A unique look from the East: O-I and O-I Experimental. “Mi-To” \ “O-I” Super heavy tank Tank game o i

Introduction

In this part of the review, we will analyze two more stock, but very important guns of 120 mm and 75 mm caliber. These guns are important because that's how we upgrade the Japanese tank. O-I Exp erimental and through them lies the path to the formidable top state of the tank.

Gun 7.5cm Tank Gun Type 3

This gun is very reminiscent of the American 75 mm M3 cannon, slightly inferior to it in terms of armor penetration of gold ammunition. In fact, we are dealing with an earlier version of the 75-mm tank gun, and this gun is inferior in almost all characteristics to the Type 5 gun, except that the rate of fire is slightly higher.

Picture. Characteristics gun 7,5cm Tank Gun Type 3

Penetrates with armor-piercing 90 mm and 112 mm sub-caliber sub-calibers with a one-time damage of 115 HP. In general, rather average indicators will fit only in battles when your tank is at the top of the table. However, even taking into account the existing disadvantages, this gun will be convenient in the fight against mobile tanks than guns of larger calibers (105 mm and 120 mm), as it has an advantage in rate of fire and a fairly high initial speed shells.

In any case, the 75 mm Type 5 gun is better in almost every way, so be patient and pump out, however, if you have already walked along the ST branch and pumped out the Chinooks, you will get the opportunity to install it almost immediately.

12 cm Short Barrel Gun

In fact, this is a short-barreled high-explosive, of which there are plenty in our game, although the barrel length here is even worse than that of the 105 mm german cannon and the 122-mm Soviet U-11, in general, it is more like British mortar guns, and the ballistics of the gun, as well as the speed of the projectile, are very similar. These guns were originally sharpened to fight the fortifications of opponents and manpower, that is, the extermination of people. This weapon is not very suitable for combating armored vehicles, especially when it comes to heavily armored vehicles. And the point here is not that the caliber is not enough, but that the short barrel does not give the required initial velocity of the projectile, which would provide a sufficient supply of kinetic energy for the projectile, which in turn gave the potential for armor penetration. If HE shells can somehow fight light armored vehicles (if they are stationary), then heavy tanks, in principle, do not care about this kind of threat, and even light tanks are not particularly afraid of this weapon, because evading the fire of such a gun is not a big deal for them Problems. On the other hand, the steep trajectory of the projectiles and a powerful high-explosive help to effectively suppress enemy anti-tank infantry guns, which have always been the main threat to tanks, and the 120-mm caliber helps a lot to destroy pillboxes and you can even throw shells at infantry hiding in a trench, but since since our game is refined exclusively for "Tanks vs Tanks", then these advantages are of little use.

Picture. Characteristics of the 12 cm Short Barrel Gun

We get this gun almost from the start, but handouts, as you know, have a downside - in this case, it's terrible accuracy, which does not allow us to reveal the potential of the gun. As for moving targets, there are even greater difficulties in heap fire, since in addition to low accuracy, we are still dealing with a low initial velocity of the projectile, so that while the projectile is flying at the target, the enemy’s light tank easily changes its position.

Picture. The powerful KV-1 gun mantlet can withstand amazing hits

Of course, a 120-mm high-explosive fragmentation projectile is unlikely to simply scratch the enemy’s armor, but it will not be able to inflict significant damage on an enemy heavy tank, especially if it is equipped with anti-fragmentation lining. In any case, we have gold ammunition that is capable of penetrating 140 mm armor on average, but given the accuracy of 0.52, it guarantees hits in weak points the enemy is simply impossible. Therefore, even in a direct firefight with the KV-1, there is a chance that the projectile will go into the gun mantlet or ricochet on the powerful Soviet heavy VLD, there are many variations on this theme.

Figure 4. O-I Experimental, top side view

Do not forget about the long aiming time and uncomfortable stabilization, which is especially inconvenient when aiming on the move and turning the turret. As for the fireflies, as already mentioned, with this gun they are almost invulnerable to us, since the shells simply do not keep up with them. True, as strange as it sounds, this weapon is great for long positional firefights on the streets of Ensk and even on Prokhorovka Alley. In any case, the gun performs its function, which will allow you to grow up to more powerful and convenient 75mm and 105mm guns.

Conclusion

We examined two not the most popular guns, which are only a springboard to more successful and powerful guns. Nevertheless, that with a 120 mm short-barreled gun you will from time to time shoot well at slow-moving targets, that with a stock 75 mm gun you can confidently fight off medium and light tanks with relatively weak armor - this should be quite enough to as much as possible get out faster top-end equipment by weapon class.

O-I is a Tier 6 Japanese heavy tank in World of Tanks.

Review

O-I - mid-tier land dreadnought. The Japanese has everything necessary to confirm this title: excellent armor (frontal armor - 150 mm at level VI!), large caliber guns with excellent penetration and high one-time damage.

Separately, it is worth noting the “stock” gun: in terms of its characteristics, it is in no way inferior to the “top” guns of classmates, so the heavily armored samurai is quite combat-ready even in the basic configuration.

Starting with this combat vehicle, the Japanese heavyweights show through character traits: heavy booking, excellent guns and modest mobility. O-I is a one direction tank.

