I-Go Ko

Description

The Type 89b I-Go Ko is a reserve Rank I Japanese light tank with a battle rating of 1.0. It was introduced in Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai" along with the rest of the initial Japanese Ground Forces Tree.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour on the I-Go Ko is considered quite lacking against contemporary enemies. At armour thickness all less than 20 mm (aside from the spaced areas), even large-calibre machine guns can penetrate the armour. Not to mention, the front armour of 17 mm is only mildly sloped and presents a large hull target that can knock out every crew with a single penetration.

Armour type:

	Front	Side
Armour	17mm	17mm

Armour	Front	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	17 mm (32°) Front glacis	17 mm Top 17 + 17 mm Bottom	17 mm (61°) Top 17 mm Bottom	10 mm
Turret	17 mm (9°) Turret front 25 mm (10°) Gun mantlet	15 mm (10-12°)	15 mm (11°)	10 mm
Armour	Sides	Roof
Cupola	15 mm	10 mm

Stats

Number produced: 404

Produced: 1931-1939

Length: 5.75m

Width: 2.18m

Height: 2.56m

Crew: 4

Weight: 11.8 tons (early) 14 tons (late 89B)

Engine – Type 89A: 118hp gasoline engine

Engine – Type 89B Otsu: 120hp Mitsubishi diesel engine

Max Speed: 15mph/ 24km/hr

Max Range: 200km (89B) 

Armament: 57mm main gun, turret mounted 6.5mm machine gun, forward firing hull 6.5mm machine gun

Type 89A I-Go specifications
Dimensions (L-w-h)	5.73 x 2.13 x 2.56 m (18.79x7x8.4 ft)
Total weight, battle ready	9.9 metric tons
Crew	4 (commander, driver, loader, gunner)
Armament	Type 90 57 mm (2.24 in) gun 2 x Type 91 6.5 mm machine-guns
Armor	6-17 mm (0.24-0.67 in)
Propulsion	Daimler 6-cyl. air-cooled gasoline engine, 118 hp
Speed on-road	16 km/h (10 mph)
Range (road)	150 km (95 mi)
Total production (both types)	409

Mobility

Like the armour, the I-Go Ko leaves much to be desired in the tank's top speed that limits the utility of the quick acceleration.

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons)	Add-on Armor weight (tons)	Max speed (km/h)
11.5	N/A	30 (AB)
		27 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	183	225
Realistic/Simulator	104	118
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	15.91	19.56
Realistic/Simulator	9.04	10.26

Armaments

Main armament

57 mm Type 90
Capacity			Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance	Stabilizer
100			-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.
4.29	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 92 APHE	APHE	349	2.6	1.2	15	103		47°	60°	65°
Type 3 HEAT	HEAT	380	1.8	N/A	0.1	303.36	+0°	62°	69°	73°

Ammo racks

Last updated: 1.85.0.185

File:Ammoracks Type89IGoKo.png

Ammo racks on the I-Go Ko.

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
100	97 (+3)	61 (+39)	49 (+51)	13 (+87)	1 (+99)	No

Recommendations: The ammo racks in the I-Go Ko are rather small due to the small ammunition, and so could be hard in a casual engagement unless aimed for directly, which would be rare given the thin armour on the tank encouraging center-mass shots rather than targeted hits.

However, to minimize racks to avoid a detonation, emptying all the way to the 3rd rack at 49 total rounds will leave only two rather small racks remaining. If wanting to bring in more ammunition, removing only the ammo rack in the turret at 97 rounds will leave plenty.

Machine guns

The Type 91 machine gun is mounted at the hull with limited traverse all-around. With a limited ammo per belt, the machine gun doesn't serve much except as a possible harassing tool against enemies in front.

6.5 mm Type 91
Hull mount
Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
3,000 (30)				499	±22°	±25°

Usage in battles

The Type 89b I-Go Ko, despite its rather sluggish looks, is a mobile tank that could use its speed to get to an enemy's flanks and cause some serious damage. The 57 mm cannon is unfortunately rather pitiful even in Rank I, with a penetration value of between 20 to 30 mm at standard combat ranges. Thus, it is best to catch an enemy by its sides in order to get through their weaker side armour. The 57 mm low-velocity shell does have an advantage of a rather prominent parabolic trajectory so it is possible to lob shells over hills to hit unsuspecting enemies behind it.

Pretty much everything is a threat to this vehicle. Fast vehicles (BT-7, BT-5, M2A1, Tetrarch, T-60) in particular are an uneasy encounter: at close range, the I-Go's poor turret turning speed cannot follow the movement and at long range, the slow shells are a pain to aim precisely at a moving target. Autocanons (72-K GAZ AAA, Pz. II, Flakpanzer, Gepard, M13, T17E2, etc.) are the I-Go Ko's worst nightmare since they can make mincemeat of the armour in seconds without too much efforts. Plus, they are often quite fast.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Decent forward speed.
• Parabolic trajectory allows 57 mm round to hit over hills.
• APHE has a huge amount of explosive mass, especially for the caliber.
• Great gun depression.

Cons:

• Weak overall armour of 17 mm, vulnerable to any armament.
• 57 mm armament has very low muzzle velocity and penetration - can struggle to hurt many of the tanks it will face, even from the sides.
• Slow traverse speed even when upgraded.
• Rather tall as a Rank I tank (not as bad as LVT(A)(1) though).
• Machine gun only fires forwards in a limited arc.

