Type 95 heavy tank
Type	Heavy tank
Place of origin	Empire of Japan
Specifications
Mass	26 t (29 short tons)[1]
Length	6.47 m (21.2 ft)[1]
Width	2.7 m (8.9 ft)[1]
Height	2.9 m (9.5 ft)[1]
Crew	5
Armor	12–35 mm
Main armament	1x 70 mm tank gun[2]
Secondary armament	1x 37 mm tank gun, 2x 6.5 mm MG[2]
Engine	Inline 6-cylinder engine[2] 290 hp[2]
Suspension	leaf spring
Operational range	110 km[1]
Maximum speed	22 km/h (14 mph)[1]

TheType 95 heavy tank (Japanese:九五式重戦車, kyūgo-shiki jūsensha), also known as the Type 95Ro-Go,^[3] was the final result of Japanese multi-turreted tank design and was in commission during the time period betweenWorld War I andWorld War II. The main armament was a Type 94 70 mm cannon in a central turret, with its secondary front auxiliary turret mounting a 37 mm gun and a 6.5 mm machine gun in the rear auxiliary turret. Four prototypes were produced in 1934.^[3][4]

After World War I, major powers around the world quickly adopted the revolutionary design of FrenchRenault FT light tank. One of the most successful features on the Renault FT was a 360-degree rotating turret. While developing new single-turreted tanks more closely based on the Renault FT, many countries, including Japan, also experimented with multi-turreted tank designs.^[4]

The Imperial Japanese Army made the decision to develop heavy combat vehicles, which was prompted by the increasing threat posed by the Soviet Union, a potential enemy of Japan in East Asia. In 1931, Japan produced a prototype heavy tank that was designated theType 91 heavy tank. It was an 18-ton, three turret tank with a 6-cylinder gasoline engine producing 224 hp.^[5] The Type 91 central turret had a Type 90 57 mm cannon as its main armament and a 6.5 mm machine gun. Its two smaller auxiliary turrets were each armed with a 6.5 mm machine gun. The tank had a maximum armour plate thickness of 17 mm; same as the priorType 87 Chi-I prototype.^[6] It had seventeen road wheels on each side.^[7] This first design was not successful, as it was considered to be underpowered, under-armed and lacked sufficient armour. The project was soon canceled. However, this project became a stepping stone in the development of the Type 95 heavy tank.^[4]

The development of a new multi-turreted tank started in 1932 and was completed in 1934.^[4] The overall shape of the Type 95 followed the design of the earlier Type 91, but it had thicker armour and its firepower was significantly improved. A more powerful inline 6-cylinder engine produced 290 horsepower.^[4] Its suspension system was modified from that of the Type 91. While still using a leaf spring suspension, it had only nine road wheels on each side.^[8]

Mounted in the central turret was the primary weapon, a Type 94 7 cm tank gun specifically designed for the Type 95 heavy tank. The cannon could fire both Type 92 high-explosive shells and Type 95 armor-piercing shells. The gun elevation angle was 20 degrees and gun depression angle was −12 degrees. A 6.5 mm machine gun was also mounted in the main turret. Its two additional turrets gave Type 95 yet more firepower: a Type 94 3.7 cm tank cannon was mounted in the front auxiliary turret, and the rear facing auxiliary turret featured a 6.5 mm machine gun.^[4]

It was the largest Japanese tank at the time, weighing in at 26 tonne. Four prototypes were produced in 1934.^[2][3] However, the multi-turreted tank concept was cancelled, so the Type 95 did not go into production. It proved to be a complicated design with poor mobility and had a lower top speed than desired.^[2][9]

Two chassis were later used as platforms for:

• Experimental 10 cm SPG Hi-Ro Sha

An open top self-propelled gun with a front mounted 10 cm cannon (105 mm main gun) on Type 95 heavy tank chassis. A single prototype of theself-propelled gun was built.^[2][10]

• Experimental 10 cm SPG Ji-Ro

A self-propelled gun with a rear mountedType 92 10 cm cannon (105 mm main gun) in an enclosed casemate on a Type 95 heavy tank chassis, similar to GermanElefant. One prototype was built.^[2][10] Originally, theType 96 15 cm howitzer was considered for mounting on the Ji-Ro, but the plans in relation to the howitzer were abandoned.^[10]

• Tanks of Japan

• Hara, Tomio (1972).Japanese Medium Tanks. AFV Weapons Profiles No. 49. Profile Publications Limited.
• Tomczyk, Andrzej (2002).Japanese Armor Vol. 1. AJ Press.ISBN 83-7237-097-4.
• Zaloga, Steven J. (2007).Japanese Tanks 1939–45. Osprey Publishing.ISBN 978-1-8460-3091-8.

• History of War.org
• Taki's Imperial Japanese Army Page - Akira Takizawa

• Heavy tanks
• History of the tank
• Multi-turreted tanks
• World War II tanks of Japan
• Tanks of the interwar period

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• Short description is different from Wikidata
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