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The was a light tank used by the
Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...
during the
Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War was fought between the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the Empire of Japan between 1937 and 1945, following a period of war localized to Manchuria that started in 1931. It is considered part ...
, at the
Battles of Khalkhin Gol The Battles of Khalkhin Gol (; ) were the decisive engagements of the undeclared Soviet–Japanese border conflicts involving the Soviet Union, Mongolian People's Republic, Mongolia, Empire of Japan, Japan and Manchukuo in 1939. The conflict wa ...
against the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, and in the
Second World War 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 ...
. It proved sufficient against infantry but was not effective against other tanks. Approximately 2,300 were produced, making it the most numerous Japanese armoured fighting vehicle of the Second World War.


History and development

From early 1930s, the Japanese army began experimenting with a mechanized warfare unit combining infantry with tanks. However, the Type 89 Medium tank could not keep pace with the motorized infantry, which could move at by truck. For transport, tanks could be loaded on train platforms like in any other army of the time. To solve this problem, Tomio Hara of the Army Technical Bureau proposed a new light tank capable of 40 km/h speed and started development in 1933. The prototype of the tank was begun in 1933 and completed in June 1934 at the Army's Sagami Arsenal. Initial tests were positive, but it was too heavy at and was reworked to bring the weight down to . Due to doubts by the infantry as to its capability for infantry support it was tested in Manchuria in the winter of 1934–1935. The reports were favourable and a second prototype built, which was started in June and completed in November 1935. In 1935, at a meeting in the Army Technical Bureau, the Type 95 was proposed as the main tank for
mechanized infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with Armoured personnel carrier, armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also armoured corps). As defined by the United States Army, me ...
units. The infantry had concerns that the armor was insufficient but the
cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...
indicated that the improved speed and armament compensated for thin armor. The infantry eventually agreed, as the Type 95 was still superior to the alternatives of the Type 92 cavalry tank and Type 94 tankette. The name Type 95 was based on the year since the beginning of the Empire that the tank was produced (2595); with only the last two digits of the year being used. Sometimes a surname was used to supplement or replace the naming ideograms used for Japanese armored fighting vehicles. The Type 95 had the surname "Ha-Go" (third model) that was given by the designer of the tank,
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the prede ...
. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries started production of the tank in 1936. Mass production began in 1938 with the tank and parts made by several companies; besides Mitsubishi, that included, Niigata Tekkoshō, Dowa Jido Shō, Sagami Arsenal, and Kokura Rikugun Jiohei Shō, as the main contributors.


Design

The Type 95 was a 7.4-ton vehicle with a complement of 3 crewmen: a commander, a hull machine gunner, and a driver. Only the commander was seated in the turret, hence he was responsible for observation, loading, aiming, firing the main gun, as well as decision-making and commanding the crew. The hand-operated turret was small and extremely cramped. The primary armament of the most produced version was a Type 94 (1934) 37 mm tank gun (not to be confused with the Type 94 37 mm anti-tank gun introduced two years later) with a barrel length of 46.1 calibers. It elevated between −15 and +20 degrees. The tank carried two types of 37 mm ammunition, the high-explosive and armor-piercing. For the latter, muzzle velocity was and armor penetration was at a distance of . Secondary armament was originally two 6.5 mm Type 91 machine guns, but these were replaced with two 7.7 mm Type 97 light machine guns, one mounted in the hull front and the other in the back of the turret, facing to the rear right (that is, in the five-o-clock direction). The most characteristic feature of the Type 95 tank was its simple suspension system. Army officer Tomio Hara designed the bell crank scissors system. This suspension system became standard on the majority of the subsequently designed Japanese tanks. For the Type 95, two paired bogie wheels per side were suspended on a single bell crank and connected to a coil spring mounted horizontally outside the hull. The tracks were driven through the front sprockets. There were two return wheels. The suspension had troubles early on, with a tendency to pitch on rough ground, and so it was modified with a brace to connect the pairs of bogies. Despite this, the tank continued to give its users a rough ride across any uneven ground. It was provided with an interior layer of asbestos padding separated from the hull with an air gap, to isolate the crew from the sun-heated armor plates, and to protect the crew from injury when the tank moved across rough terrain. The Type 95 was fitted with a 120 hp (89.5 kW) Mitsubishi A6120VDe air-cooled 6-cylinder
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which Combustion, ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to Mechanics, mechanical Compr ...
. It was located in the rear compartment on the right side. The power unit gave it good mobility. Some tanks were fitted with two reflectors in the front of the vehicle for night operations.


