Japan’s tank force rolled onto the servers of War Thunder some time ago. Read here which tanks from the land of the rising sun are the best and which tanks cause pure horror for the player.
The armed forces of the Empire of Japan were known for their powerful air force and strong navy, but not necessarily for their effective tank troops. Nonetheless, Japan had its own tank forces during World War II and afterwards, and these are also represented in the military online game War Thunder. Japan’s tanks were what made the game a reality and a release title. But how good are the Japanese tanks? Read it here!
Japan’s Tank Doctrine
Japan is not known for its powerful tanks. While the Germans relied on technologically advanced machines and the Soviets threw masses of robust vehicles into battle, Japan copied the concept of the French army: tanks as infantry support. However, infantry is not present in War Thunder, and therefore many Japanese tanks – especially at lower tiers – perform quite poorly against other tanks.
Japanese tanks are mostly poorly armored, and even where theoretically good armor exists, the machine is full of vulnerabilities. Additionally unfortunate: Japanese engineers often tried to concentrate as much stuff as possible in the tank. This saved space, but every penetrative hit has catastrophic consequences.
Glass Cannons from the East
Because either it destroys your tank anyway, or you survive the hit, only to find out that your ammunition just blew up or all your crew members have perished. However, the Japanese do have two advantages: their shells are packed with explosives to the brim. As soon as such a shell penetrates even a little bit through the armor, any enemy tank at lower tiers goes up in flames. This only works if you shoot first, as your tin can will burst just as quickly.
But fortunately, Japan is a mountainous country, and the designers therefore equipped most Japanese tanks with highly maneuverable guns. Elevation angles of up to 20 degrees are possible with certain tanks. This allows you to shoot many opponents without them having a chance to retaliate.
The Best and Worst Tanks of the Japanese
At low and mid-tier levels, a few tanks stand out. Either because they perform surprisingly well or because they are particularly bad. Here you can read which tanks are definitely interesting.
- Type 97 Chi-Ha Kai: This medium tank is the first tank of the Japanese that is somewhat decent. Its thin armor is well-rounded and has many spots where shots can ricochet. Additionally, it is equipped with a 47mm gun that fires high-speed shells. This gives the Chi-Ha Kai good penetration chances.
- Type 3 Chi-Nu: This tank has a strong 75mm gun and is therefore much better armed than the usually very poorly equipped predecessors. It also rotates its turret quite quickly and smoothly. Together with the excellent elevation angle of the main gun, the Chi-Nu can fight very well from cover and take out enemies without retaliation.
- Type 89b I-Go Ko: This “tank” is more of an armed tractor and looks like it as well. The vehicle was originally designed as a reserve tank and participated in battles in Manchuria in 1932, among other things. There, it bravely fought defenseless buildings and machine-gun bunkers with its 57mm howitzer. The I-Go Ko is therefore more of a collector’s item than a sensible combat vehicle.
- Type 2 Ka-Mi: This bizarre tank looks like a rolling tin can and is one of the worst vehicles in the game! It is large and highly visible, which would be great if it were well-armored. But it is not! On the contrary, the “tank” has extremely thin armor and this is not angled at all, meaning even weak hits usually penetrate like through paper. A completely terrible vehicle!
- Type 4 Ho-Ro: This thick howitzer fires powerful 150mm shells. These destroy almost anything with a single hit, but the vehicle itself is difficult to control and the howitzer is not the most accurate.
- Type 3 Ho-Ni III: Here you get instead of a thick howitzer a 75mm main gun. This has particularly good penetration values and thus ensures optimal hits on the enemy.
- Isuzu Type 94: This vehicle is actually just an army truck with a 20mm flak mounted in the back. However, it is one of the strongest anti-aircraft weapons at the early levels in War Thunder. It quickly takes down planes and easily shreds the poorly armored tanks of earlier tiers.
- Type 5 Chi-Ri II: This massive tank is only lightly armored despite its size and is an easy target from behind. Its protection is particularly thin there, and coincidentally, that is where the ammunition magazine is located. However, woe to the Chi-Ri if it catches you! The tank has a 75mm gun with a three-shot revolver magazine. It fires three hefty rounds in just six seconds! Ideal for trolling opponents!
- Light Tank M24 SDF: This tank is actually the US tank M24 Chaffee. After the war, Japan received a few of these vehicles from the USA to help rebuild its self-defense forces. The M24 has a strong 75mm gun and is fast and agile. This makes it a good flanking hunter.
So much for the best and worst tanks of the Japanese. Have you driven the Japanese tanks and can you name your favorites or hate objects?
Relevant to the topic: War Thunder is finally released after 4 years in open beta – 1.65 ‘Way of the Samurai’
