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Japanese tanks of the Second World War. Japanese tanks of the Second World War: review, photos. The best Japanese tank. Use of tanks by the Japanese Army

In the 1930s Japanese armored units got the opportunity to test their strength in a combat situation - in China. In 1935, the mixed mechanized brigade operated near Shanghai, and in 1937, together with the 3rd Tank Regiment, in the north of the Republic of China. In Manchuria, only about 400 tanks were used at that time.

In battles with Soviet units on the Khalkhin Gol River in 1939, the Japanese deployed a group of medium tanks "type 89" under the command of Colonel Yoshimaro (two companies of 10 tanks each) from
of the 3rd Tank Regiment and a group of light tanks "Type 95" "Ha-Go" (three companies of 10 vehicles each) under the command of Colonel Tamada from the 4th Tank Regiment. The tanks were supported by artillery, anti-aircraft battery, sappers, transport units.

During the July battles, the complete superiority of Soviet armored vehicles over Japanese armored vehicles became clear. Due to their faster-firing guns, maneuverable BT-7 tanks and BA-10 armored vehicles had a better chance of surviving a direct collision than their opponents from the Land of the Rising Sun.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched their invasion of the Philippines and Malaya. On December 10, the advanced units of the 14th Army of General Homme began landing on the island. Luzon, and on December 22 - 24 the main forces of the army landed. In the Philippines, Japanese tanks clashed with American tanks for the first time - since November 1941, a tank group of 180 M3 Stuart and 50 75-mm T12 self-propelled guns was stationed in Luzon. The Japanese landed units of the 4th and 7th tank regiments and several tank companies here. The tanks were delivered to the shore on landing barges and immediately disembarked from them. From the first clashes on December 22 and 31, 1941 to last fight On April 7, 1942, the main role here was played by the light Ha-Go, although the medium Chi-Ha also took part in the fighting. Usually tanks led infantry attacks, sometimes making quick dashes to objects already captured by paratroopers to finally break enemy resistance.

Units of the 7th Tank Regiment captured several light Stuarts. The T12 self-propelled guns (on the chassis of half-track armored personnel carriers), which in 1944 - 1945, also became trophies of the Japanese. they were used in the Philippines against the Americans. The withdrawal of the American-Philippine group of troops to the fortifications on the Bataan Peninsula reduced the Japanese actions to an assault on the peninsula and the fortress island of Corregidor. In the battles on Bataan, the Chi-Has were more active, sometimes using smoke grenade launchers. After the capture of Bataan, an amphibious force was formed to land on Corregidor. Previous battles showed the low effectiveness of the 57-mm Chi-Ha guns in tank battles with highly mobile, maneuverable “Stuarts”, which were also capable of firing from long distances. Therefore, in addition to the “Chi-ha” company, the detachment included two “Shinhoto Chiha”, previously delivered to Bataan and assigned to the 7th Tank Regiment. It is interesting to note that the commander of this tank company, Major Matsuoka, operated a captured Stuart. The landing on Corregidor on May 5, 1942 was the combat debut of the Shinhoto Chi-ha.

The Japanese 25th Army under Lieutenant General Yamashita, which invaded Malaya and had 211 tanks consisting of the 1st, 6th and 14th tank regiments, quickly advanced towards the island. Singapore. The British considered it impossible to attack the island from the north, that is, from the land side, especially using tanks. The Japanese thought differently. The rugged, jungle-covered terrain really made it very difficult for the vehicles to operate; they had to move mainly in columns along sparse roads. Under these conditions, tanks were also used as a vehicle for transporting property. For camouflage, the crews used “skirts” made of palm leaves or other vegetation, attaching them to the hulls and turrets.

Tank losses were insignificant, which was greatly facilitated by the enemy's lack of anti-tank weapons and the dominance of Japanese aviation in the air.

In the battles in Burma (January 21 - May 20, 1942), General Ida's Japanese 15th Army used tanks from the 1st, 2nd, and 14th Tank Regiments. On April 29, they cut the Burma Road, and on April 30, they entered the city of Lashio, an important communications hub. In Burma, Japanese tank crews took part in battles with the “Stuarts” of the British 7th Hussars. In addition, T-26s of the Chinese 200th Mechanized Division also operated here, but they did not participate in tank battles with the Japanese.

After the landing on August 7, 1942, the 1st Division Marine Corps USA on the island Guadalcanal (in the Solomon Islands group) and moving deeper into the island, the Japanese landed Sumimoshi on the island on October 16, reinforced by the 1st separate tank company, which was staffed by veterans of the 4th company of the 2nd tank regiment. After a series of local skirmishes, on October 26, the Japanese attempted to cross the Matenika River and attack American Marine positions on the opposite bank. Of the 12 "Chi-ha" that tried to ford the river, most were lost from 37-mm fire anti-tank guns. Actually, this is where the tank battles ended. The Japanese did not have time to transfer reinforcements from Rabaul and on February 1 - 7, 1943 they secretly evacuated from Guadalcanal.

1943 was a turning point - both Germany in Europe and Japan in Asia and Pacific Ocean was forced to switch to strategic defense. The Japanese garrisons on the Mariana Islands, which were part of the internal defense belt of the Land of the Rising Sun and were of strategic importance, were reinforced by units of the 9th tank regiment of Colonel Hideki Goto: 1st and 2nd companies (29 Ha-go and Chi tanks -ha") were on about. Guam, 3rd, 5th and 6th - on the island. Saipan. In addition, the Ha-Go of a separate tank company of the airborne detachment was stationed on the latter, and the 24th separate tank company (9 tanks) was stationed on Guam. There were also floating Ka-mi, and the anti-tank system used 47-mm Type 1 cannons.

On June 15, 1944, American troops landed on Saipan as part of the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions with amphibious tanks, and on June 16, the 27th Infantry Division. The Japanese used their tanks to counterattack with the infantry, but suffered heavy losses from infantry anti-tank fire and M4 Sherman tanks. On June 16, Vice Admiral Nagumo ordered another counterattack. Under the command of Colonel Goto, 44 tanks were sent to the island along with the 136th Infantry Regiment: “Ha-go”, “Chi-ha”, “Shinhoto Chi-ha” from the 9th tank regiment and “Ka-mi” from the landing force tank company. The tanks secretly landed in the rear of the American Marines entrenched on the western shore, but on the pebble beaches of Garapan they made a lot of noise with their tracks. The Marines managed to call in a platoon of Shermans and several MZ self-propelled anti-tank guns. The Japanese lost 11 tanks already on the beach. Nevertheless, at 2 o'clock in the morning on June 17, 40 Japanese tanks with infantry on their armor (a rare tactical technique for the Japanese) went on the attack. They had to move through open areas. Some of the tanks reached the Marine positions, but in the light of flares fired from the ships, the Americans knocked out several tanks with fire from Bazooka rocket launchers and 37-mm anti-tank guns. The rest, trying to get around the damaged vehicles, got stuck in swampy places and soft ground and turned out to be motionless targets. After a counterattack by the American Marines with tanks and self-propelled guns, the Japanese were left with only 12 tanks - 6 each “Chi-ha” and “Ha-go”. Some of them died on June 24 in an unequal battle with the Shermans (Company C of the 2nd Tank Battalion of the Marine Corps), the rest died a little later in clashes with the M5A1 Stuart of army units (according to other sources, from 37-mm fire anti-tank guns). Saipan was captured by the Americans only on July 9 and cost both sides heavy losses.

When the 3rd Marine Division and the U.S. 77th Infantry Division landed on Guam on June 21, Japanese forces on the island included 38 Ha-Go and Chi-Ha tanks massed along the western shore, where the Americans landed. In the first clashes, only “Ha-Go” participated, although “Shikha” would have brought more benefit - light tanks were quickly knocked out. 11 “Chi-ha” of the 2nd company of the 9th regiment, which was located at the beginning of the landing as part of the 48th separate mixed brigade at Agana, was pulled to Taraga on the northern bank. They were used to support infantry in night attacks. A successful attack was carried out, for example, by five Chi-Has on the night of August 8-9 on the position of the Marines, whose bazookas were disabled due to rain. But the very next day, American Shermans attacked a Japanese strong point, knocked out two tanks and captured seven - they were either faulty or had no fuel. On August 10, the Japanese stopped resistance on Guam.

Saipan and Guam became the sites of the most intensive use of Japanese tanks in the Pacific theater of operations. On June 16, they carried out their last massive attack on Saipan. The battles here also demonstrated the complete inconsistency of the Chi-Ha with the requirements of the time - these tanks were easily knocked out by fire from American bazookas, tank and anti-tank guns, and there were cases of these vehicles being hit by fire heavy machine guns and rifle grenades.

