks and one type of tractor. Moreover, the design had to be finished in only two years. If they could not do it within this period, the budget for the development would be cancelled.

[edit] Type 87 development

The development of the Japanese tank started in June 1925. Four engineers in the motorcar group of the Japanese Army Technical Bureau participated in the development. Amongst their number, was a young army officer, Major Tomio Hara. As the tank development processed on, Major Hara was designated the head of the tank development department, and would later, rise to the rank of General. The team started their design of a tank and worked hard to complete the project within the two years allocated. As this was the first tank designed in Japan, they had to begin with almost every component built from scratch. They drew plans that required over 10,000 parts[citation needed].

Maj. Tomio Hara designed a bellcrank scissors suspension which paired the bogie wheels and connected them to a coil spring mounted horizontally outside the hull. This suspension became almost standard on many Japanese models and can easily be seen on the Type 89 medium tank

In May 1926, the design was finished and production was ordered to begin at the Osaka Arsenal. At the time, there was little heavy industry allocated to land vehicles in Japan, so there were significant difficulties creating the first proto-type. In Feb. 1927, the first Japanese tank was finally finished, within the required period. Many Japanese Army generals attended the test on June 21; with the tank trials running satisfactory. During continued testing the following day, the tank again, showed a satisfactory performance on movement in rough terrain and increased slopes. The first Japanese tank had proven successful. Japan felt confident it could now move forward and begin fielding it's own tanks for the Imperial Army. Following initial production, and partly for security reasons, it became Japanese Army policy that all tanks be made in Japan. Another tank development center, Sagami Arsenal, was charged with the design and manufacture of assorted types of armored vehicles and tanks.

[edit] Type 89

Type 89 Chi-Ro advancing towards Manila in the Philippines
Type 89 Chi-Ro advancing towards Manila in the Philippines

It was decided that the Type 87 was too heavy at 18 tons and too slow to be to use as main tank in the army. The Type 89 Chi-Ro was developed to overcome these shortfalls. It replaced the weaker iron armor used on the Type 87 with steel plate and was armed with a Type 90 57 mm gun that was complemented by a coaxial Type 91 6.5 mm machine gun in the turret, and weighed only 9.8 tons. In April, 1929, the design was finished, and production began in 1931. The Type 89 was the first tank to be mass produced in Japan. The Type 89 had two basic variants, the Type 89A Chi-Ro Kō, which used a petrol engine, and the Type 89B Chi-Ro Otsu, which used a diesel engine, and revamped frontal armor. By the start of World War II, the Type 89 was largely replaced by the Type 97.

[edit] Type 95 Ha-Go light tank

Type 95 Ha-Go tank in New Britain following the Japanese surrender in 1945
Type 95 Ha-Go tank in New Britain following the Japanese surrender in 1945

The Type 95 Ha-Go was a replacement for the Type 89 Medium tank which was considered too slow for mechanized warfare. The prototypes were built by Mitsubishi and production was started in 1935, with over 2000 completed by the end of the war. It was armed with a 37 mm main gun and two 7.7 mm (0.303 inch) machine guns, one in the turret rear and the other hull mounted. The Type 95 weighed 7.4 tons and had three crewmen. It served throughout the Pacific Theater, including campaigns in China and on many Pacific islands, such as Guadalcanal, the Marianas, and Iwo Jima. Several variants were built, including the Type 3 Ke-Ri, which mounted a 57 mm Model 97 gun, the "Ta-Se", an anti-aircraft tank which mounted a 20mm AA gun, and the Type 5 47 mm "Ho-Ru", a self-propelled gun similar to the German Hetzer, among others.

[edit] Type 97 and variants

Type 97 Shinhoto Chi Ha tank at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland.
Type 97 Shinhoto Chi Ha tank at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland.

Some 3,000 Type 97 Chi-Ha's were produced by Mitsubishi during this model's production run. The following specialized tanks, based on the Type 97 chassis, were produced: recovery, flail mine clearers, engineer, bridge layers, 20 mm and 75 mm anti-aircraft, and self propelled guns. Late in the war the Navy installed a 120 mm gun in a limited number of these tanks. From 1942 onwards, the Model 97 was armed with the high velocity 47 mm cannon. This model was also known as the Shinhoto Chi-Ha. Mounting this cannon required a larger turret design. This design has been considered by many to be one of the best designs produced by Japan up to 1945.

