The Battle of Nomonhan (known as the Battle of the Halahin River) between May and September 1939 was the first major war experienced by the Soviet Union in the 1930s. At the same time, the battle of Nomonhan was also the first time that the armored forces of the Japanese Army had fought against such a formidable opponent as the Red Army. Although Zhang Gufeng's armed conflict was also fierce, its scale could not be compared at all.
During the battle, the Soviets captured a number of Japanese armored vehicles, including a Type 95 light tank belonging to the 4th Tank Wing. And later conducted in-depth research on this Type 95 light combat vehicle.
Both sides of the Battle of Nomonhan put in the most cutting-edge equipment of the time on the battlefield, the Soviet BT-7 fast tank and the BA-10, BA-20 armored car appeared on the battlefield, some fell into the hands of the Japanese, and one of the bt-7 equipped with a truncated cone turret also became a source of inspiration for Japanese designers. After thoroughly understanding the design of the bt-7, they designed the Type 97 medium tank equipped with a new turret, which was the later 97 medium tank.
The Japanese Kwantung Army sent various types of combat vehicles, such as Type 97 and Type 89 medium tanks and Type 95 light tanks, into combat. Of the 87 tanks that were all put into operation, 37 were Type 95 light tanks.
The Type 95 light tank was developed by the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Arsenal in 1933-34 and was the first in Japan's new generation of tank series, it is a fast and low-body light tank equipped with a two-stroke diesel engine, and the suspension device designed by Hara Otoshi laid the foundation for the design of the Japanese tank suspension device during World War II. The Type 95 light tank was relatively well designed, simple in structure, and durable, making it the largest tank produced in Japan during World War II. The Positioning of the Type 95 light tank is actually close to that of light infantry support tanks such as the T-26, a design concept that has become obsolete since the outbreak of World War II.
Kwantung Army units under the command of Lieutenant General Masatoshi Anga launched an offensive on July 3, 1939, consisting mainly of the 3rd and 4th Tank Regiments. They encountered the ba-10 armored vehicles of the Soviet 9th Armored Brigade and the bt-5 fast tanks of the 11th Tank Brigade. The Japanese armored units that had been chasing Soviet reconnaissance vehicles were taken into a prearranged pocket, and the armored vehicles deployed in the semi-buried battle position were named one by one against the Japanese tanks, and even the squadron leader's seat of the 3rd Wing of the combat vehicle was destroyed, and the wing commander was killed. In this battle, armored cars destroyed 19 Japanese tanks and bt-5 tanks destroyed 6 Japanese tanks. Lieutenant Alymov's tank platoon not only knocked out two Japanese tanks, but also helped the 149th Infantry Regiment tow a captured Japanese tank to the rear, which was originally a Type 95 light tank belonging to Lieutenant Ito Kihisa of the 4th Tank Wing.
The battle on July 3 was a disaster for the Japanese armored forces, with more than 40 vehicles destroyed, 70 officers killed, and 5 others missing in the fighting. On 5 July, two tank companies were recalled from the front, and Lieutenant General Angang was dismissed. Lieutenant Ito's chariot was photographed and published in the newspaper, which dealt a blow to the japanese army's self-confidence.
Lieutenant Ito's Type 95 light tank, which had now been sent to the rear of the Soviet army, was taken in July 1939.
Livery restoration of the Type 95 light tank of the 4th Wing of Japanese Tanks from the Battle of Nomonhan.
Before the winter of 1939, Japanese combat vehicles captured in Nomonhan were sent to the Soviet Academy of Armored Vehicle Science (NIIBT) for testing and evaluation. By April 1941, the institute already had two Type 92 cavalry fighting vehicles on its test grounds, which were the direct ancestors of the Type 95 light tank. The researchers there used the components of the two vehicles to piece together a moving one—they originally had only one Type 92 cavalry fighting vehicle, but before conducting tests, they found that the bearings of a load-bearing axle had been damaged, the electrical wiring was damaged, and the exhaust pipe had been broken. So together with the Type 95, another Type 92 was sent, which had caught fire and burned, could not be repaired, and could only be used as spare parts.
Compared to the Type 92 cavalry fighting vehicle, the Situation of the Type 95 light fighting vehicle was much better, and the whole vehicle was basically complete. Soviet researchers completely dismantled the Type 95 and repaired it, which was also the first step in the study. Because there was no spare parts list for such a vehicle at hand, the work was very laborious. During the disintegration process, the researchers found that the jacks in the vehicle tools had been lost, and they had to put down their work to find the original jacks. After overcoming many difficulties, the researchers completed their task, and in December 1939, the Type 95 light tank returned to driving condition.
The Taillights of the Type 95 light tank were also lost, and researchers who could not find the original parts had to install a Soviet-style taillight and a horn. In view of the poor condition of the engine, it was not tested for maneuverability, and the engine was removed and placed on the test bench in the laboratory to test whether its performance matched the Japanese data.
