Maybe the most well known mystery tank, if it is even a tank:
1 Like
You may like thiz, if you haven’t read it already
I’ve read it before, and it’s good for debunking the other superheavies that were just misinterpretations of the O-I, but Mai has also been proven to have lied and made mistakes in the past, and so it’s not excellent.
Would be nice if there was a solid proof by a reputable author of what the picture actually showed (I don’t personally think it’s a tank, but unsure).
5 Likes
I mean to be fair, Mai herself has admitted she has made many mistakes. Other than that, I do think her scholarship is excellent.
2 Likes
The question of all questions: will we ever know if this pic is real or a photoshop?
This image may be of interest to those who like obscure Japanese vehicles. In the distance you can see a Chi-So APC. In the middle foreground is what I think is the Type 5 Ke-Ho or Type 2 Ke-To, but I’m not sure. Some on Japanese Twitter think it’s the Chi-Ho, but I’m somewhat doubtful of that claim. Lower tank is some kind of construction vehicle
4 Likes
After further research, the middle tank appears to be the “Jiko Chi-Ho”.
Which is this goofy looking thing:
(The chassis of the model is somewhat wrong though)
3 Likes
This tank destroyer is designed for destroying enemy tanks. It is equipped with Type 99.7cm.5 tank gun II. It is equipped with a directional sight and shoots in a specific direction. (The photo shows the vehicle called “Kuse-vehicle” or “Kuse-vehicle”) that is the translation i got from DEEPL
https://www.reddit.com/r/Warthunder/comments/5w4b8g/unidentified_japanese_tank/
https://twitter.com/JP_tanks_bot/status/1642703764485447680
https://twitter.com/Taki2121/status/804535549423820800
https://twitter.com/JP_tanks_bot/status/1454987001275424780
Hopefully, this helps identify that thing.
In image No. 2. Though I didn’t check these myself i simply did some reverse image searching so take things with a grain of salt.
Honestly, it doesn’t look like the Š-I-D at all.
The rear chassis is too different. Notice how the idler is held by supports that project rearwards
Shrug.
1 Like
Good try though
For all we know it was the Mark IV.
Or one of these 2.
At this point, it looks a lot more similar to a modified Mark IV than anything.
It’s the Mitsubishi bid for the MT-X program. It’s said that it’s a mockup, but it is honestly more cleanly built than even the XT-2. It just seems like way too much effort went into it for a non functioning mockup.
4 Likes
Do you have any more info on the MT-X and/or XT-2
Could easily be a scale model and a fictional background. Something definetely feels off
Given the camera, and the filter chances are it isn’t. There are some camera’s back then with that type of filter like feel that just cannot be replicated digitally.
3 Likes
Might just be a up-armored Mark IV the rear looks way too similar.
I’d say it’s too small for a Mark 4, being roughly the size of the Type 98 Chi-Ho in the full image.
Spoiler
The tank appears to be similar in width and length as the Type 97 Chi-Ha next to it, though a little smaller in both dimensions. This fits the known dimensions of the Chi-Ho. The reason it looks even smaller in the image is purely perspective, with the Chi-Ha next to it looking just as small.
The way the tracks appear it seems to have two return rollers.
Spoiler
Excuse the poor editing, but it should be enough
I’ve spend way too long trying to figure out what this is and personally (though that is still only a theory) think it might be one of the two initial Chi-Ho chassis modified into an unknown engineering vehicle or possibly even a tank destroyer (though the first is more likely).
There are still quite a lot of differences between the two vehicles though, and I’m not sure which of these would’ve been part of the modification and which were actually differences between the initial vehicles.
Spoiler
The unknown vehicle has a lower, not angled engine deck and a taller hull mounting a cupola that was most likely later fitted.
It also features a noticeably larger rear “cutout” section, while missing the trench crossing sled. This could either suggest the idler wheels would’ve been extended rearwards as an alternative for achieving the desired trench crossing capability.
Another possibility would be that these would be the different engines, with one mounting the 120hp diesel engine also found on the Type 95 Ha-Go, and the other either a gasoline engine or a 150hp diesel engine, both of which having been considered for the tank.
Though the detail most interesting to me is the applied camouflage, which might imply it has seen combat in some form.
2 Likes
Hmmm we would need to keep looking deeper before suggesting.