Type 2 Ka-Mi
Aberdeen Tank Museum
Aberdeen Tank Museum
The Navy took over amphibious tank development from the army in 1940. Their first design was the Ka-Mi which appeared in 1942. Based on the Ha-Go. These were virtually hand built and thus not enough were produced for demand.
Two sponsons were fitted to the front and rear and would be detached by handwheels, once ashore.5 The front sponson was divided into 8 compartments to minimize flooding from damage. All welded construction. Had 2 propellers and was steered by 2 rudders which were controlled by cables from the commander's position.5 There was also a radio and telephone intercom for the crew. One of the crew was a mechanic that looked after the engine and the power transfer from the road wheels to the propellers.
The 37 mm gun could fire a 1.5 lb AP shell at a muzzle velocity of 2,300'/sec.5
Used mostly for infantry support or used as pillboxes. Some could be launched from submarines. 3 were with the 1st Yokosuka Special Naval Landing Force at Saipan.
| Type 2 Ka-Mi | |
|---|---|
| Crew | 62, 4-5, 51,3 |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | 24,915 lb, 27,500 lb 11,300 kg, 12,500 kg1 12.3 tons1 Without pontoons: 9,571 kg3, 21,100 lb3, 9.15 tons4 With pontoons: 12.5 tons2,4, 11,301 kg3, 24,914 lb3, 24,915 lb5 |
| Length w/gun | 24' 6.75", 24' 4"1 7.42 m1 Without pontoons: 15' 10"3, 4.826 m3, 4.8 m4 With pontoons: 24.58'2, 24' 4"3,5, 7.417 m3, 7.5 m4 |
| Length w/o gun | |
| Height | 7.51'2, 7' 8"1,3,5 2.3 m4, 2.34 m1, 2.337 m3 |
| Width | 9.16'2, 9' 1.8"3, 9' 2"5, 9' 3"1 2.79 m1,3, 2.8 m4 |
| Width over trakcs | |
| Ground clearance | 14"5 |
| Ground contact length | 130"5 |
| Ground pressure | |
| Turret ring diameter | |
| Armament | |
| Main | 37 mm1,2,3 37 mm Type 14,5 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 2: 7.7 mm MG1,2,3,4, coaxial, bow4 2: 7.7 mm Type 97 MG, coaxial, bow5 |
| Side arms | |
| Quantity | |
| Main | 1325 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 3,5005 |
| Side arms | |
| Armor Thickness (mm) | 122, 131 Front: 124 Side: 124 |
| Hull Front, Upper | 0.47"@0°5 |
| Hull Front, Lower | |
| Hull Sides, Upper | 0.35"@0°5 |
| Hull Sides, Lower | |
| Hull Rear | |
| Hull Top | |
| Hull Bottom | |
| Turret Front | 0.52"@0°5 |
| Turret Sides | 0.52"@0°5 |
| Turret Rear | |
| Turret Top | |
| Engine (Make / Model) | Mitsubishi1 |
| Bore / stroke | |
| Cooling | Air2,5 |
| Cylinders | 61,2,3,5 |
| Capacity | |
| Net HP | 1103, 1151,2,4, 1205 |
| Power to weight ratio | |
| Compression ratio | |
| Transmission (Type) | High and low ranges5 4 forward, 1 reverse5 |
| Steering | Land: clutch-brake5 Water: rudders5 |
| Steering ratio | |
| Starter | |
| Electrical system | |
| Ignition | |
| Fuel (Type) | Diesel1,2,3,5 |
| Octane | |
| Quantity | 53 gallons5 |
| Road consumption | 2.4 mpg5 |
| Cross country consumption | |
| Performance | |
| Traverse | 360°5 |
| Max speed | Land: 23 mph1,2,3,5, 37 kph1,3,4 Water: 6 mph1,2,3,5, 9.65 kph3, 10 kph1 |
| Cross country speed | |
| Road radius | 124 miles, 125 miles1, 200 km1 Land: 124 miles5, 125 miles3, 199.5 km3 Water: 93 miles3,5, 94 miles1, 149.6 km3, 150 km1 |
| Cross country radius | |
| Turning radius | |
| Elevation limits | -11.5° to +5.5°5 |
| Fording depth | |
| Trench crossing | 6' 7"5 |
| Vertical obstacle | 2' 5"5 |
| Climbing ability | |
| Suspension (Type) | Bogie wheels mounted on bell cranks5 |
| Wheels each side | 2 bogies with 2 wheels each5 |
| Return rollers each side | 2 |
| Tracks (Type) | Steel, dry pin5 |
| Length | |
| Width | 12"5 |
| Diameter | |
| Number of links | 1035 |
| Pitch | 3 5/16"5 |
| Tire tread | |
| Track centers/tread | 96.255 |
| Production | 180 1942:5 |
Sources:
- The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
- Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
- The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
- Jane's World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles The Complete Guide, Leland Ness, 2002
- Tank Data 2, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, E. J. Hoffschmidt and W. H. Tantum IV, 1969
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