Untitled

This tank, along with another Type 97 Shinhoto, were discovered in Tank Maintenance Factory in Shenyang of Chinese Northeast in November 1945, by   members of the communist-led Eight Route Army. They were numbered 101 and 102. It became the first tank of the Northeast tank regiment founded in December 1945. It took part in the attack of Jinzhou on 14 September 1948, and did great contribution for knocking out the Nationalist’s bunkers and MG nests by shooting and ramming. Thus after the battle the tank was awarded with a special name:" The Distinguished Serviceman (gong chen hao)". The museum recreated the scene that the tank parading in the streets of Tianjin (Tientsin) after capturing the city. The tank was assembled with with a normal Type 97's chassis (57mm gun version) early model, and a Shinhoto Type 97(47mm gun version)'s turret (“miller”). Tank number 101 was sabotaged by imprisoned Japanese Japanese machinists in November 1945 and was abandoned.

Military Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution, Beijing, China