AC70090 JAPANESE MEDIUM TANKS SET

The Type 97 Chi-Ha was a Japanese medium tank from the Second World War. The first prototypes were built in 1936, and serial production continued in 1938-1943. In total, about 1,200 copies of this tank were built. The Type 97 was powered by an engine Mitsubishi SA 12-200VD with 170 HP. The armament of the vehicle - the basic version - was a single 57 mm Type 97 tank gun and two 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns. The Type 97 Chi-Ha was developed in response to a demand from the Japanese Army High Command for a new medium tank. The arsenal of the army in Osaka and the Mitsubishi concern stood up to compete. Based on the experience of the Spanish Civil War and observations from the war in China, a decision was made to adopt a tank developed by Mitsubishi, the Type 97 Chi-Ha. The new tank had good off-road mobility, but also - as shown in the clashes with the T-26 and BT-5 vehicles over Chałchyn-Gol - completely outdated armament and too thin armor. As a result, a decision was made to modernize the car, which led to the Type 97 Shinhoto Chi-Ha version, which was developed in 1940. It featured a new 47mm Type 1 cannon, an enlarged hull and an improved engine cooling system. Type 97 tanks fought in China (1937-1945), against the Red Army in 1938-1939 and during the Pacific War of 1941-1945, especially intensively in the first - offensive phase of this conflict - in 1941-1942, especially in the Philippines and Malaya . Tanks Captured by Chinese troops during the Japanese-Chinese War, the Type 97 Chi-Ha also fought in the Chinese Civil War 1945-1949.The Type 95 Ha-Go was a Japanese WWII light tank. The first prototypes were built in 1933, and serial production continued in 1935-1943. In total, about 2,370 copies of this tank of all versions were built. The Type 95 was powered by an engine Mitsubishi NVD6 120 with 120 HP. The vehicle was armed with a single Type 94 or Type 97 37mm tank gun, 1 Type 91 6.5mm machine gun and 1 Type 97 7.7mm machine gun. Tank The Type 95 Ha-Go was the result of lessons learned by the Japanese Army Command from operations in Manchuria and Outer Mongolia during 1931-1933, which clearly showed that tracked vehicles, especially light tanks, performed very well in the field hilly and upland - much better than cavalry or wheeled vehicles. This led to the development of a new Japanese light tank, the Type 95 Ha-Go. The new vehicle was characterized by high maneuverability, good armament for a car of this class, but also thin armor not exceeding 12 mm in thickness. Tanks of this type fought in China (1937-1945), in Chałchyn-Gol with the Red Army (1939) and during the Pacific War of 1941-1945, especially in the first - offensive phase of the conflict - in 1941-1942.The Type 1 Chi-He was a Japanese medium tank from the Second World War. The first prototypes were built in 1940, and serial production continued in 1943-1944. In total, about 170 examples of this tank were built. The Type 1 Chi-He was powered by an engine Mitsubishi Typ 100 with 240 HP. It was armed with a single 47mm Type 1 tank gun in the turret and two 7.7mm Type 97 machine guns. The Type 1 Chi-He was developed as a very far-reaching development of the Type 97 Chi-Ha. Compared to the original, the main armament was changed to a 47mm cannon, which was much better suited to fighting enemy armored vehicles. The armor was also significantly strengthened, now reaching a thickness of 50 mm. A new engine with more maximum power was also used. What's more - the Type 1 Chi-He was the first Japanese tank to which radios were mounted serially, which fantastically increased the ability to command these vehicles on the battlefield. Despite these improvements, the Type 1 Chi-He continued to be inferior to the American M4 Sherman. It is worth noting that despite the development of prototypes of the car as early as 1940, it entered mass production only in 1943. This was due to other priorities of the Japanese war economy, as well as the growing shortage of strategic raw materials. Almost all of the produced Type 1 Chi-He vehicles were placed in the Home Islands to counter the expected American invasion. The few vehicles of this type seized by the Russians were later handed over to Chinese communists, who used them in the Chinese Civil War of 1945-1949.