Difference between revisions of "Chi-Ha (China)"
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− | {{Specs-Card|code=cn_type_97_chi_ha}} | + | {{About |
+ | | about = medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}''' | ||
+ | |usage = other versions | ||
+ | |link = Chi-Ha (Family) | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | {{Specs-Card | ||
+ | |code=cn_type_97_chi_ha | ||
+ | |images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}} | ||
+ | }} | ||
== Description == | == Description == | ||
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should 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 a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' --> | <!-- ''In the description, the first part should 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 a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' --> | ||
− | + | The '''Type 97 Chi-Ha''' ({{Annotation|九七式中戦車「チハ」|Kyūnana-Shiki Chū-Sensha [Chi-Ha]}}) is a medium tank used by the Imperial Japanese Army primarily in the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Battles of Khalkhin Gol against the Soviet Union during World War II. It was also the most widely manufactured Japanese medium tank throughout the war. The Chinese People's Liberation Army acquired around 300 Type 97 tanks from the USSR after Japan surrendered in 1945. The Northeast Tank Brigade, the Chinese People's Army's first tank unit founded on December 1, 1945, was equipped with this tank. However, it was discovered that the Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank's reliability was poor, since it frequently broke down, and the Chinese People's Liberation Army nicknamed it the "Old Man Tank." Despite its inherent flaws, the "Old Man Tank" served as the foundation for the Chinese People's Liberation Army's armoured troops. Following World War II, it took part in bandit suppression activities, campaigns in the Yangtze River's south, the Battle of Jinzhou, and the Battle of Tianjin. | |
− | + | ||
− | The ''' | + | Introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]], the Chi-Ha served as the Chinese Army's first medium tank. It acquired many fundamental traits of Japanese tanks due to its origins in Japan during World War II, including inadequate armour, an inferior main gun, and good gun depression. It is mounted with a low-velocity 57 mm anti-tank gun designed for infantry support. The overall tank design is not intended to combat other tanks in the first place, as most of the countries that the Japanese invaded during WWII lacked credible tanks. Overall, it is a medium tank with a lot of weaknesses and must be played carefully in battles to achieve good results. |
== General info == | == General info == | ||
=== Survivability and armour === | === Survivability and armour === | ||
− | ''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 helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' | + | {{Specs-Tank-Armour}} |
+ | <!-- ''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 helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' --> | ||
+ | |||
+ | The armour of the Chi-Ha is light (35 mm max) but its complex layout makes it effective against weak guns (i.e. early French), weak shells (low-calibre HE), and in long-range engagements. | ||
+ | |||
+ | '''Armour type:''' | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret, cupola) | ||
+ | |||
+ | {| class="wikitable" | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | ! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 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°) || 11 mm | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Turret || 25 mm (9-41°) ''Turret front'' <br> 35 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 25 mm (10-11°) || 25 mm (12°) || 11 mm | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 25 mm (cylindrical) || 10 mm | ||
+ | |} | ||
=== Mobility === | === Mobility === | ||
− | ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed | + | {{Specs-Tank-Mobility}} |
+ | <!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' --> | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{tankMobility|abMinHp=263|rbMinHp=150}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Modifications and economy === | ||
+ | {{Specs-Economy}} | ||
== Armaments == | == Armaments == | ||
+ | {{Specs-Tank-Armaments}} | ||
=== Main armament === | === Main armament === | ||
− | ''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 flexibility 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. | + | {{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}} |
+ | <!-- ''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 flexibility 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.'' --> | ||
+ | {{main|Type 97 (57 mm)}} | ||
+ | Armed with a low-velocity gun that requires good leading, the Chi-Ha nevertheless has a fast reload, and a great gun depression angle that allows it to fire from ridges, and its shoulder-stock stabilizer allows it to fire on the move, or more importantly keep the gun on target when braking, which is especially useful due to the low penetration of the shells. | ||
− | === | + | The Type 3 HEAT shell should be the main shell for tank combat, It has more penetration that is kept over longer ranges and has a higher explosive mass. |
− | '' | + | |
+ | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%" | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | ! colspan="5" | [[Type 97 (57 mm)|57 mm Type 97]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds) | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | ! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer | ||
+ | ! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced | ||
+ | ! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | ! ''Arcade'' | ||