Its main task is to push or hold back a specific section of the map. Therefore, at the beginning of the battle, you should carefully consider your own actions, because this medium-level monster has extremely limited opportunities to influence the development of events on other flanks.

Firepower

The tank has two excellent guns to choose from: 10cm, available as standard, and a top-end 15cm HE.

Note that the machine is quite combat-ready with a “stock” gun, however, only the installation of a “top” barrel makes a steel heavyweight a truly dangerous opponent, capable of knocking out a single-level enemy with one hook.

After all, the damage inflicted when breaking through the armor is comparable to that of the self-propelled guns. Due to the low accuracy of the "top" gun, the O-I will be most effective at medium and close ranges.

Booking

Oddly enough, the Japanese can boast of a really strong rear: the stern reservation, as well as the frontal projection, is 150 millimeters. For a Tier VI tank, this is practically an outrageous value.

Forehead booking
Board booking

Reservation stern

Strength

When booking does not save, durability points come to the rescue. The Japanese has as many as 970 of them - this is the best indicator at his level, not counting the premium tank TOG II *.

Mobility

For its size, the O-I boasts surprisingly good mobility.

With a maximum speed of 30 km / h, the heavyweight is able to quickly gain and maintain 24-26 km / h. It should also be noted that, despite its size, maneuverability is quite good: the chassis turning speed is 22 deg / s.

Excellent review

Without installed additional modules, the view of the tank is 370 meters. This value makes it possible to "shine through" the direction chosen for hostilities.

Dimensions

O-I is a huge tank. Due to its size, it may have difficulty finding suitable hiding places. Standing in the bushes will not work, as the dimensions of the car nullify all efforts to disguise.

However, there are pluses in such megalomania: since the gun is located high, in the clinch, the "Japanese" can fire at the weak points of vehicles with a lower silhouette - for example, on the weakly armored roof of the tower.

Characteristics

Characteristics
gun

Tower
Chassis

Engine
radio station

Crew skills and abilities

Equipment and gear

How to play

To fight the battle on O-I most effectively, you should alternately use land mines and armor-piercing shells. If you are at the top of the team's roster, the choice of ammo type depends on the opponent within O-I's range.

When firing at long distances, it is better to fire with land mines, since the accuracy of the gun is low and aim vulnerabilities at a distance of more than 200 meters is almost impossible.

In the middle of the list, you should behave a little more cautiously - shoot mainly with land mines, do not attack on your own, stay close to your allies.

In battles against Tanks VIII level, one should adhere to the “hit and run” tactics, that is, “hit and run away” (rather, he tried to escape retribution). Move with groups of allied tanks and try to avoid open spaces.

The O-I armor is able to reflect the shot of some Tier VIII vehicles, but you can't rely on chance. Do not once again expose yourself to enemy fire.

Wait until the big guys are busy shooting each other before dealing damage. This is how you will bring the most value to the team.

History reference

The design of a super-heavy tank began after the fighting on Khalkhin Gol in 1939. The machine was intended to be used as a mobile firing point. The tank received the name Mi-To (from Mitsubishi-Tokyo).

One prototype was built from structural steel without a turret. The tests ended in breakdowns of the undercarriage, and at the end of 1944 the tank was dismantled for scrap.

Update 9.10 introduces the long-awaited branch of Japanese heavy tanks - these vehicles aroused genuine interest among players even at the Supertest stage, so the first days of the General Test were randomly filled with these vehicles. Now interest in this branch has faded a little, and the reasons for this are simple to understand - the tanks turned out to be unusual, difficult to master and play. That is, not for everyone.

Tier V and VI vehicles play a special role in the branch, and there are two reasons for this. Firstly, getting to Tier V is very easy, players spend less than a hundred battles on it. Secondly, it is on Tier V and VI vehicles that players stay for a long time, or even completely stop further upgrading the branch. Statistics speak eloquently about this: Tier V and VI vehicles (with the exception of such popular vehicles as the Soviet IS or American T29) are larger than Tier VII-X vehicles combined.

Therefore, we decided to pay special attention to the Japanese V heavy tanks. level O-I Experimental and Tier VI O-I. These machines are interesting in themselves, and since there will be quite a lot of them, it will not be superfluous to know them. key features even before the release of patch 9.10.

O-I Experimental (Tier V)

O-I Exp. - this is the first really unusual tank of the branch, and it is from him that all that monstrosity begins, which will become a real "calling card" of Japanese TTs. This is a truly large machine weighing 100 tons, the size of the tank is second only to high-level counterparts such as Maus or E100. Such dimensions give both advantages to the tank and endow it with disadvantages, which we will discuss in more detail.

Features of pumping. The tank is pumped out of the Type 95 through the gun, and bringing it to the top is not too difficult. It is especially easier if you have already upgraded the Japanese LT-ST branch, since some already studied modules are installed on the TT, in particular, two pre-top guns and a radio station. When bringing to the top, you can not focus on the primary pumping of the chassis, since all modules are also placed on stock tracks. But in this case, it will be impossible to install equipment in all three slots. Yes, and the tank has only one turret, and this is typical for all subsequent vehicles. Ultimately, to get to the top, you only need to upgrade undercarriage, engine and top 10 cm gun.

