Inside the Chi Ha Kai! - WW2 Japanese Tank

The long-awaited third episode in my "Inside the Tanks" series, this time the Japanese Chi-Ha Kai found at the Indiana Military Museum.
www.indianamilitarymuseum.com/
Thanks for watching! Please subscribe for more content.
#tanks #ww2 #wwii #japan #museum

[@davidwhitney1171]

For all you model builders out there, Tamiya still offers a relatively simple, easy to build but very detailed 1/35 scale model kit of the basic Type 97 Chi-Ha; also, unlike the newest tank models which can be very expensive, it is still reasonably priced at about $20 US.

[@thomascampbell4730]

Considering that this was an un-planed tour it was very well done, both informative and entertaining.

[@joachimgoethe7864]

Imagine the sweltering heat in this tank under an equatorial sun. Must have been 110° in there.

[@zackoroni6483]

I was sweating and out of breath just climbing in and out of the tank - indoors!

[@WildBillCox13]

@@zackoroni6483 All wartime Japanese tanks were lined with Asbestos to help mitigate heat. True fact.

[@williamkirk1156]

Thank you for demonstrating the vision slits.

[@kirishima638]

Good looking tank

[@tomkaw2225]

thank you for your nice review. I have never seen such a inside review of type 97 tank チハ改. It was first time to see inline injection pump and protection glass after thin slit.

[@HornetCinematics]

These are epic videos- absolutely love the Chi Ha, making a model of one right now lol!

[@zackoroni6483]

Thank you!

[@alvarolino]

Thank you for this great video!

[@LesterMoore]

Okay. Not going to make any wise cracks regarding why the turret eye slits were so tiny. But regarding the diminutive size of the tank and cramped crew quarters it appears the tanks were made in the dimensions we see are the designers knew the restrictive terrain their Army would be fighting in. Small narrow roads, jungle paths and country villages dirt to muddy roads. A German tank, except possibly the Mark III would wallow in Pacific and Asian climes. The Japanese tankers raised hell during the first years of the war. Only after the Sherman made its appearance did the small Japanese tanks find themselves outgunned. As we know the Japanese believed after the initial fall of Asian nations and the Philippines the Allies would sue for peace. Tank size no problem.

[@zackoroni6483]

I agree. The small size of Japanese tanks was well suited for ship transport and terrain found in the Pacific. They could navigate the beaches, swamps, hills, and jungles better than Allied counterparts in most cases to achieve their main goal - infantry support (not tank vs tank). I can’t remember the exact figure but a large percentage of Sherman losses were simply due to terrain. And if the Imperial Navy had accomplished their mission, the Imperial Army would have little to no need for vehicles better than the Chi Ha during the war. I don’t think Japanese tanks deserve as much negative press as they get.

[@eiswalnuss111]

Thank you for this amazing video!

[@zackoroni6483]

You’re welcome, thank you very much for watching!

[@bobboo540]

Thanks for the tour, very interesting.

[@kenlang5268]

I've been to this museum but there wasn't a Type 97 on display during my visit.

[@3VRstudio]

Only seen Leopard 2A5 and Easy Eight from the inside, never going to see any Japanese tank probably, but this video is a very good representation, good work!

[@zackoroni6483]

Thanks, 50 Cal!

[@hughmcaloon6506]

I've always wondered about this. Thanks for the tour! SO incredibly engineered. SO few design flaws, but they're significant. Take out the commander, you've shut the tank down. Engine "right there," it's a miserable sweat box in the South Pacific liable to give the crew heat exhaustion. But efficient in so many other ways, as you pointed out. Wow.

[@zackoroni6483]

Read first hand accounts of Japanese tankers from WW2. Their experiences are remarkable.

[@hendi1571]

​@@zackoroni6483 how did you access those?

[@karlheinzvonkroemann2217]

The average Japanese soldier in WW2 was 5'3" tall. It's a magazine fed MG (not clip).

