Japanese tanks. Japanese tanks in battle Japanese tank troops

Twenty years before the start of the war with China and the ensuing offensive throughout Southeast Asia, the Empire of Japan began to form its armored forces. The experience of the First World War showed the prospects of tanks and the Japanese took note of it. The creation of the Japanese tank industry began with a thorough study of foreign vehicles. To do this, starting in 1919, Japan purchased small batches of tanks of various models from European countries. In the mid-twenties, the French Renault FT-18 and the English Mk.A Whippet were recognized as the best. In April 1925, the first Japanese tank group was formed from these armored vehicles. In the future, the purchase of foreign samples continued, but did not have a particularly large size. Japanese designers have already prepared several of their own projects.

Renault FT-17/18 (The 17 had an MG, the 18 had a 37mm gun)

Mk.A Whippet tanks of the Imperial Japanese Army

In 1927, the Osaka arsenal revealed to the world the first Japanese tank of its own design. The vehicle had a combat weight of 18 tons and was armed with a 57 mm cannon and two machine guns. Armament was mounted in two independent towers. It is quite obvious that the first experience of self-creation of armored vehicles was not crowned with much success. Tank "Chi-I" was, in general, not bad. But not without the so-called. childhood diseases, which was excusable for the very first design. Taking into account the experience of testing and trial operation in the troops, four years later another tank of the same mass was created. "Type 91" was equipped with three towers, which were 70 mm and 37 mm guns, as well as machine guns. It is noteworthy that the machine-gun turret, being designed to defend the vehicle from the rear, was located behind the engine compartment. The other two towers were located in the front and middle parts of the tank. The most powerful gun was mounted on a large middle tower. The Japanese used this scheme of armament and layout on their next medium tank. "Type 95" appeared in 1935 and was even built in a small series. However, a number of design and operational features eventually led to the abandonment of multi-tower systems. All further Japanese armored vehicles were either equipped with a single turret, or managed with a machine gunner’s wheelhouse or armored shield.

First Japanese medium tank, which was referred to as 2587 "Chi-i" (sometimes it was called "medium tank No. 1")

"Special Tractor"

After abandoning the idea of ​​a tank with several towers, the Japanese military and designers began to develop another direction of armored vehicles, which eventually became the basis for a whole family of combat vehicles. In 1935, the light / small tank "Type 94", also known as the "TK" (short for "Tokubetsu Keninsha" - literally "Special Tractor"), was adopted by the Japanese army. Initially, this tank with a combat weight of three and a half tons - because of this, in the European classification of armored vehicles it is listed as a tankette - was developed as a special vehicle for transporting goods and escorting convoys. However, over time, the project developed into a full-fledged light combat vehicle. The design and layout of the Type 94 tank subsequently became a classic for Japanese armored vehicles. The TK body was assembled on a frame made of rolled sheet corners, the maximum thickness of the armor was 12 millimeters of the upper part of the forehead. The bottom and roof were three times thinner. In front of the hull housed the engine compartment with a gasoline engine Mitsubishi "Type 94" with a capacity of 35 horsepower. Such a weak motor was enough for a speed of only 40 km / h on the highway. The suspension of the tank was designed according to the scheme of Major T. Hara. Four track rollers per caterpillar were mounted in pairs at the ends of the balancer, which, in turn, was mounted on the hull. The shock-absorbing element of the suspension was a coil spring mounted along the body and covered with a cylindrical casing. From each side chassis equipped with two such blocks, while the fixed ends of the springs were in the center of the chassis. The armament of the "Special Tractor" consisted of one Type 91 machine gun of 6.5 mm caliber. The Type 94 project was generally successful, although it had a number of shortcomings. First of all, the claims were caused by weak protection and insufficient armament. Only one rifle-caliber machine gun was effective only against a weak enemy.

