Type 97 (vehicle)

For the rifle, see Type 97 rifle

The Type 97 Chi-Ha (九七式中戦車, Kyunana-shiki chu-sensha) was a medium tank used by the Imperial Japanese Army during Second World War. The Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tanks had low silhouettes, and their appearance was unique with asymmetric turrets and the semi-circular radio antennae. They were initially equipped with low velocity 57-millimeter Type 97 guns with two 7.7-millimeter Type 97 machine guns (one on front left of hull and the other either in ball mount in turret rear or on top of turret). The 57-millimeter primary guns were very effective in the infantry support role, which was the most common role these tanks held during the Second Sino-Japanese War against Chinese forces that generally lacked tanks. In Jul 1939, however, during the Nomonhan Incident against Russian forces where they first met opposing armor, these guns soon proved to be inadequate. During combat, the command tank of the 3rd Tank Regiment of Japanese Army Yasuoka Detachment received a single hit and was destroyed, while shots fired from the other Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tanks were unable to penetrate Russian armor. Thus, in 1939, research for an improved tank gun design began, which would last for about two years. In the mean time, they were also deployed to Malaya during the Japanese invasion in Dec 1941; though strictly speaking they were also out-classed by British armor as they were opposite of Russian tanks, the element of surprise largely negated the disadvantage.

In 1941, development of a new 47-millimeter gun design with higher muzzle velocity was completed. From 1942 onwards, newly built Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tanks were equipped with these new tank guns, which were mated with larger turrets; these tanks were designated Type 97 Shinhoto ("improved") Chi-Ha medium tanks.

As the Pacific War progressed, Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tanks were used more and more as static pillboxes as they were not on par with better Allied tanks such as the American M4 Sherman medium tanks. One exception, however, took place in Jun 1944 on Saipan of the Mariana Islands, where 36 of these tanks of the 9th Tank Regiment (Colonel Takashi Goto) and a number of Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks of the 136th Infantry Regiment (Colonel Yukimatsu Ogawa) conducted a major counter-offensive.

Call of Duty: World at War
These tanks can be found in the Little Resistance and Hard Landing mission. In Little Resistance, the player uses artillery strikes to destroy them. In Hard Landing, the player fights them face to face, with the Bazooka, Marines and M4 Sherman tank. The tank, however, only appears as AI in Solo/Co-op and does not feature in any map in multiplayer.

Trivia

 * The Type 97s in Hard Landing on the Wii have ghillie suit-like camouflage on them, however on the PS3, Xbox, and PC the tanks are khaki colored.