The medium tanks “Chi-ha” and “Shinhoto Chi-ha” arrived in the Philippines at the disposal of the 14th Army (14th Front) from Manchuria in January 1944 as part of units of the 2nd Tank Division. Soon the 11th Tank Regiment was reinforced by Shinhoto Chi-ha, renamed the 27th Separate Tank Regiment and sent to Okinawa. Thus, on about. Luzon was left with three tank regiments (each with one company of light tanks and one with two companies of medium tanks) - a total of 220 tanks, including the Shinhoto Chi-ha, as well as the self-propelled guns Ho-ni and Ho-ro. On Leyte Island there were light "Ha-Go" and several outdated medium "Type 94" of the 7th separate tank company. These forces were to face more than 500 American tanks and self-propelled guns.

20 October 1944 four infantry divisions of the 6th American army landed on about. Leyte, and by December 28 the fighting there was already over. Medium Type 94s were lost while trying to recapture the runways. It is worth noting here that the struggle for the Pacific islands was not so much an attempt to take control of key points of sea communications as to seize airfields. After the Japanese tanks on Leyte Island were unable to carry out a single more or less successful counterattack and were mostly knocked out, General Yamashita decided to use them on Luzon as stationary firing points, distributing them among strongholds of infantry units and setting the task of delaying the advance American units. The tanks were dug in and carefully camouflaged; several reserve positions were prepared for them. For camouflage, the crews stretched wire mesh over the hull and turret, onto which they attached branches, leaves, and grass. The protection of the frontal part of the turret was increased by attaching spare tracks, which, in principle, was uncharacteristic for Japanese tank crews. The vehicles prepared in this way served as the core of strongholds that differed from each other in size and strength. Thus, the point at Urdaneta had 9 combat units, the Shigemi detachment at San Manuel - 45 (7th tank regiment, mainly Shinhoto Chi-ha), the Ida detachment at Munoz - 52 (6th tank regiment).

The landing of the 1st and 14th Corps of the 6th American Army on Luzon began on January 9, 1945. On January 17, tank battle at Linman Hansen - the Shermans of Company C of the 716th American Tank Battalion knocked out 4 Shinhoto Chi-Has of the 7th Tank Regiment of the Japanese. On January 24, the same American tank company attacked the Shigemi detachment at San Manuel with the support of 105 mm M7 self-propelled howitzers.

On the early morning of January 28, the 30 remaining vehicles of this detachment, accompanied by infantry, launched a counterattack, but most were hit by fire from tanks and self-propelled guns, and the Americans themselves lost only three Shermans and one M7. On January 30, a column of 8 “Chi-ha” and 30 cars breaking out from encirclement was shot at Umungan.

The Ida detachment also fought surrounded by battles from February 1st. The attempt to break through was stopped by the fire of American artillery and light tanks - “Stuarts”. All Japanese tanks were knocked out. The 10th Tank Regiment was also unlucky - on January 29, its column came under fire from M10 self-propelled guns of the 637th American anti-tank battalion, which knocked out four Shinhoto Chi-has. By May 5, the Americans destroyed 203 “Chi-ha” and “Shinhoto Chi-ha”, 19 “Ha-go”, 2 “Ho-ro” in the Philippines. The 2nd Panzer Division carried out the order, delaying the advance of the Americans into the interior of the island, but paid too high a price for this - it simply ceased to exist.

After the capture of the Philippines, the focus of the American command shifted to the islands of Formosa, Okinawa and Iwo Jima, which could serve as air bases for a direct attack on the Japanese islands. On February 19, 1945, the American 5th Amphibious Corps, supported by 200 amphibious tanks, began landing on Iwo Jima. The 27th Japanese Tank Regiment was stationed here, which had 28 tanks - mainly Chi-Ha and Shinhoto Chiha. Lieutenant Colonel Nishi, who commanded them, intended to use the Shinhoto Chi-ha as roving anti-tank guns, which was generally consistent with the situation and the capabilities of the tanks. However, more often they were used in entrenched stationary positions. Unable to retreat, these tanks were soon hit by artillery fire or bazookas from the 1st Independent Tank Company, US Marines. However, at least one strong point, in which there were three Shinhoto Chi-has, offered very stubborn resistance. It is no coincidence that the battles small island went until March 26th. Following this, on April 1, the Americans landed four divisions of the 3rd Airborne Corps and the 24th Corps on the western coast of Okinawa. Landing Forces included more than 800 tanks and self-propelled guns, as well as a large number of amphibious tanks and armored personnel carriers. The Japanese 32nd Army had here only units of the 27th Tank Regiment already mentioned above, located in the northern part of the island - a total of 13 "Ha-go" and 14 "Shinhoto Chi-ha".

Almost all of these vehicles were lost during the attempted counterattack on May 5th. The fighting in Okinawa continued until June 21, but tanks no longer took part in the most fierce battles.

After the defeat of the 2nd Tank Division in the Philippines, the Japanese command did not risk the remaining units and transfer additional tanks to Okinawa (and the very possibility of this, due to the complete dominance of the Americans at sea, was more than doubtful), although the island was considered ethnically Japanese territory. That's how it ended fighting Japanese tank forces in the Pacific.

On the continent, fighting took place in Burma and China. In Burma, after several “test” operations in 1943, the Allies went on the offensive early next year. By the beginning of the battles with the British-Indian and American-Chinese forces, the Japanese tank forces consisted of only the 14th Tank Regiment. Moreover, his 4th company was armed with captured “Stuarts”, but after battles with British tanks, the company was reinforced with “Shinhoto Chi-ha”. With this composition, this unit took part in battles with the Americans near Myitkyina in the first days of August 1944. In March 1945, the last Japanese tanks in Burma were lost in clashes with Shermans on the Myitkyina-Mandalay road. By May 6, the Allies had completely retaken Burma.

The Japanese 3rd Tank Division was based in China, which included the 5th (8th and 12th regiments) and 6th (13th and newly formed 17th regiment) tank brigades. In 1942 - 1943 The Japanese used tanks sporadically in counter-guerrilla operations, in private attacks on the 8th People's Liberation Army of China in the Border Region, and against Kuomintang troops in the Ichang area. The 8th regiment in 1942 was transferred to the island. New Britain.

During the autumn offensive of 1943 in China, units of the 3rd Tank Division were used to capture airfields, from which at that time B-29 bomber raids began on industrial facilities in Manchuria and the island. Kyushu. In 1944, the 6th Tank Brigade was withdrawn from the division and sent to the Mongolian border, so that from the actual tank units The 3rd Division retained only the 12th Regiment. In this form it was assigned to the 12th Army. After the inclusion of two more motorized infantry regiments, the division became more mechanized or reinforced motorized than tank. But it was precisely at this time that decisive tasks began to be set before tank units.

In April 1944, an offensive began against Kuomintang troops in the direction of Luoyang, Xin'an and along railway Hankou - Changsha - Henyang - Canton. Its task was to seize the highway leading to the Korean coast and towards Hanoi, the subsequent defeat of the Chinese troops and the connection of the Northern, Central and Southern fronts of the Japanese expeditionary forces. The 12th Army operated as part of this “Operation No. 1”. The 3rd Armored Division, following behind the infantry along with the 4th Cavalry Brigade, took part in a number of battles. At the same time, tanks, motorized infantry and cavalry conducted maneuverable actions, carried out envelopments, and long-distance (up to 60 km per day) outflanking marches. With their active participation, Linzhou was captured on May 5, and Loyang on May 25. By mid-autumn, the Japanese occupied more than 40 cities, including Changsha, Henyang, Guilin, Shaozhou, Nanying, and airfields near Henyang, Liuzhou, and Gangxiang. This success was largely due to the weakness of the enemy anti-tank missile defense. When storming populated areas, tanks were used to fire at the gates or breaches in the walls surrounding most Chinese cities from machine gun range. After the infantry entered the city, some of the tanks acted in front of it, while others were sent around to cut off the enemy’s escape routes. The 3rd Tank Division and the 4th Cavalry Brigade also took part in the attack on the American air base near the river. Laohahe in the spring of 1945 In the operation that began on March 22 and the capture of airfields, the 3rd Panzer Division performed rather auxiliary tasks, but the tankers played an important role in consolidating the success and repelling Chinese counterattacks (for example, in April in Sichuan). After this, the 3rd Division with the rest of its forces was pulled north, to Beiping (future Beijing). Interestingly, after the Japanese surrender, the 3rd Armored Division was not completely disarmed - the Americans and the Kuomintang used it to protect Peiping from being captured by the People's Liberation Army until it was replaced by the Kuomintang 109th Division in November 1945.