"Type 94" "TK" captured by the Americans

"Type 97" / "Te-Ke"

The terms of reference for the next armored vehicle implied more high levels protection and firepower. Since the Type 94 design had a certain potential for development, the new Type 97, also known as Te-Ke, in fact became its deep modernization. For this reason, the suspension and hull design of the Te-Ke was almost completely similar to the corresponding Type 94 units. At the same time, there were differences. The combat weight of the new tank increased to 4.75 tons, which, in combination with a new, more powerful engine, could lead to serious changes in balancing. To avoid too much load on the front road wheels, the OHV engine was placed at the rear of the tank. A two-stroke diesel developed power up to 60 hp. At the same time, an increase in engine power did not lead to an improvement in driving performance. The speed of the "Type 97" remained at the level of the previous "TK" tank. The transfer of the engine to the stern required a change in the layout and shape of the front of the hull. So, due to the increase in free volumes in the nose of the tank, it was possible to make a more ergonomic driver's workplace with a more comfortable "cutting" protruding above the frontal and upper hull sheets. The level of protection of the "Type 97" was slightly higher than that of the "Type 94". Now the entire body was assembled from 12 mm sheets. In addition, the upper part of the sides of the hull had a thickness of 16 millimeters. Such interesting feature was due to the angles of inclination of the sheets. Since the frontal was located at a greater angle to the horizontal than the side ones, different thicknesses made it possible to provide the same level of protection from all angles. The crew of the tank "Type 97" consisted of two people. They did not have any special observation devices and used only viewing slots and sights. The workplace of the tank commander was located in the fighting compartment, in the tower. He had a 37 mm cannon and a 7.7 mm machine gun at his disposal. The Type 94 gun with a wedge breech was loaded manually. The ammunition load of 66 armor-piercing and fragmentation shells was stacked along the sides, inside the tank hull. The penetration of an armor-piercing projectile was about 35 millimeters from a distance of 300 meters. Coaxial machine gun "Type 97" had more than 1700 rounds of ammunition.

Type 97 Te-Ke

Serial production of Type 97 tanks began in 1938-39. Before its termination in 1942, about six hundred combat vehicles were assembled. Appearing at the very end of the thirties, "Te-Ke" managed to take part in almost all military conflicts of that time, from the battles in Manchuria to the landing operations of 1944. At first, the industry could not cope with the production of the required number of tanks, so it was necessary to distribute them between parts with great care. The use of the "Type 97" in battles went with varying degrees of success: weak armor did not provide protection from a considerable part of the enemy's firepower, and their own weapons could not provide the proper firepower and effective fire range. In 1940, an attempt was made to install a new gun with a longer barrel and the same caliber on the Te-Ke. The initial speed of the projectile increased by one hundred meters per second and reached a level of 670-680 m/s. However, over time, the insufficiency of this weapon became clear.

"Type 95"

A further development of the theme of light tanks was the "Type 95" or "Ha-Go", created a little later by "Te-Ke". In general, it was a logical continuation of previous machines, but it was not without major changes. First of all, the design of the chassis was changed. On previous machines, the idler also played the role of a track roller and pressed the track to the ground. On Ha-Go, this part was raised above the ground and the caterpillar acquired a more familiar look for tanks of that time. The design of the armored hull remained the same - a frame and rolled sheets. Most of the panels had a thickness of 12 millimeters, which is why the level of protection remained the same. basis power plant tank "Type 95" was a six-cylinder two-stroke diesel engine with an HP 120 power. Such engine power, despite the combat weight of seven and a half tons, made it possible to maintain and even increase the speed and maneuverability of the vehicle compared to the previous ones. The maximum speed of "Ha-Go" on the highway was 45 km / h.

The main weapon of the Ha-Go tank was similar to the weapons of the Type 97. It was a 37mm Type 94 gun. The gun suspension system was made in a rather original way. The gun was not fixed rigidly and could move both in vertical and horizontal planes. Thanks to this, it was possible to roughly aim the gun by turning the turret and adjust the aiming using its own turning mechanisms. Gun ammunition - 75 unitary shells - was placed along the walls of the fighting compartment. Additional weapons "Type 95" at first were two 6.5-mm machine guns "Type 91". Later, with the transition of the Japanese army to a new cartridge, their place was taken by Type 97 machine guns of 7.7 mm caliber. One of the machine guns was mounted in the rear of the turret, the other in a oscillating mount in the front plate of the armored hull. In addition, on the left side of the hull there were loopholes for firing from the crew's personal weapons. The Ha-Go crew, for the first time in this line of light tanks, consisted of three people: a driver mechanic, a gunner and a gunner commander. The duties of the gunner technician included control of the engine and firing from the front machine gun. The second machine gun was controlled by the commander. He loaded the cannon and fired from it.

