Preview: Takom's new 16th scale Imperial Japanese Army Type 94 Tankette

Takom's new releases of the Type 94 tankette is now added to with the new artwork for the boxes, it gives us some info that we thought we might have to add to the history of the tank in our preview...

Takoms two new 16th scale Type 94's in our preview

Imperial Japanese Army Type 94 Tankette

Takom

# 1006

Working hatches

Moving roadwheels & Suspension
Photo Etch & Clear parts included

Includes a figure inside the box.

1:16th scale

Imperial Japanese Army Type 94 Tankette (Late Production)

Takom

# 1007

Working hatches

Moving roadwheels & Suspension
Photo Etch & Clear parts included

Includes a figure inside the box.

1:16th scale

Although the Type 94 Japanese tank in 1/16th scale from Takom has been announced we have not the lovely minimalistic - (dare we say Tamiya like?) boxart by Takom is really effective, and it lets us in on a few things we did not know,  more on that in a second, first of all, what was the service record and usage of the Type 94?

The Type 94 in service
The Type 94 tankette (Japanese: 九四式軽装甲車 , 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 armour that could be penetrated by .50 calibre machine gun fire at 600 yards range.

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 95 Ha-Go light tank, resulting in more Type 94's entering service than any other Japanese tankette (823 units). Production included 300 units in 1935, 246 units in 1936, 200 units in 1937 and 70 units in 1938.  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. A detachment of eight Type 94 tankettes forming the 56th Infantry Group Tankette Unit (Also named the Anai tankette unit, after the name of their captain), part of the "Sakaguchi Detachment", had a notable role in the Japanese conquest of Java, engaging a large enemy element on 2 March and routing them, capturing a bridge on the same night, and at dawn overrunning a position of 600 enemy soldiers on the opposite bank, and participating in offensive operations that led to the surrender of Dutch forces on the next few days near Surakarta. The Sakaguchi detachment, along with the Shoji detachment, would receive a thanks letter from their parent unit (the 16th Army) for their actions in the campaign, the only units to receive them.

In 1941, the Nanjing Nationalist Government's army was given eighteen Type 94 tankettes. In 1943 ten Type 94 tankettes were given to the Manchukuo Imperial Army to form an armoured company. They were still in use until as late as 1945. 

Type 94 TK specifications

Dimensions: 3.08 x 1.62 x 1.62 m (10.10 x 5.3 x 5.3 ft)

Total weight, battle ready 3.5-3.58 tons (7716 lbs)

Crew: 2 (driver, commander/machine-gunner)

Propulsion: Mitsubishi air-cooled 4-cyl petrol engine, 32 hp (24 kW)

Speed: 40 km/h (25 mph)

Armor: 4 mm (0.15 in) roof and bottom, 12 mm (0.47 in) glacis and sides

Armament : 6.5 mm (0.25 in) Type 91 or 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Type 92 machine-gun

Range: 200 km (162 miles)

Total production units: 823

These two kits from Takom

These two new kits designs were supervised by Kazunori Yoshikawa, and his team has made a tank that will include a full interior kit, working hatches, moving roadwheels & suspension, photo-etch & clear parts included with a Includes a figure also inside the box.

The artwork for both the kits from the All Japan Model show is below

Now we have the brand new boxart for these kits...

Imperial Japanese Army Type 94 Tankette

Takom

# 1006

Full interior kit

Working hatches

Moving roadwheels & SuspensionPhoto Etch & Clear parts included

Includes a figure inside the box.

1:16th scale

Imperial Japanese Army Type 94 Tankette (Late Production)

Takom

# 1007

Full interior kit

Working hatches

Moving roadwheels & SuspensionPhoto Etch & Clear parts included

Includes a figure inside the box.

1:16th scale

Jason Wong made this lovely minimalist boxart for these two kits - He also sculpted the figures that come in the box, these were shown in prototype form at the All Japan Hobby show this year...

More news about this series and these kits as soon as we have it, till then keep tuned and we will get building them as soon as we get them in our hands here at TMNHQ.