Type 95 heavy tank
The heavy tank Type 95 ( Japanese 九五 式 重 戦 車 , kyūgo-shiki jūsensha , dt. "Type-95-heavy-tank") was a projected multi-turret heavy battle tank of the Japanese army , based on the experimental tank No. 1 and the heavy tank type 91 developed from it. It was introduced in 1935, d. H. Kōki 2595, hence the type designation.
With a thickness of up to 35 millimeters, the armor was too weak for a heavy breakthrough tank. The armament consisted of a turret with a Type 94 70 mm cannon, a turret with a 37 mm Type 94 cannon and two 6.5 mm Type 91 machine guns (one in the stern turret and another diagonally left behind in the main turret ). The tank was powered by a German 290 hp aircraft engine from BMW, which brought the 26-ton vehicle to a top speed of 25 km / h.
Only four of these tanks were built, one of which was the converted prototype of the Type 91 heavy tank. Intensive tests in 1935 showed that the vehicles were ready for series production, but the low top speed and the limited driving range of 110 kilometers on the road were criticized. The fighting in China had shown that there was a need for fast vehicles rather than rolling bunkers. Therefore the project was discontinued.
An even larger type with a modified 105 mm Type 92 cannon was planned as a successor.
Technical specifications
- Weight: 26 t
- Propulsion: Air-cooled 6-cylinder BMW aircraft gasoline engine
- Motor capacity: 215 kW (290 hp) at 1600 min -1
- Speed (road): 25 km / h
- Length: 6.47 m
- Width: 2.70 m
- Height: 2.90 m
- Armament:
- a 70 mm Type 94 cannon with 100 rounds
- a 37 mm Type 94 cannon with 250 rounds
- two 6.5 mm MG Type 91 with 2940 rounds
- Armor:
- Chassis:
- Front 35 mm /? °
- Sides 30 mm / 90 °
- Stern 25 mm / 90 °
- Base / engine cover 12 mm / 0 °
- Towers:
- Front 30 mm / 75–90 °
- Side / rear 25 mm / 90 °
- Ceiling 16 mm / 0 °
- Chassis:
- Crew: 5