Main characteristics. In fact, this tank belongs to super-heavy vehicles, which in our game is expressed by an increased number of hit points - in O-I Exp. there are as many as 700 of them, which is more than any single-level machines. A basic view of 360 meters is also good, which can be enhanced with optics (although this decision is debatable - it is much more efficient to use equipment to increase firepower).

Firepower. It is possible to install four guns on the tank, but only two of them are of particular interest:

• Tier V 7.5 cm with 124/155/38 penetration and 125/125/175 damage is a fast-firing gun (reload time with 100% crew and fan is 3 seconds), which is pumped on medium tanks Chi-Nu, Chi- To and Chi-Ri;
• Tier VI - 10 cm with penetration 130/150/53 and damage 300/300/360 - this is a slower-firing gun that will have to be pumped out.

At the same time, all guns have good vertical aiming angles, which, in principle, allows you to play from the terrain and not worry about bumps.

It can be assumed that most players will prefer to have a large one-time damage, so they will use the top 10 cm gun. However, it makes sense to install a 7.5 cm gun with less one-time damage. The fact is that the DPM of the top gun is 1857 points, and the pre-top one is as much as 2083 points. And here the difference in penetration does not play a special role, since both guns penetrate the same level opponents confidently, and for some tanks Level VII still have to use gold shells.

By the way, only the stock O-I Exp. HEAT rounds are used as premium ammunition, while all other golds use conventional armor-piercing rounds. On the one hand, this is a drawback, because sub-caliber shells fly faster than conventional APs, which makes it easier to lead and shoot at long distances. On the other hand, APs have better normalization, so they ricochet less and confidently pierce armor at an angle.

Armor protection. Tank armor is a total disappointment. Yes, it is big and heavy, but it has only 75 mm of armor in the front, 70 mm on the sides and 70 in the stern. The turret is a little more robust - armor plates 75 mm thick are located in it in a circle. In this case, all the armor consists of even sheets, which are installed without any rational angles.

In general, O-I Exp. - This is one of the easiest goals at Tier V. Only due to the slope of the armor on the turret, shells can sometimes ricochet, but this is the exception rather than the rule. So there is no need to rely on armor protection for the tank, which is very frustrating.

dynamics and agility. A tank with a mass of 100 tons is equipped with engines of 1100 and 1200 hp, which ultimately gives good dynamics. The car confidently accelerates to 40 km / h, while turning very well on the spot. Therefore O-I Exp. can be among the first to occupy key positions, and if necessary, even return to the base or try to move to the other flank.

What is the result? AT Face O-I Experimental, we got a large, lightly armored, mobile tank, equipped with excellent guns for Tier V (and two of them will compete with each other), and with the maximum amount of hit points in damage. Thanks to mobility, the tank can occupy important points, use a gun to inflict significant damage on even higher-level opponents, and at the same time exchange its HP without much risk. However, the lack of armor does not allow to withstand the onslaught of a large number of opponents, it is almost impossible to block with this tank or, conversely, break through the direction alone. Although a platoon of these tanks is capable of delivering trouble to the enemy team.

And in general, due to the combination of characteristics, the tank is quite difficult to master, not everyone can confidently play it, so it will not be found often in random.

An interesting detail. Due to the large dimensions of the tank, its internal modules and crew members are located quite far from the armor and from each other, so thanks to the mechanics of our game, they are almost not damaged. So on O-I Exp. crew members almost never suffer, and of the modules, the caterpillars and the gun suffer the most. However, there is an exception here - quite often the tank is knocked out by ammo (since the shells are located along the sides of the tank), so you will see how the tower will fly off from it more than once.

O-I (VI level)

In fact, it is with the O-I that real Japanese heavy tanks with armor and powerful weapons begin. Huge mass, low mobility, good armor and colossal dimensions - this tank is unique for Tier VI, while it also has unique gameplay features that will be a pleasure.

Features of pumping. As in the previous case, the tank is pumped out through the gun, and getting to the top requires only pumping the chassis and the gun. The tank has one turret, both engines are deflated for another O-I Exp., and the radio comes from the branch of medium tanks. In principle, you can play on the stock suspension, but its carrying capacity is not enough to install additional equipment, and it is critical for this tank.

Main characteristics. Among the key characteristics of the tank, one can single out its durability - as much as 970 points, which is second only to TOG II* durability. Also, the car has a good basic view of 370 meters, which, thanks to the fan and the Combat Brotherhood perk, can go beyond 400 meters. And one cannot ignore the huge dimensions and weight of 150 tons, although our game is designed in such a way that the player simply does not feel the full power and monstrosity of this technique.

Firepower. Two guns are mounted on the tank - 10 cm, received from O-I Exp. (but with base shell penetration increased to 175 mm), and a 15 cm Tier VII 15 cm Howitzer Type 96 howitzer with 121/150/75 penetration and 700/700/910 damage. Moreover, it is the high explosive that is of particular interest, which brings variety to the gameplay and makes it truly fun.

Like any similar howitzer, the gun has low accuracy (dispersion 0.58 m/100 m), long reload time (over 20 seconds) and slow aiming (3.7 seconds). However, for some reason, a cumulative projectile with a penetration of only 150 mm is used as a gold here - this is not even enough to pierce itself! This was probably done in order to achieve balance, since with good premium shells this weapon will make the tank a real imboy.