The first experimental batch of Ha-Go tanks was assembled back in 1935 and immediately went to the troops for trial operation. In the war with China, due to the weakness of the latter's army, the new Japanese tanks did not achieve much success. A little later, during the battles at Khalkhin Gol, the Japanese military finally managed to test the Type 95 in a real battle with a worthy opponent. This check ended sadly: almost all the Ha-Gos that the Kwantung Army had were destroyed by tanks and artillery of the Red Army. One of the results of the battles at Khalkhin Gol was the recognition by the Japanese command of the insufficiency of 37-mm guns. During the battles, Soviet BT-5s, equipped with 45 mm guns, managed to destroy Japanese tanks even before they approached the distance of confident defeat. In addition, there were many machine-gun tanks in the Japanese armored formations, which clearly did not contribute to success in battles.

"Ha-Go", captured by American troops on the island of Io

Subsequently, the Ha-Go tanks collided in battle with American equipment and artillery. Due to the significant difference in calibers - the Americans were already using 75 mm tank guns with might and main - Japanese armored vehicles often suffered heavy losses. By the end of the Pacific War, Type 95 light tanks were often converted into fixed firing points, but their effectiveness was not great either. The last battles involving the "Type 95" took place during the Third civil war in China. Trophy tanks were handed over to the Chinese military, with the USSR sending captured armored vehicles to the People's Liberation Army, and the US to the Kuomintang. Despite the active use of the "Type 95" after the Second World War, this tank can be considered quite lucky. Of the more than 2,300 built tanks, a dozen and a half have survived to our time in the form of museum exhibits. A few dozen more damaged tanks are local landmarks in some Asian countries.

Medium "Chi-Ha"

Shortly after the start of testing the Ha-Go tank, Mitsubishi presented another project, rooted in the early thirties. This time, the good old TK concept became the basis for a new medium tank, called Type 97 or Chi-Ha. It should be noted that "Chi-Ha" had little in common with "Te-Ke". The coincidence of the digital development index was due to some bureaucratic issues. However, it was not without borrowing ideas. The new "Type 97" had the same layout as the previous machines: the engine in the stern, the transmission in the front and the fighting compartment between them. The design of "Chi-Ha" was carried out according to the frame system. The maximum thickness of the rolled hull sheets in the case of the "Type 97" has increased to 27 millimeters. This provided a significant increase in the level of protection. As practice later showed, the new thicker armor turned out to be much more resistant to enemy weapons. For example, American heavy machine guns Browning M2 confidently hit Ha-Go tanks at distances up to 500 meters, but they left only dents on the Chi-Ha armor. More solid armor led to an increase in the combat weight of the tank to 15.8 tons. This fact required the installation of a new engine. On the early stages The project considered two motors. Both had the same power of 170 hp, but were developed by different companies. As a result, Mitsubishi diesel was chosen, which turned out to be a little more convenient in production. And the ability to quickly and conveniently connect tank designers with engine engineers has done its job.

Given the current trends in the development of foreign tanks, the Mitsubishi designers decided to equip the new Type 97 with more powerful weapon than previous tanks had. A 57 mm Type 97 gun was mounted on the turret. As on the "Ha-Go", the gun could swing on pins not only in the vertical plane, but also in the horizontal, within a sector 20 ° wide. It is noteworthy that the thin horizontal aiming of the gun was carried out without any mechanical means - only by the physical strength of the gunner. Vertical aiming was carried out in the sector from -9 ° to + 21 °. The standard gun ammunition was 80 high-explosive fragmentation and 40 armor-piercing shells. Armor-piercing ammunition weighing 2.58 kg from a kilometer pierced up to 12 millimeters of armor. At half the distance, the penetration rate increased by one and a half times. Additional armament "Chi-Ha" consisted of two machine guns "Type 97". One of them was located in front of the hull, and the other was intended for defense against an attack from behind. The new gun forced the tank builders to go for another increase in the crew. Now it included four people: a driver, gunner, loader and commander-gunner.

