Sunday, March 22, 2015

“SUMIDA” NO-NOT

Type 2593 "Sumida"

At times some books will refer to a Type 2593 "Sumida" Armored Car in the Japanese inventory. Careful research has found this label to be an error. Type 2593 "Sumida" Armored Car is the Model 91 Broad-gauge Railroad Tractor. "Sumida" was the name of the firm before it was changed to Ishikawajima.

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.

The Type 93 was used almost exclusively in the China/Manchuria theatre.

Rail armored car, also called as broad-gauge railroad prime mover. Was widely used in Manchuria and China by army and naval [marines] units. Railroad prime mover type 91 [2592 "Chiyoda"] was improved 2590 and had special device for regulation the distance between wheels for use the railroads with differ rail gauge [in China and USSR]. Type 2593 "Sumida" [also based on "Chiyoda" truck chassis] appeared in 1933, equipped with 4 lifting jacks, powered from engine [change of road/railroad run took 10 min]. Those armored cars [2590, 2592, 2593] were used widely and effective as railroad engines for tow railcars with infantry and cargos in China [usually two armored cars were coupled], also as patrol rail/road armored cars, for repair operations along the Chinese railroads.

Type 91 Armored Railroad Car "So-Mo"
Introduced Year : 1933
Weight : 7.7 ton
Dimensions: 6.58 x 1.9 x 2.95(h) m
Engine : Gasoline Engine 40 PS/1300 rpm [some were equipped with 100 hp diesels]
Speed (max) : 40 km/hr (ground), 60km/hr (railroad)
Armour,
Upper Hull Front: 16mm @ 45º
Lower Hull Front: 16mm @ 10º
Hull Sides: 11mm @ 0º
Hull Rear: 11mm @ 15º
Hull Top: 6mm @ 85º
Hull Bottom: 6mm
Gun Mantlet: 11mm @ 0º
Turret Front: 16mm @ 20º
Turret Sides: 16mm @ 20º
Turret Rear: 16mm @ 20º
Turret Top: 6mm @ 80º
Crew : 6
Production Qty : 1,000

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