The Japanese “Chi-Ha” is the protector of sushi. Chi-Ha - the main Japanese tank of World War II Japanese team chi-ha tank

`softly tapered and had a feeding niche. The walls of the tower had a thickness of 25 mm and were located at an angle of 10° to 12° to the vertical. The gun mask was 33 mm thick. The roof of the tower was 10 mm thick. The commander's dome with a large double hatch was also located on the roof of the tower. To the left of it there was a double-leaf loader hatch. The driver had a hatch in the roof of the cabin, and the gunner had a hatch in the roof of the hull. Horizontal viewing slits were cut into the deckhouse window panel and its arched cheekbones. Chi-ha did not have viewing devices, and lead splashes from Chinese bullets often hit the crew members.
A two-stroke V-shaped diesel engine was installed longitudinally in the stern. Access to it was provided by hatches in the sides and hatch-blinds in the roof of the hull. In combat conditions, the blinds on the sides were covered with armored covers. On the march, they rose and were fixed in a horizontal position. Fuel tanks with a capacity of 120 and 115 liters were located along the sides. Exhaust pipes were led back from both sides. Four-speed gearbox transmission with sliding gears and reduction gear had eight forward gears and two reverse gears.

Chassis, made as on Ha-go according to the scheme Tomio Hara, was supplemented by front and rear rollers with independent suspension: the outer rollers were connected through crank arms to inclined spiral springs, openly mounted on the board. The track rollers and outer support rollers were double. There were no shock absorbers in the suspension.
Initially, the tank was armed with a 57-mm Type 97 semi-automatic tank gun with a barrel length of 18.4 calibers. The gun was placed in the front part of the turret on horizontal and vertical trunnions, which allowed it to be aimed in the vertical plane within −9...+21° and in the horizontal plane within ±10°. There were no aiming mechanisms; the gun was aimed by freely swinging it using a shoulder rest. The gun's ammunition consisted of 120 unitary rounds, located in racks in the fighting compartment. The standard ammunition included 80 fragmentation and 40 armor-piercing shells. However, after the defeat at Khalkhin Gol, the Japanese, impressed by ours and its tank version, decided to introduce something similar.
The result of this decision was the appearance of a new modification of the tank called "Shinhoto Chi-ha" with an enlarged turret, clearly influenced by the Soviet tank, which housed a 47 mm gun with a barrel length of 48 calibers. Such a gun easily coped with the armor of American tanks

, but turned out to be powerless against tank armor . Therefore, since 1942, the tank was armed with a new 47-mm Type 1 anti-tank gun with a 62-caliber barrel length, which had even higher armor penetration - from 500 meters, its sharp-headed projectile weighing 1.53 kg penetrated 68 mm of armor, and from a kilometer distance - thick armor 45 mm. For the original 57 mm gun, these figures were 17 and 11 mm, respectively. In addition, the Type 1 ammunition included high-explosive fragmentation shells weighing 1.4 kg, containing 90 grams of explosive, which was only slightly less than the 103 grams of the 57 mm projectile.
The auxiliary weapons of all modifications of the Chi-ha consisted of two 7.7-mm machine guns, which were also called Type 97. The machine guns were placed in a purely Japanese manner: one machine gun in the rear niche of the turret and one on the left in the frontal plate of the hull. He did not have a Chi-ha machine gun coaxial with the cannon. It must be said that the first series of tanks were equipped with Czech ZB vz/26 machine guns, many of which were captured from the Kuomintang army, and only when the shortage of 7.7-mm cartridges, new to the Japanese, was ended, native Japanese machine guns began to be installed on the tanks, which, however, , were almost an exact copy the same ZB vz/26.

In 1943, the Japanese introduced an improved model into production, calling it Chi-he Type 1. The model had a welded hull and a modified gun mantlet 50 mm thick, with a better armored turret and a 12-cylinder 240-horsepower diesel engine. Crew new car increased to five people, the weight increased to 17.2 tons, and the speed was 44 km/h. The armament of the tank remained the same.
Chi-ha medium tanks took part in battles in China, Malaya, Singapore, Guadalcanal, Saipan, and Guam. The Shinhoto Chi-ha first entered combat on the Bataan Peninsula in May 1942, and fought on Saipan, Luzon, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, in Manchuria and the Kuril Islands. In total, from 1938 to 1942, 1220 Chi-Ha type vehicles were produced, including 757 Shinhoto modifications. After the war, 350 Chi-Ha medium tanks were transferred to the People's Liberation Army of China, in which they successfully defeated Chiang Kai-shek troops until their expulsion to Taiwan.

Chi-ha of the People's Liberation Army of China in the Chinese Military History Museum against the backdrop of a diorama dedicated to the Chinese civil war.

Official designation: Type 1 “Chi-ha”
Alternative designation: ?
Start of design: 1936
Date of construction of the first prototype: 1937
Stage of completion: serially produced in 1938-1945, used by the Japanese army until the early 1960s.

Long lasting fighting in China and the general global trends in tank building, implemented in the mid-1930s, made it very clear to the General Staff of the Japanese Army that the Type 89\Type 94 tanks did not meet modern requirements. In this regard, in 1936, a new specification was developed, which provided for the creation of a medium tank with improved combat qualities.

During this period, relations between the two military-industrial groupings within the Japanese army most clearly deteriorated. Representatives of the first of them, consisting of General Staff officials and Osaka Arsenal specialists, argued that ground forces needed as many inexpensive and easy-to-operate pain machines as possible. The second group, which included front-line officers and arsenal specialists in Sagami, was convinced that “herds of wedges” would not solve the issue and it would be better to develop more powerful tanks, even if in smaller quantities. Thus, the debate about what should be medium tank reached a dead end, although the General Staff then played a dominant role. As a result, it was decided to order two prototypes of two different tanks for comparative tests. Arsenal in Osaka began developing a tank under the designation "Chi-ni"(“fourth medium”), distinguished by a rather modest mass. In parallel, Mitsubishi began designing a heavier machine, later known as Type 97 "Chi-ha"(“third average”).

The first, at the end of 1936, was “Chi-ni” for testing. Structurally, this tank combines both foreign and domestic experience tank building. Osaka arsenal specialists chose a chassis design partially borrowed from British tank Vickers Mk.E (6-ton), which saved some weight and made the ride smoother. The armament, although it did not quite meet the requirements (one 37 mm cannon and one 7.7 mm machine gun), was considered quite sufficient. The tank's protection also turned out to be acceptable - the frontal armor of the hull and turret was up to 25 mm thick. On paved roads it was shown maximum speed up to 34 km/h.

