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Type 83 Chi-Stu - COMPLETE!

iambrb

Well-known member
HAWAIIAN TIMES, 1939: DATELINE NEWS FLASH:
US to acquiesce to Philippine Government demand for tank manufacturing in home country, citing rising Japanese Aggression in the region, and threat of invasion

HAWAIIAN TIMES, DECEMBER,1940: DATELINE NEWS FLASH:
After months of delays and stalling the US Finally begins setting up machinery to build the M3 Stuart tank. The mobility of this take and it’s 37mm gun will prove most adequate for any Japanese foolish enough to attempt invasion. Although production will not start until mid-1941, it looks like our boys will be well equipped for the defense of these islands.

HAWAIIAN TIMES, DECEMBER,1941: DATELINE NEWS FLASH:
This could be our last report from this position. The Japanese have landed en mass & are fighting hard to take manila, but our boys are holding them back! Only a handful of M3 pre-production tanks were made by the time of the heinous attack on Pearl, but since then our troops have scrambled to get more tanks out. Although shelling and gun fire can be heard as I report this, our news has every reason to believe tha………….(News cable stopped/cut)

SAN FRANCISCO TIMES, JAN., 1941
It is with a sad and heavy heart that The Times must report that our sister news organization in Honolulu, Hawaii has reported the full loss of our Manila reporting bureau………..


It was in the dark, early days of the 2nd global conflict, known in the ‘unapproved slang’ history as WW2, the Philippine Gov’t, fearing the Imperialistic Japanese, insisted the US locate some manufacturing in Manila as a show of force. Sadly, the Japanese successfully overran Manila in early 1940, capturing the partially complete M3 Stuart manufacturing plant. Japanese technicians were rushed in, & immediately, they realized that this would be a vast improvement in mobility & firepower over their Type-97, & by the early portion of Guadalcanal, US troops were surprised to see this hybrid tank!

( Note that from this point forward, all telecomminques regaring development of this Japanese weapon will be told from the side of this opposing force, as they are intercepted and decoded…..)
 
Type 83 Chi-Stu

2 MAR, 1941 - Japanese decoded message - Admiral, we have received the two HA-go tanks last week. Thank you Sir. With little supplies for the American tank available, we are building up a prototype using the Ha-Go and the Ha-go, as I proposed in our Cabinet meeting Jan,1941. The American design has an excellent gun and engine/propulsion, but the suspension and some other items, like the turret itself, are not reproducable here. Neither are the Machine guns, which the Americans had not yest sent, but our guns will be more than adequate for this need. Look to have a running prototype in less than 4 months. below are pictures of what we are starting with, will send them as we progress in this project
-Long Live the Emperor, Yamagushi CuttiShushi, Design Engineer

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Type 83 Chi-Stu

27 SEPT, 1941 - Japanese decoded message - Admiral, Sespite the recent bombing campaign of the White Devils, we have now received some 40 Type 97 Tank turrets, engines, and running gear, plus wiring and other items to convert the first batch of tanks to our needs. Additionally, we had to move our production facility out of greater Manila dues to Allied Bombing. Note that in the attached pictures dispatch, some of the main assemblies were still painted in the white primer color of what we had in storage and transport.
The White Devils have a most interesting main gun for their tank. We have captured nearly 100 of these in both tank and anti-tank configuration, along with ample stocks of ammunition. While it is smaller in caliber than the Type 97's main weapon, this 37mm gun has much higher velocity and penetration, and we have been able to successfully fit it to the turrets provided.

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we were forced eliminate the rear facing machine gun, but the enemy forces had a very good design of hatch that we were able to utilize as a means to rid the cramped turret space of fired shells. As you can see, the turret fits the 'Stuart' hulls quite well


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We have also been able to utilize this tanks' 'spon-son' area over the tracks to mount two forward facing 7.7mm machineguns, plus the radio operator has room for a 7.7mm MG as well.


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We will shortly be fitting the standard V12 diesel the Emporer provided to us, though it will require some modification, those pictures will be forth coming with an update in a few days.

-Long Live the Emperor, Yamagushi CuttiShushi, Design Engineer
 
Type 83 Chi-Stu

(OK so side note here. I decided I wanted some of the running gear from the Japanese tank, and when I realized that I would have to use the type 97 tracks, I decided to break down & use a Tamiya kit that was unassembled to get it to the level I wanted. So that said, I got out the saw, and surgery commenced....)
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Type 83 Chi-Stu

1 October, 1941 - Attached are images of alternate vehicle 2. Due to recent naval shelling of the Manila Dockside factory that destroyed vehicle 1, we are now moving to the version shown here. We think supply ship Shamido that is overdue was possibly lost to one of the American submarines recent sighted by our fishing fleet.

As the hull is shorter, we are able to use a modified suspension system from some of the type 97’s that were in storage and damaged during the late August air attack that claimed some of our Engineering team. The V12 engines are working well and the tank is surprisingly fast! Even though the modified suspension limits this tank’s mobility, the 37mm high velocity gun, combined with the hull mount machine guns, should prove very formidable when the Americans attempt to land!

The tracks should be culled from the damaged tanks by next week, and by then we should have the return rollers in place & ready to begin field trials
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Type 83 Chi-Stu

Dude I forgot about this thing!....looking sweet...getter done boss!

:v
 
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