Type 3 Ho-Ni I Tank Destroyer

The Type 3 Ho-Ni I was the first Japanese tank destroyer produced during WWII. It was developed in response to the IJA encountering the M4 Sherman that was proving difficult to destroy with existing weaponry.

The Ho-Ni was created by mounting a Type 90 field gun to a Type 97 chassis with an open topped 3 sided gun shield to protect the crew. While this left the crew exposed from the rear and above, the frontal and side armor was quite good for the role at 50mm thick. Additional armor was also mounted in places to the hull, and the hull MG removed to make room for ammunition.

Ultimately the Ho-Ni I saw little action during the war, and its impact was minimal.