Since at this time the Mitsubishi company was still completing work on its own project, the Japanese command gave a clear preference to Chi-ni. However, after the start of another war with China in the summer of 1937, opinions regarding the Osaka arsenal project changed. It turned out that the army needed a slightly different tank, equipped with enhanced weapons and better security. It was not possible to modify the Chi-ni to meet the changed requirements - the turret was not designed to accommodate a larger caliber gun, and increasing the thickness of the armor inevitably led to an increase in weight and deterioration ride quality tank. In addition, the Chi-ni crew consisted of only three people and the commander had to combine the duties of a gunner and loader.

Thus, the Mitsubishi project was now considered more promising. However, one should not think that “Chi-ha” was innovative in terms of design. Quite the contrary - Japanese engineers actively used developments in the Ha-go light tank, borrowing a number of elements from it both in the design of the hull and the chassis.

The layout of the Chi-Ha was not very different from the original light tank. The hull had a mixed design, but almost all the armor plates were attached to a steel frame using bolts and rivets, which was an obvious anachronism, but made it possible to replace individual components in the field. The armor was differentiated and varied from 8.5 to 27 mm - in this respect, “Chi-ha” was practically no different from “Chi-ni”. In the front part of the hull, which had a stepped shape, transmission units were installed (consisting of a 4-speed gearbox, multi-disc main clutch, planetary rotation mechanism, single-stage final drives and final drives) behind which there were places for the driver (in the protruding wheelhouse on the right side) and a machine gunner. The upper gable armor plate, with two hatches for servicing the transmission, had an inclination of 80°, the lower – 62°.

The middle part of the hull was occupied by the fighting compartment. The sides were vertical and made of armor plates 20-25 mm thick, but the turret box took the shape of a truncated pyramid and had an armor thickness of 20 mm and a slope of the sides of 40°. The front plate of the fighting compartment was installed at an angle of only 10°. Installed on the roof of the box conical tower with a rear niche shifted to the left and a squat commander's cupola with a mushroom-shaped cap. In the rear wall of the tower was made escape hatch. In the front part of the turret, a rectangular cutout was made for mounting a 57-mm Type 97 gun with a barrel length of 18.5 calibers. Its guidance sectors turned out to be very modest - from -9° to +15° in the vertical plane and 5° in the horizontal plane. Despite the insufficient armor penetration characteristics, the 57-mm gun had a low mass and a short barrel recoil, which was critically important in conditions of limited turret space. The tank commander's position was on the right side of the gun, and the loader's position was on the left. The thickness of the tower walls was 25 mm with installation angles of 10°-12°. Additional armament included front-mounted and turret-mounted 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns.

The Chi-ha tank was equipped with a V-shaped diesel engine Mitsubishi 170 hp The cooling system is air, with an oil air cleaner. The engine was started using an electric starter. Fuel tanks of 120 and 115 liters were located along the sides of the engine compartment. The exhaust pipes were located on both sides and were equipped with mufflers protected at the front by armored shields. Also, blinds were installed on the sides, closed in the combat position with armored covers, which were raised during the march and fixed in a horizontal position.

The chassis of the Chi-ha tank was not particularly original. For one side it consisted of the following elements:

— six double rubber-coated rollers; the four middle ones were blocked in pairs and equipped with a Hara-type suspension, and the outer rollers were equipped with an individual spring suspension;

— three supporting rollers;

— rear guide wheel;

- drive wheel front location;

— small-link caterpillar: 96 tracks with one ridge 330 mm wide and 120 mm pitch.

Thus, the process of unification of individual elements, begun with the light tank "Ha-go", was continued on the medium tank "Chi-ha". In general, this process made rational sense, since it greatly facilitated the mass production of tanks of various types.

Both tank prototypes were built in early 1937. The first of them was equipped with a standard chassis, and the second received a chassis. The number of support wheels was increased to eight, which had a positive effect on the smoothness of the ride. At the same time, the outer wheels retained their individual suspension, and the six middle ones were locked in pairs in a checkerboard pattern (the front spoked wheel on the left, the rear one with a cast wheel on the right). Also, instead of three support rollers, four were installed. There were certainly certain advantages in such a scheme, but from an operational point of view, the Khara-type suspension was still more acceptable.

Having compared the technical characteristics obtained during testing of the prototypes “Chi-ha” and “Chi-ni”, the choice was made in favor of the first. The Mitsubishi tank did not have any undoubted advantages, but more powerful weapons and a better distribution of responsibilities between crew members had an impact. In addition, the disembarkation and landing of tankers could be carried out through the turret hatch or through the hatch above the machine gunner’s head. At the same time, the fighting compartment turned out to be too cramped, which is why it was necessary to use fender niches like those of the Ha-Go tank, and the armor remained bulletproof. In addition, the tank did not have any means of external communication.

Despite the obvious inconsistency with current world requirements, the Chi-Has were adopted by the Japanese army. Production began in 1938, when 110 pre-production and serial tanks. Further, the release of “Chi-ha” continued in larger episodes:

1938 - 110

1939 - 202

1940 - 315

1941 - 507 (some tanks were equipped with a 47 mm gun)

1942 – 28.

Thus, the Chi-Ha medium tanks became one of the most popular in the entire history of Japanese tank building. However, their release did not end there.

Having received new tanks, the General Staff demanded that they be improved performance characteristics. Minimal changes were made to the design of the production Chi-Ha tanks. In particular, command vehicles began to be equipped with radio stations with a handrail antenna, but all tanks were not completely radio-equipped. A more serious modernization had to be carried out, which was largely accelerated by the battles at Khalkhin Gol, where the advantage was revealed in a very sharp form Soviet tanks and armored vehicles equipped with 45 mm 20K cannons. The three-month battle more than convincingly showed that Japanese medium tanks were less effective than the light Soviet BT-7 and T-26. The most pressing issue was equipping the Chi-ha with a more powerful tank artillery system. The 47 mm Type 97 gun, which had much better performance, was chosen as a replacement. Thus, with a barrel length of 48 calibers, an armor-piercing projectile weighing 1.4 kg received an initial speed of 825 m/s. At a distance of up to 500 meters, it pierced a vertically mounted sheet of armor 50 mm thick, which was considered good indicator. The gun was installed in a mask with a wall thickness of 30 mm. The ammunition included 120 armor-piercing and armor-piercing fragmentation rounds. Ammunition for machine guns was increased from 3825 to 4025 rounds.

