Ka-Mi

Ka-Mi

Ke-Ni

Ka-Mi

Ke-Ni

Japan

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.0	1.0	1.0

Class:

Light tank

Research:2 900

Purchase:700

Description

The Special Type 2 Ka-Mi (特二式内火艇「カミ」) was a special type light tank built by the Japanese Navy for naval landing operations. Primarily based on the Ha-Go tank, the Ka-Mi was majorly modified to be a water-tight hull allowing it to float in the water, with add-on pontoons to improve high sea traversability.

The Ka-Mi was introduced along with the initial Japanese Ground Forces tree in Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai". Unlike the Ha-Go, it features a slightly better Type 1 37 mm instead of the Type 94 37 mm and comes with a coaxial machine gun which is rather rare for WWII Japanese tanks. While the Ka-Mi doesn't receive its pontoons in-game, it still can float through the water as the propellers are mounted directly to the chassis and allows the tank crew to exploit aquatic terrain to their advantage, especially since the gun is shoulder stabilized, making it easier to aim with the waves.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull12 / 10 / 10

Turret30 / 12 / 12

Crew4 people

Visibility75 %

Ka-Mi is best used from cover, where it can hide its massive body from enemy fire. Here: shooting from behind the hill on Eastern Europe, village centre.

The Ka-Mi features a very unusual layout. Being originally designed as an amphibious tank, it is very lightly armoured. With armour thickness ranging from around 8 mm, and just reaching 12 mm on the larger portions of the hull, this tank is very fragile to anything bigger than MG fire. To increase survivability, one can enter a fight backwards in order to absorb shots with the engine, though using hard cover (such as hills and rocks) is preferable.

This armour pattern really shines at distances (500+ m), where a little angling can mostly defeat HMG fire. Since most guns at this BR are quite inaccurate, exposing only your small turret should not be a problem since it is hard to hit. If caught in an open field (still at a distance), try directly facing your foe. Angling is useless with armour so thin, meaning some shells might punch through cleanly and just fly by your crew in the uninhabited portions of the tank (ammo racks located there are pretty small, so these are often missed in such cases).

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour

Armour	Front	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	12 mm (30°) Front plate 6 mm (83°) Front glacis 12 mm (4-39°) Lower glacis	10 mm	10 mm (12°) Middle 12 mm (59°) Side	6 mm
Turret	12 mm (0-8°) Turret front 30 mm Gun mantlet	12 mm (10-12°)	12 mm (12-13°)	6 mm

Notes

• Suspension wheels and tracks are both 15 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 6 mm thick.

Mobility

Amphibious

The design allows you to swim and control movement in the water

Speedforward / back

AB45 / 12 km/h

RB and SB40 / 10 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

2 back

Weight9.1 t

Engine power

AB219 hp

RB and SB115 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB24.1 hp/t

RB and SB12.6 hp/t

Ka-Mi when either firing or having its propellers on becomes an extremely visible target, even from afar. The jets of water extend over 5 times the length of the tank behind it, reaching nearly 4 times its air draft.

The Ka-Mi provides a decent top speed on the road but lacks such mobility when going off-road. Narrow tracks make mobility in snow/desert maps really painful. A good thing to mention: this tank has a respectable reverse speed of -11 km/h with two reverse gear, which is a rare feature at this BR. It can sometimes get you out of bad situations.

Compared to other tanks at its BR, the Ka-Mi has average mobility with no significant drawbacks, offering an ability to reach most destinations with the rest of the team, or to position for sniping or ambushes. The Ka-Mi is also somewhat prone to drifting when taking sharp turns at high speed.

The Ka-Mi travels at 10 km/h (AB/RB/SB) in water but can't propel itself backwards. Trajectory should be planned accordingly to avoid being stuck.

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	45	12	9.1	124	219	13.63	24.07
Realistic	40	10		102	115	11.21	12.64

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB106 → 136

RB95 → 122

SB111 → 142

Total cost of modifications2 985

890

Talisman cost190

Crew training200

Experts1 000

Aces20

Research Aces96 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

10 / 10 / 20 %

100 / 100 / 100 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 200 Cost: 60 55 Suspension Research: 135 Cost: 40 35 Brake System Research: 135 Cost: 40 35 Filters Research: 250 Cost: 75 70 Transmission Research: 320 Cost: 95 85 Engine Research: 320 Cost: 95 85	Improved Parts Research: 200 Cost: 60 55 Improved FPE Research: 135 Cost: 40 35 Crew Replenishment Research: 250 Cost: 75 70	Horizontal Drive Research: 200 Cost: 60 55 Adjustment of Fire Research: 135 Cost: 40 35 37mm_type_1_APHE_ammo_pack Research: 135 Cost: 40 35 Elevation Mechanism Research: 250 Cost: 75 70 Artillery Support Research: 320 Cost: 95 85

