Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms By Flag By Year By Tag

Type 1 Chi-He

1941 WORLD WAR 2

Type 1 Chi-He Story

During the 1930s, the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) introduced the Type 97 Chi-Ha series of intermediate infantry support tanks, of which approximately 1,160 were produced. The 15-ton craft has thin running tracks on each side of the hull, a compact fixed-structure hull design for a crew of 4, and a small movable turret offset to the right side of the top of the hull. Armament includes a 57mm low-speed Type 96 main gun and two 7.7mm Type 97 machine guns, with armor protection ranging from 8mm to 26mm.

He began serving in 1938.

Of course, after its success in East Asia, the Type 97 medium tank showed its limitations, especially when compared to British, American, German and Soviet developments. By 1941, the battlefield range and penetration values ??of 57mm weapons were severely limited, and the vehicle's thin armor protection made it very vulnerable to well-armed foesmostly mobile anti-tank units.

Additionally, the Type 97, like other pre-war designs, was originally conceived as an infantry support measure designed to work in tandem with infantry units rather than explicitly engage enemy armor head-on. As a result, there are now tank designs suitable for direct combat, especially in response to the increasing use of Allied tanks in the Pacific.

This naturally spurred the development of a new and improved intermediate tank with the same functional lines as the Type 97. The Type 1 Chihe proved to be relatively similar in scope and function, albeit more modern than its predecessor. A high-speed 47mm Type 1 main gun was chosen, mounted on a central turret along the roof of the fixed hull superstructure.

Power is provided by a Mitsubishi 100 air-cooled V12 diesel engine rated at 240 hp, allowing for a top speed of 27 mph and a range of 130 miles. The hull is suspended by an angle crank system, providing acceptable terrain support for the mountainous jungle terrain encountered. Defense is provided by 2 x 7.7mm Type 96 machine guns - one coaxial in the turret and the other in the left front hull (the driver sits on the right front).

Crew accommodation was increased to five people, while armor protection ranged from 8mm to 50mm for a total weight of nearly 17 tons. Communication is managed through an integrated radio system - the Type 1 was the first Japanese tank with wireless capabilities (early communication was through visual signal recognition). The landing gear includes thin tracks, four wheels on one side of the fuselage, a front drive sprocket, two track idlers and a rear track idler. The engine was installed in a compartment at the rear of the fuselage.

Overall, the Type 1 was designed to be heavier than the previous Type 97, with improved armour protection and a more powerful main gun armament.

Design work on the Type 1 began in 1940, followed by the required trial period before IJA acceptance. The first car appeared in 1941, and serial production (delayed due to lack of resources) stretched from 1943 to 1944, with production limited to 170 units. This limited the number of Type 1s and deployed them in the defense of the Japanese homeland in case the Allies invaded Japan (Japan's initiative was completely lost in the war, and a defense-oriented approach to warfare was necessary). Sources say the Type 1s may have been used in small numbers at the Battle of Leyte late in the Philippine campaign, but these tanks did not fare much better against the American M4 Shermans than other Japanese light and medium tanks. Main battle tank of the Pacific IJA enemy.

Despite the Type 1's modern approach, the M4 was superior to the design in every wayit was heavier, well-armed, and well-armored, and it continued to evolve every month of the war thanks to its combat experience in Europe. Although the Japanese military developed an excellent navy and a strong air force during the war, it never managed to provide its army with a truly successful tank design during WWII, and the Type 1 seems to have continued that trend.

Additionally, "medium" tanks (classified by the IJA) tend to resemble "light" tanks elsewhere, which immediately puts them at a tactical disadvantage on the modern battlefield.

However, the promising nature of the Type 1 allowed to experiment with the existing design as a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun system in the Type 1 "Ta-Ha". However, only one prototype of the system was completed (suitable for a character equipped with a 2 x 37mm automatic cannon).

The system may also be used as an anti-tank/anti-personnel system.