Due to the installation of new weapons, the design of the turret had to be changed. It became noticeably taller and wider, and also received a developed feeding niche. The commander's cupola and the upper hatch (on the left side) were left in the roof of the tower and a periscope observation device was installed in front of it. There was also a stern hatch for loading ammunition and dismantling the gun. Next to it, offset to the left side, a 7.7 mm machine gun was installed. The rest of the tank has not undergone any changes.
The first prototype of the improved tank, known as Type 97 Kai or "Shinhoto Chi-ha"(“third medium with a new artillery turret”), was presented for testing in 1940. The success of the updated design was obvious, and starting next year, the re-equipping of serial Chi-Ha tanks with new turrets with 47 mm guns began. Full production of the Shinhoto Chi-ha was launched only in 1942, when 503 vehicles were assembled. In 1943, Mitsubishi factories produced another 427 tanks, after which the assembly of the Shinhoto Chi-ha was stopped.

Newly built vehicles received a modernized engine compartment ventilation system, full armored muffler boxes were installed, and a spare parts box was attached to the rear of the hull. A 12-button light alarm was also introduced for communication inside the tank. Late production tanks began to be equipped with smoke grenade launchers. Initially, the four-barreled grenade launcher was mounted on a frame on the side of the turret, but their installation above the gun's top turned out to be more successful.

Despite its rather mediocre combat qualities, the Chi-Ha tank became a good base for tracked vehicles, which can be divided into two categories: special and repair-technical.

Special armored vehicles:

– a unique modification of the line destruction machine wired communication, which has the name in foreign sources High-Voltage Dynamo Vehicle "Ka-Ha". Modifications to the tank consisted of dismantling the gun and installing a dynamo with a 10,000-volt DC generator. According to the creators, an electrical impulse sent along a telegraph wire was supposed to destroy communication means and enemy signalmen who had the misfortune of negotiating through these devices at the same time. A total of four Ka-Has were built, which were placed at the disposal of the 27th Independent Engineer Regiment stationed in Manchuria. No data could be found on their use.

"Ka-so"- an armored vehicle for artillery observers without weapons in the turret.

- an armored logging vehicle, produced in a limited series for use in Siberia, but ultimately they found use in the jungles of New Guinea.

"Chi-ki"- a command tank, distinguished by a modernized turret with a modified commander's cupola and a second hatch in the roof, as well as an improved radio station, navigation instruments, and additional signaling devices. In addition to the absence of a 57-mm gun, command tanks were distinguished by a handrail antenna on the turret. At the same time, to compensate for the weakened armament, instead of a frontal machine gun, a 37-mm or 57-mm gun in a frame was installed in the front plate of the hull. Later, they still had to return to the turret gun mount, and a horizontal antenna was mounted on two high rods. Work on modifying the Chi-ki was carried out in parallel with the design of a medium tank, and the first prototype was equipped with an experimental chassis with three two-wheel bogies. Only after testing was carried out was unification carried out and the tank began to be equipped with a standard suspension.

"Chi-yu"– modification of an armored mine trawl. The turret and weapons were not dismantled, but a frame was attached to the front of the hull, in the front of which a strike mine trawl was installed. The number of samples collected is unknown.

Repair and technical armored vehicles:

"Se-ri"- armored repair and recovery vehicle. Instead of a standard turret, a small conical turret with a 7.7 mm Type 97 machine gun was installed, and a crane boom with a lifting capacity of 5 tons was installed in the rear. The uprated Mitsubishi Type 100 engine installed on the ARV developed a power of 240 hp, which, in combination with a winch, made it possible to repair and evacuate medium tanks in field conditions. This car never became serial - production was limited to 2 or 3 copies.

– a rather original modification of an armored bridge laying vehicle. In order to reduce installation time, a unique bridge release design using two rockets was developed. In fact, the bridge flew forward several meters, causing the entire process to take a few seconds. Another positive side, oddly enough, was its small carrying capacity. The bridge could easily withstand any Japanese light tank, but not an American one. However, serial production of T-g bridge laying machines was not established.

"S-K"– There are no exact data. Presumably, the designation Experimental Trench Excavator S-K meant a trencher equipped with a steel plow mounted in the bow of the hull.

In addition, based on the Chi-ha tanks various series Many models of improved medium tanks and self-propelled guns were produced, a story about which is beyond the scope of this article.

Sources:
P. Sergeev “Tanks of Japan in World War II.” 2000
S. Fedoseev “Chi-ha medium tank” (Armored collection MK 1998-05)
S. Fedoseev " Armored vehicles Japan 1939-1945" ("Historical Series", supplement to the magazine "Technology for Youth"). 2003
Steven Zaloga, Tony Bryan "Japanese Tanks 1939-45"
Axis History Forum: Knocked out Japanese tanks

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MEDIUM TANK
"Chi-ha" model 1938

Current page: 1 (book has 3 pages in total)

S. L. Fedoseev
Armored collection 1998 No. 05 (20) Medium tank “Chi-ha”

Supplement to the magazine "MODEL CONSTRUCTION"

Cover: 1st page – fig. V. Lobachev, 2 – 4th page – fig. M. Dmitrieva.

The editors thank M. Kolomiets and O. Baronov for their assistance in working on the issue.

Tanks 2597 "Chi-ha" on parade. In the center of the picture is the commander's version.

On November 25, 1936, Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany concluded the Anti-Comintern Pact.

A year later, Fascist Italy joined the agreement.

The Rome-Berlin-Tokyo axis coalition began dividing spheres of influence.

Japan, which had long dreamed of power over “Greater East Asia” and had already managed to capture Manchuria, turned out to be the most ready for large-scale action and in 1937 began its “great war” in China. And it is no coincidence that in the same year a tank was created in the Land of the Rising Sun, which was assigned the role of the main strike weapon of the Japanese ground forces.

History of creation

Japanese tank building began with medium tanks. In 1927, the Osaka Arsenal ("Osaka Rikugun Zoheisho") built an experimental double-turret tank No. 1 and a single-turret No. 2, which was later called the "Type 87". In 1929, based on the English Vickers MKS and Type 87, the medium tank 2589 was developed, which became the first Japanese production tank and the main vehicle of the tank forces until the end of the 30s. However, by the time it was put into service, the 2589 had already turned out to be an outdated design, with armor protection and mobility insufficient for a medium tank, which modernization could not correct.

