Author: Arturo Giusti

Cold War North Korean Tanks Modern North Korean Tanks

Ch’ŏnma

Ch'ŏnma. An illustration by Vesp.

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (1978-Present)
Main Battle Tank – Unknown Number Built

The Ch’ŏnma, better known under the unofficial designation of Ch’ŏnma-Ho, is the second North Korean-produced Main Battle Tank (MBT) in service with the Korean People’s Army. Originally, the Ch’ŏnma was a licensed production version of the T-62 Soviet MBT built in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). It was intended to equip its armored divisions with an indigenous tank capable of facing the US-made MBTs serving in the Republic of Korea Army in the late 1970s.

The program fulfilled the request, and for about a decade, the DPRK deployed MBTs capable of dealing with South Korean armored fighting vehicles north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Despite its initial superiority over South Korean tanks, with the appearance of the K1 Main Battle Tank in the late 1980s, the Ch’ŏnma became obsolete. Already in the early 1980s, North Korean technicians tried upgrading the tank with indigenous programs. These upgrades led to the development of the Ch’ŏnma-92, Ch’ŏnma-98, and other later variants.

The high production costs of the upgraded Ch’ŏnmas forced the Korean People’s Army (KPA) to still maintain early production Ch’ŏnmas with small upgrades in service to this day, swelling the ranks of the KPA in case of a massive attack through the DMZ.

North Korean early production Ch’ŏnmas on parade on Kim Il-sung Square, in P’yŏngyang, in the early 2000s. These do not seem to have had any kind of upgrade from their original production version, probably in the early 1980s, although they do have new rubber pads on the tracks. Source: KCTV

Korean Tank Production

From the creation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea until the late 1960s, its army was equipped with Soviet and Chinese armored vehicles. About 1,000 T-34-85 medium tanks and an unknown number of T-54-2s and T-54-3s were received by the Hermit Kingdom.

T-54-3 during firing training in North Korea. Source: twitter.com @KPA_bot

As the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea officially claims, its tank industry was born in 1967, with the creation of production lines for PT-76B light amphibious tanks, of which serial production started in the 1970s. In 1968, a T-55 assembly line was initiated and production started shortly after. In both cases, production was only possible with a great deal of support from the Soviet Union, which retooled the Sinhung (for light tanks and APCs) and Kusong (for heavier vehicles) production plants in North Korea.

A Type 59 produced in North Korea after 1968, showing off some upgrades also observed on Ch’ŏnmas: rubber-padded iron tracks, slat armor supports, and smoke launchers. Source: KCTV

Ever since, the two production plants have become the backbone of North Korean tank production, with many hundreds of vehicles produced each year. In 2023, the plants were modified and retooled, and it seems that Sinhung now has the task of producing North Korean MBTs.

In the late 1960s, the first production lines for the Soviet BTR-60 were assembled in Korea with Soviet help. Production of the North Korean indigenous copy of the Soviet armored personnel carrier, called ‘69’, started in 1969.

North Korean dictator Kim Il-sung in front of a Korean armored personnel carrier, probably produced in North Korea, during a visit to a plant for a propaganda video. Source: twitter.com @KPA_bot

The first North Korean-developed armored vehicle was the 323 tracked amphibious armored personnel carrier that entered service in the early 1970s and was first spotted in 1973.

This North Korean-improved version of the Chinese YW 531A amphibious APC featured an elongated hull, hydro jets, and a rotating turret armed with two 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine guns.

A 323 armored personnel carrier during a training exercise. source: pinterest.com

Ch’ŏnma Theories

It has been stated many times that the DPRK ordered 500 T-62s from the Soviet Union in two batches in 1970 and 1974, which were delivered between 1971 and 1978. This information seems to have appeared in various early 2000s unofficial and unconfirmed reports, but seems to be completely wrong.

The most accurate current theory states that, between the early and mid-1970s, the DPRK asked the Soviet Union for new T-62s, probably also placing an order in the early 1970s. The Soviet Union, which never delivered T-62s to Korea, organized the production of the MBT in Korea as it had done for the PT-76B, T-55, and BTR-60. Also, in this case, the Soviet Union probably donated a T-62 production line to the DPRK.

The drastic deterioration of the international relationship between the Soviet Union and the small Korean peninsula nation in the mid-1970s due to the Sino-Soviet Split forced the Korean technicians to start their production without additional Soviet aid. The DPRK took the Chinese side and the diplomatic relationship with the Soviet Union collapsed. The planned production of the T-62 seems to have been canceled since China did not produce, nor possess, T-62s, except for a single T-62 captured by the People’s Liberation Army during the 1969 Sino-Soviet border clash along the Ussuri River. That single vehicle was jealously guarded by Chinese engineers for testing and evaluation.

It is possible that, as other unconfirmed sources state, the DPRK could have received at least one T-62 from Syria in the early 1970s, after the Yom Kippur War, and started the reverse engineering process to produce it.

In the late 1970s, the Korean T-55 copy production in the Kusong production plant gradually decreased in order to reorganize the production lines. From North Korean sources, confirmed by the CIA, in 1976, the first T-62 left the production line with the Korean designation of Ch’ŏnma (Korean: 천마), referring to the Korean mythological flying horse. It was designated by the US Department of Defense (DoD) as Chonma-Ho I or Chonma-Ho Ga. The Korean People’s Army and official North Korean sources never called the main battle tank Ch’ŏnma-Ho.

A plethora of North Korean-made design elements present on these initial Ch’ŏnmas make North Korean-licensed production the most likely theory and indicate that these were not merely bought from the Soviet Union or assembled in North Korea with Soviet-produced components.

CIA reports also claim that the Ch’ŏnma production started in 1978 (when the Soviet Union ended its T-62 production), reaching large-scale production in 1980.

Design

Hull

The serial production Ch’ŏnma copied the hull of the Soviet T-62 Obrazets 1962 and the turret of the Soviet T-62 Obrazets 1972.

The hull of the Ch’ŏnma, with the same dimensions and characteristics as the original Soviet one, was not equipped with supports to mount anti-mine roller devices, such as the KTM-7, on the front glacis. This is still a major and puzzling shortcoming for North Korean MBTs that need specialized vehicles to clear minefields. This would slow down any attack through the 4 km deep Demilitarized Zone, which is completely covered by minefields.

The hull’s rear could be fitted with supports for external drum fuel tanks to increase the range of the Ch’ŏnma. Despite this, the fuel drums were rarely seen mounted on the North Korean Main Battle Tanks. The absence of external fuel tanks could be explained by the scarcity of fuel in North Korea due to embargoes, the small dimensions of the nation, and their vulnerability even to light arms fire.

A group of Ch’ŏnmas during training in a North Korean video in 1997. Source: imcdb.org

Suspension

The North Korean MBT had 5 big “starfish” style road wheels on each side, torsion bar suspension, and probably a copy of the Soviet V-55V diesel engine delivering 580 hp. This should have been sufficient for the Ch’ŏnma, which weighs about 37 tonnes.

The Ch’ŏnma had slightly longer and different rubber covers on the rear mudguards compared to the T-62.

Bad quality image showing off the vehicle’s engine deck during a parade in June 2013. Source: m.yna.co.kr

The tracks adopted by Koreans are all-iron single-pin links designed and produced by the North Koreans, although similar to the Soviet and Chinese track links. It was common for Ch’ŏnmas in foreign service to be equipped with Soviet RMSh or OMSh single-pin links.

Starting in the early 2000s, the Ch’ŏnmas appeared on parades equipped with modern rubber-padded track links. These were probably adopted in order not to damage P’yŏngyang’s streets during parades.

Early production Ch’ŏnmas on parade in P’yŏngyang in the early 2000s. These tanks are equipped with new rubber pads on their iron tracks. Source: massimotessitori.altervista.org

Turret

Other differences with the Soviet T-62 MBT regard the turret. The loader’s rounded hatch is different, together with the anti-aircraft mount that is equipped with a Korean-produced 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun instead of the Soviet 12.7 mm DShKM. The loader’s hatch can be rotated and used to protect the loader by opening it forward. Due to the larger dimensions of the anti-aircraft machine gun, the hatch was modified compared to that of the original T-62. The machine gun was installed on a mount that rotated with the loader’s hatch. In other words, the heavy machine gun had a traverse of 360°, increasing the anti-aircraft and support fire of the Ch’ŏnmas compared to regular T-62s.

Iranian Ch’ŏnma turret. The different loader’s hatch and new machine gun support are visible in this image, as is the single handle welded on the turret side. Source: bemil.chosun.com

Another modification that could be easily spotted is the presence of the handles welded on the turret’s sides. On the Soviet T-62, there were two handles on each turret side, while, on the Ch’ŏnma, there is one handle on each side.

Apart from these small details and different cast turret weldings, the Soviet and North Korean Main Battle Tanks are externally identical.

A Ch’ŏnma (top) and a T-62 drawing (bottom). Sources: massimotessitori.altervista.org and drawingdatabase.com

As on the T-62, the driver is positioned on the front left side of the fighting compartment, the commander and gunner are on the left of the cannon and the loader is positioned on the right. There are only 3 hatches for the crew members, one for the driver, one for the commander and the gunner, and one for the loader.

A Korean People’s Army’s tank crew member in front of his Ch’ŏnma in a Korean film. Source: twitter.com KPA_bot

There are some theories regarding the Ch’ŏnma’s armor being different to the T-62. There is no supporting evidence to the claim that the armor of early production Ch’ŏnmas was made of thinner armored plates than on the Soviet T-62. As it was a copy, the armor should have had the same thicknesses, even though the quality of the steel it was made from was probably lower than the Soviet equivalent. It seems that no foreign nation that operated the Ch’ŏnmas ever complained about thinner armor, or in general, the quality of the armor.

Early Ch’ŏnmas during a parade through the streets of P’yŏngyang in the early 2000s. The armor plates seem identical to Soviet ones. Source: KCTV

The armor of the Ch’ŏnmas was adequate to deal with South Korean MBTs at least until the introduction of the K1 Main Battle Tank designed by US Chrysler Defense and South Korean Hyundai Precision Industry in 1987.

Main Armament

The main armament of all the heterogeneous variants of the Ch’ŏnma was a copy of the Soviet 115 mm U-5TS semi-automatic smoothbore cannon with roughly comparable characteristics.

When the Ch’ŏnma entered production, the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) could not oppose it with MBTs of similar quality. Compared to the 90 mm rifled cannon that armed the M47 and M48 tanks that the ROKA had in its ranks, the U-5TS had greater penetration, due to a muzzle velocity of 1,600 m/s, and better angle performance. Unfortunately, the bad quality of the aiming devices did not allow gunners to take full advantage of the cannon’s capabilities.

The 115 mm U-5TS smoothbore cannon. Source: tankarchives.ca

The North Korean technicians repeatedly tried to improve the poor precision of the cannon with a laser rangefinder, fire-control systems, and barrel sleeve, but these expensive solutions were rarely adopted on early production Ch’ŏnmas. Even nowadays a great part of the KPA’s Ch’ŏnma fleet are not equipped with these upgrades.

Nothing is known about KPA ammunition, except that it was considered by South Korean analysts to be similar in anti-tank performance to its Soviet counterparts. Many sources state that the Ch’ŏnma could carry a total of 40 115 mm rounds, as on the T-62.

In the 2010s, with the introduction of new versions of the Ch’ŏnma, new 115 mm rounds were developed and produced, or at least this is claimed by analysts. It is not known if the older versions of Ch’ŏnma could fire this supposed new ammunition.

Secondary Armament

As secondary armament, the Ch’ŏnma had a coaxial 7.62 mm medium machine gun derived from the Soviet PKT. As an anti-aircraft gun, a 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun was operated by the loader. The weight of the gun is about 50 kg, which forces the loader to elevate it using handwheels. The total ammunition carried for the 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun is unknown. In contrast, for the 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun, a maximum of 3 magazines, probably 50 rounds each, are transported outside the tank and fixed on the turret’s rear. But it is also unknown if any additional magazines are carried inside the hull.

A propaganda photo showing a modernized Ch’ŏnma with Kim Il-sung’s portrait and Ramhongsaek Konghwagukgi (North Korean Flag) in the background. In the foreground, the powerful 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun with the elevation handwheel but without the anti-aircraft sight. Source: KCTV

The KPVT machine gun was extremely versatile when the vehicle entered service, capable of hitting flying targets, supporting infantry with heavy fire, and even capable of dealing with lightly armored vehicles, such as the US M113 armored personnel carriers.

Nowadays, the 14.5 mm machine gun can be deployed in a more limited capacity against South Korean or US helicopters, for infantry support, and with lucky shots, against UGVs or loitering ammunitions.

Korean-produced Ch’ŏnma that fell into the hands of Ethiopian rebels in Addis Ababa after the fall of the Government’s forces. The child soldier is holding the KPVT heavy machine gun. Source: gettyimage.com via Francoise De Mulder

During a parade in 2010, some early Ch’ŏnmas were spotted with a pintle mount for a MANPADS (MAN-Portable Air-Defense System) missile on the rear of the turret, presumably to increase the anti-aircraft defense of the MBT. It seems to be manually operated and a crew member or an infantryman has to stand on the engine deck to operate the missile. Such devices disappear during exercises and seem to be meant only for parades.

Despite the difficulty in operating the system, this new upgrade (seen only on a small number of Ch’ŏnmas) could be a serious threat to enemy planes that want to attempt to attack a tank or column of vehicles on the move.

Early production Ch’ŏnma during a parade in 2010. On the turret, to the rear, is a pintle mount equipped with MANPADS. Source: KCTV

Upgrades

Several small modifications were made to the basic Ch’ŏnma main battle tank during the 1980s to increase the capabilities of the North Korean tank.

1st Upgrade

The first upgrade of the Ch’ŏnma was spotted during a parade in 1986. It had a new turret bustle to increase the turret’s interior space. It seems to be used to store the radio and other equipment to free up space inside the turret for a ready-to-use 115 mm rounds rack, perhaps increasing the original ammunition capacity of 115 mm rounds.

A 1986 parade in Kim Il-sung Square, P’yŏngyang, where the Ch’ŏnma with a turret bustle was first spotted. Source: twitter.com @KPA_bot

The turret bustle was an indigenous modification never seen on the Soviet T-62 and shows the first Korean attempt to add changes to the aging Soviet design. The Ch’ŏnma MBTs with turret bustle filmed in 1986 also had new night vision optics for the tank’s commander, mounted on his cupola.

This variant of Ch’ŏnma was also sporadically equipped with mounting points for slat armor on the turret side and metal bars with brackets to also equip the hull sides with slat armor. The slat protection consisted of welded weave-mesh panels positioned several inches from the hull and turret that were easy to fix using short brackets.

A Ch’ŏnma with turret bustle during training in February 2016. It is also equipped with IR covers but does not have slat armor supports. The commander’s night vision optics are not mounted. Source: KCTV

The new model of Ch’ŏnma never received an official designation, nor an unofficial one. Its rare appearances during Korean parades and military training suggests that very few were produced.

The slat armor supports were retrofitted on some early Ch’ŏnma already produced and even on earlier Soviet and Chinese origin tanks in service with the KPA, such as T-34-85s, Type 59s, and T-55s.

The slat armor, even if now quite obsolete against HEAT warheads from MBT rounds or Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs), could be useful in a modern conflict against loitering munitions, which have shown themselves to be more and more effective in the Nagorno-Karabakh War (2021) and Ukrainian Conflict (2022-23).

Ch’ŏnmas during a recent training exercise. These are early production Ch’ŏnmas with iron tracks. On the turret, the short brackets for slat armor are visible along with the metal bar and its support on the mudguard. Source: Focus Wars

2nd Upgrade

A second upgrade for the North Korean Ch’ŏnma MBT was first spotted in 1985 and officially shown, during a parade, in 1992 for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the KPA. Laser rangefinders assembled by North Korea were positioned on the main guns and a new Fire-Control System was installed. This upgrade was intended mainly to overcome the firing limitations of the second generation Main Battle Tanks. Combined, they increased the speed of target acquisition and first hit compared to the previous older optical devices.

The laser rangefinder mounted on the Ch’ŏnma has a different appearance from the Soviet KTD-1 and KTD-2 laser rangefinders mounted on Soviet MBTs and it was probably developed by Korean technicians.

In addition, the turret was fitted with two small boxes on the rear. These boxes were used to store tools and other items. Night vision optics using infrared light were also installed.

The second Ch’ŏnma upgrade was seen in a parade in Kim Il-sung Square in P’yŏngyang. The North Korean laser rangefinder is placed over the gun barrel and the external fuel tanks and toolboxes on the hull’s rear are visible. Source: massimotessitori.altervista.org

This upgrade was named Chonma-Ho II or Chonma-Ho Na by the US DoD, but it did not have an official KPA designation. It was probably intended to upgrade all the existing Ch’ŏnmas with laser rangefinders and fire-control systems, but the high costs of conversion probably forced the Korean People’s Army’s High Command to abort the plan in favor of installing new hardware on the most modern Korean-built MBTs. The small boxes on the turret rear and night vision devices were also retrofitted on early produced Ch’ŏnmas.

A bad-quality image of a Ch’ŏnma with a laser rangefinder exhibited at a North Korean Tank Exhibition in 2012. It is not equipped with the rear turret toolboxes Source: massimotessitori.altervista.org

Production and Deliveries

The Korean People’s Army has never made public the number of Ch’ŏnma main battle tanks in service in its ranks. It is currently estimated that between 800 and 2,600 Ch’ŏnmas of all variants have been produced. Other analysts have placed the number at between 1,000 and 1,500 Ch’ŏnmas of all variants produced, and this seems to be a more plausible count.

The factories that produced the tank at least until the 1990s were located in Sinhung, South Hamgyong Province, under the 2nd Machinery Industry Bureau of the 2nd Korean Economic Committee. The biggest one seems to have been the Ryu Kyong-su Tank Factory, which started the production of new main battle tanks in 1992. Components and subsystems were produced by factories across the country, with some components presumably imported from the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, Eastern Europe, or the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The first examples went on to equip the 105th “Seoul” Tank Division, the KPA’s elite unit and only armored division. In the following years, the Ch’ŏnmas also equipped part of the 10 tank brigades and other mechanized units in the KPA ranks.

After the early 1990s, with the fall of the Soviet Union, North Korea lost its greatest source of food causing a famine. Until the late 1990s, the great famine killed over 500,000 people and forced the country’s leadership to cut funding for defense.

As a result, fuel and ammunition resupply to units was lowered and, from the testimonies of North Korean deserters, it appears that the majority of the North Korean main battle tanks were parked in depots for the majority of the year. They were only taken out a handful times each year for overall maintenance and division-size training exercises.

Because of DPRK’s limited economical and industrial capability, and the priority given to the nuclear program, until 2010, the Korean factories had produced only small quantities of modern tanks, forcing the KPA to maintain hundreds of unupgraded Ch’ŏnmas in service.

Kim Jong-il standing over a Ch’ŏnma during his annual visit to the 105th “Seoul” Tank Division in the early 2000s. Source: KCTV via KPA Journal

Starting in the 1990s, Korean tank crew members used dedicated training vehicles and equipment to improve their skills on Ch’ŏnmas.

The Ch’ŏnma armored units are positioned north of the DMZ and in P’yŏngyang, and are ready to intervene in case of a new conflict breaking out with South Korea.

Post-training round-up of armored and infantry forces of the KPA. Between the hundreds of soldiers, 3 Ch’ŏnmas (front one with short brackets for slat armor) and a 323 command vehicle are visible. Source: flikr.com @Kadir Aksoy

In the early 2000s, South Korean and US intelligence reported that the Korean People’s Army had about 4,300 Main Battle Tanks and light amphibious tanks in its ranks, out of about 40,000 armored fighting vehicles, SPGs, APCs, SPAAGs, towed artillery, and MRLSs.

At present, the older Ch’ŏnmas variants are supposedly being withdrawn from service in favor of upgraded Ch’ŏnmas or the newer, more powerful Songun-215 main battle tanks that appeared during the 65th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea military parade in 2010.

If the mysterious new M-2020 main battle tank enters service with the Korean People’s Army, the older Ch’ŏnmas will likely be replaced in the armored brigades by the more modern Ch’ŏnma-216 and Songun main battle tanks.

These vehicles will likely be either scrapped or repurposed into specialized vehicles. However, the Ch’ŏnmas could potentially find a second life by being sold at a favorable price to nations unable to afford more expensive Chinese or Russian equipment. Countries like Eritrea, Yemen, and Zimbabwe require an expansion of their armored units with cheap tanks. For instance, Eritrea and Zimbabwe are currently equipped mostly with T-55 and T-62 tanks.

Export

Iran

The Iranian Revolution, which began in 1978, led to the deposition of the Shah (King) Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in early 1979 and the installation of religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini. In September 1980, the Iraqi Republic, led by Saddam Hussein, invaded Iran, sparking the bloody eight-year-long Iran-Iraq War.

During the early stages of the Iran-Iraq War, the Islamic Republic of Iran faced great military difficulties and subsequently started purchasing large quantities of weapons and equipment from various sources in order to bolster its forces.

The DPRK reportedly sold an unknown number of Ch’ŏnma tanks to Iran in the early 1980s, with some sources claiming the number to be 150, though this was never officially confirmed. The tanks were part of a larger supply of war materiel that also included 170 mm Chuch’e p’o self-propelled guns, multiple launch rocket systems, small arms, and ammunition.

Iranian Ch’ŏnmas in 1981 during the Iran-Iraq War. Source: twitter.com @BuschModelar

The service record of the Ch’ŏnma tanks during the Iran-Iraq War is unknown, as is the opinion that the Iranian Army had of them. In general, the Iranian view of Korean equipment during the war was negative, particularly when it came to light arms. However, there is a lack of information regarding heavier equipment. Despite the bad reputation of Korean light arms, it appears that heavier equipment, such as self-propelled artillery and main battle tanks, remained in service even after the war.

The surviving Ch’ŏnma tanks were later deployed by the Islamic Republic of Iran Army for many years and occasionally appeared in military parades in Tehran. At least one example was displayed at the Museum of the Islamic Revolution and the Holy Defense of Tehran. Their current service in the Iranian Army is unknown.

During the Iran-Iraq War, at least one Ch’ŏnma tank was captured by Iraqi forces and likely left abandoned in an Iraqi depot. In 2003, the tank was discovered by US forces abandoned on the roadside and subsequently moved to an Iraqi Captured Vehicles depot, where it was eventually scrapped.

A North Korean Ch’ŏnma that was captured by US forces in Iraq in 2003. It had been previously captured by Iraqi forces during the Iran-Iraq War. Source: bemil.chosun.com

Ethiopia

The relationship between the DPRK and the People’s Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was established in 1974, when a military coup in Ethiopia overthrew Emperor Hailé Selassié I and installed a new Marxist regime under the control of the Derg, a military junta that ruled Ethiopia. During the Ogaden War between Ethiopia and Somalia from 1977 to 1978, North Korea delivered an unknown number of self-propelled guns, small arms, and ammunition to Ethiopia.

North Korea also delivered an unknown number of Ch’ŏnma tanks to Ethiopia in the early 1980s. However, due to the complete absence of reports and photographic evidence , it is unclear how many tanks were delivered, when they were delivered, and their service history. It appears that the Ch’ŏnma tanks did not participate in the Ogaden War between Ethiopia and Somalia from 1977 to 1978, as mass production of these tanks did not begin until 1978, after the end of the conflict.

A Ch’ŏnma in Ethiopian service during a parade in Addis Ababa. Source: twitter.com @KPA_bot

In the early 1980s, Ethiopia entered into a bloody civil war. Overall, the role of the Ethiopian Ch’ŏnmas is uncertain. A handful of pro-government Ch’ŏnmas took part in the desperate defense of Addis Ababa in May 1991 among a greater number of Soviet T-62s. At least three were positioned by the Government forces at Addis Ababa’s Royal Palace for a last stand. Alongside an unknown number of T-62s, they faced the rebel forces that attacked the Royal Palace on 28th May 1991. One was destroyed and burned out during the fight, while another was probably captured by the rebel forces.

A total of three Ethiopian Ch’ŏnmas and a Soviet T-62 were in the garden of the Addis Ababa Royal Palace on 27th May 1991. Of the three vehicles, two were armed with KPVT heavy machine guns. Source: gettyimages.com via Francoise De Mulder

The active service of the Ch’ŏnmas during the confusing and bloody civil war shows how the vehicle could be operated even by inexperienced crews and in the almost total absence of spare parts.

The standard of North Korean equipment, often considered of a low quality and unreliable, is elevated thanks to their service in Ethiopia, which used the Ch’ŏnmas for about a decade, helping to qualitatively reassess the North Korean tanks.

A Ch’ŏnma burned out during the defense of the Royal Palace in Addis Ababa. The image was taken after May 1991. Source: twitter.com @KPA_bot

It is unknown if Ethiopia deployed Ch’ŏnmas in the Eritrean–Ethiopian War between 1998 and 2000 in which dozens of main battle tanks were lost in combat. The lack of information or even images showing tanks in service does not allow the identification of any Korean MBTs in service.

For the same reason, it seems that nowadays the Ethiopian Ground Force does not have Ch’ŏnmas in its ranks. During the Tigray War between November 2020 and November 2022, both factions used many Soviet and Soviet-inspired main battle tanks in combat. Even if photographic evidences do not show North Korean vehicles, it is possible, that it will eventually emerge that some of the tanks deployed in the conflict were old North Korean Ch’ŏnmas. Even the Tigray militias that fought against the government forces were equipped with Cold War-era MBTs , among which may be a handful of Ch’ŏnmas.

Eritrea

Eritrea currently has some Ch’ŏnma MBTs in service in an unknown but limited number. It is not clear if Eritrea inherited them after independence from Ethiopian Army depots, if they were captured in battle, or whether the Ch’ŏnmas were handed over to Eritrea by North Korea after 1991. Despite North Korea’s alliance with Ethiopia during the Eritrean Independence War that broke out in 1982 during the Ethiopian Civil War; Korea and Eritrea created a strong relationship, while relations between Ethiopia and North Korea were cut again. As many Western sources have confirmed, North Korea has sold small arms and communications technology to Eritrea. The shipment of new North Korean tanks would be surely spotted and tracked by Western observers.

A parade in Sawa, Eritrea, showing off four T-62-inspired MBTs. The second one (from the front) is a North Korean Ch’ŏnma equipped with a coaxial KPVT heavy machine gun. Source: twitter.com @BuschModelar

During a parade in August 2019 celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Sawa Military Training Centre and the launching of the National Service Programme in Siwa, at least one Ch’ŏnma was spotted between some Eritrean T-62 Obr. 1962s and T-62 Obr. 1972s. The vehicle, which had received a new camouflage, had a peculiar Eritrean modification. The 14.5 mm PVK heavy machine gun was mounted coaxially to the main gun on the right side. This characteristic modification is also visible on the standard Soviet-origin T-62s during the same parade.

Unfortunately, due to the absence of other photographic sources, it is impossible to state how many North Korean Ch’ŏnmas are currently in service with the Eritrean Army. The Eritrean example easily shows how the Ch’ŏnmas are roughly comparable to the Soviet T-62 main battle tanks for their robustness and reliability. The Eritrean Ch’ŏnmas have been in service for nearly four decades.

