Type 92 Tankette | |
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![]() Type 92 tankette in 1935 | |
Place of origin | Empire of Japan |
Production history | |
Designed | 1931 |
Produced | 1932–1939 |
No. built | 167[1] |
Specifications | |
Mass | 3.5 tonnes (3.9 tons)[2] |
Length | 3.95 m (13 ft 0 in) |
Width | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) |
Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) |
Crew | 3 |
Armor | 6–12 mm |
Main armament | 13 mm Type 92 heavy machine gun |
Secondary armament | 1 × 7.7 mm Type 97 light machine gun |
Engine | Franklin/Ishikawajima Sumida C6 air-cooled inline 6-cylinder gasoline 45 hp (34 kW) |
Suspension | Bell crank |
Operational range | 200 km (120 mi) |
Maximum speed | 40 km/h (25 mph) |
The Type 92 heavy armoured car (九二式重装甲車, Kyū-ni-shiki Jū-sōkōsha), also known as the Type 92 cavalry tank,[3] was the Empire of Japan's first indigenous tankette. Designed for use by the cavalry of the Imperial Japanese Army by Ishikawajima Motorcar Manufacturing Company (currently Isuzu Motors), the Type 92 was designed for scouting and infantry support. The Type 92 was thin armored and lightly armed. Although actually a light tank, it was called sōkōsha (armored car) in Japanese due to political sectionalism within the Japanese Army (tanks were controlled by the infantry, whereas the new weapon was intended for the cavalry). Exactly the same device was used in America with the M1 Combat Car.