Difference between pages "MGB-61" and "Chi-Ha"

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{{Specs-Card|code=uk_70ft_mgb}}
+
{{Specs-Card|code=jp_type_97_chi_ha}}
 +
{{About
 +
| about = Japanese medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
 +
| usage = other uses
 +
| link = Chi-Ha (Family)
 +
}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
−
<!--''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship’s creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot. If a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them understand which ship is being discussed.''-->
+
<!--''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''-->
−
[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
+
[[File:GarageImage_Type97Chi-Ha.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
{{break}}
 
{{break}}
−
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British motor gun boat {{Battle-rating|1}}. It was introduced in during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. It was introduced in [[Update 1.83 "Masters of the Sea"]] as part of the British fleet closed beta test.
+
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Japanese medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai"]] along with the initial Japanese vehicles of the Japanese Ground Forces Tree.
 +
 
 +
The {{PAGENAME}} is more or less a smaller version of the I-Go but with a better engine, the Chi-Ha seems rather mediocre at first glance. However, this tank can perform quite well at its battle rating provided that it is played to its strengths, those being its decent mobility and cannon.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 +
The Type 97 Chi-Ha is an upgraded version of the earlier Type 89 I-Go. The engine has been upgraded, from the Mitsubishi A6120VD air-cooled straight-six diesel with 120 hp to a Mitshubishi SA12200VD air-cooled V12 diesel with 170 hp. As such, the top speed has increased from 27 kph on the I-Go to 38 kph on the Chi-Ha. The armament stays the same, with the same shells and gun characteristics. The 5.7 cm Tank Gun Type 97 is robust, but will get the job done. It still has four crewmen inside, no armour, and a 7.7 mm Type 97 in the hull. Overall, it's in general a better I-Go.
 +
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
−
<!--''Talk about the vehicle’s armor. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and maneuverability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armament separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Tips for preserving survivability should be saved for the “Use in battle” section.
+
<!--''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
−
 
+
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
−
If necessary, use a graphic template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armor.''-->
+
Armour: Light, but effective against weaker guns (i.e. early French), weaker shells (low-caliber HE), and in long range engagements.
−
 
 
−
MGB-61 has the following armour layout:  
 
−
 
 
−
* [[2pdr Rolls Royce (40 mm)|2pdr Rolls Royce]] gunshield: 12.7 mm hardened armour
 
−
* Hull: 40 mm, wood
 
−
* Superstructure: 15 mm, wood
 
−
 
 
−
[[File:MGB-61_internals.png|thumb|MGB-61 internals (starboard side). Note the ammo storages below the bridge and in front of the rear gun.]]
 
  
−
Any gun in the game will easily be able to penetrate anywhere on the boat, including the gunshield, at practically any range.
+
'''Armour type:'''
  
−
MGB-61 can be hull-broken by any gun with a diameter greater than 4 inches (102 mm). Hull-break triggers when a capable gun destroys any hull compartment or the bridge, resulting in instant destruction of the rest of the boat. At MGB-61's battle rating, the only gun capable of hull-breaking her is the [[8cwt QF Mk I (114 mm)|8cwt QF Mk I]], found on {{Specs-Link|uk_dark_class}}. The ability to be hull-broken by guns larger than 4 inches is a trait that applies to the vast majority of boats in tier 1 and 2, so in that respect, MGB-61 isn't better or worse than most other boats.
+
* Rolled homogeneous armour
  
−
MGB-61's hull is split into three compartments. The first compartment starts at the bow and ends just in front of the bridge. The second starts at the bridge and ends in front of the engines. The third starts at the engines and ends at the stern. Overall, with a crew complement of 12, survivability is average.
+
{| class="wikitable"
−
 
 
−
MGB-61 has 4 ammunition storages, one below each of the two [[Vickers Mk.V (12.7 mm)]] mounts and two in front of the rear [[2pdr Rolls Royce (40 mm)]] mount. Destroying these will also destroy the rest of the boat. In practice, though, this almost never happens, since they are relatively small targets and because most guns at this battle rating are either machine guns or low-calibre autocannons which require many hits to destroy ammo storages. It's often both quicker and easier to target the hull compartments and knock out the crew.
 
−
 
 
−
=== Mobility ===
 
−
<!--''Write about the ship’s mobility. Evaluate its power and maneuverability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward speed and reverse speed.''-->
 
−
 
 
−
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
−
! colspan="6" | '''Mobility Characteristics'''
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
! rowspan="2" | Game Mode
+
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
−
! rowspan="2" | Upgrade Status
 
−
! colspan="2" | Maximum Speed (km/h)
 
−
! rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Turn Time (s)|Time needed to complete a 360° turn at maximum speed}}
 
−
! rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Turn Radius (m)|At maximum speed}}
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
! rowspan="1" | Forward
+
| Hull || 25 mm (12-32°) ''Front plate'' <br> 17 mm (63-81°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 15 mm (37-59°) ''Lower glacis'' || 25 mm (40°) ''Top Left'' <br> 25 mm (25-27°) ''Top Right'' <br> 20 mm ''Bottom'' || 20 mm (4-58°) || 12 mm
−
! rowspan="1" | Reverse
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|AB|Arcade Battles}}
+
| Turret || 25 mm (9-41°) ''Turret front'' <br> 25 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 25 mm (10-11°) || 25 mm (12°) || 10 mm
−
| {{Annotation|Stock|All modifications removed}} || 73 || 20 || ~23.20 || ~42.05
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| {{Annotation|Upgraded|All modifications installed}} || 100 || 27 || ~15.41 || ~26.57
+
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
−
|-
 
