Tanks/Vehicles Type 95 Ha-Gō

[SwissBaron 96]

 

The Type 95 Ha-Gō (九五式軽戦車 ハ号 kyūgo-shiki kei-sensha Ha-Gō) was a light tank used by the Imperial Japanese Army in combat operations of the Second Sino-Japanese War, at Nomonhan against the Soviet Union, and in the Second World War. It proved sufficient against infantry, but, like the American M3 Stuart, it was not designed to fight other tanks. Approximately 2,300 units were produced, making it the most numerous Japanese armored fighting vehicle of the time.

 

Tank Information:

• Weight 7.4 t (7.3 long tons; 8.2 short tons) 
• Length 4.38 m (14 ft 4 in) 
• Width 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 
• Height 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in)  
• Crew 3 

Main armament:

• Type 98 37 mm gun

 

Secondary armament:

• 2 × 7.7 mm Type 97 machine gun Engine Mitsubishi A6120VDe air-cooled inline 6-cylinder 14.4 L diesel
• 120 hp (90 kW) at 1800 rpm  
• Suspension Bell crank
• Operational range 250 kilometers
• Speed 45 km/h (28 mph) on road

 

 

Combat history:

 

It is considered one of the best light tanks in 1935, being armed with a 37 mm cannon, and powered by a diesel engine, a fuel considered by some to be superior due to its low volatility. As with most armies in the 1930s, including the US Army, the tank, and the light tank in particular, were used primarily to support infantry or serve as cavalry reconnaissance and to a lesser extent, as raiding vehicles. Its speed was about 18 mph cross country, which was comparable to the Stuart's 20 mph nearly 6 years later in 1941. The five-year-old Type 95 could compete against the new American M3 Stuart light tanks, which began rolling off the assembly lines in October 1941.

Type 95 proved sufficient against opposing infantry in campaigns in Manchuria and China, as the Chinese National Revolutionary Army had only three tank battalions consisting of Vickers export tanks, German PzKpfw I light tanks, and Italian CV33 tankettes to oppose them. However, the Type 95, like the M3 Stuarts of the US Army, were not designed to fight other tanks, they were designed to support the infantry and due to the IJN's priority in receiving technology and steel for warship construction, tanks for the IJA were relegated to receiving what was left. By 1942, Japanese armor remained largely the same as they did in the 1930s, and were regarded as obsolete after 1941. The Type 95 was also used by Imperial Japanese Navy SNLF detachments in Pacific areas during the conflict.

Khalkhin Gol (Nomonhan) 1939. Under the mistaken belief that the Red Army was retreating from the Khalkhin Gol (Nomonhan) region, the IJA command in Manchuria transferred the 1st Tank Corps, under the command of Lt. Gen. Yasuoka Masaomi to Nomonhon to cut off the retreating Soviets at the Halha River (Khalkhin Gol River). After a two-day journey by rail, the 1st Tank Corps began unloading its 3rd and 4th Tank Regiments from their trains at Arshaan in Manchuria on 22 June 1939. While the 3rd Tank Regiment was composed primarily of the nearly decade-old Type 89 medium tanks, the 4th Tank Regiment, commanded by 48-year-old Col. Tamada Yoshio, consisted of 35 Type 95 light tanks, eight Type 89s, and three Type 94 tankettes.

From the beginning of Soviet General Zhukov's assumption of command at Nomonhan in June 1939, he had deployed his BT-5 and BT-7 light tanks (Bystrokhodnyi tanks, meaning "high-speed tank"); and incorporated them into all of his combined artillery, infantry, and armor attacks. Although in the same light tank category as the Type 95, also with 3 man crews, and similar dimensions, the BT tanks were nearly twice as heavy, at 13.8 tons but were highly susceptible to close-quarter (tank killer) teams using fire bombs (molotov cocktails); which was primarily due to their gasoline engines. As such, Japanese tank crews held a generally low opinion of the Russian tanks, but the BT tank's 45 mm gun was an altogether different matter. With a velocity of over 2,000 feet per second, Soviet tanks could penetrate IJA tanks, at over a 1,000 meters (the Type 95's 37 mm main gun had a maximum effective range of less than 700 meters); as one Type 95 tank officer put it, "...no sooner did we see the flash, then there would be a hole in our tank! And the Russians were good shots too!"

On 2 July 1939, at approximately 18:10 hours (6:10 pm), Col. Tamada's 4th Tank Regiment of more mobile Type 95 tanks took the lead in front of the medium tanks of the 3rd Tank Regiment, as the 1st Tank Corps launched its first offensive against the Soviet forces at Khalkhin Gol. While the 3rd Tank Regiment passed through Soviet artillery fire, becoming decisively engaged by about 20:00 hours (8 pm) during their movement forward, the 4th Tank Regiment, while avoiding Soviet artillery barrages had advanced in a southeast direction instead of due south, engaging Russian forces southwest of Uzuru pond. Observing a Russian artillery battery between himself and his objective, a "junction", Col. Tamada ordered an attack in the darkness. At about 23:00 hours (11 pm), the 4th Tank moved towards their objective with about 6 meters between tanks and 30 meters between companies and platoons. Just after midnight, a thunderstorm struck, conveniently exposing the Russian positions while at the same time masking the advancing 4th Tank Regiment. While at close range, the lightning storm suddenly illuminated the advancing Type 95s, and the Soviet defense line immediately opened fire with heavy machine guns, artillery, BT-7 light tanks, and anti-tank guns. However, since the range was so close, the Russian artillery could not depress their barrels low enough to hit the tanks, and their shells flew wildly over the advancing tanks. At about 00:20 hours (12:20 am) Col. Tamada ordered the 4th Tank Regiment to "charge", and by 02:00 hours his light tanks had penetrated over 1,000 yards through Russian lines and knocked out 12 artillery guns. Japanese losses consisted of one Type 95 light tank, one officer and one enlisted man killed and 8 wounded,; the 4th Tank had expended approximately 1,100 37 mm and 129 57 mm tank shells, and 16,000 rounds of machine gun ammunition. After the action, the Soviet command acknowledged that 1st Tank Corps armor had reached the Russian guns.