Variants

* Type 95 Ha-Go (early production) :An early production version that differed from the most produced model by using less powerful armament: the main gun was 37 mm Type 94 with a barrel length of 36.7 calibers, muzzle velocity of 575 (1900 fps)History of War: Type 95 Ha-Go Light Tank
/ref>-600 m/s (2200 fps), and armor penetration of 45 mm at 300 m (1.48 inches at 300 yards). Secondary armament consisted of two Type 91 6.5 mm machine guns. Produced until 1937 with less than 100 made. Used in Manchukuo and China. Of this variant, the very first production tanks used the older 110 hp (82 kW) Mitsubishi engine (as used in the Type 89 I-Go medium tank) and had a top speed of 25 mph (40 km/h). * Type 95 Ha-Go (Hokuman version) :Due to issues in Manchukuo with sorghum grass in fields getting trapped in the suspension/wheels, the wheel and suspension components were inverted with the addition of small wheels fitted to the bell-crank axis so the tanks could move freely through the grass. This modified version was used in the Battle for Nomohan. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Manchurian model". * Type 95 Ha-Go (later production) :Among other improvements to the engine and main gun, the secondary armament was changed to two Type 97 7.7 mm machine guns, one in the rear section of the turret and one in the front hull. * Type 95 Ri-Ki crane vehicle :The Type 95 Ri-Ki was a tracked engineering vehicle. At the rear of the chassis, it had a 3-ton 4.5 meter "boomed crane". * Type 95 So-Ki armored railroad car :The Type 95 So-Ki was an armored railroad car designed to a requirement of the
Kwantung Army The Kwantung Army (Japanese language, Japanese: 関東軍, ''Kantō-gun'') was a Armies of the Imperial Japanese Army, general army of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1919 to 1945. The Kwantung Army was formed in 1906 as a security force for th ...
for patrolling and guarding remote narrow gauge railway lines. It was fitted with a retractable wheel arrangement underneath to enable it to run on rails. Between 121 and 138 units were manufactured between 1935 and 1943, which operated in both China and Burma. * Type 2 Ka-Mi amphibious tank :This was the first amphibious tank produced in Japan and was intended for use by the Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces. The chassis was based on the Type 95 Ha-Go and its main armament was the same, a 37 mm tank gun. The pontoons were attached by a system of "small clips" with a release inside the tank, to be engaged once it landed for ground combat operations. The Type 2 Ka-Mi was first used in combat on Guadalcanal in late 1942. Later they were encountered by the
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
in the Marshall Islands and Mariana Islands, particularly on Saipan. They were also used during the fighting on the Philippine island of Leyte in late 1944. They were produced from 1942–1944, with only 182 to 184 completed.Taki's Imperial Japanese Army: Type 2 Amphibious Vehicle "Ka-Mi"
/ref> * Type 3 Ke-Ri prototype :This was a proposed model with a Type 97 57 mm tank gun as the main armament in a modified turret. The chassis was the same as the Type 95 Ha-Go. The light tank had a weight of 7.4 tons and a crew of 3 men. It was determined that the turret was too cramped for the crewmen, once the main gun was installed. A small number of prototypes were produced, however, the design never got past the field-testing stage. * Type 4 Ke-Nu conversion :A conversion that replaced the existing Type 95 Ha-Go turret with the larger turret of the Type 97 Chi-Ha, armed with the low-velocity 57 mm tank gun. The conversions were done late in the war, with one estimate stating that approximately 100 units were completed. * Type 4 Ho-To prototype :The Ho-To was a
self-propelled gun Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled mo ...
on a modified Ha-Go chassis. It mounted a Type 38 12 cm howitzer in an open
casemate A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armoured structure from which guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary When referring to antiquity, the term "casemate wall" ...
with frontal and side armour. One prototype was completed. * Type 5 Ho-Ru prototype :The Ho-Ru was a light tank destroyer similar to the German Hetzer, but armed with the weaker 47 mm main gun in a semi-enclosed casemate. The Type 5 Ho-Ru utilized the chassis of the Type 95 Ha-Go, but its suspension was enlarged to 350 mm track link width. There were two set rows of wheel guide pins, holding a road wheel between them. The sprocket of the driving wheel was the grating type to gear with the wheel guide pins like on the
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
T-34 The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank from World War II. When introduced, its 76.2 mm (3 in) tank gun was more powerful than many of its contemporaries, and its 60-degree sloped armour provided good protection against Anti-tank warfare, ...
. Development of the Type 5 Ho-Ru started in February 1945 with only one prototype being completed before the end of the war.