But not without a fly in the ointment. O-I with a pre-top 10-cm gun in a duel shoots the same O-I on a high-explosive. Shells of a 10 cm cannon confidently pierce a tank, so PDM of 1600 - 1700 points is easily realizable, and HE and HEAT shells of a 15 cm cannon with the same confidence not pierce the tank, and the real DPM does not even reach 1000 points. Surely there will be players who prefer a confident BB to a cheerful landmine.

Armor protection. This is the first Japanese heavy in the branch that actually has armor. All sheets in the frontal projection have a thickness of 150 mm, which, thanks to the slope, gives as much as 270 mm of reduced armor in the VLD, 210 and 212 mm in the NLD sheets, and from 160 to 203 mm in the main turret, in the upper front hull plates, small towers and command turrets. In the tower in a circle 150 mm, in the sides of the hull only 70 mm, and in the stern again the same 150 mm.

So O-I can tank, and often the damage will not pass even from projectiles of high-level opponents. And if you correctly use the slopes of the armor, then it will be possible to survive even in very difficult situations. This is especially true for the turret - due to the slope of the cheeks, it should always be directed with the barrel at the shooting enemy, in this case the reduced armor will be at least 173 mm and the chance of ricochet is very high.

However, the tank has weak armor on the turret roof and hull, which means problems from self-propelled guns flying from above. However, the biggest problem is the colossal dimensions of the O-I and its slowness, because it is large and unhurried vehicles that first of all fall into the focus of our gunners.

Dynamics and agility. As expected, the tank is very slow and reluctant to move around the battlefield - its maximum speed is 29 - 30 km / h. Although with a specific power of 7.7 hp / t, this is not surprising. On the other hand, the machine turns well on the spot, so you can have time to put the right diamond or help the turret turn the gun faster.

By the way, the tank is so powerful (after all, 1200 hp) that it becomes a formidable weapon in itself. For example, in the clinch, you can easily push and turn opponents, push them off hills or into the water. Well, you can still push wrecked tanks in front of you, using them as armor. In general, Japanese TTs have unique gameplay solutions.

What is the result? Big sizes, slowness and a powerful high-explosive at level VI - does this remind you of anything? Of course, this is our favorite KV-2! But the O-I, unlike the Soviet heavy, has better armor protection, so in some cases it will be able to prove itself better.

Playing at the top of the list, the tank can hold or push the direction, and with support it can act in the same way against Tier VII tanks. But in no case should you fight alone, since every time after a shot the tank is turned off from the battle for at least 20 seconds and becomes easy prey. And at the bottom of the list, you should be especially careful, it is better to be a little further away, drive out, take a shot, and hide in cover for 20 seconds.

But regardless of the level of combat, O-I should be wary of artillery. And here the size factor plays a big role - it is problematic for such a tank to find good shelter from shells flying from above!

Surely, this tank will be loved by many players, and in someone's hearts it will replace the KV-2. In addition, the O-I is a passing tank, and not a dead end tank, like the Soviet heavy, so everyone who decides to download the Japanese branch will definitely try it. So even more players will experience the pleasure of a large land mine at mid-levels.

2-07-2016, 01:58

Hello to all fans of World of Tanks, especially those who love heavy tanks. Today we will talk about a real giant, a giant that surpasses all classmates with its dimensions and weight - this is an O-I guide.

You all know very well that this vehicle is a Tier 6 Japanese heavy tank and have heard it many times. positive reviews it's hard about it. Now we will look at the O-I TTX and everyone can decide for themselves whether these rumors are true.

TTX O-I

To begin with, it is worth saying that we have a good margin of safety for our level and a good basic view of 370 meters, which can be overclocked, as shown in the screenshot above.

If we consider O-I characteristics booking, then there are practically no complaints and the armor of the car is very interesting. Our front and rear hulls are equally well armored, due to which we can easily tank most of our classmates and even some tanks of the seventh level. But the sides are loose and they can only be substituted at a very steep angle. When O-I WoT tank falls down the list, the armor stops deciding and huge dimensions only harm us.

Everything is fine with the tower, it is equally well armored in a circle, so there is nothing to talk about.

Regarding mobility, everything is much worse. As you may have noticed, this Japanese weighs over 150 tons and this figure is only good for ramming. Otherwise, this is a big minus, because mobility suffers greatly due to the huge mass. So that O-I World of Tanks picks up its maximum speed very poorly, has disgusting dynamics and frankly poor maneuverability, a real big turtle.

gun

In terms of armament, this unit is very interesting and it is this aspect that is considered its main feature. The thing is that we are given a choice of two guns, each of which has a hollow right to life.

First, let's take a look at the top-end O-I gun - this is a high-explosive, very similar to the one on the legendary KV-2. This barrel is famous for its huge one-time damage, and you can shoot both BBs and land mines, however, in the second case, you will deal 100% damage to whichever enemy you shoot at.

This gun has poor armor penetration, but its main disadvantages are disgusting accuracy, huge spread, long time information and a very long reload. But, having loaded a landmine or even BB, heavy O-I tank can take down even a classmate with one shot.