 

British Malaya and Burma 1941

 

Considering that the United States military had been operating in the Philippines since the Philippine–American War of 1899–1902 and Great Britain had military bases in Singapore since at least the 1840s; combined, they both had at least one hundred years of "jungle warfare" experience between them. Which no doubt influenced their beliefs that "tanks could not operate in those jungles." On the other hand, the IJA had always been focused upon Russia and China, and had never conducted major campaigns in jungle (tropical) regions. Facing impenetrable jungles, two experienced powerful armies, and lacking any combat jungle experience themselves, the IJA Type 95s led the assault forces into taking Singapore by 15 February, and Corregidor by April 1942. By those standards, the Type 95 proved to be an extremely successful light tank during the early campaigns leading into mid 1942. The proper tactical deployment of a war machine is key to any military success, and the Japanese success in Malaya was partly due to the unexpected presence of their tanks in areas where the British did not believe tanks could be used. The wet jungle terrain, although an obstacle, did not stop the twelve Type 95s, taking part in an attack which broke the Jitra defensive line on 11 December 1941; but the military still needed a rugged reliable tank to conduct those tactics with, and the Type 95 was the light tank that successfully completed those missions in 1942. Poor planning on the part of the British Army resulted in few to none of any type of armor in British Malaya or Burma in December 1941.

 

References:

• Coox, Alvin D. (1985). Nomonhan; Japan Against Russia, 1939 (Two volumes). Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-1160-7.
• Foss, Christopher (2003). Great Book of Tanks: The World's Most Important Tanks from World War I to the Present Day. Zenith Press. ISBN 0-7603-1475-6.
• Foss, Christopher (2003). Tanks: The 500. Crestline. ISBN 0-7603-1500-0.
• Goldman, Stuart D. (2012). Nomonhan, 1939; The Red Army's Victory That Shaped World War II. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-329-1.
• Hara, Tomio (1973), Japanese Combat Cars, Light Tanks, and Tankettes, AFV Weapons Profile No. 54, Profile Publications
• Hunnicutt, Richard (1992). Stuart, A history of the American Light Tank Volume 1. Novato, California: Presidio Press. ISBN 0-89141-462-2.
• Handbook on Japanese Military Forces, TM-E 30-480 (1945). TM-E 30-480. War Department.
• Zaloga, Steven J. (1999). M3 & M5 Stuart Light Tank 1940–45. Osprey. ISBN 978-1-85532-911-9.
• Zaloga, Steven J. (2007). Japanese Tanks 1939–45. Osprey. ISBN 978-1-84603-091-8.
• Zaloga, Steven J. (2008). Armored Thunderbolt, the US Army Sherman in World War II. Mechanicsville, PA (USA): Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-0424-3.

Edited April 2, 2016 by RadDogBaron

[Smin1080p 60,444]

Open for discussion  :salute:

[Thiky 2,162]

+1  :salute:

and need the other too to the independent Japanese ground tech tree!!

[GuiRitter 694]

Open for discussion  :salute:

Why? The OP didn't said if it was supposed to be a captured premium in another tech tree, and we don't even have the planned Japanese ground forces tech tree yet.

[Lord_of_Sofa 6,335]

Why? The OP didn't said if it was supposed to be a captured premium in another tech tree, and we don't even have the planned Japanese ground forces tech tree yet.

 

It could still become a captured premium in the US tree, I guess. It will certainly be in the japanese tree but it can only help to collect as much data as possible.

 

Does anyone haven an internal layout? That weird angle of the back MG is bugging me.

[KuroiOtori 1,049]

Will surely be in Japanese tank tree but +1 anyway.

[SwissBaron 96]

I think Japan will have only light to medium tanks for tiers 1-3. Possibly if performing well, their battle rating could go up to possibly 5, since there isn't many tanks for Japan. 

[SwissBaron 96]

Any additional is appreciated! 

[Mercedes4321 4,695]

It could still become a captured premium in the US tree, I guess. It will certainly be in the japanese tree but it can only help to collect as much data as possible.

 

Does anyone haven an internal layout? That weird angle of the back MG is bugging me.

A lot of the Japanese tanks from the 1930s like this one have that weird backwards mg. I hope we get to use it in game.

[Gorgo_Primus 27]

Add a Japanese GF Tech Tree!

 

+1

[xxkvasirxx 321]

japanese would beat all other :D

[Gorgo_Primus 27]

So what are the chances of there being a Japanese tree for this anyways?

Edited April 27, 2016 by Gorgo_Primus

[McPuff 2,212]

So what are the chances of there being a Japanese tree for this anyways?

There's a large project about japanese tanks, you should check it out.

Edited April 27, 2016 by McPuff

[GuiRitter 694]

So what are the chances of there being a Japanese tree for this anyways?

There's a large project about japanese tanks, you should check it out.

Here.

[CokeSpray 7,274]

Moved to Implemented suggestions as this vehicle was added in the update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai".