This news post focuses on the Japanese Type 3 Chi-Nu Kai & two versions of the Type 4 Chi-To.
The Chi-To has been in D-day for quite some time as Japan's late war medium tank, but I've never been happy with the voxel so I decided to give it a complete overhaul. At the same time I also split the unit into it's prototype & production variants which you can seen below.
Click of the unit names to visit their D-day wiki page for more information & pictures.
The Type 3 Chi-Nu Kai was a upgrade of the Type 3 Chi-Nu, changing the turret for a new cast design and replacing the gun with the longer 75mm Type 5. A single prototype was built in March 1945 for testing, the results and it's fate after the war are unknown.
The Type 4 Chi-To was designed as a replacement for the Type 97 Chi-Ha in 1944. Shortages in materials and the destruction of Japan's industrial infrastructure meant that only two prototypes were built before the end of the war. The two finished tanks where later dumped in lake Hamana at the end of the war to hide them from American occupation troops, the Americans later salvaged one of them and took it back United States for testing. In the last few years there have been several attempts to try and find the other Chi-To prototype at the bottom of the lake but thus far searches have been unsuccessful.
Following the completion of the Type 4 Chi-To prototype the design was modified by changing the turret to a welded design & simplifying the engine deck. These changes would cut costs and production time in hope to get the Chi-To ready as soon as possible but the war ended before production could start and none were built.
