Type 97 Chi-Ha

Type 97 Chi-Ha
A Chi-Ha in the Yasukuni Shrine Museum
General properties
crew	4th
length	5.52 m
width	2.33 m
height	2.38 m
Dimensions	15.6 tons
Armor and armament
Armor	Max. 25 mm armored steel
Main armament	1 × 57mm Type 97 cannon
Secondary armament	2 × 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns
agility
drive	4-cylinder diesel engine 125 kW (170 PS ) at 2000 rpm
suspension	Angle lever
Top speed	38 km / h
Power / weight	10.9 kW / ton
Range	210 km

The Type 97 Chi-Ha ( Japanese 九七 式 中 戦 車 チ ハ , kyūnana-shiki chūsensha chi-ha , German "Type 97 medium tank Chi-Ha") was a medium Japanese tank from World War II .

description

The development of the tank was commissioned by the Japanese army in the mid-1930s . Mitsubishi and the Osaka arsenal of the army each received the order to build a prototype according to different specifications. After the tests, for cost reasons, the choice fell first on the Type 97 Chi-Ni medium tank with lower performance and a crew of only three. After the outbreak of war with China , the army command changed its decision and gave the contract for the type developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries .

The mass production of the Chi-Ha started very slowly and reached comparatively low production numbers. However, with its variant, Type-97 Shinhoto Chi-Ha, it was the most widely produced Japanese tank. In the years 1937 (= Kōki 2597, hence the type designation) to 1944, around 2,200 vehicles were produced. The crew of the tank consisted of four men: the commander, the gunner , the nose gunner / radio operator and the driver. The Chi-Ha was armed with a 57 mm cannon and two heavy type 97 machine guns for fighting infantry. One machine gun was mounted in the bow, the other in a bay window in the turret stern. His unexpected mission for infantry support in the jungle by the Allies contributed significantly to the rapid conquest of the Malay Peninsula in 1941/42 . In the fight against tanks, however, he was  hopelessly inferior to his main opponents in the Pacific war zone - especially the M24 Chaffee - from 1944 onwards .

The Katakana short name Chi-Ha is composed of chi ( チ ) as an abbreviation for chūsensha ( 中 戦 車 , in Kana チュ ウ セ ン シ ャ ) and ha from the Iroha order scheme; So it was the third medium tank after the I and the Ro (Type 89A / B), even if the latter are mainly known as kō- and otsu- under the numbering according to Chinese celestial tribes .

variants

It turned out that the 57-mm short-barreled cannon was not up to the demands of tank combat. The original Type 97 was successful in its role as an infantry support vehicle, but the deficiencies, especially in the artillery, became apparent as early as the border conflict with the Soviet Union in 1939 in Manchuria. After the experiences made, one finally began to replace the cannon with a long 47-mm anti-tank cannon, which had a significantly higher penetration rate. Furthermore, the tower had to be changed; it had to be enlarged to accommodate the longer gun. The general shape was retained. The armor was retained. This vehicle was put into service from 1942 as the Type 97 Shinhōtō Chi-Ha .

The good chassis of the vehicle allowed a number of other variants. Around 300 chassis and hulls were produced in order to manufacture special vehicles - including recovery and bridge-laying tanks  - as well as self-propelled guns with cannon calibers up to 15 cm. These vehicles were only produced in very small series and reflect a practice that the Japanese army often used. Prey guns were mounted on the landing gear, especially with the self-propelled guns. The problem with this practice was the tracking of suitable ammunition, which also had to be captured. The use of guns that were no longer suitable for the field was also a practice. So it could be that the self-propelled guns of a battery each had mounted different guns.

Technical specifications

• Weight: 15.6 t
• Length / width / height: 5.52 m / 2.33 m / 2.38 m
• Ability to cross: 2.5 m
• Wading ability: 1 m
• Climbing ability: 91 cm
• Drive: Air-cooled V-12 diesel engine from Mitsubishi with 125 kW (170 hp) at 1800 rpm
• Speed ​​(road): 38 km / h
• Driving range: 210 km
• Armament:
  • 1 × 57 mm cannon type 97 L / 18.4 with 114 rounds
  • 2 × 7.7 mm MG Type 97 with 2575 rounds
• Armor:
  • Chassis:
    • Front: 25 mm / 42 °
    • Sides: 25 mm / 90 °
    • Stern: 20 mm / 65 °
    • Base / engine cover: 10 mm / 0 °
  • Construction:
    • Front: 25 mm / 78 °
    • Sides: 25 mm / 55 °
    • Stern: 20 mm / 25 °
  • Tower:
    • Front 25 mm / 79 °
    • Side / stern: 25 mm / 75/78 °
    • Cover: 10 mm / 0 °
• Crew: 4

literature

• Alexander Lüdeke: Weapons Technology in the Second World War. Akapit Verlagsservice, Berlin, ISBN 978-1-4054-8584-5 .

Web links

Commons : Type 97 Chi-Ha  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Description with Tech. Data and images (Engl.)
• Description and pictures (German)