Ho-155 cannon

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	Weapon: Ho-155 cannon Type: Autocannon Country of Origin: Japan Year Adopted: 1944 Caliber: 30x114mm Action: Short Recoil Overall Length (mm): 1750.0 Overall Length (in): 68.9 Weight (kg): 50.00 Weight (pounds): 110.23 Effective Range (m): 1200 m Effective Range (yards): 1312.34

The Ho-155 was a Japanese 30mm aircraft cannon developed during the latter part of World War II by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. It was an evolution of the earlier Ho-5 20mm cannon, which itself was based on the American Browning design. The Ho-155 used a short recoil-operated action and was chambered for the 30x114mm cartridge, offering a substantial increase in firepower while retaining a relatively lightweight and compact design. This made it suitable for mounting in the nose or wings of late-war Japanese fighters and interceptors, with the Ho-155-I being the initial variant, followed by the improved and lighter Ho-155-II version.

The Ho-155-II entered limited production around 1944, with efforts made to arm advanced aircraft such as the Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate and the Kawasaki Ki-102. However, Japan's deteriorating industrial capacity and material shortages by that stage in the war meant that only a small number of these cannons were ever produced or fielded. Exact production figures are unclear, but estimates suggest several hundred units may have been manufactured, though far fewer saw active combat deployment. Integration into aircraft designs was often delayed or incomplete, and by the time the weapons became available, the air war had decisively turned against Japan.

Despite its limited operational use, the Ho-155 gained a reputation as one of Japan's most effective heavy aircraft cannons, capable of inflicting serious damage on Allied bombers. Its combination of relatively high rate of fire and punch made it a formidable weapon in theory, although it had little opportunity to influence the course of the air war. Today, the Ho-155 is remembered as a product of Japan's urgent efforts to equip its air force with heavier armament during a period of intense strategic pressure, and it is of interest primarily to historians and collectors studying late-war Japanese aviation technology.