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Type 97 Chi-Ha

1937 WORLD WAR 2

97-style Chi-ho story

The Type 97 Chi-Ha was a Mitsubishi product designed to replace the aging 89B series, which was in service with the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) prior to World War II (1939-1945). The design of the Type 97 Chi-Ha system was so traditional that it was rarely recommended by Western standards - despite this, it was produced in large numbers (over 1,100) and was later considered the best tank available to the IJA throughout the war.

Ultimately, the The system was questioned and suffered from shortcomings such as small-caliber main gun armament and light armor protection.

Despite its compact size, the Type 97 Chi-Ha was driven by four people. Primary armament consists of a turret-mounted 57mm gun supported by two 7.7mm self-defense machine guns. This weapon was particularly important because it was adequate against enemy armor early in the war, but lacked the penetration required by the mid-level tracked combat vehicles the enemy used throughout the war. A later version of the Type 97 came in the form of the "Shinhoto" and used a high-speed 47mm main gun - smaller in caliber but more effective at breaking through armor at long range.

In any case, compared to the Allied tanks operating in the Pacific, the system was woefully inadequate by the end.

The thickness of the armor protection layer is between 8mm and 25mm. The thickness of the hood is 25 mm.

Dimensions include an overall length of 18' x 7.7' wide x 7.2' high. The weight reaches 15.8 tons.

The car is powered by an in-house Mitsubishi SA12200VD diesel powered air-cooled unit, which offers better range and greater stability (also less prone to fire) than the gasoline-powered counterparts used by the Allies .

Performance results in a maximum road speed of 24 mph and a range of up to 130 miles. The vehicle is suspended on a bell crank suspension system. The landing gear consisted of six twin-tire wheels located on one side of the hull. The drive sprocket is fixed at the bow and the chain idler is at the rear. Three track return rollers are proposed.

The engine is located in the rear of the fuselage and the crew compartment is located in the front of the fuselage.

Several other variants of the Type 97 Chi-Ha appeared, including standard battlefield products such as Armored Rescue Vehicles (ARVs), Self-Propelled Guns (SPGs) and Assault Tanks - all using the chassis of the original combat vehicle. The Type 97 was later replaced by the Type 1 Chihe MBT, which had a more powerful "medium" classification.

Production of the Type 97 peaked in 1941 with 507 units produced. Only 28 were produced in 1942.

The Shinhoto branch produced a total of 930 units, of which 503 were completed in 1942 and another 427 in 1943.

1943 marked the final year of Type 97 production, and in either form, the focus shifted to the Type 1 Chihwa (detailed elsewhere on this page).