1:72 Type 90-I (Jū-hi) heavy tank; ”士106" of the Imp. Japanese Army, China 1941

Dizzyfugu · January 30, 2020, 12:07:09 AM

A quick interim build, since I am working in parallel ona bigger SF project and currently "downed" through health issues: something Japanese on tracks.

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Some background:
During 1930s, fears were strong among the most powerful military nations that a coming war would develop along the same lines as WWI. No one wanted another war rife with stalemates, no one moving for months on end due to swamp like terrain, and constant machine gun bombardment. As such, tank designs of the period were heavily set on infantry support, being large, slow moving and bristling with anti-personal weaponry. The era became awash with the fad of multi-turret tank designs, with all of the most powerful countries adopting them in one form or the other. The A1E1 Independent for the British Empire, the Großtraktor or Neubaufahrzeug for Nazi Germany, and the T-35 of the Soviet Union are prime examples of this design fashion. Imperial Japan was no exception to the rule, coming up with their own designs in 1934. One of these became the Type 90 Heavy Tank (タイプ 90 重タンク, Taipu 90-jū tanku), referring to its inception in 1930, the imperial year 2590.

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The roots of the Type 90 Heavy began with the first tank the Japanese Military produced independently, the Experimental Tank No.1 (実験タンク番号壱, Jikken tanku bangō wən), also known as the Type 87 Chi-I, a multi-turret design heavily inspired by British and Soviet tanks of the time (primarily the Vickers A1E1 Independent, which also inspired the Soviet T-28 and T-35). This ancestor to all Japanese tanks was built in 1927 and was classed by the Military as a Medium Tank. It didn't progress further than the prototype phase, however.

The first prototype of the Type 90 Heavy was an 18-ton vehicle with three turrets. The main turret, with a commander cupola and a horse-shoe radio antenna around the turret, was positioned in the middle of the hull in an elevated position and had full 360° field of rotation. Two secondary turrets were mounted in a lozenge configuration, one on the front left and the other one on the right rear, both with a limited field of fire. The driver compartment was next to the front turret, with the main fighting compartment behind. Internal communications were by 12 push buttons in the turret, connected to 12 lights and a buzzer near the driver.

The hull was partially welded and had an armor 13 to 20 mm (0.51-0.79 in) thick, what was not particularly thicker than most other tanks, but still enough to provide minimal protection against infantry weapons, light AT guns and shrapnel.
Most unusual, the Type 90 Heavy prototype was powered by a 6-cylinder BMW IV inline gasoline engine with 250 hp, which was purchased from Germany. This was a stopgap solution, since no diesel engine in this performance class, the Japanese Army's preferred type of propulsion, was domestically available in 1930.

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Transmission was done by a crash gearbox (making the tank's operation quite noisy), with 5 speed forward and one reverse. The suspension system consisted of modified coil (leaf) springs coupled with Christie type torsion arms, attached to a set of five bogies with small, paired road wheels. An additional front single road wheel was suspended independently, like on the British A1E1 and Russian T-28, improving the tank's climbing capability. The running gear was protected by side skirts with mud chutes in échelon (under each return roller), with two access doors to the suspension.

The Type 90 Heavy prototype was armed with a 57 mm (2.24 in) gun. This was a medium-velocity short barrel (33 in/0.8 m long) gun with a -15 to +20° depression and elevation. The muzzle velocity was 380 m/s (1,200 ft/s), enough to penetrate 20 mm (0.79 in) from 500 m (550 yd). However, the gun was chiefly intended to deal with concrete pillboxes and fortifications. 100 rounds could be stored.
The secondary turrets were each armed with a single 6.5 mm (0.26 in) Type 91 machine gun. Another Type 91 machine gun was placed next to the main gun, in an independent ball mount.

Tests were successful, even though several changes were made that prolonged the development until late 1931 and raised the vehicle's weight to 24 tons – not much for a "heavy" tank (a late German Panzer III weighed more!), but Japanese tanks were relatively light, anyway. The tank's low speed of 25 km/h (16 mph) was not an issue in infantry support operations, and its on- and off-road performance was deemed sufficient.

The biggest modifications concerned the tank's powerplant and its armament. In its modified form the tank was accepted by the Imperial Japanese Army and received the suffix "Hitotsu", or "Type 90-I" or simply "Jū-hi", respectively. Type 90-I was now powered by a pair of Mitsubishi A6120VD air-cooled inline 6-cylinder diesel engines, which were deemed more reliable and safer to operate than a gasoline engine. The engines were mounted side by side in a mutual compartment on the right side behind the crew section, the main fuel tank was placed on the left side, behind the rear secondary turret.