+ | | rowspan="2" | 120 || rowspan="2" | -15°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Shoulder || 14.5 || 20.0 || 24.3 || 26.9 || 28.6 || rowspan="2" | 4.29 || rowspan="2" | 3.80 || rowspan="2" | 3.50 || rowspan="2" | 3.30 | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | ! ''Realistic'' | ||
+ | | 9.0 || 10.6 || 12.9 || 14.3 || 15.2 | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | |} | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Ammunition ==== | ||
+ | {{:Type 97 (57 mm)/Ammunition|Type 92 APHE, Type 3 HEAT}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== [[Ammo racks]] ==== | ||
+ | [[File:Ammoracks_Chi-Ha.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the Chi-Ha (identical).]] | ||
+ | <!-- '''Last updated: 2.5.0.39''' --> | ||
+ | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | ! Full<br>ammo | ||
+ | ! 1st<br>rack empty | ||
+ | ! 2nd<br>rack empty | ||
+ | ! 3rd<br>rack empty | ||
+ | ! 4th<br>rack empty | ||
+ | ! 5th<br>rack empty | ||
+ | ! Visual<br>discrepancy | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | '''120''' || 116 ''(+4)'' || 112 ''(+8)'' || 88 ''(+32)'' || 68 ''(+52)'' || 0 ''(+120)'' || No | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | |} | ||
+ | '''Notes:''' | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack. | ||
+ | * Right side only: 68 ''(+52)'' shells. | ||
=== Machine guns === | === Machine guns === | ||
− | ''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.'' | + | {{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}} |
+ | {{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}} | ||
+ | <!-- ''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 (7.7 mm)}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Chi-Ha has a [[Type 97 (7.7 mm)|7.7 mm Type 97]] machine gun mounted on the left side of the hull, and another on the turret roof, though they cannot be used if the there are only 2 crew remaining. While they have a lot of ammunition, this machine gun is just simply not good enough. The rate of fire is below average, the penetration is bad, and there are only about 25 bullets in each magazine, making it impossible to provide a continuous machine-gun fire. The one things these machine guns can do is to incapacitate the fully exposed crews on some vehicles, as even a bit of armour might block out the weak bullets. The roof mounted gun can ward off some low-flying strafing planes but it is still inferior comparing to other machine guns like the American M1919 or M2HB. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%" | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | ! colspan="5" | [[Type 97 (7.7 mm)|7.7 mm Type 97]] | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | ! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Hull || 3,000 (20) || 499 || ±10° || ±15° | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Pintle || 1,000 (20) || 499 || 0°/+60° || -80°/+10° | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | |} | ||
== Usage in battles == | == Usage in 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 instead 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).'' | + | <!-- ''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 instead 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 one of the most interesting Rank I Chinese tanks to play as it has little to no armour, a shot-put-like muzzle velocity and looks like a bus in some sense as to how long it is. | ||
+ | |||
+ | However, 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 500 m). Stay close to teammates and always play sneaky as the Chi-Ha can be easily knocked out with a single shot by common opponents like all Japanese tanks in this Rank. | ||
+ | |||
+ | But if facing a heavy tank or medium tank of early Rank II are very hard to versus 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 55 mm 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 destroy lightly armoured and open-topped vehicles like LVTs or the Sturmpanzer with overpressure. 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 === | ||
− | ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a 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 - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' | + | <!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a 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 - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' --> |
'''Pros:''' | '''Pros:''' | ||
− | * | + | * Improved armour compared to the preceding reserve |
+ | * Quite fast (up to 44 km/h), allowing it to get to position somewhat quickly | ||
+ | * Lovely climbing ability combined with the amazing -15° gun depression, it is great at mountain combat | ||
+ | * The vertical stabiliser is a big advantage in a sudden encounter, as most tanks it faces don't have stabilisers, and therefore need to wait longer to fire | ||
+ | * Due to its curved 57 mm shell trajectory, it can shoot from behind cover without showing the tank to some degree | ||
+ | * Type 3 HEAT is powerful, it can frontally penetrate common targets like [[M3 Lee]], and destroy tanks like the [[LVT(A)(1)]] with overpressure | ||
+ | * Great turning ability in low gear | ||
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
− | * | + | * 57 mm armament may be underpowered in an uptier, especially in frontal engagements |
+ | * Although fast, it still gets outran by [[M3 Stuart (Family)|M3]] and [[M5 Stuart (Family)|M5 Stuarts]] and the [[Sd.Kfz.234/2|Sd.Kfz.234]] series | ||
+ | * Thin armour gets penetrated by lots of guns. Beware of any tank with the PzGr.40 shells ([[Pz.II (Disambiguation)|Pz.II]], [[Flakpanzer 38|FlakPz 38]]) | ||
+ | * Abysmal penetration on stock APHE, will struggle to penetrate most low-tier tanks like [[M3A1 Stuart]] and [[T-70]] | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
− | ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the 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></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' | + | <!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the 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></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' --> |
+ | {{main|Chi-Ha (Family)|l1=History of the Type 97 Chi-Ha}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | Japanese tanks like the Chi-Ha, captured by Soviet troops during the Manchurian campaign, given to the Chinese Communists, and others captured from the surrendering Japanese by the Chinese Nationalists, were used in the Chinese Civil War by both sides. After the war, the victorious Chinese Communists kept the Japanese tanks in their inventory, where they were used in the 1950 victory parade, until they were phased out with more modern Soviet tanks during the 1950s. | ||
== Media == | == Media == | ||
− | ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' | + | <!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' --> |
+ | |||
+ | ;Skins | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_type_97_chi_ha Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.] | ||
+ | |||
+ | ;Videos | ||
+ | {{Youtube-gallery|4_cJ1CpEatw|'''Best gun depression''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 1:33 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}} | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
Line 54: | Line 174: | ||
* ''topic on the official game forum;'' | * ''topic on the official game forum;'' | ||
− | |||
* ''other literature.'' | * ''other literature.'' | ||
+ | {{TankManufacturer Mitsubishi}} | ||
{{China medium tanks}} | {{China medium tanks}} |
Latest revision as of 21:53, 31 May 2024
This page is about the medium tank Chi-Ha (China). For other versions, see Chi-Ha (Family). |
Contents
Description
The Type 97 Chi-Ha (九七式中戦車「チハ」) is a medium tank used by the Imperial Japanese Army primarily in the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Battles of Khalkhin Gol against the Soviet Union during World War II. It was also the most widely manufactured Japanese medium tank throughout the war. The Chinese People's Liberation Army acquired around 300 Type 97 tanks from the USSR after Japan surrendered in 1945. The Northeast Tank Brigade, the Chinese People's Army's first tank unit founded on December 1, 1945, was equipped with this tank. However, it was discovered that the Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank's reliability was poor, since it frequently broke down, and the Chinese People's Liberation Army nicknamed it the "Old Man Tank." Despite its inherent flaws, the "Old Man Tank" served as the foundation for the Chinese People's Liberation Army's armoured troops. Following World War II, it took part in bandit suppression activities, campaigns in the Yangtze River's south, the Battle of Jinzhou, and the Battle of Tianjin.
Introduced in Update 1.91 "Night Vision", the Chi-Ha served as the Chinese Army's first medium tank. It acquired many fundamental traits of Japanese tanks due to its origins in Japan during World War II, including inadequate armour, an inferior main gun, and good gun depression. It is mounted with a low-velocity 57 mm anti-tank gun designed for infantry support. The overall tank design is not intended to combat other tanks in the first place, as most of the countries that the Japanese invaded during WWII lacked credible tanks. Overall, it is a medium tank with a lot of weaknesses and must be played carefully in battles to achieve good results.
General info
Survivability and armour
The armour of the Chi-Ha is light (35 mm max) but its complex layout makes it effective against weak guns (i.e. early French), weak shells (low-calibre HE), and in long-range engagements.
Armour type:
- Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret, cupola)
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°) | 11 mm |
Turret | 25 mm (9-41°) Turret front 35 mm Gun mantlet |
25 mm (10-11°) | 25 mm (12°) | 11 mm |
Cupola | 25 mm (cylindrical) | 10 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 | 21 | 14.8 | 263 | 324 | 17.77 | 21.89 |
Realistic | 40 | 19 | 150 | 170 | 10.14 | 11.49 |
Modifications and economy
Armaments
Main armament
Armed with a low-velocity gun that requires good leading, the Chi-Ha nevertheless has a fast reload, and a great gun depression angle that allows it to fire from ridges, and its shoulder-stock stabilizer allows it to fire on the move, or more importantly keep the gun on target when braking, which is especially useful due to the low penetration of the shells.
The Type 3 HEAT shell should be the main shell for tank combat, It has more penetration that is kept over longer ranges and has a higher explosive mass.
57 mm Type 97 | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
Arcade | 120 | -15°/+20° | ±180° | Shoulder | 14.5 | 20.0 | 24.3 | 26.9 | 28.6 | 4.29 | 3.80 | 3.50 | 3.30 |
Realistic | 9.0 | 10.6 | 12.9 | 14.3 | 15.2 |
Ammunition
Penetration statistics | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
Type 92 APHE | APHE | 21 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 13 |
Type 3 HEAT | HEAT | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 |
Shell details | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | |||||
0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
Type 92 APHE | APHE | 349 | 2.58 | 1.2 | 9 | 103 | 47° | 60° | 65° | |||
Type 3 HEAT | HEAT | 380 | 1.8 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 303.36 | 62° | 69° | 73° |
Ammo racks
Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
120 | 116 (+4) | 112 (+8) | 88 (+32) | 68 (+52) | 0 (+120) | No |
Notes:
- Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack.
- Right side only: 68 (+52) shells.
