Back النوع 97 تشي-ها Arabic Type 97 Chi-Ha BS Typ 97 Či-ha Czech Typ 97 Chi-Ha German Tipo 97 Chi-Ha Spanish Type 97 Chi-Ha Finnish Type 97 Chi-Ha French צ'י-הא HE 97-es típusú közepes harckocsi Hungarian Tipe 97 Chi-Ha ID
| Type 97 Chi-Ha | |
|---|---|
 Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank on display at the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Russia | |
| Type | Medium tank |
| Place of origin | Japan |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1936 |
| Unit cost | 126,000 yen ($33,856 USD) in August 1939, excluding armaments[1][2] |
| Produced | 1938–1943[3] |
| No. built | 1,162 (plus 930 of Type 97-Kai)[4] |
| Variants | Type 97-Kai Shinhōtō Chi-Ha[5] |
| Specifications (Type 97 Chi-Ha as of 1941[6]) | |
| Mass | 14.3 tonnes (15.8 tons) to 15.2 tonnes (16.8 tons) |
| Length | 5.50 m (18 ft 1 in)[6] |
| Width | 2.33 m (7 ft 8 in)[6] |
| Height | 2.21 m (7 ft 3 in)[6] |
| Crew | 4 |
| Armor | 8–25 mm (25 mm on gun mantlet)[6] |
Main armament | Type 97 57 mm tank gun[6] Type 1 47 mm anti-tank gun (Shinhōtō variant) |
Secondary armament | 2 × 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns[6] |
| Engine | Mitsubishi SA12200VD air-cooled V-12 diesel (21.7 litres) 170 hp (127 kW) at 2,000 rpm |
| Power/weight | 11.3 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | Bell crank |
Operational range | 210 km (130 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 38 km/h (24 mph) |
The Type 97 Chi-Ha (九七式中戦車 チハ, Kyūnana-shiki chū-sensha Chi-ha or simply "Type 97/57") was a medium tank used by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Battles of Khalkhin Gol against the Soviet Union, and the Second World War. It was the most widely produced Japanese medium tank of World War II.[7]
The 57 mm main gun, designed for infantry support, was a carry over from the Type 89 I-Go medium tank. The suspension was derived from the Type 95 Ha-Go light tank, but used six road wheels instead of four.[7] The 170 hp Mitsubishi air cooled diesel engine was a capable tank engine in 1938.[7]
The Type 97's low silhouette and semicircular radio antenna on the turret distinguished the tank from its contemporaries. After 1941, the tank was less effective than most Allied tank designs.[8] In 1942, a new version of the Chi-Ha was produced with a larger three-man turret, and a high-velocity Type 1 47 mm tank gun. It was designated the Type 97-Kai ("improved") or Type 97 Shinhōtō Chi-Ha (Japanese: 新砲塔チハ; "New turret Chi-Ha").[5]
- ^ "兵器臨時定価、予価、表送付の件 Military catalogue of the Japanese military". National Archives of Japan. Ministry of the Army.
- ^ "Banking and Monetary Statistics, 1914-1941, Part I". Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). January 1943 [1943].
- ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 10, 14.
- ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 10, 17.
- ^ a b Zaloga 2007, p. 14.
- ^ a b c d e f g Tomczyk 2007, p. 19.
- ^ a b c Zaloga 2007, p. 11.
- ^ History of War: Type 97 Chi-Ha Tank