Difference between revisions of "Chi-Ha (China)"

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{{Specs-Card|code=cn_type_97_chi_ha}}
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{{About
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| about = medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
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|usage = other versions
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|link = Chi-Ha (Family)
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}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=cn_type_97_chi_ha
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
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}}
  
 
== 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.'' -->
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<!-- [[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
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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.
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{{break}} -->
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]].
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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 ===
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''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.''
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{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
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<!-- ''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.'' -->
  
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=== Mobility ===
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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.
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''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forward and backwards.''
 
  
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== Armaments ==
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'''Armour type:'''
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=== Main armament ===
 
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<!--''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.''-->
 
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{{main|Type 97 (57 mm)}}
 
  
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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.
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* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret, cupola)
  
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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{| class="wikitable"
−
|-
 
−
! colspan="6" | [[Type 97 (57 mm)|57 mm Type 97]]
 
−
|-
 
−
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 
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! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 
−
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 
−
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 
−
|-
 
−
| colspan="3" | 120 || -15°/+20° || ±180° || Vertical
 
−
|-
 
−
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
! style="width:4em" |Mode
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! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
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! style="width:4em" |Stock
 
−
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
 
−
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 
−
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 
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! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''Arcade'' || 14.47 || 20.03 || __.__ || 26.9 || 28.61
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| 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
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''Realistic'' || 9.04 || 10.64 || 12.90 || 14.3 || 15.20
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| Turret || 25 mm (9-41°) ''Turret front'' <br> 35 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 25 mm (10-11°) || 25 mm (12°) || 11 mm
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|-
 
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! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 
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|-
 
−
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
 
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! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 
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! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 
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! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 
−
|-
 
−
| 4.09 || 3.80 || 3.5 || 3.30
 
 
|-
 
|-
 +
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 25 mm (cylindrical) || 10 mm
 
|}
 
|}
  
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===== Ammunition =====
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=== Mobility ===
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
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! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
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<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
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 +
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=263|rbMinHp=150}}
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 +
=== Modifications and economy ===
 +
{{Specs-Economy}}
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 +
== Armaments ==
 +
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
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=== Main armament ===
 +
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
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<!-- ''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.'' -->
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{{main|Type 97 (57 mm)}}
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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%"
 
|-
 
|-
−
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
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! colspan="5" | [[Type 97 (57 mm)|57 mm Type 97]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
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! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 
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! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
 
 
|-
 
|-
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! 10m
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! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
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! 100m
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! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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! 500m
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! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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! 1000m
 
−
! 1500m
 
−
! 2000m
 
 
|-
 
|-
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| Type 92 APHE || APHE || 21 || 20 || 17 || 14 || 12 || 10
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! ''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
 
|-
 
|-
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| Type 3 HEAT || HEAT || 55 || 55 || 55 || 55 || 55 || 55
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! ''Realistic''
 +
| 9.0 || 10.6 || 12.9 || 14.3 || 15.2
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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! colspan="11" | Shell details
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==== Ammunition ====
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|-
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{{:Type 97 (57 mm)/Ammunition|Type 92 APHE, Type 3 HEAT}}
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! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
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! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
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==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
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! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
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[[File:Ammoracks_Chi-Ha.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the Chi-Ha (identical).]]
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! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
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<!-- '''Last updated: 2.5.0.39''' -->
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! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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''in m:''
 
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! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
 
−
''in mm:''
 
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! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 
−
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 
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! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 
 
|-
 
|-
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! 0%
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! Full<br>ammo
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! 50%
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! 1st<br>rack empty
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! 100%
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! 2nd<br>rack empty
 +
! 3rd<br>rack empty
 +
! 4th<br>rack empty
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! 5th<br>rack empty
 +
! Visual<br>discrepancy
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Type 90 APHE || APHE || 349 || 2.6 || 1.2 || 15 || 103 || -1° || 43° || 30° || 25°
+
| '''120''' || 116&nbsp;''(+4)'' || 112&nbsp;''(+8)'' || 88&nbsp;''(+32)'' || 68&nbsp;''(+52)'' || 0&nbsp;''(+120)'' || No
−
|-
 
−
| Type 3 HEAT || HEAT || 380 || 1.8 || N/A || 0.1 || 303.36 || +0° || 28° || 21° || 17°
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
  
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===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
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* Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack.
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[[File:Ammoracks_Type97Chi-Ha.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] for the Chi-Ha.]]
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* Right side only: 68&nbsp;''(+52)'' shells.
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 
−
|-
 
−
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
 
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! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />  rack empty
 
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! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />  rack empty
 
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! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br />  rack empty
 
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! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th<br />  rack empty
 
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! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th<br />  rack empty
 
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! class="wikitable unsortable" width="10%" |Recommendations
 
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! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
 
−
|-
 
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|| '''120''' || 117&nbsp;''(+3)'' || 113&nbsp;''(+7)'' || 89&nbsp;''(+31)'' || 69&nbsp;''(+51)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+129)''  || style="text-align:left" | No
 
−
|-
 
−
|}
 
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Right side only: 69&nbsp;''(+51)''
 
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
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<!--''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.''-->
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
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{{main|Type 97 tank (7.7 mm)}}
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{{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)}}
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 +
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.
  
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 
|-
 
|-
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! colspan="7" | [[Type 97 tank (7.7 mm)|7.7 mm Type 97]]
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! colspan="5" | [[Type 97 (7.7 mm)|7.7 mm Type 97]]
 
|-
 
|-
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! colspan="7" | ''Hull mount''
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! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 
|-
 
|-
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! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
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| Hull || 3,000 (20) || 499 || ±10° || ±15°
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! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 
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! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 
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! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| colspan="4" | 3,000 (20) || 499 || ±10° || ±15°
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| Pintle || 1,000 (20) || 499 || 0°/+60° || -80°/+10°
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
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<!--''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).''-->
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<!-- ''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).'' -->
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The Chi-Ha is the most interesting tank to play in Rank I tanks as it has little armour, a shot-put like a muzzle velocity and looks like a bus in some sense as to how long it is.  
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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.
  
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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 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.
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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.
  
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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.  
+
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.
  
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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.
+
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.
 
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 ===
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<!--''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".''-->
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<!-- ''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:'''
  
−
* Outstanding 15 degrees gun depression
+
* Improved armour compared to the preceding reserve
−
* Access to a stabiliser
+
* Quite fast (up to 44 km/h), allowing it to get to position somewhat quickly
−
* Small profile
+
* Lovely climbing ability combined with the amazing -15° gun depression, it is great at mountain combat
−
* 57mm HEAT tend to cause hull breaks on thin-armored vehicles (LVT(A), AS 42, etc)
+
* 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:'''
  
−
* Slow and sluggish in a turn
+
* 57 mm armament may be underpowered in an uptier, especially in frontal engagements
−
* Weak protection
+
* 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
−
* Severe shell drop makes long range shooting hard for beginners
+
* 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]])
−
* 57mm AP ammunition lacks penetration, making the HEAT the only usable shell for the Chi-ha
+
* Abysmal penetration on stock APHE, will struggle to penetrate most low-tier tanks like [[M3A1 Stuart]] and [[T-70]]
−
* Bad machine gun
 
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
−
<!--''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.''-->
+
<!-- ''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).'' -->
−
===Development===
+
{{main|Chi-Ha (Family)|l1=History of the Type 97 Chi-Ha}}
−
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>
 
  
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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>
+
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.
  
−
===Design===
+
== Media ==
−
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" />
+
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
  
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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" />
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===Combat usage===
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* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_type_97_chi_ha Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
  
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== Media ==
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''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''
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{{Youtube-gallery|4_cJ1CpEatw|'''Best gun depression'''  discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 1:33 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
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{{TankManufacturer Mitsubishi}}
 
{{China medium tanks}}
 
{{China medium tanks}}

Latest revision as of 21:53, 31 May 2024

Rank VI USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Su-25K Pack
This page is about the medium tank Chi-Ha (China). For other versions, see Chi-Ha (Family).
␗Chi-Ha
cn_type_97_chi_ha.png
GarageImage Chi-Ha (China).jpg
ArtImage Chi-Ha (China).png
␗Chi-Ha
China flag.png China
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

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

Armourfront / side / back
Hull25 / 25 / 20
Turret32 / 25 / 25
Crew4 people
Visibility75 %

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

Speedforward / back
AB45 / 21 km/h
RB and SB40 / 19 km/h
Number of gears8 forward
2 back
Weight14.8 t
Engine power
AB324 hp
RB and SB170 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB21.9 hp/t
RB and SB11.5 hp/t
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

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB132 → 169 Sl icon.png
RB110 → 141 Sl icon.png
SB120 → 154 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications2 970 Rp icon.png
890 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost190 Ge icon.png
Crew training200 Sl icon.png
Experts1 000 Sl icon.png
Aces20 Ge icon.png
Research Aces96 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
10 / 10 / 20 % Sl icon.png
100 / 100 / 100 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
60 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
165 Rp icon.png
Cost:
50 Sl icon.png
40 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
165 Rp icon.png
Cost:
50 Sl icon.png
40 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
250 Rp icon.png
Cost:
75 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
320 Rp icon.png
Cost:
95 Sl icon.png
80 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
320 Rp icon.png
Cost:
95 Sl icon.png
80 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
60 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
165 Rp icon.png
Cost:
50 Sl icon.png
40 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement cn.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
250 Rp icon.png
Cost:
75 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
60 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
165 Rp icon.png
Cost:
50 Sl icon.png
40 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
250 Rp icon.png
Cost:
75 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
320 Rp icon.png
Cost:
95 Sl icon.png
80 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Main armament

57 mm Type 97 cannon
Shoulder stabilizer
Reduces the swing of the gun in one plane while moving
Ammunition120 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
4.3 → 3.3 s
Vertical guidance-15° / 20°
Main article: 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.

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

Ammo racks of the Chi-Ha (identical).
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

7.7 mm Type 97 machine gun (coaxial)
Ammunition3 000 rounds
Belt capacity20 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
3.9 → 3.0 s
Fire rate499 shots/min
7.7 mm Type 97 machine gun
Ammunition1 000 rounds
Belt capacity20 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
3.9 → 3.0 s
Fire rate499 shots/min
Main article: Type 97 (7.7 mm)

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

Main article: 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

Skins
Videos
Best gun depression discusses the Chi-Ha (China) at 1:33 - War Thunder Official Channel

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;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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


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

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