Machine guns
The Chi-Ha has a 7.7 mm Type 97 machine gun mounted on the left side of the hull, and another on the turret roof, though they cannot be used if the there are only 2 crew remaining. While they have a lot of ammunition, this machine gun is just simply not good enough. The rate of fire is below average, the penetration is bad, and there are only about 25 bullets in each magazine, making it impossible to provide a continuous machine-gun fire. The one things these machine guns can do is to incapacitate the fully exposed crews on some vehicles, as even a bit of armour might block out the weak bullets. The roof mounted gun can ward off some low-flying strafing planes but it is still inferior comparing to other machine guns like the American M1919 or M2HB.
7.7 mm Type 97 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
Hull | 3,000 (20) | 499 | ±10° | ±15° |
Pintle | 1,000 (20) | 499 | 0°/+60° | -80°/+10° |
Usage in battles
The Chi-Ha is one of the most interesting Rank I Chinese tanks to play as it has little to no armour, a shot-put-like muzzle velocity and looks like a bus in some sense as to how long it is.
However, 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 500 m). Stay close to teammates and always play sneaky as the Chi-Ha can be easily knocked out with a single shot by common opponents like all Japanese tanks in this Rank.
But if facing a heavy tank or medium tank of early Rank II are very hard to versus 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 55 mm 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 destroy lightly armoured and open-topped vehicles like LVTs or the Sturmpanzer with overpressure. 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 armour compared to the preceding reserve
- Quite fast (up to 44 km/h), allowing it to get to position somewhat quickly
- Lovely climbing ability combined with the amazing -15° gun depression, it is great at mountain combat
- The vertical stabiliser is a big advantage in a sudden encounter, as most tanks it faces don't have stabilisers, and therefore need to wait longer to fire
- Due to its curved 57 mm shell trajectory, it can shoot from behind cover without showing the tank to some degree
- Type 3 HEAT is powerful, it can frontally penetrate common targets like M3 Lee, and destroy tanks like the LVT(A)(1) with overpressure
- Great turning ability in low gear
Cons:
- 57 mm armament may be underpowered in an uptier, especially in frontal engagements
- Although fast, it still gets outran by M3 and M5 Stuarts and the Sd.Kfz.234 series
- Thin armour gets penetrated by lots of guns. Beware of any tank with the PzGr.40 shells (Pz.II, FlakPz 38)
- Abysmal penetration on stock APHE, will struggle to penetrate most low-tier tanks like M3A1 Stuart and T-70
History
Japanese tanks like the Chi-Ha, captured by Soviet troops during the Manchurian campaign, given to the Chinese Communists, and others captured from the surrendering Japanese by the Chinese Nationalists, were used in the Chinese Civil War by both sides. After the war, the victorious Chinese Communists kept the Japanese tanks in their inventory, where they were used in the 1950 victory parade, until they were phased out with more modern Soviet tanks during the 1950s.
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
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;
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Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (三菱重工業株式会社) | |
---|---|
Light Tanks | |
Type 95 | Ha-Go · Ha-Go Commander |
Medium Tanks | |
Type 89 | I-Go Ko |
Type 97 | Chi-Ha · Chi-Ha Kai |
Type 1 | Chi-He · Chi-He (5th Regiment) |
Type 3 | Chi-Nu · Chi-Nu II |
Type 4 | Chi-To · Chi-To Late |
Type 5 | Chi-Ri II |
SPGs | |
Chi-Ha Derived | Ho-Ro |
Chi-He Derived | Ho-I |
Chi-Ri Derived | Ho-Ri Prototype · Ho-Ri Production |
Other | Na-To · Ro-Go Exp. |
Captured | ␗Chi-Ha · ␗Chi-Ha Kai |
Note | Most tank designs would be contracted by the Army Technical Bureau to Mitsubishi |
See also | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (Post-War) |
China medium tanks | |
---|---|
ZTZ59 | Type 59 · ZTZ59A · ZTZ59D1 |
ZTZ69 | Type 69 · Type 69-IIa |
ZTZ88/96 | ZTZ88A · ZTZ88B |
ZTZ96 · ZTZ96A · ZTZ96A (P) | |
ZTZ99 | ZTZ99-II · ZTZ99-III |
ZTZ99A | ZTZ99A · WZ1001(E) LCT |
Export series | MBT-2000 · VT4A1 |
ROC | CM11 |
Other | Т-34-85 Gai · Object 122MT "MC" |
Bangladesh | T-69 II G |
Japan | ␗Chi-Ha · ␗Chi-Ha Kai |
Pakistan | Al-Khalid-I |
USA | ␗M4A4 · ␗M4A4 (1st PTG) · ␗M4A1 (75) W · ␗M48A1 · ␗M60A3 TTS |
USSR | ␗T-34 (1943) · ␗Т-34-85 (S-53) · T-34-85 No.215 · Т-62 №545 |