Type 97 Chi-Ha

Type 97 Chi-Ha
Japanese Type 97 Chi-Ha Tank.jpg
Type 97 Chi-Ha tank at Yasukuni Shrine Museum
Place of origin  Empire of Japan
Specifications
Weight 15.8 tonnes,17.416 ton [short, US]
Length 5.50 meters
Width 2.34 meters
Height 2.38 meters
Crew 4
Armor 33 mm - 8 mm
Primary
armament		 57 mm Type 97 gun
Secondary
armament		 two 7.7 mm Type 97 machine gun
Engine V-12 21.7 l diesel Mitsubishi Type 97
170 hp (130 kW)
Power/weight 11 hp/tonne
Suspension Bell crank
Operational
range		 210 kilometers
Speed 38 km/h 23.6 mph

The Type 97 medium tank Chi-Ha (九七式中戦車 チハ Kyunana-shiki chu-sensha chiha?) was a medium tank used by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Second World War. It was the most widely-produced Japanese medium tank of WWII, with about 26mm thick armor on its turret sides, and 33mm on its gun shield, considered average protection in the 1930s.[1] The 57mm main gun was a carry over from the 1933 Type 89 medium tank, and was designed to support the infantry, while the 170 hp diesel Mitsubishi was a capable engine for the tank in 1938.[2] But was less effective after 1941 than most Allied tank designs. [3]

The Type 97's low silhouette, asymmetric turret, semicircular radio aerial on the turret roof, complicated hull front, and seesaw-type suspension system combined to give the tank a unique appearance that distinguished it from other contemporary Japanese tanks. The suspension was derived from the Type 95 light tank, but used six road wheels instead of the Type 95's four road wheels.[4]

Contents

History and development

With the Type 89 Chi-Ro fast becoming obsolete in the late 1930s, the Japanese Army began a program to develop a replacement tank for infantry support. Experience based after the invasion of Manchuria determined that the Type 89 was too slow to keep up with motorized infantry[5] in the new Mechanized Combined Brigade. Infantry commanders requested a design that could keep up with the new Type 95 light tank, but which retained its low-velocity 57mm cannon for infantry support.[6] The Type 97 was intended to be a scaled-up four-man version of the Type 95 Ha-Go light tank with a two-man turret, thicker armor and more power to maintain performance.

However, at the time there was a rift within the upper echelons of the Japanese army. The General Staff, Osaka Arsenal and the Ministry of War wanted to build as many light weight and inexpensive tanks[7] as soon as possible. Front-line infantry commanders backed the concept of heavier, but more expensive tanks, with better armor and armament. [3] It was decided to build two different experimental tanks for evaluation, which differed from the conventional practice of giving the same specifications to several competitors and having each make a prototype. However, the advantages and disadvantages of the two types became clear even from the design drawings. Therefore, the difference of opinion that existed before the design stage remained unchanged even when the experimental vehicles were completed.

The Tokyo factory of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries completed an experimental vehicle designated Chi-Ha and the Army's Osaka Arsenal completed the Chi-Ni. Chi came from Chusen-Sha ("Medium Tank"). Ha and Ni equate to "C" and "D" in Japanese army nomenclature, making the Chi-Ha the "Medium Tank Model 3," and Chi-Ni the "Medium tank Model 4." Although the requirement was for a 47 mm cannon, both prototypes used the same short-barreled 57 mm cannon as used by the Type 89B. The Osaka Arsenal Chi-Ni was 9.8 metric tons, attained 30 km/h and had a one-man turret and 25 mm armor. The more expensive Mitsubishi Chi-Ha was 13.5 metric tons, attained 35 km/h and had a two-man turret and 33 mm armor on the turret front, 22 mm on the hull front, but only 9 mm on the hull sides.

The Second Sino-Japanese War broke out on 7 July 1937. Peacetime budgetary limitations were removed, and the Mitsubishi Chi-Ha model was accepted as a new Type 97 medium tank. It was tested at the Army Tank School in Chiba in June 1937. Two improved prototypes were tested in January 1938.

The Type 97 medium tank was manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (1,224 units) and Hitachi Industries (355 units), as well as some limited production in the Army's Sagami Arsenal. A total of 2,123 vehicles was constructed from 1938 to 1943, of which 1162 units were the standard Type 97 and 930 units were the improved Type 97-kai (Shinhoto) version. The remainder was various specialized variants produced in small numbers, such as recovery, flail mine clearers, engineer, bridge layers, 20 mm and 75 mm anti-aircraft and self-propelled guns.