−
| rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|RB|Realistic Battles}}/{{Annotation|SB|Simulator Battles}}
 
−
| {{Annotation|Stock|All modifications removed}} || 64 || 17 || ~25.64 || ~47.61
 
−
|-
 
−
| {{Annotation|Upgraded|All modifications installed}} || 74 || 20 || ~21.18 || ~38.39
 
 
|-
 
|-
 +
| Cupola || 17 mm || 6 mm
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
When moving forwards at high speeds, the bow will lift out of the water. This creates a blind spot directly in front of the boat where the twin 12.7 mm Vickers Mk.V mounts can't depress far enough to engage surface targets.
+
=== Mobility ===
 +
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
  
−
MGB-61 has a displacement of 34 tons.
+
{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 263|rbMinHp= 150}}
  
−
== Armament ==
+
== Armaments ==
−
=== Primary armament ===
+
=== Main armament ===
−
{{main|Vickers Mk.V (12.7 mm)}}
+
<!--''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''-->
−
<!--''Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells.
+
{{main|Type 97 (57 mm)}}
  
−
Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.''-->
+
The gun is the same as on the I-Go. Not much to write home about, but we're hardly complaining, especially with the HEAT shell.  
−
 
 
−
In her primary armament group, MGB-61 has four 12.7 mm Vickers Mk.V guns in two twin mounts, mounted on either side of the bridge. Each mount as 4,000 rounds of ammunition available, 2,000 rounds per gun, for a total of 8,000 rounds. Each mount can traverse horizontally at a rate of 75°/s and vertically at a rate of 75°/s. Each gun has a belt capacity of 200 rounds with a stated rate of fire of 600 rounds/min, though in actuality, for both mounts, the gun on the gunner's left side fires faster, at around 685 rounds/min, firing all 200 of its rounds in the time it takes the right side gun to fire about 175 rounds. With a stock crew, the guns can be reloaded in 13 seconds; with an aced crew, they can be reloaded in 10 seconds. Their maximum range against surface targets is roughly 2 km.
 
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
−
! colspan="2" | '''Guidance for the Secondary Gun Turret'''
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
! Horizontal !! Vertical
+
! colspan="6" | [[Type 97 (57 mm)|57 mm Type 97]]
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ±180° || -10°/+70°
+
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 
|-
 
|-
−
|}
+
| colspan="3" | 120 || -15°/+20° || ±180° || Vertical
−
 
+
|-
−
There are three choices of ammunition available:
+
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
−
 
+
|-
−
* Universal: {{Annotation|T|Tracer}}/{{Annotation|AP|Armour-piercing}}/{{Annotation|I|Incendiary}}
+
! style="width:4em" |Mode
−
 
+
! style="width:4em" |Stock
−
* 12.7 mm I: {{Annotation|T|Tracer}}/{{Annotation|I|Incendiary}}/{{Annotation|I|Incendiary}}/{{Annotation|I|Incendiary}}/{{Annotation|I|Incendiary}}
+
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
−
 
+
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
−
* 12.7 mm API: {{Annotation|T|Tracer}}/{{Annotation|AP|Armour-piercing}}/{{Annotation|I|Incendiary}}/{{Annotation|AP|Armour-piercing}}
+
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
−
 
+
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
−
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
−
! colspan="7" | '''Penetration Statistics'''
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
+
| ''Arcade'' || 14.47 || 20.03 || __.__ || 26.9 || 28.61
−
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
+
| ''Realistic'' || 9.04 || 10.64 || 12.90 || 14.3 || 15.20
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Universal || 27 || 26 || 23 || 20 || 18 || 16
+
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| 12.7 mm I || 22 || 21 || 18 || 16 || 14 || 12
+
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 
|-
 
|-
−
| 12.7 mm API || 27 || 26 || 23 || 20 || 18 || 16
+
| 4.09 || 3.80 || 3.5 || 3.30
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
=== Secondary armament ===
+
===== Ammunition =====
−
{{main|2pdr Rolls Royce (40 mm)}}
+
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
−
<!--''Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibers. Secondary armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control <code>Select secondary weapon</code>. Evaluate the secondary armament and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that anti-air armament, even heavy caliber weapons, belong in the next section.''-->
+
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
−
 
+
|-
−
In her secondary armament group, MGB-61 has one 40 mm 2pdr Rolls Royce semi-automatic cannon in a single mount, mounted centerline on the stern. It has 1,200 rounds of ammunition available. The mount can traverse horizontally at a rate of 45°/s and vertically at a rate of 55°/s. The gun has a magazine capacity of 4 rounds and has a rate of fire of 231 rounds/min. With a stock crew, it can be reloaded in 1.7 seconds; with an aced crew, it can be reloaded in 0.85 seconds. Its maximum range against surface targets is roughly 3 km.
+
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
−
 
+
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
−
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
−
! colspan="2" | '''Guidance for the Secondary Gun Turret'''
+
|-
 +
! 10m
 +
! 100m
 +
! 500m
 +
! 1000m
 +
! 1500m
 +
! 2000m
 
|-
 
|-
−
! Horizontal !! Vertical
+
| Type 92 APHE || APHE || 21 || 20 || 17 || 14 || 12 || 10
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ±151° || -12°/+60°
+
| Type 3 HEAT || HEAT || 55 || 55 || 55 || 55 || 55 || 55
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
−
 
−
There are three choices of ammunition available:
 
−
 
−
* Universal: {{Annotation|HEF|High-explosive fragmentation}}/{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}/{{Annotation|HEF|High-explosive fragmentation}}/{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}
 
−
 
−
* 40 mm HE: {{Annotation|HEF|High-explosive fragmentation}}/{{Annotation|HEF|High-explosive fragmentation}}/{{Annotation|HEF|High-explosive fragmentation}}/{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}
 
