Type 5 To-Ku

Amphibious tank
Maximum speed 32 km/h (land)
10 km/h (water)[1]

The Special Type 5 Launch To-Ku (特五式内火艇 トク, toku-go-shiki uchibitei To-Ku) was a Japanese prototype amphibious tank developed in 1945.[2] The development status by the end of the Pacific War is not clearly known.

The To-Ku was large and heavy; it boasted extensive armor protection with 50 mm of armor plate in the front hull. The turret was a modified version of the one used on the Type 97 Shinhoto Chi-Ha medium tank that was fitted with a Type 1 25 mm gun and a rear facing Type 97 7.7 mm machine gun.[3] The front hull mounted a Type 1 47 mm tank gun and a Type 97 7.7 mm machine gun.[4] The chassis was based on the Type 5 Chi-Ri medium tank and the suspension, pontoons and propulsion system were substantially the same as the Type 3 Ka-Chi.[3] According to one source, a prototype was completed by the end of the war.[2] According to another source, a prototype was not completed by the end of the war.[5]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Tomczyk 2003, p. 33.
  2. ^ a b Tomczyk 2003, p. 32.
  3. ^ a b Tomczyk 2003, pp. 32, 43.
  4. ^ Tomczyk 2003, pp. 32, 33.
  5. ^ Hara, Tomio. "日本の戦車", p. 199.

References

  • Tomczyk, Andrzej (2003). Japanese Armor Vol. 3. AJ Press. ISBN 978-8372371287.
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