Talk:Type 97 Te-Ke tankette

I added a performance section and beefed up the production section, but this article is still a little skimpy. Any WWII buffs out there wanna make this thing fly?--5th Angel 23:33, 12 April 2006 (UTC)

Machine gun on tank at Soest

As per @Kierzek request here, I'm gonna discuss it here. I'm yet to found the RS for this particular tank, but in the meantime I will explain my reasoning. As you can see, the Type 97 tank MG looks like this (without the barrel jacket/armor) when mounted on tank. For example the Te-Ke with tank MG looks like this. As you might discern, the shape of the barrel is different than the one found on the tank at Soest, which more akin to the Type 89 fixed aircraft MG which looks like this. Note that the similar type 97 fixed aircraft MG have different patterns of holes in it's barrel shroud. That's just my 2 cents, regards. Jauhsekali (talk) 21:43, 11 June 2021 (UTC)

As I said on your talk page, we must go by the WP:RS cited sources, our opinions do not matter, they are only WP:OR. The RS cited source of "Japanese Armor Vol. 1" by Tomczyk, and the other source of Christopher Foss, state the Type 97 heavy tank machine gun was the one used. I admit personally that the photo may show a different 7.7 mm machine gun used for that example (as an available local mod), but without an RS cite, it is only "guess work" which, cannot be included in the article. If you find an RS source that states a diff. 7.7 mm machine gun was used on this occasion for this IJA tankette, then please provide it for consideration. I am pinging @GraemeLeggett: as he may know and have an RS cite. Kierzek (talk) 02:09, 15 June 2021 (UTC)

I admit finding RS for this particular tank will be difficult as like you said, it may be a local mod by either Japanese or Indonesian (the photo description says it was captured by Dutch marines from Indonesian forces), of which usually not well documented. Maybe someone that works at/with Nationaal Militair Museum knows about the details. For now I propose just to remove the note about the MG to prevent misleading information. Jauhsekali (talk) 02:22, 17 June 2021 (UTC)

AFV Profile No. 54 (Tomio Hara) Japanese Combat Cars, light Tanks and Tankettes doesn't specify the machine gun model at all and the only image of the MG version is from rear. Zaloga's Japanese Tanks 1939-1945 (New Vanguard 137) is equally unhelpful. Zaloga doesn't mention MG armament on the Type 97 at all. It does say the 7.7mm Type 97 machine gun was fitted to the Te Ke's predecessor the Type 94. GraemeLeggett (talk) 08:49, 17 June 2021 (UTC)

Yes, I have those two works, as well (AFV magazine and Zaloga book). I did not mention them as they don’t say anything on this subject matter (mg used), as you know and have stated above. Thanks for checking the sources you have, GraemeLeggett. Kierzek (talk) 01:57, 18 June 2021 (UTC)