Type 2 Ke-To
| Type 2 Ke-To | |
|---|---|
A Japanese Type 2 Te-Ko (missing armament). |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 3 (commander / gunner, driver, bow machine gunner) |
| length | Tower 12 o'clock 4.11 m |
| width | 2.11 m |
| height | 1.82 m |
| Dimensions | 6.2 t - 7.2 t |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | 6-16 mm |
| Main armament | Type 1 37 mm cannon 110 rounds |
| Secondary armament |
Type 97 7.7 mm machine gun 1400 rounds |
| agility | |
| drive | Mitsubishi Type 100 6 cylinder diesel engine 98 kW (130 PS) |
| Top speed | 50 km / h (road) |
| Power / weight | approx. 13.4 kW / t (18 PS / t) |
| Range | approx. 300 km |
The Type 2 Ke-To ( Japanese 二 式 軽 戦 車 ケ ト , Nishiki keisensha Ke-To ) was a Japanese light tank in World War II , which was used by the Imperial Japanese Army from 1942 ( Kōki 2602, hence the type designation) to 1945 .
history
During the first years of the Second Sino-Japanese War , the bulk of the tank tasks lay on the Type 95 Ha-Go . Although the Type 95 was generally considered a mature and reliable vehicle, its armor was too thin and vulnerable to heavy machine gun fire . In 1938 work began on developing a new light tank to replace the Ha-Go. The new light tank was to have a similar weight to the Ha-Go, but with stronger armor. The program was tendered between the two main producers of the Ha-Go, Hino-Motorenwerke and Mitsubishi .
After the first prototypes had been examined, the decision was made in favor of Hino's model, called Chi-Ni Model A , as it demonstrated better off-road mobility. The tank was given the designation Type 98 ( Kōki 2698), but its start of production was postponed to 1942, as the army still saw no need for the new model. Even when production began, there were never high production numbers, as the production of the Type 95 Ha-Go still had priority. In order to give the new tank production priority, the turret was enlarged to give the commander more space and the 37 mm anti-tank gun type 1 with a muzzle velocity of 800 m / s was also installed. This was the decisive factor in 1944 to concentrate production on the Type 2. However, it was too late for a large number of units and only 29 or 138 copies were completed, compared to the production number of the Ha-Go of 2300.
Calls
The few copies produced were intended to be used in the glider regiments of the army's parachute troops (see structure of the Dai-1 Teishin Shūdan ). However, since the construction of the necessary gliders never took place, the Type 2 Ke-Tos remained on the Japanese mainland and never took part in a battle.
technology
In order to save costs and material, the type 2 drive was slightly modified. The roller suspension was carried out without an external retaining bracket and the suspension was again attached outside. For the chain, a standard chain was used, which was also used by many tractors and chain-driven transport vehicles. At the request of the tank troops, the tower was made cylindrical to give the crew more freedom of movement.
Web links
- Type 2 Ke-To. Taki's Page, accessed December 13, 2014 .
- Type 2 Ke-To Light Tank. History of War, accessed December 13, 2014 .
- Type 2 Ke-To. ww2technik.de, accessed on December 12, 2014 .
literature
- Steven J Zaloga: "Japanese Tanks 1939-45" Osprey Publishing, 2007, ISBN 978-1-84603-091-8 .