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Type 3 Ho-Ni III 75-mm

Further development of the “Type 1” was “Type 3” or “Ho-Ni III”. The main weapon of this self-propelled gun was a Type 3 tank gun designed for Chi-Nu. The gun ammunition in 54 shells theoretically allowed the self-propelled gun "Ho-Ni III" to become a serious means of combat. However, all built three dozen self-propelled guns were transferred to the 4th Tank Division. In view of the specific goals of this unit — it was intended to defend the Japanese archipelago — all Ho-Ni III, almost without loss, waited for the end of the war, and then became part of the Self-Defense Forces.

The Type 3 Ho-Ni III was based on the hull design of the ubiquitous Type 97 Chi-Ha tank. It had a fully enclosed, fixed armored fighting compartment to protect the crew in close combat situations, and a potent 75 mm Type 90 field gun as its main armament. The Ho-Ni I and Ho-Ni II had been pure self-propelled artillery, with only a partly enclosed casement for the gun, making them very vulnerable in close combat. In contrast the Type 3 Ho-Ni III carried a Type 90 75mm gun in a fully enclosed armored casemate. This allowed it to be used as either a tank destroyer or in the same way as the Ho-Ni I and II as self propelled artillery.

Type 3, 75 mm long 38.4 calibres (L / 38.4) obtained from field gun Type 90, which in turn was derived from the piece French Schneider mle 1919 : with a mouth speed of 680 m/s this cannon pierced a 90 mm thick armor at 100 meters range or a 65 mm thick slab if fired from 1,000 meters. The elevation covered from -5 ° to + 20° and the horizontal swing was limited to 20 °; both were obtained manually. The redesign of the front chassis had, however, suppressed the machine-gun in the blockhouse since it was foreseen that the Type 3 would fight behind the first line, however this solution made the armored vehicle defenseless to the attacks of the infantry . Although it had intervened on the basic design, the type of armor and the original thickness of the hull had not been changed: largely obtained by riveting, measured 20 mm on the nose (inclination of 60 ° with respect to the horizontal), 16 mm on the connection plate between the hull and superstructure (at 60° and 8°), 9 mm on the vertical sides and 20 mm on the rounded rear, while sky and bottom (whose distance from the ground - free light - was 36 cm) reached 8 mm. The superstructure had a thickness of 16 mm and 25 mm on the front (inclined at 8 ° and 79 °), from 26 mm to 65 ° on the sides and 13 mm for the upper section.

In the rear compartment of the hull was installed a Diesel Engine , which had not been replaced: it was a 12- cylinder Mitsubishi Type 97 V , delivering 170 hp at 2,000 rpm. The apparatus was served by a tank containing 235 liters of diesel and was connected from the crankshaft to the transmission in the front hull, whose gearbox had four forward gears and one reverse gear. The rolling train was composed of the driving wheel front with double crown wheel, by a idler wheel pivoted at the bottom, by three upper rollers of which the single central one and by six double support wheels. Two carriages joined the two central pairs and each was provided with a longitudinal oscillating arm , which were bound to the ends of a large helical spring mounted on the side of the hull and parallel to the ground.

An order of fifty-seven specimens was forwarded to Hitachi at the beginning of 1944, but due to the lack of construction materials, the scarce rational organization of the Japanese industry, the priorities assigned to the mass production of aircraft and the repair of the naval units, the manufacture of the Type 3 self-propelled vehicle was slow and inconsistent, with either 31 or 41 were completed.

The Type 3 Ho-Ni III served with the tank regiment. the Type 3 Ho-Ni III were assigned to various combat units, most were stationed within the Japanese home islands to defend against the projected Allied Invasion. As the surrender of Japan occurred before that invasion, there is no record of the Type 3 Ho-Ni III being used in actual combat.