IJA Chi-Ri Medium Tank (Type 5)

To current knowledge Type 5 Chi-Ri was completed in only one prototype in May of 1945. It was supposed to be the ultimate medium tank for the Imperial Japanese Army capable of suppressing the US Army M4 Sherman medium tanks. The tank was supposed to be equipped with a Type 5 75mm tank gun used at the time on the Chi-To tank. However, the found prototype was equipped with an equivalent of Type 99 88m AA Naval Gun for main armament and a Type 1 37mm tank gun in the place of the forward facing machine gun. The main artillery of prototype Chi-Ri did not even have a designated Type in the IJA classification which makes this tank an very interesting piece of machinery. One additional interesting point about Type 5 tank is that it was supposed to be powered by a Mitsubishi manufactured Diesel engine. However, due to supply shortages a Kawasaki Ha-9 airplane engine (based on the BMW-VI engine) was adopted to the tank. This made the Chi-Ri prototype to run on airplane fuel (the engine power was reduced to 550hp from the original 800hp).