Type 5 Chi-Ri

Infobox Weapon | name=Type 5 Chi-Ri


caption=Incomplete prototype of the Type 5 Chi-Ri after capture by American forces
origin= flag|Empire of Japan
type=
is_vehicle=yes
length=8.467 meters
width=3.05 meters
height=3.10 meters
weight=37 tons
suspension=
speed=45 km/hr
vehicle_range= 250 kilometers
primary_armament=Type 5 75mm gun
secondary_armament=Type 1 37mm gun
(2) 7.7mm Type 97 light machine guns
armour=12-75 mm
engine=Water-cooled Kawasaki Type 98 aircraft engine (Petrol)
engine_power=550 HP
pw_ratio=
crew=5The nihongo|Type 5 Chi-Ri|五式中戦車|Go-shiki chusensha was the penultimate medium tank developed by the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. Intended to be a heavier, more powerful version of Japan's sophisticated Type 4 Chi-To, in performance it was designeed to surpass the M-4 Sherman tanks fielded by the Allied forces.

History and development

A single unarmed prototype of the Type 5 Chi-Ri was completed by May 1945. The project was shortly thereafter abandoned to free up manpower and critical and scarce resources for the further development and production of the smaller and more practical Type 4 Chi-To. [Zaloga.Japanese Tanks 1939-45 ] As with many innovative weapons projects launched by Japan in the final days of World War II, production could not advance beyond the prototype stage due to material shortages, and the loss of Japan's industrial infrastructure to the bombing of Japan.

Design

The Type 5 Chi-Ri featured a lengthened version of the Type 4 Chi-To chassis, with eight bogies per side instead of the Chi-To's seven. It had the usual Japanese track arrangement with forward mounted drive sprockets and rear mounted idlers. The Type 5 Chi-Ri had sloped welded amour, with a maximum thickness of 75 mm at the front.

The Type 5 Chi-Ri was initially to be powered by a Diesel engine, but the advancements needed to provide the necessary horsepower fell behind schedule, and a 550 HP V-12 gasoline-driven aircraft engine designed by BMW in Germany and licensed to Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan was selected instead. [ [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_type_5_chi_ri.html] History of War]

Originally, the prototype tank was to be fitted with the same Type 5 75 mm tank gun ( based on the Type 88 75 mm AA Gun) used on the Type 4 Chi-To. Production versions were to be equipped with a Type 99 88 mm AA Gun, which was basically a copy of the German 8.8 cm KwK 43 used on the Tiger tank. A secondary hull-mounted Type 1 37mm tank gun was also planned, in the position normally taken by a machine gun, and two more Type 97 light machine guns to the front and rear would have added extra firepower in close combat situations. [ [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_type_5_chi_ri.html] History of War]

Combat record

As with the Type 4 Chi-To tanks, the Type 5 Chi-Ri were earmarked for the final defenses of the Japanese home islands against the expected Allied invasions. Army planners envisioned large armored divisions equipped with the Type 5 Chi-Ri driving the invaders back into the sea, but the war came to an end before even the first prototype could be completed.

The prototype was seized by American forces during the occupation of Japan, but its subsequent fate is unknown. One theory is that it sank in the ocean when a freighter taking it to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds capsized in a typhoon; another theory is that it was scrapped for its metal armor during the Korean War. [ Japanese Wikipedia article ]

Variants

*"Ho-Ri tank destroyer":The Ho-Ri was a more powerful version of the Type 5 Chi-Ri, using a 105 mm cannon in place of the 88 mm design. This design was possibly inspired by the German Jagdtiger tank destroyer. No prototype was built, and the design remained only a concept. [http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/japan/experimental-guntank-hori.jpg
caption=A concept drawing ]

References

*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.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_type_5_chi_ri.html History of War]
* [http://www.onwar.com/tanks/japan/data/t5chiri.htm OnWar Spec sheets]
* [http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Axis/3-Japan/02-MediumTanks/Type5/Chi-Ri.htm WWII Drawings]
* [http://www3.plala.or.jp/takihome/chi-ri.htm Taki’s Imperial Japanese Army page]

Notes