Toku Daihatsu class landing craft

Class overview
Name: Toku Daihatsu Class, Landing Craft
Builders: Daihatsu
Operators: during World War II:
Imperial Japanese Navy
General characteristics (Toku Daihatsu-class landing craft)
Type: Landing Craft
Tonnage: 35 tons
Length: 57.9 ft (17.65 m)o/a
Beam: 12.2 ft (3.72 m)
Draught: 3.3 ft (1.01 m)
Installed power: 150 horsepower
Speed: 11 knots (20.4 km/h)
Range:
Capacity: 1 Type 97 15.6 ton tank or 100 men or 16 tons cargo
Complement: 15
Armament:
  • 1 heavy machine gun or 2 light machine guns or 3 25mm/60 AA guns

The Toku Daihatsu Class or 17m landing craft was a type of landing craft, used by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. It was a larger design of the Daihatsu Class landing craft, with a bow ramp that was lowered to disembark cargo upon riding up onto the beach. It was constructed of a metal hull and powered by a diesel engine.

Designed to carry a medium-sized tank or two eight ton tanks. The landing craft was used extensively to run troops and supplies to isolated garrisons, referred to as ant runs by the Japanese. The Allied air forces and U.S PT boats undertook increasingly successful raids at intercepting and destroying these craft towards the end of World War II.

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