−
 
−
* 40 mm AP: {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}/{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}/{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}/{{Annotation|HEF|High-explosive fragmentation}}
 
−
 
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
−
! colspan="7" | '''Penetration Statistics'''
+
! colspan="11" | Shell details
 
|-
 
|-
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
−
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
+
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
−
|-
+
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
−
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
+
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
 +
''in m:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
 +
''in mm:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 +
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Universal || 60 || 57 || 50 || 43 || 38 || 34
+
! 0%
 +
! 50%
 +
! 100%
 
|-
 
|-
−
| 40 mm HE || 60 || 57 || 50 || 43 || 38 || 34
+
| Type 90 APHE || APHE || 349 || 2.6 || 1.2 || 15 || 103 || -1° || 43° || 30° || 25°
 
|-
 
|-
−
| 40 mm AP || 60 || 57 || 50 || 43 || 38 || 34
+
| Type 3 HEAT || HEAT || 380 || 1.8 || N/A || 0.1 || 303.36 || +0° || 28° || 21° || 17°
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
=== Special armament ===
+
===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
−
{{main|Mk.VII depth charge}}
+
[[File:Ammoracks_Type97Chi-Ha.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] for the Chi-Ha.]]
−
<!--''Depth charges, mines, rocket launchers and missiles are also effective in skilled hands and can be an unexpected surprise for an opponent. Evaluate the ammunition of this type of armament and rate its performance in combat.''-->
+
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
−
 
+
|-
−
[[File:MGB-61_DC_order.png|thumb|Mk.VII depth charges numbered 1-2 according to the order in which they're dropped (click to expand).]]
+
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
−
 
+
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />  rack empty
−
MGB-61 can carry two Mk.VII depth charges mounted amidships, one on each side facing outwards. The depth charges are dropped one at a time and drop in this order (see the image):
+
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />  rack empty
−
 
+
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br />  rack empty
−
# Starboard side
+
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th<br />  rack empty
−
# Portside
+
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th<br />  rack empty
−
 
+
! class="wikitable unsortable" width="10%" |Recommendations
−
Before spawning, the detonation time delay can be set anywhere between 3 seconds and 10 seconds.
+
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
−
 
 
−
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
−
! colspan="4" | '''Depth Charge Characteristics'''
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
! Mass (kg)
+
|| '''120''' || 117&nbsp;''(+3)'' || 113&nbsp;''(+7)'' || 89&nbsp;''(+31)'' || 69&nbsp;''(+51)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+129)''  || style="text-align:left" | No
−
! Explosive Type
 
−
! Explosive Mass (kg)
 
−
! TNT Equivalent (kg)
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| 196 || TNT || 130 || 130
 
 
|}
 
|}
 +
Right side only: 69&nbsp;''(+51)''
  
−
== Usage in battles ==
+
=== Machine guns ===
−
<!--''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don’t get try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).''-->
+
<!--''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''-->
−
 
+
{{main|Type 97 tank (7.7 mm)}}
−
MGB-61's primary armament consists of four 12.7 mm Vickers Mk.V machineguns in two twin mounts. With all four on target, they have a very good damage output, roughly comparable to the damage output of a twin 20 mm cannon mount. However, when moving at high speeds, the bow of the boat will lift out of the water by quite a bit. This creates a blind spot in front of the boat for several hundred meters where one or both of the Vickers Mk.V mounts won't be able to depress their guns far enough to get shots on target. When on the move, either keep the enemy at an angle in front of the boat or keep them directly behind the boat where there's no.
 
−
 
 
−
The 12.7 mm Vickers Mk.V gun has a rather large belt capacity of 200 round, and, with a rate of fire of either 600 or 685 rounds per minute, it can fire for 20 or 17.5 seconds. Compared to her cannon-armed counterparts, MGB-61 can sustain fire for much longer, though this comes at the cost of a very long reload, between 13 and 10 seconds depending on the crew level. Running out of ammunition mid-engagement is almost always a death sentence due to the long reload. Because of this, always fire off any remaining ammunition after engagements if there are less than 300 or so rounds of ammunition between the four guns.
 
−
 
 
−
MGB-61's secondary gun, a 40 mm Rolls Royce cannon, hits harder than the 12.7 mm machine guns. It's particularly useful against larger boats with its powerful HE rounds and is practically a necessity against certain armoured targets, since the machine guns can only penetrate a maximum of 22 mm of armour; with an AP rounds capable of penetrating 60 mm of armour, it is more than enough to deal with any armoured targets MGB-61 might face. The 40 mm cannon is also useful for shooting at enemies outside of the machine guns' maximum range, roughly 2 km. All that said, the 40 mm cannon actually has a lower damage output against most targets than the four machine guns because of its lower rate of fire and because it has a ~1 second reload every four rounds. The gun also can't rotate a full 360°, making it less versatile than the machine guns. Outside of the cases mentioned above, the machine guns will generally do much better. Still, the 40 mm can be switched to in a pinch if really needed, for example, if the machine guns are reloading.
 
−
 
 
−
The 12.7 mm Vickers Mk.V mounts can fire in all directions except in a ~117° arc towards the opposite mount. There's also a blind spot for ~275 m directly behind the boat where both guns can't fire. When on the move, the rear blind spot is virtually eliminated, though a new blind spot in front of the boat is created. Overall, firing arcs are poor. The rear 40 mm Rolls Royce mount, on the other hand, has very good firing arcs, able to fire in all directions except for a ~62° arc centred towards the front of the boat.
 
