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Type 94 Te-Ke Tankette model 94 (1934)

The Type 94 tankette (Japanese: Kyuyon-shiki keisokosha, literally "94 type light armored car", also known as TK that is abbreviation of "Tokushu Keninsha" that means special tractor. Type 94 Te-Ke was a tankette used by the Imperial Japanese Army in the Second Sino-Japanese War, at Nomonhan against the Soviet Union, and in the Greater East Asia War. This tank embodies the general design of the original tankette. The rear idler has been replaced by a trailing idler, while the drive sprocket has been lowered accordingly. Suspension: bell crank, with armored compression springs. Rubber tired bogie wheels, and two return rollers are used. The engine was reported to be a four cylinder in line Ford tractor motor of 32 hp. Steering is the clutch brake principle.

After abandoning the idea of a tank with several turrets, the Japanese military and designers began to develop a different direction of armored vehicles, which eventually became the basis for a whole family of combat vehicles. In 1935, the Japanese Army adopted the Type 94 light / small tank, also known as the TK (short for Tokubetsu Keninsya, literally the Special Tractor). Initially, this tank with a combat mass of three and a half tons - because of this, in the European classification of armored vehicles it was listed as a wedge - was developed as a special vehicle for the carriage of goods and escort convoy. Nevertheless, over time, the project has developed into a full-fledged light combat vehicle.

Despite lacking a serious cavalry tradition, the Japanese seem to have been utterly fascinated by the concept of the tankette, though perhaps initially more as a utility and support vehicle than in the mold of the "new cavalry" as it had been envisioned in most of Europe. In the 1920s, the Japanese purchased a small number of British Carden-Lloyd tankettes, the same vehicles upon which the design of the Italian CV series were based. These vehicles greatly interested in the Japanese Army, and a number of experiments were carried out to determine whether the production of such a vehicle would be feasible as part of the domestic armaments program.

The project gained life again in 1932-33, when the circumstances surrounding the Shanghai incident prompted the Japanese Army to formally request an armored munitions carrier capable of operating as a support weapon and acting as an artillery tractor when necessary. In truth, the vehicle was also intended as a delivery agent for the deployment of chemical and biological weapons, but this portion of the project was concealed from the public, and has only recently come to light.

In 1934, the result of the work on such a vehicle was standardized as the Type 94 Te-Ke. Weighing in at around 3.5 tons, the Te-Ke had a maximum speed of 25mph, with a crew of two (the commander acted as gunner). The engine was a domestically produced air-cooled gasoline model, although a diesel prototype was developed. The turret was armed with a light machine gun (both 6.5 and 7.7mm versions were used), and a rear towing hitch was provided for carrying ammunition, and towing guns. A chemical dispensing trailer was also quietly developed. This last item may have seen action during the China campaign.

The design and layout of the tank "Type 94" subsequently became a classic for Japanese armored vehicles. The TK case was assembled on a frame from the corners of rolled sheets, The maximum thickness of the armor was 12 millimeters of the upper part of the forehead. The bottom and the roof were three times thinner. In front of the hull housed the engine compartment with a gasoline engine Mitsubishi "Type 94" with a capacity of 35 horsepower. Such a weak engine was enough for a speed of only 40 km / h on the highway. The tank suspension was designed according to the scheme of Major T. Khara. Four track rollers on a caterpillar pair were mounted on the ends of the balancer, which, in turn, was mounted on the body. The suspension spring was a shock-absorbing element mounted along the body and covered with a cylindrical casing. On each side of the chassis was equipped with two such blocks, while the fixed ends of the springs were in the center of the chassis.

The armament of the “Special Tractor” consisted of one machine gun “Type 91” of 6.5 mm caliber. The Type 94 project was generally successful, although it had a number of flaws. First of all, the claims were caused by weak defense and insufficient armament. Only one rifle-caliber machine gun was an effective weapon only against a weak opponent.

