Italian vs. Japanese WW2 Tanks

[Admiral Beez]

How do Italian and Japanese WW2 tanks have compare? They both settled on smaller, lighter tanks, I assume due to limitations on production capacity and resources, engines or need for easy transport.

Some good modern day vids on the Japanese Type 95 tank... At 2:50 it's not difficult to imagine one of these coming at you in Malaya with nothing but a SMLE.



Here's a restored Italian M.15/42 tank

 

[Admiral Beez]

How about the heaviest Italian and Japanese tanks. They both saw the need to face heavier opposition whilst facing limited resources. Who did it best?

Carro Armato P 40. 26 tons, 75mm gun, 25 mph top speed

P26/40 tank - Wikipedia

vs.

Chi-To, 30 tons, 75mm gun, 28 mph top speed.

Type 4 Chi-To medium tank - Wikipedia

 

[fubar57]

What a nice "What if" question

 

[Admiral Beez]

What a nice "What if" question

No, What'If is AIUI for aviation matters. That aside, when we ponder, for example how a Spitfire may compare against a Lavochin in combat, I don't consider that a what if where we would normally expect a scenario to be laid out, but more of a question of comparison of specifications, statistics and how each player addressed their technical challenges and requirements. We can ask how the P-80 compares to the Me 262, or how both Italy and Japan addressed their tank needs without entering What'If fantasy.

But your playing at amateur Mod is becoming tiresome, so I think I'll join the club in moving you to the Ignore pile.

 

[fubar57]

What was it someone's professor said? "Stay away from the what-ifs and live in the real world" Smart professor

 

[fubar57]

..

 

[ktank]

Sounds like a competition for the AVF wooden spoon

 

[rochie]

But your playing at amateur Mod is becoming tiresome, so I think I'll join the club in moving you to the Ignore pile.

wait Geo has his own fan club ?
i need to up my game

 

[The Basket]

We laugh at Japanese tanks but look at the much vaunted Panzer divisions in May 1940. Plenty of I and II in that deck.

So Japanese and Italian tanks may have been considered relatively competitive in a 1939 or 1940 setting.

The Japanese were in a position where it couldn't do much more considering.

 

[glennasher]

We laugh at Japanese tanks but look at the much vaunted Panzer divisions in May 1940. Plenty of I and II in that deck.

So Japanese and Italian tanks may have been considered relatively competitive in a 1939 or 1940 setting.

The Japanese were in a position where it couldn't do much more considering.

In fairness, though, what was the competition for the Japanese tanks before 1942? Was Thailand an armor power? Did the Indochinese have a Panzer Corp? Did the British have ANY armor in Malaya? Even a piddling little armored car with a LMG is pretty terrifying if all you've got is a Siamese Mauser. Even the Chinese didn't have anything like a tank corp, so anything offered by the Japanese wouldn't have much to slow it down.

 

[Admiral Beez]

In fairness, though, what was the competition for the Japanese tanks before 1942? Did the British have ANY armor in Malaya?

That was a near run gamble though, as the British could have deployed Matildas or pretty much anything that could wipe the ground with Japanese armour. But it was a sound bet, and unlike British 2pdr tanks that didn't carry HE, the Japanese intended for their tanks to handle infantry, so were HE equipped.

wait Geo has his own fan club ?
i need to up my game

As much as I want to poke fun, he's clearly got a compulsive or social disorder which isn't fair game, so instead I activate the ignore function and the forum filters him out.

 

[SaparotRob]

I was watching the clip on the type 95. That engine does not appear to be stock. It would look at home in '65 Chevy.

 

[Donivanp]

They had tanks? No really, I know they both had tanks but really light self propelled infantry support units. This is why Rommel had to go to NA. When thrown against the Sherman (by far not the best concept in a tank, but whose gonna argue with 50,000, the Japanese tanks were good to burn. Not sure how they faired against a stuart which would have been a closer match.

 

[Donivanp]

Oh and I should mention I have no idea what I'm talking about.

 

[SaparotRob]

Oh and I should mention I have no idea what I'm talking about.

Welcome to my world!

 

[WARSPITER]

Interestingly, Japanese diesel engines as used in their tanks were superior in tech to what everyone else had.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

My eyes see rivets, my brain thinks bullets. I'd hate to be inside one of those when it got gonged.

 

[nuuumannn]

Even the Chinese didn't have anything like a tank corp, so anything offered by the Japanese wouldn't have much to slow it down.

Agree Glennasher, the Japanese tanks were ideal for the environment they operated in. As an aside, when the Communist Chinese established a tank corps, they operated Soviet, US and Japanese tanks.

A Chi Ha Type 97 tank.

Type 97 Chi-Ha

In these they combatted Republic of China Stuart tanks, which they eventually assimilated into their own tank corps. An M5A1 captured from the Kuomintang army.

M5A1

That would be an interesting match up, that is, until the T-34 arrives...

T-34/85 1

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Stuarts gave good service in the island-hopping both against infantry and tanks. And I've got a soft spot in my heart for a 37-mm shooting canister, I just like the idea of a giant tractor-mounted shotgun.

 

[GrauGeist]

The Nationalist Chinese had quite an array of tanks, including the German PzKfw I Ausf.A as well as British armor, I beleive the Vickers 6 Ton, and some old French FT-17s.