{"product_id":"type-97-chi-ha-medium-tank-1-35-scale","title":"Type 97 Chi-Ha - Medium Tank | 1:35 Scale","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe backbone of the Imperial Japanese Army's armored force. And the tank that taught the world how far behind Japan was in armor.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eType 97 Chi-Ha\u003c\/strong\u003e was the most important Japanese tank of the war — not because it was good, but because it was \u003cstrong\u003eeverywhere\u003c\/strong\u003e. From Manchuria to Malaya, from the Philippines to Burma to the Pacific islands, the Chi-Ha was the medium tank the Imperial Japanese Army sent into every theater it fought in. Over \u003cstrong\u003e2,100 were built\u003c\/strong\u003e across all variants.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eIn the early war, that was enough. Against Chinese forces, against British and Commonwealth troops in Malaya who had almost no anti-tank capability, and in the lightning campaigns across Southeast Asia in 1941-42, the Chi-Ha did its job. It was fast for its weight, mechanically reliable in tropical conditions, and available in numbers when nothing else was.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThen it met American Shermans. And the math stopped working.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThe Chi-Ha's armor was thin — designed to stop rifle and machine gun fire, not anti-tank rounds. The original 57mm gun was a low-velocity weapon built for infantry support, not tank-on-tank combat. Even the improved \u003cstrong\u003eShinhoto (new turret)\u003c\/strong\u003e variant with its higher-velocity 47mm couldn't reliably penetrate a Sherman from the front. By 1944, Japanese tankers were fighting a war where their best medium tank was outclassed by nearly everything it faced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThey fought anyway. On Saipan, on Guam, on Luzon, Chi-Ha crews launched charges against American positions knowing the odds. The tank battles on the Pacific islands were some of the most lopsided armored engagements of the entire war — and the Chi-Ha crews drove into them regardless.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThis kit is the first Japanese armor in the BrixKrieg catalog. It won't be the last.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr class=\"border-border-200 border-t-0.5 my-3 mx-1.5\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat you're building:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e563 pieces\u003c\/strong\u003e in 1:35 traditional model scale\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3 crew figures included\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e2-in-1 design\u003c\/strong\u003e — build the original Chi-Ha with the 57mm turret OR the Shinhoto variant with the 47mm high-velocity turret. Two tanks from one kit. Your choice.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eThe distinctive Chi-Ha silhouette — riveted hull, offset turret, the look that defined Japanese armor from 1938 to 1945\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003chr class=\"border-border-200 border-t-0.5 my-3 mx-1.5\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e⚠️ PLEASE NOTE:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is a \u003cstrong\u003estarter-level kit\u003c\/strong\u003e — a great entry point for builders who want to add Pacific Theater armor to their collection without committing to a premium build. \u003cstrong\u003eNo interior detail\u003c\/strong\u003e on this release. Clean exterior build focused on the silhouette and the display.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BrixKrieg","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53779688980779,"sku":"TYP97_CHI_HA","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0948\/0155\/9851\/files\/CHIHA.png?v=1783649938","url":"https:\/\/brixkrieg.com\/products\/type-97-chi-ha-medium-tank-1-35-scale","provider":"BrixKrieg","version":"1.0","type":"link"}