The Ho-Ro (四式十五糎自走砲「ホロ」) is an open-topped self-propelled gun with a short-barreled 150 mm howitzer, based on the Chi-Ha. Being pressed instantly into service on its creation, a dozen or so were shipped to the Philippines together with the newly formed 1st Self-Propelled Artillery Company. While it did see combat with several confirmed Sherman destructions, it was effectively used in close-quarter combat rather than as an artillery piece, firing at Shermans at 100-200 m range in smokey and low visibility scenarios, and repositioning on each shot. Arriving in Dec 1944, the last Ho-Ro squad served until knocked out in Mar 1945 with the remainder of the company fighting until the end in the mountains as regular infantry.
Since its introduction in Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai", the Ho-Ro has gained a reputation for being one of the most powerful howitzer-equipped SPGs in the game despite its low battle-rating, right up there with the beloved KV-2. It is capable of destroying or severely disabling any opponent it meets (or more often ambushes), even against top-tier vehicles, mainly due to its extremely effective high-explosive shell. This is balanced, however, by the shell's low velocity, forcing the player to lob the shell in an arc at their opponent even for a short distance, and the vehicle's light armour and limited gun traverse compared to other SPGs.
Ammunition | Type | Armor penetration (mm) at a distance: | |||||
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10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1000 m | 1500 m | 2000 m | ||
APHE | 38 | 37 | 35 | 33 | 31 | 30 | |
HE | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 |
Belt | Belt filling | Armor penetration (mm) at a distance: | |||||
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10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1000 m | 1500 m | 2000 m | ||
AP/AP/T | 13 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
Mobility | |
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Protection |
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Firepower |
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