In the second half of the 1930s, Japan revised the requirements for medium tanks and began developing more maneuverable models. In 1936, tactical and technical requirements for a new medium tank were formulated. With a smaller size, greater speed and better armor protection than the 2589, it was supposed to carry the same weapon system - a 57-mm gun and two machine guns. In accordance with these requirements, two prototypes were made: the 15-ton “Chi-ha” (“middle third”) from Mitsubishi Jukogyo KK and the 9.8-ton “Chi-ni” (“middle fourth”) from the Osaka Arsenal.

The latter had a crew of three people - the commander (also the gunner and loader) was located in the turret shifted to the left, in the hull in front on the left sat the driver, and on the right was the machine gunner. The chassis included, for one side, eight small-diameter road wheels and three support rollers. The suspension of the road wheels was like a double suspension light tank“Type 2595”, and the tank itself was rather light - at least in terms of weight it did not go beyond this range. The level of protection was increased by the significant slope of most armor plates. Engine 135 hp allowed to reach speeds of up to 30 km/h, and to overcome wide ditches at the rear there was a “tail” - a legacy of the “2589”.

The Mitsubishi version was distinguished by slightly greater mobility, as well as the number of crew members - 4 people. The chassis design was not chosen immediately. The first developments suggested seven or eight road wheels (solid double and single spoked) and four support rollers on board. Single track rollers were blocked in twos in a checkerboard pattern and suspended on crank arms, while double rollers were individually mounted on the same arms. The elastic elements were three obliquely installed helical cylindrical springs, resting on the upper ends of the crank arms. The next version of the suspension included six double-spoked road wheels, interlocked two into three balancing bogies and three support rollers on board. Each trolley was suspended by a horizontal coil spring according to the “Heat scheme”. For the prototype presented for final testing, a mixed suspension scheme was chosen, as if combining the features described above. In addition, in the process of working on the prototype, the shape of the driver's cabin, commander's cupola, fenders, installation of signal devices, fastening of spare parts and other elements were changed.

In 1936 – 1937, two prototypes of the “Chi-ni” and “Chi-ha” tanks were produced and tested. Since the Japanese General Staff of the Ground Forces preferred tanks that were smaller in mass and cheaper to manufacture, the Chi-ni was considered the main contender for adoption. However, with the beginning great war"With China, the choice fell on the better armored and more maneuverable Chi-Ha. It was put into service under the designation “Type 2597”, and its production began in 1937, with the subcontractors being Hitachi Seisakusho and Nihon Seikusho, as well as the arsenal in Sagami (Sagami Rikugun Zoheisho).

The Type 94 medium tank is the predecessor of the Chi-ha.

Prototype "Chi-ha".

A special command model of the “Chi-ki” (“Shchi-ki”) tank for the regimental link, adopted for service simultaneously with the linear “Chi-ha”, had slightly improved parameters of the radio station, navigation devices, additional signaling devices, an enlarged turret without a cannon mount with a modified commander's cupola, a large rail antenna and another hatch in the roof behind the cupola. To compensate for the removed 57-mm gun, a 37-mm cannon in a frame was installed in the Chi-ki hull instead of the frontal machine gun. The frontal part of the hull has changed accordingly. On some samples, a 57-mm gun was installed in the same way. Later, a cannon mount or its imitation appeared in the tank turret. To increase the radio communication range, a horizontal antenna was used, stretched on two rods in the rear part of the hull.

"Shinhoto Chi-ha"

Clashes with Soviet troops near the Khalkhin Gol River convinced the Japanese that a tank gun should have primarily anti-tank properties. And already in 1939, an experimental tank “98” (“Chi-ho” - “middle fifth”) was built with an enlarged turret similar to the Soviet BT-5 and a slightly modified chassis. The latter included five or six road wheels per side, but unlike the Chi-ha, the front and rear rollers were connected to central horizontal coil springs. In addition, they again tried to equip the tank with a “tail” to overcome ditches.

Experienced medium tank "Chi-ni" in the courtyard of the Osaka Arsenal.

Installation of smoke grenade launchers on the roof of the tower.

And in 1940, a modification of the serial “Type 97” tank appeared - the “Type 97 kai” or “Shinhoto Chi-ha” tank, that is, “the middle third, with a new artillery turret.” He was armed with a 47 mm cannon. With a barrel length of 48 calibers, its 1.4-kg projectile had an initial speed of 825 m/s and at a distance of 500 m pierced 50-mm armor along the normal line. Sighting range gun was 810 m. The ammunition load (120 rounds) included armor-piercing and armor-piercing fragmentation shells. The gun installation was covered with a 30-mm shield, bolted to the front of the turret and tilted 10° to the vertical. The machine guns (4035 rounds of ammunition) were placed in the same way as on the Chi-Ha.

The design of the tower as a whole was borrowed from the Chi-ha. It was assembled from the front and rear halves, connected by riveting, and had a commander's cupola with viewing slots and a double-leaf hatch. In the rear of the turret to the right of the machine gun there was a rectangular hatch for loading ammunition and dismantling the gun, in the roof to the left there was a gunner’s hatch with a double-leaf lid. There was also a small hatch on the right side of the turret. The periscope observation device was moved to the roof of the tower and placed in front of the commander's cupola, and the anti-aircraft gun swivel was placed in front of the gunner's hatch, which made it possible to fire at air targets in a larger sector. There were also hatches for firing personal weapons.

Most of the new tanks were simple conversions of already produced Chi-Has.

"Chi-ha."

The newly produced Shinhoto Chi-ha had a slightly modified engine compartment ventilation system, armored muffler covers were installed, and a spare parts box was attached to the rear of the hull. The commander had light and sound communication with the driver: 12 buttons on the commander’s remote control corresponded to 12 illuminated banners and a buzzer on the driver’s panel.

Various installations of smoke grenade launchers (mortars) were tested on the tank. In the first version, a frame was attached to the left rear of the tower, on which 4 mortars were placed. More successful was the installation of mortars on the roof of the turret above the gun mantlet - now the tank could cover itself with a smoke screen directly when moving towards the enemy.

From 1938 to 1944, 1220 Chi-ha and Shinhoto Chi-ha vehicles were produced.

The crews of the 4th Tank Regiment inspect the first Chi-Has they received. In the background is a Type 94 medium tank.

Commander version of "Chi-ha".

"Type 1" ("Chi-he")

In 1940, a new modification appeared - “Type 1” (“Chi-he” or “Tsikhe” - “middle sixth”). Its body was finally welded. The frontal plates were straightened, the protruding driver's cabin and its upper hatch disappeared, the thickness of the frontal armor was doubled, and a three-man turret was installed large sizes with a developed feeding niche. The turret had a standard commander's cupola, hatches on the sides and a rear hatch. The weight of the tank increased by almost 1.5 tons, but due to the installation of a 240-horsepower diesel engine, the maneuverability of the vehicle did not deteriorate. The transmission, controls and chassis have not undergone any noticeable changes.

