Type 89 Chi-Ro

Type 89 Chi-Ro
Name	Type 89 Chi-Ro
Caption	Type 89 Chi-Ro at a museum (illustrative)
Origin	Empire of Japan
Type	Medium tank
Used by	Imperial Japanese Army
Designer	Imperial Japanese Army Technical Bureau
Manufacturer	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Production date	1932–1937
Number	404
Weight	11 tonnes
Length	4.63 m
Width	2.12 m
Height	2.29 m
Armour	6–17 mm
Primary armament	Type 90 57 mm gun
Secondary armament	Type 91 6.5 mm machine gun
Engine	Gasoline inline
Speed	25 km/h

Type 89 Chi-Ro The Type 89 Chi-Ro was an early Japanese medium tank developed in the late 1920s and introduced in the early 1930s for service with the Imperial Japanese Army. Designed to succeed earlier Type 87 Chi-I concepts and contemporaneous with international developments such as the Vickers Medium Mark II and Renault FT influences, the Type 89 combined a short-barreled howitzer with armored protection optimized for operations in Manchuria, China and later Pacific theaters. It served as a mainstay in Japanese armored formations during the Second Sino-Japanese War and into the early stages of Second World War conflicts.

Development and Design

Development began under the auspices of the Imperial Japanese Army Technical Bureau following experiences against Chinese warlord forces and observations of European tank programs including the British Army and French Army. The design incorporated elements influenced by the Type 87 Chi-I prototype and by foreign models like the Vickers 6-ton and the Renault NC27, while fitting doctrinal requirements set by the Chief of Army General Staff and the Army Ministry. Engineers from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Nihon Heavy Chemical and Mining Company collaborated with design bureaus attached to the IJA to produce a chassis with riveted armor and a short-barreled 57 mm gun suited for infantry support roles emphasized in directives from the Imperial General Headquarters. The design process involved trials at testing grounds near Kawasaki and cross-comparisons with armored tactics being developed by officers returning from study tours to Germany and Italy.

Technical Specifications

The chassis used riveted rolled armor plating ranging from 6 to 17 mm in thickness, comparable to contemporaries fielded by the Royal Italian Army and lighter than models fielded by the Wehrmacht. Powered by an inline gasoline engine produced under license by Mitsubishi, the tank achieved road speeds around 25 km/h and relied on a suspension comprising bogie pairs influenced by systems seen on Vickers designs. Armament centered on the short-barreled Type 90 57 mm gun for bunker-busting and infantry support, supplemented by a hull-mounted Type 91 6.5 mm machine gun. Crew of four—commander, driver, gunner, and loader/radio operator—operated within a relatively cramped turret modeled after layouts inspected by Japanese officers at the British Tank School and similar institutions. Communications equipment standards adhered to specifications by the Army Signal Corps and were comparable to radios used by armored units in the Soviet Red Army at the time.

Operational History

The Type 89 first saw extensive use during the Mukden Incident aftermath and the establishment of Manchukuo, where it supported operations by the Kwantung Army. It played prominent roles in early campaigns of the Second Sino-Japanese War, including engagements around Shanghai and Nanjing, supporting infantry advances against forces of the National Revolutionary Army. Deployments also extended to counterinsurgency and garrison duties in occupied territories administered by the South Manchuria Railway Company and to border incidents involving Soviet Union forces on the Sino-Soviet frontier. Against better-armed armored opponents fielded later in the Second World War—such as T-26 and BT series tanks—the Type 89’s thin armor and short main gun became increasingly obsolete, leading to relegation to secondary roles and training duties by the Pacific War period.

Variants and Modifications

Variants included command vehicle adaptations outfitted with expanded radio gear per specifications from the Army Signal Corps and field-modified versions incorporating additional machine guns or stowage racks for operations under the China Expeditionary Army. Some chassis were adapted experimentally into engineer vehicles and flame-thrower platforms under direction from the Army Technical Research Institute. Field workshops in theaters such as Manchuria and China applied improvised appliqué armor and sandbag protection similar to practices later seen with Japanese Type 97 Shinhoto Chi-Ha conversions, while liaison companies attached to infantry divisions occasionally replaced main armament with captured or locally produced guns to address anti-armor shortcomings.

Production and Service Use

Manufacture was concentrated at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries yards with subcontracting to regional firms like Hitachi and smaller arsenals overseen by the Ministry of the Army. Total production reached approximately 404 units between 1932 and 1937, numbers recorded in Imperial inventory lists maintained by the Army Ordnance Bureau. Units were distributed among armored regiments and independent tank battalions attached to formations such as the IJA 1st Tank Regiment and various expeditionary detachments. As the Second Sino-Japanese War intensified and global armored technology advanced, policy decisions by the Central Secretariat and procurement guidance from the Army Technical Command shifted focus toward newer designs, limiting further Type 89 production.

Surviving Examples and Preservation

A small number of surviving hulls and components are preserved in museums and collections, displayed alongside other armored vehicles from the era at institutions comparable to the Yushukan and various military history museums in Japan and abroad. Restored examples and museum exhibits often reference archival material from the Imperial War Museum and technical diagrams preserved by the National Institute for Defense Studies. Preservation efforts are undertaken by organizations affiliated with the Japanese Society for the Preservation of Military Vehicles and international restoration teams that collaborate with regional authorities in cities such as Tokyo and Sapporo. Surviving artifacts provide material culture evidence for researchers at universities including Tokyo University and the National Defense Academy of Japan studying interwar armored development.

Category:Interwar tanks of Japan