Type 97 Chi-Ha
2597 Medium Tank (Chi-Ha)7
Type 97 Medium and Type 4 Self Propelled Gun
In the mid-1930s the Army issued requirement for a new medium tank to replace the Type 89B.
Two prototypes were built.5 Mitsubishi5 built one for the Engineering Department, and Osaka Arsenal5 built one for the General Staff Office. The Osaka prototype was known as the Chi-Ni and the Mitsubishi prototype was the Chi-Ha. The Chi Ni weighed 10,000 kg and had a 6 cylinder air-cooled diesel engine which produced 135 hp. Top speed was 18.5 mph. It had a 3 man crew with a 57 mm Type 90 gun and 6.5 mm Type 91 MG.
At first the Chi-Ni was selected as it was cheaper, but it was decided that the more powerful Chi-Ha was needed after the war broke out in China.5
Hitachi also helped with the production of the Chi Ha.
Riveted construction. The driver sat on the right and a the machine gunner on the left. The 2 man turret was hand cranked and was offset to the right. The sprocket was in the front and the idler in the rear. 57 mm gun had muzzle velocity of 1,378 ft/sec. The middle return roller only supported the inside of the track. The 4 center wheels were mounted in pairs on bell cranks. The outside wheels were independently mounted.
Internal communications were accomplished by 12 push buttons in the turret connected to 12 lights and a buzzer by the driver.
36 Type 97s with the 9th Tank Regiment, commanded by Colonel Takashi Goto, arrived on Saipan in April 1944. In the early morning hours of June 17, 1944, 37 Type 97s and Type 95s joined with the 136th Infantry Regiment (commanded by Colonel Yukimatsu Ogawa) and attacked the 6th Marines. Several of the tanks got bogged down near the Susupe swamp while the rest moved forward towards the Marine lines. The Marines using machine guns, mortars, bazookas, artillery, and naval gun fire were able to stop the attack which was the largest tank attack of the Central Pacific.
It's role was to deal with machine gun nests and field fortifications encountered by the infantry.
In 1942 a new turret with a 47 mm Type 97 L/48 gun was fitted. Muzzle velocity of 2,625 ft/ sec.
The 47 mm Type 1 gun could fire a 3.4 lb AP round at a muzzle velocity of 2,700'/sec.6 It could penetrate 2.7"@0° at 500 yards.6
The 57 mm gun could fire a 6 lb HE round at a muzzle velocity of 1,260'/sec.7
Shi-Ki:
Command tank with 37 mm gun in hull instead of MG.2 Turret gun was dummy. A long range radio was installed with a rail antenna around the top of the turret.
Se-Ri:
Armored Recovery Vehicle with a collapsible crane. Had 240 hp diesel.
Ho-Ni I:
Turret removed and 75 mm gun installed.
Ho-Ni II:
Turret removed and 105 mm gun installed.
Mine Clearing Tank G:
Had 2 revolving drums which had rows of chains.2 This was primarily copied from Allied Mine Clearing tanks.
Type 38 HO-RO:
Turret removed, and 150 mm gun installed.
Ho-K:
Had its turret removed and had a steel prow mounted on the front for clearing paths through Manchurian forests.
Other variants were self-propelled AA (20 mm & 75 mm), engineer, recovery, flame-thrower, bulldozer, and bridge layer.
Type 97 Special Shinhoto Chi-Ha:
New turrets designed by Mitsubishi for the Type 1 Chi-He were put onto Type 97 tanks. Mainstay of Japanese Armored forces. Since the Type 1 Chi-He was slow in getting into full production it was decided to upgrade the Type 97 Chi-Ha production. First used in 1942.
The 47 mm gun could fire at 2,700'/s and would penetrate 70 mm of armor at 500 yards.
Observation Tank Ka-So:
Carried a dummy 47 mm gun, but kept the MGs.2 Had rail antenna around the top of the turret.
