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The diesel provided superior range, mobility and reliability under adverse conditions, and also significantly reduced the risk of fire when hit, advantages that did not go unnoticed by the Soviets, whose entire armored force became diesel-powered during the Second World War. During the latter years of the Pacific War, encounters between Type 89’s ( and the later, improved Type 94’s ) and late-model, upgraded American M4 Sherman medium tanks were the proportional equivalent of Shermans versus Panthers in Europe - not a very pleasant way to commit suicide.Īn often-overlooked virtue of Japanese tanks from the early 1930’s on was the incorporation of the diesel engine in their design. However, the Japanese tank crews were well-trained and highly-motivated, and certainly did not lack courage. speed was only 16 mph / 25.6 kmh ), the silhouette was very tall, and the armor and armament left a lot to be desired, part of the problem being that the low-velocity 57mm main gun was designed for infantry support against pillboxes and fortifications, not tank-versus-tank combat. The Type 89 was cramped and noisy, it was slow ( max. General Tomoyuki Yamashita’s drive down the Malayan Peninsula to the bastion of Singapore in 1941-1942 is a case in point. Although somewhat antiquated in appearance, even by mid-1930’s standards, and generally outclassed by its Allied and Axis counterparts during the Second World War, the Type 89 medium tank was nevertheless an effective and reliable weapon when deployed correctly in a tactical scenario. An interesting tongue-in-cheek comment :).