The second option is a stock gun, but do not rush to write it off, because many people prefer it. The fact is that she has a higher armor penetration, which is enough to penetrate all her classmates, and for fights at the bottom of the list, there is a good gold.

The one-shot damage of this barrel is also decent, and a more pleasant reload time allows you to develop more damage per minute than a high-explosive, due to more stable shooting.

At the same time, the World of Tanks O-I tank comes down to this gun faster, and it has more pleasant accuracy and dispersion indicators.

Another very important and tricky nuance is that we have good vertical aiming angles (-10 degrees down). But do not rush to rejoice, the gun falls worse from the side, and even when “looking” back or forward, large machine-gun turrets prevent it from completely lowering, so not in all planes O-I WoT able to lower his gun by 10 degrees.

Advantages and disadvantages

So it's time to sum up the first results, because the analysis of the main parameters and characteristics of the guns is left behind. Now we will separately highlight the strengths and weaknesses of this unit, because everything is very ambiguous here. I want to point out right away that grades O-I World of Tanks will be placed based on the fact that we will get into battle at the top or in the middle of the list, since fighting against tanks two levels higher is always not a pleasant pleasure.
Pros:
Good booking;
Powerful and variable weapons;
Good review;
Decent margin of safety.
Minuses:
Disgusting mobility;
Huge dimensions;
Poor accuracy and timing;
Problematic elevation angles.

Equipment for O-I

Of course, when installing additional modules on any tank, you should take care to enhance the existing advantages of the vehicle or neutralize its weaknesses. In a situation with O-I equipment chosen for the same reason:
1. - always set, if there is such an opportunity, because it allows us to increase our DPM.
2. - everything is very clear here, you need to do something with poor accuracy and this is the only good way speed up convergence.
3. - a comprehensive increase in important parameters, it is never superfluous.

As usual, there are several alternatives to the last point, the first of which will be, because with it the tank becomes more sighted. The second variation is , it is placed because the Japanese O-I heavy tank is slow and very large, so the artillery will hit us often.

Crew training

The choice of skills for the crew is at least important point and in our case, everything is again ambiguous, since for some reason a second radio operator was put in the tank. However, you still need to get the most out of everything, and O-I perks learn the following:
Commander - , , , .
Gunner - , , , .
Driver mechanic - , , , .
Radio operator - , , , .
Radio operator - , , , .
Loader - , , , .

Equipment for O-I

In terms of the selection of consumables, everything is standard. In order to save money, the best option would be to carry, and. If you want reliability and increased survivability, because we will have to tank often, it’s better to take premium equipment on O-I, where the fire extinguisher can be replaced with .

O-I tactics

Last but not least, there is how to play this giant. Regardless of which weapon you choose, O-I tactics combat comes down to who you have to fight.

If you get into a fight at the top of the list, you can feel like a king. Our harrow is strong, and our place is the first line, where all the fun happens. Of course, the ideal option would be a city map, where you can hide behind the houses and there will be no art before us. At the same time, the heavy tank O-I WoT can tank both frontally, turning the hull quite a bit, and sideways, leaving behind the shelter in a reverse rhombus, but at a serious angle. In such realities, everyone is afraid of our gun, and the emotions from one-shots (if a high explosive is selected) are indescribable.

As for the fights against the eighth levels, everything is much worse here. The armor doesn't seem so good anymore, the safety margin runs out quickly and the huge dimensions of O-I World of Tanks play against us. In this case, it is better to stay away, try to completely reduce and inflict damage, peeking out from behind covers and the backs of comrades.

In any case, remember, our worst enemy is artillery, so you always need to take a position wisely. In addition, due to limited mobility, a heavy O-I tank can rightfully be considered a vehicle of one direction, choosing which one will have to go to the end. Try to analyze the situation, deceive the enemy, take him to the shot and better not be alone. With an overwhelming number of enemies, we are like a mammoth that has been cornered.

Otherwise, the O-I tank is worth downloading, it is rightfully considered the pearl of its tech tree and brings a lot of fun in every battle in the top, especially if you play with a HE.

Official designation: “O-I”
Alternative designation: “Mi-To”, Type 100
Start of design: 1939
Date of construction of the first prototype:
Completion stage: one prototype was built, the project was subsequently canceled due to high technical complexity.

The history of the creation of Japanese super-heavy tanks cannot be called fully disclosed, if only because there is almost no documentary evidence related to this topic. For a long time, the so-called “appearance reconstructions” of these machines “wandered” on the Internet, most of which had nothing to do with real projects at all. The Japanese themselves could shed light, but even their sources, until recently, did not give complete clarity. So it turned out that Japanese super-heavy tanks were called Type 100, then O-I, then O-1, etc. Very meager texts, both in printed publications and on the Internet, were accompanied by drawings, where the tanks were depicted in various "modifications", differing noticeably in the configuration of the hull, chassis and number of turrets.

Of course, the online game "World of Tanks" ("World of Tanks") contributed to the popularization of Japanese super-heavy tanks. Despite the fact that after its appearance, the number of "experts" in the field of world tank building increased in arithmetic progression, we must pay tribute to Wargaming - it was able not only to captivate people with another "toy", but also to show many projects of tanks and self-propelled guns that were previously inaccessible in open sources. The most interesting story happened to Japanese armored vehicles.