−
 
 
−
;Ammunition Choices
 
−
 
 
−
For the 12.7 mm Vickers Mk.V, the 12.7 mm I belt is slightly better against both aircraft and surface targets compared to the 12.7 mm API belt. Though the AP rounds penetrate 5 mm more armour at point-blank than the I rounds, with such a small difference, the AP rounds won't be able to penetrate any armour that the I rounds can't. That said, the damage output difference between the I and API belt is so little that it's largely down to preference which to use.
 
−
 
 
−
For the 40 mm 2pdr Rolls Royce cannon, the best ammunition choice is the 40 mm HE because it has the highest ratio of HE rounds to AP rounds, meaning that it will be the most effective against both aircraft and surface targets. The 40 mm HE belt should be the main ammunition choice, but a few of the 40 mm AP belt should also be taken into battle for use against armoured targets. The AP belt is also useful against enemies heading directly bow-in. In this situation, HE rounds will only damage the bow compartment and, if that compartment is already destroyed, will deal only minimal damage. AP rounds can pass through the bow compartment and deal damage to the rest of the vessel.
 
−
 
 
−
;Depth Charges
 
−
 
 
−
Being anti-submarine weapons and with the present lack of submarines in the game, there is practically no reason to use them. While they can be used against surface targets, this is extremely situational. Sailing up right next to a slower target and dropping a depth charge can lead to some success, though again, this is very situational. If attempting this, remember the order in which the depth charges drop and that there is no reason to use any depth charge activation time setting above the minimum 3 seconds, since higher delay times means the depth charge will sink further, and thus away, from the target. Again, it should be reiterated that this is very situational.
 
−
 
 
−
There is no practical reason to take them into battle, especially since, if they're not dropped, they essentially become unarmoured ammo racks.
 
−
 
 
−
=== Modules ===
 
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
−
! Tier
 
−
! colspan="1" | Seakeeping
 
−
! colspan="2" | Unsinkability
 
−
! colspan="3" | Firepower
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| I
+
! colspan="7" | [[Type 97 tank (7.7 mm)|7.7 mm Type 97]]
−
| Dry-Docking
 
−
| Tool Set ||
 
−
| 40 mm HE || 12.7 mm I ||
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| II
+
! colspan="7" | ''Hull mount''
−
| Rudder Replacement
 
−
| Fire Protection System || Smokescreen
 
−
| 40 mm AP || 12.7 mm API || Auxiliary Armament Targeting
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| III
+
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
−
| Propeller Replacement
+
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
−
| ||
+
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
−
| Improved Rangefinder || Depth Charges || {{Annotation|Primary Armament Targeting|Requires 'Auxiliary Armament Targeting'}}
+
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 
|-
 
|-
−
| IV
+
| colspan="4" | 3,000 (20) || 499 || ±10° || ±15°
−
| Engine Maintenance
 
−
| New Pumps ||
 
−
| Artillery Support || ||  
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
 +
 +
== Usage in the battles ==
 +
<!--''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''-->
 +
The Chi-Ha is the most interesting tank to play in Rank I Japanese tanks as it has little to no armour, a shot-put like a muzzle velocity and looks like a bus in some sense as to how long it is. But there is a way to play this tank despite all the negatives to this tank and to play it to the best of its abilities, one can play it as a support tank in every way (apart from long distance as the rounds drop like a brick after 500m). Stay close to teammates and always play sneaky as the Chi-Ha can be easily one-shotted by everything like all Japanese tanks in this Rank.
 +
 +
But if facing a heavy tank or medium tank of early Rank 2 are very hard to verse from head-on and the fact that the 57 mm APHE rounds lack penetration to destroy it from the front. So the best option is to go up behind it or attack from the side to destroy them. Another problem that shows itself strongly in close quarter fights is that the Chi-Ha has a hand-cranked turret and turning the tank is painful at best. So it is best to plan ahead before attacking, think where the enemy may be and find a place to hide the bulky tank from the enemy and wait for the enemy to come to the firing range. The Type 3 HEAT shell changes this. With 55mm of penetration, the tank is capable of penetrating tanks that it previously couldn't - which is most tanks at rank I and II. In addition to this, the Type 3 HEAT has the potential to hull break lightly armored targets like LVTs or the Sturmpanzer. Use the protection analysis feature to figure out which tanks you can and can't get through, and adapt your playstyle accordingly when those vehicles are encountered. Now, this is somewhat important "'''Don't''' look for the enemy, let the '''enemy''' look for the Chi-Ha." Of course, the Chi-Ha could still go look for the enemy, but always be on alert and make sure to have a friend for firing support.
 +
 +
Engine power is not that powerful, which then means that the acceleration will be slow to start up, but it will slowly get faster over time. But reversing is like all British tanks when they reverse, It's going to be slow. But this is compensated for the turning speed of this tank as it is better to turn and run in some cases then reverse.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
−
<!--''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''-->
+
<!--''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''-->
−
 
 
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
−
* 12.7 mm Vickers Mk.V: high rate of fire, large belt capacity, good damage output, can rotate 360°
+
* Improved sloped armour compared to the reserve vehicles
−
* 40 mm 2pdr Rolls Royce: very quick reload, high penetration with AP rounds, good firing arcs
+
* Quite fast (up to 44 km/h)
−
* Decent mobility
+
* Lovely climbing ability
 +
* Due to its slow 57 mm shell velocity, it can shoot behind cover without showing the tank to some degree
 +
* Type 3 HEAT makes this tank actually playable
 +
* Type 3 HEAT can hull break light targets
 +
* Great turning ability in low gear
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
−
* Blind spot directly in front when moving at high speeds
+
* 57 mm armament may be underpowered in frontal engagements
−
* 12.7 mm Vickers Mk.V: long reload, poor firing arcs
+
* Thin armour that can be penetrated by even 20 mm SPAA
−
* 40 mm 2pdr Rolls Royce: cannot fire directly forwards, small magazine capacity, cannot rotate 360°
+
* Abysmal penetration on APHE. Will struggle to penetrate most Rank 1 tanks
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
−
<!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article.''-->
+
<!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''-->{{main|Chi-Ha (Family)|l1=History of the Type 97 Chi-Ha}}
−
 
