The Fire-Cabinet Wagon for Attacking Enemies

original: Huogui Gongdi Che (火櫃攻敵車)

Treatise on Armament Technology, Volume 125: Regulated Chariots, Battle Equipment V

original: Wubei Zhi (武備志), Volume 125, Qi Cheng (齊乘), Zhan Qijie Wu (戰 器戒五)

The Fire-Cabinet Wagon for Attacking Enemies Fire-Cabinet Wagon original: Huogui Gongdi Che (火櫃攻敵車). A heavy, mobile assault platform from the Ming Dynasty designed to carry a large, armored "cabinet" or chest filled with gunpowder-based weaponry or incendiary materials. represents a significant advancement in mobile siege and field weaponry.

As shown in the accompanying woodcut illustration, the vehicle consists of a large wooden cabinet reinforced with studs or rivets to protect the contents from enemy fire and physical tampering. This cabinet is mounted atop a heavy-duty two-wheeled chassis, allowing it to be pushed into position during a battle.

A single armored operator is positioned at the rear of the cart. He is equipped with a lit torch or match, prepared to ignite the internal fuses or firing mechanisms. Once ignited, the "fire cabinet" would unleash its projectiles or incendiary compounds against enemy formations or fortifications, providing both a defensive screen for the operator and a potent offensive capability.