The number of Type 97 medium tanks produced was slightly lower than the output of Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks, but larger than any other medium tank fielded by Japan. The following numbers of units were produced each year:

Type 97, 57mm medium gun tank:

Type 97 (Kai), 47mm medium gun tank:

Total production of the 57mm & 47mm gun Type 97 medium tanks was 2,092.

The Type 97 was the most mass produced Japanese medium tank of World War Two. Although production reached a peak in 1943, no vehicles of this model were manufactured the following year. At that time, production was ordered to change over to the new Type 1 Chi-He medium tank.

Design

The Type 97 had a low silhouette, asymmetric turret and complicated body front, which gave it a unique appearance. The hull was of riveted construction with the driver and bow gunner in the forward compartment, and the engine and transmission in the rear compartment. 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 by the driver. Power was provided by an air-cooled Mitsubishi "V-12 21.7 liter diesel Mitsubishi Type 97" engine, which provided 170 hp (125 kW). [10]

The Type 97 was initially equipped with a Type 97 57 mm main gun, the same caliber as that used for the earlier 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. It had no elevation gear; the gunner had to physically move the gun up or down with his shoulder.

It also carried two 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns, one on the front left of the hull and the other in a ball mount on the rear of the turret. The latter could be remounted on top of the turret for anti-aircraft use. The turret was capable of full 360-degree traverse, but the main gun had a second pair of trunnions, internally allowing a maximum 10-degree traverse independently of the turret. The turret featured a small periscope for use when the tank was "buttoned up." On the front of the tank was a searchlight. The radio antenna (29' 6", reverse L shape) of Type 96 Mk 4 Bo (1941 model) was fitted to a communication device (0.6 miles of range and weight of 110 lb), mounted on the side of the vehicle.

The transmission was of the sliding selection type. The Type 97 had four forward and one reverse speeds with high-low change-over. The steering mechanism was of the clutch-brake type with planetary gears. The fourth gear gave a total reduction gear ratio of 5.58, which on paper means that the Type 97 had a maximum speed of 42 km/h. In practice, however, maximum speed was limited to 38 km/h, to prevent overheating of the rubber road tires. Initially, the Type 97, like the later German Panther tank, had staggered overlapping road wheels. In production, the design was changed to independently sprung first and sixth road wheels.

Development of the improved Shinhoto Chi-Ha

Type 97 Shinhoto Chi-Ha at the United States Army Ordnance Museum in Aberdeen, Maryland

The shortcomings of the Type 97, with its low-velocity 57 mm gun, became clear during the Nomonhan Incident against the Soviet Union: the 45 mm gun of the Soviet tanks outranged the Japanese tank gun, resulting in heavy Japanese losses. This convinced the Army of the need for a more powerful gun, and development of a new 47 mm weapon began in 1939 and was completed in 1941. The Type 1 47mm tank gun was designed specifically to counter the Soviet 45mm tank gun.[11] The 47 mm gun's longer barrel generated much higher muzzle velocity, resulting in armor penetration superior to that of the 57 mm gun. [10]

For the periods 1942 & 1943, production of the improved Model 97 with the new 47 mm gun became standard.[12] However, this did necessitate a larger turret, consequently the turret design was taken from the Type 1 Chi-He medium tank to resolve this issue, and the new version was designated "Type 97 Improved Medium Tank" or Shinhoto Chi-Ha ("new turret"). Approximately 300 of the older Type 97s were also upgraded to use the new gun. The 47 mm gun was easily capable of dealing with the armor of the American M3 Stuart light tanks, though it had difficulty going head to head with the heavier M4 Sherman medium tanks. However, as the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff believed that any tanks fielded by the Allied nations would only be of the lighter types, the lack of capability against heavier armor was considered acceptable.[13] Regardless of the opinions of the Staff Officers, the reality was that steel for the Imperial Army's tanks would have to take a back seat to the Imperial Navy's need for warship construction.[14] Consequently, the Japanese army would have to accept thinner and lighter tanks if they wanted lots of them.

Lessons learned from fighting the Soviet Union at Nomonhan in 1939,[15] coupled with tank verses tank combat with the Americans during the latter stages of WWII, were incorporated into the Type 97s basic designs. The Type 97 was improved into a 75mm gun tank and redesignated as the Type 3 Chi-Nu medium tank,[16] of which 144 tanks were built from 1944 to 1945. The last new IJA medium tank design that was actually completed during the war was the Type 4 Chi-To 75mm gun medium tank. This machine was the Japanese version of the WWII German Panther Tank,[17] but only two were completed by war's end.

