| Type 95 Ha-Go Tank |
| Tank | weight | gun caliber | Dimensions | armor thickness | power | speed |
| length | width | height |
| Type 95 Ha-Go | 6.7 tons | 37 mm | 4.38 m | 2.06 m | 2.18 m | 6-14 mm | 120 hp | (45 km/h) |
The Story of the Type 95 Light Tank: As any light tank, Japan’s Type 95 “Ha-Go†was at a significant disadvantage against most any medium or heavy tank in a one-on-one contest. Nevertheless, World War II saw plenty of light tanks in use, and mostly this was because light tanks could have 2 possible advantages over heavier tanks: they were generally faster and they were nearly always cheaper than heavier designs. As for the Type 95... well, it was cheap. Now, to be fair, when its production first began in 1935, it was a pretty competitive tank against most of the major light tanks out there, and most of the Type 95’s fighting, was done much earlier against the Chinese who had almost no tanks to oppose them... and mediocre tanks are better than no tanks for sure! It was even fairly competitive against the earlier model US M3 Stuart light tanks coming into production in 1940, many years later. By 1942, however, the revised “M5†versions of the US Stuart light tanks were significantly better than the Type 95. What is more, in most armies by this point light tanks were giving away to medium tanks almost entirely, except for special-purpose “light reconnaissance†roles. Japan’s most formidable enemy, the US, began churning out much more powerful M4 Shermans by this point at a rate Japan just couldn’t keep up with. Having not even much of a mobility advantage over medium tanks like the M4 Sherman that it often encountered later in the Pacific War, the Type 95 was generally over-matched by 1942. Nevertheless, in the early stages of the Pacific War, the Japanese often found a way to get tanks through jungle terrain that the British and Americans had assumed was impassible. Those British and American defenders, not expecting to be attacked by tanks had almost none to counter with... and some tanks are better than no tanks for sure!
Usage Notes: Use this piece for “Global 1939†and “Invasion of Italy†Variants as either a light tank or armor unit (depending on your own “House Rules†preference.) Other Japanese units of interest may be: Takao class cruiser & Shinano class aircraft carrier & Yamato class battleship.
Other armor units of interest might be: 38t Light tank, Pz. III Med. tank, Pz IV Med. tank, Stug III Tank Destroyer, Tiger 1 Heavy Tank, and the Tiger II Heavy tank.
[ITEMPRICE]