Type 2 Ke-To light tank

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.^[4]

Rear view of a Type 2 Ke-To

Type 2 Ke-To
Type 2 Ke-To light tank
Type	Light tank
Place of origin	Empire of Japan
Production history
Designed	1941[1]
Produced	1944–1945[2]
No. built	34[3]
Specifications (Type 2 Ke-To[4][5])
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[4]
Main armament	Type 1 37 mm tank gun[4]
Secondary armament	7.7 mm machine gun[4]
Engine	Mitsubishi Type 100 air-cooled diesel 130 hp (97 kW)[4]
Suspension	Bell crank
Operational range	186 kilometers
Maximum speed	50 km/h[4]

Design

The Type 2 Ke-To was based on the Type 98 Ke-Ni, using the same engine and bell crank suspension.^[6] 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,^[6] with a muzzle velocity of 800 m/s.^[4][1] The new 37 mm gun used gave the tank "slightly better performance".^[6] The conical turret also carried a 7.7 mm machine-gun in a coaxial mount.^[7] Besides these modifications, the tank was essentially the same as the Type 98 Ke-Ni, using the same hull, engine and having the same maximum armor plate.^[5] The designation "Type 2" represented the Japanese Imperial Year 2602 (1942 AD), "Ke" represented "light", and "To" represented the number seven.^[4][8]

Production

Production commenced in 1944, with 34 units completed by the end of the war.^[3][4] 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.^[4]

Prototype work vehicle

Prototype Type 2 Ke-To based work vehicle

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

The 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]