The leader of the 14th Tank Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Ueda, who had great enthusiasm for upgrading his equipment, drafted the production of various raw materials and machine components in preparation for the invasion of Imphal, such as,
(1) double-plated armour
(2) tank trailers for transporting fuel and ammunition
(3) equipment for navigating difficult terrain
considered the most important of these was the double-plated armour.
Removable additional armor!
Easy removal at inspection time (for being undetected by the military's high commanders)
Fools! You want to armor-plate the tanks?
(Scanty clothing is awesome!)
(We must keep Chi-Ha-tan's chastity.)
Are you cowards so afraid to die?
(Remodeling beyond recognition is no-no!)* The military's high commanders
* The fortified armour of the Japanese army's tanks.
Fools!! You want to armor-plate the tanks?
You will never be allowed to cripple the authority of our military's weaponry with such revisions!
Are you doubting the state-of-the-art weaponry the Emperor has granted us?!
Are you cowards so afraid to die?
Though no army wages combat without tanks with strengthened defenses, such as fortified armour or caterpillar tracks or sandbags, only the Japanese tanks, which employed no gimmicks and had a simple appearance, were spoken of with such resolve by the military higher-ups.
It is said these sort of modifications were not officially sanctioned by the military's high commanders, so the armour was designed to be attached with bolts rather than welding. Later on, three remodeled Type 97s were produced, using more appropriate armour based on that of a captured M3.
Remodeled Type 9725mm front armor + 25mm additional armor
* The reason why the armour was designed to be attached with bolts rather than welding is for easy removal at inspection time.They got just three sets of M3 engine's armor plates...(Weak Chi-Ha-tan is MOE~!)
You will never be allowed to cripple the authority of our military's weaponry with such revisions!
Are you doubting the state-of-the-art weaponry the Emperor has granted us?!