+
===Development===
−
Over the course of the Second World War, British Power Boat Company (BPB), based at Hythe, manufactured three motor anti-submarine boat (MASB) designs which were essentially three differently sized versions of the same overall design, as follows: a 60-foot version, consisting of MASBs 1-5; a 63-foot version, consisting of MASBs 22-45; and a 70-foot version, consisting of MASBs 6-21, 46, and 50-67). These boats were originally designed as motor torpedo boats (MTBs), but with the increasing threat of German U-Boats, those ordered by the Royal Navy were ordered as MASBs, their torpedo tubes replaced with depth charge racks and ASDIC equipment.
+
The Imperial Japanese Army's main tank was the [[I-Go Ko|Type 89]], adopted in 1929, but it was deemed obsolete as of 1935 and the IJA wanted something up to par with their battle style. The Type 89's main fault was its low overall road speed, which was unable to keep up with motorized infantry. Thus, the development of a new medium tank commenced with the goal of improved overall speed, low weight, and low cost.<ref name="ZalogaJapaneseTank">Zaloga Steven. ''Japanese Tanks 1939-1945'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2007</ref>
−
 
 
−
The 70-foot boats, in particular, had a standard displacement of around 30 tons, with a full displacement of up to 38 tons, depending on the boat. They had a length of 70 feet (21.3 m), a beam of 16 feet 7 inches (5.05 m), and a draught of around 3 feet (~1 m) depending on the boat. The boats were powered as follows:
 
−
 
 
−
* MASBs 6-21: ordered by the Royal Navy as MASBs, all completed throughout 1940 and 1941. These were originally planned to be powered by Rolls Royce petrol engines. However, these engines became reserved only for Hurricane and Spitfire fighter aircraft by the time the boats were built. Instead, they were powered by two weaker Napier Sea Lion petrol engines driving two shafts and could only achieve 23 knots. In 1942, they received stronger Packard petrol engines and could achieve 38 knots.
 
  
−
* MASB 46: ordered by the Royal Netherlands Navy as an MTB. With the capitulation of the Netherlands in May 1940 before her completion, she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy in July 1940 and completed as a MASB on 13th July 1941. MASB 46 was powered by three Rolls Royce petrol engines driving three shafts and could achieve 42.5 knots.
+
Two tank designs were developed with these specifications, both were produced by Mitsubishi. The first was the '''Chi-Ha''' which was powered by a 170hp diesel engine. The second was ''Chi-Ni'', which was lighter, cheaper, and powered by a 135 hp diesel engine. The IJA chose at the time of 1937, when war with China broke out to the Second Sino-Japanese War. This war increased the IJA's budget and thus they decided to pick the better of the two design. This led to the finalization of the '''Type 97 Chi-Ha''' tank. Production started in 1938 all the way to 1942 for a total of 1162 tanks produced.<ref name="ZalogaJapaneseTank" /><ref name="ZalogaChiHavsSherman">Zaloga Steven. ''M4 Sherman vs Type 97 Chi-Ha: The Pacific 1945'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2012</ref>
  
−
* MASBs 50-67: ordered by the French Navy as MTBs. With the capitulation of France in June 1940 before the completion of most of the boats, they were requisitioned by the Royal Navy in July 1940 and completed as a MASB throughout 1940 and 1941. MASBs 50-67 were powered by three Isotta-Fraschini engines driving three shafts and could achieve 40 knots.
+
===Design===
 +
The Type 97 Chi-Ha was a medium tank constructed with rivets in the armour plates. It had a crew of four with a two-men turret. The turret held the same low-velocity 57 mm gun from the Type 89. Armour was relatively thin, but quite standard at the time of 1930s, but this would become very vulnerable past 1941 when the Japanese war expands to the world.<ref name="ZalogaJapaneseTank" />
  
−
Around 1941, to counter the more heavily armed German E-Boats, the Royal Navy converted most of their MASBs, including all of the BPB 70-foot MASBs, into motor gun boats (MGBs). During this time, the BPB 70-foot boats were redesignated MGBs 6-21, 46, and 50-67 and were refitted with a standardized armament consisting of 2-pdr aft gun and two twin .50 calibre machine gun mounts on either side of the bridge.
+
The Type 97 Chi-Ha, like the standard tanks of other countries, was used in a multitude of roles by adapting its chassis to another purpose such as the [[Ho-Ni I|Ho]][[Ho-Ni III|-Ni]] assault gun series. The Type 97 Chi-Ha design was also improved upon multiple times with better armour and better guns, resulting in tanks like the [[Chi-Ha Kai|''Shinhoto'' Chi-Ha]], [[Chi-He|Type 1 Chi-He]], [[Ho-I|Type 2 Ho-I]], and the [[Chi-Nu|Type 3 Chi-Nu]].<ref name="ZalogaJapaneseTank" />
  
