Compared to the Type 97, the Type 1 Chi-He was slightly longer and taller. Its angled, thicker frontal armor was welded, as opposed to riveted, and weighed an additional 1.5 tons.
The Mitsubishi Type 100 diesel engine at 240 hp provided 70 hp more power than the Mitsubishi Type 97 diesel engine, and was thus more than able to compensate for the additional weight in armor.
The Type 1 Chi-He's 47 mm high-velocity gun had a barrel length of 2.250 m, a muzzle velocity of 810 m/s (2,700 ft/s), and a penetration capability of 55 mm over 100 meters and 30 mm over 1,000 meters, almost double that of the Type 97s low-velocity main gun. It was more reliable and more accurate, but did require the installation of elevation gear (on the earlier Type 97 the gunner had to physically move the gun up or down on his shoulder). Despite these improvements, this gun was barely adequate against Allied armor of 1941.
The gun was placed in a three-man turret, which had space for a loader, and could be elevated and depressed between +20 and -15 degrees. This turret was retrofitted into the "Type 97 Shinhoto ("New Turret") Chi-Ha" tank, and was also used on the Type 3 Ka-Chi Amphibious Tank.
The Type 1 Chi-He was also the first Japanese tank to carry a radio as standard equipment, eliminating the need to use signal flags.
| Type 1 Chi-He | |
|---|---|
| Place of origin |  Empire of Japan |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1940 |
| Produced | 1943–1944 |
| Number built | 170 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 17 tons |
| Length | 5.5 m (18 ft 1 in) |
| Width | 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in) |
| Height | 2.38 m (7 ft 10 in) |
| Crew | 5 |
| | |
| Armor | 8-50 mm |
| Main armament | 47 mm Type 1 gun |
| Secondary armament | 2 × 7.7mm Type 97 gun (hull, coaxial) |
| Engine | Mitsubishi Type 100 air cooled V-12 diesel 240 hp (179 kW)/2,000 rpm/21,700 cc |
| Suspension | Bell crank |
| Operational range | 210 kilometers |
| Speed | 44 km/h (27 mph) |