Modernized Versions

Ch’ŏnma-92

The Ch’ŏnma-92 was presented at a parade for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the KPA, on 25th April 1992, and showed off new North Korean upgrades, such as a new welded turret equipped with Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) blocks on the sides, a thermal sleeve for the gun, eight smoke dischargers per side, and a new laser rangefinder mounted on the barrel. The chassis seems unmodified even if it was equipped with rubber side skirts.

This new Ch’ŏnma variant was presumably produced in small numbers as a stopgap to counter the South Korean K1. The Ch’ŏnma-92 was unofficially known by Western commentators as the M-1992 and designated by the US’ DoD as Chonma-Ho III or Chonma-Ho Da.

A Ch’ŏnma-92 on parade in the early 2000s. This new tank seems to mitigate some of the obsolescences issued of the early Ch’ŏnmas. Source: massimotessitori.altervista.org

Ch’ŏnma-98

The Ch’ŏnma-98 was first spotted during a parade in 2000 and featured a new welded turret shaped like more modern Chinese MBTs, such as the Type 85. Albeit with a new shape and dimensions, it seems that the optical devices and the crew member’s hatches remained in the same position as on the previous cast turret.

It shared many of the upgrades of the Ch’ŏnma-92, such as side skirts, smoke launchers, and a new model of laser rangefinder over the barrel.

Analysts have reported that North Korea could have imported fire-control systems and thermal imaging cameras, and even a new autoloader for this tank from the Islamic Republic of Iran, but these suggestions have never been confirmed by official sources.

The Ch’ŏnma-98 has rarely been spotted in parades and the like, with its last appearance being at the North Korean Tank Exhibition on 12th April 2012 for the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Kim Il-sung. It is officially known with the US’ DoD designation of Chonma-Ho IV or Chonma-Ho Ra.

The Ch’ŏnma-98 at the North Korean Tank Exhibition in 2012. Source: massimotessitori.altervista.org

Ch’ŏnma-214

The Ch’ŏnma-214 appeared for the first time in 2001. It seems to be the serial production version of the Ch’ŏnma-98. The vehicles shared many upgrades, such as the same turret and laser rangefinder, even if the Ch’ŏnma-214 received add-on armor on the frontal part of the turret to better protect the vehicle. The Ch’ŏnma-214 is also equipped with rubber flaps under the add-on armor and on the lower side of the hull.

Three Ch’ŏnma-214s during a parade in P’yŏngyang in 2010. The similarities with the Ch’ŏnma-98 are visible. In this image, three different flags are also visible on the tanks. From the foreground: the Ramhongsaek Konghwagukgi (North Korean Flag), the flag of the Workers’ Party of Korea and on the last tank, the Supreme Commander of the KPA’s flag. Source: massimotessitori.altervista.org

The Ch’ŏnma-214 is rarely spotted in military parades in P’yŏngyang or other North Korean cities. This would suggest that the Ch’ŏnma-214 was a simple stopgap, perhaps serving as a pre-series for the next-generation North Korean main battle tanks.

The US’ DoD designation for the Ch’ŏnma-214 is Chonma-Ho V or Chonma-Ho Ra.

Ch’ŏnma-215

On 16th February 2002, US intelligence reported that a new North Korean main battle tank was tested in the P’yŏngyang area. The development of the new Ch’ŏnma-215 had probably already started in 1992, when the DPRK received a T-72 “Ural” from unknown sources. Work was most likely carried out by the 2nd Economic Committee and the 2nd Academy of Defense Sciences.

New features included an anemometer, used to better calculate gunfire, increasing the precision of the U-5TS gun coupled with a new laser rangefinder. Laser rangefinders of the same model are also mounted on the modern Songun main battle tanks.

It appeared with add-on armor on the hull front and rubber flaps on the lower hull’s front. The turret add-on armor seems to be different from the previous one on the Ch’ŏnma-214.

North Korean Tank Exhibition in 2012. The MBT with identification number 138 is a Ch’ŏnma-214, the one with identification number 404 is a Ch’ŏnma-215, and the one with identification number 905 is a Ch’ŏnma-216. Source: massimotessitori.altervista.org

A 6th road wheel was added to the vehicle, increasing the total length of the vehicle, thus permitting the designers to increase the turret diameter.

The Ch’ŏnma-215, as many other North Korean vehicles, has received several unofficial designations, from M-2002 and Chonma-Ho VI (Chonma-Ho Ma) in the early 2000s, to P’okp’ung-Ho I adopted later in 2010 when it was first spotted.

Ch’ŏnma-216

The Ch’ŏnma-216 during a parade in P’yŏngyang. It is also known as P’okp’ung-Ho II. Source: KCTV

The most recent version of the Ch’ŏnma series is the Ch’ŏnma-216, which appeared for the first time at the North Korean Tank Exhibition on 12th April 2012. It was then spotted in several parades held in subsequent years. The Ch’ŏnma-216 received the US’ DoD designation of P’okp’ung-Ho II.

On this version, the smoke launchers are mounted in two rows, instead of a single row, as on previous models.

An upgraded variant was spotted for the first time in 2014. It had an increased armament with two ATGMs and MANPADS for air defense. This increases the offensive capabilities of the vehicle against more modern South Korean main battle tanks.

The Ch’ŏnma-216 was first spotted in 2014. Source: flickr.com @Eínon

In 2018, the Ch’ŏnma-216 was seen with a plethora of new upgrades, including two ATGMs mounted on the left side of the turret. On the rear of the turret, a lowerable support for two MANPADS was also mounted. It appears the ubiquitous 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun has been abandoned for heavier support guns and two 30 mm automatic grenade launchers, which are a copy of the Soviet AGS-17.

To increase the protection of the vehicle, new Laser Warning Receivers (LWRs) have been added on the turret sides to detect enemy rangefinder’s laser beams and automatically activate the smoke launchers to cover the vehicle with a smoke screen.

The new Ch’ŏnma-216 was upgraded in 2018. The turret now features a laser rangefinder, laser warning receiver, two MANPADS, two ATGMs, two 30 mm automatic grenade launchers, and anemometer. Source:

Ch’ŏnma designations
Name	US’ DoD designation	Other names
Ch’ŏnma	Chonma-Ho I or Chonma-Ho Ga
Ch’ŏnma	Chonma-Ho II or Chonma-Ho Na
Ch’ŏnma-92	Chonma-Ho III or Chonma-Ho Da	M-1992
Ch’ŏnma-98	No DoD designation
Ch’ŏnma-214	Chonma-Ho IV or Chonma-Ho Ra
Ch’ŏnma-215	Chonma-Ho V or Chonma-Ho Ra	P’okp’ung-Ho I or M-2002
Ch’ŏnma-216	Chonma-Ho VI or Chonma-Ho Ma	P’okp’ung-Ho II

Variants

Ch’ŏnma ARV

The Ch’ŏnma Armored Recovery Vehicle is based on a turretless Ch’ŏnma chassis with three hatches to protect the crew. Unlike other armored recovery vehicles of its era, it is not equipped with a dozer blade or crane, and it is probably only deployed to tow damaged or broken-down vehicles. This has forced the Korean People’s Army to adopt other specialized vehicles for other engineering roles, such as bulldozers and cranes.

North Korean Ch’ŏnma ARV and a pair of 323 armored personnel carriers loaded on flatbed wagons. Source: namu.wiki

The Ch’ŏnma ARV was also spotted during a military training exercise with a KPVT heavy machine gun and over 10 soldiers riding it. This could probably mean that it can also be deployed to transport a sapper squad and support it with machine gun fire in specific situations.

A Ch’ŏnma ARV equipped with a 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun during a training exercise. Source: KCTV via twitter.com @KPA_bot

Ch’ŏnma Bridgelayer

The Ch’ŏnma Bridgelayer has only been spotted a couple of times in official North Korean videos of military training exercises. It is a Ch’ŏnma with its turret replaced by a special bridge-launching equipment similar to the one mounted on the Slovakian MT-55A armored vehicle-launched bridge. The bridge can be deployed to overcome obstacles, such as anti-tank ditches and small rivers, and could be an effective support vehicle in the Korean peninsula.

The only public appearance of the Ch’ŏnma Bridgelayer was during a training exercise. Source: KCTV via twitter.com @KPA_bot

Conclusion

On occasions, people tend to underestimate the DPRK’s tank production capabilities. Even if the early series Ch’ŏnmas are totally outdated nowadays, it could effectively be used by a fierce army of fanatics ready to defend every inch of North Korea from an attack. Even during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the better-equipped Russian Army was forced to reactivate some T-62s for use, even if they are not more than infantry support vehicles. With upgrades such as laser rangefinders and Fire-Control Systems, some Ch’ŏnmas could prove to be troublesome enemies to deal with, even for the better-equipped US Army and ROKA forces.

It should also be noted that the DPRK was the only country under Soviet influence to produce a licensed copy of the T-62, giving luster to the country’s war industry, which was also able to export several hundred examples to other nations.

Despite the bad reputation that gravitates to everything produced and exported from the DPRK, the Ch’ŏnma appears to be one of the few vehicles with comparable capabilities to its Soviet counterpart, the T-62. Its service of more than four decades in the KPA and some African nations are a testament to North Korean capabilities.

Regardless, under present circumstances, a fleet of hundreds of Ch’ŏnmas cannot compete against the more modern South Korean and US MBTs deployed south of the Demilitarized Zone.

One early production Ch’ŏnma equipped with MANPADS during parade. An illustration by Vesp.

Second Ch’ŏnma upgrade. An illustration by Vesp.

Ch’ŏnma with turret bustle and unusual camouflage spotted in a military parade in 1986. An illustration by Vesp.

Ch’ŏnma with turret bustle. An illustration by Vesp.

Eritrean Ch’ŏnma spotted in August 2019. An illustration by Vesp.

Iranian Ch’ŏnma during the Iran-Iraq War. An illustration by Vesp.

Ch’ŏnma Specification
Size (L-W-H)	9.350 x 9.335 x 2.395 m
Weight, battle ready	~ 38 tonnes
Crew	4 (commander, gunner, loader, and driver)
Engine	V-55V diesel engine copy delivering 580 hp
Speed	~ 50 km/h
Range	~ 400 km
Armament	Korean copy of the 115 mm U-5TS cannon, 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, 14.5 mm anti-aircraft machine gun, and from 2010, 1 MANPADS
Production	Between 800 to 2,600

Sources

http://ww.massimotessitori.altervista.org/armoursite/nkindigenoustanks/index.html

https://namu.wiki/w/%EC%B2%9C%EB%A7%88%ED%98%B8

https://www.amazon.it/dp/1910777145/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=gs2&linkId=cdff0d377e63dbc7fd6b1689da838828&creativeASIN=1910777145&tag=tankencyclo09-21&creative=9325&camp=1789

https://asmarino.com/news-analysis/5181-eritrea-the-sawa-parade

Worldwide Tank Fire Control Systems – Directorate of Intelligence of the Central Intelligence Agency

WW2 Italian Patrol Car WW2 RSI SPA-Viberti AS43

Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43

Post author By Arturo Giusti
Post date May 31, 2023
No Comments on Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43

Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 used by Regio Esercito. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Kingdom of Italy/Italian Social Republic (1942-1945)
Reconnaissance Car – 66-182 Built

The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 (English: SPA-Viberti AS43 Reconnaissance Car) was an Italian reconnaissance car developed for the Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) for long-range reconnaissance in the North African desert, ambushing Allied convoys, countering the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG), and escorting Axis convoys on the desert roads.
Unfortunately, it entered service too late in the war to participate in the North African campaign. For this reason, the vehicle was deployed only in Italy and the Balkans.

A Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43, probably at the Officine Viberti’s production plant of Corso Peschiera 249 in Turin. Source: Collezione Museo Storico della Guerra via Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

North African Campaign and First Camionette

The Regio Esercito started the North African Campaign on 9th September 1940, fighting against the British and Commonwealth troops based in Egypt. After a few months, in January 1941, the Italian Xª Armata (English: 10th Army) was forced to retreat to Libya and take defensive positions, awaiting German help.

A FIAT-SPA Trattore Leggero Modello 1937 of the 9ª Divisione di Fanteria ‘Pasubio’ crossing the Dnieper River in Autumn 1941. Even if this particular vehicle was not of the ‘Libia’ type, it shared many external similarities. Source: Archivio Centrale dello Stato

In that period, the Regio Esercito‘s High Command started to request the development of various new kinds of vehicles based on the experience gained in the first months of desert warfare. One of the most famous vehicles designed in that period was the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto (English: Armored [Wheeled Vehicle] FIAT-SPA S37) armored personnel carrier, based on the FIAT-SPA Trattore Leggero Modello 1937 ‘Libia’ (English: FIAT-SPA Light Tractor Model 1937), or more simply, the FIAT-SPA TL37 ‘Libia’ light prime mover.

At the same time, due to the absence of many types of special purpose vehicles, the Italian soldiers on the front tried to fill the gaps in their organic strength with improvised vehicles of two kinds: support and reconnaissance vehicles, both based on Italian built or captured trucks.

The support trucks were called autocannoni (English: truck-mounted artillery). Basically, these were just standard trucks without cab roofs and windshields with support, anti-aircraft, or anti-tank guns mounted permanently on their cargo bays.

The reconnaissance trucks were built on light lorries and were called camionette desertiche (English: desert reconnaissance cars). In Italian, the term camionetta (camionette plural) is used to designate any kind of unarmored light reconnaissance vehicle of the army or unarmored police vehicles.

One of the support truck models was the Autocannone da 75/27 su FIAT-SPA TL37. It was armed with a Cannone da 75/27 Modello 1911 field gun mounted on the modified rear side of a prime mover.

The first camionette were based, in the first stages of the war, on the FIAT-SPA Autocarro Sahariano Modello 1937 (English: FIAT-SPA Saharan Truck Model 1937), or more simply FIAT-SPA AS37, a light desert lorry developed on the TL37 chassis.

FIAT-SPA Autocarro Sahariano Modello 1937 with Pirelli Tipo ‘Raiflex’ tyres outside the production plant. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

These vehicles had the advantage of being powered by a strong petrol engine and, thanks to their large tires, having great off-road mobility. The armament was usually a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 anti-aircraft gun, which was also effective against light armored vehicles, or machine guns mounted on pedestal supports.

A FIAT-SPA Autocarro Sahariano Modello 1937 armed with a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 deployed by Italian colonial troops. Source: zen.yandex.ru

These cheap, easy to modify, all-terrain vehicles proved themselves as really effective against the British saboteur and reconnaissance units, but also against convoys or small armored units.

In mid-1942, the Comando Militare del Sahara Libico (English: Libyan Sahara Military Command), the branch of the Regio Esercito High Command in North Africa, ordered the modification of the FIAT-SPA AS37 light desert lorries into camionette. The modifications were made by a specialized military workshop in the Hon Oasis.

One of the biggest problems encountered with the FIAT-SPA AS37 was their height, which, in flat landscapes like the desert, made it easily spottable by enemy forces. The FIAT-SPA AS37 was 2.65 m tall due to the cab and waterproof tarpaulin.

A FIAT-SPA Autocarro Sahariano Modello 1937 with soft top and tarpaulin used to protect the crew from the desert sun during breaks. This photo was taken outside the production plant. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

The Hon workshop then cut the cab, removing the roof, rear wall, and windshield, and lowered the chassis by a few centimeters.

In the modified cargo bay’s center, a universal support was mounted, which could be equipped with a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 or a Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935. The armament was completed with a 8 mm Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937 (English: Breda Medium Machine Gun Model 1937) manned by the vehicle’s commander.

Probably no more than 2 FIAT-SPA AS37s were modified into camionette, tested and then delivered to the compagnie sahariane (English: saharan companies).

Camionetta AS37 armed with a 47 mm gun of the Raggruppamento Sahariano ‘Mannarini’. In the background, a Camionetta Desertica SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’. The AS37 is equipped with Pirelli Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’ low pressure desert tires. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

These vehicles gave great results and the Comando Militare del Sahara Libico probably sent a favorable report to the Regio Esercito’s High Command in Rome.

The Camionetta Desertica SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’ – the Expensive Reconnaissance Car

The Camionetta Desertica SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’ (English: Desert Reconnaissance Car SPA-Viberti AS42) was presented as a prototype at the Centro Studi ed Esperienze della Motorizzazione (English: Vehicle Study and Experience Center) in Rome on 9th July 1942.

It was a 5.62 m long, 2.26 m wide, and 1.8 m tall (with armament installed) reconnaissance car with two rows of 20 liter cans on each side, usually carrying fuel, and 4 20 liter cans on the front mudguards for drinkable water and lubricant oil.

These reconnaissance cars had a universal support in the center able to mount a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935, a Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935, or a Solothurn S-18/1000 anti-tank rifle, known in Italian service as the Carabina ‘S’ (English: ‘S’ Carbine) or as the Fucile Anticarro ‘S’ (English: ‘S’ Anti-Tank Rifle). A smaller support was positioned on the right frontal side and two more were positioned on each side on the rear. These three supports were used for 8 mm Mitragliatrici Medie Breda Modello 1937 or Modello 1938 machine guns, used for anti-aircraft and anti-personnel fire.

A Camionetta Desertica SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’ during a crew break. It is armed with a Solothurn S-18/1000 anti-tank rifle, a Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 at the front, and a Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937 at the rear. Source: pinterest.com

Less than 100 were produced and delivered before the loss of the North African campaign in May 1943. More were produced, under the new designation Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Metropolitana’ or ‘Sahariana II’ (English: Reconnaissance Car SPA-Viberti AS42 “Metropolitan”). These differed only by the absence of the first row of 20 liter cans on each side and the installation of stowage compartments for ammunition.

These camionette proved themselves really useful to the Axis forces in the last actions of the North African campaign, with a claimed kill ratio of 1:5. Their flaw was the cost of each vehicle. They had a 4×4 steering system and a frame in common with the Autoblinde (English: Armored Cars) of the AB series. The camionette were not expensive financially, but, for each Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS42, an Autoblinda AB41 chassis was removed from the armored car production line, decreasing the number of precious armored cars produced. Also, for this reason, a new camionetta with a different frame had to be built.

A Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Metropolitana’, unarmed and with waterproof tarpaulin. The upper row of 20 liter cans was substituted with an ammunition box. Source: Officine Viberti

History of the Prototype

The Officine Viberti design office, thanks to the reports on the various types of improvised camionette, started development of a new reconnaissance car on the FIAT-SPA Autocarro Sahariano Modello 1937 chassis. The design was probably influenced during development by the reports on the Camionetta AS37 received in summer 1942 from the Comando Militare del Sahara Libico.

The Camionetta AS37 armed with a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 and, behind it, a Camionetta Desertica SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

In late summer 1942, the prototype of the new vehicle, initially called Camionetta Desertica SPA-Viberti AS43, was presented at the Centro Studi ed Esperienze della Motorizzazione in Rome.

The Camionetta Desertica SPA-Viberti AS43, the prototype of the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43. It is in desert camouflage and equipped with Pirelli Tipo ‘Raiflex’ tires. Source: Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II

The prototype differed from the production vehicles by the presence, on the sides, of two 20 liter can supports, for a total of 10 cans transported. After the loss of North Africa, the production vehicles were modified, removing the can supports and transforming the free space into lockers where ammunition was stored.

Side view of the prototype. The 20 liter can rack is visible between the mudguards. Source: Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II

Production and Deliveries

On 1st February 1943, a document was published by the Direzione Generale della Motorizzazione (English: General Directorate of Motor Vehicles), part of the Ministero della Guerra (English: Ministry of the War). This mentioned that the total order for the Camionette AS43 was of 180 vehicles. This could confirm the total number of 300 camionette ordered: 120 AS42 and 180 AS43.

The Officine Viberti’s documents, however, confirm the production of 167 to 169 AS43 between June 1943 to January 1946. It is necessary to add the 13 SPA-Viberti AS43 produced for the Germans with modified bodyworks and armaments to this number. If this claim is correct, the SPA and the Officine Viberti produced a total of 180 or 182 AS43s. The monthly production ratio was planned to reach 30 Camionette AS43. Nevertheless, due to the Italian industry’s poor situation in early 1943, this goal was never reached, and only 23 AS43s were delivered to the Regio Esercito before the war.

A column of Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 outside the Officine Viberti production facility. The first one is equipped with Pirelli Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’ tires, while the others have Tipo ‘Artiglio’ tires for continental soils. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

Another source claims that there were 66 Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 built, of which 23 were produced and delivered before the Armistice of 8th September 1943. This source is supported by an acknowledgement of a debt of 12 million Italian lira for the production of 63 camionette from December 1943. The debt was paid off in May 1947.

Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 Produced and Delivered before the Armistice
Engine Serial Code	Chassis serial Code	License Plate	Date of Registration	Delivered to
100010	47269	Regio Esercito 1120B	7th July 1943	Deposito 1° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Vercelli on 28th July 1943
100011	47270	Regio Esercito 1121B		Deposito 1° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Vercelli on 29th July 1943
100012	47271	Regio Esercito 1122B		Deposito 1° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Vercelli on 28th July 1943
100014	47273	Regio Esercito 1123B		Deposito 1° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Vercelli on 29th July 1943
100017	47276	Regio Esercito 1124B		Deposito 1° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Vercelli on 28th July 1943
100018	47277	Regio Esercito 1125B		Deposito 1° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Vercelli on 29th July 1943
100016	47275	Regio Esercito 1126B
100022	47281	Regio Esercito 1127B
100023	47282	Regio Esercito 1128B	28th July 1943	4° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Rome on 4th August 1943
100026	47285	Regio Esercito 1129B
100028	47287	Regio Esercito 1130B
100020	47279	Regio Esercito 1131B
100025	47284	Regio Esercito 1132B	19th August 1943	Deposito 33° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Parma on 14th August 1943
100029	47288	Regio Esercito 1133B	28th July 1943	4° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Rome on 4th August 1943
100021	47280	Regio Esercito 1135B
100024	47283	Regio Esercito 1136B
100030	47289	Regio Esercito 1138B	19th August 1943	Deposito 33° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Parma on 14th August 1943
100034	47293	Regio Esercito 1139B	29th July 1943	Deposito 33° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Parma on 4th August 1943
100003	47268	Regio Esercito 1140B	19th August 1943	Deposito 33° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Parma on 14th August 1943
100032	47291	Regio Esercito 1142B
100057	47316	Regio Esercito 1143B
100071	47330	Regio Esercito 1144B
100070	47329	Regio Esercito 1145B

Organization

Before the delivery of the first SPA-Viberti AS43, the units that employed the previous SPA-Viberti AS42 were composed of compagnie camionettisti (English: reconnaissance car driver companies). Each compagnia camionettisti was equipped with 24 camionette, 2 FIAT 1100 staff cars, and 8 FIAT-SPA 38R light lorries, divided into 4 pattuglie (English: Patrol Unit) with 6 camionette each. Each pattuglia was composed of 2 officers and 18 Arditi. Each Ardito was armed with a Carcano Modello 1891 rifle or a Moschetto Automatico Beretta Modello 1938 (MAB 38) pistol and dagger and was trained to use various types of explosives. At least a pair of compagnie camionettisti was equipped with a total of 10 SPA-Viberti AS43 that were probably integrated within these organic strengths.

From a document of 30th May 1943, each compagnia camionette (English: reconnaissance car company) was composed of a plotone comando (English: command platoon) with 2 command camionette equipped only with 8 mm machine guns as defensive armament and an Apparato Ricetrasmittente Radio Fonica 3M (English: Audio Radio Receiver Apparatus 3M) produced by Magneti Marelli. The personnel of the plotone comando consisted of 2 officers, 2 camionette drivers, and 4 soldiers. The squadra servizi (English: service squad) was composed of 1 NCO, 5 drivers, 29 soldiers, 1 small mobile workshop, 2 FIAT-SPA 38R light lorries, 4 motorbikes, and 1 motor tricycle.

The command platoon commanded 4 plotoni camionette (English: reconnaissance car platoons) with 2 camionette each. The personnel and equipment of a platoon had a staff of an officer, an NCO, 6 soldiers and 2 camionette drivers. In total, a compagnia camionette had an organic strength of 5 officers, 5 NCOs, 57 soldiers, 15 drivers, 10 Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43, 1 small mobile workshop, 2 FIAT-SPA 38R light lorries, 4 motorbikes, and 1 motor tricycle.

Compagnia Camionette organization
	Personnel				Vehicles
	Officers	NCOs	Soldiers	Drivers	Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43	Small mobile workshop	FIAT-SPA 38R	Motor tricycle	Motorbikes
Plotone Comando	1	/	4	2	2	/	/	/	/
Squadra Servizi	/	1	29	5	/	1	2	1	4
1° Plotone Camionette	1	1	6	2	2	/	/	/	/
2° Plotone Camionette	1	1	6	2	2	/	/	/	/
3° Plotone Camionette	1	1	6	2	2	/	/	/	/
4° Plotone Camionette	1	1	6	2	2	/	/	/	/
Total Plotoni	4	4	24	8	8	/	/	/	/
Total Compagnia	5	5	57	15	10	1	2	1	4

On 12th August 1943, General Augusto de Pignier, Chief of the Centro Studi ed Esperienze della Motorizzazione wrote a document about the new role of the Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 in the ranks of the Regio Esercito. In fact, the North African Campaign had been lost three months prior, and the AS43 needed a new role.

The reconnaissance cars were repurposed to perform anti-landing duties on the Italian coasts, while the heavier AS42s were deployed on anti-paratrooper duties in Southern Italy.

The document reported all the necessary data about the new role of the camionette. An important and curious note was that the general explained how to sink Allied landing craft by firing at them under the floating line.
De Pignier then suggested training the crew of the camionette to drive during the night without headlights, create hull-down positions on the shores and in the area behind to be ready to protect their homeland.

The number of plotoni camionette was reduced from 4 to 2 in this document, but the number of camionette in each platoon was increased from 2 to 4.

Design

Chassis and Bodywork

The chassis was produced by the Società Piemontese Automobili plant at Corso Ferrucci 122 in Turin, which had also produced the TL37s and the AS37s.

The original FIAT-SPA TL37 frame. Source: FIAT Archives

As on the Camionette Desertiche AS37, the modifications to the frame of the new camionetta were similar to the ones approved by the Comando Militare del Sahara Libico. The FIAT-SPA Autocarro Sahariano Modello 1937 chassis was lowered from a ground clearance of 390 mm to 345 mm. The cab was completely modified, apart from the engine hood and the radiator grille. The side doors, the windshield, the roof, and the third seat were removed.

On the front, there was a bumper and 2 iron bars to protect the radiator. On the lower bar, a support for the engine’s ignition crank was mounted. A new frontally foldable armored plate with bulletproof Securit glass was mounted for the driver on the right side. The bulletproof glass also had a slit that could be closed to protect the glass from splinters. The shield was foldable to allow the main gun to shoot at 0° elevation on the front arch when the vehicle was in a static position.

Another SPA-Viberti AS43 with Pirelli Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’ tyres at the Officine Viberti. This image shows the armored windshield with a slot. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

The cargo bay consisted of a structure of electrically welded steel sections with a wooden floor and sides connected to the driving compartment. The rear wooden side of the cargo bay was protected on the inner side by a 1.2 mm thick metal sheet. On the floor of the cargo bay, there were 4 ammunition boxes. The mudguards were made of 1.5 mm thick metal sheets and the rear one had a metal bar that protected the wheel at 75 cm from the ground.
On the rear of the vehicle, there were the license plate with light, stop light, and support for the sapper tools: shovel, pickaxe, and crowbar.

