Thin armor alone does not establish whether a Japanese tank met its intended purpose. The designs answered the operating environment, the army's requirements, and the economy available to construct them. Japan also possessed tanks judged better in this discussion that remained in the home islands for much of the war. Comparing protection therefore requires attention to the work those vehicles were meant to perform and the resources available to produce them.
Notable Point · 2:00:01-2:00:30
Japanese tanks need to be judged against their intended war
A correction to a joke about thin armor argues that Japanese tanks reflected their operating environment, army requirements, and constrained industrial economy.