Type 4 Ke-Nu light tank
Type 4 Ke-Nu | |
---|---|
Type | Light tank |
Place of origin | Empire of Japan |
Production history | |
Designed | 1944 |
Produced | 1944[1] |
No. built | approx. 100[1] |
Specifications | |
Mass | 8.4 tons[2] |
Length | 4.30 meters |
Width | 2.0 meters |
Height | 2.0 meters |
Crew | 3[1] |
Armor | 6–25 mm |
Main armament | Type 97 57 mm tank gun |
Secondary armament | 2x Type 97 7.7 mm machine guns |
Engine | Mitsubishi A6120VDe air-cooled inline 6-cylinder diesel 120 HP[1] |
Power/weight | - |
Suspension | bell crank |
Operational range | 240 km |
Maximum speed | 40 km/h[1] |
The Type 4 Ke-Nu (四式軽戦車 ケヌ, Yon-shiki keisensha Kenu) was a
History and development
The Type 4 Ke-Nu was a variant of the
Design
Essentially a Type 95 light tank with a Type 97 medium tank gun turret, the Type 4 Ke-Nu had slightly better firepower, but the retrofitting increased the weight of the tank to 8.4 tons.[2] This reduced the top speed of the tank to 40 km/h.[1] Given the replacement turret had thicker armor, it did provide the crew with some additional protection in that area, but did nothing to alleviate the Type 95's greatest weakness of the lack of suitable armor protection for the hull. Maximum armor protection for the tank (25 mm) was provided by the Type 97 turret, but it was defeated by the 37 mm, 75 mm and 2-pounders mounted on Allied tanks.
Combat record
The conversion coming in 1944 was too late to make any impact on Japanese combat operations, and most of the Type 4 Ke-Nu were retained in the
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i History of War: Type 4 Ke-Nu Light Tank
- ^ a b Hara 1973, p. 13.
- ^ Zaloga 2007, p. 18.
- ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 13, 14.
- ^ Zaloga 2007, pp. 14, 18.
- ^ History of War: Type 3 Ke-Ri
- ^ Taki’s Imperial Japanese Army: Type 4 Light Tank "Ke-Nu"
References
- Hara, Tomio (1973). Japanese Combat Cars, Light Tanks, and Tankettes. AFV Weapons Profile No. 54. Profile Publications Limited.
- ISBN 978-1-8460-3091-8.