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Armored Cars in Japanese Service
A few words on Japanese Armored Cars before I begin here.
First, Japanese Armored Cars were frequently deployed without "official" model
names, only model "numbers". These numbers were usually (but not always)
designated with the four digit year of production, as opposed to the standard
practice of a two digit production year abbreviation. If any nickname was
applied at all, it was entirely informal, though these themselves eventually fell
into common usage. Such "unofficial" model names were usually based upon
either the arsenal where the majority of a specific armored car would have
been produced, or the city in which the factory producing them was located.
Second, Japanese Armored Cars were not frequently encountered by the
Western Allies. There are really two reasons for this. The first was a matter of
sheer practicality, as armored cars could not (obviously) operate well outside
well developed areas (except in the case of armored rail cars, which could
traverse these slightly more easily, but even then a rail line was needed). The
second was that most armored cars were deployed under control of the IJA' s
cavalry divisions, and most cavalry units were deployed to mainland Asia and
the Home Islands.
When Japanese Armored Cars were encountered by the Western Allies, they
were most commonly found in places like the Singapore, Hong Kong, or
Formosa/Taiwan where developed roads and cities existed making their use
practical. A few may have even found their way into Indonesia, but this is
extremely doubtful. As such, Japanese Armored Cars were primarily a Chinese
problem - even the Soviets seem to have encountered them only rarely.
One interesting aspect of armored car deployment was that the Navy made
extensive use of such vehicles for its own ground-linked activities, particularly
the occupation of port cities and the maintenance of order therein. This was
possible in large part because armored cars were not exclusively restricted to
use by the Army, as in the case of tanks, at the beginning of the 1930s.
Finally, it should be noted that, as a result of these shortages and confusion in
terminology, some sources either neglect or completely fail to mention the
Japanese Armored Car, and even then, only peripherally. As such, we know
really very little about these vehicles, in terms of production and tactics, and
most of what we can confirm comes from period photography and the
observations of foreigners. Doubtless, the Chinese had quite a bit more
experience, but the situation in that country is such that this is a chapter of
history not yet well explored.
With all that in mind, I hope that the brief section here will prove useful to you!
First, Japanese Armored Cars were frequently deployed without "official" model
names, only model "numbers". These numbers were usually (but not always)
designated with the four digit year of production, as opposed to the standard
practice of a two digit production year abbreviation. If any nickname was
applied at all, it was entirely informal, though these themselves eventually fell
into common usage. Such "unofficial" model names were usually based upon
either the arsenal where the majority of a specific armored car would have
been produced, or the city in which the factory producing them was located.
Second, Japanese Armored Cars were not frequently encountered by the
Western Allies. There are really two reasons for this. The first was a matter of
sheer practicality, as armored cars could not (obviously) operate well outside
well developed areas (except in the case of armored rail cars, which could
traverse these slightly more easily, but even then a rail line was needed). The
second was that most armored cars were deployed under control of the IJA' s
cavalry divisions, and most cavalry units were deployed to mainland Asia and
the Home Islands.
When Japanese Armored Cars were encountered by the Western Allies, they
were most commonly found in places like the Singapore, Hong Kong, or
Formosa/Taiwan where developed roads and cities existed making their use
practical. A few may have even found their way into Indonesia, but this is
extremely doubtful. As such, Japanese Armored Cars were primarily a Chinese
problem - even the Soviets seem to have encountered them only rarely.
One interesting aspect of armored car deployment was that the Navy made
extensive use of such vehicles for its own ground-linked activities, particularly
the occupation of port cities and the maintenance of order therein. This was
possible in large part because armored cars were not exclusively restricted to
use by the Army, as in the case of tanks, at the beginning of the 1930s.
Finally, it should be noted that, as a result of these shortages and confusion in
terminology, some sources either neglect or completely fail to mention the
Japanese Armored Car, and even then, only peripherally. As such, we know
really very little about these vehicles, in terms of production and tactics, and
most of what we can confirm comes from period photography and the
observations of foreigners. Doubtless, the Chinese had quite a bit more
experience, but the situation in that country is such that this is a chapter of
history not yet well explored.
With all that in mind, I hope that the brief section here will prove useful to you!
Type 2587 Vickers/ "Dowa"(?)
While the Type 87 is frequently credited as a uniquely Japanese design, it was
in fact a verbatim copy of the successful Vickers-Crossley armored car, such
that the two would be virtually indistinguishable without the national insignia of
the countries they served.