−
MASB-61 was one of the ex-French BPB 70-foot boats. She was requisitioned by the Royal Navy in July 1940 and completed on 12th April 1941. In January 1940, she was refitted as a motor gun boat and redesignated as MGB-61. MGB-61 was commanded by the following:
+
===Combat usage===
 +
The Type 97 Chi-Ha would first see its main usage in the border conflict against the Soviet forces in the Battles of Khalkin-Gol. In the Japanese 1st Tank Group's total 85 tanks, there were four Type 97 mediums present in comparison to the 34 Type 89 I-Go, 35 [[Ha-Go|Type 95 Ha-Go]] lights, and 13 tankettes.<ref name="ZalogaChiHavsSherman">Zaloga Steven. ''M4 Sherman vs Type 97 Chi-Ha: The Pacific 1945'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2012</ref> Though the armoured units played a critical role in Japan's offensive against the Soviet Union, they were soon demolished by the Soviet armoured brigades, leading to their recall. The Japanese defeat at Khalkin-Gol did teach them a few lessons, first in that they were currently under-equipped for a fight against a large European force, which led to an enlargement of the Japanese armoured forces. Second was that the Japanese tanks were unsuitable for tank-to-tank fighting as the Soviet's main tank armament, the 45 mm cannon, was way more suitable than anything the Japanese had. This led to the development of a new anti-tank gun and tank gun for the Japanese Army, the Type 1 47 mm, though this would not see service until 1941.<ref name="ZalogaJapaneseTank" />
  
−
* Lt. P.N. Howes, RN: December 1940 to August 1941
+
The next major usage of the Type 97 would be in Japan's conflict during World War II against the Allies. The Type 97 made up a good portion of the Japanese armoured forces when they invaded the Malay peninsula of British territory in Operation Centrifuge<ref name="ZalogaChiHavsSherman">Zaloga Steven. ''M4 Sherman vs Type 97 Chi-Ha: The Pacific 1945'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2012</ref>. The Japanese tank's successes against Britain is attributed to the British belief that the terrain around Singapore made it very hard to use armoured forces, thus there was a lack of Allied armour available in the battle. In a span of three months, Japan managed to completely overcome the defenses of the Malay peninsula and the Allied forces there surrendered. The Burma campaign soon followed, but the fighting there would last most of the war's time.<ref name="ZalogaJapaneseTank" />
  
−
* Lt. I.R. Griffiths, RN: August 1941 to December 1941
+
Japan then invaded the Americans in the Philippines. It was here that the Japanese armoured forces baptized the American tankers in their first tank-to-tank combat with [[M3 Stuart|M3 Stuarts]] against Type 95 Ha-Go. It was during this campaign that Colonel Seinosuke Sonoda of the 7th Tank Regiment advocated for the placement of the new Type 1 47 mm gun as the main armament of the Type 97 Chi-Ha. This would lead to the development and production of the next generation Type 97s, the [[Chi-Ha Kai|Type 97-''Kai'' (Improved) ''Shinhoto'' (New turret) Chi-Ha]], which would eventually encompass the regular Type 97's production. Though now surpassed by the Type 97 Chi-Ha Kai, the regular Type 97 would still see usage alongside its improved variant in the Pacific campaign against the Allies.
−
 
 
−
* T/Lt. D.P. James, RNVR: December 1941 to July 1942
 
−
 
 
−
* T/Lt. J. Collins, RNVR: July 1942 to August 1943
 
−
 
 
−
MGB-61 served with the 6th MGB Flotilla with HMS Beehive at Felixstowe from 1941 to 1943. She was scrapped in February 1945.
 
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
<!--''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''-->
+
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
  
−
<div class="portale" align="center">
+
==References==
−
{| class="catlist" frame="box" style="background: #efefef;" align="center"
+
<references />
−
|<span style="white-space:nowrap;">[[File:GEN_LIVE_WT_1_HPL.jpg|510px|link=https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=britain&vehicleType=ship&vehicleClass=gun_boat&vehicle=uk_70ft_mgb|]]</span> ||
 
−
|-
 
−
|}
 
−
</div>
 
  
−
== See also ==
+
== Read also ==
−
<!--''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
+
<!--''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
 +
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 +
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 +
''ETC.''-->
 +
[https://warthunder.com/en/news/4330-development-type-97-chi-ha-hope-of-the-army-en/ [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Type 97 Chi-Ha: Hope of the Army]<br />
  
−
* ''reference to the series of the ship;''
+
== Sources ==
−
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''-->
+
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
−
 
 
−
* {{Specs-Link|uk_fairmile_a_ml100}}
 
−
* {{Specs-Link|uk_dark_class}}
 
−
 
 
−
== External links ==
 
−
<!--''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
  
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
−
* ''encyclopedia page on ship;''
+
* ''other literature.''
−
* ''other literature.''-->
 
−
 
 
−
* [http://cfv.org.uk/research/boat/database Coastal Forces Veterans - Boat Database]
 
−
* [https://www.unithistories.com/units_british/RN_CoastalForces.html#MGB%20Boats unithistories.com - Royal Navy Coastal Forces 1940-1945]
 
−
* [http://www.naval-history.net/WW2BritishLosses3Coastal.htm naval-history.net - British vessels lost at sea in World War 2 - MGB, MTB, SGB, ML, etc] - originally published in British Vessels Lost at Sea, 1935-45, His Majesty's Stationary Office, 1947
 
−
* [http://www.navypedia.org/ships/uk/brit_c_f_mgb6.htm NAVYPEDIA - MGB6 motor gun boats (35, 1939 - 1941)]
 
−
* [https://uboat.net/allies/warships/class.html?ID=671&navy=HMS uboat.net - BPB 70 feet-type (ex: French) class]
 
−
* [https://d-dayrevisited.co.uk/projects/masb-27-restoration/ D-Day Revisited - MASB 27 Restoration]
 
−
* [https://www.yalumba.co.uk/Framesets/British%20Power%20Boat%20Co%20-%20Page%204,%20MGBs.html yalumba.co.uk - British Power Boat Co Page 4]
 
−
* [http://www.coastal-forces.org.uk/boats.html Coastal Forces Heritage Trust - Boats]
 
−
 
 
−
==References==
 
−
 
 
−
===Bibliography===
 
−
 
 
−
* Konstam, Angus (2010). ''British Motor Gun Boat 1939–45''. Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-84908-077-4.
 