The prototype’s rear side. The Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 did not differ from the original prototype. The registration plate was not installed. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano

To protect the crew from the elements, the vehicle could be equipped with a green-gray waterproof tarpaulin. When not used, it was rolled up on the rear side of the cargo bay. When used, it was fixed on the rear side on 2 extendable supports by means of carabiners and, on the front, to the armored shield for the driver and to a tiltable support positioned on the left side of the cab. On the center, there was an arch-shaped tube that was lifted when the tarpaulin was mounted. The sides of the vehicles were also equipped with waterproof tarpaulins with small plexiglas on the sides for the commander and driver, and another one frontally, also for the commander.

The rear of a Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43, also partially showing the inside of the cargo bay. The spare wheel is not mounted and 2 partially extended supports are visible and, in the background, in the inner side of the front cargo bay side, the arch-shaped tube is not extended. On the cab is visible the front support for the tarpaulin, while the machine gun support is not mounted. The interior of the cargo bay was also camouflaged. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

Image of a Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 with waterproof tarpaulin mounted. Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

The spare wheel support was moved from behind the cab to the cargo bay’s rear to free up space. The spare wheel was placed on a new tilting support that the crew could angle backwards to allow the main gun to shoot at 0° elevation even on the rear arch. The loading bay’s sides were fixed and could not be lowered, but were wide enough to permit the installation of a 360° traverse universal gun support.

Even if the main can racks were modified, the vehicle could transport a total of 6 20 liter cans on the mudguards: two for each rear mudguard, and one for each frontal mudguard. The cans were intended for drinkable water, lubricant oil, and fuel, but were rarely transported on the vehicles that were all deployed in Europe, where it was not necessary to extend the already long-range of the vehicle.

A Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43’s side. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

The driver was on the right and, under his seat, he had a small storage compartment, while the vehicle commander was placed on the left. Between the seats was a rack for the machine gun’s ammunition. Other machine gun ammunition was stored on the sides, over the lockers.

Engine and Suspension

Like the FIAT-SPA AS37, the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 had all-wheel drive.

The front wheels had independent coil spring suspension coupled with hydraulic shock absorbers, which guaranteed great comfort on rough terrain. The rear wheels had inverse leaf springs coupled with hydraulic shock absorbers. The rear leaf spring was reinforced compared to the one of the FIAT-SPA TL37 light prime mover or the FIAT-SPA AS37 due to the new role of the vehicle.

The original FIAT-SPA TL37 frame. Source: italie1935-45.com

The engine was a more powerful version of the 52 hp SPA 18LT used on the FIAT-SPA AS37, the SPA 18VT 4a Variante, 4-stroke, 4-cylinder, petrol engine delivering 73 hp (or 75 hp, as sources offer differing values) at 2,000 rpm.

The SPA 18VT 4a Variante petrol engine: Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

The gearbox had 5 gears plus reverse and was mounted behind the clutch, on the vehicle’s center. Behind the gearbox was the tire compressor. The Camionetta AS43 had hydraulic brakes.

Developed as a super long-range desert reconnaissance car, the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 was equipped with two 120 liter fuel tanks between the fenders, under the lockers. The 240 liters of petrol guaranteed a range of 750 km. With the 6 20 liter cans mounted on the mudguards, the range extended to 1,120 km. On the prototype, with the unmodified can supports for 10 more 20 liter cans, the range was of 1,700 km.

The frame had a wheelbase of 2,500 mm, the same as on the FIAT-SPA TL37 ‘Libia’ and all the vehicles developed on its chassis. The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 frame weighed 2.62 tonnes (without fuel, cooling water, oil, etc.), the empty vehicle weighed 3,500 kg, while the fully equipped and battle ready weight was 5 tonnes.

The maximum speed of the battle loaded Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 was 68.5 km/h, while the maximum slope was 45°, more than the previous vehicles produced on the previous chassis.

Tires

The tires also used on the AB41 were produced by the Pirelli factory in Milan, as were almost all the tires on Italian vehicles. Pirelli produced several tires for the 24″ (60 cm) rim used on the FIAT-SPA TM40 prime mover, SPA Dovunque 41 heavy duty truck, and many other vehicles and armored cars.

The Tipo ‘Artiglio’ 9 x 24″ (22 x 60 cm) and Tipo ‘Artiglio a Sezione Maggiorata’ pneumatics were used for continental terrain and the Russian steppes. Tipo ‘Libia’ 11.25 x 24” (28.5 x 60.96 cm), Tipo ‘Libia Rinforzato’, and Pirelli Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’ 11.25 x 24″ were used for sandy soils and Tipo ‘Raiflex’ were for universal use. The Pirelli Tipo ‘Raiflex’ tires were produced with Rayon (Raion in Italian) synthetic fibers (RAI-flex for Raion) in order to improve strength with cross ply.

Four types of tires deployed on the camionette. From left to the right: Pirelli Tipo ‘Artiglio’ for continental soil, Tipo ‘Libia’ and ‘Sigillo Verde’ low pressure tires for sandy soils, and the Pirelli Tipo ‘Raiflex’. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

Main Armament

The main armament of the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 was a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 anti-aircraft automatic gun or a Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935 anti-tank/support gun.

Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935

The anti-aircraft gun was developed by Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche (English: Italian Ernesto Breda Company for Mechanical Constructions) in 1935 as an anti-aircraft gun, but showed itself powerful enough to deal with light armored vehicles, such as armored cars and light tanks. In its field version, it had a crew of five, while on the camionetta, the number of operators was decreased to two: gunner and loader. The gunner was seated behind the gun and the loader was seated in the cargo bay. The driver would probably occasionally help to load the gun to speed up reloading.

The maximum anti-aircraft range was 1,500-2,000 m, while against ground targets, the maximum range was 5,000 m and the effective range decreased to about 2,500 m.

A Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 in Greece in winter 1941. Source: Archivio Centrale dello Stato

This gun was one of the best light automatic guns of its era, with a total weight of 330 kg and a theoretical rate of fire of 500 rounds per minute. The practical rate of fire dropped to about 300 rounds per minute due to the presence of a single loader in the cargo bay. The maximum elevation was +80°, while the depression was -10°.

Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935

The Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935 was nicknamed ‘Elefantino’ (English: Little Elephant) by Italian soldiers. This gun was originally designed by the Austrian Böhler company and found use with various nations. The Regio Esercito, for example, used over 3,200 units which had been produced under license by various companies between 1937 and 1945. The main producers were Breda of Brescia, Arsenale Regio Esercito di Torino or ARET (English: Royal Army Arsenal of Turin), Arsenale Regio Esercito di Piacenza or AREP, and Ansaldo (only for tank use).

Designed as an infantry support cannon, it proved to be reliable and precise during the Spanish Civil War and capable of taking out the few opposing armored vehicles. It had a total dismounted weight of 108 kg, while the barrel weighed 64.5 kg.

The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 prototype at the Centro Studi ed Esperienze della Motorizzazione. It was equipped with a Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935. The tiltable spare wheel support is visible. Source: Italian Truck-Mounted Artillery in Action

The Italian Army High Command, satisfied by its performance against enemy tanks in Spain, considered it a reliable anti-tank gun. Despite its performances in the Spanish Civil War, from 1940 onward, it became less adequate because the armor of the enemy tanks became thicker.

Its maximum range was 7,000 m, but it was effective up to 4,000 m for infantry support and about 800-1,000 m for anti-tank fire. Its compact mounting and short recoil of just 20 cm were perfect for mounting on a small vehicle, such as the camionetta. Thanks to the small dimensions of the rounds and the automatic breech, the gun could reach, with well trained crews, a rate of fire of 28 rounds per minute, even if for a short time.

Other Main Armaments

After the Armistice, the German soldiers of the Luftwaffe and of the Wehrmacht captured a certain number of Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 and produced a small lot of slightly modified vehicles. The vehicles captured by the Germans after the Armistice were often rearmed with German FlaK 38 anti-aircraft automatic cannons that had larger magazines compared to the Italian ones (30 round magazines vs 12 round clips) and guaranteed an increased rate of fire.

A German Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 armed with a FlaK 38 gun. On the rear, an ammunition crate was positioned instead of the fuel cans. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

At least an AS43 deployed by the Germans after the Armistice was armed with a Cannone-Mitragliera Scotti-Isotta Fraschini da 20/70 Modello 1939 (English: Scotti-Isotta Fraschini 20 mm L.70 Automatic Cannon Model 1939), but it is probable that more than one was armed in this manner.

This automatic gun shared similar characteristics to those made by Breda. The gun was gas-operated and had a theoretical rate of fire of about 500 rounds per minute. However, this dropped to 250 rounds per minute in practice. Its maximum firing range was 5,500 m against ground targets and 2,000 m against flying targets.

A Cannone-Mitragliera Scotti-Isotta Fraschini da 20/70 Modello 1941 in anti-aircraft position on Leros, a Greek island, winter 1942. Source: Archivio Centrale dello Stato

Secondary Armament

The secondary armament was one Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937 (English: Breda Medium Machine Gun Model 1937) mounted on a gooseneck support on the left side of the cab and used by the commander for anti-personnel fire or to fire against low flying enemy planes.

This gun was developed after the specifications issued by the Ispettorato d’Artiglieria (English: Artillery Inspectorate) in May 1933. Different Italian gun companies started working on the new machine gun. The requirements were a maximum weight of 20 kg, a theoretical rate of fire of 450 rounds per minute, and a barrel life of 1,000 rounds.

The Comitato Superiore Tecnico Armi e Munizioni (English: Superior Technical Committee for Weapons and Ammunition) in Turin issued its verdict in November 1935. The Breda project won. A first order for 2,500 units of the Breda medium machine gun was placed in 1936. After operational evaluation with the units, the weapon was adopted in 1937 as the Mitragliatrice Breda Modello 1937.

A Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937 deployed in a defensive position held by Bersaglieri (Assault infantry) in the Soviet Union. Source: italie1935-45.com

The weapon was famous for its robustness and accuracy, despite its annoying tendency to jam if lubrication was insufficient. Its weight was considered too large compared to foreign machine guns of the time. It weighed 19.4 kg and its tripod had a weight of 18.8 kg, making this weapon the heaviest medium machine gun of the Second World War. The practical rate of fire, which was about 200-250 rounds per minute, was considered a bit low. The machine gun was fed by 20-round rigid strips. After firing, instead of ejecting the spent casings like all firearms, the Breda Modello 1937 reinserted it into the rigid strip to facilitate the recovery of reusable spent casings.

The machine gun shot 8 x 59 mm RB cartridges developed by Breda exclusively for machine guns. The 8 mm Breda had a muzzle velocity between 790 m/s and 800 m/s, depending on the round type. The armor piercing rounds could penetrate 11 mm of non-ballistic steel angled at 90° at 100 m. Even if there is no photographic evidence, as on other Italian vehicles, the Breda Modello 1937 could be substituted with the Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 (English: Breda Medium Machine Guns Model 1938) with the same action and cartridges of the Modello 1937, but especially developed for armored vehicles. It had a shorter barrel, pistol grip, and top curved 24-round magazines.

On the right front mudguard, a support for the machine gun tripod was fixed by means of butterfly screws. In fact, the Breda could be quickly dismounted and deployed in a fixed position by the crew on the ground.

On the Camionette SPA-Viberti deployed by the Germans, especially the Luftwaffe ones, the Italian machine guns were dismounted and substituted with Mauser MG15 aircraft machine guns recovered from damaged German planes deployed in the Italian peninsula or Balkan airfields. These 7.92 x 57 mm Mauser medium machine guns guaranteed an increased rate of fire thanks to their ammunition belts.

A Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 deployed by the Germans. It is armed with a Mauser MG15, 2 cm FlaK 38 and is equipped with Pirelli Tipo ‘Artiglio’ tires. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

Ammunition

The Breda automatic cannon could fire various kinds of caliber 20 x 138 mm B armor piercing and high-explosive rounds of Italian production, but also those used by the German FlaK 30 and FlaK 38 cannons and the Solothurn S18-1000 anti-tank gun, increasing the anti-tank capacity of the cannon. With the Granata Perforante da 20 mm Modello 1935 Italian armor-piercing bullets, it could penetrate a 38 mm armor plate angled at 90° at 100 m and a 30 mm armored plate at 500 m. With German Pz.Gr. 40 ammunition, it could penetrate a 50 mm armor plate angled at 90° at 100 m and a 40 mm armored plate at 500 m.

On board the Camionetta, 960 20 mm rounds were transported in 12 round clips, for a total of 80 clips. Of these clips, 8 sat in each ammunition box on the floor, for a total of 384 rounds. The other 48 clips were transported in the side lockers, 12 per side.

Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 ammunition
Name	Type	Muzzle Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (g)	Penetration at 500 meters against an RHA plate angled at 90° (mm)
Granata Contro Aerei da 20 mm Modello 1935	HEFI-T*	830	140	//
Granata Perforante da 20 mm Modello 1935	API-T**	832	140	27
SprenggranatPatrone 39	HEF-T***	995	132	//
Panzergranatpatrone 40	HVAPI-T****	1,050	100	26
Panzerbrandgranatpatrone – Phosphor	API-T	780	148	//
Note	* High-Explosive Fragmentation Incendiary – Tracer Armor-Piercing Incendiary – Tracer * High-Explosive Fragmentation – Tracer **** Hyper Velocity Armor-Piercing Incendiary – Tracer

The 47 mm gun could fire different types of ammunition: Proietto Perforante da 47 Modello 1935 (English: 47 mm Armor Piercing Round Model 1935) and Modello 1939, Cartoccio Granata Dirompente da 47 modello 1935 (English: 47 mm High-Explosive Round Model 1935) and 2 different High-Explosive Anti-Tank rounds: the Effetto Pronto and the Effetto Pronto Speciale that, however, were rarely deployed.

Proietto Perforante da 47 Modello 1939 Armor Piercing Round
Distance (m)	Penetration of vertical armored plates
500	35 mm
1,000	30 mm
1,500	25 mm
2,000	22 mm

There is no precise data on the penetration of the HEAT ammunition of the 47 mm gun, but an Italian report from some tests in October 1942 shows that the Effetto Pronto round was not able to penetrate the 52 mm thick side armor of the turret of a T-34-76 Mod. 1942 captured by the Italians on the Eastern Front.

On the Camionetta, 160 47 mm rounds were transported, of which 60 in the 4 ammunition boxes on the floor and the others in the side lockers, 50 per side.

For the 8 mm machine gun, there were 100 20 round clips, for a total of 2,000 rounds placed between the driver and commander’s seats and over the lockers.

Operational Use

X Reggimento Arditi

In 1942, the Regio Esercito’s High Command decided to create a battalion-sized unit of Arditi (translatable as ‘The Daring [Ones]’) directly under command of the Regio Esercito’s High Command. This battalion originally had 4 companies, of which only 3 were formed.

On 26th April 1942, the battalion was created. Recruitment started on 15th May 1942 and the training was done in Santa Severa, near Rome. The location was chosen because in the area there were some flat and rough terrains, similar to the ones that the soldiers had to operate on in North Africa. Also in the area there were saboteur and paratrooper training schools.

A company was composed of paracadutisti (English: paratroopers) that trained at the Tarquinia Paratrooper training school, another company composed of nuotatori (Literally: swimmers, meaning marine saboteurs) trained in Pola, now Croatia, while the last company of camionettisti (English: reconnaissance car drivers) trained in Santa Severa.

On 20th July 1942, the Regio Esercito’s High Command ordered a second battalion to be formed by 1st August of the same year and the 2 battalions were grouped in the X Reggimento Speciale (English: 10th Special Regiment). The name of the regiment was then changed to X Reggimento Arditi (English: 10th Arditi Regiment).

The companies were renamed 101a Compagnia Paracadutisti (English: 101st Paratrooper Company), 102a Compagnia Nuotatori (English: 102nd Marine Saboteurs Company), and 103a Compagnia Camionettisti (English: 103rd Reconnaissance Car Drivers Company) for the renamed I Battaglione (English: 1st Battalion). The II Battaglione (English: 2nd Battalion) had the new 111a Compagnia Paracadutisti (English: 111th Paratrooper Company), 112a Compagnia Nuotatori (English: 112th Marine Saboteurs Company), and 113a Compagnia Camionettisti (English: 113th Reconnaissance Car Drivers Company).

Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 with license plate Ro Eto 1146B ready for delivery. It was equipped with Pirelli Tipo ‘Artiglio’ tires and, on the sides, there were the signatures of the workers that assembled it. Unfortunately, this vehicle did not make it in time to be delivered to the Regio Esercito and was probably requisitioned by the Germans or deployed by the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana some months after. Source: facebook.com @Amici del Museo della Motorizzazione

In February 1943 the III Battaglione (English: 3rd Battalion) with 121a Compagnia Paracadutisti (English: 121st Paratrooper Company), 122a Compagnia Nuotatori (English: 122nd Marine Saboteurs Company), and 123a Compagnia Camionettisti (English: 123rd Reconnaissance Car Drivers Company) was also created, but this last battalion would never become operative.

In May 1943, in anticipation of an Allied attack on the Italian peninsula, the first 2 compagnie paracadutisti were grouped into the new IV Battaglione (English: 4th Battalion) and were substituted in the I Battaglione and II Battaglione by the 110a Compagnia Speciale and the 120a Compagnia Speciale (English: 110th and 120th Special Companies).

Shortly before the Armistice of 8th September 1943, the 122a Compagnia Nuotatori was transformed into a compagnia camionettisti and another company was created in Viterbo: the 133a Compagnia composed of soldiers of Benito Mussolini most loyal soldiers.

The I Battaglione was deployed in North Africa (103a Compagnia Camionettisti), while the other 2 companies were sent to Sardinia, all equipped with Camionette Desertiche SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariane’.
With the loss of North Africa, the 112a Compagnia Nuotatori and the 113a Compagnia Camionettisti of the II Battaglione were sent to Sicily, equipped with Camionette Desertiche SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariane’.

The first company to receive the new Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 was the 122a Compagnia Camionettisti, which had serious shortages in equipment and vehicles. It was sent in August 1943, with 8 AS43, to Rome to perform public order duties. In the book Dal TL37 all’ AS43 written by Pignato and Cappellano, it is mentioned that the 133a Compagnia was equipped with 2 SPA-Viberti AS43 for training purposes, but it is not clear if it was in Santa Severa, Rome or Viterbo when the Armistice was made public.

On 8th September 1943, the X Reggimento Arditi was scattered all over the place: the I Battaglione was in Sardinia, the II Battaglione and 2 companies of the IV Battaglione were in Santa Severa for reorganization after the Sicilian defense, while the 111a Compagnia Paracadutisti and the 122a Compagnia Camionettisti were in Rome for public order duties.

Not a single Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 was deployed against the German forces during the Defense of Rome that ended on 10th September 1943.

Repubblica Sociale Italiana Service

After the Armistice, the Regio Esercito was disbanded, with over a million taken prisoner. Mussolini then founded the Repubblica Sociale Italiana (English: Italian Social Republic) under German control. Some soldiers still loyal to Benito Mussolini immediately joined the new Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano (English: National Republican Army) and the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana (English: National Republican Guard).

Some vehicles were recovered from former Regio Esercito depots or barracks and deployed by the Italians and by the Germans. The Battaglione ‘Fulmine’ (English: Battalion) of the Xª Divisione MAS (English: 10th MAS Division) had an armored Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 called SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata in late 1944 and early 1945. They probably recovered it from Vercelli, where 8 Camionette AS43 were delivered before the Armistice. It is also possible that the vehicle was delivered directly by the Officine Viberti plant.

It was probably modified by workers in one of the dozens of factories of Turin, such as FIAT, SPA, or Officine Viberti. The armored plates used on the vehicle were most likely donated to the battalion by the Arsenale Regio Esercito di Torino, renamed by the new fascist government as Arsenale di Torino. At that time, it was responsible for the production of improvised armored vehicles for some Fascist units in the Turin area, among other things.

The SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata in Turin’s main square in 1944. Source: I corazzati di circostanza italiani

It was armed with a total of 3 Mitragliatrici Medie Breda Modello 1937 and light armor, sufficient to barely withstand the bullets of small arms.

Very little is known about this vehicle that was deployed in Locana, Piemonte, on 29th November 1944, in anti-partisan operations in that area. In early 1945, the Xª Divisione MAS was sent to Veneto, north-east Italy, to fight against the Yugoslavian Partisans. The armored reconnaissance car surely followed the division in Veneto, but traces of it are lost after this.

The SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata during the 29th October 1944 parade in Via Roma, Turin. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ (English: Lioness Armored Group) deployed 2 to 4 (sources vary on the exact number) armored personnel carriers based on the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 called SPA-Viberti AS43 Autoprotette.

The bodywork was left unchanged, but an armored superstructure was added to protect the crew and the 6 soldiers transported. Its armament was composed of 2 Mitragliatrici Medie Breda Modello 1937, one mounted frontally, another on the rear.

A SPA-Viberti AS43 Autoprotetta was lost in Santo Stefano Roero in Piemonte on 8th March 1945. It was set aflame by a partisan ambush. Its commander, Lieutenant Berneschi, tried to slow down the partisans while his men were getting out of the vehicle to take cover, but was killed shortly after.

The vehicle was totally destroyed by the fire or by the partisans the next night, when the fascist forces retreated. Another SPA-Viberti AS43 Autoprotetta was surrendered to US soldiers when the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ surrendered to the Allied forces on 5th May 1945.

The SPA-Viberti AS43 Autoprotetta full of Fascist militiamen. Source: wikipedia.com

In the book Storia dei Reparti Corazzati della Repubblica Sociale Italiana 1943-1945, written by Paolo Crippa, the Italian author mentions a XXXVIa Brigata Nera ‘Natale Piacentini’ (English: 36th Black Brigade) veteran’s testimony. Militiaman Piero Sebastiani recounts that in Autumn 1944, the Prefecture of Verona donated to the unit a camionetta that was “…equipped with a Breda 38 machine gun and an armored shield…”. It could have been a Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 that was previously owned by the Autoparco della GNR (English: GNR’s Vehicle Depot) of Verona.

There is no photographic evidence of this vehicle and, therefore, it is impossible to confirm the presence of a camionetta in this Black Brigade. Due to the absence of documents, it is also impossible to verify when this vehicle was delivered to the XXXVIa Brigata Nera ‘Natale Piacentini’. The Black Brigade was one of the better-equipped Black Brigades of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana, equipped with a Lancia 3Ro Blindato and armored trailers, a FIAT 1500 Berlina Blindata armed with a Mauser MG42, this camionetta, and a FIAT 626NM armed with a twin machine gun mount (the exact caliber is not clear).

German Service

The total number of vehicles deployed by the Germans is impossible to clarify. Many Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 were rearmed by German units with 2 cm FlaK 38 and Mauser MG15 guns. A total of 13 vehicles were produced with particular specifications ordered by the German Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen (English: General Inspector of the Armed Forces).

These vehicles differed from the original ones by the addition of foldable iron sides on the cargo bay. These sides could be used as backseat for the crew during marching and lowered to ease reloading and to increase the working space for the crew.
When lowered to 0°, they had 2 diagonal bracings per side that held them in position. From the original blueprint, it is noticeable that the tarpaulin position was also changed, but there are no images of a modified AS43 for the Germans with waterproof tarpaulin installed.

A bad quality photo of a Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 modified for the Germans. It was armed with a Cannone-Mitragliera Scotti-Isotta Fraschini 20/70 Modello 1939. The foldable sides are opened, while the camouflage is the original Continentale one. Source: beutepanzer.ru

The only existing images of these German AS43s show them equipped with a Cannone-Mitragliera Scotti-Isotta Fraschini 20/70 Modello 1939, but it seems that they were intended to be equipped with German 2 cm FlaK 38. In fact, from the original drawing, supports for 30 round magazines, for a total of 10 transported, 4 on each side and 2 on the rear, can be seen on the outer sides of the foldable iron plates. These racks were not present on the German AS43 equipped with Scotti-Isotta Fraschini automatic cannon.

The camionette armed with 2 cm FlaK 38 were deployed by the Sicherungs-Abteilung (English: Safeguarding Department) of the Transportkorps Speer. It was organized in motor transportation battalions and regiments, supported by depot, repair, engineering, signal, safeguarding, and medical units. The Transportkorps Speer was assigned to the Organisation Todt (English: Todt Organization). The organization was responsible for a huge range of engineering projects, both in Germany and in occupied territories.

The Sicherungs-Abteilung was used to escort columns for the majority of its service but, in the last months of the war, its armored and armed vehicles were also deployed in anti-partisan operations.

A German column in a narrow mountain street of northern Italy. From the right, a FIAT-SPA CL39 light mountain lorry, 2 Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43, a Sd.Kfz.8 towing a 8.8 cm FlaK, a FIAT 665NM Scudato, and an unknown truck. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

Part or all the 13 AS43s produced for the Germans were delivered to the Fliegerabwehrkanonen Erdkampf Schule Sued (English: Southern Anti-Aircraft Ground Fighting School) in Spilimbergo, near Udine. It was a training school for anti-aircraft crews, in which they improved their anti-tank training with anti-aircraft guns. In fact, its commander was Joseph Prentl, one of the first officers that deployed the 8.8 cm FlaK 37 against enemy tanks.

A Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 produced for the Germans at the Fliegerabwehrkanonen Erdkampf Schule Sued, with its 3-tone camouflage, closed sides, and Cannone-Mitragliera Scotti-Isotta Fraschini 20/70 Modello 1939. Source: beutepanzer.ru

The German training school was also equipped with various other kinds of captured Italian vehicles, including some tanks and self-propelled guns that were deployed, together with its students, against the partisans in Friuli Venezia Giulia in the last months of war.

Italian Republic

An unknown number of Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 were deployed by the Italian Polizia di Stato (English: State Police) after the war. They were AS43s captured or delivered intact to the Allied forces or new vehicles that were produced by Officine Viberti to end the production contract of 180 AS43 stipulated with the Regio Esercito before the war. The last vehicle was delivered on 26th January 1946.

The only source that mentions their service is Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, but nothing more is known apart that they were assigned to the Reparti Celeri (English: Fast Departments) of the Polizia di Stato. These units had the task of intervening quickly where there was a need for public order, for help after natural disasters, or in case of a clash with a foreign army or organized guerrilla. There are no pictures of Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 in service after the war.

Camouflage

The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 prototype was painted in Kaki Sahariano Chiaro (English: Light Saharan Khaki) for desert environments. Even if the few images of the prototype at the Centro Studi ed Esperienze della Motorizzazione are without waterproof tarpaulin, it is logical to suppose that it was also in desert camouflage.

A production AS43 equipped with fully camouflaged tarpaulin, except for the frontal side, that remained in green-gray camouflage. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

The production vehicles were painted at the Officine Viberti in Continentale (English: Continental) camouflage. This 3-tone camouflage had as its base the Kaki Sahariano Chiaro, partially covered with dark green and reddish brown spots. Interestingly enough, even the internal sides of the cargo bay were camouflaged. In this version, the tarpaulin was in green-gray camouflage but, on some vehicles, the tarpaulin was also painted with Continentale camouflage scheme.

Side view of a Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 with only a part of the tarpaulin mounted.The 20 liter cans were also camouflaged. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

The Germans painted some of the captured vehicles in dark green with darker green or black stripes.

The Polizia di Stato vehicles were probably repainted in Amaranth Red, a reddish rose shade used at the time on all the police vehicles.

From this rear view of a Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 in German service, its 2-tone camouflage is visible. Source: beutepanzer.ru

Versions

Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43

Two to six Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 armored cars were produced by the Officine Viberti plant. The first draft of this project of the design office of Officine Viberti dates from 18th January 1944. The last modification is dated 3rd April 1944, while the first photos of operational vehicles are from May of the same year.

