The Type 97 Chi-Ha Short Gun / Short 12cm SPG (短十二糎自走砲) is a later iteration of the Chi-Ha with a modified turret coming from the Chi-Ha Kai, boasting a Navy short gun (120 mm) meant to defend naval bases and merchant ships in a multipurpose role. The Navy's modification of the Chi-Ha was meant to mimic the role of the Army's Ho-I tank to support infantry as a gun tank during the defense of the homeland.
| Pro's | Cons |
|---|---|
| Familiar Chi-Ha chassis | Poor turret traverse |
| Relatively impressive 10-second reload for a 120 mm cannon | Slow reload compared to cannons commonly met at this BR (37 to 75 mm) |
| Strong HE shells with overpressure potential | Only fires HE rounds which are comparatively weaker to 150 mm |
| Very slow muzzle velocity |
Mobility
Unsurprisingly, the Chi-Ha Short Gun shares the same hull as its base Chi-Ha, with no increase in weight, allowing it to retain identical mobility. Powered by a Mitsubishi SA12200VD air-cooled V12 diesel engine producing 170 hp, it can reach a respectable top speed of 40 km/h.
Main armament
The 120 mm Navy short gun was originally designed for anti-submarine and close-range naval combat, which translates in-game to a weapon with very low muzzle velocity. However, this characteristic can be leveraged to fire over cover at enemy vehicles.
By default, the gun fires HE shells containing 2.64 kg of TNT equivalent, capable of causing lethal overpressure damage to almost any vehicle at its BR.
While the shell is undeniably powerful, it lacks the destructive potential of the Ho-Ro's 150 mm howitzer rounds. This necessitates careful aiming, especially against well-armored targets. In such cases, it is best to aim at deflective surfaces to maximize the explosive effect on weaker hull roofs.
Usage in battles
The Chi-Ha Short Gun, designed for infantry support, reveals its limitations in tank combat. Its slow turret traverse and poor shell trajectory significantly hinder its effectiveness against armoured targets. However, the HE shells, each containing 2.64 kg of TNT equivalent, can reliably cause overpressure damage, easily neutralizing most lightly armoured vehicles and tanks with less than 30 mm of armour.
Against medium and heavy tanks, direct confrontation is ill-advised. Instead, rely on friendly support to handle these threats. In some cases, you might attempt a shot at a weak hull roof to exploit overpressure damage, but such shots are challenging and may not guarantee a kill on the first hit.
History
Development
The Chi-Ha Short Gun, officially designated as the Short 12 cm Self-propelled Artillery (短十二糎自走砲), was a naval refit of the Type 97 Chi-Ha Kai, designed to provide greater firepower for the Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF) in a role similar to the Army's Type 2 Ho-I.
To achieve superior firepower, it was equipped with a naval short-barrel 120 mm gun, likely the 12 cm/12 short naval gun, featuring a bespoke muzzle brake. Additionally, a small storage compartment was added to the rear of the ShinHoTo Chi-Ha turret, enhancing its utility for its support role.
Combat usage
The only certain information on this variant is that only a dozen or so vehicles were built and all were assigned to the Yokosuka No. 16 Special Land Battle Corps. The Chi-Ha's weren't the only vehicles assigned to this squadron and saw service next to the Type 2 Ka-Mi and Type 3 Ka-Chi amphibious tanks.
These vehicles would most likely have seen service in defence of the homeland next to the SNLF infantry. But in case that these tanks would be required to move to forward islands, they would most likely be transported by Daihatsu-class Landing crafts just like the infantry accompanied and escorted by the Amphibious tanks during landings.
Only a few photographs of the Chi-Ha 120 mm exist, all taken by American forces at the Sasebo Naval Yard in October 1945. None of the vehicles have survived to the present day.