In 1942, on the basis of the Type 97, the Shinhoto Chi-Ha tank was created, which differed from the original model with a new gun. The 47-mm Type 1 gun made it possible to increase the ammunition load to 102 rounds and at the same time increase armor penetration. A 48-caliber barrel accelerated the projectile to such speeds at which it could penetrate up to 68-70 millimeters of armor at a distance of up to 500 meters. The updated tank turned out to be more effective against enemy armored vehicles and fortifications, in connection with which mass production was launched. In addition, a large part of the more than seven hundred manufactured Shinhoto Chi-Ha was converted during repairs from simple Type 97 tanks.

The combat use of "Chi-Ha", which began in the very first months of the war in the Pacific theater of operations, until a certain time showed sufficient effectiveness of the applied solutions. However, over time, when the United States entered the war, already having tanks such as the M3 Lee in its troops, it became clear that all the light and medium tanks available to Japan simply could not fight them. For a reliable defeat of American tanks, accurate hits on certain parts of them were required. This was the reason for the creation of a new turret with a Type 1 cannon. One way or another, none of the modifications of the "Type 97" could compete on an equal footing with the equipment of the enemy, the USA or the USSR. Including as a result of this, out of approximately 2,100 pieces, only two whole Chi-Ha tanks have survived to our time. Another dozen survived in a damaged form and are also museum exhibits.

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In the 1950s, at the initial stage of the construction of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, they were armed mainly with American military equipment, including light tanks M24 and M41, as well as medium M4A3 and M47.

However, already in 1954, Japan began developing its own medium tanks of the first post-war generation. From 1957 to 1962, several prototypes were made under the indices from ST-A1 to ST-A4. In their design, on the one hand, the pre-war traditions of Japanese tank building continued, associated with the installation of an air-cooled diesel engine in the rear of the hull with front drive wheels, on the other hand, it is quite obvious that the American M47 tank served as a prototype in the design.

When developing the tank, in addition, Japanese specifics were taken into account. Due to the fact that Japan is a predominantly mountainous country with few plains, the main attention was paid to the maneuverability of the tank. It was also necessary to make it as light and small as possible due to the constraints imposed by the nature of the road network, the low carrying capacity of most bridges and the fact that railways countries have reduced gauge. When determining the size of the tank, the fact that the Japanese were predominantly small in stature was also taken into account.

TANK "61"

In 1962, a new medium tank was put into service under the brand name "61". It was in serial production from 1962 to 1972. During this time, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has manufactured 560 units. On the basis of the "61" tank, the "67" bridge layer, the "67" sapper tank and the "70" BREM were developed and mass-produced. In connection with the entry into the troops in the second half of the 1990s of the "90" tanks, the "61" tanks were withdrawn from service. By 2000, there were no more of them left in the Self-Defense Forces.

TANK "74": DEVELOPMENT

The development of a new medium tank was started by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 1962 and took place as part of a program that provided for the reinforcement of the 61 tank fleet with new vehicles, and then its complete replacement. After seven years of research and development work, in September 1969, the first two ST-B1 prototypes were manufactured. They took into account all the then achievements of world tank building, and also implemented numerous original developments of Japanese designers: automatic gun loader, system remote control anti-aircraft machine gun, a new hydromechanical transmission, hydropneumatic suspension of road wheels and much more. Until 1973, a series of prototypes from ST-B1 to ST-B6 was made, the design of which became more and more simplified as the design progressed. The tank was adopted by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces in 1975 under the designation "74", in the same year its mass production began. From 1975 to 1991, 873 units were manufactured.

