JAPANESE NAVY IIWW KOMATSU G40 BULLDOZER

The Komatsu G-40 was a Japanese WWII tracked bulldozer. The vehicle was powered by a single 50 HP gasoline engine. The first copy was ready in January 1943. In the same year, mass production began, which lasted until 1945. About 150 vehicles of this type were built in its course. The bulldozer did not have permanent weapons. The Komatsu G-40 was designed and produced for the Japanese Navy, which during the Pacific War of 1941-1942 realized the need to build makeshift field airfields on islands scattered around the Pacific Ocean as quickly as possible. The battles in Guadalcanal, in particular, had a huge impact on this decision of the naval command, when the pace of the work of American sappers and engineering troops was several times greater than that of the Japanese. The task was entrusted to the Komatsu company, which so far has mainly dealt with the production of trucks. To minimize research and development time, Komatsu used the undercarriage, engine and gearbox of the existing G-40 tractor and added a specially designed plow that was hydraulically lowered and raised. The vehicle turned out to be quite successful and was quickly put into production. It is fairly commonly believed that the Komatsu G-40 was the first Japanese bulldozer.