Type 95 Kurogane
IJA (1934) - 4,700 built until 1944
Certainly among the cutest military vehicles of WW2, the little Kurogane was designed in 1934 for the Imperial Japanese Army as a scout car by Tokyu Kurogane Industries, and some 4,700 were manufactured from 1936 to 1944. It mostly served in China but also took part in the Burma and Philippines campaign among others. The rest of the park was made of civilian cars. It was one of the world's first four-wheel drive passenger vehicle, beating the iconic Jeep by a few years, was produced to c4700 and existed in 2-door roadster, 2-door pickup truck and 4-door phaeton variants.
Development of the Type 95 Kurogane
Rival Mitsubishi PX33, too complex for mass production for the IJA
The Type 95 was designed in 1934 after a request from the Japanese Imperial Army. Further back in time, it came from the 1928 Military Automobile Subsidy Act, officially establishing the Japanese automobile industry. Annual production started initially at 460 vehicles and grew to 43,551 in 1940. The Military after the Manchurian incident asked a small all-terrain vehicle capable of both reconnaissance and liaison, personnel transport. Toyota was contracted for the task, but this was the final industrial bases, as development was spread between Hatsudoki Seizo at Rikuo for Internal Combustion Engine, Okamoto plus Kurogane to create the prototype vehicle. The Toyota G1 was initially designed with Okamoto Bicycle and Automobile Manufacturing, already charged of bicycles for the Imperial Japanese Navy and created a first Japanese-built internal combustion engine ready for production by 1936.
It was driven mostly by operations in Mainland China that required a four-wheel drive vehicle to offer greater mobility in a less well covere infrastructure, a network of dust tracks rather than proper roads like in Japan. In 1934 Mitsubishi also participated in the effort but under private venture. They designed the PX33, a prototype four-door and four-wheel-drive sedan, powered by a 6.7-litre 4-cyl. diesel engine, plus three more until the programme was cancelled as the Army stuck to Toyota.
At the time the Kurogane Type 95 was designed, the Army already had the Type 93 motorcycle, a side car, plus the Type 97 motorcycle, Harley-Davidson under licence. The army a larger, but still minimalistic passenger car to replace motorcycles used for personnel transport with four-wheel-drive, but Japan's manufacturing infrastructure mainly focused on ships and aircraft, notably through Mitsubishi, the only one that as trusted for tank production. Toyota became later the premier passenger car manufacturer of the archipelago to be later chosen to manufacture some 5,000 vehicles despite Japan's lack of raw materials. There was no time to create an assembly line either.
But for the vehicle to happen, the four wheel drive was to be first manufactured in Japan. Tetsuji Makita, of the Japanese Internal Combustion Engine Company was in charge of the engine, a brillant auto engineer of the early interwar years, associated with Toyogawa Hayataya for the first Japanese production car, the "Otomo", built at Hakuyosha. This leading manufacturer also produced rickshaws, tricycles and competed in 1930 with Datsun and Mazda as well as Mitsubishi, "Hope" Automobile Company (Suzuki postwar). In this "New Era", the Japanese Internal Combustion Engine Company was later renamed Kurogane (old term for "iron").
The company was tasked to create a vehicle barely larger than a sidecar and that will consume as little raw materials as possible. To keep it compact (spec width 1.3 meters or 51.2 in) it only had three seats, two in front and one intermediate forward. However to preserve the center of gravity it was ported to 1,500 mm (59.1 in) during development. In all, four models were buiult until 1944 when production was stopped as it was not considered strategically sound anymore. It was declined successively and in parallel as the three-seater Type A, the moder conventional two doors four seats body type B and the Pickup type C. Cmpared to its contemporaries the
Kubelwagen and
Jeep it had its pros and cons.
Design of the Type 95 Kurogane
Original Plans
The vehicle in its first production model was inded a three-seater (later called Model A) and the body was almost door-less one, thought to be easier to built. The body indeed plunged downwards making for short, light doors that could be optionally almost jumped over (hinging forward) and the body bumped upwards to the rear around the third seat with free space for some gear behind the fwd seats, and a folded canvas roof. Indeed, to spare metal, rigid roofs were not required, but were adopted only for the Type C pickup later. The ladder frame chassis had to provide all the strenght against torsion.
The bonnet was classic in shape, more conventional and streamlined and there were curved mudguards fore and aft. The end looked nicely rounded and spare wheel could be instaled over it. The Kurogane's backbone started with a narrow steel cruciform ladder frame chassis, 1.5 meters track and 2 meters (78.7 in) wheelbase only. Its rear axle used a solid differential and rested on a semi-elliptical leaf springs, whereas front wheels used coil springs instead ad well as double wishbone independent front suspension for better agility off-road.
Engine
In the development stages as operations went on in mandchuria from 1931, it was planned to fight the cold with a better suited horizontally opposed engine. But as the army wanted one that can be easy to maintain and durable, a flat engine was preferrable and procured all the torque needed for an all four wheels drive. Instead of water it was chosen to use Air cooling instead to face wide, dry expanses. The company had experience with motorcycles and that confoiguration opened a lot of possibilities for complementary parts.
What was used in the end, and gave the vehicle its so unique sound, was the Kurogane V1-AF motorcycle engine. It was a V-2 OVH with bank angle of 45°, and with forced air-cooling. It had a capacity of 1.3 – 1.4 Liters and developed 32.5 bhp) at 3,300rpm (33 PS/24.3 kW) in a simple design, under influence of the Sunbeam Motorcycle engine. It shared also many parts and design commonalities with single-cylinder engine used on motorcycle JAC Zaimasu. It could be started with a handcrank as backup for the eletric starter.