In 1942, a new medium tank, the "Chi-He" had been developed. It proved to be an improvement over the Chi-Ha on both speed and armor, but due to fast moving events at this time, the Japanese Army had shown little interest in this new tank. The 47 mm gun of Chi-He was already mounted on "Chi-Ha" and the factories were mass-producing the Chi-Ha. Almost two years after its development, the production of Chi-He was started. However, Chi-He was produced for less than a year due to the production of the Chi-Nu tank.

[edit] Type 3 Medium Tank

Type 3 Medium Tank Chi-Nu was urgently developed to cope with the American M4 Sherman medium tank. Originally, the next tank in development to replace the ageing Chi-He was the Type 4 Medium Tank Chi-To. However, the development of Chi-To and Chi-Ri was delayed, again due to a steel shortage, and a stopgap tank was required. The development of Chi-Nu started in May 1944 and it was finished in October of that year. It took only a half year, as Japanese engineers rushed work. The Chi-Nu was produced until the war ended. The Chi-Nu was the last tank that was deployed in the Japanese tank forces.

[edit] O-I Superheavy Tank

The O-I experimental heavy tank had three turrets and weighed 120 tons. It was 10 meters long by 4.2 meters wide with an overall height of 4 meters. The armor was 200 mm at its maximum. The tank had a top speed of 25 km/h. This version had two gasoline engines developing 550 PS/1500 rpm. The O-I had 1 x 105 mm cannon, 1 x Type 1 37 mm (in a forward mounted sub turret), and 3 x Type 97 7.7 mm machine guns (one mounted in a forward sub turret) whereas the Experimental version also mounted a Type 1 37 mm in a rear facing sub turret. It has been reported the one copy of the O-I was manufactured before the end of the war and was shipped to Manchuria, according to an engineer concerned with the project.[3] The O-I had a crew of 11. No images of the O-I have been found, only some drawings are known to exist.

[edit] Amphibious tanks

Type 2 Ka-Mi amphibious tank being tested by Australian soldiers in 1945
Type 2 Ka-Mi amphibious tank being tested by Australian soldiers in 1945

Japan produced several amphibious tank designs, including the Type 1 Mi-Sha, Type 2 Ka-Mi, Type 3 Ka-Chi, Type 4 Ka-Tsu, Type 4 Ka-Sha, Type 5 To-Ku, F B Swamp Vehicle, Type 4 Ka-Tsu Toku 4 Shiki Naikatei APC, and the SRII Ro-Go for use by the Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces. The Type 1 was an early experimental design, that led to the Type 2 Ka-Mi, which was the first production amphibious tank, although only 184 were built. The Type 3 Ka-Chi was first encountered by Allied forces at the Battle of Kwajalein in 1944, however, only 19 were built during the war. The tanks were used later in the war as entrenched pillboxes on Pacific islands.

[edit] Overall production

In the period between 1931 and 1938 the Japanese built nearly 1,700 new tanks, making them the 4th largest tank producer in the world at that time.[citation needed] The peak of Japanese tank production was in 1942, but declined afterwards owing to war material priorities. By 1937, Japan fielded 1,060 tanks in 8 regiments. Japan developed many experimental and operative armored vehicles and tank types throughout the war.

[edit] German influenced variants

Throughout the war Germany exchanged blueprints, technological support/plans, and supplied some examples to Japan in accordance with the Tripartite Pact signed within the Axis alliance. Some of knowledge shared with Japan inspired or influenced later Japanese armored vehicles, for example:

[edit] References

[edit] Books

  • Steven J. Zaloga, Peter Bull (2007). Japanese Tanks 1939-45. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1846030919. 

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Zaloga, p.3
  2. ^ Zaloga, p.4
  3. ^ http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/japan/japan-exp.html Tanks! Armored Warfare Prior to 1946


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