Type 95 Crew
The Type 95 was crewed by three personnel - a commander, machine gunner and driver. The commander doubled as the loader and gunner of the main gun held in the turret as well as controlling the rear-facing turret machine gun. The machine gunner manned the bow gun at the forward left of the hull and doubled as the crew mechanic responsible for maintaining the engine and initiating light repairs when required. The driver maintained his position along the forward right of the hull with access to a rectangular hatch for improved vision. Not the most efficient arrangement of crew members to say the least but, as a light tank design, the Type 95 was an improvement over previous mechanized Japanese offerings.
Type 95 Powerplant and Performance
The powerplant was a single Mitsubishi NVD 6120 series air-cooled diesel engine delivering up to 120 horsepower seated in a compartment to the rear of the hull. Initial production tanks were offered with the Mitsubishi air-cooled diesel engine of 110 horsepower as found on the Type 89 I-Go medium tank, limiting speeds to 40 kilometers per hour so the 120 horsepower engine was an improvement to performance. Its rear placement ensured some level of protection for the system and she provided the Type 95 with a maximum speed of 45 kilometers per hour with an operational range in the neighborhood of 250 kilometers. Altogether, the Type 95 weighed in at about 7.4 tons and sported dimensions of 4.38m length, 2.06m width and 2.18m height.
Type 95 Armament
Primary armament was the 37mm Type 94 main gun. While capable of piercing light armored vehicles and some fortifications, the weapon was sadly lacking against most allied medium tank designs by the middle and latter years of the war. Elevation was limited to -15 to +20 degrees and the limited turret rotation certainly worked against the tank crew in the thick of a fight. Projectile ammunition available was split between a standard armor-piercing round and a high-explosive round - these chosen as needed by the commander who operated the main gun. Machine guns were generally of the 7.7mm Type 97 family, one fitted as a rear-facing system in the turret and the other in a limited-track, bow-mounted position. These served as anti-personnel measures to protect the crew from enemy infantry bent on directly attacking the Type 95. Additionally, these machine guns could serve an advancing company well by providing cover fire for a time.
The Type 95 in Action
The Type 95 Ha-Go was utilized extensively indecisive Japanese operations against the British across Malaya and Singapore and also pushed into British India. The British were not prepared for Japanese armor and their defenses eventually gave way, preserving victories for the Japanese Empire throughout Asia and the Pacific. The Americans, upon their eventually involvement in the war, ultimately fielded the M3 Stuart light tank by late 1941 but the older Type 95 could still handle these newly-designed implements with success. An early meeting between the two light tanks went favorably for the Type 95 crews, they having spotted, engaged and attacked the American crews using the initiative - proving that it was more the crews themselves than the tanks they were given. The loss was an interesting "experiment" of sorts which saw the better-armored M3s - fielding a similar 37mm main gun and newly minted from American factories - lose out to a foreign design that was at least five years older. In the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands off of the coast of Alaska, the Type 95 became the only enemy tank to ever operate on American soil in the nation's history. However, Type 95s here held little value and the Aleutian Islands campaign - often times referred to as a forgotten battle of World War 2 - proved a compete loss to the Japanese in the end.
Interestingly, the Type 95 proved an operational success in all its different operating environments, particularly when considering the harsh nature of the Pacific jungles. However, the little design ran into trouble where heavy rainfalls would soon turn the ground into a thick mud soup. This led to Type 95s being abandoned by their crews after getting stuck. The Type 95, it seems, had her inherent limitations after all.
By the middle-to-late years of World War 2, the Type 95 had finally met her match, especially against the heavier American and British tanks arriving in the Pacific Theater. Her armor was proving too thin and her 37mm main gun armament was sorely lacking against the heavy armed and armored British Matildas and American M5 Stuart light and M4 Sherman medium tanks. Additionally, the man-portable "Bazooka" rocket launcher employed by US Marines dealt swiftly with the now-aged Type 95s in service. As such, the IJA began resorting to using remaining Type 95s as seemingly suicidal offensive spearheads in an attempt to break Allied defenses. Additionally, the IJA fielded Type 95s as static pillbox defensive fortifications when not on the attack.
The Type 95 in the Post-War Years
Many Type 95s survived the war and some fell into service with the Chinese Army, making an appearance in the upcoming Korean War as well. However, as the Japanese found out, the Type 95 proved no match against the mighty American M4 Shermans.
Some 39 Japanese units were equipped with the Type 95 during World War 2, this at the Brigade, Company, Division and Regiment levels. Beyond Japan and China, the Type fell into service with the South Korean Army during the Korean War (1950-1953) and Thailand. Thai tanks served up until 1952.
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