World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe Type 3 Chi-Nu medium tanks were designed between May and Oct 1943 specifically to counter the American M4 Sherman medium tanks. They had the same chassis and suspension systems as the Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tanks, but the new hexagonal gun turrets housed Type 3 75-millimeter tank guns. These guns were able to penetrate 90 millimeters of armor at the range of 100 meters and 65 millimeters of armor at 1,000 meters. They entered production in 1944, but lack of raw materials meant only 166 were produced (55 in 1944, 111 in 1945) before the end of the war. They were deployed to at least six tank regiments of 1st Armored Division and 4th Armored Division in Kyushu and Honshu of the Japanese home islands in preparation for the Allied invasion that never came. None of them were ever used in combat.

SPECIFICATIONS

Type 3 Chi-Nu

Machinery	One Mitsubishi Type 100 air-cooled V-12 diesel engine rated at 240hp
Suspension	Bell crank
Armament	1x75mm Type 3 tank gun, 1x7.7mm Type 97 machine gun
Armor	12-80mm
Crew	5
Length	5.64 m
Width	2.41 m
Height	2.68 m
Weight	18.2 t
Speed	39 km/h
Range	210 km

Photographs