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The main weapon was now a newly developed 70 mm (2.75 in) Type 91 cannon. This was also a short-barreled weapon with a relatively low muzzle velocity, but still sufficient as the tank was intended primarily for infantry support. However, the Type 91 cannon's armor penetration performance was significantly improved: it had a muzzle velocity of 680 m/s (2,200 ft/s) and could defeat 90 mm (3.5 in) of armor at 100 m (110 yd) and 65 (2.56 in) at 1.000 m (1.100 yd). It could fire both Type 92 high-explosive shells and Type 95 armor-piercing shells. The new weapon's elevation angle was +20° and gun depression angle was −12°. In order to improve the tank's defense, a further ball mount at the rear of the main turret could take another machine gun, increasing the number of these weapons to four. Provision for ammunition was 80 rounds for the main gun and around 6.000 for the machine-guns.

The Jū-hi was, due to its size and complexity, only built in small numbers and served with Japanese infantry divisions from 1931 onwards. It first saw combat use during the First Battle of Shanghai in 1932, where it performed well. The following year, the Japanese Army formed its first independent armor force by creating four regiments, one of them armed with the Type 90-I Heavy, each consisting of two companies with ten tanks each. The other regiments typically consisted of Type 89 medium tanks.
In these units, even though the Type 90-I Heavy was primarily regarded as an infantry support vehicle, frequently used as a command vehicle, thanks to its standard radio equipment.
Three more regiments were formed in 1934. Type 90-I Heavy tanks were furthermore deployed for infantry support operations in the Second Sino-Japanese War and in various campaigns throughout China after 1937.

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

After the outbreak of war with China, the peacetime budgetary limitations were removed and the more capable and expensive Mitsubishi Chi-Ha model was accepted as the new Type 97 medium tank by the army to replace the Type 90-I Heavy and Type 89 tanks.
By December 1941, the Jū-hi was obsolete, but nonetheless retained in active service in China, with some being part of the major invasion of the Philippines, but also later the Battle of Malaya, and Burma campaign. By 1943-44 a small number was still used for local defensive support, e.g. in the Netherlands East Indies. Their lack of armor was fatal, though, especially when opposed to largely available US M3 Stuart light tanks, and against nearly all British and Australian models. The last offensive employing Type 90-I Heavy tanks was in the October 1944, attempting to retake the Leyte sector, with the 7th Independent Tank Company. However, opposing US forces counted many M4 Shermans, and the Jū-hi was certainly no match for them anymore, taking crippling losses. The last defending Type 90-I Heavy tanks served as mobile gun positions in Manchuria during the Soviet offensive of August 1945.

Specifications:
Crew: Six (commander, gunner, loader/radioman/rear machine-gunner,
driver, 2x hull machine gunner)
Weight: 23.4 tonnes
Length: 6.6 m (21 ft 7½ in)
Width: 2.98 m (9 ft 9¼ in)
Height: 2.19 m (7 ft 2 in)
Suspension: Leaf spring system
Fuel capacity: 457 liters

Armor:
13–20 mm (0.51 - 0.79 in)

Performance:
Maximum road speed: 25-30 km/h (16-18 mph)
Off-road speed: 13 km/h (8 mph)
Operational range: 150 km (94 mi)
Power/weight: 15.63 PS (11.24 kW)/tonne

Engine:
2× Mitsubishi A6120VD air-cooled inline 6-cylinder diesel with 120 hp (90 kW)/1.800 rpm each

Armament:
1× 70 mm (2.75 in) L/35 Type 91 gun with 80 rounds
3-4× 6.5 mm Type 91 machine guns with 6.000 rounds

The kit and its assembly:
A very simple affair – while reading books about early German WWII tank designs, I came across the so-called "Neubaufahrzeug" family, and esp. the model V (not to be confused with the later Panzer V "Panther") reminded me of contemporary Japanese designs like the Types 89, 91 and 95. Since there is a 1:72 kit of the Panzer V available from Dragon (even in various versions), I decided to get one of these kits and build it as a fictional Japanese pre-WWII tank.

Since the Neubaufahrzeug V looks so retro (and somewhat un-German?), it was basically built OOB. I just deleted the co-axial 37 mm gun from the turret, which appeared a bit too much for my taste, and modified the gun mantlet. The exhaust system was slightly modified, too, with two pipes for the two engines instead of just one that lead to the pair of mufflers on the right fender.

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The original frame antenna of this vehicle was a welcome detail that reminds a lot of similar installations on later Japanese tanks, e. g. the Type 97 medium tank. The additional rearward-facing machine gun position in the main turret is another typically Japanese detail. The secondary turrets look very German and Panzer I-ish, but I kept them as they are, due to their small size.

