Shinhoto Chi-Ha Type 97 Medium Tank (improved) - Design
The hull of the Shinhoto Chi-Ha type “97” made of rolled armor plates had a riveted structure, however, welding was also used on some units (including the roof of the control compartment). On the inside, asbestos sheets for thermal insulation were attached to the armor plates of the hull and the turret, in the fighting compartment and the control compartment.
The general design of the Type 97 medium (improved) is satisfactory, but engagements with U.S. tanks have shown that its present maximum armor thickness (1 inch to possibly as much as 1.29 inches) will not withstand high-velocity projectiles. A field test was conducted by a U.S. antitank company to determine the penetration capabilities of U.S. infantry antitank weapons attacking the Type 97 medium tank (improved). U.S. weapons used in the test were the caliber .50 machine gun, the rifle grenade, the 2.36-inch rocket, and the 37-mm antitank gun.
The caliber .50 machine gun fired on the Japanese tank at three different ranges—35 yards, 50 yards, and 100 yards. In firing on the front of the tank at a range of 35 yards, penetrations were registered on the ball-mounted machine gun only; no penetrations were made on the vision aperture, turret, or curved or sloping surfaces. At 50 yards, 35 percent penetrations were made in the plate behind the suspension system (on the side of the tank), the hall mount of the rear machine gun, and the under surface of the rear of the tank. At 100 yards, no penetrations were made on any part of the tank.
The rifle grenade was fired at a range of approximately 50 yards. When the grenade was fired at a normal angle to 45 degrees from normal, penetration was made on all parts of the tank, with the exception of the gun shield. The diameter of the penetrations was approximately 1/2 inch.
The 2.36-inch rocket was fired against the tank at a range of approximately 50 yards. Penetrations were made in all parts of the tank when the rocket struck at angles from normal to 45 degrees from normal. The diameter of the penetrations was approximately 3/4 inch.
The 37-mm antitank gun was fired at ranges of 100 and 350 yards. Only armor-piercing shells were used. At 100 yards, the 37-mm registered penetrations on all parts of the tank when fired at angles from normal to 45 degrees from normal. At 350 yards, penetration of the tank armor could be made only when the antitank gun was fired at normal angle. The diameter of penetration was approximately 1 1/2 inches.
The crew of the tank "Shinhoto Chi-Ha" was four people. Crew access to the command compartment was carried out through the turret. The driver had a front inspection hatch, as well as a signal hatch on the wheelhouse roof. In the left part of the frontal sheet there was a ball machine for the type “97” machine gun, the machine gun had a protective casing.
The design of the twin turret was mainly borrowed from the tank "Chi-ha." However, in connection with the installation of new weapons, it received a number of changes: it became noticeably higher and wider, and also received a developed feed niche for ammunition. The turret was assembled from the front and rear halves, connected by riveting, and on the right had a fixedly mounted commander turret with a circular view with viewing slots and a double hatch. In the stern of the turret to the right of the machine gun there was a rectangular hatch for loading ammunition and dismantling the gun, and on the roof of the turret to the left was the hatch of the gunner with a double cover. A small hatch was in the right side of the turret. The periscopic observation device was transferred to the roof of the turret and placed in front of the commander’s turret, and the anti-aircraft swivel was placed in front of the gunner’s hatch, which allowed firing at air targets in a larger sector. There were hatches and for shooting from personal weapons. The gun was covered with a 30-mm mask attached to the frontal part of the turret with bolts at an angle of 10° to the vertical.
As for the rest, the design of the tank type "97" has not changed. The tank used a 12-cylinder 2-stroke diesel air-cooled company "Mitsubishi" with 170 hp To facilitate the start there was a decompressor. The mechanical power transmission was located in the front of the tank hull, the gearbox provided four gears forward and one gear back. The turning mechanisms are planetary two-stage. The tank “Shinhoto Chi-ha” used a suspension of the mixed type - with elastic elements in the form of springs, arranged horizontally along the hull. The tank had (in relation to one board) - six double support rollers, each of which four were pairwise interlocked into two trucks, and the extreme ones had an independent suspension. Drive wheels with lanterning gear located in front of the hull. On each side there were three dual support rollers. The supporting and supporting rollers had rubber bandages. The tank used cast tracks 300 mm wide, each track had 97 tracks. On each side there were three dual support rollers. The supporting and supporting rollers had rubber bandages. The tank used cast tracks 300 mm wide, each track had 97 tracks. On each side there were three dual support rollers. The supporting and supporting rollers had rubber bandages. The tank used cast tracks 300 mm wide, each track had 97 tracks.
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