TANK "74": DESIGN

The layout of the tank "74" is classic, with the engine compartment located aft. Unlike the tank "61" on "74", the driver is located in the bow of the hull on the left. The hull is welded from rolled armor plates, the turret is cast hemispherical in shape, resembling towers in appearance Soviet tanks, as well as the turrets of the AMX-30 and Leopard-1 tanks. The maximum thickness of the frontal armor of the hull is 110 mm, the angle of inclination of the frontal plate to the vertical is 65°. The gun has a concentric recoil device and is stabilized in two planes. Aiming the gun at the target and firing can be carried out by both the tank commander and the gunner. The complex of sighting devices of the tank includes a combined (day/night) commander's periscope sight, which has a built-in laser rangefinder on a ruby ​​with a measurement range of 300 to 4000 m, the main J-3 periscope combined gunner's sight and an auxiliary telescopic articulated monocular gunner's sight. Active type night devices, illumination is carried out using a xenon searchlight mounted to the left of the gun. The tank's ammunition load consists of 55 shots, 4,500 rounds of 7.62 mm caliber and 660 rounds of 12.7 mm caliber. The tank "74" is equipped with a two-stroke diesel 10-cylinder, V-shaped air-cooled engine "Mitsubishi" 10ZF 22WT, turbocharged. Its power is 720 hp. With. (529 kW) at 2200 rpm.

In the stern of the tank, in a single block with the engine, there is a Mitsubishi MT 75A mechanical planetary transmission with friction gears (6 + 1) and a differential rotation mechanism. Tank suspension - hydropneumatic, adjustable, clearance varies from 200 to 650 mm, hull trim ± 6 °, roll ± 9 °. The installation of elastic suspension elements is made inside the housing. The tension of the caterpillar can be adjusted from the driver's seat using the hydraulic drive of the tensioning mechanism. The tank is equipped with a system of protection against weapons of mass destruction, automatic system PPO and OPVT equipment.

The combat weight of the tank is 38 tons. The maximum speed is 53 km/h, the cruising range on the highway is 300 km. The crew of the car consists of four people. The limited carrying capacity of the chassis and the relatively low engine power did not allow the tank to be upgraded by increasing the level of armor protection and installing more powerful weapons, as was done in most European states and USA. Nevertheless, "74" still remains the basis of the armored forces of the Self-Defense Forces: as of 2010, 560 tanks of this type were in combat units.

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At worst, someone remembers the American Sherman tanks and the British Churchill heavy tanks. Meanwhile, many do not even know that Imperial Japan, Germany's main Pacific ally, also had tank troops. Of course, against the background of the tank forces of the USSR, Germany, the USA or Great Britain, the Japanese tank fleet during the Second World War was more than modest, but still its development is of some interest to history buffs and military equipment.

Japan acquired tanks back in the mid-20s. The first Japanese tank units were equipped with imported British and French combat vehicles. It is known, for example, that at that time the Japanese army had about two dozen French lungs tanks "FT-17". At the same time, the Japanese began developing their own vehicles based on foreign models they had in service.

These were the first steps towards the start of mastering the production of tanks. The first tanks, created by the Japanese in the late 20s, were completely unsuitable for adoption, and the army abandoned them. However, work on creating our own tank fleet was continued. At the end of 1929, the first serial Japanese tank "Type-89" appeared. The armor of the new combat vehicle was rather weak - the frontal projection was only 17mm. However, such weak armor was typical for many tanks of the late 20s and early 30s. The tank was armed with a 57 mm cannon with mediocre ballistics. All other parameters of the tank also left much to be desired. However, in general, at that time it met the international standards of the late 20s.

Production of tanks in Japan in 1939 - 1945

Despite the poor performance of the new vehicle, it was the first Japanese tank to enter service with the imperial army. It will be produced until 1939, but total units produced against the backdrop of Europe and the USSR looks of course ridiculous - only about 400 tanks. By 1931, the Japanese had completed the prototype of another tank, which would later be called Type-92. This tank was armed only with 13mm and 6mm machine guns. Reservation was only 6mm and did not always save even from small caliber bullets. The tank was designed in accordance with the requirements of the cavalry and had enough good speed and mobility, but its armor and armament were already frankly weak even for the early 30s. Nevertheless, the tank was produced until the mid-30s and the total production amounted to over 150 tanks.