A single example of the VC was purchased from Great Britain in 1927 for the
purposes of evaluation. The Japanese then proceeded to build their own,
unlicensed copies of the Vickers-Crossley and classified them "Type 87" - there
was, apparently, no specific nickname applied to the Type 87. The nickname
"Dowa" is applied occasionally to the vehicles, but more than one source
disputes said use.
When the British learned of the unauthorized production of the vehicle, they
insisted that the Japanese provide monetary restitution. The Japanese
responded by purchasing "several" (numbers aren't clear here) from the Indian
Army. The British were satisfied, and the matter was dropped.
The Type 87 was distinctive in that it featured a dome-topped turret equipped
with dual Vickers .303 Heavy Machine Guns, one to each side of the dome. (A
particularly good shot of one such vehicle can be seen in the modern film
Empire of the Sun). The Type 87 was protected to about 8mm thick, with a
crew of four and a top speed of around 40 mph. Even the engine was a copy
of the British original, the gasoline powered four cylinder Crossley. Obviously,
the originals and their components weren't copies, but the exact ratio of Vickers
to Dowa type vehicles isn't immediately clear, nor is the true number produced.
Probably at least one hundred examples were built and/or acquired.
In service, the Type 87 was used by both the Army and the Navy, most
prominently in maintaining public order during the Shanghai Incident. It was
never deployed outside mainland Asia and the Home Islands.
While the Type 87 is frequently credited as a uniquely Japanese design, it was
in fact a verbatim copy of the successful Vickers-Crossley armored car, such
that the two would be virtually indistinguishable without the national insignia of
the countries they served.
A single example of the VC was purchased from Great Britain in 1927 for the
purposes of evaluation. The Japanese then proceeded to build their own,
unlicensed copies of the Vickers-Crossley and classified them "Type 87" - there
was, apparently, no specific nickname applied to the Type 87. The nickname
"Dowa" is applied occasionally to the vehicles, but more than one source
disputes said use.
When the British learned of the unauthorized production of the vehicle, they
insisted that the Japanese provide monetary restitution. The Japanese
responded by purchasing "several" (numbers aren't clear here) from the Indian
Army. The British were satisfied, and the matter was dropped.
The Type 87 was distinctive in that it featured a dome-topped turret equipped
with dual Vickers .303 Heavy Machine Guns, one to each side of the dome. (A
particularly good shot of one such vehicle can be seen in the modern film
Empire of the Sun). The Type 87 was protected to about 8mm thick, with a
crew of four and a top speed of around 40 mph. Even the engine was a copy
of the British original, the gasoline powered four cylinder Crossley. Obviously,
the originals and their components weren't copies, but the exact ratio of Vickers
to Dowa type vehicles isn't immediately clear, nor is the true number produced.
Probably at least one hundred examples were built and/or acquired.
In service, the Type 87 was used by both the Army and the Navy, most
prominently in maintaining public order during the Shanghai Incident. It was
never deployed outside mainland Asia and the Home Islands.
Type 2592 "Osaka"/"Chiyoda"
The Type 92 "Osaka" was produced in two variations - with four axles (for the
Army), and with six axles (for the Navy). The Navy's Type 92, therefore, had a
slightly higher horsepower than the Army's four axle variant. Type 92 followed
the standard practice and common nomenclature referred most often to the
Type 92 as the "Osaka", as the Type 92 was built at the Osaka Armory. The
Naval variant is sometimes known as the Type 92 "Chiyoda", as the Naval
version was produced at the Chiyoda Arsenal.
Both of the vehicles were designed to a similar blueprint, but they were
designed with different goals in mind. The Army's four axle Type 92 was
designed for the purpose of recon; the Navy's six axle type 92 was designed
for the purpose of crowd control and security, as well as general utility. As
such, the two varied considerably in armament and crew size. The IJA Type 92
was equipped with dual, turret mounted 7.7mm LMGs; the IJN Type 92 was
equipped with no less than five 7.7mm LMGs - one to each hull side, one to the
fore of the hull, and two in the turret itself. An additional LMG could be mounted
as an anti-aircraft weapon in both models.
Speed also varied. The Army variant could do about 38mph; the Navy variant
could do nearly 50mph. Crew, naturally, was slightly larger for the IJN model -
six crew compared to the Army's five.
