Land Systems / Battlefield

Type 2 Ka-Mi

Amphibious Tank / Light Tank [ 1942 ]

The Type 2 Ka-Mi was an amphibious tank developed for strategic use in the Pacific island-hopping campaigns of World War 2.

Authored By: JR Potts, AUS 173d AB | Last Edited: 05/14/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]

Advertisements

Development of the Type 2 began in 1928 and was the Army's attempt to turn the Type 95 Kyu-Go light tank into an amphibious vehicle by adding flotation tanks. This concept failed so the designers switched to pontoons to provide the buoyancy needed though the designers retained the main components of the tank that became the Type 2. This was a effectively and all-new design and the Imperial Japanese Army's first amphibious tank. The Army worked on the concept model for 12 years with many experimental plans being produced with none actually put into production as making a tank float proved to not be such an easy task. In 1940 the Navy took over the development of the project and within two years the Type 2 was in production. In 1942 Type 2 was delivered to the IJN for amphibious operations in the Pacific islands that did not have ports to land troops for invasion - or for use in special missions.

Less than 200 were built due to complex machine requirements with most of the components having to be hand-built. The complexity of the design necessitated that an onboard mechanic was part of the crew. Even so, the Type 2 was the most common amphibious tank used by the Japanese during the war. Some of the blueprint designs were new with innovations being a radio and telephone intercom system for the crew. Some of the armor rivets were replaced with rubber seals to make her water tight. Large hollow pontoons made from steel were attached to the front and rear decking making Type 2 buoyant.

The main weapon was a 1 x 37mm gun with a rate-of-fire between 5 to 20 rounds-per-minute. The munitions for the cannon were either HP and AP rounds that weighted in at 1.5lbs each. The tank also had 2 x Type 97 7.7mm machine guns for suppression fire. Crew protection was covered in the form of 6- to 13-mm of armor plate. In the rear of the hull was a Mitsubishi air-cooled 6-cylinder diesel engine. The tank could travel 37 km/h (22.9 mph) on land over moderate terrain and nautical travel was accomplished by using two large rear-mounted propellers able to propel the tank 8.7 kts (10 mph) in mild seas.

The Type 2 was not available for the Japanese invasion of Guadalcanal where she could have been used as the tank was originally intended. After Guadalcanal the Japanese Army was on the defensive and island invasions shifted to the Allies. The Japanese, having a light tank amphibious vehicle with no mission, used the Type 2 just as another infantry support vehicle. In many cases, the Type 2 became a fixed pill box position to repel U.S. Marines - particularly in the Mariana and Marshall Island groups.

Specifications

Service Year

1942

Origin

Imperial Japan

Crew

5
CREWMEN

Production

184
UNITS

Mitsubishi - Japan

(View other Vehicle-Related Manufacturers)

Imperial Japan

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Amphibious Assault
Traverse bodies of open water under own power with / without preparation.

✓ Infantry Support
Support allied ground forces through weapons, inherent capabilities, and / or onboard systems.

✓ Tank-vs-Tank
Engage armored vehicles of similar form and function.

Length

24.3 ft
7.42 m

Width

9.2 ft
2.79 m

Height

7.7 ft
2.34 m

Weight

20,172 lb
9,150 kg

Tonnage

10.1 tons
LIGHT

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Type 2 Ka-Mi production variant. Length typically includes main gun in forward position if applicable to the design)

Powerplant: 1 x Mitsubishi air-cooled 6-cylinder diesel-fueled engine developing 115 horsepower driving a conventional track-and-wheel arrangement; 2 x propellers at hull rear.

Speed

23.0 mph
(37.0 kph)

Range

124.3 mi
(200.0 km)

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Type 2 Ka-Mi production variant. Compare this entry against any other in our database)

1 x Type 1 37mm main gun.
2 x Type 97 7.7mm machine guns.

Supported Types

Graphical image of a tank cannon armament

Graphical image of a tank medium machine gun

(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)

HP and AP shells

Type 2 Ka-Mi - Base Series Designation

Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of the Bulge

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Kursk

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War

Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War

Military lapel ribbon for experimental military vehicles

Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns / operations.

Images Gallery

1 / 1

Image from the Public Domain.

Advertisements

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2022 US Military Pay Army Ranks Navy Ranks Marine Ranks Air Force Ranks USCG Ranks Compare Ranks (NEW!) DoD Dictionary Military Ribbons Identification Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols American War Deaths French Military Victories Vietnam War Casualties

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), and SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane.

www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-