World War Photos

Type 97 Shinhoto Chi Ha at Hill 382 Iwo Jima Japanese 26th Tank Regiment

Type 97-kai Shinhoto Chi-Ha: Armament and Ammunition

The Type 97-kai Shinhoto Chi-Ha was a Japanese medium tank that served during World War II, equipped with a Type 1 47mm tank gun as its main armament. This gun represented a significant upgrade over the earlier Type 97 Chi-Ha’s 57mm gun, particularly in terms of anti-tank capabilities.

Main Armament: Type 1 47mm Tank Gun

• Ammunition Types:

  • Type 1 High-Explosive (HE) Projectile: Primarily used against infantry and unarmored targets, but it had a relatively small explosive fill of 0.19 lbs, limiting its effectiveness in roles other than anti-tank.
  • Type 1 Armor-Piercing High-Explosive (APHE) Projectile: This round was designed to penetrate enemy armor before detonating inside, making it the primary choice for engaging armored vehicles.

• Armor Penetration Capabilities:

  • At a range of 500 yards:
    • The APHE round could penetrate 67–75mm of vertical armor.
    • Against armor angled at 30 degrees, penetration was reduced to 53–60mm.
  • Against the M4A3 Sherman Tank:
    • The Sherman’s front hull armor was 63mm thick, angled at 47 degrees, making it difficult for the Type 1 gun to penetrate.
    • The turret front was even more robust at 89mm of armor.
    • To effectively engage a Sherman, Japanese tankers needed to close to point-blank range or target the thinner side armor.

Operational Challenges and Engagements

• In engagements like those on Luzon, the limitations of the Type 1 gun became evident:
  • An M4A3 Sherman was struck six times by 47mm APHE rounds at a range of 150 to 200 yards. Out of these, five penetrations were achieved, with one partial penetration.
  • Japanese tactics emphasized holding fire until very close range to increase the likelihood of penetrating the Sherman’s armor.

High-Explosive Firepower Considerations

• The switch from the older Type 97 57mm gun to the Type 1 47mm gun resulted in a loss of high-explosive firepower:
  • The Type 97 57mm gun fired a Type 90 HE projectile with 0.55 lbs of explosive fill, much more powerful than the Type 1 47mm HE round.
  • The reduced HE fill in the 47mm shell (only 0.19 lbs) made it less effective against non-armored targets, such as infantry and bunkers.

Ammunition Storage and Capacity

• The Type 97-kai could carry up to 104 rounds of 47mm ammunition. A typical loadout for operations on Luzon included:
  • 66 rounds of APHE.
  • 38 rounds of HE.
• The ammunition was stored in various locations within the tank:
  • Turret Front: Five ready rounds on both the right and left sides.
  • Right Turret Bustle: A bin holding 30 rounds.
  • Hull Stores: A large bin in the left rear corner (behind the loader) holding 30 rounds, plus four smaller bins above the powertrain and in the sponsons.

Secondary Armament: 7.7mm Type 97 Machine Guns

• The Type 97-kai was also equipped with two 7.7mm Type 97 machine guns:
  • Bow Machine Gun: Mounted in a ball mount on the left front of the hull, operated by the bow machine-gunner.
  • Turret Machine Gun: Mounted in a ball mount at the left rear of the turret, operated by the loader.
• Notably, the Type 97-kai lacked a co-axial machine gun adjacent to the main gun, a common feature in many tanks.
• The machine guns could be dismounted and used in an antiaircraft role via a pintle mount on the turret roof.

The Type 97-kai Shinhoto Chi-Ha, with its 47mm gun, represented a significant step forward for Japanese armor in terms of anti-tank capability. However, its limitations against more heavily armored Allied tanks like the Sherman, particularly in terms of firepower and protection, were apparent in the later stages of the war.