The Type 95 Ha-Gō was Japan’s most widely produced light tank of the Second World War, with around 2,300 units built between 1936 and 1943. It emerged from the Japanese Army’s need for a faster vehicle than the Type 89 Medium Tank, which could not keep pace with motorized infantry. Tomio Hara of the Army Technical Bureau proposed a new design in 1933, which was completed in prototype form the following year. After weight reduction and testing in Manchuria, the vehicle was accepted in 1935, despite concerns over thin armor. The cavalry strongly supported its adoption because of its speed and improved armament, and the infantry eventually agreed, making the Ha-Gō the standard light tank for mechanized units. Production began under Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, with additional contributions from firms such as Niigata Tekkoshō and Sagami Arsenal, ensuring mass output by 1938. The tank was relatively light at 7.4 tons and carried a crew of three. The commander alone occupied the turret, which placed on him the burden of commanding, observing, loading, aiming, and firing the gun. This one-man turret design, also seen in many contemporary French tanks, severely limited combat efficiency. The cramped interior further hampered the crew, though the tank’s compact design kept weight down and mobility high. Its main armament was a 37 mm Type 94 tank gun capable of penetrating up to 36 mm of armor at close range, sufficient against light tanks of the 1930s but quickly outclassed by heavier Allied designs. It carried both armor-piercing and high-explosive ammunition. Secondary weapons included a pair of machine guns—originally 6.5 mm Type 91s, later replaced by 7.7 mm Type 97s—mounted in the hull front and rear turret. This gave the Ha-Gō modest firepower, effective mainly against infantry and unarmored targets rather than tanks. The Ha-Gō’s most distinctive feature was its suspension system, designed by Hara. Known as the bell crank scissors system, it consisted of paired bogies connected to coil springs mounted externally. Though innovative, it gave the tank a rough ride, often pitching on uneven ground, and required reinforcement to reduce instability. To protect the crew from heat and jolts, the interior was lined with asbestos padding separated by an air gap. Mobility was provided by a 120 hp Mitsubishi 6-cylinder diesel engine, which gave the tank good range and reduced fire risk compared to petrol engines. Weighing little and powered by this reliable engine, the Ha-Gō could reach 40 km/h and traverse difficult terrain, although its narrow tracks limited performance in softer ground. In service, the Type 95 proved adequate against poorly equipped infantry forces, particularly in China and early Pacific campaigns. However, against Soviet armor at Khalkhin Gol in 1939 and later Allied tanks such as the M3 Stuart and M4 Sherman, its thin armor and weak gun left it highly vulnerable. Despite these shortcomings, it remained in use throughout the war, mainly because of Japan’s limited industrial capacity and the large numbers already produced. Its simplicity, light weight, and ease of manufacture ensured its place as the backbone of Japan’s armored forces, even as it became increasingly obsolete on the modern battlefield.

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Type 95 Ha-Go