[@i_nameless_i-jgsdf]

Great video ! And you are indeed correct regarding the turret. When i saw the pictures of this tank on google the first thing i noticed was the applique turret armor which was only done to the Type 1 Chi-He making this tank incredibly priceless consider the fact that there is no surviving Chi-He today. There is however a surviving Chi-He hull in Japan in the form of a Type 3 Chi-Nu which shared the same hull as Chi-He. So if you combined the turret from this Chi-Ha with the hull of the Chi-Nu you will get a Type 1 Chi-He !!! lol

[@babuzzard6470]

Send her over here to Australia, the boys at Aus Armour and Artillery museum in Cairns will restore her to better than new!🇦🇺🇦🇺

[@outdoorlifemaine6691]

😢 so let's get this straight your version of restoration would be deactivate the purpose of the mechanized armor for those who don't know what I'm talking about to bring that into the country of Australia which would mean destroying the cannon

[@corporal-aria]

この車輌は、どこの部隊に所属してどのような経緯でこの博物館に収蔵されたのであろうか？ 照準眼鏡や車載機銃など失われているものもあるが、大きなダメージを受けていなさそうなのも気になる。 この車輌が戦闘を経験せず、元の乗員の方々が無事に復員されたと思いたい…

[@rotorheadv8]

I’m pretty sure they didn’t design the tank for 6’2” Japanese crew.

[@WildBillCox13]

4:50 GB and the UK had similar training freedom on 2pdr equipped tanks like Matilda II. I think the idea was it would be easier to track a moving target if the gunner could move the breech freely. Also, the British said these free swinging gun mounts made it easier to fire on the move. It was definitely a simpler solution than the Sherman's single axis stabilizer.

[@YourFriendlyOfficeAssistant]

The Type 97 Chi-Ha is such a perfect looking tank

[@FRIEND_711]

I watched this whole video and I would like to know more about the turret. You said that its from a Chi-He tank but from what you showed, I don't think it is. I think its just a upgraded Chi-Ha turret.

[@VonRammsteyn]

Thanks 4 sharing!!! Japanese tanks is a subject very often forgotten... I like to know more about them...

[@ulungprabowo]

My hometown has this tank as a city monument.

[@dougearnest7590]

What city is that?

[@ulungprabowo]

I am sorry my mistake after I checked it, it is a different Chi Ha, I dont know what Chi Ha was that, but it is Chi Ha with enlarged gun. It is in Malang, Indonesia, you can check it in google "Brawijaya Museum Malang Tank"

[@ulungprabowo]

@@dougearnest7590 Malang, Indonesia. I just checked it on the google it is actually not a Chi Ha Kai but a rare Chi Ha with QF 6 Pounder Gun which is larger than Chi Ha Kai

[@derpythespy]

very nice video. enjoted it

[@anthonylee6322]

I have a question about German tank's guns . Between the short 75mm and the long 50 mm gun on the panzer 3. Which would be the stronger and better gun ? Thankyou . Your videos and talks are well done. I wish my fat Azz was as small as yours. I was wounded in the line of duty as a duty sheriff Col. 3 spinal cord surgeries later I fluffed out. Cheers

[@simongee8928]

The British 2pdr. and early 57mm./ 6pdr. tank guns were also shoulder aimed.

[@MrGuano11]

It must have been hellish in there

[@FrancesZuzolo]

Let's go back soon!

[@michaelmaddy278]

Where is this museum?

[@mathewweeks9069]

Your awesome dude

[@zackoroni6483]

I needed that today. Thank you’

[@kimjanek646]

The 37mm turned into a 47mm while the 57mm turned into a 75mm :)

[@Davemurray2880isaindian]

How did they light the interior without cellphones?

[@zackoroni6483]

.50 cal bullet holes let in light

[@j3lny425]

How much strength is needed to turn the turret manually?

[@zackoroni6483]

Not much at all, and it moves decently fast. That, combined with the built-in traverse of the cannon would have made acquisition somewhat easy - not considering lack of visibility for the crew.

[@garrisonnichols807]

These Japanese tanks were actually very effective against American M4 Shermans because of how the Japanese used them. They were primarily used in the defensive hidden under brush or camouflaged in the jungles. The 47mm gun could penetrate the sides and rear of a M4 Sherman but had little effect on the front armor plate. Still the Sherman had more protection and a more powerful 75mm gun that could easily destroy any Japanese tanks used. Actually the Japanese kept their new and improved tanks on mainland Japan incase of an American invasion.

