List of Type 97 Chi-Ha variants

This is a list of vehicles devleoped from the Japanese Type 97 Chi-Ha tank

Amphibious tanks

*Type 3 Ka-Chi Amphibious Tank :Ka-Chi, as Amphibious Tank derivated to Type 1 Chi-He Chassis, armed with 47 mm main gun and two 7.7 mm MG.
*Type 4 Ka-Tsu Amphibious Vehicle :Ka-Tsu was the amphibious carrier of cargo or troops developed by IJN. The engine component and electric devices are watertight and it can be carried underwater by submarine.
*Type 5 To-Ku Amphibious Tank:To-Ku was amphibiuous tank armed with 1x 47mm or 25mm Type 1 gun, 2 x 7.7mm Type 97 MG.was based possibly in Chi-To or Chi-Ri hull.
*Type 4 Ka-Sha Amphibious Tank:Ka-Sha was other amphibious tank based in Chi-To or Chi-Ri Chassis

Engineering vehicles

*"Experimental Trench Excavator":The experimental Trench excavator derived from Type 97 Chi-Ha Tank, with device in the stern is a plow to dig a trench. It is said that this vehicle was made around 1941-42 for the service in Manchuria. Some examples were sent to Wewak on the north coast of Papua-New Guinea for use by Japanese 6th Div AIF.

Medium tanks

*Experimental Medium Tank "Chi-Ho":Experimental Medium Tank with similar chassis to the type 97.

*"Type 1 Ti-Ho Medium Tank":developed from the Type 97 Medium. Combat data and numbers are unknown.

*"Type 1 Chi-He Medium Tank":Chi-He is a successor to Chi-Ha. The speed and the armor are better than Chi-Ha but it still has a 47mm gun that was inadequate against M4 Sherman.

*"Type 3 Chi-Nu Medium Tank":This tank was developed in order to cope with M4 Sherman. Its hull is the same of Chi-He and its gun was converted from Type 90 field gun. Chi-Nu was deployed in Japan proper to prevent expected Allied invasion.

*"Type 4 Chi-To Medium Tank":With good armor and good fire-power, but developed too late to see deployment or combat. Its gun was converted from Type 4 75 mm AA Gun and could penetrate the front armor of M4 Sherman from 1,000m distance. This design never went beyond prototype before the war ended. Chi-To's development began in 1942, and was to succeed the Shinhoto Chi-Ha.

*Experimental Light Tank "Type 5 Ke-Ho":An experimental light tank similar to the Type 97 medium tank, if reduced to Chi-Ha.

*"Type 5 Chi-Ri" Medium Tank :The last tank that IJA developed. Only one prototype was created (and it lacked a main gun) when WWII ended. Chi-Ri was planned to mount a 88mm gun, which would be a converted Type 99 88mm AA Gun.

*"Type 5 Ho-Ri" SPG Medium Tank :Another Type 5 variant that got no further than the planning stage.

Gun tanks

*"Type 2 Ho-I" Medium Gun Tank':IJA called the closed fire support tank as Gun Tank. Experimental model was base on Chi-Ha and the production model was based on Chi-He. Ho-I was deployed in the gun tank company of the tank regiment. There is no record that Ho-I was used in action.

*"Short Barrel 120 mm Gun Tank":In the last WWII, Japanese Navy made the Type 97 Chi-Ha variant by replacing its gun with a naval 12 cm (120 mm) short gun. Produced in small numbers and deployed in Navy.

Armored carriers

*Experimental Light Armored ATG Carrier "So-To":ATG Variant for armed transport light or medium cannons in type 97 structure

iege weapons and heavy mobile artillery

*Type 5 Mortar Launcher "Tok":As heavy mortar mounted in Tank Type 4/5 chassis.

Self propelled guns

*105 mm SP "Ho-Ri':The Ho-Ri mounted a 105 mm cannon on the Type 5 Medium Tank chassis. There were two types of "Ho-Ri" one with a centrally mounted engine and one with a rear mounted engine."Ho-Ri" I was based in German hunting tank Elefant and "Ho-Ri" II if inspired in German tank destroyer Jagdtiger.

*75 mm SP AT Gun "Na-To":A self-propelled anti-tank gun. Using the Type 4 75 mm AA Gun and the "Chi-To" and "Chi-Ri" tank guns on the Type 4 Medium Tracked Carrier "Chi-So" chassis.