"Chi-he" was armed with a 47-mm Type 1 cannon with a barrel length of 48 calibers (2120 mm), developed on the basis anti-tank gun"Type 1". The latter's recoil devices and trigger mechanism were redesigned, and the horizontal semi-automatic wedge bolt was replaced with a vertical one.

"Shinhoto Chi-ha."

"Shinhoto Chi-ha" on display at the museum at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in the USA. The cutouts in the side armor plates of the hull and turret, made during testing of the tank in the 40s, are welded with steel sheets. The muffler protective nets have also been replaced with steel sheets. The tank is covered in pseudo-Japanese camouflage paint. Noteworthy is the authentic Japanese machine gun in the rear turret. The frontal machine gun has not survived.

The gun had a fastened barrel with 16 rifling and a trigger mechanism, cocked when the bolt was unlocked. The recoil devices, which included a hydraulic recoil brake and a spring knurl, were protected by a box-shaped armored casing. The gun mantlet consisted of two box-shaped parts and allowed the gun to swing with a shoulder rest in a horizontal plane without rotating the turret. Elevation angle +17°, declination -11°, horizontal rotation angle ±7.5°. The ammunition included armor-piercing fragmentation (1.52 kg) and high-explosive fragmentation (1.4 kg) shells. An armor-piercing fragmentation projectile with an initial speed of 826 m/s pierced 68 mm armor at a distance of 500 m and 41 mm at a distance of 1000 m. The Shinhoto Chi-ha was also armed with the Type 1 cannon.

The Mitsubishi company and the Sagami arsenal began producing the Chi-he without stopping the production of the Shinhoto Chiha, and from 1941 to 1945 they produced 600 vehicles of this type.

On the basis of the "Shinhoto Chi-ha" and "Chi-he" command tanks "Ka-so" were manufactured: the 47-mm gun was replaced by a mock-up, which made it possible to place an additional radio station and at the same time not distinguish the command vehicle externally. "Ka-so" were introduced into units armed with "Shinhoto Chi-ha".

In 1942, based on the Chi-he, a 16.7-ton artillery medium tank Type 2 (“Ho-i” - “artillery first”) with a 75-mm short-barreled Type 99 gun was built. The tank was intended for direct artillery support of linear tanks and infantry during an attack (analogous to German assault tanks). The gun with a barrel length of 23 calibers was installed in a high riveted-welded turret with an armor thickness of 20 - 35 mm. The initial speed of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile weighing 6.575 kg was 445 m/s. Recoil devices were mounted above the barrel. The height of the tank increased to 2.58 m, the cruising range decreased to 100 km. The production of “Type 2” was sluggish and turned out to be insignificant - 33 vehicles, since by the beginning of its mass production cheaper self-propelled guns had already appeared.

Tank "Shinhoto Chi-ha" by Lieutenant Colonel Goshima, knocked out on June 16, 1944 during an attack on American positions Marine Corps on o. Saipan. White dotted markings on the turret were carried by all command vehicles of the 9th Tank Regiment.

"Chi-he."

"Type 3" ("Chi-nu")

In 1944, the next tank of the "Chi-ha" family of the "Type 3" or "Chi-nu" ("middle tenth") series, based on the "Chi-he" and armed with a 75-mm cannon, entered service with the Japanese ground forces. Type 3" in an enlarged turret.

The gun was developed on the basis of the field "Type 90" Schneider system, produced by the Osaka Arsenal. The length of its barrel was 2850 mm (38 calibers), the weight of the projectile was 6.6 kg, starting speed– 680 m/s. An armor-piercing projectile penetrated 90 mm armor at a distance of 100 m and 65 mm at a distance of 1000 m.

The welded hexagonal tower was mounted on a ball bearing. Its aft niche served for storing ammunition rounds. The turret covered the roof of the control compartment, so the machine gunner's hatch in the roof of the hull was welded shut.

It was the most powerful of the mass-produced Japanese tanks, fully meeting the requirements of its time. However, the lack of raw materials, materials and components and assemblies limited its production in the period from mid-1943 to 1945 to only 60 vehicles. "Chi-nu" along with many "Chi-he" entered the 4th Panzer Division, intended for the defense of the mother country, and did not take part in hostilities - until the battles on Japanese islands it didn't work out.

"Chi-nu."

Artillery medium tank "Ho-i", captured by the Americans in 1945.

Tanks "Type 4" and "Type 5"

Created towards the end of the war, the “Type 4” (“Chi-to” - “middle seven”) with a 75 mm cannon and 75 mm frontal armor never went into mass production. It represented a development of the Chinu and at the same time an attempt to create a fundamentally new medium tank that would meet the requirements of the time. The Type 4 gun was developed on the basis of the Type 88 anti-aircraft gun and, with a 44-caliber barrel length, gave a 6.6-kg projectile an initial speed of 720 m/s. Recoil devices were mounted above the barrel.

The tank had a welded hull and turret. The latter was an enlarged version of the Chi-nu turret, but without a rear hatch. A machine gun mount was mounted on its rear right side - apparently out of a desire to preserve the rear machine gun even with the niche occupied by ammunition. A 400-horsepower diesel engine was installed in the rear of the hull. The chassis was lengthened by one track roller and, accordingly, the suspension was changed: the four front rollers were suspended according to the usual “Hara scheme”, the three rear ones - according to the same scheme, but with an individual suspension of one roller. The caterpillar tracks were widened and special holes were made in them - lanterns. Widening the tracks required making all the support rollers double. “Chi-to” had a radio station with a whip antenna mounted on the left side of the hull.

Only 5 prototypes were built - two in 1942 and three in 1943. It is characteristic that at the same time as experimental tanks, the Japanese were also creating self-propelled guns on their chassis.

Two prototypes were also made of “Type 5” (“Chi-ri” - “middle ninth”) with a 75-mm cannon in the turret and a 37-mm gun in the front hull plate on the left. The 75 mm cannon was similar to that installed on the Chi-to, and the 37 mm Type 1 had a barrel length of 46 calibers and gave a projectile weighing 0.7 kg an initial speed of 800 m/s.

"Chi-ree."

"Chi-something."

