Amphibious travel was just half of the intended modus operandi for the Type 2 Ka-Mi, though: It was also to function as a conventional land-based tank when it was not traversing water. It was here that its utility fell short.
Opposing Allied tanks, typically, wouldn’t have fared nearly as well if they ventured into the water, but they thoroughly outclassed the Type 2 in land combat. Its 7.7mm machine gun and 37mm cannon, while not to be trifled with, struggled to penetrate Allied armor, leaving the tank lacking both defensively and offensively. Most of them were destroyed in battle.
The Japanese ultimately didn’t have very much success with their amphibious tanks. They did, however, identify that such a machine could be tremendously valuable, and provide an intriguing proof of concept upon which to build. The Allies would do just that, and to great effect.
The Normandy invasion of D-Day marked the appearance of Duplex Drive Sherman tanks (the idea for which was first dreamed up in 1943), for example, astonishing vehicles that used flotation screens and propellers in tandem. Through this combination of technologies, they could swiftly reach the shore and then, also in short order, assault the heavily-defended beaches. This breakthrough may have been partially inspired by the earlier Japanese work.
