Type 4 Ka-Tsu
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| Type 4 Ka-Tsu | |
|---|---|
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 16 tons |
| Length | 11m |
| Width | 4m |
| Height | 2.25m |
| Crew | - |
|
|
|
| Armor | - |
| Primary armament |
2 45cm torpedoes |
| Secondary armament |
2 13mm MG's |
| Engine | Gasoline engine in a water-tight pressure box 62 HP |
| Power/weight | 1 ton/3 HP |
| Suspension | - |
| Operational range |
- |
| Speed | (sea)5 knots |
The Type 4 Ka-Tsu was a Japanese amphibious tank during World War II.
[edit] History
This type, though relatively obscure, would have played a major role in the planned second sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Five submarines, equipped with four Ka-Tsu's armed with aerial torpedoes, were to release the tanks near Pearl Harbor in conjunction with several other attacks. However, the Ka-Tsu was plagued with problems from the start. Crew noticed the engine was not entirely water-tight, and after a time would completely flood. Another factor was that the Ka-Tsu's had no dedicated tank crewmen, but were drafted from the members of midget submarines and trained for about two weeks on Nasake Jima. It also took some 20 minutes for the tanks to deploy from their mother submarine, thanks in part to their sadly lacking engine, which was also quite noisy. Finally, the tracks had the alarming tendency to slip or give out upon meeting the slightest obstacle.
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