Quite typical of the then situation in China - the disarmament of Japanese troops here ended only in February 1946. By the beginning of the Manchurian offensive operation of the Soviet troops in 1945, the Kwantung Army under the command of General Yamada, numbering more than 1 million people, included the 1st and 9th separate tank brigades, based respectively in the areas of the cities of Shahe (south of Mukden) and Telin (northwest of Mukden), the 35th Tank Regiment, together with the 39th Infantry Division, was located near the city of Sypingai. The 9th Brigade served as the tank reserve of the Kwantung Army. These areas were located in the zone of the 3rd Western Manchurian Front. Japanese tank forces were significantly weakened by losses in the autumn offensive of 1944 in China and the transfer of some units and equipment to the Japanese Islands.

In total, the Kwantung group, together with the 17th Korean Front, had 1,215 tanks by August 1945. Soviet troops numbered 1.7 million people and 5.2 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns.

On August 9, Soviet troops of the Transbaikal, 1st Far Eastern and part of the forces of the 2nd Far Eastern front went on the offensive. In the battles with the Red Army in August - September, Japanese tanks practically did not show themselves at all and were captured mainly in parks. The troops of the Transbaikal and 1st Far Eastern Fronts, for example, received up to 600 serviceable Japanese tanks.

"Chi-ha" and "Shinhoto Chi-ha" of the 11th Tank Regiment along with units of the 91st infantry division were on the Shumshu and Paramushir islands of the Kuril ridge, occupied by troops of the 5th Japanese Front. They took part in battles with Soviet troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, which carried out the Kuril landing operation. In addition, in the Kuril Islands the Japanese had two separate tank companies. To counter the Soviet landing (101st rifle division with a battalion of marines) on the island. Shumshu On August 18 - 20, 1945, the Japanese additionally transferred tanks from the island. Paramushir. Artillery support for the Soviet landing was provided by ships of the Pacific Fleet. The fierceness of the fighting is evidenced by the remains of the Shinhoto Chi-ha, which are still rusting on the island. Shumshu and Paramushir were cleared of the Japanese on August 23, and all the Kuril Islands by September 1. On September 2, Japan surrendered.

A few words about the tanks intended for the defense of the Japanese islands. In the spring of 1945, the United Army of National Defense had 2,970 tanks consisting of two divisions, six brigades and several individual mouth. The 1st and 4th tank divisions constituted a mobile reserve stationed north of Tokyo, the American-British landing force on the island. Kyushu was planned for November 1945, and Honshu for the spring of 1946. It was to include three armored divisions, as well as a significant number of independent tank battalions. Surely the superiority would again be on the side of the Americans, but the Japanese tank units located in the metropolis, fully manned and well equipped, would apparently offer more serious resistance than in other places. However, these are pure assumptions - the surrender prevented these battles. The Japanese tanks were handed over intact to the American occupation forces. After the surrender of Japan, "Chi-ha" and "Shinhoto Chi-ha" continued their combat service - during the Third civil war in China (1945 - 1949).

Serviceable vehicles taken from the Kwantung Army, including 350 Chi-Has, were transferred by Soviet troops to the People's Liberation Army. On the other hand, Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang troops received a significant number of Japanese tanks, with the assistance of the Americans. The limited number of combat vehicles on both sides determined their use for direct infantry support when attacking individual strong points. The Chinese People's Liberation Army entered Peiping (Beijing) on January 31, 1949 and Nanjing on April 23 on Japanese tanks, including the Chi-Ha.

In Japan itself, the surviving “Chi-ha” and “Chi-he” remained in service until the 60s. However, in these years they played more of a role as training vehicles, since the basis of the armament of the “security corps” and then the “self-defense forces” of Japan were then American-made tanks.

Twenty years before the start of the war with China and the subsequent offensive throughout Southeast Asia, the Empire of Japan began the formation of its armored forces. The experience of the First World War showed the promise of tanks and the Japanese took note of it. The creation of the Japanese tank industry began with a careful study of foreign vehicles. To achieve this, starting in 1919, Japan purchased from European countries small batches of tanks various models. 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. Subsequently, the purchase of foreign samples continued, but was not particularly large in 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 presented the world with 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. The weapons were mounted in two independent towers. It is quite obvious that the first attempt at independently creating armored vehicles was not particularly successful. The Chi-I tank was, overall, not bad. But not without the so-called. childhood illnesses, which was excusable for the very first design. Taking into account the experience of testing and trial operation among the troops, four years later another tank of the same weight was created. The Type 91 was equipped with three turrets containing 70 mm and 37 mm cannons, as well as machine guns. It is noteworthy that the machine gun turret, being intended to defend the vehicle from the rear, was located behind the engine compartment. The other two turrets were located in the front and middle parts of the tank. The most powerful weapon was mounted on a large middle turret. The Japanese used this armament and layout scheme on their next medium tank. The Type 95 appeared in 1935 and was even built in a small series. However, a number of design and operational features ultimately led to the abandonment of multi-tower systems. All further Japanese armored vehicles were either equipped with a single turret, or made do with a wheelhouse or machine gunner's armored shield.

The first Japanese medium tank, which was called 2587 “Chi-i” (sometimes called “medium tank No. 1”)

"Special tractor"

After abandoning the idea of a tank with several turrets, 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 Japanese Army adopted the Type 94 light/small tank, also known as the TK (short for Tokubetsu Keninsha - literally "Special Tractor"). 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 wedge - 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 classic for Japanese armored vehicles. The TK hull was assembled on a frame made from corners of rolled sheets; the maximum thickness of the armor was 12 millimeters on the upper part of the forehead. The bottom and roof were three times thinner. In the front part of the hull there was a motor-transmission compartment with a Mitsubishi “Type 94” gasoline engine with a power of 35 Horse power. Such a weak engine was enough for a speed of only 40 km/h on the highway. The tank's suspension was designed according to the design of Major T. Hara. Four track rollers were attached in pairs to the ends of the balancer, which, in turn, was mounted on the body. The shock-absorbing element of the suspension was a coil spring installed along the body and covered with a cylindrical casing. On each side, the chassis was equipped with two such blocks, with the fixed ends of the springs located 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, complaints were caused by weak protection and insufficient weapons. Just 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 were 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, combined with a new, more powerful engine, could lead to serious changes in balancing. To avoid putting too much stress on the front road wheels, the OHV engine was placed at the rear of the tank. The two-stroke diesel engine developed power up to 60 hp. At the same time, the 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. Moving the engine to the stern required changing the layout and shape of the front part of the hull. Thus, thanks to the increase in free volumes in the nose of the tank, it was possible to create a more ergonomic workplace for the driver with a more comfortable “wheelhouse” protruding above the front and top sheets of the hull. The Type 97's level of protection 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 was 16 millimeters thick. This interesting feature was due to the angles of inclination of the sheets. Since the frontal one was located at a greater angle to the horizontal than the side ones, the different thicknesses made it possible to provide the same level of protection from all angles. The crew of the Type 97 tank consisted of two people. They did not have any special observation devices and used only viewing slits and sights. The tank commander's workplace was located in fighting compartment, in the tower. At his disposal was a 37 mm cannon and a 7.7 mm machine gun. The Type 94 gun with a wedge breech was loaded manually. Ammunition of 66 armor-piercing and fragmentation shells laid along the sides, inside the tank hull. Penetration armor-piercing projectile was about 35 millimeters from a distance of 300 meters. The Type 97 coaxial machine gun had more than 1,700 rounds of ammunition.

Type 97 Te-Ke

Serial production of Type 97 tanks began in 1938-39. Before its cessation 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 battles in Manchuria to landing operations 1944. At first, the industry could not cope with the production of the required number of tanks, so they were distributed between units with special care. The use of the Type 97 in battles was met with varying degrees of success: weak armor did not provide protection from a considerable part of enemy firepower, and its own weapons could not provide the necessary firepower and effective fire range. In 1940, an attempt was made to install on Te-Ke new gun with a longer barrel and the same caliber. The initial velocity of the projectile increased by one hundred meters per second and reached a level of 670-680 m/s. However, over time it became clear that this weapon was also insufficient.

"Type 95"

A further development of the theme of light tanks was the “Type 95” or “Ha-Go”, created a little later than the “Te-Ke”. In general, it was a logical continuation of previous cars, but 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 road wheel and pressed the track to the ground. On the Ha-Go, this part was raised above the ground and the caterpillar acquired a more familiar appearance for tanks of that time. The design of the armored hull remained the same - frame and rolled sheets. Most of the panels were 12 millimeters thick, which is why the level of protection remained the same. basis power plant The Type 95 tank had a six-cylinder two-stroke diesel engine with a power of 120 hp. Such engine power, despite a combat weight of seven and a half tons, made it possible to maintain and even improve the vehicle’s speed and maneuverability compared to previous ones. The maximum speed of the Ha-Go on the highway was 45 km/h.

The main weapon of the Ha-Go tank was similar to that of the Type 97. It was a 37 mm Type 94 cannon. The gun suspension system was made quite well in an original way. The gun was not fixed rigidly and could move in both 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 rotation mechanisms. The gun's ammunition - 75 unitary shells - was placed along the walls of the fighting compartment. The additional armament of the Type 95 was initially two 6.5 mm Type 91 machine guns. 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 installed in the rear of the turret, the other in a swinging installation in the front plate of the armored hull. In addition, on the left side of the hull there were embrasures 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 technician and a gunner commander. The responsibilities 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 enemy. This test ended sadly: almost all of the Kwantung Army's "Ha-Go" 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 inadequacy of 37-mm guns. During the battles, Soviet BT-5s, equipped with 45-mm guns, managed to destroy Japanese tanks even before they came within striking distance. In addition, the Japanese armored formations included many machine-gun tanks, which clearly did not contribute to success in battles.

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

Subsequently, the Ha-Go tanks collided with American technology and artillery. Due to the significant difference in calibers - the Americans were already using 75 mm tank guns with all their might - Japanese armored vehicles often carried big losses. By the end of the war in the Pacific, light tanks "Type 95" were often converted into stationary firing points, but their effectiveness was low. The last battles involving the Type 95 took place during the Third Chinese Civil War. Captured tanks were transferred to the Chinese military, with the USSR sending captured armored vehicles to the People's Liberation Army, and the USA to the Kuomintang. Despite the active use of the Type 95 after World War II, this tank can be considered quite lucky. Of the more than 2,300 tanks built, only a dozen and a half have survived to this day in the form of museum exhibits. Several dozen more damaged tanks are local landmarks in some Asian countries.

Medium "Chi-Ha"

Soon after the start of testing the Ha-Go tank, Mitsubishi presented another project, dating back to the early thirties. This time, the good old TK concept became the basis for a new medium tank, called the Type 97 or Chi-Ha. It is worth noting that “Chi-Ha” had few similarities with “Te-Ke”. The coincidence of the digital development index was due to some bureaucratic issues. However, things were not done without borrowing ideas. The new Type 97 had the same layout as previous vehicles: the engine in the rear, the transmission in the front and the fighting compartment between them. The design of "Chi-Ha" was carried out using a frame system. The maximum thickness of rolled hull sheets in the case of the Type 97 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, the American Browning M2 heavy machine guns confidently hit Ha-Go tanks at distances of up to 500 meters, but they only left dents on the Chi-Ha’s armor. More solid armor led to an increase in the tank's combat weight to 15.8 tons. This fact required the installation of a new engine. On early stages Two engines were considered for the project. Both had the same power of 170 hp, but were developed by different companies. As a result, the Mitsubishi diesel was chosen, which turned out to be slightly more convenient to manufacture. And the ability to quickly and conveniently communicate between tank designers and engine engineers did its job.

Taking into account the current trends in the development of foreign tanks, Mitsubishi designers decided to equip the new Type 97 with more powerful weapons than previous tanks had. A 57-mm Type 97 cannon was installed on the rotating turret. Like the Ha-Go, the gun could swing on axles not only in the vertical plane, but also in the horizontal, within a sector 20° wide. It is noteworthy that fine 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 ammunition for the gun included 80 high-explosive fragmentation and 40 armor-piercing shells. Armor-piercing ammunition weighing 2.58 kg penetrated up to 12 millimeters of armor per kilometer. At half the distance, the penetration rate increased by one and a half times. The Chi-Ha's additional armament consisted of two Type 97 machine guns. One of them was located in the front of the hull, and the other was intended for defense against attack from behind. The new gun forced the tank builders to increase the crew once again. Now it consisted of four people: a driver, a gunner, a loader and a commander-gunner.

In 1942, based on 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. The 48-caliber barrel accelerated the projectile to such speeds that 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 armored vehicles and enemy fortifications, and therefore mass production began. In addition, a considerable part of the more than seven hundred Shinhoto Chi-Has produced were converted during repairs from simple Type 97 tanks.

The combat use of the 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 solutions used. However, over time, when the United States entered the war, already having such tanks as the M3 Lee in its troops, it became clear that all the light and medium tanks Japan had simply could not fight them. To reliably destroy American tanks, precise hits were required in certain parts of them. This was the reason for the creation of a new turret with a Type 1 cannon. One way or another, none of the Type 97 modifications could compete on equal terms with the equipment of the enemy, the USA or the USSR. As a result of this, out of approximately 2,100 units, only two complete Chi-Ha tanks have survived to this day. Another dozen have been preserved in damaged form and are also museum exhibits.

Based on materials from sites:
http://pro-tank.ru/
http://wwiivehicles.com/
http://www3.plala.or.jp/
http://armor.kiev.ua/
http://aviarmor.net/

Good World Evil (Myth)

Development armored forces in Japan
November 25, 1936 Imperial Japan and Hitler's Germany signed the Anti-Comintern Pact. A year later, in 1937, Fascist Italy joined the agreement. The coalition of the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo axis began dividing spheres of influence. Japan, which had long dreamed of power over the "Great East Asia", and had already managed to capture Manchuria by this time, turned out to be the most ready of its allies for large-scale military action. In 1937, Japan launched an invasion of China. And it is no coincidence that it was in this year that the first tank was created in the land of the rising sun, which was expected to play a role the main strike weapon of the Japanese ground forces.

Light tank "Ha-go"
"Ha-Go" became the most popular Japanese tank of the 30s and 40s - a total of 1,300 vehicles were produced before 1943. Small and light tanks generally formed the basis of Japan's tank fleet in World War II. According to the views of the Japanese military leadership, tanks were intended to accompany infantry in battle in small units. The 1935 manual for the training of tank units stated that “the main purpose of tanks is combat in close cooperation with infantry.” Their main tasks were considered to be: fighting fire points and field artillery and making passages for infantry in obstacles. Tanks could be sent on “close raids” beyond the front line of the enemy’s defense to a depth of no more than 600 m. At the same time, having disrupted his defense system, they had to return to their infantry and support their attack. The most maneuverable type of combat operations were "deep raids" together with cavalry, motorized infantry on vehicles, sappers and field artillery. In defense, tanks were used to carry out frequent counterattacks (mostly at night) or to fire from ambush. Fighting enemy tanks was allowed only when absolutely necessary. True, by the end of the war, Japanese instructions already considered tanks as the most effective anti-tank weapon. Light tanks were often buried in the ground in defense.

Type 97, also known as the "Chi-Ha", is a medium tank of the Imperial Japanese Ground Forces.
Today's story is about the most famous Japanese tank of World War II. The most famous and most widely produced.

The Chi-Ha was one of the first Japanese tanks developed by Tomio Hara's team of engineers. Actually, this vehicle was a modification of the first two tanks put into service - the light Type 89 Chi-Ro and Type 95 Ha-Go. Taking into account the first experience in tank building, with all its successes and failures, Japanese engineers began simultaneously developing two subsequent models. One of them was called "Chi-Ha", aka "middle third", the second - "Chi-Ni", aka "middle fourth".

The reason for the simultaneous development of two vehicles was the following: the Japanese ground army was then divided into two camps regarding tanks. One is led by the Ministry of Defense, the General Staff of the Ground Forces and the Osaka Arsenal. They considered it more expedient to build as quickly and as many light tanks as possible, which were simpler and cheaper to produce. The second camp is the arsenal of the city of Sagami, numerous military experts and officers from the front. They considered it better to build fewer tanks, but more advanced ones - full-fledged ones
medium tanks with good armor, maneuverability and weapons. The two sides never came to a mutual agreement, so the engineers were given an order to develop two versions of the tank that would suit both sides. "Chi-Ha" had to meet the requirements of the Sagami arsenal - that is, to be a well-protected medium tank, and "Chi-Ni" - the requirements of the General Staff, and be a lighter and cheaper vehicle.

Medium tank "Type 01 Chi-He"
The Type 01 tank, also known as the Chi-He, was built on the basis of the Type 97 Chi-Ha tank and, in fact, was its modification.

Taking into account the combat experience of the Chi-Ha tank, Japanese designers decided to improve an impressive number of components of their armored vehicles. The reason for this was the not very impressive results of the Japanese Chi-Ha tanks when meeting with the American M3. The new tank, "Type 01 Chi-He", also known as the "middle sixth", was supposed to have a more powerful gun - the weakest point of all previous tanks, also a more powerful engine, and thicker armor.

So, given the sad experience of collisions with American tanks, Japanese engineers were forced to introduce a number of significant changes to the design of their armored vehicles. At that time, the Type 97 Chi-Ha and its modification, the Shinhoto Chi-Ha, were considered the best Japanese tanks. However, as it turned out, the Chi-Ha was armed with a turret gun that was too weak, unable to penetrate the thick armor of the Americans from a long distance. It was also decided that "Chi-Ha" did not have much reliable protection, both in the thickness of the armor and in the angle of inclination of the armor plates.

The first tank to receive these modifications was the Type 01 Chi-He.
Compared to its predecessor, the Chi-Ha tank, the Type 01 was slightly longer and slightly narrower. The increase in the thickness of the front armor plates, as well as their more obtuse angle of inclination, made the tank heavier by a little over two tons. On new car there was no longer a forward-protruding deckhouse or shutters on the sides.

In battles with Soviet units on the Khalkhin Gol River in 1939, the Japanese deployed a group of medium tanks "Type 89" under the command of Colonel Yoshimaro (two companies of 10 tanks each) from the 3rd Tank Regiment and a group of light tanks "Type 95" "Ha -Go" (three companies of 10 vehicles each) under the command of Colonel Tamada from the 4th Tank Regiment. The tanks were supported by artillery, an anti-aircraft battery, sappers, and transport units.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched their invasion of the Philippines and Malaya. On December 10, the advanced units of the 14th Army of General Homme began landing on the island. Luzon, and on December 22 - 24 the main forces of the army landed. In the Philippines, Japanese tanks clashed with American tanks for the first time - since November 1941, a tank group of 180 M3 Stuart and 50 75-mm T12 self-propelled guns was stationed in Luzon. The Japanese landed units of the 4th and 7th tank regiments and several tank companies here. The tanks were delivered to the shore on landing barges and immediately disembarked from them. From the first clashes on December 22 and 31, 1941 until the last battle on April 7, 1942, the main role here was played by the light Ha-Go, although the medium Chi-Ha also took part in the fighting. Usually tanks led infantry attacks, sometimes making quick dashes to objects already captured by paratroopers to finally break enemy resistance.

Tank losses were insignificant, which was greatly facilitated by the enemy's lack of anti-tank weapons and the dominance of Japanese aviation in the air.

The operation began on December 7, and already on the 11th the 1st Tank Regiment successfully attacked the Jitra defense line. According to the British, the appearance of Japanese medium tanks of the 6th Tank Regiment on January 7, 1942 near Kuala Lumpur in Silanogra “caused indescribable confusion.” Japanese tanks crossed the river and not only broke through the British defenses, but also captured rich booty, including serviceable armored vehicles and light armored personnel carriers. To support the units that crossed to Singapore on February 9, the Japanese drove tanks through the Strait of Johor along the railway dam. On February 15, Singapore was captured by Japanese forces, and tanks played a big role in this.
In the battles in Burma (January 21 - May 20, 1942), General Ida's Japanese 15th Army used tanks from the 1st, 2nd, and 14th Tank Regiments. On April 29, they cut the Burma road, and on April 30, they entered the city of Lashio, an important communications hub. In Burma, Japanese tank crews took part in battles with the “Stuarts” of the British 7th Hussars. In addition, T-26s of the Chinese 200th Mechanized Division also operated here, but they did not participate in tank battles with the Japanese.

After the landing on August 7, 1942 of the 1st US Marine Division on the island. Guadalcanal (in the Solomon Islands group) and moving deeper into the island, the Japanese landed Sumimoshi on the island on October 16, reinforced by the 1st separate tank company, which was staffed by veterans of the 4th company of the 2nd tank regiment. After a series of local skirmishes, on October 26, the Japanese attempted to cross the Matenika River and attack American Marine positions on the opposite bank. Of the 12 "Chi-ha" that tried to ford the river, most were lost from the fire of 37-mm anti-tank guns. Actually, this is where the tank battles ended. The Japanese did not have time to transfer reinforcements from Rabaul and on February 1 - 7, 1943 they secretly evacuated from Guadalcanal.
The year 1943 was a turning point - both Germany in Europe and Japan in Asia and the Pacific were forced to switch to strategic defense. The Japanese garrisons on the Mariana Islands, which were part of the internal defense belt of the Land of the Rising Sun and were of strategic importance, were reinforced by units of the 9th tank regiment of Colonel Hideki Goto: 1st and 2nd companies (29 Ha-go and Chi tanks -ha") were on about. Guam, 3rd, 5th and 6th - on the island. Saipan. In addition, the Ha-go of a separate tank company of the airborne detachment was stationed on the latter, and the 24th separate tank company (9 tanks) was stationed on Guam. There were also floating Ka-mi, and the anti-tank system used 47-mm Type 1 cannons.

On June 15, 1944, American troops landed on Saipan as part of the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions with amphibious tanks, and on June 16, the 27th Infantry Division. The Japanese used their tanks to counterattack with infantry, but suffered heavy losses from fire from infantry anti-tank weapons and M4 Sherman tanks. On June 16, Vice Admiral Nagumo ordered another counterattack. Under the command of Colonel Goto, 44 tanks were sent to the island along with the 136th Infantry Regiment: “Ha-go”, “Chi-ha”, “Shinhoto Chi-ha” from the 9th tank regiment and “Ka-mi” from the landing force tank company. The tanks secretly landed in the rear of the American Marines entrenched on the western shore, but on the pebble beaches of Garapan they made a lot of noise with their tracks. The Marines managed to call in a platoon of Shermans and several MZ self-propelled anti-tank guns. The Japanese lost 11 tanks already on the beach. Nevertheless, at 2 o'clock in the morning on June 17, 40 Japanese tanks with infantry on their armor (a rare tactical technique for the Japanese) went on the attack. They had to move through open areas. Some of the tanks reached the Marine positions, but in the light of flares fired from the ships, the Americans knocked out several tanks with fire from Bazooka rocket launchers and 37-mm anti-tank guns. The rest, trying to get around the damaged vehicles, got stuck in swampy places and soft ground and turned out to be motionless targets. After a counterattack by the American Marines with tanks and self-propelled guns, the Japanese were left with only 12 tanks - 6 each “Chi-ha” and “Ha-go”. Some of them died on June 24 in an unequal battle with the Shermans (Company C of the 2nd Tank Battalion of the Marine Corps), the rest died a little later in clashes with the M5A1 Stuart of army units (according to other sources, from 37-mm fire anti-tank guns). Saipan was captured by the Americans only on July 9 and cost both sides heavy losses.

When the 3rd Marine Division and the U.S. 77th Infantry Division landed on Guam on June 21, Japanese forces on the island included 38 Ha-Go and Chi-Ha tanks massed along the western shore, where the Americans landed. Only “Ha-Go” took part in the first clashes, although “Shikha” would have been more useful - the light tanks were quickly knocked out. 11 “Chi-ha” of the 2nd company of the 9th regiment, which was located at the beginning of the landing as part of the 48th separate mixed brigade at Agana, was pulled to Taraga on the northern bank. They were used to support infantry in night attacks. A successful attack was carried out, for example, by five Chi-Has on the night of August 8-9 on the position of the Marines, whose bazookas were disabled due to rain. But the very next day, American Shermans attacked a Japanese stronghold, knocked out two tanks and captured seven - they were either faulty or lacked fuel. On August 10, the Japanese stopped resistance on Guam.