Combat history

The tank was considered one of the best of its type in 1935, being armed with a 37 mm cannon, and powered by a
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which Combustion, ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to Mechanics, mechanical Compr ...
, a fuel considered by some to be superior due to its low volatility.War Department, TM-E 30-480 pp. IX-183, 184Goldman p. 123 As with most armies in the 1930s 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 cross country, which was comparable to the M3 Stuart's nearly six years later in 1941. In armor, road speed, and weaponry, the Type 95 was far inferior to the (five years younger) American M3 Stuart light tanks, but the environment of the Philippines (where roads were sparse and tank engagements took place at near point blank range) largely minimized these disadvantages and allowed the Type 95 to be competitive, as its off-road speed and turret rotation were comparable. Type 95 proved sufficient against opposing infantry in campaigns in
Manchuria Manchuria is a historical region in northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day northeast China and parts of the modern-day Russian Far East south of the Uda (Khabarovsk Krai), Uda River and the Tukuringra-Dzhagdy Ranges. The exact ...
and China, as the Chinese National Revolutionary Army had only three tank battalions consisting of
Vickers Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public in 18 ...
export tanks, German PzKpfw I light tanks, and Italian CV33 tankettes to oppose them. However, the Type 95, like the US M3 Stuart, was not designed to fight other tanks, but for infantry support. Due to the IJN's priority in receiving new
technology Technology is the application of Conceptual model, conceptual knowledge to achieve practical goals, especially in a reproducible way. The word ''technology'' can also mean the products resulting from such efforts, including both tangible too ...
and
steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...
for
warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is used for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the navy branch of the armed forces of a nation, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations. As well as b ...
construction, tanks for the IJA and the IJN's SNLF detachments were relegated to receiving what was left. By 1942, Japanese armor remained largely the same as it did in the 1930s, and new tank development was "stymied".


Khalkhin Gol (Nomonhan) 1939

Under the mistaken belief that the Red Army was retreating from the area of the Khalkhyn Gol river, the IJA command in Manchuria transferred the 1st Tank Corps, under the command of Lt. Gen. Yasuoka Masaomi to the village of Nomonhan to cut off the retreating Soviets at Khalkhyn Gol. After a two-day journey by rail, the 1st Tank Corps began unloading its 3rd Tank Regiment and 4th Tank Regiment 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 The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the 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 Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...
,
infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
and armor attacks. Although in the same light tank category as the Type 95, also with three-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 cocktail A Molotov cocktail (among several other names – ''see '') is a hand-thrown incendiary weapon consisting of a frangible container filled with flammable substances and equipped with a Fuse (explosives), fuse (typically a glass bottle filled wit ...
s); that was primarily due to their
gasoline Gasoline ( North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When for ...
engines. This being so, Japanese tank crews held a generally low opinion of the Soviet Red Army tanks, but the BT tank's 45 mm gun was a different matter. With a velocity of over , Soviet tanks could penetrate the Japanese tanks at a range of over (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, than there would be a hole in our tank! And the Soviets were good shots too!" On 2 July 1939, at approximately 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 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 Soviet forces southwest of Uzuru pond. Observing a Soviet artillery battery between himself and his objective, a "junction", Tamada ordered an attack in the darkness. At about 11:00 pm, the 4th Tank moved towards their objective with about between tanks and between companies and platoons. Just after midnight, a thunderstorm struck, conveniently exposing the Soviet 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 Anti-tank warfare refers to the military strategies, tactics, and weapon systems designed to counter and destroy enemy armored vehicles, particularly tanks. It originated during World War I following the first deployment of tanks in 1916, and ...
guns. However, since the range was so close, the Soviet artillery could not depress their barrels low enough to hit the tanks, and their shells flew wildly over the advancing tanks. At about 12:20 am Tamada ordered the 4th Tank Regiment to " charge", and by 02:00 am his light tanks had penetrated over through Soviet lines and knocked out 12 artillery guns. Japanese losses consisted of one Type 95 light tank, one officer and one enlisted man killed and eight 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 Soviet guns.