[@user-td9pk7bz6k]

配信あざっーす👍

[@frankanddanasnyder3272]

Why would you swap out a 57mm gun for a 47mm smaller gun..?

[@theotterguy]

The 57mm was anti-infantry and better for high explosive and anti personnel rounds the 47mm with the longer barrel had higher velocity and could use armor piercing rounds so was a better gun for tank on tank encounters.

[@p99guy]

What I would love to see, If you make it by an armor museum that has one… is the inside of an American Amphibious “tank” like a Alligator with either the M3 turret with 37mm gun or the open topped turret with 75mm short Howitzer….. I have been in a regular troop carrier LVT4 … which is the basis of the support versions, and I can only surmise that there is probably room for crew bunks! Or at least far more room than most anything else. Yet I cannot find books nor anything else about them! So its a mystery that bugs me greatly. Another armor you tuber Sofieline was at a museum that had one of these just behind the model she was showcasing, be she never responded to my post.

[@zackoroni6483]

I’ll see what I can do :)

[@p99guy]

@@zackoroni6483 thank you!! I know its an odd request, but it really is a mystery!!

[@jamesharms748]

Its in Bedford MA, I think.was there in 2019. The curator let use see some of the in progress of repairing stuff. They might help you out.

[@alexwschan185]

Where is the driver hatch?

[@ralphjacobson8815]

I've been inside (and seen inside) many different tanks. It's always fascinating to see how fellow tankers lived their lives.

[@wjp255]

Thank you for a great video. Too bad they couldn't do anything to the inside of the tank.

[@hendi1571]

Japan's best mass produced tank of WW2 was undoubtedly the Type 3 Chi-Nu which saw, however, no action.

[@newlevelgraphicsdavidframe2870]

It's a shinhoto chi-ha

[@innsmouthresident6802]

Thanks so much , I have long wanted to see the insides of a Chi Ha type tank thank you so much! however the driver would have seen quite a quite bit more than your camera can represent , human eyes are very good a peering through slim slits in metal or any other material .

[@_--Reaper--_]

I belive these had a dedicated loader...

[@yo_mama6414]

Blin union You sure the asbestos was removed? Japan added asbestos coating to the insides for cushioning affects

[@zackoroni6483]

I didn’t see any and thankfully I wasn’t inside for too long.

[@yo_mama6414]

@@zackoroni6483 the video made by the British tank Museum about their ha go explains their asbestos situation and why no internal tours are giver and why it’s completely sealed

[@zackoroni6483]

Scary

[@psychobeam99]

​@@yo_mama6414 Hopefully they are able to have it removed someday.

[@williamfreeman9356]

Asbestos was not a weapon against the us yet at that time.

[@MrCantStopTheRobot]

Ugggh all that scraping and rustling as you shift your feet around. Nearly a century of rust and paint flakes down there. Yummy ice cream sundae topping.

[@vgovger4373]

How did they drive at night?

[@zackoroni6483]

Headlight similar to a car.

[@user-vf7yy6rb3s]

砲塔は、一式の増加装甲ですね

[@razaliabdulaziz1855]

I believe the interior are suitable for japanese or asian body built

[@RacerX1971]

What about the Chia pet tank. You add water and trees will grow as a camouflage 😂😂😂

[@ProfessorNiiji]

You almost got injured getting in this tank.

[@zackoroni6483]

Yeah, they aren’t the easiest to get into and out when you’re holding a camera and there isn’t anything on the inside

[@ProfessorNiiji]

@@zackoroni6483 have you researched the chi ha lg prototype in depth ?. Was it ever tested?

[@JohnnyRocker2162]

Im 6'2" also and that looks cramped to say the least. Makes me think of Roald Dahl who at 6'6" was a Hurricane pilot, or a R.N. captain of a four man mini sub who was 6'4".

[@frankackerman8408]

Nice rice cooker.

[@Asstromech-R4-M1-VI]

Um I like kv-2 kv-4 kv-3 tank developer that's all I guess.😊

[@matthewcaughey8898]

The M4 Sherman was typically way better armored than anything the IJA was expecting to encounter. What’s ironic was in Europe the M4 was outclassed by the big German cats however in the pacific they outclassed the Japanese armor put against them

[@fender7695]

That’s because the Japanese prioritized navy. And for good reason. It would be stupid to decide to buff tanks at the expense of the navy. The Japanese navy would’ve put the German navy to shame. Different theatres. Different requirements.