Simultaneously with the Type-92, the production of the Type-94 TK tankette was going on, which was supposed to become something like a mobile supply unit for the Japanese troops. It was planned that the main function of the "Type-94 TK" would be the transportation of ammunition, fuel and food to remote garrisons, as well as the supply active armies or transporting infantry in a combat area. As practice has shown, the tankette was used not only for transporting goods and soldiers, but also as a means of combat with the enemy, provided that he did not have anti-tank defense, and also as a reconnaissance armored vehicle. The production of these tankettes by Japanese standards was quite large - about 800 units.

The obviously weak armor and armament characteristics of the produced tanks encouraged the Japanese to make further efforts to develop their armored forces. Adopted in 1935 new lightweight tank, called "Ha-Go" (Type-95). The tank also had weak armor - only 12mm in the frontal projection of the hull, had a 37mm gun. The Japanese cavalry leadership remained rather speedy parameters of the tank, not taking into account the armament and armor, which just did not suit the representatives of the infantry command. And yet, this tank will eventually become the most massive Japanese combat vehicle of the Second World War - over 2000 tanks of this type will be produced during the war years. Japan in the 30s continued to increase its efforts to improve its tank fleet, and the result of this was the appearance by the end of the 30s of medium tanks "Chi-Ha" (Type-97). This tank, along with the "Ha-Go" will become one of the most massive Japanese tanks of the Second World War. In all theaters of operations, these tanks will be present in the ranks of the Japanese troops. The tank was armed with a 57-mm semi-automatic gun, was better armored than all its predecessors (hull forehead - 27mm), and also had good dynamic characteristics - indicators of speed and mobility. In general, this tank was the most successful solution of Japanese tank building.

The main types of tanks that were used by Japan during the Second World War were listed above. Alas, due to limited resources, as well as other factors, the Japanese leadership preferred the development of shipbuilding and military aviation to the detriment of the tank industry. This was due to the fact that Japan had to pay great attention to covering its sea supply channels, and for this it was necessary to maintain a large navy and cargo fleet, as well as to have aircraft carriers and carrier-based aircraft. In addition, on the islands of the Pacific Ocean, the jungle and swampy terrain did not allow tanks to act as they did in Europe, the conditions for their use were fundamentally different and they did not play such a role in the battles of the Pacific campaign. decisive role, which they played during the battles in Europe.

All these factors led to the fact that by the mid-40s, Japan was seriously lagging behind in the production of tanks from all the major military powers participating in the war. The lag was not only quantitative, but also qualitative - the combat value of Japanese tanks in the middle of the war was already catastrophically low. As the Americans gradually gained the upper hand in the Pacific confrontation, Japan's opportunities to replenish its tank fleet also narrowed. The dwindling resources were used for the needs of the fleet and aviation. Tank production was rapidly declining. In the last year of the war, Japan was able to produce only 145 tanks. In total, in the 30s and 40s, Japanese industry gave the army 6450 tanks. Against the background of the production of tanks in the USA, the USSR or Germany, these are, of course, very modest figures.

History of Japanese tank building

Japan's first own tank was built in 1927 by the arsenal in Osaka, an experimental two-tower tank "Chi-i" (middle first) weighing 18 tons. Before that, tanks were used foreign production, French M21 Chenillet, Renault FT-18, NC-27, Renault NC-26, English Mk.IV, Mk.A Whippet, MkC, Vickers, Vickers 6-ton were purchased. All purchased samples were carefully analyzed by designers. So in French (they went into the series as "Otsu"), the engine was replaced by a diesel one. By the way, the French NC-27 (“Otsu”) and Renault FT-18 (“Ko-gata”) were used by the army until 1940.

In addition to the two-turret "Chi-i", an 18-ton three-turreted tank "Type 2591" and in 1934 a three-turret "Type 2595" were created in 1931. If these machines were at least really created, then the creation of the "Type 100" or "O-i" (big first) stopped at design work, a three-tower vehicle weighing 100 tons was planned to be used to break through fortified areas. At this point, experiments with the creation of multi-turreted tanks ended, several tanks built "2591" were used in China.

On the basis of the Vickers Mk.S tanks in the early 30s. the medium tank "I-go" ("first model") or "89 Ko" was created. He became the first serial tank, from 1931-1937 they produced 230 pieces.