It was equipped with an armored superstructure in which, at the top, an Autoblinda AB41 turret armed with a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 and a coaxial Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 was installed.

The Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 at the Officine Viberti plant. It was delivered without armament. Source: Officine Viberti Archives

A Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 was employed during a fight with the partisans in Valtellina, Lombardia, on 27th April 1945. The column in which it was deployed was ambushed by the partisans. The armored car ended up in partisan hands after the clash, along with other vehicles of the fascist column. These were used in the following days, until 2nd May 1945, in the area of the Mortirolo Pass, at 1,852 m above sea level, where an attack by a Fascist unit was feared.

SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata

The SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata was a project of an armored ambulance designed by Officine Viberti together with the Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43.
It had an armored superstructure partially in common with the Carrozzeria Speciale, but also with the older FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto. In fact, the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 and the FIAT-SPA TL37 shared the same frames, even if heavily modified.

It remained a paper project, but, from the original information that can be found in the Officine Viberti archives, it could carry a total of 2 stretchers and a crew of 3 or 4 healthcare personnel.

The original Officine Viberti design office drawing of the SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata. Source: Officine Viberti Archives via Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano

Conclusion

The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 was a successful vehicle of the Italian industry. Even if the first project was intended for long-range desert reconnaissance and sabotage, the production vehicles ended up operating in Europe, where they performed without noteworthy reliability issues.

Its off-road capabilities were extraordinary, as was its sturdiness. Another interesting feature was the frame that could be easily modified into various kinds of armored fighting vehicles.

It could be used in various roles, such as patrolling shores to counter possible landings or on small mountain paths to counter the Italian and Yugoslavian partisans. Thanks to its 20 mm automatic cannons, it had the possibility of engaging light armored vehicles and planes or, with the 47 mm gun, it could support infantry attacks and counter light armored vehicles.

Camionetta Desertica SPA-Viberti AS43 prototype. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 used by Regio Esercito. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 with waterproof tarpaulin. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Modified Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 deployed by Fliegerabwehrkanonen Erdkampf Schule Sued in Spilimbergo. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 deployed by Sicherungs-Abteilung of Todt Organization. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 Specification
Size (L-W-H)	4.83 x 2.06 x 2.20 m
Weight, battle ready	5 tonnes
Crew	4 soldiers (driver, commander, gunner, and loader)
Engine	SPA 18VT 4a Variante, 4-cylinder, petrol engine, 73 hp at 2,000 rpm and 240 liters tanks
Speed	68.5 km/h
Range	750 km
Armament	one Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 or a Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935. One 8 mm Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937 or Modello 1938
Production	66-182 built

Sources

Le Camionette del Regio Esercito. FIAT-SPA AS/37, SPA-Viberti AS/42, FIAT-SPA AS/43, Desertica 43, i Reparti che le Impiegarono – Enrico Finazzer and Luigi Carpetta – Gruppo Modellistico Trentino – 2014

Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II – Ralph A. Riccio – Mattioli 1885 – 2010

Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, Volume Secondo, Tomo II – Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano – Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito – 2002

Semicingolati, Motoveicoli e Veicoli Speciali del Regio Esercito Italiano 1919-1943 – Giulio Benussi – Intergest Publishing – 1976

Andare Contro i Carri Armati, L’Evoluzione della Difesa Controcarro nell’Esercito Italiano dal 1918 al 1945. – Filippo Cappellano and Nicola Pignato – Gaspari Editore – 2008

Italian Truck-Mounted Artillery in Action – Ralph Riccio and Nicola Pignato – Squadron Signal Publications – 1971

Storia dei Reparti Corazzati della Repubblica Sociale Italiana 1943-1945 – Paolo Crippa – Marvia Edizioni – October 2022

WW2 RSI SPA-Viberti AS43

SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata

Post author By Arturo Giusti
Post date May 10, 2023
1 Comment on SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata

SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Italian Social Republic (1944)
Armored Ambulance – Paper project

The SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata (English: ‘Armored’ [literally ‘Shielded’] Ambulance) was a post-Armistice paper project of the Officine Viberti (English: Viberti Workshops) company of Turin. It was meant to equip the Italian units with an armored emergency vehicle that could evacuate wounded soldiers.

At that time, only parts of the Italian peninsula were under the rule of the fascist Repubblica Sociale Italiana or RSI (English: Italian Social Republic). In order to speed up production and save raw materials, Officine Viberti developed a new vehicle instead of reusing old hulls. It was developed on the Camionetta (English: Reconnaissance Car) SPA-Viberti AS43 reconnaissance vehicle chassis and FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto (English: Armored [wheeled vehicle]) armored personnel carrier superstructure, with which it shared some parts. Unfortunately, this interesting design would never materialize and remained only a paper project.

The SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata. Source: Officine Viberti Archives via Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano

Regio Esercito Projects Prior of the Armistice

After the first engagements between Italian and Commonwealth troops in North Africa in 1941, the Italian Regio Esercito’s (English: Royal Army) High Command immediately understood three important things:

It was necessary to field a light armored car for fast reconnaissance as soon as possible.
It was urgent to field an armored personnel carrier (APC) to quickly and safely transport soldiers across the desert battlefields.
An armored ambulance to rescue and evacuate wounded soldiers safely was necessary.

A FIAT-SPA Trattore Leggero Modello 1937 ‘Libia’ captured by Indian Troops in North Africa. From this angle, the large Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ desert tires and the externally mounted 150 liters auxiliary tank (mounted only on the ‘Libia’ version) are noticeable. Source: italie1935-45.com

The FIAT-SPA Trattore Leggero Modello 1937 ‘Libia’ (English: Light Tractor [Produced by] FIAT-SPA Model 1937), abbreviated FIAT-SPA TL37 ‘Libia’, was a light prime mover that had good mobility thanks to its powerful gasoline engine and large tires. The ‘Libia’ (English: Libya) was a version of that prime mover specifically developed to operate in North Africa. Using it as the basis, a new armored car was designed.

The new Autoblinda TL37 or Autoblinda AS37 (AS for Africa Settentrionale – North Africa) armored car had an open-topped turret armed with a powerful Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 (English: 20 mm L/65 Automatic Cannon Breda Model 1935) autocannon and a coaxial machine gun. Only one was built by the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente, near Genoa.

Rear view of the Autoblinda TL37 with an open-topped turret at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente. Source: Nicola Pignato

The Autoblinda AS37 prototype was shipped to North Africa, where it formed part of an experimental armored car platoon of the Regio Esercito, the Raggruppamento Esplorante del Corpo d’Armata di Manovra or RECAM (English: Reconnaissance Grouping of the Mobile Army Corp). RECAM was also equipped with 3 AB41s of the Army, and 9 AB41s and an AB40 from the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana or PAI (English: Police of the Italian Africa), which had arrived at a similar time. Unfortunately, not much is known about its service. It was abandoned at Sidi Rezegh, south of the main road between Tobruk and Bardia, east of El Adem, probably due to a mechanical failure. The AS37 project was abandoned in favor of the ‘AB’ series of armored cars, the most produced during the war. The AB armored cars, even if not as light as the Autoblinda TL37, were effective in the same role.

The Autoblindo TL37 assigned at the Raggruppamento Esplorante del Corpo d’Armata di Manovra in Sidi Rezegh in November 1941. Source: Archivio Centrale dello Stato

At the same time, in January 1941, the Regio Esercito started the development of a light armored personnel carrier based on the same FIAT-SPA TL37 ‘Libia’. About 4 months later, the project was completed, and in May 1941, it was tested at the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione (English: Center for Motorisation Studies) in Rome. On 24th May 1941, a total of 200 S37 Autoprotetti were ordered, of which only 150 were produced. Ironically enough, not a single FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto, also known as Autoprotetto FIAT-SPA AS37 Coloniale (English: Colonial Armored [Wheeled Vehicle] FIAT-SPA AS37), was sent to North Africa. Instead, they were all deployed to the Balkans against the Yugoslavian Partisans.

With the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto, the Regio Esercito stopped further developments, completely ignoring their previous requirement for an armored ambulance. The need for an armored ambulance was probably considered no longer a priority, as the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetti, like many other types of armored personnel carriers, could also be used to rescue wounded soldiers.

The Autoprotetto FIAT-SPA AS37 Coloniale with 3 anti-aircraft support mounts and a fourth support on the front and Pirelli Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’ tires. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano

At the same time, probably in order to stem the problem of the absence of armored ambulances, the organization of the Regio Esercito’s divisions was revised. AfterMarch 1941, each motorized division in North Africa had a theoretical force of 360 motorized vehicles, including 20 ambulances. The armored divisions were also subject to similar changes. Starting from August 1941, each Italian armored division had a theoretical force of 1,198 motorized vehicles (tanks excluded), of which 26 were ambulances.

In North Africa, there was a development of ‘special’ vehicles by Italian frontline troops, which desperately needed vehicles to support their offensives. This is how some camionette were born, based on the chassis of the FIAT-SPA AS37 (AS in this case means Autocarro Sahariano – Saharan Truck), a light desert lorry developed on the chassis of the FIAT-SPA TL37 ‘Libia’ especially for desert environments.

In Italian, the term ‘camionetta’ (plural camionette) designates unarmored cars, jeeps, or light trucks used in reconnaissance and infantry support roles.

A FIAT-SPA AS37 light desert lorry in the Libyan desert in 1942. It is armed with a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda 20/65 Modello 1935 and manned by Italian colonial troops. Source: zen.yandex.ru

These easy-to-modify vehicles were appreciated due to their off-road characteristics and sturdiness. In late 1942, the Regio Esercito started to mass-produce vehicles with similar characteristics and for the same purposes. The first one was the Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943, of which 11 were produced and which was used mainly in the defense of Rome between 8th and 10th September 1943.

The Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943. The chassis derived from the FIAT-SPA AS37 is clearly visible in this image taken shortly before the Armistice. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito

The production of the Camionette Desertiche Modello 1943 started in mid-to-late January 1943, when the Axis forces in North Africa were outnumbered by the Allied forces.

The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 began development in late 1942. It was initially designed to equip the compagnie sahariane (English: saharan companies). These were fast and mobile units meant to counter the British Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) and Special Air Force (SAS) patrol cars that attacked isolated air bases or supply and fuel depots.

Although the vehicle was intended for desert environments, when production started, it was clear to the Italian High Command that the vehicles would not reach North Africa in time to participate in the last stages of the North African campaign. The project was modified with the new goal of deploying reconnaissance cars in Europe.

The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 entered service in July 1943 and saw use in Italy with the troops of the Regio Esercito to prevent attacks by paratroopers and Allied landings on the Italian coast.

The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 in three-tone continental camouflage and tarpaulin partially covered. Source: facebook.com @amici del museo della motorizzazione

Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana Projects after the Armistice

After the Armistice of 8th September 1943, which led to the occupation of central and northern Italy by the Germans, the few vehicles captured and those produced between 1944 and 1945 were used almost exclusively by the Wehrmacht.

A Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 with a three-tone camouflage scheme and Pirelli Tipo ‘Artiglio’ tires. The vehicle was unarmed because the photo was taken at the Officine Viberti plant after assembly. Source: Officine Viberti Archives

Of the dozens of Italian units loyal to Mussolini after the Armistice, only a couple used the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43:

The 2ª Compagnia (English: 2nd Company) of the Battaglione ‘Fulmine’ of the 2° Reggimento (English: 2nd Regiment) of the Xª Divisione MAS (English: 10th MAS Division) used a single modified vehicle, known as the SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata.
The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ (English: Armored Group) modified a certain number of vehicles at the Officine Viberti of Turin.

Between 2 and 6 Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 were converted into Carrozzerie Speciali su Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43, small armored cars, similar to the Autoblinda TL37 produced 3 years before. In fact, the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 was derived from the Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943, itself derived from the FIAT-SPA AS37 light desert lorry, in turn derived from the FIAT-SPA TL37, on which the Autoblinda TL37 superstructure was built. A full circle of sorts.

The Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 was equipped with an Autoblindo AB41 medium reconnaissance armored car turret armed with a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 and a coaxial 8 mm Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 (English: Breda Model 1938 Medium Machine Gun).

Another curious vehicle was the SPA-Viberti AS43 Autoprotetta, of which between 2 and 4 vehicles were produced for the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’. These were standard Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 with armored plates added to create an open-topped crew compartment to protect from enemy light arms fire on the front, sides, and rear. The 2 crewmembers and the 6 soldiers transported on board were armed with a total of 2 machine guns mounted on spherical supports on the front and rear armored plates.

A SPA-Viberti AS43 Autoprotetta on a street in Turin on 20th May 1944. Source: wikipedia.com

Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43

The Camionetta FIAT-SPA AS43 or SPA-Viberti AS43 was an Italian light reconnaissance unarmored vehicle. It was the first Italian vehicle of this category especially developed for continental battlefields, together with the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Metropolitana’ (or ‘Sahariana II’), a continental version of the Camionetta Desertica SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’, the first camionetta developed and produced.

The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 prototype in its original desert camouflage and with supports for a total of 16 20 liter cans. Source: Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II

The SPA-Viberti AS43 was developed by Società Piemontese Automobili or SPA (English: Piedimontese Automobiles Company), a Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino or FIAT (English: Italian Automobiles Company of Turin) subsidiary, and by Officine Viberti, a coachwork company, both based in Turin. The project was started using the chassis of the FIAT-SPA AS37 light desert lorry.

The SPA-Viberti AS43 was produced from early 1943 until the 8th September 1943 Armistice. After the German occupation of northern Italy, production was restarted for the German Army, which used the vehicles, with some modifications, until the end of the war.

Drawing of the FIAT-SPA TL37’s original chassis. Source: FIAT Archives

To produce the camionetta, the FIAT-SPA AS37 chassis was lowered from a ground clearance of 390 mm to 345 mm. The cab was completely modified, apart from the hood and the radiator grille. The side doors, the windshield, the roof, and the third seat were removed. The cargo bay was completely modified. The spare wheel was moved from behind the cab to the cargo bay’s rear, on tiltable support that the crew could lower to allow the main gun to fire at 0° elevation, even to the rear. The loading bay’s sides were fixed and could not be lowered.

The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 prototype’s rear. It was identical to the SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata’s one. The tire was a Pirelli Tipo ‘Raiflex’. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano

The main gun of the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 could be a Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935 (English: 47 mm L/32 Cannon Model 1935) support gun or a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 anti-aircraft gun. The vehicle’s commander also fired a Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937 or Modello 1938 (English: Breda Model 1937 or 1938 Medium Machine Gun) on a support mounted on the left side of the cab. The ammunition was placed in a small rack between the driver’s and commander’s seats and on the sides.

The Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43’s Predecessors

In January 1944, Turin’s Officine Viberti resumed the project of the Autoblindo TL37, this time based on the chassis of the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43, in order to obtain a vehicle that was cheaper and easier to produce than the armored cars of the ‘AB’ series.

In April 1944, the vehicles were ready, and in May 1944, they were seen for the first time outside their production plant.

A total of 2 Carrozzerie Speciali su SPA-Viberti AS43 and an Autoblinda AB41 medium reconnaissance armored car on parade in Turin. Source: Istituto Luce

It is likely that the SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata’s development started after the development of the Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43. In fact, from the original drawings, many common details can be observed. This was probably done by Officine Viberti to speed up development, production, and total costs.

The project of the Autoblindo AS37 with an early type turret armed with a couple of machine guns. It was really similar to the Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 armored car. Source: La Meccanizzazione dell’Esercito fino al 1943

Design

The armored ambulance vehicle was developed by Officine Viberti. This was a company specialized in doing bodyworks for Lancia Veicoli Industriali (English: Lancia Industrial Vehicles) and FIAT Veicoli Commerciali (English: FIAT Commercial Vehicles) trucks during the pre-war period. When the Second World War began, the majority of the Officine Viberti work was converted to the bodywork of military vehicles, such as fuel carriers, ammunition carriers and the production of fuel trailers, tank trailers, and other specialized vehicles, including, jointly with SPA, of armored cars and camionette during the war.

The SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata was developed after the Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43. For this reason, it shared the same chassis, engine, and mudguards as the armored car.

Engine and Suspension

The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 had all-wheel drive, as did the FIAT-SPA AS37. On this new vehicle, only the front wheels steered, reducing the mechanical complexity and the need for maintenance of the steering system.

The front wheels had independent coil spring suspension coupled with hydraulic shock absorbers, which guaranteed great comfort on rough terrain. The rear wheels had inverse leaf springs, but these were reinforced compared to those of the FIAT-SPA TL37 light prime mover. The Camionetta AS43 had hydraulic brakes.

The engine was a more powerful version of the one used on the FIAT-SPA AS37, the SPA 18VT 4a Variante, 4-stroke, 4-cylinder, petrol engine delivering 73 hp (or 75 hp, depending on the sources) at 2,000 rpm. The maximum speed of the 5 tonne battle loaded Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 was 68.5 km/h. Due to the size and total weight, the SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata would probably have had a maximum speed that did not exceed 50 to 55 km/h.

The SPA 18VT 4a Variante petrol engine. Source: topwar.ru

The gearbox was probably the same as on the FIAT-SPA AS37, with 5 forward gears and reverse. Nothing is known about speeds and ranges. The rear-mounted 120 liter fuel tank used on the Carrozzeria Speciale could not be used on this vehicle due to the presence of a rear door. The tank could have been placed under the patient’s compartment or on the right side of the same compartment.

The frame had a wheelbase of 2,500 mm, the same of the FIAT-SPA TL37 ‘Libia’ and all the vehicles developed on its chassis. In order to increase the internal space, inside the armored ambulance version, the rear overhang was increased to 1,400 mm for a total length of 4,945 mm, as for the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto. This was a few centimeters more than the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 and the Carrozzeria Speciale.

From top to bottom: the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto, the SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata, and the Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43. The Ambulanza Corazzata was visually similar to the other vehicles. Sources: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano

Superstructure

The engine compartment was at the front and it had a single armored radiator grille. In contrast, the Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 had the radiator grille divided into 4 pieces due to a redesigned and well-angled front. This change for the ambulance was presumably done to save money and speed up production. The Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 had a better sloped frontal arc armored plates to increase protection, while the armored ambulance, although armored, did not have the same protection level.

Contrary to what one might imagine, the engine compartment was not the same as that of the Carrozzeria Speciale, but was instead inherited from the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto. Why the Officine Viberti design team made this decision is unclear, not least because the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto was produced at the Ansaldo-Fossati production plant in Sestri Ponente near Genoa, while the Carrozzeria Speciale was assembled in Turin, at the Officine Viberti plant in Corso Peschiera 249. Maybe there were some spare Autoprotetti armored superstructures in some depots and an eventual prototype could be assembled starting from these spare parts. It is plausible that, if the vehicle had been produced, in order to speed up assembly, the engine compartment would have been the same as the Carrozzeria Speciale.

The original Officine Viberti design office technical drawings of the SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata. The interior is partially visible. Some dimensions and the tire sizes are on the lower side.The mudguards were inherited from the camionetta, while most parts of the armored superstructure had a shape similar to the one of the Autoprotetto. Source: Officine Viberti Archives via Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano

On the engine deck, there were two inspection hatches, which were the same size as the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto’s hatches, but shorter than the ones used on the Carrozzeria Speciale. In order to remove the engine, the bolts of the engine deck had to be unscrewed and the plate lifted with a winch.

The driver was on the right and the commander on the left. The 2 crewmembers had hatches closable by a lever to view the battlefield. When the ports were closed, they could use 2 rectangular vision slits.

The main difference between the Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 and the SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata was the rest of the superstructure. The most noticeable difference was the absence of the left door, substituted on the Ambulanza Scudata by a spare tire support. On the right, a door was divided into two parts due to the angled armored plates. The door opened backwards, and would not provide adequate frontal protection to the crewmembers if they exited the vehicle in an emergency situation.

Rear and front of the SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata from the original Officine Viberti design office drawings. Source: Officine Viberti Archives via Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano

From the original (and only) drawings of the vehicle, it seems that the door was identical to those of the Carrozzeria Speciale, but placed a few dozen centimeters ahead. Another interesting thing that can be noticed is that, in order to speed up the design process and future production, the designers took the left side door from the Carrozzeria Speciale and placed it on an inverted frame on the Ambulanza Scudata. For this reason, inconveniently, it would have only been able to open backwards.

The patient’s compartment was more rectangular-shaped and higher than the Carrozzeria Speciale‘s fighting compartment. On the rear, there was a central door divided into two parts, two stoplights on the lower side, and the license plate. To speed up production, both the side and rear doors were not equipped with slits. This could be a serious drawback, as the slits could have been useful for the crewmembers to check the surrounding area before opening the door in order to prevent enemy ambushes.

Interior

Internally, the vehicle had the driving compartment connected to the patient’s compartment, decreasing the comfort for the wounded soldiers during transport, but offering more space and allowing, in case of emergency, for the commander to help the medic, even when the vehicle was being driven.

The interior of the Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43. The Ambulanza Scudata would most likely have had a similar driving compartment. Source: Officine Viberti Archives

The interior of the vehicle was arranged in the standard way of other armored ambulances of the era, such as the German Sd.Kfz.251/8 Mittlere KrankenPanzerwagen (English: Medium Armored Ambulance).

On the left side, there were two stretchers, probably foldable in order to offer more space while not transporting severely wounded personnel. On the right side, there was a seat for the medic and most likely another seat for a lightly wounded soldier or a nurse. Medicines and medical equipment were doubtless stored behind the commander and driver’s seats and on the right armored wall.

Interior of the German Sd.Kfz.251/8 Mittlere KrankenPanzerwagen. The layout of the Ambulanza Scudata would have probably been similar, even if its interior space was smaller. Source: armedconflicts.com

From the vehicle’s original drawings, it seems that the roof of the patient’s compartment could be opened to some degree to presumably offer light and fresh air to the wounded personnel on board.

The water tank cap was placed on the engine compartment, on the front, while the unprotected headlights were mounted in front of the mudguards. The vehicle had four armored mudguards to prevent small arms rounds from piercing the tires. On the front fenders sat the width-limit indicators, used by the driver to help drive on narrow mountain roads or to park.

The tires had the usual dimensions for Italian armored cars, with 60 cm rims, giving this armored ambulance great off-road capabilities. These armored cars had the tires developed by the Pirelli Company of Milan specifically for continental terrain: the Pirelli Tipo ‘Artiglio’ 9 x 24″ (22.8 x 60 cm), the Pirelli Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’ 11.25 x 24″ (28.5 x 60 cm), and the Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ 9.75 x 24″ (24.76 x 60 cm) desert tires. The ‘Libia’ tire’s dimensions are specified in the original drawing. Given the chaotic state of the RSI and its armed forces, these tires were common even after the loss of the North African campaign.

The SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata (top) and the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto (bottom). The similarities between the two vehicles are clearly visible. Sources: Officine Viberti Archives via Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano and italie1935-45.com

The rims were not modified and the vehicle could have mounted all the tires produced by Pirelli for the 24″ rims, also mounted on the Autoblindo AB series armored cars, the Camionette SPA-Viberti AS42, and the FIAT-SPA TM40 prime mover.

The total weight of this paper project is not known, but it is probable that it ranged between 4 tonnes to 4.5 tonnes. This is because the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 chassis weighed 2.62 tonnes (without fuel, cooling water, oil etc) and the armored superstructure probably weighed about a tonne. The equipment, fuel, cooling water, lubricant oil and passengers would have increased the total weight.

Armor and Protection

The armored ambulance was probably equipped with the same Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 armor plate type, which was 8 mm thick on all the sides of the superstructure.

The shapes of the engine compartment and various sections of the patient’s compartment are similar to those of the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto, which could suggest that part of the armor plates for the ambulance were the same as the pre-Armistice designed armored personnel carrier. This means that the armor plates could also have ranged between 8.5 mm thick armored plates on the front and 6 mm thick armored plates on the sides and rear, as on the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto. This is not a far-fetched theory, as the role of the vehicle was to rescue wounded soldiers from the battlefield and it did not need heavy armor to perform this task. As per the Geneva Convention, in theory, ambulances should not be fired upon and the armor was more to protect the crew from shrapnel and stray hits. The vehicles would have lacked floor protection, which means that, in case of a mine detonation, the soldiers on board would be extremely vulnerable.

As on most Italian armored vehicles of the war, the armor was made of steel plates riveted to an internal structure. On the Carrozzeria Speciale su AS43, the armored superstructure had a mass of 911.23 kg, excluding connecting elements such as bolts and rivets. It is probable that in the Ambulanza Scudata, the armored superstructure exceeded a tonne of weight due to its dimensions, even if assembled with thinner armor plates. On the other hand, the absence of any armament or a rotating turret lightened the total weight of the Ambulanza Scudata.

There is no information about possible defensive armament or other protective features, such as smoke launchers. It is probable that the crew had to defend themselves with their personal weapons, such as pistols or rifles.

Crew

The crew most likely consisted of three personnel: driver; a medic or commander, who was probably licensed to treat the wounded; and a medic or a nurse, seated in the patient’s compartment.

The vehicle was equipped with 2 stretchers for seriously injured soldiers, but presumably had enough space for a third wounded soldier seated on the right side. As in the Sd.Kfz.251/8, it is imaginable that the number of wounded soldiers seated could be increased by removing or folding the stretchers.

Conclusion

The SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata could have been an effective vehicle on the Second World War’s battlefields. The speed would not have been very high, but it would have had great mobility, even off-road.

Unfortunately for the Italians, Officine Viberti developed it too late in the war, when the German and Italian forces were without raw materials and out of time. Such a vehicle would have cost significant time that could be spent producing an armored fighting vehicle. For these reasons, and the chaotic state Italy was in on either side of the Armistice, this vehicle was never actually produced, not even as a prototype.

SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Section view of a SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Specification of the SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata
Size (L-W-H)	4.945 x ~1.900 x ~2.200 m
Weight, battle ready	4 to 4.5 tonnes
Crew	3 (driver, commander, medic/nurse) + 2 wounded soldiers on stretchers
Engine	SPA 18VT 4a Variante, 4-cylinder, petrol engine, 73 hp at 2,000 rpm
Speed	~ 50 km/h
Range	//
Armor	6 mm to 8.5 mm
Production	Paper project

Sources

Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, Volume Secondo, Tomo II – Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano – Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito – 2002
Semicingolati, Motoveicoli e Veicoli Speciali del Regio Esercito Italiano 1919-1943 – Giulio Benussi – Intergest Publishing – 1976
Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II – Ralph A. Riccio – Mattioli 1885 – 2010
Le Camionette del Regio Esercito. FIAT-SPA AS/37, SPA-Viberti AS/42, FIAT-SPA AS/43, Desertica 43, i Reparti che le Impiegarono – Enrico Finazzer and Luigi Carpetta – Gruppo Modellistico Trentino – 2014

WW2 German Tank Destroyers WW2 RSI Armor

Semovente M43 da 75/46 / Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i)

Post author By Arturo Giusti
Post date March 25, 2023
2 Comments on Semovente M43 da 75/46 / Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i)

Semovente M43 da 75/46. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Italian Social Republic/German Reich (1943-1945)
Tank Destroyer – 11 to 18 Built

The Semovente M43 da 75/46 (English: 75 mm L/46 M43 Self-Propelled Gun) was the last self-propelled gun (SPG) produced by Italy during the Second World War. It was based on the previous Semovente M43 (plural semoventi) chassis, but featured new spaced armor that offered better protection to the crew. It was developed by Italian companies after a German request of late 1943.

