Italian Medium Tanks: 1939–45Several factors delayed and greatly hampered the development of an Italian medium tank during World War II. The first was the strategic stance of the country, focussed on a war against neighbouring countries such as France and Yugoslavia, and ill-prepared for a war in the Western Desert. Since these European countries bordered with Italy in mountainous areas, light tanks were preferred as these were deemed much more suitable for the narrow roads and bridges of the Alps. Furthermore, development was hampered by the limited number of Italian industries, whose production was also heavily fragmented. All these factors delayed the development of the first prototype of an Italian medium tank – the M 11 – which would only appear in 1937 and did not enter production until 1939. Although technically inferior to their German and Allied counterparts in 1941–43, the Italian M tanks proved to be quite effective when used by experienced crews with adequate combat tactics. In fact, their major shortcoming actually proved to be their limited production figures. While production was limited, innovation was not and, between 1941 and 1943, several experiments were carried out on the Italian tanks that produced interesting prototypes such as the anti-aircraft semovente. |
Contents
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2 | |
3 | |
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6 | |
THE HEAVY TANK | 17 |
THE SEMOVENTE SELFPROPELLED GUN | 19 |
PRODUCTION AND USE | 24 |
MEDIUM TANKS IN GERMAN SERVICE | 39 |
CAMOUFLAGE AND MARKINGS | 43 |
SURVIVING VEHICLES | 44 |
SPECIFICATIONS | 46 |
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48 | |
50 | |
M TANKS AND SEMOVENTI IN COMBAT | 33 |
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Common terms and phrases
38 machine gun 40 tank 8mm Breda 38 AFVs Alamein ammunition Ansaldo anti-aircraft Ariete armoured division Ariete division August battery battlefield Breda 38 machine brigade British camouflage carro comando casemate Cecchignola Centauro chassis command tanks diesel oil engine driver El Alamein engine compartment equipped eventually fenders FIAT fighting compartment fire frontal armour Gebirgsjäger German gunner gunsight heavy tank improved Italian army Italian medium tanks Italian surrender Italian tanks Italy lack late production light tank battalions Littorio main gun medium tank North Africa Operation Crusader overall in sand Panther tank Panzer Panzer III Panzer IV petrol-fuelled platoon production batch production M 13/40 prototype radio set rear hull reggimento carri regiment roof rounds self-propelled gun semovente da 75/18 semovente M 42 semoventi group sent to Libya September 1943 sloped armour SPA 15T sprocket wheel suspension tactical insignia tanks and semoventi tons top speed turret mount units vehicles weight Western Desert