When the idea arose to introduce Japanese tanks into the game, the main concept took shape on three branches of development: light, medium and heavy (for some reason, self-propelled guns and tank destroyers were not included in the game, although the exhibits there were more than interesting). But if there was no shortage of materials with the first two types of combat vehicles, then there was simply no reliable information on super-heavy tanks starting from the “O-I”. By this time, a series of consultations had been held with Japanese technique advisor Tadamasa Miyanaga and Kunihiro Suzuki, president of Fine Molds Corp., a Japanese plastic model maker. As it turned out, Mr. Suzuki is the owner of the drawings of a super-heavy tank, which we used to call Type 100 “O-I”(it is not entirely clear where the number 100 came from, although there is a version that this is a transformation from 2600 - the year the development began according to the Japanese calendar). But regarding the progress of development and testing, only fragmentary information has been preserved. The following article is based on Internet publications based on translated Japanese materials.

The development of super-heavy tanks began in the second half of 1939, when Japan suffered a major defeat from the Soviet-Mongolian troops near the Khalkhin-Gol River. With fairly active actions of Japanese armored forces, their overall effectiveness turned out to be frankly low, since the main Type 89 and Type 95 Ha-Go tanks at that time had very mediocre combat characteristics. The ancestor of the idea to create a super-heavy tank was Colonel Hideo Iwakura, appointed in the same year as head of the Department of Army Affairs in the Bureau of Army Affairs). Assessing the experience gained, he formulated a very unusual and vague tactical and technical task, which literally sounded like this:

“I want to build a huge tank that can be used as a mobile pillbox in the wide open steppes of Manchuria. Top secret."

"Make it twice the size of today's tanks."

Why Iwakura needed a “mobile bunker” is difficult to say, since then it is unlikely that anyone could imagine how to combine the thickest armor with acceptable mobility - in the open steppes of Manchuria, such a tank would be an excellent target for artillery and enemy aircraft. Given that Soviet pilots began to successfully master dive bombing, the viability of the Japanese tank now seems very doubtful. However, there is reason to believe that Iwakura did not impose strict requirements precisely because of the high complexity of the super-heavy tank, literally untying the hands of the designers. This approach guaranteed a fast pace of development, provided that a number of components and design solutions were used that were already used on other combat vehicles, in particular, on the Type 97 “Chi-Ha” tank.

For the design of a super-heavy tank, the 4th Technical Research Department was allocated under the leadership of Colonel Murato (it is from his words that Iwakura is quoted). Mitsubishi employees also provided active assistance in the development process. Work carried out in the regime of special secrecy continued throughout 1940. It cannot be said that the Japanese specialists were in a hurry somewhere - the preliminary design was ready only by March 1941.

The tank they developed really looked like a mobile multi-tower firing point. Apparently, in order to ensure the best manufacturability, bent profiles were practically not used in the design, which gave appearance this machine is characterized by faceted shapes. The final version of the project included the installation of four towers: the main large-caliber gun- in the center, two small ones - in front and another small one - at the stern. Although it is possible that the original version provided for a different layout option.

It must be assumed that the development of the 4th Division was approved by Colonel Iwakura, since in April 1941 a group of engineers was selected to build the first prototype of the tank. Further events are described from the words of engineer Shigeo Otaka (Shigeo Otaka), according to which the "chosen group" was sent to the previous headquarters of the 4th division in Tokyo. The specialists were placed in barracks, inside which there were many small rooms intended for meetings and discussions on the progress of the tank's construction. The secrecy was so high that each specialist had only his part of the drawings. The general discussion and connection of the parts of the project into a single whole was carried out in a separate room equipped with soundproof walls to prevent any possibility of eavesdropping on the part of the service personnel. Presumably at the same time, the tank received an unofficial name “Mi-To”, which is an abbreviation of the first letters of the company Mi tsubishi and development cities That kio.

The assembly of the Mi-To prototype was started on April 14, 1941. Due to the fact that the Japanese had no experience in developing such titanic machines, the necessary components were made privately (in fact, we can talk about semi-handicraft production and fitting individual parts “in place”, although there is no documentary mention of this). Colonel Murata hoped that the assembly of the Mi-To could be completed within three months, but the super-heavy tank was heavy not only in terms of mass, but also from a technical point of view. The construction of "Mi-To" required the allocation of huge investments and resources, which in the conditions of preparation for the war in the Pacific was very problematic.

Despite the determination of the specialists of the 4th department to complete their work, enthusiasm alone was clearly not enough. Work on the assembly of the tank was carried out in conditions of great material constraints, and in addition, suppliers could not quickly produce all the necessary components and assemblies. From the memories of the participants in those events, most of the resources allocated for the project were exhausted after a month and further construction was postponed until January 1942.

