World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseType 1 Ho-Ha armored personnel carriers were half-track vehicles developed in 1941 as the result of a Japanese Army request for such an armored vehicle that could bridge the capability gap between the unarmored but speedy trucks and slow armored tracked vehicles. The design was heavily influenced by the German SdKfz 251/1 HANOMAG armored half-track vehicles. The first few examples were deployed to China were they were needed especially in regions where road systems were inadequate. They could each carry 12 passengers. A number of them were embarked onto transports for the Philippine Islands in 1944, but most of them were lost with their transport ships were caught and sunk by American submarines. Though production began in 1942, mass production did not start until 1944, and by then raw materials were lacking, thus only a small number of them were built. After the war, some of them had their machine guns removed and were sold to the civilian sector; some of them were employed in Tokyo, Japan as garbage trucks.

SPECIFICATIONS

Type 1 Ho-Ha

Machinery	One Hino diesel engine rated at 134hp
Suspension	Bell crank
Armament	2x7.7mm side Type 97 machine guns, 1x7.7mm rear Type 97 machine gun
Armor	8mm
Crew	3
Length	6.10 m
Width	2.10 m
Height	2.51 m
Weight	6.5 t
Speed	50 km/h
Range	300 km

Photographs