u/FederationReborn

By 1941, the Japanese Expeditionary Force had been fighting across Libya and Italy using older Chi He and American supplied M4 Medium Tanks (nicknamed "Sherman-sans"). The Japanese government however, needed a domestically produced medium tank that could take on German panzers, enter the Type 41. Mitsubishi developed the Type 41 not as a mere "medium tank" but as the first of a new generation of "universal tanks" now known as main-battle tanks. Taking the Sherman's design and layout as inspiration, the Type 41 focused on reliability and ease of maintenance while introducing the Type 99 (in the old system, Type 39 in the new) 88mm anti-aircraft gun as it's primary weaponry. The armor is a heavily slopes at 80mm at 60 degrees on the front glacis and 100mm at 30 degrees on the front of the turret. Gone was the hull-mounted machine gun that created a shot trap and a weak point in the sloped armor and the coaxial gun is a 15mm Type 40 with another on a pintle mount for extra firepower if needed.

The engine was a brand new Mitsubishi-designed V12 producing over 700 horsepower driving a front-mounted 6 speed transmission that could push the 35 ton tank past 25 miles an hour. The interior is spacious enough for the crew to easily move around and travel in relative comfort. Numerous escape hatches were designed to focus on crew survivability.

The Type 41 would serve in Italy, France, and the Balkans, being purchased and licensed by Australia and Britain. Variants included the Type 41 Armored Infantry Vehicle and the Commonwealth "Thunderer" that replaced the 88mm cannon with a shortened British 4.5 inch gun.

It would exit front-line service with the Imperial Self-Defense Forces in 1947 and in Brazil in 1976.