  
−
{{Britain boats}}
+
{{Japan medium tanks}}

Revision as of 01:41, 10 May 2020

Rank VI USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Su-25K Pack
Chi-Ha
jp_type_97_chi_ha.png
Chi-Ha
Japan flag.png Japan
I Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
1.3 1.3 1.3
Class:
Research:2 900 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:700 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game
This page is about the Japanese medium tank Chi-Ha. For other uses, see Chi-Ha (Family).

Description

GarageImage Chi-Ha.jpg


The Type 97 Chi-Ha is a rank I Japanese medium tank with a battle rating of 1.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai" along with the initial Japanese vehicles of the Japanese Ground Forces Tree.

The Chi-Ha is more or less a smaller version of the I-Go but with a better engine, the Chi-Ha seems rather mediocre at first glance. However, this tank can perform quite well at its battle rating provided that it is played to its strengths, those being its decent mobility and cannon.

General info

The Type 97 Chi-Ha is an upgraded version of the earlier Type 89 I-Go. The engine has been upgraded, from the Mitsubishi A6120VD air-cooled straight-six diesel with 120 hp to a Mitshubishi SA12200VD air-cooled V12 diesel with 170 hp. As such, the top speed has increased from 27 kph on the I-Go to 38 kph on the Chi-Ha. The armament stays the same, with the same shells and gun characteristics. The 5.7 cm Tank Gun Type 97 is robust, but will get the job done. It still has four crewmen inside, no armour, and a 7.7 mm Type 97 in the hull. Overall, it's in general a better I-Go.

Survivability and armour

Armour: Light, but effective against weaker guns (i.e. early French), weaker shells (low-caliber HE), and in long range engagements.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 25 mm (12-32°) Front plate
17 mm (63-81°) Front glacis
15 mm (37-59°) Lower glacis 		25 mm (40°) Top Left
25 mm (25-27°) Top Right
20 mm Bottom 		20 mm (4-58°) 12 mm
Turret 25 mm (9-41°) Turret front
25 mm Gun mantlet 		25 mm (10-11°) 25 mm (12°) 10 mm
Armour Sides Roof
Cupola 17 mm 6 mm

Mobility

Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 45 7 14.8 263 324 17.77 21.89
Realistic 40 6 150 170 10.14 11.49

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: Type 97 (57 mm)

The gun is the same as on the I-Go. Not much to write home about, but we're hardly complaining, especially with the HEAT shell.

57 mm Type 97
Capacity Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance 		Stabilizer
120 -15°/+20° ±180° Vertical
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 14.47 20.03 __.__ 26.9 28.61
Realistic 9.04 10.64 12.90 14.3 15.20
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
4.09 3.80 3.5 3.30
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 0° Angle of Attack
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
Type 92 APHE APHE 21 20 17 14 12 10
Type 3 HEAT HEAT 55 55 55 55 55 55
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent): 		Normalization At 30°
from horizontal: 		Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
Type 90 APHE APHE 349 2.6 1.2 15 103 -1° 43° 30° 25°
Type 3 HEAT HEAT 380 1.8 N/A 0.1 303.36 +0° 28° 21° 17°
Ammo racks
Ammo racks for the Chi-Ha.
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		Recommendations Visual
discrepancy
120 117 (+3) 113 (+7) 89 (+31) 69 (+51) 1 (+129) No

Right side only: 69 (+51)

Machine guns

Main article: Type 97 tank (7.7 mm)
7.7 mm Type 97
Hull mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
3,000 (20) 499 ±10° ±15°

Usage in the battles

The Chi-Ha is the most interesting tank to play in Rank I Japanese tanks as it has little to no armour, a shot-put like a muzzle velocity and looks like a bus in some sense as to how long it is. But there is a way to play this tank despite all the negatives to this tank and to play it to the best of its abilities, one can play it as a support tank in every way (apart from long distance as the rounds drop like a brick after 500m). Stay close to teammates and always play sneaky as the Chi-Ha can be easily one-shotted by everything like all Japanese tanks in this Rank.

But if facing a heavy tank or medium tank of early Rank 2 are very hard to verse from head-on and the fact that the 57 mm APHE rounds lack penetration to destroy it from the front. So the best option is to go up behind it or attack from the side to destroy them. Another problem that shows itself strongly in close quarter fights is that the Chi-Ha has a hand-cranked turret and turning the tank is painful at best. So it is best to plan ahead before attacking, think where the enemy may be and find a place to hide the bulky tank from the enemy and wait for the enemy to come to the firing range. The Type 3 HEAT shell changes this. With 55mm of penetration, the tank is capable of penetrating tanks that it previously couldn't - which is most tanks at rank I and II. In addition to this, the Type 3 HEAT has the potential to hull break lightly armored targets like LVTs or the Sturmpanzer. Use the protection analysis feature to figure out which tanks you can and can't get through, and adapt your playstyle accordingly when those vehicles are encountered. Now, this is somewhat important "Don't look for the enemy, let the enemy look for the Chi-Ha." Of course, the Chi-Ha could still go look for the enemy, but always be on alert and make sure to have a friend for firing support.