The Japanese army attached great importance to the Nine-four-type light armored vehicles. Since 1935, it has been mass-produced. In 1936, it produced 246 vehicles and in 1937 it shipped 200 vehicles. Such a high output has set a record in the history of Japanese tanks. In addition to the Japanese army's eagerness to use it to participate in the war of aggression against China, its low cost and easy-to-manufacture features are also fully demonstrated (the price of the eight-nine tank at that time was 8 Ten thousand yen, while the ninety-four style is 50,000 yen). Once the car was finalized, the Japanese immediately began to train the troops in the new tanks. The Japanese army began to station the second division of Sendai in Japan. The Japanese army opened a group of light armored vehicles training institutes in 11 army divisions (including stationed in In the 19th and 20th divisions of Korea, training in Japan is mainly conducted in Osaka, Hiroshima, Asahikawa, Hirosaki, Kanazawa, Okayama, Shintoji, Utsunomiya, Ronan and Longshan. First of all, select the elite personnel from each division to concentrate on the training department of the second team of the chariot to receive training. Then these people returned to the division as instructors to train the light armored occupants, and in the 1935 The Japanese army is preparing to form a light armored fleet in the mobilization plan.

In 1935, of the five armored squadrons that the Japanese Army could mobilize, two belonged to the first division, two belonged to the twelfth division, and one belonged to the Kwantung Army; while the light armored vehicle had only five squadrons, the first of which There are three divisions and two divisions of the twelfth division.

After the outbreak of the war against China in 1937, the Japanese independent light armored squadron and tank brigade composed of the 94-type light armored vehicles were assigned as the infantry support force of the Japanese division, and were assigned to the division that served as the key attack mission. Due to its light and small size, the 94-type is mainly used as a maneuvering force for the Synchronized Force, and can quickly mobilize and increase the initiative of the infantry attack.

However, without the cooperation of infantry, the power of its 6.5mm machine gun is difficult to fight alone. Therefore, after the Lugouqiao Incident, the Japanese immediately instructed Tokyo Wattwa to improve the 1994-style. The factory has replaced the 1997-type 7.7mm machine gun (the Czech ZB-26 machine gun imitation modification), carrying the 1980 round, and the vehicle-mounted machine gun can be removed and shot outside the vehicle.

In 1937, the Jiuwu-style light armored vehicle with the 97-type machine gun was put into the battlefield of the invasion of China. Like the 92-type heavy armored vehicle, the Japanese army sometimes ordered the tank soldiers to shoot with a rifle or a rifle, and the machine gun was only activated when needed. In addition to supporting the infantry attack, the 1994-type was also used for ammunition to support transport vehicles, reconnaissance, liaison, etc., and was also distributed to the cavalry to replace the 92-type heavy armored vehicle.

While it had always been intended as a supply carrier and command vehicle, the Type 94 was frequently used as a reconnaissance vehicle and even as an armored attack platform in its own right. In these last two roles it was particularly vulnerable, as the Type 94's armor could be penetrated by high powered rifle rounds at short range, and heavy machine guns were found to be a serious problem. Another problem seems to have been the wheel base, which was too narrow and too weak to support the high speed demanded of the drive train; thrown tracks were a problem whenever the vehicle operated at high speed, particularly in turns. A second version of the vehicle, with a slightly wider hull, was produced but the problem was,apparently, never completely corrected.

One variant seems to have been deployed occasionally, though it was never assigned a specific model number. This replaced the LMG turret with the 37mm turret of the Type 95 Ha-Go. Said variant was reported in at least one engagement, at Pelelieu. It may also have seen service in China and Manchuria.

One interesting innovation was the use of asbestos lining in the turret, to reduce the amount of heat generated by the engine. This had been seen as a problem while testing the Carden-Lloyd vehicles, and the Japanese were very keen to fix it. Whether for comfort or for fire protection isn't clear, but probably the latter rather than the former.

From 1935 to 1940, Japan produced a total of 843 nine-four-type light armored vehicles, of which 836 were completed before 1938. Participated in almost all Japanese military operations since 1937. The Type 94 was used in every theatre of the Asia-Pacific War, but was most often reported in China, Burma, and Malaya. A number of Type 94s took part in the conquest of Timor, and played a rather prominent role in the surrender of the larger part of the Australian and Dutch forces there. Several Type 94 tankettes also took part in the famous Japanese armored assault on the airfield at Pelelieu in 1944.