*Type 2 75 mm "Ku-Se" or "Kusae" :An SPG with 75 mm Cannon on the Type 97 chassis. The turret was removed, and a Type 99 mountain gun was placed in the hull similar to Ho-Ni/Ho-Ro SPGs.

*Experimental "104/105 mm Tank Destroyer/Assault Gun":Japanese design derived from German Sturmgeschütz Tank Destroyer in a Type 5 chassis with 104/105 mm Cannon as main gun and 20mm AA MG in upper structure.your secondary armament was in the first version one 37 or 47mm Cannon in frontal position in left side amongst the main cannon,the other was armed with one Heavy MG in same position and one 20mm AA Gun in upper structure among main cannon.

*Experimental Type 5 155 mm "Ho-Chi" SPG:SPG with 155 mm Cannon in type 97 structure, similar to Ho-Ni/Ho-Ro SPGs.

*Experimental "120 mm SPG":Another self-propelled vehicle with 120 mm Cannon in a type 97 chassis. A heavy variant of Ho-Ni/Ho-Ro SPGs.

*Type 4 120 mm "Ho-To" SPG:This SPG had one main 120mm Heavy Cannon in type 97 structure, similar to Ho-Ni/Ho-Ro SPGs.

*Type 2 "No-Ni" Tank Destroyer':A Tank destroyer with 150mm Cannon, derived from the Type 4/5 Chassis.

*'Experimental Type 2 105 mm "Ka-To" Tank Destroyer:Ka-To's development was ordered in 1943, but the actual process of development is unknown. Ka-To's hull was similar to the Type 4 Chi-To or Type 5 Chi-Ri Medium. Its main armament was to be newly developed.such TD poses resemblances with prototype of "Type 95 Heavy Tank" also

*Experimental 104 mm "Jiro-Sha" Self Propelled Gun (SPG):Jiro-Sha SPG vehicle was Ka-To TD version with fighting compartment was completelly enclosed. It was to be armed with 104mm or 105mm main cannon. The Jiro-Sha's hull was similar to the Type 4 Chi-To or Type 5 Chi-Ri Medium. Its main armament was to be newly developed.such SPG poses resemblances with prototype of "Type 95 Heavy Tank" also

Other variants

*"Se-Ri":Armoured recovery vehicle with a collapsible crane powered by a 240 hp diesel engine.
*Type 1 Ho-Ni I:Turret removed and 75 mm gun installed to create a self-propelled gun. They were organized along similar lines as artillery units.
*Type 2 Ho-Ni II: As the "Ho-Ni" I with a 105 mm gun.
*Type 3 Ho-Ni III:The "Ho-Ni" III had an enclosed fighting compartment around the gun and was deployed in tank regiments as a tank destroyer.
*"Mine Clearing Tank G":Fitted with 2 revolving drums carrying rows of chains. Essentially a copy of the British mine flail tanks.
*"Type 4 Ho-Ro":A 150 mm gun installed in place of the turret.
*"Ho-K":A Type 97 with the turret removed and a steel prow mounted for creating paths through forests. Used in Manchuria to aid the fight against the Soviet Union. One group was sent to New Guinea for use in the construction of an airfield there.
*Type 97 Special "Shinhoto Shi-Ha":Type 97 with a new turret armed with the Type 1 47 mm gun.
*"Ka-So":Observation tank with dummy main gun.
*"Type 97 Chi-Ha" "Special Attack Vehicle":As Chi-Ha Tank special modification in combat front, unarmed, packed with explosive charges with crew of 1 or 2, for Kamikaze used in collision strikes against Allied tanks or infantry assaults.
*Type 97 "Shi-Ki":Command tank with a 57mm dummy gun, usually supplemented by a live 37mm gun on the hull instead of the machine gun. Easily recognized by the rail-antenna on its turret, it had long-range communications and superior optics.
*"High-Voltage Dynamo Vehicle" "Ka-Ha":The "Ka-Ha" was a Type 97 tank. The main gun was a dummy and there was no machinegun. It carried a dynamo which could generate a high voltage (10,000 Volt) current [ja icon [http://www3.plala.or.jp/takihome/ka-ha.htm Ka-Ha ] ] .

References

2. Zaloga, Steven J. "Japanese Tanks 1939-45". Osprey Books, 2007. ISBN 978-1-84603-091-8.