Type 2 Ke-To light tank


The Type 2 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. It was not used in combat.

Design

The Type 2 Ke-To was based on the Type 98 Ke-Ni, using the same engine and bell crank suspension. 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, with a muzzle velocity of 800 m/s. The new 37 mm gun used gave the tank "slightly better performance". The conical turret also carried a 7.7 mm machine-gun in a coaxial mount. The designation "Type 2" represented the Japanese Imperial Year 2602, "Ke" represented "light", and "To" represented the number seven.

Production

Production commenced in 1944, with 34 units completed by the end of the war. No Type 2 Ke-To light tanks are known to have engaged in combat prior to Japan's surrender.

Footnotes