A total of 11 to 18 vehicles were produced, but most of the vehicles were delivered to the Germans, who deployed them on the Italian peninsula against the Allied forces in the last stages of the Second World War.

Semovente M43 da 75/46 of the production series without the anti-aircraft support and the 20 liter can supports. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano

Previous Models

The effective Semovente M40 da 75/18 self-propelled howitzer based on the chassis of the Carro Armato M13/40 IIIa Serie immediately proved to be more potent than Italian-produced medium tanks in terms of firepower. When deployed in North Africa by the Italians, it demonstrated to be an effective support vehicle, and could deal with almost all the Allied tanks in that theater of operations. It was deployed mainly as an assault tank or to support infantry attacks, but it was also deployed to attack Commonwealth armored formations with success.

It was armed with a Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934 (English: 75 mm L/18 Howitzer Model 1934) with 44 rounds and a Fucile Mitragliatore Breda Modello 1930 (English: Breda Light Machine Gun Model 1930) with 600 rounds. Its engine was the FIAT-SPA 8T Modello 1940 diesel giving out 125 hp at 1,800 rpm.

Side view of the Semovente M40 da 75/18 at Ansaldo-Fossati plant. Source: Semovente da 75/18

After the production of a small series of 60 vehicles, the Semovente da 75/18 was changed to the chassis of the more advanced and modern Carro Armato M14/41, becoming the Semovente M41 da 75/18. This vehicle was powered by the new FIAT-SPA 15T Modello 1941 diesel engine with a maximum power of 145 hp at 1,800 rpm. This semovente was also captured by the Germans and renamed as the Beute Sturmgeschütz M41 mit 7,5 cm KwK L/18 850 (Italienisch) (English: Captured Assault Gun M41 with 75 mm L/18 Cannon [Coded] 850 [italian])

Semovente M41 da 75/18 outside the Ansaldo-Fossati plant of Sestri Ponente. Source: fondazioneansaldo.com

In 1942, the chassis was again changed to the Carro Armato M15/42’s, becoming the Semovente M42 da 75/18. It was longer than its predecessors by 14 cm due to the new engine compartment mounting a powerful 190 hp petrol engine, the FIAT-SPA 15TB Modello 1942. The M42 da 75/18 was known in German service as the Beute Sturmgeschütz M42 mit 7,5 cm KwK L/18 850 (Italienisch).

The Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934 had a great High-Explosive Anti-Tank round, but had a short firing range and was imprecise at long ranges. A new armored vehicle with a different gun had to be produced, and, in October 1942, Ansaldo-Fossati started the new development. In February 1943, the prototype of the new semovente was ready.

The new tank destroyer had a casemate that was made 11 cm longer in order to host the Cannone da 75/34 Modello SF [Sfera] (English: 75 mm L/34 Cannon Model [on Spherical Support]), which had more recoil than the previous howitzer.
In German service, the vehicle was known as Beute Sturmgeschütz M42 mit 7,5 cm KwK L/34 851(Italienisch).

A Semovente M42 da 75/18 (top) and a Semovente M42M da 75/34 (bottom) outside the Ansaldo-Fossati plant of Sestri Ponente. These are early vehicles from the 1943 production run (the M42M was produced from 26th March 1943). In these 2 images, the different casemate fronts are clearly visible. Sources: La Meccanizzazione dell’Esercito fino al 1943

Other developments were the Semoventi M41M da 90/53 tank destroyer, based on a heavily modified Carro Armato M14/41 chassis with the engine compartment in the center and the main gun on the rear. It was accompanied by the more conventional-shaped Semovente M43 da 105/25, a new self-propelled gun on a completely modified M42 chassis.

The Semovente M43 da 105/25 at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant of Sestri Ponente. Source: pinterest.com

The M43 Chassis

The Semovente M43 chassis, also called in Ansaldo documents Semovente M42L (L for ‘Lungo’ – English: ‘Long’), was 4 cm longer than the M42, reaching a length of 5.10 m. It was also 17 cm wider (2.40 m compared to 2.23 m of the M42) and 10 cm lower (1.75 m compared to 1.85 m of the M42).

A Semovente M42 da 75/18 (left) and the Semovente M43 da 105/25 prototype (right). Note the differences in the chassis’ dimensions. Source: associazioneansaldo.com

Finally, the flameproof bulkhead separating the engine compartment from the fighting compartment was moved back 20 cm, increasing the fighting compartment’s space. All these modifications brought the total weight of the vehicle to 15.7 tonnes battle-ready, compared to the 15 tonnes of the M42.

The Semovente M43 da 105/25 prototype (left) and a Semovente M42 da 75/18 (right). Source: associazioneansaldo.com

The Semovente M43 chassis was first adopted for the Semovente M43 da 105/25 equipped with the Obice da 105/25 Modello SF [Sfera] (English: 105 mm L/25 Cannon Model [on Spherical Support]), which needed more space for the cumbersome gun breech and longer ammunition.

A Semovente M42 da 75/18 (left) and the Semovente M43 da 105/25 prototype (right). Note the differences in the chassis’ dimensions. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano

It was also adopted by the Germans as the base for their new chassis, to which some original Italian production documents referred to as Semovente M42T (T for ‘Tedesco’ – English: German), meaning that it was derived from the previous Semovente M42L chassis.

The German ordered the installation of the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 (English: 75 mm L/46 Anti-Aircraft Cannon Model 1934) and Cannone da 75/34 Modello SF on this chassis to the Italian Ansaldo factory, which remained in the German controlled zone after the Armistice.

History of the Project

After the Armistice of 8th September 1943 and Operation Achse (English: Axis), the German forces captured thousands of Italian vehicles. Many of these were obsolete or needed to be repaired, but some were immediately redistributed to frontline German units in Italy and Balkans to replace some losses.

The Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen (English: Inspector General of the Armed Forces) of the Wehrmacht inspected the various Italian factories and their armored vehicle projects in order to reorganize the production of Italian vehicles. He canceled the production of non-suitable vehicles by German Army standards and ordered modification to some vehicles to meet some German tank requirements.

On 18th December 1943, the Abteilung Waffen und Gerät beim Wehrkreiskommando 6 (Italienisch) (English: Weapons and Equipment Department of the Military District Headquarters No. 6 [Italian]) reported the proposal of the modification of the Semovente M43 da 105/25, called by the Germans Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 10,5 cm KwK L/25 853 (italienisch) (English: Captured Assault Gun M43 with 105 mm L/25 Cannon [Coded] 853 [italian]).

After authorization from the LXXXVIII Armee Korps (English: 88th Armored Corps), German Hauptmann Dobiey, commander of the Panzerjäger-Abteilung 356 (English: 356th Anti-Tank Battalion) assigned to the 356. Infanterie-Division, proposed a series of modifications for the Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 10,5 cm KwK L/25 853(i) that his unit had received after the Armistice. The 356. Infanterie-Division was formed in Toulon, France in May 1943, and was moved to northern Italy, between Genoa and Ventimiglia, in November 1943, where it received the Italian Semoventi M43 da 105/25.

Hauptmann Dobiey proposed the addition of 25 mm Schotten-Panzerung (English: Shadow Armor) and Seitenschürzen (English: Side Aprons) to increase the protection on the casemate to 60 mm on the superstructure sides and 34 mm on the chassis.
The German Hauptmann assumed an increase in weight of 600 kg, bringing the vehicle weight to about 16 tonnes, a weight that the original suspensions could withstand.

The Semovente M43 da 75/46 or Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) prototype at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente. The gun barrel had a counterweight on the muzzle and was not painted as the chassis. Apart from the counterweight and the absence of the gun shield and the radio antenna, the prototype is identical to the production vehicles. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano Fino al 1943

It is not clear who proposed to mount the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 on this upgraded chassis. It is improbable that Hauptmann Dobiey, a German officer, had such extensive knowledge of the Italian cannon that he knew it was also an adequate anti-tank weapon and could be installed inside an armored vehicle.

Another note on the armament is that it was planned to modify the Cannone da 75/46 Antiaereo Modello 1934 to fire German PaK 40 ammunition. This would have increased the anti-tank performances of the Italian cannon and standardized ammunition production.

The Semovente M43 da 75/46 prototype from another angle. The absence of the gun shield here is more visible. Source: svppbellum.blogspot.com

Major General Ernst von Horstig, head of Dienststelle Italien des Heereswaffenamt (English: Italian Branch of the [German] Army Weapons Office), took the initiative and ordered the development of the vehicle. Ansaldo had to produce the prototype by 15th January 1944, less than a month later. The German general wanted the prototype tested before deciding its fate.

The Semovente M43 da 75/46 was rarely mentioned in Second World War Italian documents. It was barely mentioned by German sources either, but when it was mentioned, it was named with its German designation: Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) (English: Captured Assault Gun M43 with 75 mm L/46 Cannon [Coded] 852 [italian]).

In this article, the vehicle was referred to with both designations. The factory designation Semovente M42T will be used while referring to an up-armored version of the Semovente M42L chassis.

Production and Delivery

It is not known when the Semovente M43 da 75/46 prototype was ready and tested, but the German response was positive. Its production was organized at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant.

Ansaldo archive sources claim a total production of 11 Semoventi M43 da 75/46, 8 (including the prototype) in 1944 and 3 in 1945. The same document reports that only 7 spherical supports for the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 were produced, all in 1944. Photographic evidence confirms the existence of 6 production vehicles and a prototype.

A total of 6 Semoventi M43 da 75/46 equipped with guns ready to be delivered at Ansaldo-Fossati plant. This image confirms a production of 6 vehicles and a prototype, as declared by Ansaldo in 1944. Source: wardrawings.be

In the late war, the German Army wanted to save on raw materials, producing only the most powerful and reliable vehicles. This was done in Germany and also in Italy. It was planned to cancel the production of all Italian armored fighting vehicles apart for the Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i), the Beute Panzerspähwagen AB43 203(i) (aka the Autoblinda AB43 medium reconnaissance armored car), and the Beute Panzerkampfwagen P40 737(i) (aka the Carro Armato P26/40 heavy tank).

On 20th February 1945, the Wehrmacht planned to equip 4 infantry divisions with Italian armored fighting vehicles. The Aufstellungsstab Sued was in favor of a production contract extension with the Italian factories. They essentially wanted to let all the Italian armored vehicle factories still capable of producing vehicles convert their production lines to Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) and Beute Panzerspähwagen AB43 203(i) (no mention was made of of the Beute Panzerkampfwagen P40 737(i) in this document), with a production estimated at 50 StuG and 50 Pz.Sp.Wg. per month.

The new production schedule for Ansaldo-Fossati plant of Sestri Ponente, where all the semoventi were produced, was of 116 Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 (not specifying the armament) in total until August 1945.

Ansaldo-Fossati production planned by the Germans in early 1945
Vehicle’s Name	March	April	May	June	July	August	Total number
Panzerkampfwagen P40 737(i)	2	4	12	12	15	6	51
Beute Sturmgeschütz M43	14	22	25	25	25	5	116
Panzerbefehlswagen M42 772(i)	3	3	8	8	0	0	22

The document did not specify which of the 3 semoventi on the M43 chassis it refers to, but, the Germans wanted to standardize the production of the Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i). It could be assumed that, in German plans, all or the majority of Sturmgeschütz M43 mentioned in the document would have been armed with the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934.

The German document also mentioned that the Ansaldo-Fossati plant produced 7 Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) in 1944. Another 12 vehicles with and without main guns were produced in 1945.

Some of these were produced at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant but then sent to Milan, at the Fonderia Milanese di Acciaio Vanzetti Società Anonima (English: Milanese Steel Foundry Vanzetti Limited Company), which was reconverted into an assembly plant.

In fact, the German report specifically mentions the presence of 12 completed (but without guns) Sturmgeschütz M43 at the Fonderia Milanese di Acciaio Vanzetti S.A. assembly plant. At that plant, the vehicles were equipped with cannons and delivered to their German units, so it is probable that some of the 12 unarmed chassis at Fonderia Milanese di Acciaio Vanzetti S.A. plant of Milan were later equipped with Cannoni da 75/34 in order to send them to the frontline as soon as possible.

At the end of the war, Aufstellungsstab Sued (English: Positioning Staff South) reported the production of a prototype and 7 Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) in 1944 plus 2 Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) between 5th December 1944 and 5th January 1945.

Another 2 were produced between 5th January to 15th February 1945 and another 6 Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) chassis were produced between 16th February and 20th March 1945, of which only 2 equipped with main guns.

Beute Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) Production as Reported in German Documents
Data	StuG M43 mit 75/46 852(i) Chassis Produced	StuG M43 mit 75/46 852(i) with Main Guns Installed	Status
1944	8¹	8	All delivered
5th January 1945	2	2	All delivered
15th February 1945	2	2	All delivered
20th March 1945	6	2	2 on the way to their unit²
Total	18	14
Note	¹Including the prototype ²Nothing is known about the other 4 chassis

The total German number of 18 Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) differs from the Ansaldo-Fossati one, of just 11. This difference in sources can be easily explained as, from early 1945 on, assembly (and probably production) of Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) was moved from the Ansaldo-Fossati plant of Sestri Ponente to Fonderia Milanese di Acciaio Vanzetti S.A. of Milan. When assembly was moved, Ansaldo simply stopped counting the Semoventi M43 da 75/46. Another explanation could be that some chassis meant for other types were armed with the Cannone da 75/34 in order to put them in service as soon as possible.

The same report from 20th February 1945 claimed that Beauftragte für Waffen (English: Weapons Commissioner) Goering had reported that 25 StuG M43 mit 75/46 852(i) should be delivered in March 1945.

A last note about Italian armored vehicle production was sent on 9th April 1945 to the Reichsministerium fuer Rüstung und Kriegsproduktion (English: Reich Ministry for Armaments and War Production), directed to Reichsminister Albert Speer. The note was sent by the Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen and reported that the Beauftragter fuer Panzerkampfwagen bei Rüstung und Kriegsproduktion (English: Representative for Armored Fighting Vehicles at Armament and War Production) in Milan wanted to order more Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) and Beute Panzerspähwagen AB43 203(i), reaching a full rate production of 50 StuG and 50 Pz.Sp.Wg. per month.

The Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen wrote to Reichsminister Speer that he was in favor of continuing the Italian armored vehicle production if it did not interfere with German vehicle production because of the very few raw materials available.

The Generalinspekteur’s note reported that, if the Reichsministerium fuer Rüstung und Kriegsproduktion would approve, the Italian factories would increase, by every means, the production rate of armored vehicle currently on the lines, especially the Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i).

This unrealistic production plan was never realized. On 25th April 1945, 2 weeks later, the Italian Partisans started a great insurrection, attacking the last Axis forces in the main cities of northern Italy. Turin, Milan, Novara and Genoa, where the Italian armored fighting vehicles were produced, were freed between 25th to 28th April 1945, capturing the production plants with the help of the workers.

German Modifications

Apart from the new armored plates, mounted only on some Semoventi M43 chassis, other upgrades were done on the Italian semoventi produced for the Germans. These included 4 bigger teeth bolted on the outside of the sprocket wheel, intended to prevent the track slipping off the wheels while driving in muddy or snowy terrain. Another modification was the addition of 3 helmet supports on the roof, 2 on the left side and one on the right, for the crew members when operating with open hatches. The third modification requested by the Germans was to substitute the right roof hatch with one openable in 2 parts for better ventilation of the fighting compartment.

A British light mortar squad near an abandoned Semovente M42M da 75/34 produced for the Germans. Note that the right roof hatch was shorter than the left one. Source: beutepanzer.ru

Other unconfirmed modifications claimed by many sources were:

Substituting the Italian radio apparatus with more reliable German-produced ones
Replacing the gearbox with one of German origin
German-produced Mauser MG34s or MG42s instead of the original Italian anti-aircraft machine guns

The Germans did not usually change the radio apparatus of the Italian tanks and self-propelled guns they used. It is possible the sources refer to occasional changes made by individual crews, such as German intercoms or new batteries and accumulators. The Germans did not modify the powerpacks on the Italian vehicles.

There is no photographic evidence showing the adoption of German machine guns on Italian self-propelled guns. This suggests that these were not widely adopted on Italian vehicles. Most likely, many sources are confusing the machine guns due to the German caliber. In fact, during the German occupation, the factories were ordered to change the caliber of the Italian machine guns and even some rifles to standardize to the German 7.92 x 57 mm Mauser caliber. Many Breda Modello 1938 Italian medium machine guns were modified to fire the Mauser cartridges. This could be considered another German modification of the Semovente M43 da 75/46.

Design

Armor

The armor was both bolted to an internal frame and partially welded (a great innovation for Italian vehicles) and had great thickness compared to Italian standards. The hull armor had 2 angled armored plates with a thickness of 50 mm at 40° on top and 35 mm at 50° on the bottom for the transmission.

The transmission deck plate was 25 mm-thick angled at 78°. It also had 2 brake inspection hatches of the same thickness. The hull side armored plates were 40 mm thick.
The superstructure had a 75 mm thick armor plate angled at 5° frontally, while the gun spherical support was 60 mm thick.

On the casemate’s sides, the 45 mm thick armored plates were angled at 7°, while the rear was protected by a 45 mm thick plate angled at 0°. A plate of 25 mm angled at 15° protected the back of the engine compartment. The roof and floor of the vehicle were 15 mm thick. Unlike its predecessors, the Semovente M43 da 75/46 had three-part side skirts.

The peculiarity of the Semovente M42T was the addition of 25 mm thick spaced armored plates angled at 25° on the front. They had a hatch where the driver port of the M43 was placed. The gun barrel received a 25 mm thick gun shield angled at 25°. This was a great improvement. For all the duration of the war, one of the problems encountered in Italian semoventi was the absence of protection to the spherical support that was sometimes blocked by light arm fire or artillery splinters. On the side, protecting the casemate and the lower part of the fighting compartment, there was a 25 mm spaced armored plate.

A Semovente M43 da 75/34 with its spaced armor plates. In this image, the hatches for the driving port and the gun shield are visible. Source: warthunder.com

Nothing is known about the real efficacy of this spaced armor. At the end of the war, the Italian ballistic armor, like the German one, was produced with poor raw materials and the final result was of bad quality and often broke or split.

Nevertheless, the spaced armor probably guaranteed more chances to survive thanks to the distance between the spaced armor and the casemate’s plate. The total weight of the vehicle was about 15.6 tonnes, 100 kg less than the less-armored Semovente M43 da 105/25.

Hull

On the left front mudguard, there was a support for the jack. On the sides of the superstructure, there were two headlights for night operations. On the rear part, the engine deck had two large-size inspection hatches which could be opened by 45°. Between the two inspection hatches were the sapper tools, including a shovel, a pickaxe, a crowbar, and a track removal system.

Rear of a Carro Armato M15/42. Even if many tools were removed, it was essentially identical to the one of the Semovente M43 da 75/46. Source: masterminiatures.it

The rear of the vehicle had the horizontal radiator cooling grills in the center, the cooling water cap and, on the sides, two fuel caps. The rear had a towing ring in the center and two hooks on the sides, one spare wheel on the left side, and a license plate on the lower left side with a brake light. A smoke grenade box was placed on the rear armored plate, on the right.

On either side of engine deck, on the rear fenders, there were two storage boxes and the mufflers covered by a steel shield to protect them from impacts.

Better view of the Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 75/46 852(i) ready to be delivered at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant. This image allows seeing the turret roof details and bolted armor. Source: forum.warthunder.com

A total of 6 racks for 20-liter cans were placed on the sides of the vehicle, 3 on each spaced armored plate on the sides, just like on other Italian self-propelled guns and tanks. It should be noted, however, that on the Semoventi M43 da 75/46, the cans were not transported because they were never sent to North Africa, and it was not necessary to transport a great amount of fuel during operations in Italy, where it was deployed.

On the inside, starting from the front of the vehicle, was the transmission connected to the braking system, which had two armored inspection hatches. These could be opened from outside by means of two handles, or from the inside by means of a knob located on the right side of the vehicle, which could be used by the gunner. On the left was the driver’s seat, equipped with a fold-down back for easy access. In front, it had two steering tillers, a driving port that could be closed with a lever, and a hyposcope used when the port was closed. The hyposcope had 19 x 36 cm dimensions and a vertical field of view of 30°, from +52° to +82°. On the left was the dashboard and, on the right, the gun breech.

Interior of Semovente M43 da 105/25 prototype. Even if Semovente da 75/46 and Semovente da 105/25 had different main armament and main ammunition racks, they shared the same radio apparatus, dashboard (left) and machine gun maintenance kit and racks (right). Source: fondazioneansaldo.com

Behind the driver was the seat for the loader. The loader had, on the left, the radio apparatus and, above him, one of two armored hatches. In case of an attack from the air, the loader would also have to use the anti-aircraft machine gun. On the right side of the fighting compartment was the gunner’s seat without a backrest. In front of his seat, the gunner had the elevation and traverse handwheels.

On the gunner’s right was the support for the anti-aircraft machine gun when not in use, a maintenance kit, and a fire extinguisher. Behind the support was a wooden rack for ammunition for the secondary armament. In order to prevent the magazines from falling on rough terrain, the rack had a closable curtain. Behind the gunner/commander were the ammunition racks for the main gun. On the rear wall were the engine fan, an engine cooling water tank, and the Magneti Marelli batteries. On the rear side of the superstructure were two pistol ports which could be closed by revolving shutters from the inside. These were used for self-defense and to check the rear side of the vehicle in order to avoid the crew having to expose themselves outside of the vehicle. The transmission shaft ran through the entire fighting compartment, dividing it in half.

How the Semovente M43 da 75/46 would have looked without the spaced armor. It was based on a slightly modified Semovente M43 da 105/25 chassis. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano with author’s modifications

Radio Equipment

The Semovente M43 da 75/46’s radio apparatus was an Apparato Ricetrasmittente Radio Fonica 1 per Carro Armato or Apparato Ricevente RF1CA (English: Tank Audio Radio Receiver Apparatus 1) produced by Magneti Marelli. This was a radiotelephone and radiotelegraph station box of 415 x 208 x 196 mm and a weight of about 18.5 kg. It had 10 watts of power in both voice and telegraphy. It had a small cover that was raised up when the radio was in use.

The Apparato Ricevente RF1CA mounted on Italian semoventi and carri armati. Numbers refer to: 1) audio radio receiver apparatus, 2) power supply, 3) antenna support (early type), 4) accessories, 5) cable that connected the audio radio receiver apparatus with the antenna, 6) cable that connected the audio radio receiver apparatus with the power supply, 7) cable that connected power supply to the batteries, 8) headphones, 9) laryngophone, and 10) fuses. Source: Manuale Apparato Ricevente RF1CA TR7

Operating frequency range was between 27 and 33.4 MHz. It was powered by an AL-1 Dynamotor supplying 9-10 Watts, mounted on the hull’s right side, with a power supply of 12 Volts from NF-12-1-24 batteries produced by Magneti Marelli connected in series. It had a range of 8 km in voice mode and 12 km in telegraph mode. These capabilities were reduced when the self-propelled guns were on the move.

The radio had 2 ranges, Vicino (Eng: Near), with a maximum range of 5 km, and Lontano (Eng: Afar), with a maximum range of 12 km. Even with the Lontano range, in the voice mode it had a range of 8 km.

It was produced from 1940 by the Magneti Marelli company of Sesto San Giovanni, near Milan. and was mounted on all the Italian self-propelled guns and tanks of the M series (except for the Carro Armato M11/39) and the Carro Armato P26/40 heavy tank.

The radio was produced after the Armistice for the Germans, together with manual books in German language. The production of the Apparato Ricevente RF1CA until 1945 also contrasts the hypothesis of the use of German radios on semoventi. After the war, the turning unit of this transceiver was almost entirely copied on the US Army AN/GRR-5 receiver.

On the previous models of semoventi, the antenna radio was mounted on a support that was lowerable thanks to a crank inside the vehicle. The loader had to turn the crank until the 1.8 m antenna was fully raised or fully down. This was a slow operation and the crank occupied space inside the fighting compartment.

From 1942, a new antenna support was mounted on Italian vehicles. The first model equipped with this new antenna was the Semovente M41M da 90/53, while it was introduced in the Semovente M42 da 75/18 later. The new antenna had a 360° lowerable support, meaning that it could be folded in any direction. Usually, a hook on the left side of the front of the casemate permitted it to rest during long drives to avoid it hitting electrical cables or interfering with driving in narrow areas. It seems that, on the prototype and the production Semoventi M43 da 75/46, this support was never mounted and the crew did not have the possibility to lower the antenna.

The different types of antennas and supports mounted on the Italian medium tanks and semoventi. Early type (left) and new type (right), mounted from 1942 on. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano

On all the semoventi produced before the Semovente M43 chassis, the antenna support was mounted on the rear left side of the casemate’s roof, while on the Semovente M43 da 105/25, it was moved on the front left side for a different internal arrangement. On the Semovente M43 da 75/46, the antenna radio support was again moved to the rear left side of the roof. To speed up production, Ansaldo-Fossati deployed a single M43 chassis production line. When the chassis was ready, Ansaldo’s workers made a hole on the rear side on the semoventi that would have received spaced armored plates, filling the front left hole with a round armored plate welded on it.

Engine and Transmission

The petrol engine of the Semovente M43 was inherited from previous semoventi M42 and M43 and the Carro Armato M15/42. The new model, the FIAT-SPA 15TB (‘B’ for ‘Benzina’ – Petrol) Modello 1943 petrol, 12-cylinder, V-shaped, water-cooled 11,980 cm³ engine developed 190 hp at 2,400 rpm (some other sources claim a maximum output of 192 hp or even 195 hp).

FIAT-SPA 15TB Modello 1942 petrol engine, radiator, and cooling vents. On the right top is the cooling water tank that was located, on the vehicle, in the fighting compartment. It was divided from the engine by a bulkhead. Source: bnamodel.com

It is not clear if the Germans modified the vehicle in other ways. It seems improbable that they ordered the mounting of German transmissions or other German-produced parts on the semoventi. The engine was designed by Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino or FIAT (English: Italian Automobile Factory of Turin) and produced by one of its subsidiary companies, the Società Piemontese Automobili, or SPA (English: Piedmontese Automobile Company).

Engine and radiator on a Carro Armato M15/42. Even if the Semovente M43 da 75/46 and the Carro Armato M15/42 were different, the engine compartment was only slightly modified. Source: facebook.com Associazione Raggruppamento SPA

The engine ignition system and lighting systems, engine cooling system, and fuel circulation systems were inherited from the previous Semovente M43 da 105/25. In order to start the engine, there was a Magneti Marelli electric starter but also an inertial starter produced by the Turin-based company Onagro. The lever for the inertial starter could be inserted outside the vehicle, on the rear, or from the inside of the fighting compartment. Two crew members needed to turn the crank, reaching about 60 rotations per minute. At that point, the driver could turn the engine button on the dashboard until the first strokes of the engine. The crew members rarely ignited the engine from the inside due to the cramped space, but this could become useful when under enemy artillery fire or in areas in which the enemy could easily ambush dismounted crews.

Ignition crank mounted on the rear of a Carro Armato M15/42. On the Semovente M43 da 75/46, the only difference was the presence of a smoke grenade box on the right. Source: associazioneansaldo.com

On road, the Semovente M43 da 75/46’s maximum speed was 38 km/h, while off-road, the maximum speed was about 15 km/h. It had an on-road range of 180 km and an off-road range similar to the one of Semovente M43 da 105/25, of about 100 km.

