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Type 5 Chi-Ri

1945 WORLD WAR 2 X-TANK

Type 5 Chi-Ri Story

The Type 5 "Chi-Ri" was an evolution of the previously developed Type 4 "Chi-To" - both of which became unrealized medium tank projects for the Empire of Japan at the end of WWII. The Type 4 was in development from 1942 to 1944, with only two pilot vehicles being completed by September 1945. The system proved to be the most promising of all available Japanese tanks, with a fleet of mostly light vehicles at the mercy of American M4 Sherman medium tanks and 37mm anti-tank weapons. The Type 4 had a hexagonal turret and a 75mm main gun, and was defended by 2 x 7.7mm Type 97 machine guns (LMG).

The power pack features a 412-horsepower Mitsubishi engine that can reach speeds of 28 mph and have a range of up to 160 miles.

The subsequent Type 5 proved to be a 37-ton vehicle with a critical fairing up to 75mm of armor. The primary armament of the first vehicles was a 75mm Type 5 series gun until it was replaced by the more powerful 88mm Type 99 series gun. Secondary armament consists of a bow-mounted 37mm Type 1 cannon and 2 x 7.7mm Type 97 light machine guns. Unlike the Type 4, the Type 5 will be powered by a Kawasaki 98-series water-cooled gasoline engine based on a German BMW 800 hp aircraft engine design and producing 550 hp. Road speed is expected to be 28 mph with a range of 174 miles.

The Type 5 medium tank was developed as a direct counterpart to the ubiquitous M4 Sherman series used by all US allies during the Pacific War.

Design work on the Type 5 began in 1943 and continued until 1944, with a prototype built in 1945. The car was only partially completed in May, when Germany fell into Allied hands, ending the European Front and leaving the Pacific Front with the remaining source of contention. The Japanese mainland was constantly bombarded by the Allies and its infrastructure was severely damaged.

Resources were scarce as the retreating Japanese ceded valuable areas and the Japanese lacked viable naval and air support due to Allied victories in several major battles. So the future of Type 5 is bleak, and the only prototype examples are all that eventually emerge from the program.

Externally, the Type 5 somewhat mimics the previous Type 4 design, including its faceted hull layout and hexagonal turret. The chassis was lengthened over its predecessor to complete the internal volume required for crew, ammunition, storage, engines and fuel, and to provide a larger base for mounting the turret and weapons.

This also requires the use of an extra pair of wheels on one side of the track. The chain system rotates around a front drive sprocket and a rear chain idler with three idlers. No side skirt armor installed. The driver sits on the right front of the fuselage, and a gunner controls his left 37mm cannon mounted on the fuselage. The engine is usually installed in the rear compartment.

The vehicle can carry a total of five crew members, including a gunner, a loader and a commander, all housed in the turret. The armor is welded steel, providing the necessary protection for the Sherman's 75mm main gun.

In all respects, the Type 5 is very traditional in its design approach, and its combat prowess can only be appreciated by historians. A notable downside to the Type 5 layout is its rather tall configuration - making it an enticing target on the horizon.

The vehicle is 10 feet tall, the same width, and travels 27 feet 9 inches long. Even the "big" Sherman is only 9 feet.

With the fall of the Japanese Empire in August 1945 and the subsequent Allied occupation from September, the incomplete Type 5 prototype was captured by the Americans. Its existence after this time remains unknown, but several theories exist (either abandoned by the Americans or lost by a transport ship in a typhoon en route to the US).