The Chi-nu, which was intended for the defense of Japan, never entered into battle. 1945

Tactical and technical characteristics of tanks of the "Chi-ha" family

Installation in a frame allowed the gun to swing in horizontal and vertical planes. On the second prototype of the tank, instead of a 37 mm cannon, a 7.7 mm machine gun was installed.

The tank's welded hull had an inclined arrangement of armor plates and side niches along the entire length of the fenders. New form the hulls were probably borrowed from German tank Pz.V "Panther", information about which Germany transferred to Japanese specialists in 1944. The high welded tower “Chi-ri” had an octagonal shape in plan, a developed aft niche, and a suspended floor. The machine gun mounts in the turret were abandoned. Apparently, due to the lack of its own powerful engines (the high-power diesel “Type 4” was never completed at the end of the war), a German V-shaped BMW carburetor engine was installed on the Chi-ri. It was planned, however, to produce a diesel version of the car.

The chassis included eight road wheels on board and consisted of two conventional “Hara-type” suspensions installed in series.

Considering that Japan was already mass-producing more powerful guns (for example, the 88-mm Type 99), suitable for conversion into a tank, the Chi-ri’s weapons could have turned out to be even more powerful. But there was no longer any money or time left for this.

It should be noted that medium tanks also influenced the development of the lungs. In 1944, the Hino Jidosha company produced an experimental 10-ton light tank “Ke-ho” (“small fifth”). It was configured and armed like the average Chi-he: with a 47 mm Type 1 cannon in a two-man turret, with the same crew accommodation, similar chassis design and welded hull.

"Ke-ho."

Description of the design of the Chi-ha tank

LAYOUT“Chi-ha” was carried out according to the scheme with a front-mounted transmission. The control department was combined with the combat department. The main armament was installed in a two-man turret. The dimensions of the fighting compartment were increased due to the side niches hanging over the tracks, but in general the internal armored volume of the vehicle turned out to be greatly “shrunk” - taking into account the predominantly short crew. In the hull in front on the right in the protruding wheelhouse there was a driver, and a machine gunner on the left; in the turret to the right of the gun is the commander, to the left is the gunner.

CASE AND TOWER The tank was assembled from rolled armor plates on a frame made of backing strips and corners using round rivets and bolts with a hexagonal bullet-proof head. The protection of the frontal part of the hull was somewhat increased by the inclination of the gable upper frontal sheet at 80° to the vertical, and the lower - 62°. The slope of the frontal sheet of the fighting compartment was significantly less - 10°, and the side sheets - 40°. There were horizontal viewing slits in the tilt-up panel of the wheelhouse window and its curved cheekbones. Above the places of the machine gunner and driver in the roof of the hull there were hatches, the covers of which were equipped with locks with a T-shaped rotary handle.

The conical turret had a small aft niche. The turning mechanism is mechanical. Mounted on the roof of the tower commander's cupola(dome) with viewing slits, to the left of it is a double-leaf loader hatch. The edges of the turret roof curved down, covering the ventilation holes. The turret had a round double-leaf hatch; its lid consisted of two hinged parts - a horseshoe-shaped right one and an oval left one that fit inside it. The latter was equipped with a periscope surveillance device with an armored cap. There was also a hole for signaling with flags.

Commander's cupola "Shinhoto Chi-ha". The inspection slots and rivets with a bulletproof head are clearly visible. In front of the turret is the exit hole for the periscope observation device.

47 mm Type 1 gun.

WEAPONS. The 57-mm Type 97 gun had a monoblock barrel with a length of 1057 mm (18.5 calibers). The weight of the barrel with the breech is 62.5 kg, the total weight of the gun is 133 kg. The hydraulic recoil brake and spring knurl were located under the barrel. Rollback length -280 mm. The vertical wedge gate was opened manually or automatically. The firing pin was cocked when unlocked. The trigger mechanism was controlled by a trigger lever mounted together with the pistol grip and trigger guard on the left side of the breech. A shoulder rest with a leather cushion was attached to the rear bottom of the breech. The rate of fire could reach 20 rounds/min.

In the turret the gun was mounted in a double frame with a box-shaped mantlet. The vertical and horizontal axles of the gun and frame allowed it to swing both in the vertical (from -9° to +21°) and in the horizontal plane (within ±5°). The mask had a hole for a telescopic sight, which could be covered with an armored flap.

The ammunition consisted of 80 high-explosive fragmentation rounds and 40 armor-piercing shells. The mass of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile is 2.7 kg, the initial speed is 420 m/s; armor-piercing - 1.7 kg and 820 m/s.

The Type 97 tank machine gun was developed simultaneously with a light infantry machine gun based on the Czech ZB-26. One such machine gun in a ball joint was mounted in the rear of the turret on the left, the second on the left in the front plate of the hull. Strictly speaking, the installation of machine guns in Japanese tanks was not spherical in our accepted understanding. The bushing, rigidly attached to the machine gun, could rotate around the vertical and horizontal axis, and the hemisphere protruding from the outside played the role of a movable shield. The sighting hole in it could be closed with a valve. From the outside, the entire installation was covered with an overhead shield, attached to the armor plate with bolts. The protruding part of the barrel was protected by a box-shaped armored casing 420 mm long.

The machine guns' ammunition capacity was 3,825 rounds in magazines - 2,475 with an ordinary bullet and 1,350 with an armor-piercing bullet. The storage for the stores was located on the walls of the hull under the turret.

A swivel was attached behind the commander's cupola for anti-aircraft firing from a machine gun, which the commander could conduct almost without protruding from the hatch, but in a very limited sector. The turret and hull had openings with armored flaps for firing from the crew's personal weapons.

ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. The air-cooled two-stroke V-shaped diesel engine “Type 97” was installed in the stern along the hull axis, with the crankshaft toe forward. The cylinder diameter was 120 mm, the piston stroke length was 160 mm, and the compression ratio was 17.8. The air supply system included an oil air cleaner, a lubrication system - a gear pump and a 40 liter oil tank. To start the engine there were two electric starters with a power of 6 hp each. every. Fuel tanks of 120 and 115 liters were located along the sides. Fuel consumption is about 3.5 l/h. The exhaust pipes were led back from both sides and equipped with mufflers, and the pipe outlets in front were protected by curved shields. Access to the engine was provided by a hatch-blind in the roof of the hull. The sides of the engine compartment also had blinds, covered in combat situations with armored covers. On the march they were raised and fixed in a horizontal position.