On the Carro Armato M15/42, thanks to the increased space in the engine compartment, the fuel tanks were increased to 367 liters in main tanks, plus 40 liters in the reserve tank. This gave a total of 407 liters. On the M43 chassis, the fighting compartment was 20 cm longer, reducing the space in the engine compartment. In other words, the fuel tanks were shortened, decreasing the volume from 407 liters to 316 liters.

This was also likely due to some changes to the engine. The Carro Armato M15/42 and Semovente M42 chassis mounted the FIAT-SPA 15 TB Modello 1942 petrol engine, while the M42T chassis mounted a FIAT-SPA 15TB Modello 1943. This could be simply a wrong official designation or a 1943 development by FIAT and SPA. The modifications are unknown, but it seems that they did not modify the overall performances of the engine. They probably concerned a decrease of the weight of engine or upgraded engine fire extinguisher system due to the extremely flammable petrol. Modifications to the engine weight are plausible due the extremely modest weight of Semovente M43 da 75/46, 15.6 tonnes battle ready, lighter than the Semovente M43 da 105/25 which did not have the spaced armor.

The engine was connected to a transmission produced by FIAT, with 5 forward and one reverse gears. The transmission was mounted frontally. In order to remove it, the transmission deck’s armored plate had to be removed first.

Image of the FIAT gearbox (produced by SPA) mounted on all Italian armored vehicles starting with the Carro Armato M15/42. It was connected to the transmission shaft. Source: Manuale Uso e Manutenzione Carro Armato M15/42 e Derivati

Due to the increased size of the casemate, the rear bulkhead that divided the engine compartment from the fighting compartment was moved 20 cm back. This increased the space occupied by the engine’s flywheel cover inside the fighting compartment, increasing the heat coming from the engine in the crew’s compartment.

The heat and proximity of fuel tanks near ammunition could be a serious danger in case of fire, but during winters, it warmed up the crew members that had to leave at least an upper hatch opened during fighting to ventilate the fighting compartment.

Suspension and Tracks

The Semovente M43 da 75/46’s suspension was a semi-elliptical leaf spring type, as on all vehicles developed from Italian medium tanks. On each side, there were 4 bogies connected to a leaf-spring with 8 doubled rubber road wheels paired on 2 suspension units in total. This suspension type was obsolete and did not allow the vehicle to reach a high top speed. In addition, it was very vulnerable to enemy fire or mines. Due to the lengthening of the hull on the Semoventi M43, one of the 2 suspension units was mounted a few centimeters back.

The tank had 26 cm wide tracks with 86 track links per side, 6 more than the other tanks of the ‘M’ series due to the hull lengthening.

One of the 2 suspension units of a Semovente M41M da 90/53. Each suspension unit was composed of 4 rubber road wheels divided in 2 suspension arms. Source: flikr.com @Chris Streckfus

The drive sprocket wheels were at the front and the idlers, with modified track tension adjusters, at the back, with 3 rubber return rollers on each side. The small surface area of the tracks (about 14,750 cm²) gave a ground pressure of about 1 kg/cm², increasing risk that the vehicle would bog down in soft soils, such as mud or snow.

In a photo taken in 1944 outside the Ansaldo-Fossati plant production line, there were a Semovente M43 da 75/46 and M43 da 105/25 for comparison. The Semovente da 75/46 was equipped with Ostketten (English: Eastern Chains) on the right track. These were probably delivered by the Germans for tests. They were meant to increase surface in contact with the ground and to decrease overall pressure on the ground. Apart from this photo, no other photographic evidence suggests the use of Ostketten on Italian captured armored vehicles.

The Semovente M43 da 75/46 prototype (left) next to a Semovente M43 da 105/25 without side skirts (right). Apart from the main armament and added armor plates, the vehicles were externally identical. The Semovente M43 da 75/46 had the right track equipped with German Ostketten. Source: militaryimages.net

Like the Semovente M43 da 105/35, the M43 da 75/46 was equipped with a side skirt. These were only 4 mm thick and partially protected the sides of the vehicle. Their role was not to protect the semovente from anti-tank rifle rounds or shaped charges ammunition, but to prevent shrapnel from damaging the suspension units and track links. The side skirts had a cut in the back to allow crew to be able to reach the track tension adjuster without dismounting the skirt. Another 3 small holes were made to add lubricant to the return rollers without losing time by removing the side skirt.

Main Armament

The Semovente M43 da 75/46’s main armament was the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934, an Italian anti-aircraft cannon developed by Ansaldo in 1932 that entered service in 1934. It appeared after an Italian Regio Esercito’s High Command request for a new anti-aircraft cannon in 1929.

Ansaldo and Odero-Terni-Orlando (OTO) not only developed some guns but also tested foreign ones, such as the 80 mm luftvärnskanon m/29 anti-aircraft gun produced by Swedish Bofors. The Bofors gun inspired the Ansaldo design office, which presented the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei in 1932.

Drawing of the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934. Source: fondazioneansaldo.com

During trials, the Direzione Superiore del Servizio Tecnico Armi e Munizioni or DSSTAM (English: Higher Directorate of Technical Service Weapons and Ammunition), the branch of the Regio Esercito’s High Command which created artillery design requests and accepted them into service, helped Ansaldo to modify the cannon. This was done to such an extent that some sources even called the cannon the DSTAM-Ansaldo. In 1933, the gun was ready (even if it was only accepted into service in 1934), and the Regio Esercito ordered 100. Ninety-two were delivered by October 1939, while another 240 were to be built in 1940.

A Cannone da 75/46 Cotraerei Modello 1934 in North Africa in November 1940. Source: Istituto Luce via italie1935-45.com

At the start, only the Ansaldo Pozzuoli plant (specialized in artillery production) and the Stabilimento Artiglierie di Cornigliano (English: Artillery Plant of Cornigliano), which was under Ansaldo’s control, produced the cannon. A total of 232 pieces were delivered between 1941 and 1942, while another 4 were delivered in the first 4 months of 1943, together with 108 spare barrels.

OTO and Arsenale Regio Esercito di Piacenza or AREP (English: Royal Army Arsenal of Piacenza) also produced spare parts. OTO delivered a total of 120 cannons by December 1942. The last order of the Regio Esercito’s High Command for 472 Cannoni da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 to be delivered by the end of 1943 was never started due to the Armistice of 8th September.

The Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei of the first batch at the Stabilimento Artiglierie di Cornigliano. Source: fondazioneansaldo.com

When the cannon appeared in the mid-1930s, it was a great artillery piece. It had high initial muzzle velocity due to the use of powerful propellant and barrel length, sustained rate of fire, and large firing arcs thanks to a cross-platform. The gun’s breech had a system to switch between being manually-opened or semiautomatic, with a maximum rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute with a trained crew. Its muzzle velocity was 800 m/s and maximum range was 8,500 m in the anti-aircraft role and 13,000 m against ground targets. The traverse was 360° while the elevation was from 0° to 90°.

Two Cannoni da 75/46 Cotraerei Modello 1934M towed by Pavesi P4 prime movers at the Nettuno shooting range. Source: Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito via italie1935-45.com

A Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 with a rangefinder telemeter and Centrale di Tiro Modello 1937 ‘Gala’ deployed by artillerymen of the Nettuno Anti-Aircraft Artillery School. Source: Giuseppe Calò via italie1935-45.com

In July 1943, there were 31 batterie antiaeree da 75/46 (English: 75 mm L/46 anti-aircraft batteries) operational. The Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 was deployed on all fronts of the war, in the Modello 1934 version, Modello 1934M version (slightly modified), and Modello 1940 static defense version. The majority of the batteries were sent to North Africa. In the Soviet Union, the few groups sent gave great results in the anti-tank role against early variants of Soviet T-34 medium tanks.

A Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 of the Regio Esercito in the Soviet Union during the winter of 1942-43. Source: Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito via italie1935-45.com

Although it was a marked improvement over the 75 mm guns of the First World War and it had cutting edge characteristics for the 1930s, the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 showed some weaknesses during its use. Rapid wear and tear of cannon’s bore caused its muzzle velocity to drop from 800 m/s to 750 m/s. The Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 was quickly superseded as a positional piece for territorial anti-aircraft defense as the war continued. It was therefore time to switch to a more powerful weapon, the Cannone da 90/53 Modello 1939.

After the Armistice of 8th September 1943, the anti-aircraft gun was deployed by the Germans, who renamed it 7,5 cm Flugabwehrkanone 264/3 (italienisch) (English: 75 mm Aircraft-Defense Cannon coded 264/3 [italian]) and continued its production. Even the Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano (English: National Republican Army), the Italian Army allied to the Germans, equipped a pair of anti-aircraft units with this cannon. Some guns were also deployed by Italian soldiers in the Allied armies in order to defend Southern Italy from Axis air attacks.

A Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 of an Italian AA unit during deployment maneuvers after the Armistice. Source: Giuseppe Calò via italie1935-45.com

The Cannone da 75/46 mounted on the semovente was called Kampfwagenkanone 75/46 (English: 75 mm L/46 Tank Cannon) by the Germans. On the semovente mount, the Cannone da 75/46 had an elevation of -10° to +18° and traverse was 17° to either side. The traverse decreased compared to the Semoventi M42M da 75/34 and M43 da 105/25 of 18° due to the presence of new spaced plates.

Semovente M43 da 75/46 sight. Per Alzo da 75/46 Semovente can be read on it. Source: heroesandgeneral.com

The barrel weighed 686 kg, while the gun mounted on the spherical support of the semoventi weighed 810 kg according to German reports. An interesting feature was that the vehicle had the possibility of also being equipped with the Cannone da 105/25 Modello SF just by removing the 75 mm cannon and spherical support with a winch and changing the main gun’s ammunition racks. The difference between the Cannone da 75/46 and Cannone da 105/25 was that the latter weighed just 40 kg more.

The Semoventi M42L armed with the Cannone da 105/25 weighed more than the Semoventi M42T with spaced armor and Cannone da 75/46. This was largely due to weight of 105 mm ammunition. In other words, if the Semovente M43 da 75/46 was equipped with the Cannone da 105/25, its weight would have increased by several hundred kilograms.

Rare images of a rare Semovente M42T da 105/25. It was a Cannone da 105/25 mounted on the chassis of a Semovente M43 da 75/46. Source: pinterest.com @lucky01

The Cannone da 105/25 Modello S.F. was developed by Ansaldo and produced by the Stabilimento Artiglierie di Cornigliano. It was developed on the basis of the Obice da 105/23 Modello 1942 a howitzer developed by Ansaldo as a prototype for divisional artillery, together with the Cannone da 105/40 Modello 1943. Due to delays and high costs, only the Cannone da 105/40 Modello 1943 was accepted in service, however it was only adopted from May 1943 and saw limited use. The the tank version of the Obice da 105/23 Modello 1942 was adopted on the Semovente M43 da 105/25 and, after the war, also used in Italian fortifications on the Italo-Yugoslavian border.

The Cannone da 105/25 Modello SF at the Stabilimento Artiglierie di Cornigliano. Source: fondazioneansaldo.com

Inside the semoventi, the Cannone da 105/25 Modello SF had a horizontal traverse of 18° to either side, as well as a depression of -10° and an elevation of +18°. Traverse probably decreased on the Semoventi M42T due to the spaced armor, like the horizontal traverse of other cannons mounted on the same chassis.

The Cannone da 105/25 Modello SF fired the same ammunition as the Cannone da 105/28 Modello 1916, with a maximum muzzle velocity of 500 m/s with armor-piercing rounds. It was capable of piercing a Rolled Homogeneous Armor (RHA) plate of 80 mm at 1,000 m according to German reports.

The Main Gun’s Problems

The Germans proposed to modify the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934, or as they called it, the 7,5 cm Fliegerabwehrkanone 264/3(i). It is unknown if they finally ordered a modification to the cannons, as planned in December 1943. The really slow production rate of the Cannoni da 75/46 for the Semoventi M43 da 75/46 could be explained by a long and difficult breech modification made in order to permit Panzerabwehrkanone 40 or PaK 40 ammunition to be fired.

The PaK 40 rounds had a length of 714 mm (75 x 714 mm R), while the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 round’s cartridge had a length of 580 mm (75 x 580 mm R). In order to fire PaK 40 rounds, Ansaldo had to modify the chamber, if necessary also modify the inner face of the bolt, the extractor, and probably also reinforce the breech and powder chamber if the pressures resulting from firing the PaK 40 ammunition exceed those tolerated by the Cannone da 75/46.

A partially assembled Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 at the Stabilimento Artiglierie di Cornigliano in 1938. Source: fondazioneansaldo.com

However, the slow rate of delivery of Italian cannons could also be explained by other hypotheses. The first one could be the slow production of spherical supports used to mount the cannons on the semoventi chassis. This does seem an unsatisfactory explanation. In fact, the Italian industry, albeit always failing in the delivery of self-propelled gun spherical supports in large quantities, could probably have fulfilled a request for so few 75 mm cannon mounts.

An image showing off some Semoventi M43 da 105/25 lined up in an Ansaldo-Fossati depot, ready to be delivered. Even if this photo dates before the Armistice, it shows that, even if the Italian industry sometimes failed in the delivery of self-propelled gun spherical mounts, it had an average monthly production that matched the production of the hulls produced in one month by Ansaldo-Fossati with guns from the Stabilimento Artiglierie di Cornigliano. Source: associazioneansaldo.com

The last hypothesis that could explain the low delivery rate of the Cannone da 75/46 is the really low production rate of Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934. It was produced in Piacenza, Pozzuoli, and Stabilimento Artiglierie di Cornigliano, under Ansaldo’s control. After the Armistice of 1943, Pozzuoli was freed by Allied forces in late September, while Arsenale Regio Esercito di Piacenza was converted mainly for vehicle reparation and production of armored improvised vehicles. The artillery production decreased. This meant that the majority of Cannoni da 75/46 production was the responsibility of the Stabilimento Artiglierie di Cornigliano, which remained one of the few Italian artillery producers until 1945.

Main Gun Considerations

The Germans and Ansaldo probably decided to mount the Cannone da 75/46 on the Semovente M42T due to its better anti-tank performance compared to other Italian guns at their disposal.

The choice of mounting a modified anti-aircraft gun proved to be a poor choice for the Germans and it cost them a very low production rate, especially compared to the production rate of Semoventi M42L da 105/25 and Semoventi M42T da 75/34, other last ones produced on the same chassis.

In order to increase the production of better armed Semoventi M42T, the mounting on the Semoventi M42T chassis of the German Panzerabwehrkanone 40 could have been an alternative option. The weight of the vehicle would not have increased by much, as the 7.5 cm KwK40 weighed 750 kg, compared to the 686 kg of the Cannone da 75/46.

Before the Armistice, Italy and Germany signed a contract for the license production of the field version of the PaK 40 in Italy (Italian nomenclature Cannone da 75/43 Modello 1940). The production was not started before September 1943, but some production lines were assembled. It is not known why the Germans did not restart the project earlier instead of adopting the Cannone da 75/46. It would probably have been easier to start delivering German-produced PaK 40 in Italy and then make Italian industry autonomous instead of modifying the Italian anti-aircraft cannon’s production line. After the armistice, OTO produced some spare parts for the PaK 40 for the Germans until the late war.

How the Semovente M43 armed with PaK 40 anti-tank cannon could have looked like. Source: drawingdatabase.com and the-blueprints.com with author modification

Secondary Armament

Secondary armament consisted of a Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 (English: Breda Medium Machine Gun Model 1938) produced by Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche (English: Italian Ernesto Breda’s Company for Mechanical Constructions). It was derived from the Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937, the most modern Italian medium machine gun during the war.

A Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 on a Semovente M41 da 75/18 on an earlier anti-aircraft support. Source: pinterest.com

Breda Modello 1938 was its vehicle version, with a shorter and heavier barrel, pistol grip, and top-mounted curved magazine with a capacity of 24 rounds. These modifications were made to ease the use of the machine gun inside vehicles. Breda machine guns fired a particular cartridge developed by Breda especially for machine guns, the 8 x 59 mm RB with a muzzle velocity between 790 m/s and 800 m/s, depending on the round type.

Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 with top-curved magazine without anti-aircraft sight. When not in use, it was stored in the left sponson of the self-propelled gun. Source: dandbmilitaria.com

The machine gun was fixed on an anti-aircraft mount attached to a crowbar that offered an increased horizontal traverse for the machine gun in case of an aerial attack. The anti-aircraft supports mounted on the previous model of Italian self-propelled guns barely covered the frontal arc of the vehicles. A similar feature was made on Beute Sturmgeschütz L6 mit 47/32 770(i) (Semovente L40 da 47/32), on which the Germans added a crowbar support for a machine gun to increase the horizontal traverse of the machine gun.

Semovente M43 da 75/46 with a new anti-aircraft support for the Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938. The vehicle is also equipped with 20 liter can supports on the sides and steel helmet supports for the crew member’s helmets. This particular vehicle was probably the prototype brought to production series status. In fact, this vehicle had the cannon barrel’s counterweight, which was mounted only on the prototype. Source: wikipedia.org

During the German occupation of Northern Italy, the Mitragliatrici Medie Breda Modello 1938 were rechambered for German 7.92 x 57 mm Mauser cartridges, due to the similar dimensions of the bullets: 82.00 mm for the German compared to the 80.44 mm of the Italian cartridge and casing diameter of 11.95 mm compared to the 11.92 of the Italian casings. The 24-round magazine and wooden ammunition racks were left unchanged.

Beginning in 1942, Italian factories started to produce a licensed copy of the German Nebelkerzenabwurfvorrichtung or NKAV (English: Smoke Grenade Dropping Device). It was a smoke grenade system that, through a wire connected to a camshaft, dropped a smoke grenade to the ground. Total capacity was 5 Schnellnebelkerze 39 (English: Quick Smoke Grenade 39) smoke grenades. The grenades had a length of 140 mm, a diameter of 90 mm, and a weight of 1.8 kg. They had a burning time of 4 to 7 minutes, depending on wind and in which area the SPG released the smoke grenades.

The commander had to pull the wire and the camshaft rotated, dropping a smoke grenade.
This system was mounted on the rear of the vehicle, so the smoke screen was created behind the vehicle and not around it, on the front arc.

An unarmored Nebelkerzenabwurfvorrichtung dismounted from a vehicle. Source: Bundesarchiv

The Germans began to stop using this system in 1942 in favor of smoke grenade launchers on the turret, because the grenades fell at the back and the tank had to reverse to hide behind. The Italians, on the other hand, apparently gave no thought to this problem and adopted it in 1942.

A Semovente M43 da 105/25 equipped with Nebelkerzenabwurfvorrichtung mit Schutzmantel (where the Balkenkreuz was painted). Even if they were differently armed and protected, the M43 da 105/25 was similar to the M43 da 75/46. Source: beutepanzer.ru

It seems that the Italians copied the protected variant, called Nebelkerzenabwurfvorrichtung mit Schutzmantel (English: Smoke Grenades Dropping Device with Protective Sheath). It had a rectangular protection, even if the Italian and German protections seem different. It is not known if the Italians also produced the Schnellnebelkerze 39 smoke grenades under license or if the Italian vehicles used the grenades imported from Germany. This smoke system was quickly adopted on all the Italian armored tracked vehicles starting from the Carro Armato M15/42 and on all the semoventi on its chassis. A smaller version appeared even on the Autoblinde AB41 and AB43 medium reconnaissance armored cars.

A cylindrical support for spare smoke grenades was also transported on the vehicle. It was fixed on the rear side of the armored superstructure, behind the engine’s cooling grilles and could transport 5 more smoke grenades.

A Semovente M43 da 75/46 during training. This is the only image of the semovente showing off its rear side. The Nebelkerzenabwurfvorrichtung mit Schutzmantel (red) and the cylindrical support for spare smoke grenades (green) are visible. Source: instagram.com @forza_italiana with highlights by author

Ammunition

Ammunition for the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 transported on the vehicle was stored in 2 racks, totalling 42 rounds. One was on the left side of the floor of the fighting compartment and the second one on the floor of the right side of the fighting compartment. The left one was used by the loader as a seat, while the right one was behind the gunner and was openable from the top.

The left rack had the rounds stored in 2 5-round rows and 2 6-round rows for a total of 22 rounds, while the second rack had 2 4-round rows and 2 5-round rows, for a total of 18 rounds.

Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 Rounds
Name	Type	Muzzle Velocity	Fuze	Filler	Weight	Penetration (RHA angled 30° from vertical)
Perforante da 75/46	APCBC	~ 800 m/s	Percussion Model 1909	//	6.2/6.9 kg	70 mm at 500 m 55 mm at 1,500 m
Dirompente da 75/46	HE	?	Percussion I.O. 36/40	335 – 345 g of TNT	~ 6.3/6.5 kg	//
Notes	The gun could fire other three different types of rounds, but these were anti-aircraft rounds not adopted on the Semovente

Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 anti-aircraft round. Image taken at Cornigliano Artillery Plant. Source: fondazioneansaldo.com

Compared to other semoventi racks, these were under the level of the vehicle’s sponsons and were difficult to hit by enemy rounds that pierced the vehicle’s armor. This problem caused many Semoventi M42M da 75/34 or Semoventi M43 da 105/25 to blow up after penetration.

If the Cannoni da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 were really modified to fire the same ammunition as the PaK 40, it would probably fire all German ammunition for this type of gun.

Ammunition fired by the 7.5 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 40
Name	Type	Muzzle Velocity	Weight	Penetration (RHA angled 30° from vertical)
Panzergranate 1939 (PzGr. 39)	APCBC-HE-T	790 m/s	6.80 kg	108 mm at 100 m; 80 mm at 1,000 m
Panzergranate 1940 (PzGr. 40)	APCR	990 m/s	4.50 kg	143 mm at 100 m; 97 mm at 1,000 m
Sprenggranate 1934 (SprGr. 34)	HE	550 m/s	5.64 kg	N/A
Hohlladung pattern C grenades. (Gr.38 HL/C)	HEAT	450 m/s	4.57 kg	75 mm

Crew

The Semovente M43 da 75/46 had a crew of 3. The driver was positioned on the left of the fighting compartment. On his left was the dashboard and on his right was the gun breech. The commander/gunner was positioned on the right of the vehicle, on the left side of the breech, while the loader/radio operator was sat on the left, behind the driver.

Some German sources state that the Germans preferred to add a fourth crew member behind the gunner, who would load the gun. The loader’s seat would be occupied by the commander/radio operator and the gunner would perform only one function. Obviously, adding a fourth crew member meant reducing the space inside the cramped fighting compartment, which was already cramped with only 3 crew members.

A Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 10,5 cm KwK L/25 853(i) crew posing in front of their vehicle in an Italian depot. Source: beutepanzer.ru

Very little is known about the Semovente M43 da 75/46’s service. Due to their short service, there are no reports about the operational service or German crews opinions.

Major German complaints on other Italian semoventi were about their lack of proper observation sights, insufficient frontal armor, a cramped crew compartment, and (apart from the Semovente M43 da 105/25) main armament not capable of dealing with the most modern enemy tanks. The driving capabilities were never seriously complained about while, whereas for maintenance, complaints depended on a number of factors. If the German unit that deployed Italian semoventi had veteran Italian mechanics or was located in Italy, where Italian military workshops were present, the complaints were much lesser compared to German units that deployed them outside Italy, where the experienced Italian mechanics were few, and there was a general lack of Italian spare parts.

With the Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i), in all likelihood, the insufficient armor and main armament’s anti-tank performance complaints were solved.

Operational Use

Not much is known about the Semoventi M43 da 75/46’s service in German hands. Neither Italian nor German sources mention to which German Panzerjäger-Abteilung (English: Tank Destroyer Battalion) the few vehicles produced were assigned to.

The prototype was assigned to a training school in northern Italy that trained German Panzerjäger and German-equipped Italian tank destroyer squads. Infantrymen were also trained to attack enemy tanks and self-propelled guns with anti-tank improvised devices, mines, anti-tank hand grenades, and rocket launchers. Unfortunately, the name of the German training unit is unknown.

A Semovente M43 da 75/46 deployed by the Germans to train a Panzerjäger unit in Italy. From the first image, it can be assumed that the vehicle was the prototype due the gun’s counterweight on the barrel’s muzzle. Source: instagram.com @forza_italiana

Some guesses can be made as to which German units used the Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i). The 26. Panzer-Division (English: 26th Armored Division), which operated Italian self-propelled guns, created the Jägdpanzer-Abteilung 51 on 17th November 1944. The personnel of the new battalion consisted of veterans from Panzer-Regiment .26 (English: 26th Tank Regiment) and some Sd.Kfz.164 Nashorns from the Schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 525 (English: 525th Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion) were used to equip the 1. Kompagnie (English: 1st Company).

The heavy anti-tank gun platoons of the Panzergrenadier-Regiment 9. and Panzergrenadier-Regiment 67. (English: 9th and 67th Mechanized Infantry Regiments) were used to form the 3. Kompagnie (English: 3rd Company). In November 1944, the unit was operational without the 2. Kompagnie (English: 2nd Company), which was deployed only in January 1945. Some vehicles of the 2. Kompagnie may have been Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i). The 26. Panzer-Division surrendered to the Allied forces in early May 1945 in the Vicenza area, about 200 km east of Parma.

The only unit that for certain deployed the Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) was the 148. Infanterie-Division (English: 148th Infantry Division) that was deployed in Italy after mid-September 1944. On 1st October 1944, it had in its ranks 6 mechanized infantry battalions supported by the 13. Kanonen-Kompanie (English: 13th Cannon Company) and 14. Schwere-Kanonen-Kompanie (English: 14th Heavy Cannon Company). These 6 battalions and 3 companies were divided in 3 regiments: Grenadier-Regiment 281., Grenadier-Regiment 285., and Grenadier-Regiment 286..

The Artillerie-Regiment 1048. (English: 1048th Artillery Regiment) deployed a total of 3 105 mm howitzers groups and 1 150 mm heavy howitzer group with 3 batteries each. It also had Füsilier-Battalion 148. (English: 148th Rifle Battalion), with 4 squadrons, together with many other logistic units, such as the Pioneer-Battalion 1048. (English: 1048th Engineer Battalion) and the Veterinär-Kompanie 148. (English: 148th Veterinary Company). In fact, only 30% of the division was mechanized, the rest of the logistics were towed by horses.

A Semovente M43 da 75/46 captured by the Brazilian troops of the 1st Infantry Regiment “Sampaio” of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force. It was captured in Caorso, near Piacenza in the last days of war. In this image, the right opened split-hatch is visible. It seems to be damaged on the side skirt sections and appliqué side armored plate, but these seem to be more like transport damage than fighting damage. Source: Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II

On 3rd December 1944, the Panzerjäger-Abteilung 1048 (English: 1048th Anti-Tank Battalion) was created, composed of Panzerabwehrkanone-Batterie 1. or PaK-Batterie 1. (English: 1st Anti-Tank Battery) with anti-tank cannons, Schwere-Panzerabwehrkanone-Batterie 2. or Schwere-PaK-Batterie 2. (English: 2nd Heavy Anti-Tank Battery) equipped with 8,8 cm PaK 43 anti-tank cannons. On 19th December 1944, it received a platoon of the Festungs-Pantherturm 2. (English: 2nd Fixed Panther Tank Turrets) and then, on 28th December, it also received 6 half-track-mounted 88 mm cannons, quite surely the surviving 8.8 cm Flak 37 (Selbstfahrlafette) auf Schwere Zugkraftwagen 18t (Sd.Kfz.9) (English: 8.8 cm FlaK 18 [Self-Propelled Gun Carriage] on [Sd.Kfz.9] Heavy Traction Vehicle 18 tonnes) formerly belonging to the 26. Panzer-Division that operated in the same areas.

