Type 1 Ho-Ha

Type 1 Ho-Ha Story

The half-track as an armored military vehicle reached its heyday during World War II (1939-1945), when it was built in the tens of thousands and operated by all major combatants. Few well-known types have been developed for the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA).

The post-war addition of the Type 1 "Ho-Ha" series was produced on a limited basis - it did not enter service until 1944.

Halftracks are intrinsically valuable to war planners due to their great traction, ability to keep pace with major mechanized forces, and to traverse land with equal power. Many were used as propulsion machinery for artillery, infantry, and supplies to carry those loads from point A to point B and everything in between.

The vehicles feature the same arrangement - a tank-style track wheel system under the rear of the vehicle, with a pair of truck-style, steerable wheels on the front axle.

The

Type 1 was influenced by the successful SdKfz 251 series half-tracks used on a large scale by the German Army and used as standard service half-tracks in Africa and Europe. As such, the Japanese product follows German design in both form and function - except the IJA model shows a new track wheel arrangement (without the overlapping wheels like the German model). Driving space is maintained in a conventional manner in front of and behind the engine compartment. Behind the driver is the passenger/cargo compartment.

The weapons are purely for self-defense - up to 3 x 7.7mm Type 97 Light Machine Guns (LMGs) can be mounted to cover all angles of the vehicle, although the arc of fire is limited due to their location around the hull superstructure. Standard three operators and seating for up to twelve passengers.

Power comes from a 134 hp diesel engine and delivers road speeds of up to 31 mph. Armor protection extends up to 8mm along the thickest panel. The total vehicle weight reaches 6500 kg. Dimensions include a length of 20 feet, a width of nearly 7 feet, and a height of 8 feet. 2 feet.

Design work on the vehicle began as early as 1941, but the final form did not enter production at Hino until 1944. During the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) and the Philippine Campaign (1944-1945), there was limited work on specimens to get them off the assembly line into active IJA inventory. However, their small available numbers limit their strategic value in widespread warfare.

The IJA authorities are also more convinced of the traditional, tried-and-true concept of wheeled trucks as moving and transport vehicles.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Not available.

Changes