The V-twin engine proved more practical, but used a propeller fan to force airflow across the cylinders and used a dry sump oil lubrication. The carburetor was basically a copy of the Wheeler-Schebler modell, single barrel just in between the V-bank for equal left-right distributions to each bank via a crossflow cylinder head. The engine was suspended rather than mounted, just above the front wheel differential, with the transmission behind to make it more compact but this also gave it a higher center of gravity. The transfer case provided power to the front wheels below the engine. This arrangement also helped keeping the engine above water when crossing a river but those also caused a higher engine vibration.
The transmission used three forward speeds, one reverse gear, on the rear wheels. Universal joints were used to engage the front wheels. The transfer case thus could be used to temporarily engage front wheels if needed. There were drum brakes on the rear axle only. For autonomy, the Kurogane came with a 48 L (13 US gal; 11 imp gal) gas tank supplemented by a 4 L (1 US gal; 1 imp gal) tank in reserve and a total of 13.18 km/L (37.2 mpg/imp and 31.0 mpg/US) for a top speed on paved roads of 75 km/h (46.6 mph) and driving range of 450 kilometres (279.6 mi). It had 6.00-18 in tyres, large in proportion.
Variants
Assembly was almost by hand so minor changes could be made after production started ibn 1936 with relative ease, and many issues of the early Kurogane were ironed out. The early prototype two-door enclosed sedan was made a roadster tp sparer material, with minor body changes made over the years. The cheaper Type A from 1943 missed doors, while the canvas roof was generalized to the four-door vehicles achieved lower top weight and showed flexibility in tropical terrain. In all, 4,775 cars were built with mechanical and body adjustments until 1944. The bumbers for example were simple standard steel piping. There were two standard lights with folding shield for low visibility (close road lighting only). There was a simple exhaust and standard tail lights plus attachement points over the rear bonnet for a spare tire.
There was also a foldable windshield with one of the two windows hinged up and maintained in place to place though a light machine gun, Type 11 or 96 operated by the co-driver. In some versions, a pintle mount was installed for a heavier 92 light machine gun. Thanks to its small sized and weight, the Kurogane could fit into the Kokusai Ku-8 airplane with glider Airborne troops. The Teishin gliding infantry regiment used some as add-on mobile machine gun posts and to carry supply.
- 1935 prototypes: 1200cc 2-cyl. V, 2-door sedan, roadster, rectangular front grille, no bumper, body on chassis frame.
- Type A: Produced 1937-1938, 1300cc roadster only, 3 seater with Oval grille and Bumper.
- Type B: Produced 1939-1943, 1400cc, 4-seats Phaeton, Square grille.
- 1939 prototype: 4-door 1939 Phaeton, extended wheelbase, square grille.
- Type C: 1944, 1400cc, 2-seat pickup truck, limited prod.
Kurogane Type 95 mk.5 (Tyoe C) Pickup
This was a light utility vehicle used by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. It featured a 1.3-liter, four-cylinder engine, and was designed for reconnaissance and transport. Its durability and versatility made it essential for military operations. The vehicle was also powered by a 33 HP 2-cylinder engine and the same all-wheel drive on both axles as well as being able operate in winter conditions. Type 95 Mini-truck was the truck version of Type 95 Passenger Car "Kurogane". It was also used by the IJN. It was used at first for the Kwantung Army stationed in Manchuria, and produced by Nihon Nainenki.
The Type 95 Kurogane in action
The Kurogane was deployed in China from 1937 and was involved 1938 Mandchurian and central china push and in 1939, they were present furing the battle of Nomonhan in 1939. Later they were deployed with all IJA units during the Pacific War, for recce, supply and more and more as staff car for Army and Navy officers in the 4-seater phaeton. It saw all continental campaigns between China, Malaysia, Indochina, Burma, Java, the Philippines and up to the Indian border, more rarely in Pacific islands, but when it did, that was often the only vehicle around.
The chronic lack of vehicle pushed the Japanese to capture and reuse as many vehicle they could during their asian campaign. The kurogane were never enough to satisfy its need and the appelingly slow production represented a pinprick compared to Celebrities such s the Jeep or Kübelwagen.
The kurogane was not a bad vehicle per se, its off-road qualities were real, it was very agile, easy to maintain and repair, but it could be unstable, and was woefully underpowered. It was however quite unique as a vehicle, was nicknamed "Yonki" (the "all wheel drive") or "daruma" after the Buddhist symbol sported in its sides for good luck, or "Sakura" fr its front grille's five-pointed star ("cherry blossom") of the army. The "bug" made its way in popular culture cinema and video games, and is still recoignisable by history buffs today.
Type 95 Kurogane specifications |
| Dimensions | 3,600 x 1,520 x 1,680 (141.7 in x 59.8 in x 66.1 in) |
| Wheelbase | 2,000 mm (78.7 in) |
| Track | Front tread x rear tread 1250 mm |
| Total weight | 1,060(A)-1,100 kg(B) (2,425.1 lb) |
| Crew | 3 (Roadster) 4 (Phaeton) |
| Propulsion | 1.3 L/1.4 L AC OHV V2-cyl. engine |
| Top speed | 33 hp/3300 rpm |
| Range (maximal at cruise speed) | Unknown, c200 km |
| Total production | 4700 |
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