was a

medium tank A medium tank is a classification of tanks, particularly prevalent during World War II, which represented a compromise between the mobility oriented light tanks and the armour and armament oriented heavy tanks. A medium tank's classification ...

of the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Like the Type 1 Chi-He, this tank was an improved version of the

Type 97 Chi-Ha The was a medium tank used by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Battles of Khalkhin Gol against the Soviet Union, and the Second World War. It was the most widely produced Japanese medium tank of World War II. ...

. It incorporated a

Type 3 75 mm tank gun The Type 3 75 mm tank gun was used as the main armament of the Imperial Japanese Army Type 3 Chi-Nu medium tank. It was one of the largest guns ever to be fitted on a World War II Japanese tank. Design and use The Type 3 had a caliber of , bar ...

, one of the largest Japanese tank guns during the war. The Chi-Nu did not see combat during the war. All produced units were retained for the defense of the Japanese Homeland in anticipation of an Allied invasion. Chi-Nu production line

History and development

At the outbreak of the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...

, the

Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank The was a medium tank used by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Battles of Khalkhin Gol against the Soviet Union, and the Second World War. It was the most widely produced Japanese medium tank of World War II. T ...

and

Type 95 Ha-Go light tank The was a light tank used by the Empire of Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War, at the Battles of Khalkhin Gol against the Soviet Union, and in the Second World War. It proved sufficient against infantry but was not effective against other ...

designs comprised the mainstay of the armored units of the

. As the war progressed, these tanks started to face significant challenges posed by Allied tanks. In the

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

and Philippines Campaigns, the firepower of the 57 mm cannon mounted on the Type 97 was proven to be insufficient against Allied tanks. The Imperial Japanese Army therefore developed the

Type 1 47 mm tank gun The was an anti-tank gun developed by the Imperial Japanese Army, and used in combat during World War II. The Type 1 47mm anti-tank gun was optimized for truck drawn operation. The Type 1 number was designated for the year the gun was accepted, 2 ...

, which used a lighter high-explosive round with greater armor penetrating power. This gun was mounted on Type 97 Shinhoto Chi-Ha and Type 1 Chi-He medium tanks. At the later stages of the war, large numbers of

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

M4 Sherman The M4 Sherman, officially medium tank, M4, was the medium tank most widely used by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers. I ...

tanks arrived at the front line and increased pressure on Japanese armored forces. The decided to develop a new medium tank to counter the enemy threat as well as a replacement for the Type 97. The Army Technical Bureau had been working on the

Type 4 Chi-To medium tank The ("Imperial Year 2604 Medium Tank Model 7") was one of several medium tanks developed by the Imperial Japanese Army towards the end of World War II. While by far the most advanced Japanese wartime tank to reach production, industrial and mate ...

as the counter to the M4 Sherman, but there were problems and delays in the program. As a result, a stopgap tank was required. The Type 3 medium tank Chi-Nu was developed to cope with the M4 Sherman.Taki's Imperial Japanese Army: "Tanks after Chi-Ha"
Retrieved 2 May 2016. Development of the Type 3 Chi-Nu occurred in 1943. The low priority given to tank production meant that the Type 3 did not actually enter production until 1944, by which time raw materials were in very short supply, and in 1945 much of Japan's industrial infrastructure had been destroyed by American strategic bombing. This led to its production run being severely curtailed. Only a total of between 144 and 166 units were produced. The Type 3 Chi-Nu was the last tank that was fielded by the Imperial Japanese armed forces, and was still in production at the end of the war. Japanese Type 3 Chi-Nu tank 2

Design

Armor and protection

The Type 3 Chi-Nu retained the same chassis and

suspension Suspension or suspended may refer to: Science and engineering * Car suspension * Cell suspension or suspension culture, in biology * Guarded suspension, a software design pattern in concurrent programming suspending a method call and the calling ...

of the Type 1 Chi-He, but with the addition of an enlarged turret ring for the new large hexagonal

gun turret A gun turret (or simply turret) is a mounting platform from which weapons can be fired that affords protection, visibility and ability to turn and aim. A modern gun turret is generally a rotatable weapon mount that houses the crew or mechanis ...

with a commander's cupola. It was the last design based directly on Type 97 lineage. The thickest armor used was 50 mm on the front hull; it also had 25 mm on the turret, 25 mm on the sides and 20 mm on the rear deck. Chi-Nu transmission

Armament

The main armament of the Type 3 Chi-Nu was the 75 mm Type 3 tank gun. The gun could be elevated between -10 and +25 degrees. Firing a shell at a

muzzle velocity Muzzle velocity is the speed of a projectile (bullet, pellet, slug, ball/ shots or shell) with respect to the muzzle at the moment it leaves the end of a gun's barrel (i.e. the muzzle). Firearm muzzle velocities range from approximately t ...

of it gave an armor penetration of at and at . Secondary armament was a 7.7 mm Type 97 machine gun.

Mobility

The Chi-Nu had the same engine as the Type 1 Chi-He, producing 240 hp and a top speed of 39 km/h.Taki's Imperial Japanese Army: Type 1 "Chi-He"
/ref>

Service record

The Type 3 Chi-Nu was allocated to the

Japanese home islands The is an archipelago of 14,125 islands that form the country of Japan. It extends over from the Sea of Okhotsk in the northeast to the East China and Philippine seas in the southwest along the Pacific coast of the Eurasian continent, and cons ...

to defend against the projected Allied Invasion. They were to be part of the "Mobile Shock Force" to be used for counter-attacks against the Allied invasion. As the

surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was Hirohito surrender broadcast, announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally Japanese Instrument of Surrender, signed on 2 September 1945, End of World War II in Asia, ending ...

occurred before that invasion, the Type 3 was never used in combat operations. The 4th Tank Division based in

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's Japanese archipelago, four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa Island, Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Ryukyu Islands, Islands ...

had a "significant" number of the Type 3 Chi-Nu tanks produced at its depot by the end of the war.

Survivor

One surviving Type 3 medium tank is on display at the

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force The , , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service branches. New military guidelines, announced in December 2010, direct ...

Military Ordnance Training School at

Tsuchiura, Ibaraki is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population in 2024 of 142,181 people in 66,629 households, and a population density of 1,157 persons per squate kilometre. The proportion of the population aged over 65 ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Variant

*Type 3 Chi-Nu Kai prototype/Chi-Nu II :A "modification plan" for the Chi-Nu was for it to be up gunned with the

Type 5 75 mm tank gun The Type 5 75 mm tank gun was used as the main armament of the Imperial Japanese Army prototype Type 4 Chi-To medium tank. It was one of the largest tank guns to be fitted on a World War II Japanese tank. Due to late war shortage-induced delays o ...

(L/56.4) and a Type 4 Chi-To turret. The exact status on the progress of the Chi-Nu Kai prototype is unknown.

Notes

References

* * * * * *

External links

Taki's Imperial Japanese Army Page - Akira Takizawa
{{WWIIJapaneseAFVs

Type 3 Chi-Nu was a medium tank of the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. Like the Type 1 Chi-He, this tank was an improved version of the Type 97 Chi-Ha. It incorporated a Type 3 75 mm tank gun, one of the largest Japanese tank guns during the war. The ...

3 Chi-Nu World War II medium tanks Mitsubishi Military vehicles introduced from 1940 to 1944