On October 20, 1944, four infantry divisions of the 6th American Army landed on the island. Leyte, and by December 28 the fighting there was already over. Medium Type 94s were lost while trying to recapture the runways. It is worth noting here that the struggle for the Pacific islands was not so much an attempt to take control of key points of sea communications as to seize airfields. After the Japanese tanks on Leyte Island were unable to carry out a single more or less successful counterattack and were mostly knocked out, General Yamashita decided to use them on Luzon as stationary firing points, distributing them among strongholds of infantry units and setting the task of delaying the advance American units. The tanks were dug in and carefully camouflaged; several reserve positions were prepared for them. For camouflage, the crews stretched wire mesh over the hull and turret, onto which they attached branches, leaves, and grass. The protection of the frontal part of the turret was increased by attaching spare tracks, which, in principle, was uncharacteristic for Japanese tank crews. The vehicles prepared in this way served as the core of strongholds that differed from each other in size and strength. Thus, the point at Urdaneta had 9 combat units, the Shigemi detachment at San Manuel - 45 (7th tank regiment, mainly Shinhoto Chi-ha), the Ida detachment at Munoz - 52 (6th tank regiment).

The landing of the 1st and 14th Corps of the 6th American Army on Luzon began on January 9, 1945. On January 17, a tank battle took place at Linman Hansen - the Shermans of Company C of the 716th American Tank Battalion knocked out 4 Shinhoto Chi -ha" of the Japanese 7th Tank Regiment. On January 24, the same American tank company attacked the Shigemi detachment at San Manuel with the support of 105 mm M7 self-propelled howitzers.

After the capture of the Philippines, the focus of the American command shifted to the islands of Formosa, Okinawa and Iwo Jima, which could serve as air bases for a direct attack on the Japanese islands. On February 19, 1945, the 5th American Airborne Corps, supported by 200 amphibious tanks, began landing on the island. Iwo Jima. The 27th Japanese Tank Regiment was stationed here, which had 28 tanks - mainly Chi-Ha and Shinhoto Chiha. Lieutenant Colonel Nishi, who commanded them, intended to use the Shinhoto Chi-ha as roving anti-tank guns, which was generally consistent with the situation and the capabilities of the tanks. However, more often they were used in entrenched stationary positions. Unable to retreat, these tanks were soon hit by artillery fire or bazookas from the 1st Independent Tank Company, US Marines. However, at least one strong point, in which there were three Shinhoto Chi-has, offered very stubborn resistance. It is no coincidence that the fighting on the small island continued until March 26. Following this, on April 1, the Americans landed four divisions of the 3rd Airborne Corps and the 24th Corps on the western coast of Okinawa. The landing force included more than 800 tanks and self-propelled guns, as well as a large number of amphibious tanks and armored personnel carriers. The Japanese 32nd Army had here only units of the 27th Tank Regiment already mentioned above, located in the northern part of the island - a total of 13 “Ha-go” and 14 “Shinhoto Chi-ha”.

Almost all of these vehicles were lost during the attempted counterattack on May 5th. The fighting in Okinawa continued until June 21, but tanks no longer took part in the most fierce battles.

After the defeat of the 2nd Tank Division in the Philippines, the Japanese command did not risk the remaining units and transfer additional tanks to Okinawa (and the very possibility of this, due to the complete dominance of the Americans at sea, was more than doubtful), although the island was considered ethnically Japanese territory. Thus ended the fighting of Japanese tank forces in the Pacific.

On the continent, fighting took place in Burma and China. In Burma, after several “test” operations in 1943, the Allies went on the offensive early next year. By the beginning of the battles with the British-Indian and American-Chinese forces, the Japanese tank forces consisted of only the 14th Tank Regiment. Moreover, his 4th company was armed with captured “stuarts”, but after battles with British tanks The company was reinforced by "Shinhoto Chi-ha". With this composition, this unit participated in battles with the Americans near Myitkyina in the first days of August 1944. In March 1945, the last Japanese tanks in Burma were lost in clashes with Shermans on the Myitkyina-Mandalay road. By May 6, the Allies had completely retaken Burma.

The Japanese 3rd Tank Division was based in China, which included the 5th (8th and 12th regiments) and 6th (13th and newly formed 17th regiment) tank brigades. In 1942 - 1943 The Japanese used tanks sporadically in counter-guerrilla operations, in private attacks on the 8th People's Liberation Army of China in the Border Region, and against Kuomintang troops in the Yichang area. The 8th regiment in 1942 was transferred to the island. New Britain.

During the autumn offensive of 1943 in China, units of the 3rd Tank Division were used to capture airfields, from which at that time B-29 bomber raids began on industrial facilities in Manchuria and the island. Kyushu. In 1944, the 6th Tank Brigade was withdrawn from the division and sent to the Mongolian border, so that of the actual tank units, the 3rd Division retained only the 12th Regiment. In this form it was assigned to the 12th Army. After the inclusion of two more motorized infantry regiments, the division became more mechanized or reinforced motorized than tank. But it was precisely at this time that decisive tasks began to be set before tank units.

In April 1944, an offensive began against Kuomintang troops in the direction of Luoyang, Xin'an and along the Hankou-Changsha-Henyang-Canton railway. Its task was to seize the highway leading to the Korean coast and towards Hanoi, the subsequent defeat of the Chinese troops and the connection of the Northern, Central and Southern fronts of the Japanese expeditionary forces. The 12th Army operated as part of this “Operation No. 1”. The 3rd Armored Division, following behind the infantry along with the 4th Cavalry Brigade, took part in a number of battles. At the same time, tanks, motorized infantry and cavalry conducted maneuverable actions, carried out envelopments, and long-distance (up to 60 km per day) outflanking marches. With their active participation, Linzhou was captured on May 5, and Loyang on May 25. By mid-autumn, the Japanese occupied more than 40 cities, including Changsha, Henyang, Guilin, Shaozhou, Nanying, and airfields near Henyang, Liuzhou, and Gangxiang. This success was largely due to the weakness of the enemy anti-tank missile defense. When storming populated areas, tanks were used to fire at the gates or breaches in the walls surrounding most Chinese cities from machine gun range. After the infantry entered the city, some of the tanks acted in front of it, while others were sent around to cut off the enemy’s escape routes. The 3rd Tank Division and the 4th Cavalry Brigade also took part in the attack on the American air base near the river. Laohahe in the spring of 1945 In the operation that began on March 22 and the capture of airfields, the 3rd Panzer Division performed rather auxiliary tasks, but the tankers played an important role in consolidating the success and repelling Chinese counterattacks (for example, in April in Sichuan). After this, the 3rd Division with the rest of its forces was pulled north, to Beiping (future Beijing). Interestingly, after the Japanese surrender, the 3rd Armored Division was not completely disarmed - the Americans and the Kuomintang used it to protect Peiping from being captured by the People's Liberation Army until it was replaced by the Kuomintang 109th Division in November 1945.

In total, the Kwantung group, together with the 17th Korean Front, had 1,215 tanks by August 1945. Soviet troops numbered 1.7 million people and 5.2 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns.

“Chi-ha” and “Shinhoto Chi-ha” of the 11th Tank Regiment, together with units of the 91st Infantry Division, were on the Shumshu and Paramushir islands of the Kuril ridge, occupied by troops of the 5th Japanese Front. They took part in battles with Soviet troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, which carried out the Kuril landing operation. In addition, in the Kuril Islands the Japanese had two separate tank companies. To counter the Soviet landing (101st Rifle Division with a Marine Battalion) on the island. Shumshu On August 18 - 20, 1945, the Japanese additionally transferred tanks from Paramushir Island. Artillery support for the Soviet landing was provided by ships of the Pacific Fleet. The fierceness of the fighting is evidenced by the remains of the Shinhoto Chi-ha, which are still rusting on the island. Shumshu and Paramushir were cleared of the Japanese on August 23, and all the Kuril Islands by September 1. On September 2, Japan surrendered.

A few words about the tanks intended for the defense of the Japanese islands. In the spring of 1945, the United Army of National Defense had 2,970 tanks consisting of two divisions, six brigades and several separate companies. The 1st and 4th tank divisions constituted a mobile reserve stationed north of Tokyo, the American-British landing force on the island. Kyushu was planned for November 1945, and Honshu for the spring of 1946. It was to include three armored divisions, as well as a significant number of independent tank battalions. Surely the superiority would again be on the side of the Americans, but the Japanese tank units located in the metropolis, fully manned and well equipped, would apparently offer more serious resistance than in other places. However, these are pure assumptions - the surrender prevented these battles. The Japanese tanks were handed over intact to the American occupation forces. After the surrender of Japan, "Chi-ha" and "Shinhoto Chi-ha" continued their combat service - during the Third Civil War in China (1945 - 1949).