Armaments

Main armament

37 mm Type 1 cannon

Shoulder stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in one plane while moving

Ammunition132 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

5.2 → 4.0 s

Vertical guidance-10° / 24°

The main gun of the Ka-Mi is a very basic 37 mm cannon with decent penetration and spread. A major disadvantage is its slow turn rate, making it preferable to have already aimed the turret before emerging from cover, and similarly attempting to hide it as early as possible, once the enemy emerges from a flanking direction. It does, however, feature a good depression rate, making it a potent weapon when attacking from the hills.

The 37 mm is a decent gun with a good reload time and good ammo count: don't bother wasting ammo while stationary, just fire on the move. This tank has a "lock", which is a primitive form of gun stabilizer, decreasing vertical movement from the main armament - at low speeds, gun handling sees significant improvement. Note that turret rotation speed is somewhat slow: pre-aim your gun in the general direction of the enemy in close-quarter engagements.

37 mm Type 1					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	132	-10°/+24°	±180°	Vertical	11.52	15.94	19.36	21.41	22.78	5.20	4.60	4.24	4.00
Realistic					7.20	8.47	10.29	11.37	12.10

Ammunition

It's highly preferable to use the Type 1 APHE ammunition over the stock one, due to its significantly better penetration and its explosive filler. While the Type 94 shell may only damage enemy crew or components with anything barring a perfectly-placed shot, the Type 1 shell will nearly always result in an effectively destructive hit, damaging modules and crew alike. Similarly, the penetration characteristics of the Type 1 shells make all the difference between a ricochet and a successful knock-out when dealing with other tanks at this BR.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
Type 94 APHE	APHE	46	44	36	29	23	18
Type 1 APHE	APHE	57	54	39	26	18	12

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
Type 94 APHE	APHE	700	0.7	1.2	9	11	47°	60°	65°
Type 1 APHE	APHE	800	0.72	1.2	9	12.8	47°	60°	65°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Ka-Mi

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	Visual discrepancy
132	73 (+59)	25 (+107)	1 (+131)	No

Due to a high maximum ammo capacity, leaving at least the first ammo rack empty could be preferred in order to reduce the chance of enemy shots causing any ammo detonation. This can be done by only carrying 73 or fewer shells. Furthermore, when angling the tank to the enemy, it's preferred to expose the left side to the enemy, rather than the right one, which will always contain a loaded ammunition rack. To prevent crew members from being knocked out, the right side should be protected whenever possible.

Machine guns

2 x 7.7 mm Type 97 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition7 000 rounds

Belt capacity20 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

3.9 → 3.0 s

Fire rate499 shots/min

7.7 mm Type 97 machine gun

Ammunition1 000 rounds

Belt capacity20 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

3.9 → 3.0 s

Fire rate499 shots/min

All three machine guns visible. From top: exposed pintle mount, coaxial next to the main gun and hull mount

One thing that saves the Ka-Mi's reputation is its MG count: there are 3 of them. One is coaxial, fired by the gunner, another is pintle-mounted, also fired by the gunner, and the last is hull-mounted, fired by the machine gunner. These weapons have good burst capabilities that can take out lightly-armoured targets (Soviet SPAA trucks, open-topped SPGs, etc.). This also allows the Ka-Mi to become an unlikely SPAA, armed with three machine guns and a cannon. It can quite easily damage low-flying biplanes, although sustained hits are still required to successfully down an aircraft. One downside of the Type 97 machine gun is its low ammo count, which limits bursts to a couple of seconds before having to reload. Reloads, fortunately, don't take long.

The Ka-Mi has a rare setup for its BR, featuring a group of three 7.7 mm MGs that allow it to quickly dispose of enemy lightly-armoured vehicles, especially rank I SPAAGs. The MGs are supplied with limited ammo capacity, allowing for a short bursts before reloading. In effect, shorter bursts into different portions of the enemy vehicle are recommended over lengthy bursts to gradually disable modules and crew members.

7.7 mm Type 97
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	4,000 (20)	499	N/A	N/A
Hull	3,000 (20)	499	-11°/+35°	±20°
Pintle	1,000 (20)	499	-10°/+70°	±60°

Usage in battles

With its average armour, firepower and mobility, the Ka-Mi should be played wisely, with a bit of finesse: you will not survive frontal engagement, neither can you flank nor snipe. This leaves you the support role. Always play as a team when driving the Ka-Mi, bringing an additional potent close-range gun to the fight, threatening your foes while more potent allies reload.

