This preserved Type 97 Shinhoto Chi-Ha Japanese Medium Tank can be found at the Russian Army Tank Museum in Kubinka Russia

The Type 97 Shinhoto Chi-Ha Medium Tank next to the smaller Type 95 Ha-Go Light Tank.

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.

The Type 97 ShinHoTo Chi-Ha Medium Tank was fitted with a high velocity 47 mm Type 1 long barrelled anti-tank gun

Specifications

The Imperial Japanese Army's Type 97 ShinHoTo Chi-Ha medium tank was designed between 1939 until 1941. Records show that 930 were built. It had a crew of four: commander, gunner, loader and driver. It had an armour thickness that ranged between 8mm and 33mm. It weighed 14.8 tons.

It was armed with a high velocity 47 mm type 1 anti-tank gun. It had two 7.7mm Type 97 machine guns. It was powered by a Mitsubishi SA12200VD air-cooled V-12 diesel engine and produced 170 hp. It had a maximum road speed of 38 km/h (24 mph) and a range of 210 kilometres (130 miles).

Unlike German, Soviet and US tanks the driver sat on the right in the Type 97 Shinhoto Chi-Ha Japanese Medium Tank.

The Type 97 Shinhoto Chi-Ha Japanese Medium Tank painted in Jungle camouflage.

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