Type 94 tankette The Type 94 tankette ( , " Kyūyon - shiki keisōkōsha " , literally " 94 type light armored car " , also known as TK that is abbreviation of " Tokushu Keninsha " that means special tractor ) was a tankette used by the Imperial Japanese Army in the Second Sino - Japanese War , at Nomonhan against the Soviet Union , and in World War II . Although tankettes were often used as ammunition tractors , and general infantry support , they were designed for reconnaissance , and not for direct combat . The lightweight Type 94 proved effective in China as the Chinese National Revolutionary Army consisted of only three tank battalions to oppose them , and those tank battalions only consisted of some British export models and Italian CV - 33 tankettes . As with nearly all tankettes built in the 1920s and 1930s , they had thin armor that could be penetrated by . 50 caliber machine gun fire at 600 yards range . History and development . A tankette fad occurred in Europe in the 1930s , which was led by United Kingdom ' s Carden - Loyd Mk VI tankette . The IJA ordered some samples from the UK , along with some French vehicles and field tested them . The IJA determined that the British and French machines were too small to be practical , and started planning for a larger version , the " Tokushu Keninsha " ( meaning " Special Tractor " ) . It was reclassified as the Type 94 ( tankette ) and was designed for reconnaissance , but could also be used for supporting infantry attacks and transporting supplies . The Imperial Japanese Army also experimented with a variety of armored car s with limited success . The wheeled armored cars were not suitable for most operations in the puppet state of Manchukuo , due to the poor road conditions and severe winter climate . From the early 1920s , the Imperial Japanese Army tested a variety of European light tanks , including six Carden - Loyd Mark VIbs machine gun carriers and several Renault FT - 17 , and a decision was reached in 1929 to proceed with the domestic development of a new vehicle based largely on the Carden Loyd design to address the deficiencies of wheeled armored cars . The initial attempt resulted in the Type 92 Jyu - Sokosha for use by the cavalry . However , Japanese infantry commanders felt that a similar vehicle would be useful as the support vehicle for transport , scout and communications within the infantry divisions , and could be used as a sort of “ flying company ” to provide additional firepower and close support in infantry operations . The development was given to Tokyo Gas and Electric Industry ( later known as Hino Motors ) in 1933 , and an experimental model was completed in 1934 . It was a small light tracked vehicle with a turret armed with one machine gun . For cargo transportation it pulled an ammunition trailer . It was given the name " Tokushu Keninsha " ( " Special Tractor " ) , abridged to “ TK ” . After trials in both Manchukuo and Japan , the design was standardized as the Type 94 tankette . It entered service in 1935 . The Type 94 was later superseded by the Type 97 tankette . Oddly , many British and American sources have confused the Type 92 " Cavalry Tank " , of which only 167 were built with the Type 94 , although the Type 94 was the model almost always encountered in the various fronts of the Pacific War . Design . The design of the Type 94 was based on the British Carden - Loyd Mark VIb tankettes . The hull of the Type 94 was of riveted and welded construction , with the engine at the front with the driver to the right . The engine was an air - cooled petrol motor that developed 35 hp at 2 , 500 rpm . Like many armored vehicles intended to operate in hot conditions , the engine was given asbestos insulation to protect the occupants from its heat . The commander stood in a small ( unpowered ) turret at the rear of the hull . A large door in the rear of the hull accessed the storage compartment . Initially the armament was a Type 91 6 . 5×50mm machine gun , although in later models this was replaced by a Type 92 7 . 7 mm machine gun . The suspension consisted of four bogies - two on each side . These were suspended by bell - cranks resisted by armored compression springs placed horizontally , one each side of the hull , externally . Each bogie had two small rubber road wheels with the drive sprocket at the front and the idler at the rear . There were two track - return rollers . In combat service the Type 94 was found to be prone to throwing its tracks in high speed turns . Further redesign work was carried out on the suspension and the small idler was replaced by a larger diameter idler wheel which was now in ground contact ; it did not completely solve the problem . A better suspension on a longer chassis appeared in later models of the Type 94 . The design was also the basis for the Type 94 " Disinfecting Vehicle " and Type 94 " Gas Scattering Vehicle " amongst the " Type 97 Pole Planter " and " Type 97 Cable Layer " . Operational service . The Type 94 was mainly deployed in " Independent Tankette Companies " . By 1936 , each Japanese infantry division had its own Tankette Company with six Type 94s for use in the reconnaissance role . The Type 94 Tankette was an inexpensive vehicle to build , at approximately half the price of the Type 89 I - Go medium tank , resulting in more Type 94 ' s entering service than any other Japanese tankette ( 823 units ) . Production ran to 300 units in 1935 , 246 units in 1936 and 200 units in 1937 . Given the utility of the design in combat in China , the Imperial Japanese Army was therefore content to retain the Type 94 , although the design , and indeed the concept of the tankette , came to be regarded as obsolescent in Western armies . With the start of World War II , a number of Type 94s were issued to each Japanese infantry division in the Pacific theatre , with a tracked trailer . They saw action in Burma , the Netherlands East Indies , the Philippines and on a number of islands in the South Pacific Mandate . Some were also assigned to Imperial Japanese Navy Land Forces . They were still in use until as late as 1945 . Major deployments included :