Type 1 Ho-Ha
Encyclopedia
The was an armored half-track
armoured personnel carrier
(APC) used in limited numbers by the Imperial Japanese Army
(IJA) during World War II
.
to the battlefield protected from enemy small arms
fire. Despite experiences of the Second Sino-Japanese War
, APCs were viewed as too slow compared to wheeled trucks and there was not much effort for their development in the army.
Production began in 1944, Type 1 Ho-Ha being an addition to the existing Type 1 Ho-Ki
, an unrelated, yet similarly named, APC design. The half-tracked Type 1 Ho-Ha was built by Hino Motors
in unknown quantities.
The Type 1 Ho-Ha had a pair of road wheels in front supported by a pair of short caterpillar track
s to the rear. As with the previous Type 1 Ho-Ki, a towing hitch to haul artillery was provided at the rear. Maximum armor thickness was about 8 mm but the top was open.
The Type 1 Ho-Ha carried three Type 97 light machine gun
s as standard armament, one on each side, just to the rear of the driver's compartment and a third mounted to the rear as an anti-aircraft weapon. All of these weapons had constricted firing arcs, which made firing directly forward or directly rearward impossible.
for operations in the ongoing Second Sino-Japanese War
, but were never in any great numbers. The Type 1 Ho-Ha was later deployed with Japanese reinforcements in the Battle of the Philippines in 1944.
Half-track
A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels on the front for steering, and caterpillar tracks on the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. The purpose of this combination is to produce a vehicle with the cross-country capabilities of a tank and the handling...
armoured personnel carrier
Armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
(APC) used in limited numbers by the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
(IJA) during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Development and history
The Type 1 Ho-Ha was developed in 1941 as a result of a request from the Army for a vehicle that could be used to transport a squad of infantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
to the battlefield protected from enemy small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
fire. Despite experiences of the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, APCs were viewed as too slow compared to wheeled trucks and there was not much effort for their development in the army.
Production began in 1944, Type 1 Ho-Ha being an addition to the existing Type 1 Ho-Ki
Type 1 Ho-Ki
The was a tracked Armored personnel carrier developed by the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II.-Development and history:The Type 1 Ho-Ki was developed in 1942 as a result of a request from the Army...
, an unrelated, yet similarly named, APC design. The half-tracked Type 1 Ho-Ha was built by Hino Motors
Hino Motors
-External links:Global* * * Overseas offices****.*.***.*.* - Philippines**...
in unknown quantities.
Design
The Type 1 Ho-Ha was based upon the German Sd.Kfz. 251/1 (known popularly as Hanomag), the main armoured personnel carrier of the German Army.The Type 1 Ho-Ha had a pair of road wheels in front supported by a pair of short caterpillar track
Caterpillar track
Continuous tracks or caterpillar tracks are a system of vehicle propulsion in which modular metal plates linked into a continuous band are driven by two or more wheels...
s to the rear. As with the previous Type 1 Ho-Ki, a towing hitch to haul artillery was provided at the rear. Maximum armor thickness was about 8 mm but the top was open.
The Type 1 Ho-Ha carried three Type 97 light machine gun
Type 97 Light Machine Gun
The was the standard machine gun used in tanks and armored vehicles of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, and also as a light machine gun by infantry forces.-Development:...
s as standard armament, one on each side, just to the rear of the driver's compartment and a third mounted to the rear as an anti-aircraft weapon. All of these weapons had constricted firing arcs, which made firing directly forward or directly rearward impossible.
Combat record
Initial deployment of the Type 1 Ho-Ha was ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
for operations in the ongoing Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, but were never in any great numbers. The Type 1 Ho-Ha was later deployed with Japanese reinforcements in the Battle of the Philippines in 1944.
Comparison
| Japanese Type 1 Ho-Ha | German Sd.Kfz. 251/1 | |
| Crew | 3 | 2 |
| Capacity | 12 troops | 10 soldiers |
| Length | 6.1 m | 5.80 m |
| Width | 2.1 m | 2.10 m |
| Height | 2.51 m | 1.75 m |
| Weight | 6.5 tonnes | 8.61-8.9 tonnes |
| Speed | 50 km/h (31 mph) | 52–53 km/h (33 mph) |
| Armament | 3 × 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns | 2 × 7.92 mm MG 34 MG 34 The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG 34, is a German air-cooled machine gun that was first produced and accepted into service in 1934, and first issued to units in 1935. It accepts the 8x57mm IS cartridge.... or MG42 MG42 The MG 42 is a 7.9mm universal machine gun that was developed in Nazi Germany and entered service with the Wehrmacht in 1942... machine guns 2 × Sub-MGs (basic weapons) |