World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseDesign by the Sumiya firm and produced by the Ishikawajima Motor Works factory, forerunners of the modern day firm Isuzu Motors Ltd., the Sumida M.2593 armored car entered Japanese military service in 1933. The design was distinctive in that they could operate on either six road wheels or six flanged railway wheels (adjustable for different rail gauges), each vehicle featuring built-in jacks to assist in rapidly (about 15 to 20 minutes) switching between the two modes of transportation. They had a top speed of about 40 kilometers per hour on the road; on rail tracks, the top speed was increased to about 60 kilometers per hour. They saw extensive use in the Japanese-sponsored puppet state Manchukuo in northeastern China, which had a good rail network. They continued to see use after full scale war with China broke out in Jul 1937. A total of 1,000 examples were put into service. The Japanese Army designated these vehicles as Type 91; those in Army service were generally distinguishable by the six circular racks on the side of the armored car, for holding the road tires when the vehicle was traveling on rails. The Japanese Navy designated them as Sumida Model P; these naval vehicles were rarely seen with the circular racks.

SPECIFICATIONS

M.2593

Machinery	One 4cyl gasoline engine rated at 45hp
Suspension	Wheeled
Armament	1x6.5mm or 1x7.7mm machine gun, slits for internal small arms
Armor	8mm to 16mm front
Crew	6
Length	6.57 m
Width	1.90 m
Height	2.95 m
Weight	7.7 t
Speed	40 km/h
Range	241 km

Photographs