The last company assigned to the Panzerjäger-Abteilung 1048 was the FlaK Kompanie 3. (English: 3rd Anti-Aircraft Cannon Company). After March 1945, the Schwere PaK Batterie 2. was equipped with, as referred to by the original document, 11 7.5 cm Sturmgeschütze. These were in all likelihood of Italian origin, as also claimed by Italian historian Leonardo Sandri in La 148^ Infantrie Division sul Fronte Italiano 1944-1945: Una Documentazione. Eleven of these Beute StuGs is equal to the total production of the entire Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) until January 1945, so it is impossible that all the vehicles were Semoventi M43 da 75/46, some could have been Semoventi M43 da 75/34 or their pre-Armistice version, the Semoventi M42M da 75/34. It could also be a document error. In fact, in many cases, the official German documents referred to “in service” vehicles whilst, in reality, they had not yet been delivered to the unit. In March 1945, the 11 Sturmgeschütz had almost certainly already left the factory but they were still on their way to Panzerjäger-Abteilung 1048.

The Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) probably arrived at the German anti-tank unit between mid-March to early April 1945. They had a really short operative life with the German soldiers.

A Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) was captured by the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Regiment “Sampaio” of the Força Expedicionária Brasileira or FEB (English: Brazilian Expeditionary Force) in Caorso, 60 km from Parma.

The history behind the capture of this particular vehicle is not clear. It was probably abandoned by Panzerjäger-Abteilung 1048 due to a lack of fuel or mechanical breakdown during the retreat from Bologna, trying to reach the southern shore of the River Po to cross it in the Piacenza area and try to reach northern Italian border to return home before the surrender of the entire 148. Infanterie Division. Another plausible hypothesis was that it was surrendered peacefully by the German soldiers of the Panzerjäger-Abteilung 1048 after various failed attempts at opening a gap in the US and Brazilian encirclement in the Parma and Piacenza areas between 28th April and the morning of 29th April. The unit transferred over 600 wounded Axis soldiers between 13:00 and 14:30 on 21 ambulances to the Mantova Allied hospital and then surrendered to the Allied forces on the afternoon of 29th April 1945.

About 80 pieces of equipment, including 7,5 cm PaK 40, mortars, 105 mm and 150 mm artillery pieces, 8.8 cm half-track-mounted artillery pieces, and Sturmgeschütz, were captured. Together with these, the US and Brazilian forces captured 4,000 horses, 2,500 motor vehicles (trucks, staff cars, cargo half-tracks etc), 1,000 motorcycles, and between 13,579 and 14,779 Axis soldiers.

The only other operational service of the Semovente M43 da 75/46 was in Milan on 25th April 1945. One was captured by the Italian Partisans, probably at the Fonderia Milanese di Acciaio Vanzetti S.A. assembly plant, left abandoned by the German soldiers. This suggests that not all the semoventi in the Vanzetti plant were delivered to the German units.

The Semovente M43 da 75/46 captured in Milan by the Italian Partisans in late April 1945. Source: italiantanktree.files.wordpress.com

The Semovente M43 da 75/46 captured in Milan was ‘graffitied’ by the Partisans, with “W la Libertà” (English: Long Live Freedom) and the acronym “C.L.N.” or Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale (English: National Liberation Committee) written on to avoid friendly fire. It probably had no ammunition and no secondary armament. The Partisans added a 7.7 mm Breda-SAFAT medium machine gun on the roof. It was probably delivered to the Allies after the war ended and scrapped.

Camouflage

The Semoventi M43 da 75/46 produced for the Germans were painted with a single camouflage scheme. It was similar to the Italian Continentale (English: Continental) adopted in mid-1943. The standard Kaki Sahariano (English: Saharan Khaki) monochrome sand camouflage was covered by reddish brown and dark green spots.

Continentale camouflage adopted by the Regio Esercito before the Armistice of 8th September 1943. Source: instagram.com @Forza_Italiana colourized by Johannes Dorn

The Regio Esercito’s Continentale camouflage scheme was upgraded, covering the Italian armored cars, medium tanks, and self-propelled guns with dark green and adding on them reddish brown spots and sand yellow stripes that bordered the reddish brown and dark green spots.

The Semovente M43 da 75/46’s prototype outside the Ansaldo-Fossati plant. In this image, colorized by Johannes Dorn, the 1944 Continentale camouflage is clearly visible. Source: wikipedia.org

As the Semoventi M43 da 75/34 received only this type of 3-tone camouflage, it never received Italian-style camouflage schemes. The prototype, probably assigned to a training school in northern Italy, received the Balkenkreuz, the German tanks’ coat of arms, for identification on the sides and rear, and the number “22” painted on the sides. The other vehicles seem to have been without coats of arms. This was also caused, in all likelihood, by the delivery of the semoventi in the last months of 1944 and early 1945, when German troops were in a shortage of trained crews, fuel, ammunition, and paint and did not waste time painting reconnaissance coat of arms or the unit’s own coats of arms.

Versions

Semovente M43 da 75/34

In 1944, a total of 29 Semoventi M43 da 75/34 were produced for the Germans on the same upgraded and uparmored Semovente M43 da 75/46 chassis. It was essentially a Semovente M43 da 75/46 armed with a shorter and less powerful Cannone da 75/34 Modello SF, already mounted on the Semovente M42M da 75/34. All the rest of the vehicle remained unchanged compared to the Semovente da 75/46.

A Semovente M43 da 75/34 in service with a German unit supporting Italian soldiers of the 1ª Divisione Bersaglieri ‘Italia’ in the Garfagnana area in winter 1944. Source: wikipedia.org

The Semoventi M43 da 75/34, known by the Germans as Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7,5 cm KwK L/34 851(i), were employed only by the Germans in Italy after late 1944. They supported an unknown German Panzerjäger-Abteilung in the Gothic Line, occasionally operating with Fascist soldiers loyal to Mussolini belonging to the 1ª Divisione Bersaglieri ‘Italia’ (English: 1st Bersaglieri Division).

Many sources place the total number of Semoventi M42M da 75/34 at 174 instead of 145. This is not correct, as the first number also counts the 29 Semoventi M43 da 75/34.

A Semovente M42T chassis was armed with a Cannone da 105/25 Modello SF and tested by the Germans but nothing is known about its fate after the German tests.

Conclusion

The Semovente M43 da 75/46 was the first Italian project that had offensive and defensive characteristics that made it capable of dealing with most of the Allied armored vehicles in the Second World War. This was mainly thanks to the German effort to upgrade some Italian vehicles.

The few vehicles produced and equipped with main guns had short operational lifes and not much is known about their service or their crew’s complaints.

The low delivery rate of the main armament provided by the Cornigliano artillery plant was the greatest problem causing the slow production rate. This forced the Germans to place the finished vehicles in depots awaiting for their main guns, which were delivered with a rate of 1 or 2 per month.

The low gun production rate was not the only criticism of the self-propelled gun. In the same period, the Germans also produced the Semovente M43 da 75/34 with a shorter and less powerful cannon as a stopgap while waiting for the ones armed with 75 mm L/46 guns.
Twenty-nine were built, and while more than those equipped with the 75/46 gun, this was insufficient to even put a dent in the thousands of armored vehicles of the Allied armies.

This low production rate, that was characteristic of the Italian industry during the Second World War, became more pronounced in the last stages of the war due to the scarcity of raw materials, Allied bombardments, and worker’s strikes.

Semovente M43 da 75/46. Illustrations by Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Semovente M43 da 75/46 Specification
Size (L-W-H)	5.97 x 2.42 x 1.74 m
Weight, battle ready	15.6 tonnes
Crew	3 (commander/gunner, driver, loader/radio operator)
Engine	FIAT-SPA 15TB petrol, 190 hp at 2,400 rpm
Speed	38 km/h
Range	180 km
Armament	1 Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 with 42 rounds, 1 Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 with 504 rounds.
Armor	75 mm + 25 mm front, 45 mm + 25 mm sides and 45 mm rear
Production	1 prototype and 12 vehicles produced

Sources

Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, Volume Secondo, Tomo II – Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano – Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito – 2002

Italian Medium Tanks 1939-45; New Vanguard Book 195 – Filippo Cappellani and Pier Paolo Battistelli – Osprey Publishing, 20th December 2012

Panzer tracts No. 19-2 Beute Panzerkampfwagen, British, American, Russian and Italian Tanks Captured from 1940 to 1945 – Thomas L. Jentz and Warner Regenberg – Panzer Tracts – 2008

Andare contro i carri armati. L’evoluzione della difesa controcarro nell’esercito italiano dal 1918 al 1945 – Nicola Pignato e Filippo Cappellano – Udine 2008

Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II – Ralph A. Riccio – Mattioli 1885 – 2010

La 148^ Infantrie Division sul Fronte Italiano 1944-1945: Una Documentazione – Leonardo Sandri – published by himself – Milan 2021

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WW2 British Armored Cars WW2 Italian Vehicles in Foreign Service WW2 US Armored Cars

Autoblinda AB41 in Allied Service

Post author By Arturo Giusti
Post date March 8, 2023
3 Comments on Autoblinda AB41 in Allied Service

The Autoblinda AB41 of the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade

United Kingdom/United States of America (1941-1943)
Medium Armored Car – Unknown Number in Allied Service

The Autoblinda AB41 was an Italian medium reconnaissance armored car used during the whole duration of the North African campaign, mainly deployed by the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) and by the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana or PAI (English: Italian African Police). During this campaign, many German and Italian vehicles fell into Allied hands, including, among others, Australian, British, Free French, Polish, and South African units. After Operation Torch, when the Allied forces attacked the Axis in North West Africa in early November 1942, they captured a number of AB41s and redeployed them.

The Autoblinda AB41 prototype at the testing ground in Rome during tests to be accepted into service. Source: La Meccanizzazione dell’Esercito Italiano fino al 1943

Italian Vehicles in Allied Service

Unsurprisingly, the AB41 was not the only Italian armored vehicle to be put into service with Allied forces. For instance, six Carri Armati M11/39 and an unknown number of Carri Armati M13/40 were used by the Australian 2/6th Cavalry Regiment and the British 6th Royal Tank Regiment, until spring 1941, when they ran out of spare parts and they were destroyed.

An M13/40 of the 1st Series captured by the Australian soldiers of the 6th Australian Cavalry Regiment being painted with the distinctive Australian kangaroo to avoid friendly fire. Note the nickname ‘Wally’. Source: Australian War Memorial

One of the most used vehicles in North Africa by the Italians was the Autoblinda AB41 armored car that, in addition to performing reconnaissance tasks, was also used as a vehicle to support infantry assaults. In fact, thanks to its protection and armament, it could perform the support task with success if the enemy forces were only equipped with light weapons.

The unquestionable fame of the vehicle made it an interesting vehicle for Commonwealth and Allied troops to reuse it after capture.

Design

An Autoblinda AB40 of the Pinerolo Training School. Source: pinterest.com

The AutoBlinda Modello 1940 was the first of the AB medium reconnaissance armored car series. It had two driving positions, at the front and at the rear. This feature was designed to permit the armored car to disengage from skirmishes even on narrow mountain roads or in the dense North African villages.

The AB frame at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant of Sestri Ponente. The two driving positions are clear in this photograph. Source: Ansaldo

The armor on the entire hull, superstructure, and turret consisted of bolted plates. This arrangement did not offer the same efficiency as mechanically welded plates, but facilitated the replacement of an armor element in case it had to be repaired. The hull plates were bolted onto an internal frame.

Internal structure on which the plates were bolted on the original AB40 and AB41’s chassis. Source: pinterest.com @Lucky01

There were 4 crewmembers: the front and rear drivers, a commander/gunner, and the rear machine gunner. The engine was a petrol FIAT-SPA ABM 1, 6-cylinder in-line with an internal volume of 4,995 cm3. It had a 78 hp (some sources mention 80 hp) output at 2,700 rpm. The maximum speed was 76.4 km/h. In the rear driving position, the driver could use only 4 of the 6 gears with a maximum speed of 36.4 km/h.

Scheme of the AB series engine’s cooling system and the FIAT-SPA ABM 1. Source: Autoblindo AB41 & AB43

Influenced by the experiences gained in the Spanish Civil War, the Regio Esercito’s High Command ordered a more potently armed version of the AB40. For this, the Torretta Modello 1941 (English: Turret Model 1941) of the Carro Armato L6/40 (English: L6/40 Tank) was mounted. It was armed with a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 (English: 20 mm L/65 Automatic Cannon Breda Model 1935) with a coaxial Breda Modello 1938. A second machine gun in a spherical support on the vehicle’s rear, on the left of the rear driver.

A Bersagliere of the VIII Battaglione Bersaglieri Blindato Autonomo cleaning up a Breda Modello 1938 on the turret of his AB41, Cyrenaica May 1942. Source: facebook.com @Museo Virtuale Bersaglieri

With 667 built, the AutoBlinda Modello 1941 (English: Armored Car Model 1941), or, more simply, AB41 Medium Armored Car, was the most produced Italian armored car of the Second World War.

The Torretta Modello 1941 turret being mounted on a AB chassis at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente. Source: Ansaldo

The designers planned for the new Autoblinda AB41 to be equipped with a FIAT-SPA ABM 2 engine. At 88 hp at 2,700 rpm, it was more powerful than the previous ABM 1. This allowed for a maximum velocity of 78.38 km/h in the 6th gear and 37.3 km/h in the 4th gear. Due to delays in producing FIAT-SPA ABM 2 engines, a total of 435 ABs with Torretta Modello 1941, up to the vehicle with license plate Regio Esercito 551B, were equipped with the FIAT-SPA ABM 1 engine of the AB41. The vehicles with different engines are impossible to distinguish from the outside and are considered AB40 and AB41 hybrids.

The FIAT-SPA ABM 2 6-cylinder engine mounted on the Autoblinda AB41. Source: Pignato

The AB series armored cars were equipped with a powerful 60 km range radio with a 7 m fully-extended antenna on the left side.

A series of AB armored cars (the first one is an AB40 with Torretta Modello 1941) of the III Gruppo Autoblindo ‘Nizza’ with fully extended radio antennas. Source: Archivio Lancia

Allied Operational Use

Some AB41s were captured by Commonwealth troops during the North African campaign (10th June 1940 – 13th May 1943). The British Army supplied some of these armored cars to Australian and Polish forces.

Perhaps the most famous use was the Autoblinda AB40/AB41 hybrid of the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade. It had most probably been captured from the III Gruppo Autoblindo ‘Nizza’ (English: 3rd Armored Car Group) at some point after March 1941. Contrastingly, the book Italian Armored Cars Autoblindo AB41 & AB43, Pz.Sp.Wg AB41 201(i) & AB43 203(i) written by Daniele Guglielmi, mentions that the armored car was captured from the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana. This seems to be incorrect, as the coat of arms of the IV Plotone Autoblindo (English: 4th Armored Car Platoon) of the III Gruppo Autoblindo ‘Nizza’ is seen painted on the right side of the armored car in a contemporary propaganda video.

A screenshot of the Autoblinda AB41 in Italian use showing a crewmember removing the sand cap from the main gun. The same symbol as seen on Polish-captured AB is partially visible here too. Source: Archivio Cavalleria Italiana via Le Autoblinde AB40 AB41e AB43

The armored car was used alongside Marmon-Herrington armored cars against its former owners and the Germans in Egypt between May and August 1942. After that, it was requisitioned by the British High Command.

A Polish crewmember poses near the Autoblinda AB40 with Torretta Modello 1941 captured from the IV Plotone Autoblindo of the III Gruppo Autoblindo ‘Nizza’ and deployed by the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade together with the Marmon-Herrington Mark 2 armored cars in the background. Source: pinterest.com

The Autoblinda AB41 of the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade was probably not the only AB41 captured and reused by Allied troops, even if no concrete information has emerged. Many Italian sources mention that two Autoblinde AB41 armored cars were sent to Chobham, in Surrey, England, although British reports mention only one armored car tested.

Some of the AB series armored cars that were used by France post-war to regain control of its colonies were delivered by British or other Allied forces in North Africa after the end of the North African campaign. It is known that French forces deployed at least 10 and probably more AB41s after the war, so, this could be a partial number of AB41s in service with the Commonwealth forces in North Africa during the last stages of the campaign.

From British veterans’ memoirs, an unknown, but limited number of Italian captured vehicles were used by British forces in training camps located in Egyptian territories. They were used to familiarize British soldiers with enemy vehicles. It seems that even few AB41s were deployed to teach their armored car crews to train to drive and fight Italian armored cars. Sadly, no photographic evidence has been found.

An AB41 is exhibited at the South African National War Museum in Johannesburg alongside other Second World War-era Allied and Axis vehicles and Cold War-era NATO and Soviet vehicles. How and why the vehicle arrived in South Africa is not known, even if it is probable that this vehicle was captured by Commonwealth troops, used for training in Egypt, and that it arrived in South Africa only after the end of the war.

The US Army also used some captured Autoblinde AB41s when they entered the war in North Africa in November 1942. At least two were captured and deployed in Tunisia but further details of their operational history are unknown. Only one image of these vehicles is known. The US vehicles were repainted in the common olive drab painting and received white stars for aerial recognition on the front and sides.

The only known photo of the two Autoblinde AB41 deployed by the US Army in North Africa. Source: italie1935-45.com

The British School of Tank Technology Report

In May 1943, Major J. D. Barnes and Major D.M Pearce published a detailed report of a captured AB40 armored car with a Modello 1941 turret that had been transported to the United Kingdom and thoroughly inspected at the School of Tank Technology of Chobham. The vehicle was the one previously belonging to the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade.

At some point between March 1941 and the first months of 1942, the British High Command decided to take the armored car of the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade and transport it to Britain for evaluation. The AB41 was perhaps withdrawn from the frontline in August 1942, then sent to the rear lines, probably a harbor in Egypt or Palestine, before being sent to the United Kingdom, where it was analyzed by the School of Tank Technology 9 months later.

The analysis revealed it was built in 1941 and had the chassis number ‘40788’ and had the ‘ABM40’ name on the chassis plaquet. The engine had production code ‘100041’ and was built on 21th November 1940.

The first note in the report was about the status of the vehicle when it arrived in Chobham:

“The car arrived in this country in good condition. This is accounted [sic] by the comparatively small mileage covered, and by the considerable troubles taken to protect components from corrosion or damage during transit. After a few minor adjustments the car was made a runner, and mechanically it appeared to be fairly sound with the exception of the steering which needs some attention.”

From photographic evidences it is possible to determine that it was equipped with 3 Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ tires (front axle and rear left ones) and 3 Pirelli Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’ tires (rear right axle and spare wheels) even if British report claimed 4 Tipo ‘Libia’ and 2 “heavy duty” tires or Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’. These were two Italian low pressure tires developed for sandy soils. The first type was developed for armored vehicles, while the latter type was developed for the Camionette Desertiche (English: Desert Scout Car) SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’ but used on various vehicles with the same rim sizes, including the armored cars of the AB series.

The Autoblinda AB40 with Torretta Modello 1941 at the School of Tank Technology. The vehicle’s provisorial code was ‘A222’ painted in white on the left side. Source: Imperial War Museum

Left side of the Autoblinda AB40 with the Modello 1941 at Chobham. The coat of arms is once more visible, as is the early type radio antenna mounted on the right side. Source: Imperial War Museum

The all-wheel steering and al-driving wheels were praised:

“Mechanically the car has many interesting and certain commendable features. The distributed drive to all four wheels and the four wheel steering, make it possible to use a single differential at the expense however of a very large number of bevel gears.”

The British appreciated the dual driving position, but listed a number of shortcomings. They reckoned that the directional control lever that permitted the front driver to take control of the vehicle was in an awkward position and that the rear driver’s seat did not allow tall soldiers to seat comfortably.

“While the general mechanical layout appears to have been well thought out and designed specially for the job, the mechanical details in certain cases contrast strikingly in their inadequacy or shoddyness. The whole construction and layout of the rear driver’s section savours of modification or afterthought. The main petrol tank under the floor is only protected by a light gauge tray and is extremely inaccessible. The forward tank feeds into the main tank by gravity and no stop cock is provided in the line. There are other similar examples of bad design.”

The British technicians were less enthusiastic about the armament and its positions on the armored car.

“With regards to the armament and armour, it is noticeable that again the lack of attention paid to detail design considerably reduces the potency of the car as a fighting vehicle. The one man turret does not conform to the latest British requirement for a three man turret. The exposed traverse gears, the akward position of the 2 cm. cocking handle and the limited observation in the turret are in our opinion decidedly undesirable feature: There is no electrical equipment in the turret and consequently no rotary base junction. The commander is therefore faced with the problem of what to do with his headphone and microphone leads when travelling the turret.”

Autoblinda AB41 angled armor scheme made by the School of Tank Technology. Source: Preliminary Report on Italian Armored Car Autoblinda 40

The rear machine gun position was considered to have various deficiencies.

“It is impossible to sight the rear hull gun when it is fully depressed and extremely difficult to do so at any angle under zero. The gunner’s seat is not in line with the gun and he must lean awkwardly in order to sight when the gun is traversed left. His back is fouled by the turret gunner’s seat when the turret is straight ahead or traversed left. These points and the improvised appearance of the gun mounting suggest the possibility that the rear hull gun was added as an afterthought.”

The engine was judged adequate by the front line soldiers, even if the British considered it difficult to maintain, due to the presence of brackets for the armored plates that were welded to the hull frame, which limited accessibility in the engine compartment. Interestingly enough, Italian crews never reported this as a problem.

During driving tests, the British noticed that the first 4 gears were noisy and it was difficult to change them. The last two gears were not as noisy and were easier to change. The engine performed perfectly at slow speeds and was considered quiet from the front driver’s position, even if the vehicle did not have a bulkhead. The engine was found to be noisier from the rear driver’s position, and due to the absence of a bulkhead, part of the engine’s fumes entered the crew compartment. During the driving, it was noticed that at 24 km/h, the vehicle tended to glide with a swaying motion. At 32 km/h, the armored car was almost uncontrollable.

The hydraulic brakes were found easy to operate but, for maintenance reasons, were not very effective. The independent suspension was judged excellent during off-road and on-road driving and it provided the crew with great comfort. The spare wheel’s position was also praised. This was a common feature on AB series armored cars and it permitted the spare wheels to help the vehicle to overcome obstacles during off-road driving, and at the same time, avoiding ‘bellying’ on rough terrains.

The armor was considered to be badly bolted to the superstructure with dangerous gaps between the armored plate and the structure on which these were bolted.

“The fitting of the plates is generally bad, and even in such exposed positions as the nose, considerable gaps occur between the plate edges. Very little attempt has been made to protect the crew against bullet splash. Turret ring protection is provided only at the rear by a length of 6 mm. angle section bolted to the top plate.”

During a test done by British technicians of the School of Tank Technology with a Poldi portable tester, Brinnel hardness was registered between 320 BHN and 340 BHN, harder than the Italian tank’s armor. These Brinell results showed this Italian armor used on the armored cars to be quite similar to US armor, which had a hardness of 280-320 BHN, and far softer than the 413-460 BHN of Soviet steel.

The abbreviation BHN – Brinell Hardness Number (unit of measurement kg/mm²) is a figure used to determine the hardness of a material from a hardness test. The harder a steel is, then generally, the better it will be at resisting shell impacts, but also more vulnerable to shattering.

The Autoblinda AB41’s armor scheme. This scheme made by the British at the School of Tank Technology seems incorrect. In fact, the AB armored car series were protected by 8.5 mm armored plates, not 9 mm thick ones. Source: Preliminary Report on Italian Armored Car Autoblinda 40

The Autoblinda AB41 tested at Chobham was scrapped probably shortly after the tests concluded, in fact, it was never again mentioned in British reports.

Recognition Pictorial Manual on Armored Vehicles – Italy

On 3rd November 1943, the US Army War Department published the Recognition Pictorial Manual on Armored Vehicles – Italy, which briefly described the Autoblinda AB41’s main features: double drive, all steering and all driving wheels, the presence of spare wheels free to rotate, and a maximum velocity of 49 mph (78 km/h) with front driving and 24 mph (38 km/h) with rear driving. The vehicle that they analyzed at the Aberdeen Proving Ground was probably captured during the Sicily campaign in May-June 1943. The US technicians did not analyze it as thoroughly as the British, and after a short time, scrapped it.

Conclusion

Despite the School of Tank Technology’s not very positive final judgment on the Autoblinda AB41, some Allied units reused several in North Africa. It was fast, with great off-road capabilities, adequate protection, and armament to combat against other Axis reconnaissance vehicles. At least one or two vehicles captured were sent to the School of Tank Technology in the United Kingdom and another to the Aberdeen Proving Ground in the United States.

The Autoblinda AB41 of the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade

AB41 as deployed by the US Army in North Africa. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Front view of AB41 as deployed by the US Army in North Africa. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Autoblinda AB41 Specification
Size (L-W-H)	5.20 x 1.92 x 2.48 m
Weight, battle ready	7.52 tonnes
Crew	4 (front driver, rear driver, radio operator/machine gunner and commander/gunner)
Engine	FIAT-SPA 6-cylinder petrol, 88 hp with 195 liters tank
Speed	80 km/h
Range	400 km
Armament	Cannone-Mitragliera Breda 20/65 Modello 1935 (456 rounds) and Two Breda Modello 1938 8 x 59 mm machine guns (1992 rounds)
Armor	9 mm Hull Turret: Front: 40 mm Sides: 30 mm Rear: 15 mm
Production	667 in total, unknown number in Allied service

Sources

Preliminary Report on Italian Armored Car Autoblinda 40 – Major J. D. Barnes and Major D.M Pearce – May 1943

Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, Volume II, Tomo I – Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano – Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito – 2002

Italian Armored Cars Autoblindo AB41 & AB43, Pz.Sp.Wg AB41 201(i) & AB43 203(i) – Daniele Guglielmi – Armor PhotoGallery #8, Model Centrum PROGRES – 2004

Le Autoblinde AB40 AB41e AB43 – Nicola Pignato and Fabio d’Inzéo – Modellismopiù.com

WW2 Italian SPGs WW2 RSI Armor

Semovente M42M da 75/34

Semovente M42M da 75/34 in Continentale camouflage. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Kingdom of Italy/Italian Social Republic (1942-1945)
Self-Propelled Gun – 146 Built (1 Prototype + 145 Production)

The Semovente M42M da 75/34 was an Italian Self-Propelled Gun (SPG) developed for the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) in 1943, but deployed mainly by the Wehrmacht after the Armistice of 8th September 1943. It was the first self-propelled gun produced by the Italian industry with enough anti-tank capabilities to deal with the most modern medium tanks of the Allied powers. After the Armistice, only a few examples of these vehicles were deployed by Mussolini’s led German puppet-state, the Repubblica Sociale Italiana (English: Italian Social Republic).