Japanese tank building received a significant boost after the High Command made a decision on large-scale mechanization of the army in 1932, followed by corresponding orders from industry.

The Japanese managed to avoid the wedge craze. After analyzing the purchased Cardin-Loyd tankette, the Japanese created a small Type 2592 tank. It used the suspension proposed by the most famous Japanese tank builder Tomio Hara. The model turned out to be so successful that several new models were later built on it.

In 1935, the industry began to produce the most famous light tanks "Ha-go", and from 1937 - medium tanks "Chi-ha". Both models until the end of World War II were the main ones in tank park Japan.

The planning of military operations on the islands required the presence of floating combat vehicles for the landing. Work on the creation of such machines has been carried out with varying degrees of success since the late 20s, but the peak came at the end of World War II. In 1934, there was an attempt to create a floating tank by giving the body a displacement shape "2592" or "A-I-Go", since 1941. the floating "Type 2" or "Ka-mi" is serially admitted, since 1943 "Type 2" or "Ka-chi", and in 1945. appeared "Type 5" or "To-Ku".

After the transition to strategic defense, tank production increased significantly, some models underwent modernization, some were discontinued and replaced with new models. So the lungs appeared: 1943 - modernized "Ha-go" - "Ke-ri" (light sixth), 1944 - "Ke-nu" (light tenth), 1944 - "Ke-Ho" (light fifth); and medium: 1941 modification of "Chi-ha" - "Chi-He" (middle sixth), 1944 - "Chi-to" (middle seventh), 1945 - in a single copy of "Chi-Ri" (middle ninth), 1945 - "Chi-Nu" (middle tenth).

Modern Japanese tanks

After the end of World War II, while under the American occupation forces, the production of armored vehicles in Japan completely ceased. Its restoration began from the moment the "self-defense forces" were created, at first armed with the American M24 and M4. It should be noted that all post-war tank building in Japan is under the strong influence of the United States. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries becomes the main developer of tanks.

First post-war tank became the "Type 61", which stood in service until 1984. Pre-war traditions were visible in the tank, for example, the aft engine with front-wheel drive. Starting from 1962, development began on the main battle tank, it became the serial "74". First of all, to counter the Soviet "T-72", in 1989 the third generation tank "90" was adopted. February 13, 2008 Japan introduced the tank latest generation"Type 10". By appearance"Type 10" resembles "Merkava Mk-4" and "Leopard 2A6", but in terms of weight it is closer to Russian tanks. In principle, this is only a prototype and it can go into the series with some changes.

The Type 10 is Japan's most modern main battle tank (MBT). This machine was developed as a cheaper alternative to the Type 90 MBT by carrying out a deep modernization of the hull and running gear of the Type 74 tank and installing a new design turret on it. The prototype of the new tank was first shown to the public in 2008, and in 2010 it began to be delivered to the military units of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. It is reported that the cost of one tank is about 6.5 million dollars apiece. It is planned that over time this fighting machine replace obsolete Type 74 tanks and qualitatively complement the Type 90 tank fleet.

The first show of the new tank took place on February 13, 2008. A prototype of a promising MBT was shown to journalists in the city of Sagamihara at the research center of the Japanese Ministry of Defense. The Type 10 tank incorporated the latest achievements in the field of tank building in recent years and was created taking into account the experience of conducting local conflicts of our time. Work on this combat vehicle began in the early 2000s, and individual structural elements were developed back in the 90s of the last century. The machine is designed and manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

The Type 10 tank is made according to the classical layout, its crew consists of 3 people: a driver located in front of the hull, as well as a gunner and vehicle commander in a manned turret. This tank is planned to be used in the mountainous regions of the country and in cramped areas. The tank presented in the city of Sagamihara has the following overall characteristics: length - 9.42 m (with a gun forward), width - 3.24 m, height - 2.3 m. The combat weight of the vehicle is 44 tons, while the weight Type 90 - about 50 tons (at the same time, Type 10 is 380 mm shorter in length and 160 mm in width). Both tanks have the same crew size and are equipped with automatic loaders. The main armament of the tank is a 120 mm smoothbore gun paired with a 7.62 mm machine gun; a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun can also be mounted on the tank.