"Chi-He"

Regarding Japanese tanks from the Second World War, there is a widespread opinion that they were completely behind their foreign competitors. It is true, but only partly. The fact is that the Japanese military and engineers, seeing the enemy’s armored vehicles, including potential ones, still made attempts to make a tank with relevant characteristics. Simultaneously with the Shinhoto Chi-Ha medium tank, a new armored vehicle was being developed, the design of which took into account all the shortcomings of the original Chi-Ha and its predecessors. The Type 1 or Chi-He project finally began to resemble European tanks of the time, both in design and combat performance.

First of all, it is necessary to note the updated design of the armored hull. For the first time in Japanese tank building, most of the parts were welded; rivets were used only in some places of the structure. In addition, in comparison with the Chi-Ha, the new Type 1 received more serious armor. The frontal rolled armor plates of the tank were 50 millimeters thick, the sides were twice as thin. The turret's forehead was made of a 25 mm plate and was partially covered by a 40 mm thick gun mantlet. Of course, in comparison with foreign tanks, the level of protection of the Chi-He did not look like something unique, but for the Japanese military industry it was a significant step forward. When designing the Type 1, the designers were faced with the task of increasing protection and firepower while maintaining the weight of the vehicle. For this reason, the frame of the tank was simplified as much as possible, and in some places the structure was completely removed; the contours of the hull and a number of internal mechanisms also underwent changes. As a result of all the changes, the new medium tank gained only a couple of tons in weight relative to the Chi-Ha. The combat weight of the Chi-He was 17.5 tons. The increased weight required the installation of a new engine; it became the Type 100 produced by Mitsubishi. The 240-horsepower engine provided the tank power density about 13-14 horsepower per ton of weight. This was enough for a maximum highway speed of 45 km/h. Other driving characteristics remained at the level of previous tanks.

Another step towards bringing the tank to the form generally accepted in the rest of the world was the installation of a radio station on all vehicles and the introduction of a fifth person into the crew. Maintaining radio communications was the responsibility of the tank commander, who was relieved of his duties as a gunner. Aiming the gun now became the task of an individual crew member. The workplaces of the commander, gunner and loader were located in the fighting compartment, which required increasing the volume of the turret. However, the armament remained almost identical to the previous Shinhoto Chi-Ha tank. Main caliber"Chi-He" - 47 mm Type 1 cannon. Despite the name, this weapon was not the same one that was installed on the Shinhoto Chi-Ha. Before installation on the Type 1 tank, the gun underwent major modernization. First of all, the recoil devices have undergone significant changes. The suspension system, in turn, retained its main features, but was also improved. Changing the mounting trunnions in practice led to a decrease in the width of the horizontal sector in which the gun could move. On the Chi-He, the gun barrel deviated from the longitudinal axis only 7.5° to the sides. The ammunition load of the Type 1 tank was similar to the supply of Shinhoto Chi-Ha shells - 120 unitary rounds of two types. The additional armament of the Chi-He consisted of two 7.7-mm machine guns, located according to the traditional layout for Japanese tanks. One was mounted on axles in the loophole of the frontal plate, the other - in the rear of the turret.

Basic design work on the topic "Type 1" were completed even before the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, then the matter ended with the construction and testing of the prototype. Serial production of the Chi-He began only in mid-1943. Naturally, by this time Japan could no longer afford the construction of particularly large batches of new armored vehicles. As a result, no more than 170-180 Type 1 tanks were assembled, and about a year after its start, serial construction ceased. During service in the military new tank received mixed reviews. On the one side, good booking Under certain conditions, the front of the hull protected the tank even from American 75 mm guns. On the other hand, the 47-mm cannon still could not compete with the weapons of enemy tanks and artillery. Therefore, “Type 1” was unable to have any tangible impact on the course of the battles. Perhaps something would have changed if this tank had been built in more, but there is reason to doubt this too.

"Chi-Nu"

Understanding the not very bright prospects of the Type 1, the Japanese command instructed tank builders to make another medium tank capable of properly fighting enemy armored vehicles. The “Type 3” or “Chi-Nu” project implied the replacement of weapons with the “Type 1”. The Type 90 field gun with a caliber of 75 millimeters was chosen as the new main one. It was developed in the early thirties based on the French Schneider gun. In turn, on the basis of the Type 90, a new gun was designed, designed specifically for installation on the Chi-Nu tank. This modification of the gun was called “Type 3”.

Due to the need to replace only the gun, the design of the Type 3 tank was taken practically unchanged from the Type 1. All improvements concerned improving the manufacturability of the assembly and ensuring the installation of a new, larger tower. The latter was a welded unit with a hexagonal shape in plan. The tower was welded from rolled sheets with a thickness of 50 mm (front) to 12 (roof). In addition, additional protection for the frontal projection was provided by a 50-mm gun mantlet. The “consequences” of installing a new large tower are interesting. Its front part was covered most driver's hatch. For this reason, the entire Chi-Nu crew had to enter and exit the tank through two hatches in the turret roof and one in its left side. In addition, for servicing the gun and loading ammunition, there was another fairly large hatch at the rear of the turret. All changes led to an increase in the tank's combat weight. “Chi-Nu” weighed 18.8 tons when ready for combat. At the same time, driving performance has decreased slightly. The 240-horsepower Type 100 diesel could provide maximum speed only about 40 kilometers per hour, which was less than the corresponding figure for the Chi-He tank.

When converting the Type 90 gun into the Type 3 state, no significant design changes occurred. The gun was still equipped with a hydraulic recoil brake and a spring knurl. At the same time, the authors of the project had to resort to a little trick. Since they were required to quickly modify the gun, they did not change its layout. The recoil devices remained in place, in front under the barrel. Because of this, a special armored tray had to be installed on the front of the turret to protect the recoil brake cylinders. The gun's considerable weight and considerable dimensions forced us to abandon the idea of additional fine aiming without rotating the turret. On the Type 3, the gun could only swing vertically from -10° to +15° from the horizontal axis. The new tank's ammunition mounts contained 55 shells of two types, high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing. The latter, having initial speed at 680 m/s at a distance of a kilometer they penetrated 65-70 millimeters of armor. The Chi-Nu's secondary armament consisted of only one machine gun in the front of the hull.

There is no exact data regarding the production of Type 3 medium tanks. According to one source, they began to be collected in mid-1943. Other literature indicates the fall of 1944 as the start of construction. The same strange situation is observed in estimates of the number of assembled cars. According to various sources, from 60 to 170 units were manufactured. The reason for such large discrepancies is the lack necessary documents, which were lost in the last stages of the war. In addition, there is no information about the combat use of Type 3 tanks. According to available information, all tanks built went to the 4th Panzer Division, which until the end of the war did not take part in hostilities outside Japanese islands. The use of the Chi-Nu in the battles for Okinawa is sometimes mentioned, but in known American documents there is no information about the appearance of new equipment by the enemy. Probably all “Type 3” remained at the bases without having time to fight. After the end of World War II, a number of Chi-Nu tanks were used Japanese Forces self-defense.

"Chi-Nu", as well as several "Ho-Ni III" in the background, from the 4th Panzer Division

"Ka-Mi"

There were several in Japanese tank building interesting projects, which for a number of reasons have not received particularly widespread implementation. An example is the “Chi-Nu” described above. Another “small-scale” project appeared in connection with the peculiarities of the war in the Pacific Ocean. In preparing for the attack to the south, the Japanese command was faced with the issue of amphibious landings on the islands and the continental coast. Infantry support by tanks was carried out exclusively with the help of tank landing boats and ships. In particular, and therefore, most Japanese armored vehicles had a combat weight of less than 20 tons. For obvious reasons, military leaders wanted to get rid of the need to attract additional forces. Work towards creating an amphibious tank began in the late twenties, but then everything was limited to theory and a few experiments. Only in 1940 did full-fledged design work begin. The Type 2 or Ka-Mi tank was to become the main means of fire support for troops landing on the coast. The technical specifications implied the following use of an amphibious tank: a landing ship delivers armored vehicles to a certain distance from land, after which they reach the shore under their own power. It seems like nothing special. However, the Mitsubishi designers were required to ensure both good seaworthiness of the tank and sufficient combat qualities. This was allowed to be done in any suitable way.

"Ka-Mi" is afloat. The similarity of the tank to a small ship speaks volumes about its seaworthiness.

