| Full Name | Type 97 Shinhōtō Chi-Ha |
| Class | Heavy Vehicle |
| Movement | 5 |
| Armor Value | 3 |
| Vs Infantry (RNG / FPR) | 5/5 |
| Vs Vehicle (RNG / FPR) | 5/5 |
| Traits | |
| Period | 1942-1945 |
| Theaters of Service |
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The Japanese Type 97 Shinhōtō Chi-Ha ('new turret' Chi-Ha) medium tank was an upgrade to the original Type 97 Chi-Ha, in response to German, Soviet, and Italian military operational experiences gained in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). To improve the anti-tank capability of the Type 97 Chi-Ha, the upgrade featured a new enlarged three-man turret armed with a high-velocity 47 mm (L48) gun on the Chi-Ha's hull. It also had two 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns. A crew of five operated this 16-tonne vehicle, which had a maximum speed of 24 mph. These tanks first saw combat during the Battle of Corregidor in the Philippines in 1942. The vehicle's success in this campaign was followed by Japanese victory in Malaya. The type was used throughout the war in the Pacific and Manchuria, but as the conflict drew on they found themselves vastly outnumbered by more--and more effective--Allied tanks. While vulnerable to opposing Allied tanks, the 47 mm high-velocity gun did give the Type 97 Shinhōtō a fighting chance against them. Japanese industry produced 930 examples of what many consider to have been Japan's best tank of the war.