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IJA Stan Gajda 2001  Stan Gajda March 2002   Stan Gajda April 2002 |
Construction Built by the Tokyo Gas Company during October 1940. Delivered to the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) as a Type 97 Light Armored Car Te-Ke / Type 97 Te Ke Tankette hull number unknown. Wartime History This tank was transported as cargo aboard a ship to Ponape. This tank survived until the end of the Pacific War. During September 1945, parked near Kolonia (Colonia) on the Eischarts / Adams Property to surrender all remaining tanks. Wreckage Postwar when the U.S. Navy (USN) occupied Ponape, the area where the tanks were parked became a vehicle storage area. The tankettes became overgrown and forgotten. In 1995 the Adams Brothers Corporation decided to cut a nearby hillside level and the tanks were exposed and hauled out and parked in a line. Restoration This tankette was selected by Stan Gajda for restoration. Over a 14 month period, restored with all original equipment and a working main gun. Parts were used from other tankettes parked in the same area. Also, components recovered from other tankettes on Tarawa, Kiribati and Nauru. On January 30, 2002 a modern Nissan 4 cylinder 50 hp diesel engine was installed. On February 25, 2002 the tankette made a first test run. In total, the restoration project took 18 months to complete at a cost of roughly $5,000 and took a total of 2,000 hours of labor. During March 2002 painted in a three color scheme including dark green, tan and yellow. During April 2002 the tankette made a road trip to Kolonia (Colonia). Display This tankette is stored in a shed next to the Type 95 restoration. The tankette is occasionally driven in the local area. There are no plans to sell any tank parts or export anything. The Adams family and Adams Brothers Corporation want it all to stay on Ponape. References Thanks to Stan Gajda for additional information Contribute
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 Type 97 Te-Ke  Photo Archive  Restoration Report by Stan Gajda |
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