A four-speed gearbox with sliding gears and a reduction gear provided 8 forward gears and 2 reverse gears. It was installed in the front of the body. Torque from the engine was transmitted by a driveshaft passing through the fighting compartment. The main clutch is multi-disc, with an aluminum crankcase. A two-stage planetary rotation mechanism provided the tank with good handling. The final drives were placed in protruding crankcases, attached to the body with rivets. Access to turning mechanisms and final drives was carried out through two hatches in the upper frontal sheet.

Layout of the Chi-ha medium tank:

1 - driver's cabin, 2 - directional machine gun, 3 - 57 mm gun, 4 - optical sight guns, 5 – handrail antenna, 6 – placement of 57-mm rounds on the turret wall, 7 – shoulder rest of the gun, 8 – periscope observation device, 9 – commander’s cupola, 10 – swivel for installing an anti-aircraft machine gun, 11 – stern machine gun, 12 – armored casing of the machine gun barrel, 13 – stowage of machine gun magazines, 14 – fuel pump, 15 – engine, 16 – exhaust manifold, 17 – muffler protective mesh, 18 – batteries, 19 – idler wheel, 20 – road wheel, 21 – starter, 22 – stowage of 57 mm rounds, 23 – machine gunner’s seat, 24 – driveshaft, 25 – driver’s seat, 26 – gearbox, 27 – drive wheel, 28 – headlight.

CHASSIS for one side it included six double solid rubber-coated track rollers with a diameter of 534 mm and three support rollers. Even before the creation of the Chi-Ha, the suspension developed in 1933 by one of the most famous Japanese tank designers, Major (later Major General) Tomno Hara, was tested on the small tank 2594 and the light tank 2595 (Ha-Go).

The “Hara scheme” consisted of four road wheels, interlocked in twos on swinging balancers (rocker arms). The elastic elements were two horizontal helical cylindrical springs, enclosed in pipes riveted to the sides of the hull. The balancers were connected to cranked levers, the axes of which were attached to the body, the levers were pivotally connected to rods going to the springs. The rods were equipped with screw adjusting bushings. The “Hara scheme,” while relatively massive, combined compactness with a large stroke of the balancers and was used on most Japanese production tanks of the 30s and 40s. On the Chi-Ha, the suspension according to this design had four central road wheels per side. They were complemented by front and rear rollers with independent suspension - through crank arms they were connected to inclined coil springs, openly mounted on the board. There were no shock absorbers in the suspension.

The drive wheel is front-mounted. The fastening of the stamped non-rubberized guide wheel included a screw mechanism for adjusting the track tension with a ratcheting locking device. The supporting rollers were rubberized, the outer ones were double.

The small-linked lantern track was made up of 96 metal skeletal tracks. The 330 mm wide track was equipped with a central ridge and a developed lug. The removal of the guides and drive wheels beyond the contours of the body increased the length of the supporting surface of the tracks.

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. The 24 V on-board network included a 500 W generator, a voltage regulator, and four batteries with a capacity of 180 Ah. A headlamp was attached in the middle of the front plate of the hull, onto which a visor-socket could be put on for blackout during the march. The headlight and side lights were also mounted on the rear hull plate.

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. Only command vehicles were equipped with radio stations. They could be easily identified by the large handrail antenna on the tower. An additional radio station with an increased communication range, if the tank had one, worked on two whip antennas located at the rear of the hull, or on a horizontal antenna in the form of a wire stretched diagonally on two high rods mounted on the hull in front on the left and behind on the right.

Ball mounting of a machine gun in the front plate of the Shinhoto Chi-ha turret. An unsuccessful imitation of a machine gun was welded into the ball by “specialists” of the tank museum in Kubinka.

Chassis diagram:

1 – drive wheel, 2 – front support roller spring, 3 – double support roller, 4 – bell crank, 5 – front bogie spring, 6 – single support roller, 7 – rear bogie spring, 8 – rear support roller spring, 9 – tensioning mechanism, 10 – guide wheel, 11 – balancer.

Type 97 Chi-Ha is a Japanese medium tank that was very actively used at the time along with the more obsolete . In terms of mass, the Chi-Ha was rather light - it could only be classified as medium according to the Japanese classification.

The history of the creation of Chi-Ha

By the mid-30s of the 20th century, Japan's main medium tank, the Type 98, was completely obsolete. The Japanese command revised the requirements for medium tanks and ordered the development of more maneuverable vehicles. In 1936, the final technical specifications for the new medium tank were formulated - it was supposed to be faster, more secure, smaller, and at the same time retain the same weapons. Two prototypes were made - “Chi-ha” from Mitsubishi and “Chi-ni” from the Osaka Arsenal.

In 1936-1937 prototypes were tested, and at first preference was given to the lighter and cheaper “Chi-Ni”. But after the first major military clashes with China, it became obvious that the maneuverable and armored Chi-Ha would perform better. As a result, it was accepted into service, designated as “Type 2597”. In 1937, the tank began to be mass-produced.

Performance characteristics (TTX)

general information

• Classification: medium tank, although by world standards it was rather light tank;
• Combat weight - 15.8 tons;
• Layout – transmission compartment in front, engine compartment in rear;
• Crew – 4 people;
• Years of production – 1938-1943;
• Years of operation – 1938-1945;
• Quantity produced: 2123 pieces.

Dimensions

• Case length – 5500 millimeters;
• Case width – 2330 millimeters;
• Height – 2380 millimeters;
• Ground clearance - 420 millimeters.

Booking

• Armor type – surface-hardened rolled steel;
• Body forehead (middle) - 10/82°-20/65° mm/degree;
• Hull side (top) - 20/25-40° mm/degree;
• Hull stern (top) - 20/67° mm/degree;
• Bottom – 8.5 mm;
• Housing roof – 10-12 mm;
• Tower forehead - 25/10° mm/degree;
• Tower side - 25 / 10...12° mm/degree;
• Feed cutting - 25/12° mm/degree;
• Tower roof – 10 mm.

Armament

• Make and caliber of gun – Type 97, 57 millimeters;
• Gun type - rifled;
• Barrel length - 18.4 calibers;
• Gun ammunition - 120;
• Angles VN: -9…+21;
• Sight – telescopic;
• Machine guns - 2 × 7.7 mm Type 97.

Mobility

• Engine type - Twelve-cylinder diesel V-shaped, liquid-cooled;
• Power – 170 horsepower;
• Highway speed – 38 km/h;
• Cross-country speed – 19 km/h;
• Cruising range on the highway – 210 km;
• Specific power – 10.8 hp/t;
• Suspension type – Khara;
• Climbability - 30-35 degrees;
• The wall to be overcome is 1 meter;
• The ditch to be overcome is 2.5 meters;
• The ford that can be overcome is 1 meter.