As of February 8, it was possible to almost complete the assembly of the hull, but work was constantly delayed due to lack of support and resources. Nevertheless, the Japanese had something to brag about even then. The thickness of the frontal armor plates and the stern of the Mi-To was 150 mm, top part superstructure boards - 75 mm each, Bottom part sides of the superstructure - 35 mm each, roof - 35 mm (50 mm according to the project), bottom - 30 mm. The layout of the hull was generally classical, with the exception of the location of the turrets: two small turrets were located longitudinally in front of the hull, the main turret was in the center and another small turret was placed aft above the engine. Inside, the hull was divided by 20-mm armor partitions into three separate sections. The height of the ceilings in them was such that a person of average height could freely walk around the tank.

A power plant was mounted on the prototype, consisting of two engines running on a common transmission, the main units of which were located between them. The steering was in the bow of the hull, in front of the small towers. Regarding the type of engines, it is indicated that they were 12-cylinder Kawasaki Type 98 with a power of 550 hp. each. It is also indicated that the transmission copied the scheme from the Type 97 medium tank, but consisted of larger components. The cooling system caused many problems, the development and manufacture of which took a very long time.

The undercarriage, as applied to one side, included four two-roller bogies, a front drive and a rear steering wheel. The carts were equipped with shock absorption on vertical spring springs. The caterpillar was large-linked and consisted of cast tracks. Almost all elements of the undercarriage, with the exception of the lower part of the road wheels, were protected by a 35-mm armored screen, bolted on.

The towers caused no less "headache". In the project for them (including commander's domes), the thickness of the side armor plates was equal to 150 mm. It is alleged that Mitsubishi manufactured all four towers in May 1942, but the 35-mm roof was not ready for the main one. What condition the rest were in is not specified.

Regarding weapons, such a scheme was chosen. Two frontal hexagonal towers were to be equipped with 47-mm guns, the barrels of which were modernized and protected by additional armor casings - their main purpose was to fight enemy armored vehicles. In the tower at the stern of a similar type, designed to protect against infantry from the rear, only two 7.7-mm machine guns were provided. In the main seven-sided turret, it was supposed to install a 149.1-mm Type 96 howitzer, the field version of which was put into service in 1937 and proved itself well in battles in China and Mongolia. High-explosive shells These guns inflicted huge damage on fortifications and uncovered infantry, while having an initial speed of 540 m / s, they pierced a 125-mm vertical armor plate at a distance of 230 meters. When installed on a tank, the howitzer received a massive armored casing that protected approximately 3/5 of the barrel length. The vertical guidance angles for the howitzer ranged from -5° to + 20°, for 47-mm guns - from -10° to + 20°.

The dimensions of the almost finished Mi-To tank were truly impressive: length - 10100 mm, height - 3595 mm (hull - 2530 mm, main turret - 1065 mm), full width - 4833 mm. The crew was to consist of 11 people:

- driver

- driver's assistant

- commander

- three gunners in the main tower

- two gunners in small towers

- machine gunner in the aft turret

- radio operator

— tank maintenance engineer.

The landing of the crew in the tank was carried out only through the tower hatches, since the placement of various components and assemblies did not allow making additional doors or hatches in the hull. In order for the tankers to be able to climb to a 3-meter height, U-shaped handrails in the amount of 40 pieces were fixed on the sides and stern. In addition, during the assembly process of Mi-To, another serious problem emerged - the Mitsubishi company was unable to set up the production of 150-mm armor plates in the allotted time, in connection with which it was decided to introduce two-layer armor. Thus, the frontal and side parts of the hull were originally made from 75-mm armor plates, on which armor plates of the same thickness had to be bolted in order to bring the armor to the design level. Thus, the mass of the prototype was only 96 tons, but after being equipped with all the equipment, weapons and ammunition, this figure was to rise to 150 tons.

The date of the exact completion of the construction of the Mi-To remains unknown, however, active testing of the tank was scheduled for the end of 1943. Shortly before this, the tank was "declassified" for display to representatives of the Japanese army high command, at the same time assigning it a standardized designation "Oh-I" (O- heavy, And- the first). How military officials, including Tomio Hara, who was the head of the Sagamiya army arsenal, reacted to the giant, now one can only guess, but it can be assumed that O-I still aroused great interest - sea trials were to begin as early as August of that the same year. For testing, the tank was dismantled and one of the June nights sent to the disposal of the Sagami arsenal, which was located in the city of Sagamihara, 51 km from Tokyo. The assembly was carried out throughout July and on August 1st the O-I was almost ready, except for the absence of the main turret and hinged armor plates (that is, the small turrets were still installed).

The first day of testing caused conflicting feelings among both developers and army representatives. When driving on a hard surface special concerns driving performance did not call. The 96-ton prototype is said to have developed top speed 40 km / h, while the project was 30 km / h. However, in the second hour of the tests, when we had to go to softer ground, the tank dug into it a meter deep. The driver tried to pull the car out with maneuvers, but this resulted in compression and subsequent jamming of the suspension elements. Ultimately, the tank was towed and tested on a concrete surface. Here, simply discouraging results were obtained - instead of the expected smooth ride, the suspension very quickly failed (apparently due to strong shaking, aggravated by the titanic weight and the specific design of the tracks). There are also allegations that when moving from the tank, pieces of tracks flew off. As a result, the test was first postponed, and the next day it was decided to cancel it altogether.

