Design Overview & Tactical Role
Weighing a mere 7.4 tons, the Type 95 Ha-Go was the most numerous Japanese armored fighting vehicle of World War II. Designed for rapid cavalry reconnaissance and infantry support across rugged Asian terrain, it was powered by a pioneering air-cooled diesel engine and featured an interior lined with asbestos padding to protect the crew from heat and bullet-impact spalling.
Combat History & Battle Records
The Ha-Go fought in the Second Sino-Japanese War, clashed with Soviet BT-7 tanks at the Battle of Khalkhin Gol in 1939, and spearheaded rapid Japanese bicycle-and-armor blitzes down the Malayan Peninsula in 1941–1942. However, its thin 12 mm armor was hopelessly outclassed by US M4 Shermans on Pacific islands by 1944.
Related Armored Vehicles (World War II)
Modern
2012
World War II
1942
World War II
1944
World War II
1943