Type 1 Ho-Ni – Photos & Video

Photo Gallery of a Type 1 Ho-Ni, The Type 1 Gun tank Ho-Ni I was a tank destroyer developed by the Imperial Japanese Army for use during World War II in the Pacific theater.

Source: Type 1 Ho-Ni on Wikipedia

The Type 1 Ho-Ni I was a self-propelled gun and tank destroyer that was developed by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. It was based on the Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank, but had its turret replaced with a fixed casemate that mounted a 75 mm Type 90 field gun. The Type 1 Ho-Ni I was designed to provide fire support and anti-tank capabilities for the Japanese armored divisions.
The Type 1 Ho-Ni I had a crew of five, consisting of a commander, a driver and three gunners. The vehicle weighed 15.4 tons and had a maximum speed of 38 km/h. The armor thickness ranged from 25 to 51 mm, with additional plates bolted on the hull for extra protection. The main gun had a limited traverse of 20 degrees and could fire up to 12 km. The vehicle carried 54 rounds of ammunition, but no machine guns for self-defense. The open structure of the casemate made the crew vulnerable to enemy fire and shrapnel.
The Type 1 Ho-Ni I entered production in 1942 and a total of 26 units were built. It was first deployed in the Philippines in 1945, where it faced the American M4 Sherman tanks. However, it was outnumbered and outmatched by the superior Allied armor. Some of the remaining vehicles were sent back to Japan to defend the home islands from the expected invasion, but they never saw combat. The Type 1 Ho-Ni I was later replaced by the improved variants, the Type 1 Ho-Ni II and the Type 3 Ho-Ni III, which had larger guns and enclosed casemates.