The IJA's need to supplement their tank divisions with artillery led to a need for SPGs, subsequently, the Type 97's chassis were utilized to manfacture nearly a hundred self-propelled guns, consisting primarily of 75mm guns.[18] Since the IJA's 1930's era tanks didn't have the firepower to penetrate the 1940's generation of allied armor, a need for tank destroyers arose; and experiments ranging from 47mm to 120mm guns was conducted[19] However, due to naval priorities, raw materials for their production were limited.[20] By the time the latest models were put into production, the Japanese war industry had been badly crippled by the American bombing campaign; as a result, few of these newer vehicles were ever built.

Combat history

China and the Soviet Union

The Type 97 was deployed in Manchukuo and China in combat operations in the Second Sino-Japanese War with considerable success, as the ill-equipped National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China forces were limited to only three tank battalions consisting of British exports of the Vickers, German Panzer Mark I's, and Italian CV33 tankettes.[21] However, its first real test in combat against opposing armor came with the Nomonhan Incident (known outside Japan as the "Battles of Khalkhin Gol") in July 1939 against the Soviet Union. The IJA 1st Tank Corps consisting of the 3rd and 4th Tank Regiments (Yasuoka Detachment) had been assigned to the Nomonhan region, under the command of Lt. General Yasuoka Masaomi.[22] Of the two regiments, only the 3rd Tank Regiment had been supplemented with 4 of the new Type 97 medium tanks, of which one was selected as the regimental commander's tank during the Nomonhan campaign. During fierce fighting against the Red Army, in which the 3rd Tank Regiment was assaulting an objective ringed with strung coiled wire (piano wire)[23], the regimental commander, LTC Yoshimaru Kiyotake's Type 97 tank had become entangled up to it's drive sprockets. Struggling to extract itself from the tank trap, LTC Yoshimaru managed to move his tank only about 40 yards rearward, when his machine became stopped completely.[24] Now exposed to Russian defensive positions, Yoshimaru's Type 97 was subjected to the fire of a dozen Soviet BT-7 tanks and anti-tank guns.[25] Russian 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, throwing the turret several feet away from the hull.[26] Only the tank's gunner survived un-injured, abandoning the tank prior to the explosion. The 3rd Tank Regimental commander's body was recovered after the battle. [10]

World War II

From December 8 1941 and in early 1942, during the Battle of Malaya and the Battle of Singapore, Type 97 tanks were used by the 3rd Tank Group's 1st, 6th and 14th Tank Regiments under Lieutenant-General Yamashita's Army. The 1st Tank Regiment was attached to IJA 5th Division, which was among the first to land at Songkhla in southern Thailand. One of its medium tank companies was the 3rd Tank Company under First Lieutenant Yamane (ten Type 97 medium tanks and two Ha-Go light tanks), forming part of Saeki Detachment. The company was in the vanguard of the attack.

One key to the Japanese success in Malaya was the unexpected appearance of their tanks in areas where the British did not believe tanks could be used. The wet jungle terrain did not turn out to be an obstacle. The 3rd Tank Group's tanks were particularly effective at the Battle of Slim River on 7 January 1942, where a company of 20 tanks under the command of Major Hajime Shimada destroyed the better part of the Indian 11th Infantry Division in about five hours. Later, the 2nd and 14th Tank Regiments participated in the Burma Campaign.

The Type 97-kai was first used in combat in the invasion of the Philippines at the Battle of Corregidor with the 4th and 7th Tank regiments. After this operation, the Type 97-kai was tested against a captured M3 Stuart light tank, and at a range of 1,000 meters, three out of six hits penetrated the M3's frontal armor. At a distance of 800 meters six out of nine hits penetrated. Type 97 tanks were also used by Imperial Japanese Navy SNLF armored units alongside naval infantry units in Pacific areas.

As the tide of the war turned against Japan, the Type 97s were increasingly expended in banzai charges, or were dug-in as pillboxes in static defense positions in the Japanese-occupied islands.