All in all, Dragon's Neubaufahrzeug V kit is a relatively simple affair for the experienced tank model builder. The molds are very crisp and complex, so that many parts have a true 3D shape – e.g. the main running gear, which consists of ten tiny twin wheels on five bogies. On a traditional model, this would certainly be a fiddly affair, but on the Dragon kit these sections are molded as single pieces and very easy to assemble. This model really went together quickly, building was basically done in the course of a single evening!

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Painting and markings:
The more interesting and complicated part. I wanted a typical Japanese livery and found a Type 89 profile (operated in China in 1941) as well as a picture of a contemporary museum tank that showed a four-tone scheme consisting of a bluish dark green, dark red brown, yellow-ish sand and a greenish light grey. Even though you have to take such museum liveries with a grain of salt, I used the tones as reference and tried to adapt the scheme to my Type 90-I.

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The colors I used are all Humbrol enamels, 76 (Uniform Green), 160 (Red Brown), 81 (Pale Yellow) and a mix of 90 (Sky) with some 155 (Olive Drab). Painting turned out to be quite complicated, due to the complex and jagged running gear arrangement, the mudguards and the secondary turrets. Painting and final assembly was therefore done in alternating steps.

The soft vinyl tracks are molded in an unfathomable sand tone and had to be painted, with acrylic paint and a mix of iron, dark grey and red brown. Since all the wheels from the Neubaufahrzeug V's running gear seem to be massive steel (the same as on the Type 89), they were all integrated into the camouflage and received a treatment with dry-brushed iron and aluminum to simulate worn-off paint.

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

On top of the basic camouflage, the kit received a washing with dark brown and some dry-brushing with grey and beige. The few tactical markings come from an Emhar Whippet decal sheet or were simply painted by hand. The character 士 "shi" in front of the identification number is a shortened form of 士兵 (shìbīng), which means "soldier" or "warrior", and was AFAIK a marking that was actually used on Japanese WWII tanks.

After the model received a final coat of matt acrylic varnish, I also added some brown mineral pigments around the lower hull, simulating dust.

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 "Type 90-I (Jū-hi)" heavy tank; vehicle "士 106" of the Imperial Japanese Army, 7th Armored Brigade; China, 1941 (Whif/modified Dragon kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

A very simple build, realized in just three days, since not much was changed – but this Japano-German travesty works better than expected. The (relatively) colorful paint scheme suits the Neubaufahrzeug V well, too, and adds to the exotic look of this rather obscure German vehicle.

NARSES2 · January 30, 2020, 06:20:39 AM

I do like that Thomas

I've always had a soft spot for these multi turreted designs and that fits very well into the genre. The horseshoe aerial mast really gives it the look of a 1930's vehicle as well.

Old Wombat · January 30, 2020, 06:30:11 AM

Great build, Dizzy!

I wish some of these companies that put out kits of the German & Russian multi-turret tanks would put out an A1E1 in styrene because they'd make a great basis for Steampunk or Dieselpunk WW2 scenarios.

(£137 retail for the (currently out of production) Accurate Armour kit is ... well ... a bit rich.)

Dizzyfugu · January 30, 2020, 06:37:31 AM

Thank you, glad you like it. Well, I wondered why there is no decent A1E1 kit out there, too. Trumpeter recently came with the T-28, though, and Zvezda has a T-35 as true "landship" option.

Old Wombat · January 30, 2020, 06:39:48 AM

Oh, the AA kit is decent, it's just OoP & stupidly expensive.

chrisonord · January 30, 2020, 01:43:53 PM

Very nice Thomas, an unusual and interesting build. Cool

zenrat · January 31, 2020, 03:27:35 AM

Mmmmmmmm, T35. I'd love one in 1/48.

Good job Dizz.

AndrewF · January 31, 2020, 04:09:27 AM

Good rehash - looks convincing

Dizzyfugu · January 31, 2020, 06:55:32 AM

Thank you all!

ChernayaAkula · January 31, 2020, 01:08:56 PM

Fantastic build!

I had plans for something quite similar a couple of years back, albeit with a Trumpeter 1/35 kit. I believe Maverick even created a profile of a Japanese Neubaufahrzeug.

jcf · January 31, 2020, 02:56:32 PM

Personally speaking I prefer the looks of
the Rheinmetall turret with the superposed
guns rather than the side-by-side coaxial
mount of the Krupp turret. Only one was
built with the Rheinmetall turret, Tank #1,
the rest had the Krupp turret.

These folks supposedly have a 1/76 A1E1 available:
https://earlywarminiatures.com/product/a1e1-vickers-independent-heavy-tank/

Captain Canada · January 31, 2020, 09:46:08 PM

Nice work Dizzy. Your tank whiffs are always a treat to see here.

Cheers !

NARSES2 · February 01, 2020, 02:04:55 AM

That A1E1 looks good.

They only have one in stock though. Unless they cast to order ?

Some neat stuff on their site, cheers Jon.