Sumida M.2593 (Type 91)

History

Like other world powers in World War II (1939-1945), Imperial Japan used a variety of cheap armored vehicle designs in the conflict. An example is the Sumida M. 2593 that emerged from the Ishikawajima Automobile Works in 1933, an entry that was widely used in earlier campaigns - especially against the Chinese after the 1937 invasion.

The 7.7-ton vehicle features a typical six-wheel layout, with a boxy armored superstructure added to the chassis to protect the six occupants inside. Armor protection is 10mm thick along key panels, and the overall dimensions of the vehicle include a length of 6.6m, a width of 1.9m and a height of 2.95m.

Power comes from a 4-cylinder, 45-horsepower gasoline engine. On top of the superstructure is a movable turret, usually armed with a 7.7mm machine gun, while ports along the sides of the hull allow the crew to use small arms against enemy forces.

One of the unique features of M. 2593 is the inherent ability to convert its wheels from solid rubber tire form to railroad flanged wheels. Road speeds on road wheels are fairly limited, up to 40 km/h (worse off-road performance overall), but the flanged unit gives the car a top speed of 60 km/h and can be adjusted according to existing to adjust the track width.

The range was up to 150 miles, giving the M. 2593 a useful range.

Such vehicles are able to travel quickly to the furthest inland of China via an extensive and well-established rail network and assist in attacking and patrolling key locations within range.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Not available.

Changes