Malaya, Burma and the Philippines, 1941 to 1942

The United States military had been operating in the Philippines since the
Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...
(1899-1902) and the United Kingdom had military bases in
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
since at least the 1840s; they both had many years of so-called " 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 the Soviet Union and China and had never conducted major military campaigns in tropical (jungle) regions. Facing thick and impenetrable jungles, two experienced and powerful armies, and lacking any jungle combat experience themselves, the IJA's Type 95s, together with Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tanks, led the Japanese assault forces into taking British Malaya and Singapore by 15 February in 1942 and Bataan in the US-held Philippines by April in that same year. The Type 95 proved to be an extremely successful light tank during the early military campaigns of Japan leading into mid-1942. The "rough terrain" did not prove to be a severe obstacle for the generally light Japanese armour. In addition, poor planning on the part of the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
resulted in very few to practically no tanks being deployed by the UK in British Malaya or the British colony of
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 ...
by December 1941.


America's first clash of armor in World War II

America's first tank versus tank battle of
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 ...
occurred when Type 95 light tanks of the IJA 4th Tank Regiment engaged a US Army tank
platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...
, consisting of five brand new M3 Stuart light tanks from "B" company, 192nd Tank Battalion, on 22 December 1941, north of Damortis during the retreat to the Bataan Peninsula in 1941. Both the M3 and Type 95 light tanks were armed with a 37 mm gun, but the M3 was better armored, with 32 mm (1¼ inches) thick turret sides, vs the Type 95's 12 mm thick armor; however, as the US Army's Ballistics Research Lab (BRL) found after conducting its first large study of tank vs tank warfare in 1945, the most important factor in a tank duel was which side spotted the enemy first, fired first, and hit first. In this first engagement the IJA reacted first, destroying the lead M3 as it tried to leave the road. The four remaining American tanks all suffered hits as they retreated. On 6 June 1942, the Japanese 3rd Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF) landed on Kiska Island during the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands, part of today's state of
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
. The SNLF landing was reinforced by Type 95 light tanks from the IJAs 11th Tank Regiment, which became the only enemy tanks to ever land on United States soil. After the U.S./Allied landing of Kiska to recapture the island in August 1943, the U.S. captured two Type 95s and transported them to Aberdeen Proving Ground in
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
for study and evaluation.


Against Australia

Two Type 95 tanks were deployed to support the Japanese landing at Milne Bay, New Guinea, in late August 1942. Initially, the tanks proved successful against the lightly armed Australian infantry, whose ' sticky bombs' failed to stick due to the humidity. Although the tanks had proved reliable in the tropical conditions of Malaya, they could not handle the volume of mud caused by intense, almost daily rainfall at Milne Bay. One tank was knocked out by a Boys anti-tank rifle and the other bogged down and was abandoned a few days after the landing.


10-year-old warhorse

The Type 95 first began to show its vulnerability during later battles against British/Commonwealth forces, where the tank's 37 mm gun could not penetrate the armor of the British Matilda infantry tanks which were deployed against them. The thin armor of the Type 95 made it increasingly vulnerable, as Allied forces realized that standard infantry weapons were capable of penetrating the minimal armor around the engine block, and even its thickest armor was vulnerable to heavy machine gun fire. By 1944, it was already known that the 10-year-old Type 95's firepower was insufficient to take on the newest US tanks, such as the medium M4 Sherman, or the M5 Stuart light tank, although the Type 95 could still give the older M3 Stuart a run for its money at close range. In August 1942, the US launched its first counter-offensive against Japan, when it landed US Marines on Guadalcanal. The US Marine Corps deployed its 1st Tank Battalion, which was equipped with the only M2A4 light tanks to see combat with US forces during World War II. The M2A4 was the foundation for the M3 Stuart, and both vehicles were nearly identical when viewed side by side; with the primary difference being the rear idler wheel lowered to the ground on the M3. Although the M2A4, being built in 1940, was five years newer than the Type 95, it was the closest US tank in armament and armor to the Type 95; with 25mm (1") thick turret sides vs the 95's 12mm turret sides; and both tanks were equipped with 37mm main guns. Several Type 95s were destroyed or captured by the United States Army during the Battle of Biak in 1944. As the tide of the war turned against Japan, the Type 95s were increasingly expended in banzai charges or were dug-in as pillboxes in static defense positions in the Japanese-occupied islands. During the Battle of Tarawa, seven entrenched Type 95s of the 7th Sasebo SNLF opposed the American landings. Those seven, along with the two on nearby Makin Island, were destroyed. More were destroyed on Parry Island and on Eniwetok. In the Battle of Saipan, Type 95s attacked the Marine beachhead at dawn on 16 June 1944, and were destroyed by tank fire. The Marines had landed the day before with two tank battalions. On the night of 16–17 June, the Japanese made an "all-out counterattack". Leading the attack were 44 tanks of the IJA 9th Tank Regiment. The Type 97s and Type 95s were knocked out by a Marine platoon of M4A2 tanks, several M3 75mm half-tracks, bazookas and 37mm antitank guns. It was the largest Japanese armor attack of the war. During the Battle of Guam, 29 Type 97 and Type 95 tanks of the IJA 9th Tank Regiment and nine Type 95s of the 24th Tank Company were lost to bazooka fire or M4 tanks. Seven more were destroyed on Tinian on 24 July, and 15 more on Peleliu on 15 September. Likewise, in the Philippines, at least ten Type 95s were destroyed in various engagements on Leyte, and another 20 on
Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
. At the
Battle of Okinawa The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa Island, Okinawa by United States Army and United States Marine Corps forces against the Imperial Japanese Army during the Pacific War, Impe ...
, 13 Type 95s and 14 Type 97 ''Shinhoto'' medium tanks of the understrength IJA 27th Tank Regiment faced 800 American tanks of eight US Army and two USMC tank battalions.