Despite all these incidents, the overall result was assessed as positive. In principle, this conclusion was correct, since the Japanese were the first to build a super-heavy tank and even make it move under its own power. At the same time, maintaining the vehicle in running condition in the field and with very limited resources was an extremely time-consuming task, and therefore, on August 3, 1943, the personnel began to dismantle the O-I. The dismantling process was completed on August 8th, and two days later the engineers noted in the magazine that they had begun to analyze the individual components of the tank in order to identify deficiencies and ways to eliminate them.

The further fate of “O-I” is mysterious and foggy. Most sources agree that by September 1945 the tank was scrapped, as was most of the documentation on it. Not even a single photograph or drawing has survived. The only artifacts confirming the existence of this machine are engineering journals and an album of drawings, as well as parts of a caterpillar track stored on this moment at Wakajishi Shrine. By the way, this place, which is actually a museum, is associated with one interesting fact- on the signatures to the tracks there are values ​​100t and 90t, while on the signatures to technical magazines - 150t.

On this story “O-I” could have ended, if not for one interesting nuance. More recently, "Reference: cooling systems for Japanese heavy tank projects" was found in the former Soviet archives. In addition to the very scarce information about the Type 2604 and Type 2605 tanks, it indicated the following:

“The wooden model of the O-I tank suggests, instead of a pair of BMW carburetor engines, a model of a Daimler-Benz engine”, liquid-cooled diesel, twelve-cylinder. The cooling system on the layout assumes the presence of two six-section radiators with an ejector-type purge from the engine exhaust gases. Air intake is carried out through casings in the upper part of the engine compartment. To provide airflow to the engine and purge the fighting compartment of the tank, there is an auxiliary fan driven by a cardan shaft from the engine fuel pump.

The advantage of the layout is the simplicity of the device, providing ventilation of the tank turret, however, only when the engine is on.

The disadvantage of the layout is the need to remove the sealed sections of the radiators that cover the engine cylinder heads during maintenance and repair. The radiator section needs to be removed to gain access to the engine.

From this reference, it is not entirely clear what kind of model of the “O-I” tank was meant. Obviously, it was a full-size one and even a German engine was installed in it (or its mock-up copy) - there are suggestions that it could have been an aviation Daimler-Benz DB 601A, but no other sources confirm this. It is possible that in 1943-1944. work on "O-I" was still ongoing, moreover, on the territory subsequently captured Soviet troops i.e. in Manchuria. It is quite possible that the Japanese command did not leave the idea of ​​"an armored bunker in the endless Manchurian steppes", but this version has not yet been officially confirmed.

Information about other super-heavy tanks in Japan is still perceived with skepticism. For example, a number of foreign sources claim that in the development of "Mi-To"\"O-I" the first project was a 96-ton tank, which was soon redesigned into a 100-ton tank, then into a 120-ton tank, and, finally, the apogee became a 150-ton sample. In fact, there is an overlap real facts to the speculations of historians. Thus, no other super-heavy tanks, except for the "Mi-To" \ "O-I", were no longer built in Japan. If only because the Japanese could not afford it for purely material reasons.

Nevertheless, the theme of Japanese supertanks turned out to be very tenacious. In particular, in the article by Alexei Statsenko “The Giants of the Country rising sun” provides information about the construction of another tank in 1944. The development of a 120-ton machine was carried out by Mitsubishi engineers, and the layout scheme was completely borrowed from O-I: two small turrets with 47-mm Type 1 cannons in front, a main turret with Type 92 in the center and another small turret with two machine guns on stern. The composition of the auxiliary armament has not changed, and the ammunition load was 60 rounds of separate loading (projectile weight - 16 kg, charge - 30 kg) for a 104.9-mm cannon, 100 unitary rounds for 47-mm Type 1 cannons and 7470 cartridges for machine guns. Overall dimensions: length - 10 meters (according to the "Reference book" - 11 m), width - 4.2 meters, height - 4 meters. The thickness of the frontal reservation was to be 200 mm, the width of the tracks was 750 mm.

Sources:
P. Sergeev "Tanks of Japan in the Second World War." 2000
S. Fedoseev "Armored vehicles of Japan 1939-1945" (" Historical Series", an appendix to the magazine "Technology-youth"). 2003
E. Pyasetsky " Japanese tanks"("Rhombus" No. 1)
Steven Zaloga, Tony Bryan "Japanese Tanks 1939-45"
Warspot: Alexey Statsenko "Giants of the Land of the Rising Sun"
Status Report: O-I by Seon Eun Ae
War Thunder Forum: O-I: Japan's Super Heavy Tank
reddit.com (Warthunder): O-I Superheavy Tank (blueprints by Fine Molds)
World of Warships: Wargaming at TGS15! Second day
thunder-games.livejournal.com: Post 1 of 3 about O-I from a Japanese consultant / Answers from FM and BVV / Other
ftr.wot-news.com: Superheavy Japanese tanks
Wakajishi Jinja (Museum at Wakajishi Shrine)
imgur.com: O-I (docs scan)

Articles about the models of the tank "O-I":
1/72 Multiverse: O-I Super Heavy Tank
Henk of Holland: Info: Japanese 150 ton Super Heavy Tank "O-I"

PERFORMANCE AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SUPER-HEAVY TANK
"O-I" sample 1943