Chong Di Tie Tou Che (沖敵鐵頭車)

Drawing of a Chong Di Tie Tou Che, from 'Yu Zi Shi San Zhong Mi Shu Bing Heng (《喻子十三種秘書兵衡》)'.

Chong Di Tie Tou Che (沖敵鐵頭車, lit. 'Enemy-charging iron headed wagon'), also known as Chong Zhen Tie Tou Che (沖陣鐵頭車, lit. 'Formation-charging iron headed wagon'), was an unusual war wagon developed during the twilight years of the Ming Dynasty. Like its namesake, it was a four-wheeled wagon with an iron plough mounted at the front—essentially, a human-powered bulldozer.

A Chong Di Tie Tou Che was ten chi long, seven chi wide and fifty cun tall, and came with two sets of wheels. Like modern front loader, its front wheels were smaller than the rear. A V-shaped iron plough/dozer blade was mounted at the front of the wagon. Each wing of the plough was three chi and six cun wide, and came with several sharp blades to deter enemy assault. The wagon also had two wooden fences on both sides in addition to a passenger/cargo compartment mounted directly above its rear wheels, protected by wooden parapets on four sides. To traverse rough terrain such as ditch or narrow river, the wagon also carried two long wooden planks inside a rack at its underside.

Chong Di Tie Tou Che was designed with but one primary purpose in mind—to spearhead assault against enemy formation or encampment, using its heavy frontal armour to protect other troops from enemy arrows, firearms and even small cannons, as well as clearing various obstacles and barricades such as caltrops, abatises and cheval de frise. Although Chong Di Tie Tou Che was not a true battering ram, it could still ram down palisades and other light fortifications using its heavy plough.

Nevertheless, despite being a fast (for a wagon) and heavily armoured assault weapon, it was still quite sluggish, and required support and protection from other troops to function properly. Given the sorry state of Ming military during its twilight years, this wagon most likely never saw actual deployment.