China-Burma-India theater of operations

In 1942 the IJA pushed through Southeast Asia, through Thailand and into
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 headed for India. Type 95 light tanks of the IJA 14th Tank Regiment led the way. They engaged the M3 Stuarts of the British 7th Hussars and 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, and as the British retreated towards India, the IJA re-equipped their armoured units, following significant losses of Type 95s in combat, with at least some captured M3 Stuarts seized from the British. By 1944, the 14th Tank Regiment was effectively starved of its combat supplies due to British deep battle tactics of cutting the IJA's logistical lines, and a final push by the IJA was stopped at Imphal in northeastern India. In the Battle of Hukawng Valley, Type 95s of the 18th Division were joined by remnants of the 14th Tank Division. They were met with the offensive launched by the India-based Nationalist Chinese Army but the Japanese troops were virtually annihilated with the rest of the division as only 1,700 out of the 12,000 strong Chrysanthemum Division managed to break out. When the M4 Sherman became available for the British to use in the North Africa campaign, they were able to transfer their M3 Medium tanks to India and Burma, which by then had become obsolete in the fighting in Europe, but the Type 95 was outclassed by these M3 tanks. When the war ended in 1945 and Japan capitulated, many Type 95s were left behind in China. They were used on both the Nationalist and Communist sides during the
Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led Nationalist government, government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the forces of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Armed conflict continued intermitt ...
. After the Communists' victory in 1949, the Chinese
People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...
(PLA) continued to use them in their inventory.


Manchuria and the Kuril Islands

Although tank brigades equipped with the Type 95 were present during the 1945 Soviet invasion of Manchuria, the war ended before the Red Army had engaged their main formations. The only use of the Type 95 in any numbers against Soviet forces was at the Battle of Shumshu during the Invasion of the Kuril Islands, when shortly before the Japanese surrender had been finalized, they formed part of an armored force which unsuccessfully attacked the Soviet beach head but was defeated by their anti-tank guns.


