Difference between revisions of "I-Go Ko"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
−
''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''
+
<!--''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''-->
 +
[[File:GarageImage_Type89IGoKo.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 +
{{break}}
 +
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"|Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai"]] along with the rest of the initial Japanese Ground Forces Tree.
  
 
== 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 helpfull for survival in combat?''
+
<!--''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
  
−
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
+
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
 +
'''Armour Type:'''
 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 17 mm (32°) ''Front glacis'' || 17 mm ''Top'' <br> 17 + 17 mm ''Bottom'' || 17 mm (61°) ''Top'' <br> 17 + 7 mm ''Bottom'' || 10 mm
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || 17 mm (9°) ''Turret front'' <br> 25 mm (10°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 15 mm (10-12°) || 15 mm (11°) || 10 mm
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Cupola || 15 mm || 10 mm
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
 +
*Suspension wheels and tracks are both 15 mm thick.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
−
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
+
<!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''-->
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
 +
|-
 +
! Weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Add-on Armor<br>weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="2" | 11.5 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 30 (AB)
 +
|-
 +
|27 (RB/SB)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|183
 +
|225
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|104
 +
|118
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|15.91
 +
|19.56
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|9.04
 +
|10.26
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== 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 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.''
+
<!--''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.''-->
 +
{{main|Type 90 (57 mm)}}
  
−
=== Additional armament ===
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
−
''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
+
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[Type 90 (57 mm)|57 mm Type 90]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="3" | 100 || -15°/+20° || ±180° || Vertical
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
 +
|-
 +
! style="width:4em" |Mode
 +
! style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| ''Arcade'' || 9.00 || 12.50 || 15.20 || _.__ || 17.88
 +
|-
 +
| ''Realistic'' || 9.00 || 10.60 || 12.90 || _.__ || 15.20
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| 4.30 || 3.80 || _.__ || 3.30
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== Ammunition =====
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
 +
|-
 +
! 10m
 +
! 100m
 +
! 500m
 +
! 1000m
 +
! 1500m
 +
! 2000m
 +
|-
 +
| Type 92 APHE || APHE || 32 || 30 || 23 || 15 || 7 || 5
 +
|-
 +
| Type 3 HEAT || HEAT || 55 || 55 || 55 || 55 || 55 || 55
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="11" | Shell details
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
 +
''in m:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
 +
''in mm:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 +
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 +
|-
 +
! 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|Ammo racks]] =====
 +
[[File:Ammoracks Type89IGoKo.png|right|thumbnail|[[Ammo Racks|Ammo racks]] on the I-Go Ko|300px]]
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
|| '''100''' || 96&nbsp;''(+4)'' || 60&nbsp;''(+40)'' || 48&nbsp;''(+52)'' || 12&nbsp;''(+88)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+99)'' || style="text-align:left" | No
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
48&nbsp;''(+52)''
  
 
=== 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.''
+
<!--''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 91 (6.5 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | [[Type 91 (6.5 mm)|6.5 mm Type 91]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 3,000 (30) || 499 || N/A || N/A
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Usage in the battles ==
 
== Usage in the battles ==
−
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
+
<!--''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''-->
 +
The 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, your poor turret turning speed cannot follow the movement and at long range, your slow bullets are a pain to aim precisely at a moving target. '''Autocanons''' (72-K GAZ AAA, Pz. II, Flakpanzer, Gepard, M13, T17E2, etc.) are your worst nightmare since they can make mincemeat of you in seconds without too much efforts. Plus, they are often quite fast.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
−
''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
+
<!--''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''-->
−
 
 
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
−
*
+
* 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:'''
 
'''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 ==
 
== 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 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.''-->
 +
===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.<ref name="ZalogaJapaneseTank">Zaloga Steven. ''Japanese Tanks 1939-1945'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2007</ref>
 +
 
 +
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.<ref name="ZalogaJapaneseTank">Zaloga Steven. ''Japanese Tanks 1939-1945'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2007</ref>
 +
 
 +
===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.<ref name="ZalogaJapaneseTank">Zaloga Steven. ''Japanese Tanks 1939-1945'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2007</ref>
 +
 
 +
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 120hp Mitsubishi diesel engine 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.<ref name="ZalogaJapaneseTank">Zaloga Steven. ''Japanese Tanks 1939-1945'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2007</ref>
 +
 
 +
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.<ref name="ZalogaJapaneseTank">Zaloga Steven. ''Japanese Tanks 1939-1945'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2007</ref>
 +
 
 +
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.<ref name="ZalogaJapaneseTank">Zaloga Steven. ''Japanese Tanks 1939-1945'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2007</ref>
 +
 
 +
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 Chi-Ha|Type 97 mediums]], [[Type 95 Ha-Go|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 mod. 1939|T-26]] and [[BT-5|BT]] [[BT-7|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 [[Type 95 Ha-Go|Ha-Go]] and [[Type 97 Chi-Ha|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 [[Medium Tank M4 Sherman|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 ==
 
== Media ==
−
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
<!--''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''-->
 +
{{Youtube-gallery|c8WHPgdkdOc|Type 89 IJA training exercise - September 1941|LBM3eMJJRjg|Type 89 - Running at Tsuchiura, Japan|0snxs-JL8i8|Look at interior of a Type 89}}
 +
 
 +
==References==
 +
<references />
  
 
== Read also ==
 
== Read also ==
−
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
+
<!--''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
−
''ETC.''
+
''ETC.''-->
 +
[https://warthunder.com/en/news/4341-development-type-89-i-go-ko-first-series-en/ [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Type 89 I-Go Ko: First Series]
  
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==

Revision as of 06:38, 22 October 2018

Rank VI USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Su-25K Pack
I-Go Ko
jp_type_89b_i_go_otsu.png
I-Go Ko
Japan flag.png Japan
I Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
1.0 1.0 1.0
Class:
Research:Free
Purchase:Free
Show in game

Description

GarageImage I-Go Ko.jpg


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 Type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 17 mm (32°) Front glacis 17 mm Top
17 + 17 mm Bottom 		17 mm (61°) Top
17 + 7 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

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels and tracks are both 15 mm thick.

Mobility

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

Main article: Type 90 (57 mm)
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 9.00 12.50 15.20 _.__ 17.88
Realistic 9.00 10.60 12.90 _.__ 15.20
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
4.30 3.80 _.__ 3.30
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
Type 92 APHE APHE 32 30 23 15 7 5
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
File:Ammoracks Type89IGoKo.png
300px
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
100 96 (+4) 60 (+40) 48 (+52) 12 (+88) 1 (+99) No

48 (+52)

Machine guns

Main article: Type 91 (6.5 mm)
6.5 mm Type 91
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
3,000 (30) 499 N/A N/A

Usage in the 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, your poor turret turning speed cannot follow the movement and at long range, your slow bullets are a pain to aim precisely at a moving target. Autocanons (72-K GAZ AAA, Pz. II, Flakpanzer, Gepard, M13, T17E2, etc.) are your worst nightmare since they can make mincemeat of you 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.[1]

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.[1]

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.[1]

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 120hp Mitsubishi diesel engine 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.[1]

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.[1]

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.[1]

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

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Zaloga Steven. Japanese Tanks 1939-1945 Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2007

Read also

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

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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