The Japanese Type 97 Chi-Ha was developed by the Japanese in the 1930's, as a replacement for the Type 89 Medium tank which could not keep up with the motorized infantry, which could move at 40 km/h by truck.
The new medium tank was intended to be a scaled-up four-man version of the Type 95 Ha-Go light tank, although with a two-man turret, thicker armor, longer suspension system and more power to maintain performance.
A prototype designated Chi-Ha was completed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and a second prototype was completed in June 1937.
Although the requirement was for a 47 mm gun, it retained the same short-barreled 57 mm gun as the Type 89B tank.
The project was almost canceled for the Type 97 Chi-Ni prototype proposed by Osaka Army Arsenal, which had the same 57 mm main gun, but because of the out-break of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, it was accepted as the new Type 97 medium tank by the army.
Because of the low budget for tank development the Type 97 was still equipped with a Type 97 57 mm gun, it did great as infantry support, but the shortcomings of the Type 97, with its low-velocity 57 mm gun, became clear during the 1939 Battles of Khalkhin Gol against the Soviet Union.
The 45 mm gun of the Soviet BT-5 and BT-7 tanks out-ranged the Japanese tank gun, resulting in heavy Japanese losses.
This would result in the development of a new 47 mm weapon began in 1939 and was completed by 1941.
The new version, designated Type 97-Kai or Shinhoto Chi-Ha, used the 47 mm main gun in its new, larger three-man turret. It replaced the original model in production in 1942.
The Chi-Ha would do great in China during the Second Sino-Japanese War, during the Battle of Malaya and the Battle of Singapore, the Chi-Ha would be superior on the small roads and forcing the defending British forces to abandon much of northern Malaya.
One key to the overall Japanese military successes in Malaya and Singapore was the unexpected appearance of their tanks in areas where the British did not believe tanks could be fielded. The thick and wet jungle terrain did not turn out to be a decisive obstacle for the generally light Japanese tanks.
The Type 97 Shinhoto Chi-Ha tanks were first used in combat in the battle of Corregidor in 1942. The updated 47 mm gun was easily capable of dealing with the armor of the American M3 Stuart light tanks, although in later combat service it was shown only to be effective against the sides and rear of the M4 Sherman medium tank.
In the late stages of the war the Japanese Army seldom made major armored attacks during the Pacific War due to the limited maneuvering areas that prevailed on islands in the South Pacific ocean, so they would be forced to do senseless banzai charges, like the one at Battle of Saipan on the night of 16–17 June, which led them to lose 44 tanks in one night without really any real result.
After the war the Republic of China and the later People's Liberation Army would use the Chi-Ha tank in there army.
九七式中戦車 チハ（きゅうななしきちゅうせんしゃ チハ）は、1930年代中後期に開発・採用された大日本帝国陸軍の主力中戦車である。
1938年（昭和13年）から1944年（昭和19年）にかけて総計2,123輌が生産され、九五式軽戦車 ハ号とともに第二次世界大戦における日本軍の主力戦車として使用された
1936年（昭和11年）、日本陸軍において歩兵の直接支援のための戦車として開発が開始された。新型中戦車の開発に当たっては速度性能、車体溶接の検討、避弾経始(原文表記では緩角傾始)を考慮した車体設計など防御性能の向上が求められたが、当時の道路状況、架橋資材その他の状況から車両重量増が最大のネックとなった。重量増を忍び性能の充実を求める声と、防御・速度性能を忍んでも重量の逓減を優先する意見の双方があり、双方のコンセプトに沿った車両を試作し比較試験することとなった。主砲についてはどちらも八九式中戦車の主砲と同等とされた。
陸軍技術本部は、前者を甲案（後のチハ車。予定重量13.5トン）、後者を乙案（後のチニ車、予定重量10トン）として設計を開始した。甲案は砲塔に2人が配置され、八九式中戦車と同じく車載機関銃は2挺とされた。対して乙案は砲塔は1人用に小型化され後部機関銃は省略、車載機関銃は車体前面の1挺のみとされた。甲案（チハ車）の砲塔自体の容積は八九式中戦車とほぼ同等であり、戦闘室容積も同様であるが、砲塔中径（ターレットリング径）には余裕を持たせており、将来の主砲の大口径化による砲塔換装が考慮されていた。
設計案の検討時点では、参謀本部側は甲案の12トン程度への軽量化を要求したものの、技術本部からの不可能との回答を得て、性能差を忍び乙案を大量配備する方針に転換した。性能差は配備数の増加で補えるという意図であるが、同時に甲案の開発継続も要望してもいる。これに対して陸軍戦車学校側は2人用砲塔の甲案が絶対的に優位としていた。装甲・速度性能に関しては乙案でも許容可能だが、戦闘力発揮のためには2人用砲塔が必須との主張であった。一方、新戦車の開発は急がれており、結果的に妥協点を見出せないまま双方を試作して検討する形になってしまう。この混乱が後の試製九八式中戦車チホの開発の一因とされる。
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