Type 97 Chi-Ha

Type 97 Chi-Ha
Type 97 Chi-Ha tank at the Yasukuni Shrine Museum
Type	Medium tank
Place of origin	Empire of Japan
Service history
Wars	Second Sino-Japanese War, Soviet–Japanese border conflicts, World War II, Chinese Civil War
Production history
Designed	1936
Produced	1938–1943
Number built	1,162 (plus 930 of Type 97-Kai)
Variants	Type 97-Kai Shinhoto Chi-Ha
Specifications (Type 97 Chi-Ha as of 1941)
Weight	14.3 tonnes (15.8 tons) to 15.2 tonnes (16.8 tons)
Length	5.50 m (18 ft 1 in)
Width	2.33 m (7 ft 8 in)
Height	2.21 m (7 ft 3 in)
Crew	4
Armor	8–25 mm (25 mm on gun mantlet)
Main armament	Type 97 57 mm tank gun
Secondary armament	2 × 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns
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)
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^?) 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.

The 57 mm main gun, designed for infantry support, was a carry over from the 1933 Type 89 medium tank. The suspension was derived from the Type 95 Ha-Go light tank, but used six road wheels instead of four. The 170 hp Mitsubishi air cooled diesel engine was a capable tank engine in 1938.

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. 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 or Type 97 Shinhoto Chi-Ha.