Type 89 Tank was apparently superior to Renault NC27 tank, which was used together with Type 89 in China. Its low speed of 25km/hr was not a problem for the infantry support duty. The short-barreled 57mm gun of Type 89 Tank was effective to destroy the enemy MG nest and the 15mm-thick armor was enough for the enemy HMG fire. First, the tank force belonged to the infantry arms and their duty was to support infantry. Type 89 Tank was deployed in the tank force and used in the battles of China. However, the IJA had no interest in the heavy tank and it was produced in only small numbers. On the other hand, the first tank developed to the Type 95 Heavy Tank. The production of Type 89 Tank started in 1931 and it became the main tank of the IJA. Later, it was re-classified to the medium because the weight increased to over 10 tons due to several improvements. In April 1929, a new light tank was finished. So, it was called the Niseko steel, abbreviated as NIhonSEiKOsho. The armor plate was developed by the Nihonseikosho Company. Only problem was the armor plate for tank, because the first tank was made of soft iron. The development of the new tank advanced swiftly because the designers have had an experience to develop a tank. So, a light tank at 10 tons weight was newly designed. Though the first Japanese tank was made, it was too big and too heavy (18 tons) to use as main tank in the army. After that, it became the IJA policy that the tank is made in Japan. It proved that Japan can develop the tank by themselves. The first Japanese tank made a great success. In the test of the next day, the tank showed a satisfactory performance on the movement in rough terrains and slopes. The generals applauded it, because they had been afraid that it would really run. On June 21st, the first Japanese tank run smoothly in the front of attendant generals. Many IJA generals requested to attend the test of the first Japanese tank. It was a big news that the tank was made in Japan. 1927, the first Japanese tank was finally finished within the required period. The Osaka Arsenal had solved many technical problems one by one with much efforts. In those days, Japanese technical level of the motorcar was very low and no motorcar company nor factory existed in Japan. In May 1926, the design was finished and it was ordered to the Osaka Arsenal. They drew plans for 10,000 pieces of parts. There was no previous example of the design of tank in Japan, so they had to design every things, even one bolt and one nut. They started to design a tank and worked hard day after day. Later, he became a general and the leader of the Japanese tank development. One of them was young officer Tomio Hara. Four engineers in the motorcar group of the IJA Technical Bureau participated in the development. The development of the Japanese tank started in June 1925. If they could not do it within this period, the budget for the development would be cancelled. Moreover, they had to achieve it only in two years. Of course, no one had an experience to develop the tank. Until that time, IJA engineers had developed only a few kinds of truck and one kind of tractor. After it, they were allowed to develop a tank, but it was a heavy bet for them. General Suzuki, the chief of the IJA Technical Bureau made a protest against the IJA Department and made its decision cancelled. To know this course, young engineers in the IJA Technical Bureau got angry and insisted that the tank should be made in Japan and they could do it. The IJA was reluctantly importing them for their tank force. After all, only available model was the old Renault FT17 tank. They requested new models of the tank, but European countries would not sell new models because they were not yet enough produced. The IJA sent a mission to Europe in order to import more tanks from UK or France. However, the problem was how to prepare tanks for these units. They planned to form there light tank battalions and one heavy tank battalion. In 1925, the IJA decided to establish the tank force. Japanese learned the tank by these imported tanks. After British Mk.IV, some other tanks were also imported. The tank was operated by the British engineers and demonstrated before Japanese people being astonished at a moving iron monster. In those days, no Japanese could operate the tank. First, one British Mk.IV was imported in 1918. The IJA heard about the power of tank in the battle, they imported some tanks to know what is the tank. The tank was one of the remarkable innovations during WWI.
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