Hello everyone I come forth with the suggestion of a lower tier event tank for Japan, of which could include a Tech Tree counterpart if one so wished, it’s BR would most probably be BR 2 due to its guns as you’ll see below.
I present the Type 5 To-Ku Amphibious Tank!
The final amphibious tank project proposed by the IJN.
It was to be built upon the chassis of the Type 5 Chi-Ri and would include two seperate versions of the tank, the “Type 1” & “Type 2”, the sole difference being, switching around the primary and secondary guns; the primary located within the rotating turret and the secondary within the front of the hull.
Speaking of armaments, the main gun housed within the rotating turret (Type 1 configuration) would be a, Type 96 25 mm machine gun. It performed with a muzzle velocity of 870~m/s, with a maximum firing rate of 230 rounds per minute, and a fed via 15 round clips. The tank would carry 330 rounds of 25 mm machine gun ammunition, and 22 clips of 15 rounds were stored inside the vehicle.
The second gun housed within the front of the hull would be the Type 1 47 mm tank gun, of which is already seen in the game featuring as the main gun of the Chi-He and Ka-Chi tanks. The latter tank being representative to how much ammo would be carried in the To-Ku for the 47 mm gun.
To touch upon and reiterate the former, the “Type 2” would switch the 47mm gun to the turret and the 25 mm to the Hull.
As for the armour of the Type 5 To-Ku Amphibious Tank, it’d be somewhat akin to the Ka-Chi. The specific thickness of the body being 50 mm at the front, 25 mm at the sides, 20 mm at the rear, 10 mm at the top, and 8 mm at the bottom of the body. As for the rotating turret the armour thickness; 50 mm at the front, 25 mm at the sides/rear, and 12 mm at the top of the turret.
The initial prospect for the tank project was to produce 50~ Type 5 To-Ku tanks in total, splitting the produced number 50/50 between the “Type 1” & “Type 2” configurations.
A model of the Type 5 To-Ku Amphibious Tank
Whilst the design was finalised, it’s likely the first Type 5 To-Ku didn’t make it off the production line. Whilst the body was being produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Tokyo Machinery Works, the war had drawn to a close in the Pacific.
Whilst some sources claim at least 1 was completed, there’s nothing concrete to verify this claim. On the contrary to such, we have a document in favour of the likelihood it wasn’t completed, as shown in this document stating as such, along with other technical information concerning the vehicle.
Now to wrap this all up so I don’t ramble on too long.
I believe that the “Type 1” configuration with the 25 mm cannon in the turret, should be an event item (as opposed to being a premium, as it’s a bit too niche) it would include the two pontoons front and back that make it float, plus since it has a gun that can and has been used as an AA gun, it should have a lead indicator to help take down planes.
It can utilise it’s amphibious abilities to place itself in the water on some maps and perform as a sort of Anti Air Platform, unobstructed by land masses by nature of being out on the water. And it can still try to defend itself from tanks with the 47 mm in the hull.
A model of the Type 5 To-Ku without it’s pontoon floating devices
Whilst the Tech Tree counterpart could be the “Type 2” configuration, swapping the 47 mm into the turret and the 25 mm into the hull. It could go without the pontoons to make it a bit more manoeuvrable on land and would more focus infantry and enemy tanks with its 50 mm front armour. It’d be like a cooler Ka-Mi/ Ka-Chi, the final tank to the amphibious tank lineage.
I think BR 2 would be pretty fair taking into consideration the 47 mm gun isn’t anything to write home about and it’s competing with the Ho-I and it’s 75 mm HEAT. Plus it is pretty niche no matter the configuration.
Either way pick whatever you’d prefer or would work best as the event or TT or even as a premium. I hope you all like my suggestion and let me know what you think!
With much love 