Saturday, September 21, 2013

Blast from the past. Japanese Type 5 To-Ku amphibious tank





Its amazing how certain memes get started and despite all evidence to the contrary, become instilled.  One of those memes from WW2 is that the Japanese were without armor during their conquest of large parts of the Pacific.

The Type 5 was not only adequately armored to deal with enemy infantry but was also quite capable against the majority of armored vehicles found in the region to include the US' Stuart Tank.  To top it all off, it was truly amphibious.

Why is this important?  Its to illustrate that the Japanese have historically been leaders in amphibious vehicles.  The desire to buy a few AAVs should be seen as only a stopgap measure.  I expect that even now, Japanese Manufacturers are already looking to provide their future Marines Corps with a fully tracked, highly mobile, fast swimming amphibious infantry fighting vehicle.


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5 comments:

  1. RobertSaturday, September 21, 2013 6:30:00 PM

    "Its to illustrate that the Japanese have historically been leaders in amphibious vehicles."

    Might have been so and probably you are correct. But post war i don't believe they ever built amphibious vehicles. There Russian are the only ones post war and still to this days fixated on amphibious vehicles.

    Speaking of Russians have you seen this joint Russian-Frenche concept APC ?

    http://cs301702.vk.me/v301702665/8aaf/3t_2e4PVZmA.jpg

    http://cs301702.vk.me/v301702665/8aa5/l4nae0p56y4.jpg

    http://cs301702.vk.me/v301702665/8ab9/F5J47ymfJE0.jpg

    Like I said it's just a concept. Done in four months.

    A French VBCI was taken and sheathed with plywood and equipped with a russian 57 mm autocannon turret from TsNII Burevestnik.

    And no this is not the Boomerang.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SolomonSaturday, September 21, 2013 6:37:00 PM

      i stand corrected!

      but i still think their industry is working on a better AAV.

      Delete
    2. RobertSaturday, September 21, 2013 6:49:00 PM

      "but i still think their industry is working on a better AAV"

      I'm with you on that actually. It would make sense.

      Delete
  2. Jacobite.NZSaturday, September 21, 2013 6:49:00 PM

    I think post war they have been forbidden from operating Carriers and amphibious assault ships, although they do have ships which resemble that.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownSunday, September 22, 2013 10:18:00 AM

    That looks like the three stooges movie submarine in their last movies. The Three Stooges in Orbit circa 1959.

    ReplyDelete

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