Chi-Ha modifications

So the Chi-Ha was very successful and popular, so several modifications were built on its basis, which were actively used along with the base tank.

Shinhoto Chi-Ha

When Japanese troops clashed with Soviet troops at the Khalkhin Gol River, it became clear that tank guns should primarily have anti-tank properties. So in 1939, the “ShinhoTo Chi-Ha” was developed - a modification with a new turret and a 47 mm cannon. It had a smaller caliber, but due to its length, the projectile was given a high initial velocity, so the new gun penetrated tank armor much better. Shinhoto were produced along with regular Chi-Ha until 1943.

Chi-Ha with a 120 mm cannon

On the basis of the Shinhoto, by order of the Marine Corps, they created a variation with a short-barreled naval gun with a caliber of 120 millimeters. This tank was produced after 1942 in small quantities.

Chi-Kee

It was a command tank - the turret was occupied by radio equipment and contained a 57-mm gun, and in place of one machine gun a 37-mm cannon was installed.

Vehicles based on Type 97 Chi-Ha

In addition to various modifications based on the Chi-Ha tank, other vehicles were also created.

Anti-tank:

• Ho-Ro – self-propelled howitzer. Instead of a turret, a 150 mm howitzer was installed. Only about 12 were produced;
• Ho-Ni is a whole series of self-propelled guns. The design was similar to the Ho-Ro, but the Ho-Ni III had a closed conning tower. Mainly used for fire support. They were the only more or less mass-produced self-propelled guns in Japan during World War II (about 170 were produced).

Special:

• Ka-Ha is a machine for destroying wired communication lines through the action of a dynamo with a direct current generator. The creators assumed that it would destroy communications via telegraph wire. A total of four such machines were built, but there is no data on their use;
• Ka-So is an armored vehicle for artillery observers. It had no weapons in the tower;
• Ho-K is a logging machine used in the jungles of New Guinea;
• Chi-Yu is an armored mine sweeper with a turret and weapons.

Repair and technical

• Se-Ri is a repair and recovery vehicle. A small conical turret with a machine gun was placed on it, and on the stern there was a crane with a lifting capacity of 5 tons. Only a couple of copies were produced;
• T-G is an armored bridge laying vehicle that made it possible to assemble a bridge using two missiles - the bridge literally flew out of the vehicle in a few seconds. At the same time, the resulting bridge could hold Japanese tanks, but failed under American ones. However, the T-G was never mass-produced.

Combat use

Chi-Ha tanks had not yet been used in the battles at Khalkhin Gol, but were only tested at the front. After the defeat, it was decided to replace many of the Ha-Go with the Type 97 Chi-Ha, so they began to be produced more actively.

In 1941, the Japanese invaded Malaya and the Philippines. In battles with American tanks mainly participated, but medium-sized Chi-Has were also used by Japanese troops to accompany infantry and finally break the enemy.

In the battles on Bataan, the Chi-Has were used much more actively, but in the end it turned out that their 57-mm weapons were ineffective against the American Stuarts. Therefore, two Shinhoto Chi-Has were transferred to the islands. This modification was first used in the landing on Corregidor, May 5, 1942.

In Malaya, the Chi-Ha was also used actively and very successfully, mainly due to the fact that the enemy did not have anti-tank weapons. Tanks played a special role in the capture of Singapore on February 15.

In 1943, Japan Pacific Ocean and in Asia was forced to switch from offensive to defensive. To achieve this, all units were actively equipped with tanks, both “Chi-Ha” and “Ha-Go”, as well as amphibious and other modifications.

In the battles on the island of Saipan in July 1944, Japanese tank forces clashed with American tanks. As a result, many Japanese vehicles were lost under fire from M4s and M3 anti-tank guns. Much the same thing happened on the island of Guam.

In the Pacific theater of operations, these two islands became the sites of the most active use of Japanese tanks. It was here that it became clear that the Chi-Has were already outdated - they were too easily penetrated by American cannons and even heavy machine guns.

Philippines and Japanese islands

In the Philippines, Japanese tanks also did not perform very well - in battles with American tanks, especially Shermans and self-propelled guns, many Chi-Ha and Shinhoto Chi-Ha were lost. Japanese tanks also failed in the defense of Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Formosa. True, one stronghold with three Shinhoto Chi-Has managed to put up stubborn resistance - the fighting on the island of Iwo Jima lasted from February to March 26. But in the end, the resistance was still crushed. Tanks hardly took part in the fierce battles on Okinawa. Moreover, because of the defeat in the Philippines, the Japanese did not risk transferring tanks to Okinawa.

Continental battles

On the continent, the Chi-Ha fought in Burma and China. In Burma, the last Japanese tanks were killed in a clash with Shermans in March 1945. In China, tanks acted more successfully, mainly due to the enemy’s weak anti-tank defense. By the way, when Japan surrendered, the third tank division operating in China was not completely disarmed - it was used to defend Peiping from the National Liberation Army.

When did the Manchurian War begin? offensive Soviet troops, the Kwantung Army had several tank brigades and regiments, armed mainly with the Chi-Ha and Shinhoto Chi-Ha. In total there were 1215 tanks in the group. In general, their use was unsuccessful, and they were defeated. The same thing awaited Japanese tanks on the Kuril Islands - the remains of the Shinhoto Chi-Ha can still be seen on Paramushir Island.

After Japan surrendered, the Chi-Ha was used in the Third Chinese Civil War by both sides. They were mainly used to support infantry. In Japan itself, the Chi-Has were in service until the 60s, but were used more as training vehicles.

Memory of a tank

Museums today house three Chi-Ha tanks, and there are also 11 vehicles that were heavily damaged in battle:

• Indonesia, Malanga, National Museum;
• PRC, Beijing - People's Revolutionary Museum;
• Japan, Yasukuni Shrine;
• Japan, Tank School of the Imperial Japanese Army;
• Russia, Ivanovskoye village in the Moscow region, Military Technical Museum. The tank is on the move;
• Russia, Kurile Islands, Shumshu Island. Several damaged tanks;
• On the islands of Guadalcanal, Saipan and Duke of York Island there are 9 Chi-Ha tanks abandoned by crews or damaged in battle.

Tank photos

Tank in culture

Despite its widespread use, in popular culture The Chi-Ha tank has no significant mentions. He is not mentioned in films or fiction, but he can be found in game World of tanks as a Japanese medium tank of the third tier and as a medium tank of the first rank.