The Type 92 was used primarily in China and Manchuria. A few were used in
the Home Islands; a few also made their way to Malaya. Production data is not
available, but both models were fairly heavily engaged in occupation duties
throughout the Second World War.
The Type 92 "Osaka" was produced in two variations - with four axles (for the
Army), and with six axles (for the Navy). The Navy's Type 92, therefore, had a
slightly higher horsepower than the Army's four axle variant. Type 92 followed
the standard practice and common nomenclature referred most often to the
Type 92 as the "Osaka", as the Type 92 was built at the Osaka Armory. The
Naval variant is sometimes known as the Type 92 "Chiyoda", as the Naval
version was produced at the Chiyoda Arsenal.
Both of the vehicles were designed to a similar blueprint, but they were
designed with different goals in mind. The Army's four axle Type 92 was
designed for the purpose of recon; the Navy's six axle type 92 was designed
for the purpose of crowd control and security, as well as general utility. As
such, the two varied considerably in armament and crew size. The IJA Type 92
was equipped with dual, turret mounted 7.7mm LMGs; the IJN Type 92 was
equipped with no less than five 7.7mm LMGs - one to each hull side, one to the
fore of the hull, and two in the turret itself. An additional LMG could be mounted
as an anti-aircraft weapon in both models.
Speed also varied. The Army variant could do about 38mph; the Navy variant
could do nearly 50mph. Crew, naturally, was slightly larger for the IJN model -
six crew compared to the Army's five.
The Type 92 was used primarily in China and Manchuria. A few were used in
the Home Islands; a few also made their way to Malaya. Production data is not
available, but both models were fairly heavily engaged in occupation duties
throughout the Second World War.
Type 2593 "Sumida"
The Type 93 was designed primarily as a utility vehicle for the IJA, and featured
six railroad wheels which could be equipped with ingeniously designed rubber
rims, allowing off-track service; these were fitted while the hull was raised
using a series of integral jacks. Frequently identified as the Type 93 Sumida
(once again, based upon the name of the arsenal responsible for its
production), there is some debate as to whether the vehicle is properly
classified as an armored car. Japanese literature sometimes refers to the
Sumida as a "Broad Gauge Railroad Tractor". In keeping with this, the Type 93
was clearly designed with use in China and Manchuria in mind, as the native
Japanese rail gauge was more narrow than in the two regions previously
mentioned.
The Type 93 was armed with six 7.7mm LMGs. One each was mounted to the
hull sides, and to the fore and aft of the hull. A sixth machine gun was mounted
in the turret. The vehicle had a crew of six, could do a top speed of about
25mph on the road or 37mph on rail, and was claimed to be capable of moving
from rail to road in a period of less than ten minutes. Armor protection maxed out
at about 16mm.
Sometimes, pairs of Type 93 cars were linked rear to rear in order to improve
speed in either direction. Large towing hitches were provided for this purpose,
and for general utility usage.
The Type 93 was used almost exclusively in the China/Manchuria theatre.
The Type 93 was designed primarily as a utility vehicle for the IJA, and featured
six railroad wheels which could be equipped with ingeniously designed rubber
rims, allowing off-track service; these were fitted while the hull was raised
using a series of integral jacks. Frequently identified as the Type 93 Sumida
(once again, based upon the name of the arsenal responsible for its
production), there is some debate as to whether the vehicle is properly
classified as an armored car. Japanese literature sometimes refers to the
Sumida as a "Broad Gauge Railroad Tractor". In keeping with this, the Type 93
was clearly designed with use in China and Manchuria in mind, as the native
Japanese rail gauge was more narrow than in the two regions previously
mentioned.
The Type 93 was armed with six 7.7mm LMGs. One each was mounted to the
hull sides, and to the fore and aft of the hull. A sixth machine gun was mounted
in the turret. The vehicle had a crew of six, could do a top speed of about
25mph on the road or 37mph on rail, and was claimed to be capable of moving
from rail to road in a period of less than ten minutes. Armor protection maxed out
at about 16mm.
Sometimes, pairs of Type 93 cars were linked rear to rear in order to improve
speed in either direction. Large towing hitches were provided for this purpose,
and for general utility usage.
The Type 93 was used almost exclusively in the China/Manchuria theatre.
SENSHAN - Japanese Armored Vehicles of the Second World War