Bulldozer:
Had bulldozer attachment that was operated by a cable.2
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|
Type 97 Chi-Ha, 2597 Chi-Ha7 |
Type 97 Special Shinhoto Chi-Ha | Se-Ri |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | Commander, loader, driver, gunner-hull 41,2,3,5,7, 56 |
Commander, loader, driver, gunner-hull 42 |
42 |
| Physical Characteristics | |||
| Weight | 33,069 lb3, 29,685 lb7 15,000 kg1,3 13.3 tons5, 14 tons, 14.3 tons4, 14.76 tons1, 14.8 tons5, 15 tons2,6 |
35,000, 33,069 lb, 15,000, 16,000 kg 14.8 tons4, 15.8 tons2 |
15.4 tons2 |
| Length w/gun | 16' 7", 18'1, 18' 0.75", 18.01'2, 18.2'6, 18' 1"3, 18' 2"5,7 5 m, 5.5 m1, 5.516 m3, 5.55 m4 |
18' 0.75",
18' 1", 18.01'2 5.55 m4 |
18.17'2 |
| Length w/o gun | |||
| Height | 7.33'2, 7' 3.5", 7' 4"1,3,5, 7.7'6, 7' 9"7 2.23 m1,3,4 |
7' 9.5",
7' 4", 7.76'2 2.33 m4 |
7.32'2 |
| Width | 6' 7", 7.66'2, 7.7'6, 7' 7"7, 7' 8"1,3,5 2 m, 2.33 m1,3,4 |
7' 8", 7.66'2 2.33 m4 |
7.66'2 |
| Width over tracks | |||
| Ground clearance | 13.5"7, 14"6 | ||
| Ground contact length | 138"6, 12' 2"7 | ||
| Ground pressure | 8.4 psi6, 8.5 psi7 | ||
| Turret ring diameter | |||
| Armament | |||
| Main | 47 mm Type 16 57 mm1,2,5 57 mm Type 973 (90) 57 mm Type 977 57 mm Type 904 |
47 mm Type 973 (1) 47 mm2 |
2: 7.7 mm MG2 |
| Secondary | |||
| MG | 2: 7.7 mm MG1,2 2: 7.7 mm Type 97 MG, turret rear, hull3,7 2: MGs5 2: 7.7 mm Type 97 MG6 |
7.7 mm MG, turret rear, hull 2: 7.7 mm MG2 |
|
| Side arms | |||
| Quantity | |||
| Main | 80: HE, 40: AP.3 1046, 1207 |
114, 104 | |
| Secondary | |||
| MG | 2,3503, 2,5756, 3,8257 | 2,575 | |
| Side arms | |||
| Armor Thickness (mm) | 8 - 252,3,
251,5 Front: 0.98"6, 254 Side: 0.8"6, 254 |
8 - 252 Front: 254 Side: 254 |
8 - 252 |
| Hull Front, Upper | 1"@0°7, 25 | 38 | |
| Hull Front, Lower | 17 | ||
| Hull Sides, Upper | 1"@0°7, 20-35 | ||
| Hull Sides, Lower | 20-35 | ||
| Hull Rear | 0.78"@0°7, 20 | ||
| Hull Top | 10 | ||
| Hull Bottom | 8 | 8 | |
| Turret Front | 1.3"6, 1.3"@0°7, 25 Mantlet: 30 |
||
| Turret Sides | 1"6, 1"@0°7, 25 | ||
| Turret Rear | 25 | ||
| Turret Top | 10 | ||
| Engine (Make / Model) | Mitsubishi Type 971 Type 972, Mitsubishi3 |
Mitsubishi Type 97 Type 972 |
Type 972 |
| Bore / stroke | |||
| Cooling | Air2,3,5,6,7 | Air2 | Air2 |
| Cylinders | 121,3, V-122,4,6,7 | V-122 | V-122 |
| Capacity | |||
| Net HP | 1507, 1701,2,3,4,5,6 | 1702,4 | 2402 |
| Power to weight ratio | |||
| Compression ratio | 17.8:16 | ||
| Transmission (Type) | 4 forward, 1 reverse.3,4,6,7 High and low ranges7 Sliding pinion with high-low transfer case6 |
||
| Steering | Clutch brake6, Epicycle and clutch brake7 | ||
| Steering ratio | |||
| Starter | Electric6 | ||
| Electrical system | Starting: 24-volt6 Running: 12-volt6 |
||
| Ignition | |||
| Fuel (Type) | Diesel1,2,3,5,6,7 | Diesel2 | Diesel2 |
| Octane | |||
| Quantity | 51.7 gallons7, 52 gallons in 2 tanks6 | ||
| Road consumption | 3.7 gallons/hour @ 9.3 mph6,7 | ||
| Cross country consumption | |||
| Performance | |||
| Traverse | 360°, hand3,6,7 | 360° | |
| Max speed | 23.5 mph2, 24 mph1,3,5, 25 mph6,7 38 kph3,4, 38.6 kph, 39 kph1 |
23.5 mph2, 24 mph 38 kph4 |
25 mph2 |
| Cross country speed | |||
| Road radius | 130 miles3,6,7 210 km3 |
||
| Cross country radius | |||
| Turning radius | |||
| Elevation limits | -9° to +11°3 | ||
| Fording depth | 3' 3"3,6,7 1 m3 |
||
| Trench crossing | 8.25'6, 8' 3"3,7 2.514 m3 |
||
| Vertical obstacle | 2' 6"3 0.812 m3 |
||
| Climbing ability | 30° (57%) slope6, 40° slope7 | ||
| Suspension (Type) | Bell crank3,5 Front and rear road wheels independently sprung, center wheels sprung in pairs, coil springs used6,7 |
||
| Wheels each side | 63,5,6,7 | ||
| Return rollers each side | 33,6,7 | ||
| Tracks (Type) | Dry pin6 | ||
| Length | |||
| Width | 13"6,7, 2' 11" | ||
| Diameter | |||
| Number of links | 956, 977 | ||
| Pitch | 4.9"6, 5 1/8"7 | ||
| Tire tread | Rubber3,5 | ||
| Track centers/tread | 6.6'6 | ||
| Production | 1937-1943: 3,000 19377 |
1942- |
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?
- Tank Data 2, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, E. J. Hoffschmidt and W. H. Tantum IV, 1969
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