During the dismantling and research work, the researchers found that the vehicle was manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in May 1937 with a production serial number of 51. The vehicle, like all other vehicles of the same type that fought on the Halahin River, differed from the standard Type 95 light tank and used the so-called "North Manchurian" suspension device - tests conducted by the Japanese army in 1935 showed that the Type 95 light tank was not suitable for use in northeast China, on hard ground, the suspension of the tank performed well, but in the grassland area, there were a large number of stones and dirt bags on the ground, which would constantly impact the suspension, resulting in a sharp shortening of its service life. The Japanese took a special approach to this problem by adding a smaller roller between two load wheels suspended at both ends of a set to allow the small roller to absorb excess impact. Experiments proved that this method was feasible, and was later introduced into mass production, and the type was not used for combat vehicle units suspended outside the Kwantung Army.
Another special feature of this vehicle is that it is equipped with a Type 91 vehicle-mounted machine gun, which is a variant of the Taisho Type 11 light machine gun. Soviet archives refer to it as the "6.5mm imitation Hatchky machine gun", which is actually very appropriate, because the Taisho Type 11 light machine gun was originally an improvement by Japanese gun designer Kirjiro Minami on the basis of the Hatchikies mle.1909 light machine gun. The same model used by the Synchronous Soldier, the Type 91 vehicle-mounted machine gun also used the magazine of the Saka 38 rifle for ammunition, which was not a clever design. Before the start of the Pacific War, the 91-car machine gun on the Japanese tank was replaced by the more advanced Type 97-loading machine gun (Note: 7.7mm, similar to the ZB-26 design, fed with a 20-round magazine).
The Soviets restored Type 95 light combat vehicle, the hull may have been repainted green. The car was Lieutenant Ito's, with a horn at the front and a Soviet-style taillight at the rear. Note that its suspension device is the so-called "North Manchurian" suspension.
The Type 91 was equipped with a machine gun, and the early Type 95 light tank had one such machine gun at the front of the hull and one at the rear of the turret, paying attention to the tubular optical sight on the upper part of the machine gun.
Type 95 light chariot walking part of the line diagram and "North Manchurian" hanging physical photos, note that the small roller in the middle is not grounded.
Because the engine was in a worrying condition and could not be tested for maneuverability, Soviet experts issued a technical analysis report for the Type 95 light tank between January and March 1940 instead of the test report. Because there is no longer an early Type 95 light tank, and the "North Manchurian" suspension has long disappeared, this report seems to have its own unique significance today.
The design of the Type 95 light combat vehicle (ha-go) is very unique, although the Japanese tank industry has lagged behind during World War II, but the design of the Type 95 light combat vehicle is far from primitive. All weapons have separate optical sights, and tank designs in other countries of the same period may not have had similar configurations. The design of the observation device can not be said to be backward, although from the outside it seems to be a simple observation seam and observation window, but the interior is protected by bulletproof glass panes, and the tanks designed at the same time did not popularize such a design.
Although there are many defects in the protection, the inside of the observation window is protected by bulletproof glass...
The car is worth mentioning in terms of ergonomics, but the small interior is surprisingly spacious, especially for the captain, and the space for other occupants is also abundant. The ammunition racks are arranged quite easily and the driver has plenty of visibility. The interior of the vehicle is covered with asbestos, not only in the combat room, but also in the power room.
However, Soviet experts were more concerned with the overall design of the vehicle than with the comfort of the occupants. They believe that the layout of the Type 95 light tank is closer to the T-26, and rather than saying that it is closer to the prototype of the T-26, the British Vickers mk.e. The shape of the hull, especially the side shape, is easily reminiscent of the T-18 light tank, and the rear "looks similar to the second batch of Renault tanks." ”
A line drawing drawn by the Soviet Union based on the turret of the Type 95 light combat vehicle.
The armor thickness of the vehicle is close to that of the Type 92 cavalry fighting vehicle, and in some places it is even thinner, but the loss of thickness is compensated by the inclination angle. Its armor protection was designed to defend against rifle bullets, which was fairly true in the mid-30s, but by March 1940, the Soviet Union already had tanks like the T-34 and KV, and successor models of the T-26 were in development. The experience of the "Winter War" between the Soviet Union and Finland can prove that the armor that can only resist light rifle fire is no longer enough, so Soviet experts will naturally be disappointed by the level of armor protection of the Type 95 light combat vehicle.
Schematic of the armor layout of the Type 95 light tank drawn by the Soviet Union.
In recent years, the map of armor thickness and power system distribution given in the special issue of the Type 95 light combat vehicle of Japan's ground power magazine is more intuitive.
The design of the suspension is also very distinctive, and the suspension of the Type 95 and Type 92 is completely different. The suspension designed by the original B Weisheng was much more advanced than the Cordillerak tractor suspension of the Type 92 cavalry fighting vehicle. Soviet experts believe that the original intention of the Japanese army to abandon the small-diameter all-steel load wheel and replace it with a large-diameter rubber-edged load wheel was to reduce the noise during driving, which should have been influenced by the Design of European Tanks, but it is somewhat unfair to say that - Yuan Yiweisheng independently completed the design of this suspension, and his design has no similarities with any other kind of tank suspension.
