At the beginning of 1944, Hitachi Ltd. was tasked with developing a tank destroyer. This small series TD based on the Type 97 Chi-Ha tank was designated the Type 3 Ho‑Ni III. Instead of a rotating turret, a stationary welded cabin was mounted on the ready-made chassis. Its combat weight reached 17 tons but this did not affect its mobility. A total of 31 vehicles were produced. However, due to the Japanese capitulation, these tank destroyers never saw combat.