Production
The Type 97 medium tank was manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (1,224 units) and Hitachi Industries (355 units), as well as some limited production in the Army's Sagami Arsenal. A total of 2,123 vehicles was constructed from 1938 to 1943, of which 1,162 units were the standard Type 97 and 930 units were the improved Type 97-kai version. The remainder were various specialized variants produced in small numbers.
The number of Type 97 medium tanks produced was slightly lower than of the Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks, but larger than any other tank fielded by Empire of Japan. The following numbers of units were produced each year:
Type 97 tank (57 mm gun):
- 1938: 110
- 1939: 202
- 1940: 315
- 1941: 507
- 1942: 28
- Total: 1,162
Type 97-Kai tank (47 mm gun):
- 1942: 503
- 1943: 427
- Total: 930
Total production of the 57 mm & 47 mm gun Type 97 medium tanks was 2,092. Although production peaked in 1943 it was the last year any Type 97 was produced, as factories switched to the new tank designs, most notably the Type 1 Chi-He.
Read more about this topic: Type 97 Chi-Ha
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