Mitsubishi FW415

     Notes: This heavy Japanese truck replaced the FW115 truck in production, though both are still used.  It is of cabover construction, and comes in many variants, including cargo/troop carriers, recovery vehicle, tractor truck, and artillery tractor.  The cab has a heater and a hard top, but no overhead hatch. Behind the cab is a space for vehicle equipment, and to the rear of that is a spare wheel and tire. The FW415L is the standard cargo/troop carrier version; the cargo area has a canvas cover over bows, as well as bench seats on either side of the cargo bed. The FW415L has a drop tailgate; drop sides are an option for the cargo area. A variant of the FW415L (which will not be covered here due to lack of data) has a 35mm antiaircraft autocannon mounted in the cargo bed, and the bench seats, sides, and tailgate deleted; another variant is used as an artillery tractor for a similar weapon. The FW415L3 is similar to the FW415L, but has a longer center section and a shorter cargo bed in order to mount a 2-ton capacity cargo handling crane in front of the cargo bed. The FW415L3 also has a 10-ton capacity winch mounted at the rear of the truck. The FW415LD1 is also similar to the FW415L, but has a 6-ton capacity winch mounted at the rear of the truck. The FW415M has a longer wheelbase and longer cargo bed (about 30 centimeters longer) and has drop sides. The engine for all versions is a Mitsubishi 8DC9-1A diesel with 320 horsepower, and coupled with a manual transmission.

Mitsubishi FW419

     Notes: This is an updated version of the FW415, which replaced the FW415 in production. It follows the same form factor as the FW419, with a cabover front end and the rear cargo area covered by a tarpaulin over bows. There are folding bench seats on each side of the cargo area, and the center area between the cab and cargo area has space for vehicle tools and a spare wheel with tire. There are several variants; some of them are presented here. The FW419L is the basic cargo truck version, and has a drop tailgate; drop sides are an option for the cargo area. The FW419L3 is the counterpart of the FW415L3 above, with a 2-ton capacity crane at the front of the cargo area and a 10-ton winch at the rear. The FW419LD has a 6-ton winch mounted in the center of the frame; the cable may be led out to the front or rear.  The FW419LD1 is the same truck with a 10-ton winch mounted in the rear of the vehicle. The FW419M is the counterpart of the FW415M above, with a longer wheelbase and cargo area. The engine for all versions is the Mitsubishi 8DC11-1A diesel with 355 horsepower, and coupled to a manual transmission.

Mitsubishi Type 74 Special Large Truck

     Notes: This is the Japanese military's truck for very heavy and large loads. It is based on the civilian Fuso Great series of trucks. It is of cabover construction, and has drop sides and tailgate, and a canvas cover for the cargo area.  Variants include a cargo/troop carrier and a bridging carrier, as well as other large equipment and shelter carriers. Short Wheelbase models are 8.3 meters long, while Long Wheelbase models are 9.22 meters long. Short Wheelbase models are normally general load haulers, and Long Wheelbase versions carry very large or outsized cargoes and hard-sided shelters. The truck features a very long cargo area with a tarpaulin cover over bows, and a relatively small cabover cab. The cargo area of the Long Wheelbase has drop sides and a drop tailgate; the Short Wheelbase model does not have drop sides, but does have a drop tailgate. The engine is a 300-horsepower Mitsubishi diesel.

Mitsubishi W121P

     Notes: This is a larger medium truck used by the Japanese forces.  It is an old truck, developed in the 1950s, but still in active use by the Japanese. It is a standard layout truck, with a front engine, cab behind it, and rear cargo area.  Behind the cab on the right side is a winch with a capacity of 10 tons and 60 meters of cable.  In Japanese service, this truck is most often used to tow artillery and antiaircraft pieces, and carry their ammunition. The standard maximum load is 6 tons, but if the W12P stays on roads, it can carry 12 tons. The W12P uses a 200-horsepower Mitsubishi diesel (one of the most powerful available in Japan at the time of the development of the W12P, but decidedly underpowered today), with a manual transmission.

     Variants include a cargo/troop carrier, tractor truck, and wrecker.