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.
| Type 5 To-Ku | |
|---|---|
| Type | Amphibious tank |
| Place of origin | Empire of Japan |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1945 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 29.1 tons[1] |
| Length | 10.8 m (with floats)[1] |
| Width | 3.0 m[1] |
| Height | 3.38 m[1] |
| Crew | 7[1] |
| Armor | 10–50 mm[1] |
Main | Type 1 47 mm gun[1] |
Secondary | 1× 25 mm gun[1] 2× 7.7 mm Type 97 MG's[1] |
| Engine | water-cooled 12-cylinder Mitsubishi diesel 240 hp[1] |
| Power/weight | 8 hp/ton |
| Suspension | bell crank |
Operational | 320 km (unknown if referring to sea or land)[1] |
| Maximum speed | 32 km/h (land) 10 km/h (water)[1] |
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]