Type 3 Chi-Nu

Type 3 Medium Tank Chi-Nu (三式中戦車 チヌ, San-shiki chū-sensha Chi-nu) ("Imperial Year 2603 Medium tank Model 10") was a medium tank of the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. It was an improved version of the Type 97 Chi-Ha, incorporating a Type 3 75 mm tank gun, one of the largest Japanese tank guns during the war.

The Chi-Nu did not see combat during the war. All produced units were retained for the defence of the Japanese Homeland in case of an Allied invasion.

History and development

At the outbreak of the Pacific War, the Type 97 Chi-Ha and Type 95 Ha-Go designs comprised the mainstay of the armored units of the Imperial Japanese Army. As the war progressed, these tanks started to face significant challenges posed by Allied tanks. In the Burma and Philippines Campaigns, the firepower of the 57 mm cannon mounted on the Type 97 was proven to be insufficient against Allied tanks. The Imperial Japanese Army therefore developed the Type 1 47 mm tank gun which had higher armor penetrating power. This gun was mounted on Type 97 Shinhoto Chi-Ha and Type 1 Chi-He medium tanks.

At the later stage of the war, large numbers of American M4 Sherman tanks arrived at the front line and put new pressure on Japanese armored forces. The Imperial General Headquarters (大本営 Daihon'ei) decided to develop a new tank to counter the enemy threat as well as a replacement for the Type 97 and Type 95.

The Army Technical Bureau had been working on the Type 4 Chi-To medium tank as the counter to the M4 Sherman, but there were problems and delays in the program. As a result a stopgap tank was required. The Type 3 medium tank Chi-Nu was developed to cope with the M4 Sherman.^[4] Work on the Type 3 Chi-Nu started in May 1943 and was finished by October. The low priority given to tank production by 1943 meant that the Type 3 did not actually enter production until 1944, by which time raw materials were in very short supply, and much of Japan's industrial infrastructure had been destroyed by American strategic bombing.^[5]

Type 3 Chi-Nu tank production line, 1945

A total of 144 to 166 units were produced by the war's end.^[1][6] The Type 3 Chi-Nu was the last tank that was fielded by the Imperial Japanese armed forces, and was still in production at the end of the war.^[4]

Design

Armor and Protection

Side view of Type 3 Chi-Nu

The Type 3 Chi-Nu retained the same chassis and suspension of the Type 1 Chi-He, but with the addition of an enlarged turret ring for the large new hexagonal gun turret with a commander's cupola.^[7][8] It was the last design that based directly on Type 97 lineage.^[9]

Armament

The main armament of the Type 3 Chi-Nu was the 75 mm Type 3 tank gun. The gun could be elevated between -10 and +25 degrees. Firing a shell at a muzzle velocity of 680 m/s (2,200 ft/s) it gave an armor penetration of 90 mm (3.5 in) at 100 m (110 yd) and 65 mm (2.6 in) at 1,000 m (1,100 yd).^[10][11] Later APHE shells (695 m/s) were available giving the gun 100 mm (3.9 in) of penetration at 500 m.

Mobility

The Chi-Nu used a lever system rather than a handle system. It had the same engine as the Chi-He, producing 240 hp and a top speed of 38.8 Kph.^[12]

Service record

IJA 4th Tank Division with Type 3 Chi-Nu tanks

The Type 3 was allocated to the Japanese home islands to defend against the projected Allied Invasion. They were to be part of the "Mobile Shock Force" to be used for counter-attacks.^[13] As the surrender of Japan occurred before that invasion, the Type 3 was never used in combat.^[14] The 4th Tank Division based in Fukuoka on Kyushu had a "significant" number of the Type 3 tanks which had been produced at its depot by the end of the war.^[15]

One surviving Type 3 medium tank is on display at the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Military Ordnance Training School at Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, Japan.

Variants

Type 3 Chi-Nu in 1945

• Type 3 Chi-Nu Kai prototype

One Chi-Nu was armed with the Type 5 75 mm tank gun (L/56.4) and a Type 4 Chi-To turret. The test was successful.^[16]

See also

Tanks of comparable role, performance, and era

Notes

References

• Foss, Christopher (2003). Great Book of Tanks: The World's Most Important Tanks from World War I to the Present Day. Zenith Press. ISBN 0-7603-1475-6. 
• Foss, Christopher (2003). Tanks: The 500. Crestline. ISBN 0-7603-1500-0. 
• Hara, Tomio (1972). Japanese Medium Tanks. AFV Weapons Profiles No. 49. 
• Rottman, Gordon L.; Takizawa, Akira (2008). World War II Japanese Tank Tactics. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1846032349. 
• Tomczyk, Andrzej (2005). Japanese Armor Vol. 4. AJ Press. ISBN 978-8372371676. 
• Zaloga, Steven J. (2007). Japanese Tanks 1939–45. Osprey. ISBN 978-1-8460-3091-8. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Type 3 Chi-Nu tank.

• Taki's Imperial Japanese Army Page - Akira Takizawa
• History of War.org

Japanese armored fighting vehicles of World War II
Tankettes	Type 6 Kijusha Type 92 Jyu-Sokosha Type 94 tankette Type 97 Te-Ke
Light tanks	Ko-Gata Sensha Otsu-Gata Sensha Type 95 Ha-Go Type 98 Ke-Ni Type 2 Ke-To Type 4 Ke-Nu
Medium tanks	Type 89 I-Go Type 97 Chi-Ha Type 97 ShinHoTo Type 1 Chi-He Type 3 Chi-Nu
Amphibious tanks	Type 2 Ka-Mi Type 3 Ka-Chi
Self-propelled artillery (including tank destroyers)	Type 98 20 mm AA Half-Track Type 1 Ho-Ni I Type 2 Ho-I Type 3 Ho-Ni III Type 4 Ho-Ro Type 4 Ha-To Short Barrel 120 mm Gun Tank
Armored cars	Chiyoda armored car Type 91 Broad Gauge Railway Car Type 93 Armoured Car
Other	F B Swamp Vehicle Type 94 Disinfecting and Gas Scattering Vehicle Type 95 So-Ki Type 98 So-Da Type 100 Te-Re Type 1 Ho-Ha Type 1 Ho-Ki Type 4 Ka-Tsu
Prototypes	Type 95 Heavy Tank Type 97 Chi-Ni Type 98 Chi-Ho Type 3 Ke-Ri O-I Type 98 20 mm AA tank Special Number 3 Ku-Ro Type 5 Ke-Ho Type 4 Chi-To Type 5 Chi-Ri Type 5 Na-To Type 5 To-Ku