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Japan's Type 95 Ha-Go⁵, Type 95 Ke-Go⁵, Type 3 Ke-Ri, Type 4 Ke-Nu, Type 5 Ke-Ho Light Tanks:

Type 95 Ha-Go:	Type 95 Ha-Go:	Type 95 Ha-Go:	Type 95 Ha-Go:
Type 95 Ha-Go:	Type 95 Ha-Go:	Type 95 Ha-Go:	Type 95 Ha-Go light tank:

Design

A design study for a new light tank was conducted by the Cavalry and Infantry schools and was completed in July 1933.⁷ It was to weigh 7.7 tons / 7 metric tons.⁷ The main armament was to be 37 mm.^5,7 In July 1933, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. began the design work for a new light tank.⁵ It was to have a top speed of 25 mph and have 12 mm armor.⁵ The same diesel engine that was used in the Type 89B was to be used.⁷

The Type 89 Medium was too slow for mechanized operations so a faster model was needed.

These were tested in China and Japan. The company called them HA-GO, and the army called them KE-GO.

The turret was offset to the left. Hand traversed turret. Hull was riveted, bolted and welded. Asbestos padding was put around compartment to keep the temperature as low as possible as there was a space between the asbestos and the side of the tank. Drive sprocket was in the front and idler in the rear. No radio's as standard equipment, a few commander's vehicles did have one installed.

It had many vulnerable points, with gaps, between the hull and turret. The turret could be jammed by a knife. The vision slits let bullets into the tank.

A few vehicles had main gun replaced by Type 98 47mm.

MG Placement

A MG was installed in the rear of the turret, facing the 5 o'clock position.⁵

Main Armament

Round	Velocity	Weight	Penetration	Range
Round	Velocity	Weight	500 m	Range
Type 1 AP⁷	2,300'/sec⁷ 701 m/sec⁷	0.67 kg⁷	40 mm @ 90°⁷	1.8 miles⁷ 2.9 km⁷
AP⁶	1,900'/sec⁶	1.54 kg⁶
	1,886'/sec⁵, 2,215'/sec⁵

Prototype

A prototype was built by Mitsubishi and started trials in June 1934.^5,7 The Independent Mixed Brigade in Manchuria received it for further testing.⁷ It was found to perform very well.⁷

The second prototype was completed in June 1935 / November 1935⁵ by Mitsubishi with some modifications based on the first prototype's trials.⁷

Production

Production started in 1935, and 100 were produced by 1939. Mitsubishi, Hiigata, Tekkosho, Kobe Seikosho, and Kokura Rikugan Zoheisho manufactured them.

Type 95 Ha-Go: 1,250
- Manufacturer:
  - Mitsubishi: 1,164
  - Dowa Jidosha⁶
- Cost: ¥98,000⁷
Type 3 Ke-Ri: 1935-1943: 1,300

Variants

Type 95 Ha-Go, Type 3 Ke-Ri, Type 4 Ke-Nu:
Type 35 (Special): In Manchuria some had their suspensions modified to help improve the ride crossing terrain.
Type 3 Ke-Ri: 57mm Model 97 gun installed². Cramped turret. A few test vehicles were produced in 1943.
Type 4 Ke-Nu: Used turret of Type 97 Medium tank to alleviate cramped turret. 19,000 lb. 100 converted in 1944. Saw little service.
Type 5 Ke-Ho: Designed in 1942 and only 1 prototype built.²

Usage

Used on all fronts. Were used as dug in pillboxes on Iwo Jima.

12 Type 95 arrived at Saipan in April 1944, with the 9th Tank Regiment commanded by Colonel Takashi Goto.

Manchuria

Were issued to the mechanized brigades, but were found to have problems crossing the kaoliang fields.⁵ This resulted in the bogie arms getting inverted and a small roller attached between the pairs of bogie wheels.⁵