The light tank Type 95 (Ha-Go) was taken as the basis for the Ka-Mi. Chassis The old tank was modified for use in water. Housings with springs of the T. Hara system were hidden inside the housing. The building itself has undergone major changes. Unlike the Type 95, the Type 2 was assembled almost entirely by welding. Rivets were used only in those parts of the structure where a hermetic connection of parts was not required. The body was welded from rolled sheets up to 14 millimeters thick. A characteristic feature of the new tank was the shape of the hull. Unlike its land counterparts, the sea "Ka-Mi" did not have large quantity mating surfaces. In fact, the body was a simple box with several bevels. The arrangement of the engine and transmission was traditional for Japanese tanks of the second half of the thirties. The 120-horsepower diesel engine was placed in the stern, the transmission in the bow. In addition, two propellers were installed at the rear of the tank. At the same time, to save weight and ease of engine maintenance, there was no partition between the engine and fighting compartments. In terms of repairs, it was quite convenient. But in a combat situation, the roar of the engine greatly disturbed the crew. For this reason, it was necessary to equip the Ka-Mi with a tank intercom. Without it, the test tank crews could not hear each other. A new turret was mounted on the relatively wide top plate of the hull. It had a conical shape and accommodated the workplaces of two crew members: the commander and the gunner. The loader, mechanic and driver, in turn, were located inside the body.

The main armament of the floating Ka-Mi was 37-mm cannons. In the first series these were “Type 94”, installed on the “Ha-Go”, but then they were replaced by “Type 1”, which had a longer barrel. The gun's ammunition load was 132 rounds. Guidance in the horizontal plane was carried out both by rotating the turret and by shifting the gun itself within five degrees from the axis. Vertical aiming – from -20° to +25°. Additional weapons of the “Type 2” were two 7.7 mm machine guns. One of them was paired with a cannon, and the second was located in the front of the hull. Before the start of several landing operations, some Ka-Mis were equipped with additional equipment for the use of torpedoes. Two such ammunition were attached to the sides of the tank on special brackets and dropped using an electrical system.

Type 2 "Ka-mi" (101st Special Marine Amphibious Unit), with pontoons removed, aboard a transport transporting reinforcements to Saipan

The original Ha-Go underwent many changes, the purpose of which was to ensure proper seaworthiness. In particular, the shape of the upper part of the hull was determined by the peculiarities of the chosen method of ensuring buoyancy. Since the tank itself could not float normally on its own, they proposed installing special pontoons on it. A structure with a volume of 6.2 cubic meters was attached in the front part, and a volume of 2.9 in the rear. At the same time, the front pontoon was shaped like the bow of a watercraft, and the rear one was equipped with a boat-type plate rudder and its control system. To ensure survivability, the front pontoon was divided into six sealed sections, the rear - into five. In addition to the pontoons, a snorkel turret was installed above the engine compartment before moving through the water. Beginning in 1943, the kit for swimming began to include a lightweight metal structure designed for installation on a tank turret. With its help, the commander of a combat vehicle could monitor the situation not only through observation devices. Upon reaching the shore, the tankers had to discard pontoons and turrets. The reset procedure was carried out using a screw mechanism located inside the machine. In the first series, the Ka-Mi tanks were equipped with only two pontoons. Later, based on the results of combat use, the front one was divided into two independent parts. Thanks to this, the tank, having dropped its air tanks, could continue moving forward. The front pontoons were moved apart by the tank. Previously, they had to go around them.

The combat weight of the Type 2 tank was nine and a half tons. Suspended pontoons added another three thousand kilograms. With such a weight, the tank had a maximum speed on land of 37 kilometers per hour, and on water it accelerated to ten. Stock diesel fuel enough for a 170-kilometer march or a hundred-kilometer voyage. The amphibious tank could be used for an over-the-horizon landing and, in fact, the only limitation on landing the Ka-Mi was the situation at sea, waves, etc.

Japanese Type 2 Ka-Mi amphibious tanks captured on Shumshu Island. Two battalions of Japanese marines (rikusentai), which had 16 tanks of this type, were based on the islands of Paramushir and Shumshu

Serial production of the Ka-Mi began at the end of 1941. The pace of construction was relatively slow, which made it impossible to quickly re-equip the relevant Marine units. Nevertheless, they managed to receive “Type 2” tanks in quantities of several dozen pieces. good feedback. Which, however, were not overshadowed too much powerful weapons. Over time, the number of tanks in the army increased, but the pace of construction still remained unacceptable. As it turned out, one of the consequences of the original design of the tank was the high labor intensity of production. Therefore, the first landing operation with the massive use of Ka-Mi took place only in June 1944, it was a landing on the island of Saipan (Mariana Islands). Despite the surprise of the attack and the darkness of the night, the Americans quickly dealt with the advancing enemy. The combat use of Type 2 continued until the very end of the war. IN recent months Due to the lack of landing operations, these tanks were used as ordinary ground armored vehicles and stationary firing points. Of the 180 amphibious tanks built, only eight have survived to this day. One of them is in the tank museum of the city of Kubinka, the rest are in the countries of Oceania.

Self-propelled guns based on the Chi-Ha tank

Until a certain time, there was no place for self-propelled artillery in the strategic fabrications of the Japanese command. For a number of reasons, infantry support was entrusted to light and medium tanks, as well as field artillery. However, since 1941, the Japanese military has initiated the creation of self-propelled gun mounts several times. These projects did not have a great future, but are still worth considering.

"Type 1" ("Ho-Ni I")

The first was the Type 1 (“Ho-Ni I”) installation, designed to combat enemy combat vehicles and fortifications. On the chassis of the Chi-Ha medium tank, in place of the turret, an armored conning tower with a frontal plate 50 millimeters thick was installed. This cabin design was used on all subsequent Japanese self-propelled guns of that time. Only the guns and their installation systems changed. In the control room of a 14-ton combat vehicle they placed field gun"Type 90" caliber 75 millimeters. Rough aiming of the gun horizontally was carried out by turning the entire machine. Thin - with a rotating mechanism, within a sector 40° wide. Angles of descent/elevation – from -6° to +25°. The power of such weapons was sufficient to destroy all American tanks at distances of 500 meters. At the same time, the attacking Japanese self-propelled guns were themselves at risk of retaliatory fire. Since 1942, 26 Type 1 self-propelled guns have been built. Despite their small numbers, these artillery mounts were actively used in most operations. Several units survived until the end of the war, when they became American trophies. One copy of Ho-Ni I is in the Aberdeen Museum.

Self-propelled gun "Ho-ni II"

The next serial Japanese-made self-propelled gun was the Ho-Ni II, also known as Type 2. A 105-mm howitzer “Type 99” was installed on a chassis with a wheelhouse, completely taken from the “Type 1”. This self-propelled gun was primarily intended for firing from closed positions. However, sometimes, due to the situation, it was necessary to shoot at direct fire. The power of the gun was enough to destroy any American tanks at a distance of about a kilometer. Fortunately for the Americans, only 54 such gun mounts were built in 1943-45. Eight more were converted from serial tanks"Chi-Ha." Due to the small number of self-propelled guns, the Ho-Ni II could not have a significant impact on the course of the war.

Self-propelled gun "Ho-Ni III"

A further development of "Type 1" became "Type 3" or "Ho-Ni III". The main weapon of this self-propelled gun was tank gun"Type 3", developed for "Chi-Nu". The cannon's ammunition load of 54 rounds theoretically allowed the Ho-Ni III self-propelled gun to become a serious combat weapon. However, all three dozen self-propelled guns built were transferred to the 4th Tank Division. Due to the specific goals of this unit - it was intended for the defense of the Japanese archipelago - all Ho-Ni IIIs waited until the end of the war almost without losses, and then became part of the Self-Defense Forces.

Artillery support tank for amphibious assault forces armed with a 120 mm short-barreled cannon. Produced in a small series based on "Chi-ha"

In addition to the Ho-Ni family, there was another self-propelled artillery installation based on the Chi-Ha tank. It was a Ho-Ro/Type 4 self-propelled gun. It differed from other Japanese self-propelled guns in the design of its armored cabin, as well as in its armament. “Ho-Ro” was the most powerful self-propelled gun of the Japanese Empire: the 150-mm howitzer “Type 38” could ensure the destruction of almost any target. True, Type 4 self-propelled guns also did not become widespread. The entire series was limited to only 25 cars. Several of the first production Ho-Ros managed to take part in the Battle of the Philippines. However, later all available self-propelled howitzers were transferred to the 4th Panzer Division. As part of this unit, the Type 4 self-propelled guns managed to fight only in Okinawa, where several units were destroyed by attacks by American troops.

Based on materials from sites:
http://pro-tank.ru/
http://wwiivehicles.com/
http://www3.plala.or.jp/
http://armor.kiev.ua/
http://aviarmor.net/
http://onwar.com/

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