It was a relatively fast (25 km/h), diesel-equipped, well-armored infantry tank built from 1929 to 1936. The Type 89 Yi-Go was built in large numbers, first with the Ko variant, and later the Otsu (278 and 126 units). It was initiated by the 4th Military Laboratory of the Imperial Japanese Army Technical Bureau, and made of soft steel. These, along with new information about tank tactics, led to the experimental Type 87, in 1927. The first indigenous design came after the study of contemporary British designs, like the Medium Mark C, at the Chiba Infantry School. They were deployed in the 1st Tank Unit in Kurume, and remained in China for the duration of WW2. ![]() 10 more vehicles were ordered in 1931 from France, namely the Renault NC27, called “Otsu” by the Japanese, a modernized and improved variant of the FT. They served during the “Manchurian incident” in 1931, with the 1st Tank Unit of the 12th Division. In 1919, thirteen Renault FTs were bought, the most common tank of the day worldwide, which became the mainstay of the early infantry tank force, under the name of “FT-Ko”. In 1921, the IJA acquired a few British Mark A Whippets, which became the first Japanese tanks, and around 6 machines were duly tested and used in maneuvers until 1930. It was widely demonstrated to the Japanese public who had never seen a tank before, and served as a study guide for Japanese engineers in building their own tanks. Japan’s first tank was this Mark IV Female imported from the United Kingdom in 1918. Officers found themselves acutely aware of the tank development by the western powers, and the military junta quickly purchased several machines abroad. The results and costs of the campaign were not well appreciated back home and, in this context, the need for tanks emerged. However, after the Bolshevik Revolution, the Japanese sent 70,000 troops into Siberia, in order to support the White Russians. The navy emerged as an almost independent institution and played a minor role within the drama of WWI, but the army saw little action.
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