The Type 2 Ke-To (二式軽戦車 ケト, Nishiki keisensha Ke-To) was a light tank of World War II, produced in small numbers for the Imperial Japanese Army as an improvement of the existing Type 98 Ke-Ni. No Type 2 Ke-To light tanks are known to have engaged in combat prior to Japan's surrender at the end of World War II.[3]
| Type 2 Ke-To | |
|---|---|
 Type 2 Ke-To light tank | |
| Type | Light tank |
| Place of origin | Empire of Japan |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1941 |
| Produced | 1944–1945[1] |
| No. built | 34[2] |
| Specifications (Type 2 Ke-To[3][4]) | |
| Mass | 7.2 tons |
| Length | 4.11 m (13 ft 6 in) |
| Width | 2.12 m (6 ft 11 in) |
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Crew | 3 |
| Armor | 6–16 mm[3] |
Main armament | Type 1 37 mm tank gun[3] |
Secondary armament | 7.7 mm machine gun[3] |
| Engine | Mitsubishi Type 100 air-cooled diesel 130 hp (97 kW)[3] |
| Suspension | Bell crank |
Operational range | 186 kilometers |
| Maximum speed | 50 km/h[3] |
Design
editThe Type 2 Ke-To was based on the Type 98 Ke-Ni, using the same engine and bell crank suspension.[5] However, the gun turret was enlarged to provide greater space for the crewmen and the main armament was changed to the more powerful Type 1 37 mm gun,[5] with a muzzle velocity of 800 m/s.[3][6] The new 37 mm gun used gave the tank "slightly better performance".[5] The conical turret also carried a 7.7 mm machine-gun in a coaxial mount.[7] The designation "Type 2" represented the Japanese Imperial Year 2602 (1942 AD), "Ke" represented "light", and "To" represented the number seven.[3][8]
Production
editProduction commenced in 1944, with 34 units completed by the end of the war.[2][3] No Type 2 Ke-To light tanks are known to have engaged in combat prior to Japan's surrender at the end of World War II.[3]
Prototype work vehicle
edit
An experimental "work vehicle" based on the Type 2 Ke-To light tank was produced in 1944. The armament consisted of a Type 97 7.7 mm machine gun in a smaller, modified turret. It was equipped with a 30kw generator, a flood light for night work and a light crane behind the tower.[9]
Variant
editThe Type 4 work vehicle was an engineering vehicle developed in late 1944 on the chassis of the Type 2 Ke-To light tank. It was equipped with a dozer blade on the front end for use in airfield construction. It was also equipped with a 30kw generator to power tools and a flood light for night work. The exact number produced is not known.[10]
Footnotes
edit- ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 17, 18.
- ^ a b Zaloga 2007, p. 17.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k History of War: Type 98 Type 2 Ke-To Light Tank
- ^ Taki's Imperial Japanese Army: Type 2 Light Tank "Ke-To"
- ^ a b c Zaloga 2007, p. 18.
- ^ Hara 1973, p. 13.
- ^ Tomczyk 2002, p. 75.
- ^ History of War: Japanese Tank Designations
- ^ Taki's Imperial Japanese Army: Articles on Japanese tank (Japanese text only)
- ^ Taki's Imperial Japanese Army: Type 4 Work Vehicle
References
edit- Hara, Tomio (1973). Japanese Combat Cars, Light Tanks, and Tankettes. AFV Weapons Profile No. 54. Profile Publications Limited.
- Tomczyk, Andrzej (2002). Japanese Armor Vol. 1. AJ Press. ISBN 83-7237-097-4.
- Zaloga, Steven J. (2007). Japanese Tanks 1939–45. Osprey. ISBN 978-1-8460-3091-8.
Further reading
edit- Foss, Christopher (2003). Great Book of Tanks: The World's Most Important Tanks from World War I to the Present Day. Zenith Press. ISBN 0-7603-1475-6.
- Foss, Christopher (2003). Tanks: The 500. Crestline. ISBN 0-7603-1500-0.