Use hills to your advantage, fall back when outnumbered and beware difficult terrain since it can slow down your manoeuvres significantly. Do not rely on the armour as even with angling, its effective protection is nearly always penetrable by enemy tanks.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• 37 mm gun has decent post-penetration damage
• Has a lot of machine guns, allowing a mediocre amphibious tank to turn into an impromptu SPAA instantly
• Tiny turret. Hard to target it at the range
• High ammo count (both cannon and MG)
• 10° gun depression
• Decent reverse speed (-11 km/h)
• Has a coaxial machine gun, unlike most low rank Japanese tanks
• Amphibious design will float on water

Cons:

• 37 mm penetration value starting to feel lacking
• Hull size is wider than other Japanese light tanks
• Hull front plate is thin and relatively unsloped
• Tiny turret, big hull. People with have no trouble targeting you
• Only two ammo choice, both APHE, one is clearly superior over the other
• Narrow tracks means poor off-road mobility
• Low engine HP makes hill-climbing only possible at low gear, which even then is difficult
• Weak armour makes you an easy target for aircraft with high penetration on their guns

History

Development

A couple of captured Ka-Mi's with their pontoons deattached for land usage. Rabaul, 1945

While tanks were used mainly in the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) also owned their own land forces known as the Special Naval Landings Forces (SNLF). Their standard tanks was the Type 95 Ha-Go, but the SNLF wanted a more capable tank fitted for amphibious landings. The Japanese have touched upon the amphibious tank concept since the 1930s, but one built to withstand rough seas needed more durability than one designed for rivers and more calm waters. The IJN approached Mitsubishi in 1941 to develop the new amphibious tank, named Ka-Mi "Special Craft". The tank was to go along with the IJA's Type 2 Ke-To light tank, using a similar turret design. The suspension of the vehicle was one derived from the Ha-Go. The amphibious capability was given to the tank via two removable pontoons on the front and back of the tank. A trunk and a tower were fitted over the engine and turret respectively to prevent water from flowing into the engine and crew compartment. The vehicle, accepted as the Type 2 Ka-Mi, began production in 1943. Up to 182 tanks were produced by the end of the war, mostly supporting Japanese positions in Saipan and the Philippines.

Combat Usage

A Type 2 Ka-Mi sailing through the waters of occupied Dutch East Indies

The Type 2 Ka-Mi saw combat in 1944 in Saipan and Leyte. They assisted the stationed SNLF units on these islands in attacking the American beachheads via amphibious assaults. The Ka-Mi were also stationed in Luzon, and a handful were captured by Allied forces in 1945. Their limited numbers and usage meant they fought with relative obscurity to the IJA's Type 97 Chi-Ha tanks. However, the Type 2 Ka-Mi was deemed rather successful by the IJN. Some have dubbed it the "best-designed amphibious tank of the war" after the conclusion of World War II. This led to successors like the Type 3 Ka-Chi, a parallel to the Type 1 Chi-He, and the Type 5 To-Ku, based on the Type 5 Chi-Ri.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Ka-Mi from live.warthunder.com.

Images

• 

  Type 3 Ka-Chi & Type 2 Ka-Mi landing ashore

• 

  Type 3 Ka-Chi & Type 2 Ka-Mi driving across land

• 

  Ka-Mi driving across Jungle

• 

  Ka-Mi promotional image showing front of the hull and size with a human to scale

• 

  Rear of the vehicle on another promo image

See also

Related Development

• Type 95 Ha-Go (Based off)
• Type 3 Ka-Chi (Successor)

Tanks of comparable role, configuration, and era

• LVT(A)(1)

External links

• [Devblog] Type 2 Ka-Mi: Beach Patrol

References

Yokosuka Naval Arsenal (横須賀海軍工廠)
Destroyers (DD)
Momi-class	IJN Momi
Light Cruisers (CL)
Mogami-class	IJN Suzuya
Heavy Cruisers (CA)
Myōkō-class	IJN Myoko
Battlecruisers (BC)
Kurama-class	IJN Kurama
Amagi-class	IJN Amagi
Battleships (BB)
Fusō-class	IJN Yamashiro
Nagato-class	IJN Mutsu
Tanks	Ka-Mi · Ka-Chi · Chi-Ha LG
See also	Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal

Japan light tanks
Type 89	I-Go Ko
Type 95	Ha-Go · Ha-Go Commander
Type 98	Ke-Ni
Other	Ka-Mi
IFV	Type 89
RCV	Type 87 RCV (P) · Type 87 RCV · RCV (P)
MCV	Type 16 (P) · Type 16 (FPS) · Type 16
USA	▅M24 · ▅M41A1