Engine power is not that powerful, which then means that the acceleration will be slow to start up, but it will slowly get faster over time. But reversing is like all British tanks when they reverse, It's going to be slow. But this is compensated for the turning speed of this tank as it is better to turn and run in some cases then reverse.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Improved sloped armour compared to the reserve vehicles
  • Quite fast (up to 44 km/h)
  • Lovely climbing ability
  • Due to its slow 57 mm shell velocity, it can shoot behind cover without showing the tank to some degree
  • Type 3 HEAT makes this tank actually playable
  • Type 3 HEAT can hull break light targets
  • Great turning ability in low gear

Cons:

  • 57 mm armament may be underpowered in frontal engagements
  • Thin armour that can be penetrated by even 20 mm SPAA
  • Abysmal penetration on APHE. Will struggle to penetrate most Rank 1 tanks

History

Main article: History of the Type 97 Chi-Ha

Development

The Imperial Japanese Army's main tank was the Type 89, adopted in 1929, but it was deemed obsolete as of 1935 and the IJA wanted something up to par with their battle style. The Type 89's main fault was its low overall road speed, which was unable to keep up with motorized infantry. Thus, the development of a new medium tank commenced with the goal of improved overall speed, low weight, and low cost.[1]

Two tank designs were developed with these specifications, both were produced by Mitsubishi. The first was the Chi-Ha which was powered by a 170hp diesel engine. The second was Chi-Ni, which was lighter, cheaper, and powered by a 135 hp diesel engine. The IJA chose at the time of 1937, when war with China broke out to the Second Sino-Japanese War. This war increased the IJA's budget and thus they decided to pick the better of the two design. This led to the finalization of the Type 97 Chi-Ha tank. Production started in 1938 all the way to 1942 for a total of 1162 tanks produced.[1][2]

Design

The Type 97 Chi-Ha was a medium tank constructed with rivets in the armour plates. It had a crew of four with a two-men turret. The turret held the same low-velocity 57 mm gun from the Type 89. Armour was relatively thin, but quite standard at the time of 1930s, but this would become very vulnerable past 1941 when the Japanese war expands to the world.[1]

The Type 97 Chi-Ha, like the standard tanks of other countries, was used in a multitude of roles by adapting its chassis to another purpose such as the Ho-Ni assault gun series. The Type 97 Chi-Ha design was also improved upon multiple times with better armour and better guns, resulting in tanks like the Shinhoto Chi-Ha, Type 1 Chi-He, Type 2 Ho-I, and the Type 3 Chi-Nu.[1]

Combat usage

The Type 97 Chi-Ha would first see its main usage in the border conflict against the Soviet forces in the Battles of Khalkin-Gol. In the Japanese 1st Tank Group's total 85 tanks, there were four Type 97 mediums present in comparison to the 34 Type 89 I-Go, 35 Type 95 Ha-Go lights, and 13 tankettes.[2] Though the armoured units played a critical role in Japan's offensive against the Soviet Union, they were soon demolished by the Soviet armoured brigades, leading to their recall. The Japanese defeat at Khalkin-Gol did teach them a few lessons, first in that they were currently under-equipped for a fight against a large European force, which led to an enlargement of the Japanese armoured forces. Second was that the Japanese tanks were unsuitable for tank-to-tank fighting as the Soviet's main tank armament, the 45 mm cannon, was way more suitable than anything the Japanese had. This led to the development of a new anti-tank gun and tank gun for the Japanese Army, the Type 1 47 mm, though this would not see service until 1941.[1]

The next major usage of the Type 97 would be in Japan's conflict during World War II against the Allies. The Type 97 made up a good portion of the Japanese armoured forces when they invaded the Malay peninsula of British territory in Operation Centrifuge[2]. The Japanese tank's successes against Britain is attributed to the British belief that the terrain around Singapore made it very hard to use armoured forces, thus there was a lack of Allied armour available in the battle. In a span of three months, Japan managed to completely overcome the defenses of the Malay peninsula and the Allied forces there surrendered. The Burma campaign soon followed, but the fighting there would last most of the war's time.[1]

Japan then invaded the Americans in the Philippines. It was here that the Japanese armoured forces baptized the American tankers in their first tank-to-tank combat with M3 Stuarts against Type 95 Ha-Go. It was during this campaign that Colonel Seinosuke Sonoda of the 7th Tank Regiment advocated for the placement of the new Type 1 47 mm gun as the main armament of the Type 97 Chi-Ha. This would lead to the development and production of the next generation Type 97s, the Type 97-Kai (Improved) Shinhoto (New turret) Chi-Ha, which would eventually encompass the regular Type 97's production. Though now surpassed by the Type 97 Chi-Ha Kai, the regular Type 97 would still see usage alongside its improved variant in the Pacific campaign against the Allies.

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Zaloga Steven. Japanese Tanks 1939-1945 Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2007
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Zaloga Steven. M4 Sherman vs Type 97 Chi-Ha: The Pacific 1945 Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2012

Read also

[Devblog] Type 97 Chi-Ha: Hope of the Army

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Japan medium tanks
Type 97  Chi-Ha · Chi-Ha Kai · Chi-Ha Kai TD · Chi-Ha Short Gun
Type 1  Chi-He · Chi-He (5th Regiment) · Ho-I
Type 3  Chi-Nu · Chi-Nu II
Type 4  Chi-To · Chi-To Late
Type 5  Chi-Ri II
Type 61 MBT  ST-A1* · ST-A2* · ST-A3* · Type 61
Type 74 MBT  ST-B2* · Type 74 (C) · Type 74 (E) · Type 74 (F) · Type 74 (G)
Type 90 MBT  Type 90 · Type 90 (B) · Type 90B "Fuji"
Type 10 MBT  TKX (P)* · TKX* · Type 10
Other  Ka-Chi
USA  ▅M4A3 (76) W · ▅M47
  *Prototype

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