Type 3 Ka-Chi

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Type 3 Ka-Chi
Specifications
Weight 28.25 (with floatation pontoons)
Length 10.3 (with floatation pontoons)
Width 3
Height 3.82
Crew 5-7
Armor 10-50
Primary
armament		 47 mm Type 1 gun
Secondary
armament		 2 × 7.7 mm Type 97 gun
(hull, coaxial)
Engine Mitsubishi Type 100 air cooled
V-12 diesel
240 hp (179 kW)
Suspension Bell crank
Operational
range		 320
Speed 32

The Type 3 Ka-Chi was an Imperial Japanese Navy amphibious medium tank. The Type 3 was based on an extensively modified Type 1 Chi-He chassis and was the 'heavy' equivalent of the (relatively) more numerous Type 2 Ka-Mi amphibious tank.

Contents

[edit] Characteristics

Capable of speeds of 10 km/h The Type 3 Ka-Chi was another innovative amphibious tank design by the Imperial Japanese Navy. The tank was a heavily modified Type 1 Chi-He medium tank chassis with smooth sides that faired into front and rear flotation pontoons. The front pontoon had a curved 'bow' shape and both pontoons could be jettisoned after the tank had come ashore. The turret kept the Chi-He's Type 1 47 mm gun but had an extended circular cupola to keep the hatch above water. There was a second tower like snorkel located behind the turret that kept exhaust clear of water. The Type 3 Ka-Chi was first encountered by Allied forces at the Battle of Kwajalein in 1944. The pontoon buoyancy device approach had also been investigated by the Allies but they used the flotation screen approach for the British developed duplex drive tanks on D-Day. Only 19 Type 3 Ka-Chis were built between 1943 to 1945.

The main gun of Type 3 Ka-Chi was the Type 1 47 mm Tank Gun with caliber of 47 mm, barrel length of 2.250 m (L48), EL angle of fire by −15 to +20 degrees, AZ angle of fire of 20 degrees, muzzle velocity by 810 m/s and penetration of 55 mm/100 m, 30 mm/1,000 m.

[edit] External links

[edit] Reference

[edit] See also

  • Type 2 Ka-Mi - World War 2, Japanese amphibious light tank.
  • DD tank - World War 2 British tank floatation system.
  • T-38 - World War 2, Soviet amphibious light 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 I
Type 3 Ho-Ni III | Type 4 Ho-Ro
Japanese armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II