Type 3 Ka-Chi
Type 3 Ka-Chi
Type	Amphibious tank
Place of origin	Empire of Japan
Service history
Used by	Imperial Japanese Navy
Production history
Designed	1942–1943
Produced	1943–1945
No. built	12 to 19[1][2]
Specifications
Mass	28.7 tons (with flotation pontoons)[3]
Length	10.3 m (with flotation pontoons)[3]
Width	3 m[3]
Height	3.82 m[3]
Crew	7[3]
Armor	10–50 mm[3]
Main armament	Type 1 47 mm tank gun[3]
Secondary armament	2×Type 97 7.7 mm machine guns[3]
Engine	Mitsubishi Type 100air-cooled V-12diesel 240 hp (179 kW)[3]
Power/weight	8.4 hp/tonne
Suspension	bellcrank
Operational range	320 km[3]
Maximum speed	32 km/h (land) 10 km/h (swimming)[3]

The "special amphibious tank Type 3Ka-Chi" (特三式内火艇 カチ,Toku-san-shiki naikatei Ka-Chi) was anamphibiousmedium tank developed by theImperial Japanese Navy inWorld War II. The Type 3 Ka-Chi was based on an extensively modifiedImperial Japanese ArmyType 1 Chi-He medium tank (it had 2 more road-wheels and two more return rollers on each side) and was a larger and more capable version of the earlierType 2 Ka-Mi amphibious tank.

The success of the Type 2 Ka-Mi design pleased the planners in theImperial Japanese Navy General Staff, and it was determined that a larger version with stronger armor and armament would be useful in futureamphibious warfare operations.^[4] The Type 3 Ka-Chi prototype was completed in late 1943 and the first units entered service that same year.^[4][5]

Only 12 to 19 Type 3 Ka-Chi's were built from 1943 to 1945.^[1][2] This was due to the fact that the main priorities of the Japanese 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.^[6]

The Type 3 Ka-Chi was based on a heavily modified version of the chassis of the army'sType 1 Chi-He medium tank, and thus featured considerably better armored protection and firepower than the earlier Type 2 Ka-Mi.^[7] It had smooth sides that faired into front and rear flotationpontoons made of sheet-metal.^[5] The front pontoon had a curved 'bow' shape and both pontoons could be jettisoned from inside the tank once the tank had landed. However, in practice, the pontoons were usually retained, as they provided some marginal additional protection against enemy fire. The undercarriage used the Hara system, with the addition of 2 more road-wheels and two more return rollers on each side than the Type 1 Chi-He. The hull was welded and water-proofed "with rubber seals and gaskets".^[5] The water propulsion was provided by twin-screws and it had two steering screws. The Type 3 Ka-Chi had a distinctive largesnorkel behind the turret for aerating thediesel engine more efficiently and keeping the exhaust free of water.^[5][8]

The main gun of Type 3 Ka-Chi was theType 1 47 mm tank gun with a barrel length of 2.250 meters (L/48), EL angle of fire by −15 to +20 degrees, AZ angle of fire of 20 degrees,muzzle velocity by 810 m/s and penetration of 55 mm/100 m, 40 mm/500 m, and 30 mm/1,000 m.^[9] This was the same 47 mm gun used on the army'sType 97 Shinhoto Chi-Ha. Secondary armament was a coaxialType 97 heavy tank machine gun and a hull mounted weapon of the same type.^[5] Thegun turret was designed with an extended circularcupola to keep the hatch above water. The vehicle required a crew of seven, one of whom (as with the Type 2 Ka-Mi) served as an on-board mechanic.^[10]

The Type 3 Ka-Chi was produced in very limited numbers, but proved useful due to its capability to be launched from asubmarine, which enabled it to accommodate the increasingly difficult task of daytime reinforcement for isolated island garrisons located in theSouth Pacific and inSoutheast Asia. The Type 3 Ka-Chi was deployed only in the Japan homeland and did not see combat.^[5]

• DD tank - World War II British tank flotation system.
• T-38 - World War II, Soviet amphibious light tank.

• Tomczyk, Andrzej (2003).Japanese Armor Vol. 3. AJ Press.ISBN 978-8372371287.
• Zaloga, Steven J. (2007).Japanese Tanks 1939–45. Osprey Publishing.ISBN 978-1-8460-3091-8.

• Taki's Imperial Japanese Army Page - Akira Takizawa

• World War II tanks of Japan
• Medium tanks of Japan
• Amphibious tanks
• Mitsubishi
• Military vehicles introduced from 1940 to 1944

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles containing Japanese-language text