The Type 3 had a caliber of , barrel length of (L/38). As fitted to the
Type 3 Chi-Nu medium tank, elevation was from -10 to +25 degrees. Firing a shell at a
muzzle velocity of it gave an armor penetration of at and at . The Type 3 Chi-Nu, in which the gun was mounted, was the most powerful tank in regular series production for the Imperial Japanese Army during
World War II. The Type 3 Chi-Nu was developed to cope with the M4 Sherman. By 1943, the low priority given to tank production meant that the Type 3 did not actually enter production until 1944. By that time, the material and industrial shortages faced by Japan caused production of the tank to be delayed. These tanks were allocated to the
Japanese home islands to defend against the projected
Allied Invasion. As the
surrender of Japan occurred before that invasion, the Type 3 was never used in combat. Between 1944 and 1945, a total of 144 to 166 Type 3 Chi-Nu tanks were produced. One surviving Type 3 medium tank with its Type 3 75 mm tank gun is on display at the
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Military Ordnance Training School at
Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, Japan. The Type 3 tank gun was also the main armament for the
Type 3 Ho-Ni III. The Ho-Ni III "gun tank" served as both
self-propelled artillery and
tank destroyer. It had a fully enclosed heptagonal armored casemate to address the issue of crew protection in close combat. ==Notes==