Usage after the war


Survivors

Japanese type 95 3.jpg, Type 95 Ha-Go on display at the now-defunct
United States Army Ordnance Museum The United States Army Ordnance Training Support Facility (formerly known as the U.S. Army Ordnance Training and Heritage Center and U.S. Army Ordnance Museum) artifacts are used to train and educate logistic soldiers. It re-located to Fort Gre ...
File:Type_95_Tank_Lampang_Thailand_016.jpg, Type 95 on display in front of Surasakmontree Army Camp, Lampang,
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
, 2016 File:Type 95 Ha Go tank under restoration in Sept 2012.JPG, The Australian War Memorial's Type 95 during restoration in 2012 File:US Army Museum of Hawaii - IMG 2408.JPG, Type 95 on display at the Battery Randolf US Army Museum, Honolulu
A number of Type 95 Ha-Go tanks have been preserved at museums around the world. In 2007, the Oregon Military Museum sponsored the complete reconstruction of a Type 95 light tank. The tank is no longer operational, however, as the original engine encountered mechanical issues and lost oil pressure during a test drive. A second running Type-95 recovered from a Pacific island and restored largely in Poland is currently on loan to the Tank Museum at Bovington UK by its private owner. Following restoration and public debut at Bovington Tankfest 2019 this vehicle was sold to a Japanese buyer and the plan is to return it to Japan for presentation and public display. * Australian War Memorial, Australia * Cavalry Tank Museum, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India * Central Armed Forces Museum, Moscow, Russia * Two at Patriot Park, Moscow, Russia * Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Moscow, Russia * Adisorn Cavalry Centre, Saraburi, Thailand * The National Memorial, Bangkok, Thailand * Reserve Affairs Center, Thailand * Surasakmontree Army Camp, Lampang, Thailand * Australian Armour and Artillery Museum, Australia * The Tank Museum, Bovington, United Kingdom * Indiana Military Museum, United States * National Armor & Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, United States * One intact vehicle and one wreck at the Oregon Military Museum, United States * U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii, United States *
United States Army Ordnance Museum The United States Army Ordnance Training Support Facility (formerly known as the U.S. Army Ordnance Training and Heritage Center and U.S. Army Ordnance Museum) artifacts are used to train and educate logistic soldiers. It re-located to Fort Gre ...
, United States * Vadim Zadorozhny Museum of Technology, Moscow Oblast, Russia * Sakhalin Regional Museum, Sakhalin Island, Russia * Cavalry Tank Museum, Maharashtra, India * National Defence Studies Institute, Bangkok, Thailand * Reserves Training Center Territorial Defense Department, Bangkok, Thailand * 4th Cavalry Regiment Phichai Dab Hak Camp, Uttaradit, Thailand * Phitsanulok Airport, Phitsanulok, Thailand * Weerathai Monument, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand * National Museum Of The Pacific War, Texas, United States * Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum, Washington, United States * Type 95 Ri-Ki at
Kubinka Tank Museum The Kubinka Tank Museum (Центральный музей бронетанкового вооружения и техники - Tsentral'nyy Muzey Bronetankovogo Vooruzheniya I Tekhniki -Central Museum of Armored Arms and Technology) is a larg ...
, Russia * Two hulls at Kokopo War Museum, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea In addition to the examples detailed above, a replica of the Type 95 is exhibited at the National Museum of Singapore. The model was originally one of four models constructed for Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg's 2010 mini-series, '' The Pacific''.


Operators

;
Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...
* The primary operator, with both the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) and the Imperial Japanese Navy. ; Kingdom of Thailand * In 1940, the Royal Thai Army acquired approximately 50 Type 95s from Japan. A number of them spearheaded the Thai invasion of Burma's Shan states during the Second World War, at the time when Thailand was aligned with Japan. Following World War II, these tanks continued service with Thailand until they were decommissioned in 1952. ; Manchukuo * Some Type 95s were used for training from 1943 to 1945. ;
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
* Captured from Japan and used by National Revolutionary Army (NRA) in the
Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led Nationalist government, government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the forces of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Armed conflict continued intermitt ...
(from 1946 to 1949). ;
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
* The Chinese Communist troops (
People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...
; PLA) captured examples from the Nationalist NRA (in turn captured from the Japanese) and received many others captured by the Soviet Union in their fighting against Japan. They were used in the
Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led Nationalist government, government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the forces of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Armed conflict continued intermitt ...
, alongside Type 97 Chi-Ha and Type 97 Shinhoto Chi-Ha tanks. The Chinese PLA armoured force of 349 tanks in 1949 consisted mainly of Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go and Type 97 tanks. ; French Fourth Republic * Using leftover Japanese military equipment from the Japanese invasion of French Indochina, an ad-hoc unit of French and Japanese armour called the 'Commando Blindé du Cambodge' was created and this unit participated in the early stages of the First Indochina War.Dunstan, ''Vietnam Tracks: Armor in Battle 1945-1975'', pp. 10–11.


Notes


Citations


References

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External links


History of War: Type 95 Ha-Go Light Tank

Taki's Imperial Japanese Army Page - Akira Takizawa
{{WWIIJapaneseAFVs Light tanks of Japan Mitsubishi 95 Ha-go World War II light tanks Light tanks of the interwar period History of the tank Military vehicles introduced in the 1930s