Type 2 Ka-Mi

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Type 2 Ka-Mi
A Type 2 Ka-Mi being tested by Australian soldiers in 1945
Specifications
Weight	9.15 t (12.3 tons without floatation pontoons)
Length	7.42 m (4.80 m without floatation pontoons)
Width	2.79 m
Height	2.34 m
Crew	5-6
Armor	6-13
Primary armament	Type 1 37 mm gun
Secondary armament	2 × Type 97 7.7 mm MG (bow, co-axial)
Engine	Mitsubishi air-cooled 6-cylinder diesel 115 hp (86 kW)
Suspension	Bell crank
Operational range	200 km
Speed	37 km/h

The ingenious Type 2 Ka-Mi was the Imperial Japanese Navy's first amphibious tank. The Type 2 was based on the Type 95 Ha-Go light tank and was a capable armoured fighting vehicle both on land and at sea.

Contents 1 History 2 Characteristics 3 Surviving Vehicles 4 External links 5 Reference 6 See also

[edit] History

As early as 1928 the Imperial Japanese Army had been developing and testing amphibious tanks and created several experimental amphibious tanks such as the SR-II, the Type 1 Mi-Sha and the Type 92 A-I-Go. In 1940 The Navy took over development of amphibious vehicles and two years later came up with the Type 2 Ka-Mi. The Type 2 was designed for the navy's Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces for the invasion of Pacific Islands which were without port facilities.

[edit] Characteristics

The Type 2 was capable of attaining speeds of 10 km/h in the water with a range of 150 km through two propellers situated at the rear of the hull and powered by the tank's engine. Steering was in the control of the tank commander, who operated a pair of rudders from the turret through cables. The tank was generally water-tight because of the Type 2's welded armour and rubber seals in the hull. Large, hollow pontoons made from steel plates were attached to the front glacis plate and rear decking to give the necessary buoyancy. The front pontoon was internally divided into 8 separate compartments to minimise the effects of damage from flooding and shellfire. The floatation devices could be jettisoned from inside the tank. The Type 2 could also be launched from the deck of a submarine.

The Type 2's turret with a high-velocity Type 1 37 mm gun and a coaxial Type 97 machine gun was able to rotate 360°. A second Type 97 machine gun was located in the tank's bow. Occasionally Type 2's were armed with a pair of naval torpedoes; one either side of the hull. The Type 2 had a large crew including a crewman to handle the tank's innovative radio and telephone intercom and an onboard mechanic.

The main arm of Type 2 Ka-Mi was the Type 1 37 mm Tank Gun with caliber of 37 mm, barrel length of 1.699 m (L45.9), EL angle of fire of −15 to +25 degrees, AZ angle of fire of 20 degrees, muzzle velocity of 800 m/s and penetration of 25 mm/1,000 m

Late in the war the Type 2 was used in a more stationary role as fixed defenses and entrenched pillboxes on various Pacific islands.

Only 184 Type 2 Ka-Mis were built from 1942 onward due to the number of complex components and that it had to be nearly completely hand-built.

[edit] Surviving Vehicles

The Kubinka Tank Museum in Russia has a Type 2 Ka-Mi on display, complete with its front and rear floats.

[edit] External links

• OnWar.com
• WWII vehicles

[edit] Reference

• Zaloga, Steven J. Japanese Tanks 1939-45. 2007, Osprey. ISBN 978-1-84603-091-8.

[edit] See also

• Type 3 Ka-Chi - World War 2, Japanese amphibious tank.
• DD tank - World War 2 British tank floatation system.
• T-38 - World War 2, Soviet amphibious tank.

Japanese armoured fighting vehicles of World War II
Tankettes
Type 92 Jyu-Sokosha | Type 94 Te-Ke | Type 97 Te-Ke
Light Tanks
Type 95 Ha-Go | Type 98 Ke-Ni/Type 2 Ke-To
Amphibious Tanks
Type 2 Ka-Mi | Type 3 Ka-Chi
Medium Tanks
Type 89 Chi-Ro | Type 97 Chi-Ha | Type 1 Chi-He | Type 2 Ho-I | Type 3 Chi-Nu
APCs
Type 1 Ho-Ha | Type 1 Ho-Ki | Type 98 So-Da | Type 4 Ka-Tsu
Self-propelled artillery (including AA guns)
Type 98 20 mm | Type 98 20 mm AA Half-Track | Type 1 Ho-Ni | Type 4 Ho-Ro
Japanese armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II