The Russian Tank Museum at Kubinka has a collection of captured World War Two Japanese tanks including a Type 95 Ha-Go Light tank. It is a war often forgotten by the rest of the world. Russian as one of the Allies was fighting on two fronts during WW2. To the West against the Germans and in the East the Imperial Japanese Army.

Type 95 Ha-Go tank at the Kubinka Tank Museum in Russia

Location

Take the train from Moscow's Belorusskaya Railway Station, in the north west of the city, to Kubinka. It is about an hours train journey. It is a direct service, no need to change, and the the tickets are cheap. Make sure you print off a list of station names so you can check off where you are and get ready to get off the train at Kubinka. The station names are not always easy to read or see.

Although this military town has been active for over 80 years it has a rundown look to it. You can walk to the museum but there is the equivalent of a motorway crossing your route. There are no pedestrian crossings over it. There are a number of taxi stands near the station. They are very cheap and honest. I tried to give the driver a big tip but he refused. Ask for his card so you can ask the Museum gate staff to call his company when you are finished at the Museum to get back to the railway station.

Type 95 Ha-Go tank at the Kubinka Tank Museum in Russia

Specifications

The Imperial Japanese Army's Type 95 Ha-Go light tank was designed in 1933 and produced between 1935 and 1943. Records show that2,300 were built. It had a crew of three: commander/gunner, hull machine gunner and driver. It had an armour thickness that ranged between 6 mm and 16 mm. it weighed 7.4 tonnes.

It was armed with a 37 mm type 98 anti-tank gun and two 7.7 mm type 97 machine guns. It was powered by a Mitsubishi A6120VDe air-cooled inline 6-cylinder 14.4 L diesel engine and produced 120 hp. It had a maximum road speed of 45 km/h (28 mph) and a range of 250 kilometres (155 miles).

Type 95 Ha-Go tank at the Kubinka Tank Museum in Russia

WW2 Tank Books