Type 3 Chi-Nu

Infobox Weapon
name=Type 3 Chi-Nu


caption=A Type 3 Chi-Nu at the JGSDF Ordnance School in Tsuchiura, Japan
is_vehicle=yes
origin= flag|Empire of Japan
length=5.64 meters
width=2.41 meters
height=2.68 meters
weight=18.2 tons
suspension=Bell crank
speed=39 km/hr
vehicle_range=210 kilometers
primary_armament=75 mm Type 3 gun
secondary_armament=1 x 7.7 mm Type 97 MG
(hull)
armour=12-80
engine=Mitsubishi Type 100
V-12 diesel
engine_power=240 hp (179 kW)
pw_ratio=
crew=5The nihongo| Type 3 Chi-Nu|三式中戦車|San-shiki chusensha was another improvement over the Type 97 Chi-Ha line of medium tanks of the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. The Type 3 Chi-Nu mounted one Type 3 75 mm Tank Gun, one of the largest guns ever to be fitted on a Japanese tank.

History and development

Type 3 medium tank Chi-Nu was developed to cope with the American M4 Sherman [ [http://www3.plala.or.jp/takihome/develop.html Taki] ] after it was clear that the Type 1 Chi-He design was still inadequate. 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, and as a result a stopgap tank was required. Development on the Type 3 Chi-Nu started in May 1943 and was finished by October, just six months later. The low priority given to tank production by 1943 meant that the Type 3 did not enter 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 bombing.

A total of 166 units were produced (55 units in 1944, 111 units in 1945). The Type 3 Chi-Nu was the last tank that was fielded by the Imperial Japanese armed forces, and was still being produced at the end of the war. [Zaloga, Japanese Tanks 1939-45 ]

Design

The Type 3 Chi-Nu retained the same chassis and suspension of the Type 97 but in a large new hexagonal gun turret.

The main armament of the Type 3 Chi-Nu was the Type 3 75 mm Tank Gun with caliber of 75 mm, barrel length of 2.883 meters (L38.4). The gun could be elevated between -10 and +25 degrees. It had a muzzle velocity of 680 meters per second and an armor penetration of 90 millimeters at a range of 100 meters and 65 millimeters at a range of 1,000 meters. This gun was based on the Japanese Type 90 field gun which in turn was based on the French 1919 75 mm Schneider Mountain gun. [ [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_type_3_chi_nu.html] History of War ]

Combat record

The Type 3 was allocated to the Japanese home islands to defend against the projected Allied Invasion. At least 6 tank regiments were equipped with Type 3 Chi-Nu tanks on Kyūshū and Honshū, including the IJA 1st Armored Division and IJA 4th Armored Division based around Tokyo. As the surrender of Japan occurred before that invasion, the Type 3 was never used in combat. [Zaloga, Japanese Tanks 1939-45 ]

A survivor is kept on display at the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Military Ordinance Training School at Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, Japan.

References

*cite book
last = Foss
first = Christopher
year = 2003
title = Great Book of Tanks: The World's Most Important Tanks from World War I to the Present Day
publisher = Zenith Press
location =
id = ISBN 0760314756
*cite book
last = Foss
first = Christopher
year = 2003
title = Tanks: The 500
publisher = Crestline
location =
id = ISBN 0760315000
*cite book
last = Zaloga
first = Steven J.
year = 2007
title = Japanese Tanks 1939-45
publisher = Osprey
location =
id = ISBN 1-84603-091-8

External links

* [http://www.wwiivehicles.com/japan/tanks_medium/type3.html WWII vehicles]
* [http://www3.plala.or.jp/takihome/chi-nu.htm Taki's Imperial Japanese Army Page]
* [http://www.onwar.com/tanks/japan/data/t3chinu.htm OnWar.com]
* [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_type_3_chi_nu.html History of War]
* [http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Axis/3-Japan/02-MediumTanks/Type3/Chi-Nu.htm WWII Drawings] ]

Notes