Type 3 Chi-Nu
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| Type 3 Chi-Nu | |
|---|---|
 A Type 3 Chi-Nu at the JGSDF Ordnance School in Tsuchiura, Kanto, Japan. |
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| Specifications | |
| Weight | 18.2 |
| Length | 5.64 |
| Width | 2.41 |
| Height | 2.68 |
| Crew | 5 |
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| Armor | 8-50 |
| Primary armament |
75 mm Type 3 gun |
| Secondary armament |
1 x 7.7 mm Type 97 MG (hull) |
| Engine | Mitsubishi Type 100 V-12 diesel 240 hp (179 kW) |
| Suspension | Bell crank |
| Operational range |
210 |
| Speed | 39 |
The Type 3 Chi-Nu was yet another improvement over the Type 97 Chi-Ha in a line of medium tanks started by the Type 1 Chi-He. The Type 3 retained the same hull and suspension of the Type 97 but in a large new turret the Type 3 mounted one Type 3 75 mm gun, one of the largest guns ever to be fitted on a Japanese vehicle during the Second World War. The Type 3 was designed to combat the American M4 Sherman, a tank which was far superior to any tank of the Imperial Japanese Army.
The main gun of Chi-Nu was the Type 3 75 mm Tank Gun with caliber of 75 mm, barrel length of 2.883 m (L38.4). The gun could be elevated between -10 and +25 degrees. It had a muzzle velocity of 680 meters per second and an armour penetration of 90 millimeters at a range of 100 meters and 65 millimeters at a range of 1,000 meters. The Type 3 gun was based on the Japanese Type 90 field gun which itself was based on the French 1919 75 mm Schneider Mountain gun.
Type 3 Medium Tank Chi-Nu was developed to cope with the M4 Sherman[1]. It was originally intended that the tank to follow the Type 1 Chi-He was the Type 4 Medium Tank Chi-To. However, there were delays in the development of Chi-To, and as a result a stopgap tank was required. The development of Chi-Nu started in May 1944 and it was finished in October, just six months later. The Chi-Nu was the last tank that was fielded by the Japanese armed forces, and was produced until the end of the war.
The Type 3 was allocated to the Japanese home islands to defend against an Allied Invasion that never materialised and therefore, never saw combat There are lists existent in Japan that show that at least 6 tank regiments were equipped with Chi-Nu tanks on Kyushu and Honshu. According to original WW2 factory files and recent Japanese sources like "Japanese fighting Vehicles" by Argonaut publishers, the Gakken Pacific War book series, Mr. Suzuki of Fine Molds and the Armour Modelling magazine approximately 200 were built[who?].
[edit] External links
[edit] Reference
- Zaloga, Steven J. Japanese Tanks 1939-45. 2007 Osprey. ISBN 978-1-84603-091-8.
| 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 I |
| Type 3 Ho-Ni III | Type 4 Ho-Ro |
| Japanese armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II |