History

Development

Japan's early pioneering into the concept of armoured warfare began as early as October 1918 during the first World War. They were able to acquire a few tank samples from the European governments, ranging from a British Mark IV tank, Medium A Whippet tanks, and Renault FT tanks. These tanks would make up Japan's first tank units in 1925. Their experiences with these tanks led to their eventual development of their own domestic tank design.The requirement for this new tank was given to the 4th Military Laboratory under Imperial Japanese Army's jurisdiction and was mainly in charge of land vehicle development. In the summer of 1926,the first prototype was completed with the design of three turrets, one main in the middle and two smaller ones in the front and rear. The design was deemed too heavy at 18 tons and so development restarted, the initial design carrying on in the failed Type 91 and 95 tanks. During this time, a trial with a British Vickers Model C tank had the tank's gasoline engine catch fire. This prompted the Japanese to fit their tanks with a diesel engine instead. The development led to a new design in 1929, titled Type 89 I-Go. Though it is considered to be a light tank, the designation changed to a medium tank due to its weight of 10 tons.

The Type 89's construction was assigned to Sagami Arsenal, but it was subcontracted to private firms due to Sagami's lack in industry. One of the firms was Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, whom developed a tank plant specifically for the Type 89. The Type 89 production officially started in 1931, with mass-production in 1933 and continued until 1939 with 404 tanks built.

Design

The Type 89 I-Go was Japan's first domestic tank design, yet it showed a lot of features that were revolutionary and would become a trademark of the Japanese tank designs. The Type 89 I-Go had a four-man crew in the tank with two in the turret. The turret held a 57 mm low-velocity gun meant for fighting fortifications due to the tank's role as an infantry support. A peculiar feature on the Type 89 was the rear machine gun on the back of the turret. This machine gun was meant to enable the Type 89 to engage forward targets with a machine gun or its 57 mm gun and would be a design trend in future tank development.

The Type 89 design changed gradually over time due to troop experience and advances in technology. For example, a small change that occurred for the Type 89 was the change of the commander's cupola from a "top hat" or "lid" design to a split hatch design. A noticeable change was in the engine when the first models produced off the lines were powered by a 118hp gasoline engine, these tanks were labeled as Type 89A I-Go Ko. It wasn't until 1934 when a change to Mitsubushi A6120VD 6-cylinder air-cooled petrol was made that the Type 89 was redesignated the Type 89B I-Go Otsu. This diesel engine made the Type 89 the first mass-produced tank that uses diesel as its fuel.

The Type 89 does carry its few flaws, however. The tank was quite slow at about 25 km/h (16 mph), a hinderance to mobile operations using motorized infantry that must wait for the tanks to reach the combat zone. The armour was quite thin at 17 mm and the 57 mm's anti-tank power was quite abyssal. However, against the Chinese troops from 1932 onwards, the armour and firepower flaws were small worries due to the lack of available tanks and anti-tank defenses in the Chinese side.

Combat usage

The Type 89 was first used in 1932 in the 1st Special Tank Company after the Manchurian Incident. The company, armed with Type 89 along with Renault FT and NC tanks, took part in the conflict between China and Japan in the Shanghai Incident. The experience showed that the Type 89 performed well in comparison to the Renaults and soon the entire company was fitted with Type 89s, retiring the Renaults.

The mass production of the Type 89 from 1933 onwards allowed the formation of large tank groups in Japan, leading to the 1st and 3rd Tank Regiment in Kurume, Fukuoka with the 2nd Tank Regiment at Chiba Tank School. The 1st Tank Regiment would be deployed with the Kwantung Army in China, where it would carry the Type 89 tank in the conflcit against China from 1937 onwards.

By 1939, the Type 89 was starting to be succeeded by newer Japanese tanks, but they still served on the frontlines such as the border conflcits between Japan and the Soviet Union. In the Battle of Khalkhin Gol, the IJA's 1st Tank Corps attacked the Soviet 11th Tank and 7th Armoured brigades in July with a mixture of Type 89s, Type 97 mediums, Type 95 lights, and tankettes in the 3rd and 4th Tank Regiments. Though the attack stirred up Soviet lines, there was no breakthrough in Soviet lines. The Soviets, armed with T-26 and BT light tanks, would soon push the Japanese back to Manchuria and have a cease-fire signed on 24 August.

Though the Type 89 was mostly withdrawn from service and replaced with the Ha-Go and Chi-Ha, the I-Go still served as far into the battles for Philippines, Malaya, and Burma. Some tanks saw further use as static pillboxes in the Japanese islands of the Pacific, but these tanks were vulnerable to newer anti-tank and tank technology of the Americans with their bazookas and M4 Shermans once they started their island-hopping strategy against Imperial Japan.

Even after World War II, some Type 89 were still seen in service of the French during the First Indochina War, using the captured Japanese armour in a unit known as 'Commando Blindé du Cambodge'.

Media

Type 89 IJA training exercise - September 1941

Type 89 - Running at Tsuchiura, Japan

Look at interior of a Type 89

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

[Devblog] Type 89 I-Go Ko: First Series

Japan light tanks
Type 89	I-Go Ko
Type 95	Ha-Go · Ha-Go Commander
Type 98	Ke-Ni
Other	Ka-Mi
IFV	Type 89
RCV	Type 87 RCV (P) · Type 87 RCV · RCV (P)
MCV	Type 16 (P) · Type 16 (FPS) · Type 16
USA	▅M24 · ▅M41A1