Type 98 Ke-Ni
Encyclopedia
The was designed to replace the Imperial Japanese Army
's Type 95 Ha-Go
light tank
, Japan
's most numerous armored fighting vehicle during World War II
.
of the Republic of China
forces.
With the start of World War II
, the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff quickly realized that the Type 95 design was vulnerable to .50 caliber machine gun. A production began with a total of 104 Type 98s are known to have been built, 1 in 1941, 24 in 1942 and 79 in 1943. In the end of the war, the Imperial Navy
had priority on steel
for warships and aircraft construction, leaving the Imperial Japanese Army
at the bottom of the list for raw material to build tanks with.
s with six road-wheels connected to the chassis using bell crank
s, which transferred any movement in the bogies into sideways motion that was absorbed by springs.
In contrast to the one-man turret of Type 95, the Type 98 had a conventional two-man turret, carrying a Type 100 37 mm tank gun, with a muzzle velocity
of 760 m/s, and also a 7.7 mm machine gun
.
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
's Type 95 Ha-Go
Type 95 Ha-Go
The was a light tank used by the Imperial Japanese Army in combat operations of the Second Sino-Japanese War, at Nomonhan against the Soviet Union, and in the Second World War. It proved sufficient against infantry, however, like the American M3 Stuart, it was not designed to fight other tanks...
light tank
Light tank
A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movement, and now primarily employed in low-intensity conflict. Early light tanks were generally armed and armored similar to an armored car, but used tracks in order to provide better cross-country mobility.The light tank was a major...
, Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
's most numerous armored fighting vehicle during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
History and development
The Type 98 developed in 1938 was a light tank with the same weight as the earlier Type 95, but with thicker armor. The prototype of the new Type 98 tank was completed by Hino Motors in 1939, but it did not enter production at the time. This can be attributed to the adequate performance of the aging Type 95 against obsolete tanks of National Revolutionary ArmyNational Revolutionary Army
The National Revolutionary Army , pre-1928 sometimes shortened to 革命軍 or Revolutionary Army and between 1928-1947 as 國軍 or National Army was the Military Arm of the Kuomintang from 1925 until 1947, as well as the national army of the Republic of China during the KMT's period of party rule...
of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
forces.
With the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff quickly realized that the Type 95 design was vulnerable to .50 caliber machine gun. A production began with a total of 104 Type 98s are known to have been built, 1 in 1941, 24 in 1942 and 79 in 1943. In the end of the war, the Imperial Navy
Imperial Navy
The phrase Imperial Navy may refer to:*The Austro-Hungarian Navy*The German Navy between 1872 and 1918*The Imperial Japanese Navy from 1869 until 1947*The Imperial Navy of Imperial Qing government*The Imperial Navy from the fictional Star Wars universe....
had priority on steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
for warships and aircraft construction, leaving the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
at the bottom of the list for raw material to build tanks with.
Design
The design of the Type 98, in comparison to the Type 95, featured thicker, welded armor of improved shape, including the use of a Mitsubishi Type 100 6-Cylinder air-cooled diesel engine, rated at 130 horsepower, and located sideways to make maintenance easier. Slightly lighter and shorter than the original Type 95, it could travel at 50 km/h even with its thicker armor. Three pairs of bogieBogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
s with six road-wheels connected to the chassis using bell crank
Bell crank
A bell crank is a type of crank that changes motion through an angle. The angle can be any angle from 0 to 360 degrees, although 90 degrees and 180 degrees are common....
s, which transferred any movement in the bogies into sideways motion that was absorbed by springs.
In contrast to the one-man turret of Type 95, the Type 98 had a conventional two-man turret, carrying a Type 100 37 mm tank gun, with a muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of 760 m/s, and also a 7.7 mm machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
.
Variants
- Type 98 Ke-Ni
- The standard version. It was known also as the .
- A Mitsubishi-designed alternative to the standard model made by Hino. The most distinct feature was the suspensionSuspension (vehicle)Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
with four large road-wheels supported by side-ways facing coil springs, in a manner similar to Christie suspensionChristie suspensionThe Christie suspension is a suspension system developed by American engineer Walter Christie for his tank designs. It allowed considerably longer movement than conventional leaf spring systems then in common use, which allowed his tanks to have considerably greater cross-country speed and a lower...
. It was an experimental model, never accepted for production.
- Type 2 Ke-ToType 2 Ke-ToThe 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:...
- An improvement of the Type 98A version, fitted with a more powerful Type 1 37 mm tank gun featuring a muzzle velocity of 810 m/s. Production of the Type 2 Ke-To went in 1944–1945 with 34 units built.
- Type 98 Ta-Se 20 mm anti-aircraft prototype
- In November 1941, development bagan on an anti-aircraft version of the Type 98 with a 20 mm AA gun converted from a Type 98 20 mm autocannonType 98 20 mm AA Machine CannonThe Type 98 20 mm AA Machine Cannon was the most common light anti-aircraft gun of the Imperial Japanese Army. About 80% of IJA light AA guns were Type 98. It entered service in 1938 and first saw combat in Nomonhan...
in a circumferential turret. The single prototype was designated Type 98 Ta-Se, for Taikū ("anti-air") sensha ("tank"). Trials failed, and the project was canceled in 1943.