page_title: Tanks in the Japanese Army
section_title: Amphibious tanks
hierarchical_section_title: Tanks in the Japanese Army / Overview per tank / Amphibious tanks
caption_attribution_description: English: Type 2 Ka-Mi amphibious tank with its flotation sections attached
context_section_description: During the 1930s and 1940s, the Japanese designed and produced a number of amphibious tank designs. Originally an army project, several experimental models, such as the Sumida Amphibious Armored Car (AMP), SR I-Go, SR II Ro-Go and SR III Ha-Go were produced for concept evaluation. Each of the SR series were 3.6 to 7 tonne amphibious tanks, which had 2 to 3 crewmen and were armed with machine guns. In 1940, the Imperial Japanese Navy took over development of amphibious vehicles as it planned a major campaign in the Pacific with amphibious operations and thereby needed vehicles that could support the landings.
  The Type 1 Mi-Sha a/k/a/ "Type 1 Floating Tank Ka-Mi" was the first IJN prototype produced. Mitisubishi used the knowledge gained from IJA's former SR program. The IJN tanks produced included prototypes such as the Type 1 Mi-Sha (a/k/a Type 1 Ka-Mi) and Type 5 To-Ku. Production amphibious tanks included the Type 2 Ka-Mi, and Type 3 Ka-Chi; while other amphibious transports included the F B swamp vehicle, and Type 4 Ka-Tsu APC. All of these for use by the Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF) in campaigns in the Pacific.
  The Type 1 experimental design led to the Type 2 Ka-Mi, which was based on the Type 95 Ha-Go light tank. The Type 2 Ka-Mi was the first production Japanese amphibious tank, although beginning in 1942 only 182 to 184 units were built. The Type 2 Ka-Mi was first used in combat on Guadalcanal. Later they were encountered by US forces in fighting on the Marshall Islands, and Mariana Islands; particularly on Saipan where they supported the Yokosuka Base Special Naval Landing Forces in its failed amphibious operation. They were also used to support the SNLF during the fighting on the Philippine island of Leyte in late 1944.
  The Type 3 Ka-Chi amphibious tank was based on an extensively modified Type 1 Chi-He medium tank and was a larger and more capable version of the earlier Type 2 Ka-Mi amphibious tank. The Type 3 Ka-Chi had the useful capacity to be submarine launched, which enabled it to accommodate the increasingly difficult task of daytime reinforcement for isolated island garrisons in the South Pacific and in Southeast Asia. However, given the fact the main priorities of the navy were in warship and aircraft production, and lacking in any definite plans for additional amphibious operations, production of the Type 3 Ka-Chi remained a very low priority. Only 19 Type 3 Ka-Chi tanks were built during the war. The Type 5 To-Ku was a large, heavy prototype based on the Type 5 Chi-Ri and Type 3 Ka-Chi. It boasted extensive armor protection and was fitted with a Type 1 25 mm gun and front hull mounted a Type 1 47 mm tank gun.
caption: Type 2 Ka-Mi amphibious tank with its flotation sections attached
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