During the Battle of Saipan, 36 Type 97s of the 9th Tank Regiment, commanded by Colonel Takashi Goto joined with Type 95s of the 136rd Infantry Regiment commanded by Colonel Yukimatsu Ogawa in an all-out counterattack against the US 6th Marine Regiment. This was one of the largest tank attacks mounted by Japan in the Pacific Theater of Operations, and was stopped by machine guns, mortars, bazookas, artillery, and naval gun fire. However, the Japanese Army seldom made major armored attacks during the Pacific War, due to the limited manuevering areas that prevailed on islands in the South Pacific ocean. Terrain dictated the battle, and IJA tanks were emplaced where they could be the most effective, in hull defilade (buried up to their turrets).[27]

Many Type 97s were retained on the Japanese home islands in anticipation of an American invasion, and experimental varieties with a short barrel 120 mm gun were developed, but the war ended before they could be produced . [3]

The 1930s era Type 97s were hopelessly outclassed in performance and numbers by the new 1940's generation of American M4 Sherman medium tanks. At the final Battle of Okinawa, 13 Type 95s and 14 Type 97 Shinhoto medium tanks of the 27th Tank Regiment faced 800 American tanks.[4] Similar conditions were repeated by the Kwantung Army facing T-34s during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria.

Some Japanese tanks remained in use, under new ownership, after the war. As late as 1949, the Chinese People's Liberation Army still had an appreciable number of Type 97s in its inventory.

Variants

Survivors

Restored examples of the Type 97 are on display at the Yūshūkan Museum at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, and at the Wakajishi Shrine in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka in Japan. The wreck of a Type 97 was found buried in the sand on the beach at Miura, Kanagawa in 2005. Overseas, preserved examples are at the People's Liberation Army Museum in Beijing, China and at the United States Army Ordnance Museum, Aberdeen, Maryland. Numerous ruined examples of the Type 97 can still be found on Saipan and on the Kuril Islands.

See also

Sources

External links

Notes

  1. ↑ Zaloga (Japanese Tanks) p. 11
  2. ↑ Zaloga (Japanese Tanks) p. 11
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 [1] History of War.org website
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Zaloga, Japanese Tanks 1939-45, p. 11
  5. ↑ Zaloga (Japanese Tanks) p. 8
  6. ↑ Zaloga (Japanese Tanks) p. 11
  7. ↑ Zaloga (Japanese Tanks) p. 11
  8. ↑ Zaloga (Japanese Tanks) p. 10 & 17
  9. ↑ Zaloga (Japanese Tanks) p. 17
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Foss, Great Book of Tanks
  11. ↑ Zaloga (Japanese Tanks) p. 14
  12. ↑ Zaloga (Japanese tanks) p. 14
  13. ↑ Chant, Artillery of World War II. Pp. 61
  14. ↑ Zaloga (Japanese Tanks) p. 15
  15. ↑ Zaloga (Japanese Tanks) p. 13 & 14
  16. ↑ Zaloga (Japanese Tanks) p. 17 & 21
  17. ↑ Zaloga (Japanese Tanks) p. 22
  18. ↑ Zaloga (Japanese Tanks) p. 17 & 19
  19. ↑ Zaloga (Japanese Tanks) p. 19 & 20
  20. ↑ Zaloga (Japanese Tanks) p. 3 & 15
  21. ↑ Zaloga (Japanese Tanks) p. 12
  22. ↑ Coox p. 1119
  23. ↑ Coox p. 396
  24. ↑ Coox p. 401
  25. ↑ Coox p. 401
  26. ↑ Coox p. 797 (photo)
  27. ↑ [2] "The Most Effective Jap Tank" - Intelligence Bulletin, July 1945
Empire of Japan Japanese armored 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  • Type 4 Ke-Nu  • Type 5 Ke-Ho
Medium Tanks
Type 89 I-Go  • Type 97 Chi-Ha  • Type 1 Chi-He  • Type 3 Chi-Nu  • Type 4 Chi-To  • Type 5 Chi-Ri
Amphibious Tanks
Type 2 Ka-Mi  • Type 3 Ka-Chi  • Type 4 Ka-Tsu • Type 5 To-Ku
APCs
Type 98 So-Da • Type 1 Ho-Ha  • Type 1 Ho-Ki
Self-propelled artillery
(including tank destroyers)
Type 98 20 mm  • Type 98 20 mm AA Half-Track  • Type 1 Ho-Ni I • Type 2 Ho-I  • Type 3 Ho-Ni III  • Type 4 Ho-Ro  • Type 4 Ha-To
Japanese armored fighting vehicle production during World War II