Soviet experts issued a separate report on the engine, which was very original in design. The engine block is welded, not the usual one-piece casting. The engine is two-stroke air-cooled, and the Type 95 is also the first production vehicle in Japan to use a two-stroke diesel engine. This small engine provides ample power to the Type 95, with a thrust-to-weight ratio of almost 18 hp/ton. The reason why such a small tank can be equipped with such a strong engine is because it was originally designed as a cavalry fighting vehicle, but Soviet experts have another opinion:
"The tank uses a typhoon-cooled diesel engine with a output of 110 horsepower (tested on the test bench, the later Mitsubishi a6120dv diesel engine power was changed to 120 horsepower), and installing a 110 hp air-cooled diesel engine for such a 7-ton tank will bring many benefits, performance, fuel economy, fire resistance and travel will be improved. The engine is not small, and it is clear that it was not specifically designed for this tank (Note: the same as the diesel engine of the Type 89B). Instead of being placed directly in the power chamber, the engine is mounted on a special frame that leans slightly to the left. ”
The turret of the Type 95 light tank is completely autonomous, but it is similar to the turret of the T-18 tank, and the weapons installed on it are also very strange. Soviet archives record the owner gun as a "37mm imitation Hatchkys gun", but in fact this Type 94 tank gun has nothing to do with French design. The gun does not have a high-low machine, but from the way it is installed, the high-low machine is actually unnecessary. The gun is pitched by hand through a shoulder support, completing the aiming, which can also achieve a good balance effect, so this design is no problem. The gun could also swing 10 degrees to each side without turning the turret, a design that can be found on other Japanese tanks.
The Type 94 tank gun, aiming, direction adjustment and loading are all completed by the commander alone, and more high-explosive shells are fired to support the infantry in actual combat.
The Type 95 light combat vehicle is equipped with a large number of observation devices and can provide an omnidirectional field of view of 360 degrees. But on the other hand, this weakened the car's ability to defend against shell fragments. Soviet experts apparently forgot that the individual viewing seams and the driver's observation ports were covered with bulletproof glass behind them.
Soviet experts concluded that there was no praise for the car:
In general, the vehicle should be classified as a light, non-amphibious tank. Armor protection and firepower are weak and the speed is low. In terms of design, weapons and armor protection, it cannot be compared with modern tanks, and is on the same level as the T-18 tank. The T-18 had an advantage in armor protection, while Mitsubishi's tanks had better engines.
The tank's technical and technological level is low. Many of the internal parts are aluminum, which, although rough processing, can reduce the weight of the tank.
Every side of the tank's interior is covered with asbestos, which is the same as the Vickers 12-ton tank. Diesel engines are available from the battle room. While marching, another mechanic can be carried, who can also serve as a reserve pilot and machine gunner.
All the parts of the car are easy to install, and its connection is simpler than that of the T-26 tank, which shortens the time it takes to disassemble and assemble the tank during repairs.
The turret's rotating mechanism is equipped with a friction clutch in addition to being able to rotate freely. This unit is compact and can be used in armored vehicles.
All rivets and screws are equipped with bulletproof caps, but the rivet body is of ordinary material and cannot be bulletproof.
The Type 95 light tank had only three designs that caught the attention of Soviet experts: one was the rotating mechanism of the turret, which could be used in armored cars and light tanks. The second is the bulkhead of the turret seat ring ball bearing, and the third is a button for communicating with the occupants of the car, which is disguised as a rivet and mounted on the rear of the car. Later, Soviet experts studied the car's load wheel structure and suggested that a prototype be made according to this structure for experimentation.
Turret rotating mechanism with friction clutch.
The light-colored "rivet" pointed by the black arrow is actually a contact button, the specific working principle of which is unknown, it is estimated that after pressing, there will be a sound emitting device in the car to attract the attention of the occupants, so as not to crush the infantry located behind the car when reversing.
It would be unfair to group the Type 95 light tank with the T-18, a Japanese vehicle that, despite its many insoluble flaws, was much more radical in design than the soviet first tank. But what must be admitted is that the armor of the Type 95 light combat vehicle is hopelessly behind the times, and even a large-caliber machine gun is a fatal threat to it. The car's armor could even be penetrated at close range by rifles, something that had happened during the last battle in 1945, the Battle of Occupy Island.
By April 1941, the Type 95 light tank, with the production serial number 51, was still on the testing ground of the Academy of Armored Vehicle Science, and people wanted to send it to the museum, but after the outbreak of the Soviet-German war, everyone did not have time to pay attention to it. The Type 95 on display in the Kubinka today is a car with a production serial number of 1958, which was brought back from Harbin by the Soviets in October 1945, along with two cars, 1964 and 1967. According to Soviet archival records, the 1958 was the most complete one, and the other two were used as spare parts. In November, the Soviets returned two More Type 95 light combat vehicles (No. 4348, 4245) from Shenyang, but their whereabouts are unknown and may have been demolished. At present, there are a total of 5 Type 95 light combat vehicles in Russia, of which 3 are recovered from the occupied island, 1 is kubinka 1958, and the other is the product of the restored appearance and the installation of a modern tank power unit (brdm-1), more than half of the armor components are no longer original. In addition, a body recovered from champa island is being restored.
Kubinka's Type 95 light combat vehicle No. 1958.
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