World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe Type 94 Te-Ke tankettes were developed by Tokyo Gas and Electric Industry (later known as Hino Motors) in 1933. The prototype was completed in 1934 with the name Tokushu Keninsha ("Special Tractor"), with the acronym Te-Ke. They entered service in 1935, and were immediately deployed to the puppet nation of Manchukuo in northeast China where roads were poor or lacking in rural regions; they operated within independent tankette companies (six vehicles for each company), which were attached to infantry divisions. When the Second Sino-Japanese War began in 1937, they saw action in China while serving in infantry support, reconnaissance, and ammunition carrier/tractor roles. Although Chinese forces generally lacked tanks and anti-tank weapons, it was found that the Type 94 Te-Ke tankettes were still inadequate, for that well-placed rifle shots could sometimes penetrate the thin armor plating. Production ceased by the end of 1937 after about 800 examples were produced; about 300 were built between 1934 and 1935, 246 in 1936, and about 200 in 1937. However, they remained in service in China. After the Pacific War began in Dec 1941, Type 94 Te-Ke tankettes remained in service with many of the Japanese Army infantry divisions and Japanese Navy Special Naval Landing Forces deployed to Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands; they were deployed with trailers and mainly served as ammunition tractors.

SPECIFICATIONS

Type 94 Te-Ke

Machinery	One Mitsubishi air-cooled 4-cylinder gasoline engine rated at 32hp
Suspension	Bogies
Armament	1x6.5mm Type 91 machine gun or 1x7.7mm Type 92 machine gun
Armor	12mm
Crew	2
Length	3.00 m
Width	1.60 m
Height	1.60 m
Weight	3.4 t
Speed	40 km/h
Range	200 km

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