Type 92 heavy armoured car

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, was the Empire of Japan's first indigenous tankette. Designed for use by the cavalry of the Imperial Japanese Army and manufactured by Ishikawajima Motorcar Manufacturing Company, the Type 92 was meant for scouting and infantry support. The Type 92 was thin armored and lightly armed. It was called a sōkōsha (armored car) in Japanese due to political sectionalism within the Japanese Army (tanks were controlled by the infantry, whereas the weapon was intended for the cavalry). The same device was used in America with the M1 combat car.

Developmental history

After World War I, many European countries attempted to mechanize their cavalry. In parallel, Japanese cavalry experimented with a variety of armored cars with limited success. These wheeled armored cars were not suitable for most operations in Manchuria, due to the poor road conditions and severe winter climate. Japan's army (like the US, French, British and Russian armies) tried various methods to integrate modern armor into their traditional horse cavalry formations.

From the early 1920s, the Imperial Japanese Army Cavalry School based in Chiba prefecture tested a variety of European light tanks, including six Carden Loyd tankettes and several Renault FTs, and a decision was reached in 1929 to proceed with the domestic development of a new vehicle, based largely on the Carden Loyd design and intended to address the deficiencies of wheeled armored cars.