	Type 95 Ha-Go	Type 3 Ke-Ri, Type 4 Ke-Nu	Type 3 Ke-Ri	Type 4 Ke-Nu	Type 5 Ke-Ho
Crew	3^1,2,6,7, 4³ Commander⁷, driver⁷, hull machine gunner⁷	Commander, driver, gunner-hull		3²	4²
Physical Characteristics
Weight	16,314 lb³ 7,400 kg^1,3 6.7 tons⁴, 7.28 tons¹, 7.3 tons⁵, 7.4 tons², 8.1 tons⁷, 8.5 tons⁶ 7.4 metric tons⁷	7.4 tons 16,300 lb	7.4 tons²	8.4 tons²	10 tons²
Length w/gun	4.08'² (exactly as in book), 14' 1"⁵, 14.3'⁶, 14' 4"^3,7, 14' 5"¹ 4.3 m⁴, 4.37 m⁷, 4.38 m^1,3	14' 1"	14.13'²	14' 1.5"²	14' 4.5"²
Length w/o gun
Height	7'⁷, 7' 2"³, 7' 3"¹, 7.25'⁶, 7' 6"^2,5 2.13 m⁷, 2.18 m¹, 2.184 m³, 2.28 m⁴	7' 5.75"	7.42'²		7.33'²
Width	6.75'^2,6, 6' 8"¹, 6' 9"^3,5,7 2.057 m³, 2.06 m^1,7, 2.07 m⁴	6' 9.5"	6.79'²	6' 9.5"²	7.33'²
Width over tracks
Ground clearance	15"⁷, 15.5"⁶ 0.4 m⁷
Ground contact length	97"⁶
Ground pressure	8.7 psi, 8.9 psi⁶ 0.61 kg/cm²
Turret ring diameter
Armament
Main	37 mm Type 94^1,3 37 mm² 37 mm Type 94, L/37⁶ 37 mm Type 94 or Type 98 (L/46.1)⁷	37 mm Type 94 (later models had Type 98)	57 mm^2,3	57 mm²	47 mm²
Secondary
MG	2: 7.7 mm MG^1,2 6.5 mm Type 91 MG ³ 2: 7.7 mm Type 97 MG⁷			2: 7.7 mm MG²	7.7 mm MG²
MG - hull	6.5 mm Type 91 (61) MG 7.7 mm Type 97 tank MG⁶	7.7 mm Type 97
MG - turret rear	7.7 mm Type 97 tank MG⁶	7.7 mm Type 97
Side arms
Quantity
Main	119³, 130^6,7	130, 119
Secondary
MG	2,970^3,6, 3,300⁷	2,970
Side arms
Armor Thickness (mm)	6 - 12², 12¹, 6 - 14³ Front: 0.55"⁶, 12⁴ Side: 0.47"⁶, 12⁴			6 - 25²	8 - 20²
Hull Front, Upper	12⁷	12
Hull Front, Lower		9
Hull Sides, Upper	12⁷	12
Hull Sides, Lower		12
Hull Rear	12⁷	6-12
Hull Top	9⁷	9
Hull Bottom	9⁷	9
Turret Front	12⁷ 0.47"⁶ Mantlet: 2.25"⁶	12
Turret Sides	12⁷ 0.47"⁶	12
Turret Rear	12⁷	12
Turret Top	9⁷	9
Engine (Make / Model)	Mitsubishi A6120VD⁷ Mitsubishi NVD¹ Mitsubishi NVD 6120³	Mitsubishi NVD 61020
Bore / stroke
Cooling	Air^2,3,6	Air		Air²	Air⁶
Cylinders	6^1,2,3,6,7	6		6²	6²
Capacity
Net HP	70⁶, 110², 120^1,3,4,6,7	110, 120 @ 1,800 rpm	110²	110²	150²
Power to weight ratio	16.2 HP/T⁷
Compression ratio
Transmission (Type)	Manual.³ Straight sliding gear.⁶ 4 forward, 1 reverse^6,7	4 forward, 1 reverse
Steering	Clutch brake⁶
Steering ratio
Starter	Electric⁶
Electrical system	24-volt⁶
Ignition
Fuel (Type)	Diesel^1,2,3,6,7	Diesel		Diesel²	Diesel²
Octane
Quantity	Main tank: 27 gallons⁷, 28 gallons⁶ Main tank: 104 liters⁷ Auxiliary tank: 7 gallons⁷, 8 gallons⁶ Auxiliary tank: 27 liters⁷
Road consumption	3.1 mpg⁶
Cross country consumption
Performance
Traverse	MG: 35° left, 35° right.³ Hand⁶	360°
Max speed	25 mph², 28 mph^1,3,7, 30 mph⁶ 40 kph⁴, 45 kph^1,3,7	28 mph, 45 kph		25 mph²	31 mph²
Cross country speed	14 - 18 mph⁶, 18 mph⁷ 29 kph⁷
Road radius	110 miles⁶, 130 miles⁷, 156 miles³, 152 miles¹ 209 km⁷, 242 km¹, 250 km³	130 miles
Cross country radius
Turning radius
Elevation limits	-15° to +20°⁷
Fording depth	3' 3"^3,6 1 m³	3' 3"
Trench crossing	6'⁶, 6' 7"³ 2 m³	6' 95: 6' 7"
Vertical obstacle	2' 8"^3,6 0.812 m³	2' 8"
Climbing ability	40° (84%) slope⁶
Suspension (Type)	1 armored helical compression spring per side, acting against bell cranks on each of 2 bogies with 2 wheels each.⁶	Bell crank
Wheels each side	4^3,6	4 (2 per boggie)
Return rollers each side	2^3,6	2
Tracks (Type)	Dry pin⁶
Length
Width	9.9"⁶	9 7/8"
Diameter
Number of links	98⁶
Pitch	4"⁶
Tire tread	Rubber³
Track centers/tread	5.95'⁶

Sources:

The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
Jane's World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles The Complete Guide, Leland Ness, 2002
Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
Tank Data, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, 1968?
Japanese Tanks 1939-45, Steven J. Zaloga, 2007