[@ThisOLmaan]

ahh is ok even if it was inferior, don't know what it is but like most Japanese Tanks, just of course for me AQmerican is always #One for me

[@youichik8631]

This video is excellent. Since the end of the war, it has been against the law in Japan for the anti-Japanese left and the media to give good coverage of the former Japanese military due to the policies of the Democratic Party of the United States. This was originally the policy of the U.S. State Department. You are the first person to praise the Jiha tanks. If someone in Japan praises the Chi-Ha tank, he or she will be crushed by the Japanese media and leftists. It is common in postwar education to be taught that all Japanese weapons are basically junk and not good.

[@johnschofield9496]

Thank you. This was very enlightening. Like so many of Japan's WWII accoutrements , there are many archaic design features and precious few truly practical ones.

[@dennythedavinchi3832]

They couldn't do about your height cause I guess the average height at that time was a little more than 5 feet. But what I am surprised on this tank is the visibility was too lacking. Drivers and gunners were just blinded and gave up making their own decisions but wholly depended on the commander's visibility. So they die without noticing what happens outside of the field. Very traumatic experience.

[@rocksteel44]

...AUSGEZEICHNET!!!!!!

[@RicoTheNon-Mexican]

It is indeed fat 5:40

[@WildBillCox13]

Enjoyable. Like Italia, Nihon's industrial base was not up to the exigencies of Total War. Unlike the Soviet Union and the USA, Japan was an oil poor nation and a metal poor nation with a small town/cottage industry mentality. Her tanks were built within strict rail and shipping size and tonnage limits; all the better to send them to the Mainland for some imperial adventurism thinly disguised as economic assistance. That set of constraints lent well to the military's philosophy of "avanti!" as the Italians might say, or Elan, as the French put it. It simplified the logistical tail of "flying columns" used to outflank and outrace enemies still in process of motorization such as China and India.

[@KettyFey]

"Rivetted tank manufacture fell out of fashion pretty quickly", and that's based on...? There were still many tanks with near wholly or partially rivetted hulls/ turrets through WWII. 35+ years rather would indicate riveting was in fashion for a while. I just make this comment as it comes across as the video's statement's derisive to the Chi-Ha, when rivets were the norm in the era it was made - rather than the Chi-Ha being backwards.

[@hobesoundfalcon2344]

How do you know it is not ChI!!!!! Not Che If Kai is a long I why would CHI not also be one?

[@Asstromech-R4-M1-VI]

I Gus I am epic winner

[@oddballsok]

4:02..well, the japanese in those days had slit eyes as well...

[@oddballsok]

by the way at 8:00 the visor slits have a SPACE for a LENS which ..obviously...ENHANCES the image from the outside world!!

[@seanlander9321]

A tank for midgets is somewhat limited eh?

[@oldbuzzard76]

I guess tanks were not their forte !

[@1butteri]

I don't see a positive function -it seems vulnerable and obsolete

[@marlonpoko2536]

Their tanks were a detriment to them. Not a help at all. This was their best tank too, lol. Stick to ships n swords.

[@normaluser5755]

Their tanks were very advanced in the 30s. They slowed the tank development later to fund the navy and air force. Also, their best tank was the Chi-Nu, armed with a 75 mm cannon.

[@armored_half-truck]

Their tanks gave Muricans and allies a good run though, even if at the primary stage.

[@kenneth9874]

@@armored_half-truck not if they had any tanks

[@Michael-fx2qr]

Hervorragender Bericht. Klasse Video. Japanische Panzer sind leider sehr selten zu sehen. Danke für dieses Video 👍🏻🙏🏻👏🏻

[@zackoroni6483]

Vielen Dank! Deutsches Panzermuseum nächste

[@Akashi_Takahashi]

Well majority of Japanese tanks were smaller due to asians not being very tall in the first place 😂

[@davidwhitney1171]

For all you model builders out there, Tamiya still offers a relatively simple, easy to build but very detailed 1/35 scale model kit of the basic Type 97 Chi-Ha; also, unlike the newest tank models which can be very expensive, it is still reasonably priced at about $20 US