A Semovente M42M da 75/34 outside the Ansaldo-Fossati plant of Sestri Ponente. This was a production series vehicle assembled on 26th March 1943. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano

History of the Project

The first Semovente (Semoventi plural) was the Semovente M40 da 75/18. It was a Carro Armato M13/40 equipped with a casemate armed with a Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934 (English: 75 mm L/18 Howitzer Model 1934). Its design started thanks to the input of Colonel Sergio Berlese of the Servizio Tecnico di Artiglieria (English: Artillery Technical Service), in collaboration with the Servizio Tecnico Automobilistico (English: Automobile Technical Service).

One of the first Semovente M40 da 75/18 produced. Source: Nicola Pignato

The Regio Esercito ordered 30 vehicles on 16th January 1941, followed by another 30 later. On 11th February 1941, the quickly assembled prototype was tested at the Cornigliano shooting range with great results.

After production of 60 Semoventi M40 da 75/18, the chassis was changed, switching to Carro Armato M14/41 ones. A total of 162 vehicles with the new chassis were produced until 1942, when it was once more changed. Before the Italian Armistice of September 1943, another 66 self-propelled howitzers armed with 75 mm L/18 howitzers were built on the Carro Armato M15/42. This meant that a total of 288 Semoventi da 75/18 were produced on the three chassis variants.

As can be seen, the Semovente M42 da 75/18 was almost identical to the M40 da 75/18, but it had a different engine compartment and three 20 liter can supports. Source: worldwarphoto.com

The Regio Esercito’s High Command knew that the 75 mm L/18 howitzer was not a great choice for an armored vehicle’s main gun. Its range was moderate, its precision at long ranges was questionable, and it did not have great anti-tank performance. Because of this, on 21st June 1941, in a document, the Regio Esercito’s High Command clarified that Italian generals preferred the Cannone da 75/34 (English: 75 mm L/34 Cannon). In June 1941, the High Command already understood that the Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934 was not suitable as the main armament of semoventi, but, despite that, the Semoventi da 75/18 were produced until 1943, when new powerful guns entered in service. This is a perfect example of the desperate situation the Italian Regio Escercito found itself in.

In 1941, a Semovente M40 chassis was equipped with a Cannone a Grande Gittata da 75/32 Modello 1937 (English: 75 mm L/34 Long Range Cannon Model 1937). This particular self-propelled gun did not interest the Italian generals due its separate charge rounds and the project was abandoned. The Ansaldo-Fossati plant of Sestri Ponente, near Genoa, had adopted the Cannone a Grande Gittata da 75/32 Modello 1937 instead of the Cannone da 75/34 because the 75/32 was directly derived from the Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934 and many parts of the two guns were common, while, at the time, the Cannone da 75/34 was not yet ready.

The Semovente M40 da 75/32 prototype outside the Ansaldo-Fossati plant. Source: armedconflicts.com

History of the Prototype

The order to install a Cannone da 75/34 on a Semovente hull arrived at Ansaldo in October 1942. The delay in production of this semovente was due to the slow development of the cannon and slow production of support parts to mount this gun on the semovente chassis. To exemplify this, the Semovente M42M da 75/34 was delivered only in May 1943, whilst the first Semoventi M42 da 75/18 left the production lines in December 1942, about 6 months earlier.

The unfinished Semovente M42M da 75/34 prototype at the Ansaldo-Fossati on 3rd October 1942. The driving port, engine deck, radio antenna, part of the mudguards, and probably also the hatches are missing. Source: pinterest.com

For the prototype’s production, the Semovente M42 chassis with the license plate Regio Esercito 5844 was modified. Due to the higher recoil of the new gun, the armored superstructure was lengthened 11 cm at the front. An easily noticeable detail is the presence of a third bolt on the frontal angled armored plate’s upper side.

A Semovente M42 da 75/18 in German service (top) and a Semovente M42M da 75/34 in German service (below). The bolts are shown in red. Sources: beutepanzer.ru with highlights by author

Apart from these structural modifications, the spherical support for the gun was also modified and was placed in the center of the frontal armored plate. Its traverse was 18° to either side (instead of the previous 20° on left and 16° on right) and elevation was from -12° to +22°

The ammunition racks of the Semoventi da 75/18 were modified to permit the transportation of 45 75 mm rounds and 1,344 rounds for the secondary armament.

Because of all these modifications, the new chassis received a new designation: M42M. The first M stood for Medio (English: Medium), the number ‘42’ referenced the year in which it was accepted into service, and the last M meant Modificato (English: Modified) due to the longer casemate and other smaller modifications. This was also the case for the Semovente M41M da 90/53, which, due to the new superstructure and armament, was renamed.

Images of the prototype at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente on 26th February 1943. Sources: pinterest.com

The prototype was tested on 15th March 1943. During testing, the maximum muzzle velocity registered was 618 m/s and maximum firing range was 12,000 m, compared to the 7,000-7,500 m of the Semoventi da 75/18. This allowed the semoventi to perform the role of self propelled artillery as well as tank destroyers. Doctrinally, the Regio Esercito had developed the semoventi as support vehicles. Nevertheless, the Italians, and the Germans after the Italian Armistice, deployed the semoventi mainly as tank destroyers.

Design

Armor

The armor was both bolted to an internal frame. This arrangement did not offer the same efficiency as a mechanically welded plate, but facilitated the replacement of an armor element in case it had to be repaired.

The frontal armor of the transmission cover was rounded and 30 mm thick. The upper transmission cover and inspection hatches were 25 mm thick and angled at 80°. The frontal plate of superstructure, including the driver’s slot, was angled at 5° and was 50 mm thick. The sides of the hull and superstructure, angled at 7°, were 25 mm thick.

The back of the superstructure was 25 mm thick angled at 0° and 12°, while the back of the hull was 25 mm thick angled at 20°.

Semovente M42M da 75/34 during anti-tank training. Source: instagram.com @Forza_Italiana colourized by Johannes Dorn

The roof was composed of 15 mm armored plates, horizontal in the first section and then angled to 85°. On the sides of the roof, other 15 mm plates were angled at 65° on the right and to 70° on the left side.

The engine compartment roof and inspection hatches for the engine compartment were composed of 9 mm armored plates angled at 74°. The brakes’ inspection hatches were 25 mm thick, whilst the driver’s port on the front armored plate was 50 mm thick. The floor of the vehicle was a thin 6 mm, which did not protect the crew from mine explosions.

Hull and Casemate

On the left front mudguard, there was a support for the jack. On the sides of the superstructure, there were two headlights for night operations. The engine deck had two large-size inspection hatches which could be opened by 45°. Between the two inspection hatches were the sapper tools, including a shovel, a pickaxe, a crowbar, and a track removal system.

The rear of the vehicle had the horizontal radiator cooling grills and, in the center, the fuel cap. The rear had a towing ring in the center and two hooks on the sides, two spare wheels (which was then reduced to just the one placed on the right), and a license plate on the left side with a brake light. A smoke grenade box was placed on the rear armored plate.

On either side of engine deck, on the rear fenders, there were two storage boxes and the mufflers covered by a steel shield to protect them from impacts.

A total of eight racks for 20-liter cans were placed on the sides of the vehicle, four on each side, just like on other Italian self-propelled guns and tanks. In fact, from 1942 onward, the racks were factory fitted on all vehicles, as most would have gone to operate in Africa, where the cans would have increased the range of the vehicle. It should be noted, however, that on the Semoventi M42M da 75/34, the cans were not transported because they were never sent to North Africa, and it was not necessary to transport a great amount of fuel during operations in Italy, where it was deployed.

On the inside, starting from the front of the vehicle, was the transmission connected to the braking system, which had two armored inspection hatches. These could be opened from outside by means of two handles, or from the inside by means of a knob located on the right side of the vehicle, which could be used by the gunner. On the left was the driver’s seat equipped with a fold-down back for easy access. In front, it had two steering tillers, a driving port that could be closed with a lever, and a hyposcope used when the port was closed. The hyposcope had 19 x 36 cm dimensions and a vertical field of view of 30°, from +52° to +82°. On the left was the dashboard and, on the right, the gun breech.

Engine and Suspension

The Semovente M42M’s engine was inherited from the previous Semovente M42 da 75/18 and Carro Armato M15/42. In addition to the increase in displacement, which increased the overall performance of the vehicle, the novelty was that the new engine worked on gasoline instead of diesel fuel, which had been used by the engines on the Carro Armato M13/40, Carro Armato M14/41, and the SPGs based on their hulls. The change from diesel to gasoline was due to the fact that the Italian diesel reserves were almost completely exhausted in mid-1942.

The FIAT-SPA 15TB Modello 1942 engine, radiator, and cooling system. Source: bnamodel.com

The new FIAT-SPA 15TB Modello 1942 (‘B’ for ‘Benzina’) petrol, water-cooled 11,980 cm³ engine developed 190 hp at 2,400 rpm (some other sources claim a maximum output of 192 hp or even 195 hp). It was designed by FIAT using the FIAT-SPA 15T Modello 1941, 8-cylinder V-shaped, diesel engine, 11,980 cm³ producing 145 hp at 1,900 rpm as its base. It was produced by FIAT’s subsidiary company, the Società Piemontese Automobili, or SPA (English: Piedmontese Automobile Company).

On the Semoventi M42 and M42M, the engine system was slightly different from the Carro Armato M15/42. They had different starting and lighting systems, engine cooling system, and fuel circulation. In order to start the engine, a Magneti Marelli electric starter was used, but an inertial starter produced by the Onagro company of Turin was also available. The lever for the inertia starter could be inserted outside the vehicle, on the rear, or from the inside of the fighting compartment. Two crewmembers had to turn the crank, reaching about 60 rotations per minute. At that point, the driver could turn the engine button on the dashboard until the first strokes of the engine.

An Italian Semovente M42 da 75/18 in German service during maintenance in a German unit field workshop. The FIAT-SPA 15TB Modello 1942 petrol engine is in the foreground. Even if the main armament and superstructure differed, the engine compartment was left unchanged. The engine compartment had the engine deck removed. Behind the Semovente there is a Jagdpanzer IV. Source: eshop

The FIAT-SPA 15TB Modello 1942 engine gave the vehicle a maximum velocity of 38 km/h on-road and 20 km/h off-road. It had an on-road range of 200 km and an off-road range of 130 km, or 12 operational hours.

On the Carro Armato M15/42 and Semovente M42M da 75/34, thanks to the increased space in engine compartment, the tank’s fuel tanks were increased to 367 liters in the main tanks, plus 40 liters in the reserve tank. This gave a total of 407 liters. It is not clear how many liters were transported on the Semovente M42M. In the book Carro M, Carri Medi M11/39, M13/40, M14/41, M15/42 Semoventi e altri Derivati, the authors mention that the vehicle had only 338 liters of fuel in the tanks, while Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano fino al 1943 mentions only 327 liters of fuel in its fuel tanks. This figure is also supported by Ralph Riccio in Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II.

The engine was connected to a new transmission produced by FIAT, with 5 forward and one reverse gears, one gear more than the previous vehicles.

The suspension was of the semi-elliptical leaf spring type. On each side, there were four bogies with eight doubled rubber road wheels paired on two suspension units in total. This suspension type was obsolete and did not allow the vehicle to reach a high top speed. In addition, it was very vulnerable to enemy fire or mines. Due to the lengthening of the hull, one of the two suspension units was mounted a few inches further back.

The M42 chassis had 26 cm wide tracks with 86 track links per side, six more than the Carri Armati M13/40, M14/41, and Semoventi M40 and M41, due to the hull lengthening.

The drive sprockets were at the front and the idlers with modified track tension adjusters at the back, with three rubber return rollers on each side. The small surface area of the tracks (14,200 cm²) caused a ground pressure of 1.03 kg/cm², increasing the risk that the vehicle would bog down in mud, snow, or sand.

Radio Equipment

The radio apparatus of the Semovete M42M da 75/34 was an Apparato Ricetrasmittente Radio Fonica 1 per Carro Armato or Apparato Ricevente RF1CA (English: Tank Phonic Radio Receiver Apparatus 1). It was a radiotelephone and radiotelegraph station with a power of 10 Watts in both voice and telegraphy in a 35 x 20 x 24.6 cm sized-box and a weight of about 18 kg. It was placed on the left side of the superstructure, behind the driver’s dashboard.

Operating frequency range was between 27 to 33.4 MHz. It had a range of 8 km in voice mode and 12 km in telegraphics mode. These figures reduced when the self-propelled guns were on the move.

It was powered by an AL-1 Dynamotor supplying 9-10 Watts. The batteries were four NF-12-1-24 Magneti Marelli, each with a voltage of 6 Volts, connected in series. The radio had two ranges, Vicino (Eng: Near), with a maximum range of 5 km, and Lontano (Eng: Afar), with a maximum range of 12 km.

On this semovente, a new antenna was mounted. Previously, the radio’s antenna was mounted on a support which could be lowered by a crank inside the vehicle. The loader had to turn the crank until the 1.8 m antenna was fully raised or fully down. This was a slow operation and the crank occupied space inside the fighting compartment. Starting on the Semovente M41M da 90/53, a new antenna support was mounted on the semoventi. The Semovente M42M’s new antenna had a 360° lowerable support, meaning that it could be folded in any direction. A hook on the left side of the front of casemate permitted it to rest during long drives to avoid it hitting electrical cables or interfering with driving in narrow areas.

A Semovente M42M da 75/34 in German service, with the antenna hoisted on the hook. In this case, the hook was bent, probably after a collision. The vehicle also had the four teeth added on the sprocket wheel. Source: beutepanzer.ru

Main Armament

The Cannone da 75/34 Modello SF [Sfera] (English: 75 mm L/34 Cannon Model [on Spherical Support]) was derived directly from the Cannone a Grande Gittata da 75/32 Modello 1937 gun designed by the Arsenale Regio Esercito di Napoli or AREN (English: Royal Army Arsenal of Naples).

In the first half of the 1930s, the divisional artillery of the Regio Esercito found itself using First World War era pieces, causing serious problems, as many artillery pieces produced before the 1920s could only be towed by horses or donkeys and not by trucks.

Side and upper views of the Cannone da 75/34 Modello SF at the Ansaldo-Fossati factory. Source: fondazioneansaldo.com

The new Obici da 75/18 Modello 1934 and Modello 1935 had too limited firing range to be used as conventional cannons. The request for a 75 mm long barrel cannon was answered by Ansaldo with a totally new Cannone da 75/36 (English: 75 mm L/36 Cannon) that would nonetheless never enter production. The Naples Arsenal proposed a Cannone da 75/34 obtained by mounting a new barrel, originally 40-calibers long and proposed a few years earlier as a tank gun. It was coupled with the carriage of the Obice da 75/18 Modello 1935 already in service. The Arsenale Regio Esercito di Napoli’s solution proved successful and went into production with a shortened barrel and modified muzzle brake by Ansaldo, thus being renamed Cannone a Grande Gittata da 75/32 Modello 1937.

The modifications of the semovente’s gun, compared to the field version, were limited to the cradle, which was installed on a spherical mount, specially designed by the AREN, that connected the shaft itself to the armor plates of the casemate of the armored vehicle. It was also used on the powerful Carro Armato P26/40.

The sight was mounted on the right side of the main gun, with a small openable hatch for it on the roof. It could be dismounted when not used and the hatch closed.

The Semovente M42M da 75/34 sight and reticule. Sources: heroesandgenerals.com

Secondary Armament

The secondary armament consisted of a 8 mm Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 (English: Breda Medium Machine Gun Model 1938). This gun was developed from the Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937 medium machine gun after the specifications issued by Ispettorato d’Artiglieria (English: Artillery Inspectorate) in May 1933. It was a specific vehicle-mounted variant and differed from the infantry’s Modello 1937 through a shortened barrel, pistol grip, and a new 24-round top-curved magazine instead of 20-round strip clips. These modifications were made to save up space and ease shooting with them in the cramped spaces inside armored vehicles.

The 8 mm Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938. Source: wikipedia.org

The theoretical rate of fire was 600 rounds per minute, while the practical rate of fire was about 350 rounds per minute. The 8 x 59 mm RB cartridges were developed by Breda exclusively for these machine guns. The 8 mm Breda had a muzzle velocity between 790 m/s and 800 m/s, depending on the round.

On the Semovente M42M da 75/34, the machine gun was mounted on an anti-aircraft support on the vehicle’s roof. When not deployed in an anti-aircraft role, the machine gun was stored on a support on the right sponson of the fighting compartment. Together with the support, in the right sponson, there was a maintenance kit for the machine gun.

Beginning in 1942, Italian factories started to produce a licensed copy of the German Nebelkerzenabwurfvorrichtung or NKAV (English: Smoke Grenade Dropping Device). It was a smoke grenade system that, through a wire connected to a camshaft, dropped a smoke grenade to the ground. Total capacity was 5 Schnellnebelkerze 39 (English: Quick Smoke Grenade 39) smoke grenades. The commander had to pull the wire and the camshaft rotated dropping a smoke grenade. If the commander pulled the wire 5 times, all the 5 Schnellnebelkerze 39 would be released. This system was mounted on the rear of the vehicle, so the smoke screen was created behind the vehicle and not around it, on the front arc.

An unarmored Nebelkerzenabwurfvorrichtung dismounted from a vehicle. Source: Bundesarchiv

The Germans began to stop using this system in 1942 in favor of smoke grenade launchers on the turret, because of the problem that grenades fell at the back and the tank had to reverse to hide behind. The Italians, on the other hand, apparently gave no thought to this problem and adopted it in 1942.

Photo taken during an anti-tank training exercise. The Semovente M42M da 75/34 in this image was equipped with the smoke grenade box on the rear and the spare grenade box on the rear of the casemate. Note the new type of radio antenna hoisted on its hook. Source: instagram.com @Forza_Italiana

It seems that the Italians copied the protected variant called Nebelkerzenabwurfvorrichtung mit Schutzmantel (English: Smoke Grenades Dropping Device with Protective Sheath) with a rectangular protection, even if the Italian and German protections seem different. It is not known if the Italians also produced the Schnellnebelkerze 39 smoke grenades under license or if the Italian vehicles used the grenades imported from Germany. This smoke system was quickly adopted on all the Italian armored tracked vehicles starting from the Carro Armato M15/42 and on all the semoventi on its chassis and, in a smaller version, even on the Autoblinde AB41 and AB43 medium reconnaissance armored cars.

A cylindrical support for spare smoke grenades was also transported on the vehicle. It was fixed on the rear side of the armored superstructure, over the air intake armored plate, and could transport 5 more smoke grenades.

Ammunition

In total, there were 45 rounds for the main gun and 1,344 rounds for the anti-aircraft machine gun. The 75 mm ammunition rounds were stored in two different racks, with 22 and 23 rounds. The 22-round rack had rows of four rounds interspersed with rows of three rounds, while the 23-round rack had rows of five rounds interspersed with rows of four rounds.
The racks were openable from the top, which slowed down the reloading operations. If the gun needed to fire High-Explosive rounds, the loader had to search through the rows for the explosive rounds.

Ammunition for the Cannone da 75/34 Modello SF
Name	Type	Muzzle velocity (m/s)	Weight (kg)	penetration in mm of a RHA angled at 90° at		penetration in mm of a RHA angled at 60° at
Name	Type	Muzzle velocity (m/s)	Weight (kg)	500 m	1,000 m	500 m	1,000 m
Granata Dirompente da 75/32	High-Explosive	570 (estimated)	6.35	//	//	//	//
Granata Dirompente da 75/27 Modello 1932	High-Explosive	490	6.35	//	//	//	//
Granata Perforante da 75/32	Armor Piercing	637	6.10	70	60	55	47
Granata da 75 Effetto Pronto	High-Explosive Anti-Tank	557	5.20	*	*	*	*
Granata da 75 Effetto Pronto Speciale (early type)	High-Explosive Anti-Tank	*	5.20	*	*	*	*
Granata da 75 Effetto Pronto Speciale Modello 1942	High-Explosive Anti-Tank	399**	5.30	*	*	70	70
Notes	* Unavailable data ** Muzzle velocity of the projectile fired from the L/27 gun

The machine gun rounds were increased from 1,104 (i.e. 46 magazines) on the Semoventi M41 and M42 da 75/18 to 1,344 (i.e. 56 magazines) on the Semovente M42M da 75/34. As on the previous semoventi, the machine gun rounds were transported in wooden racks mounted on the sides of the fighting compartment.

Crew

The crew of the Semovente M42M da 75/34 was composed, as on all semoventi-based on the Carri Armati M chassis, of 3 soldiers. The driver was positioned on the left of the vehicle. On his right was the gun breech. The commander/gunner was positioned on the right of the gun breech and the loader/radio operator on the left, behind the driver.

This meant that the commander had to inspect the battlefield, spot targets, aim, open fire, and, at the same time, give orders to the rest of the crew and hear all the messages that the radio operator relayed.

Similarly, the loader had to do many tasks too. Loading the gun and operating the radio equipment were the main ones, but he also manned the anti-aircraft machine gun, with the commander/gunner passing him the machine gun magazines. This meant that, when the self-propelled gun was firing with the anti-aircraft machine gun, it could not fire with the main gun, and vice versa. The loader was also the engineer of the crew, with the task of repairing the engine if the vehicle had a breakdown far from the divisional mobile workshop assigned to the unit.

In general, the better trained units were the ones equipped with self-propelled guns. The self-propelled guns were crewed by artillery personnel that had been trained in specific self-propelled gun training schools. For contrast, light tanks were crewed by cavalry personnel and medium tanks by infantry personnel.

Semoventi based on the same Carro Armato M15/42 (and previously on the Carro Armato M13/40 and Carro Armato M14/41) chassis broke down much less often than the medium tanks. This was not because of weight issues, as self-propelled guns weighed roughly as much as medium tanks and were equipped with the same engines (the Carro Armato M15/42 weighed 15 tonnes, the Semovente M42M da 75/34 weighed 15.3 tonnes). The reason why these vehicles were more efficient was because self-propelled gun crews were trained to repair military heavy trucks or prime movers to tow their artillery pieces during their basic artillery training. On the other hand, cavalry and infantry personnel instructed to operate a tank received only limited repair and maintenance training during their short tank courses.

Semoventi M42M da 75/34 Production

The first Semoventi M42M da 75/34 were only ready in May 1943. In July 1943, the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente had produced a total of 94 self-propelled guns, of which only 60 were delivered. Some of the known license plates ranged from Regio Esercito 6290 to Regio Esercito 6323.

Unfortunately, due to the confusion that followed the Armistice of September 1943, the production and delivery data for August and the early days of September 1943 are unknown.

In total, the German deployed 36 Semoventi M42M da 75/34 captured from Italian Regio Esercito forces.

The German Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen (English: General Inspector of the Armed Forces) that took control of the Italian industry after the Armistice restarted the production of these self-propelled guns. Between 9th September and 31st December 1943, a total of 50 Semoventi M42M da 75/34 were produced for the Germans. In 1944, another 30 were produced by Ansaldo for the Germans, but of these vehicles, only one was on a M42M chassis. The other ones were produced on the lower and larger M43 chassis, the same as on the Semovente M43 da 75/46.

Ignoring the gap in the production tables concerning the vehicles produced and delivered between 1st August 1943 to 8th September 1943, the total production was of 146 vehicles including the prototype.

If the 39-day gap between August and September 1943 is considered, the total production numbers would surely increase, even if not in a significant way. It is impossible to accurately give an exact number. In those 39 days, Ansaldo-Fossati could have produced several dozen semoventi. By this point, the new Semovente M42M had a high production rate, at least by Italian standards. Furthermore, during this period, the Ansaldo-Fossati plant was not hit by Allied bombardments, which would have slowed down production. After the Armistice, when the Germans restarted production, the Ansaldo-Fossati plant was hit several times by the British and US bombers that caused semoventi production to be suspended for some days. The most significant bombing raids occurred in the nights between 29th and 30th October 1943, 30th and 31st October 1943, and 9th and 10th November 1943.

In many sources, the total number of Semoventi M42M da 75/34 is stated as 174. This is not correct, as this figure also counts the 29 Semoventi M43 da 75/34.

Semoventi M42M da 75/34 Deliveries

Before the Armistice, 24 Semoventi M42M da 75/34 were assigned to the XIX Battaglione Carri Armati M15/42 (English: 19th M15/42 Tank Battalion).

Some were delivered to the 31º Reggimento Fanteria Carrista (English: 31st Tank Crew Infantry Regiment) of Siena. In summer 1943, the Regiment had in its ranks the XV Battaglione Carri and the XIX Battaglione Carri, in which there were only medium tanks, and 6a Compagnia, 7a Compagnia, and 8a Compagnia (English: 6th, 7th and 8th Companies) which were equipped with Semoventi M42M. Due to the limited number of vehicles delivered to the Regio Esercito, it is probable that only some platoons were equipped with long-barreled semoventi or that the full organic was never reached due to the Armistice.

Other Semoventi M42M da 75/34 were assigned to 32º Reggimento Fanteria Carrista (English: 32nd Tank Crew Infantry Regiment) of Verona. It had in its ranks the 1a Compagnia, 2a Compagnia, and 3a Compagnia (English: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Companies). As with the companies of the 31º Reggimento Fanteria Carrista, not all the platoons were equipped with Semoventi M42M or the companies’ ranks were only partially filled with Semoventi M42M.

On 1st July 1943, the XXX Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri (English: 30th Anti-Tank Self-Propelled Gun Battalion) was formed under the command of Major Aldo Riscica. It was assigned to the 30ª Divisione di Fanteria ‘Sabauda’ (English: 30th Infantry Division) with a semoventi company assigned to each of its infantry regiments for infantry support and anti-tank roles. It probably had an organic strength of 18 Semoventi M42M da 75/34.

For the 135a Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete II’ (English: 135th Armored Division), the three company CXXXV Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri (English: 135th Anti-Tank Self-Propelled Gun Battalion) was created.

Operational Use

Regio Esercito

At least a Semovente M42M da 75/34, with license plate Regio Esercito 6310, was assigned to the Reggimento di Cavalleria ‘Cavalleggeri di Alessandria’ (English: Cavalry Regiment) on 12th July 1943 and was seen in training with Italian soldiers.

An Italian soldier trains to launch a Breda Modello 1942 anti-tank hand grenade against a Semovente M42 da 75/34 of the Reggimento di Cavalleria ‘Cavalleggeri di Alessandria’. Source: instagram.com @Forza_Italiana

The 135a Divisione Cavalleria Corazzata ‘Ariete’ (English: 135th Armored Cavalry Division) was formed on 1st April 1943 in Ferrara. The command of the unit was given to the Brigade General Raffaele Cadorna, former chief of the Pinerolo Cavalry School and son of Luigi Cadorna, the Italian general who won the Italian campaign of the First World War.

After a brief period of training and vehicle deliveries, in late-May or June 1943, the unit was bolstered by the CXXXV Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri that had crewmembers taken from the 32º Reggimento Fanteria Carrista.

The division was later renamed 135a Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete II’ and had in it ranks:

In the end, the Division never received its full complement of the planned 260-270 tanks and self-propelled guns for all its armored regiments. Instead, it only received 40 tanks and self-propelled guns, 50 armored cars (out of 70 planned), and 70 artillery pieces. Other sources claim that the total organic strength was of 247 armored vehicles and 84 artillery pieces, but that, on 8th September 1943, the Division was equipped with 176 armored vehicles and 70 artillery pieces.

Some sources claim that the CXXXV Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri was composed of 12 Semoventi M42M da 75/34 in two companies instead of the 18 in three companies, as stated by other sources. This may mean that not all the self-propelled guns were delivered to the battalion or, maybe, that the vehicles were delivered in two batches on two different occasions.

A Semovente M42M da 75/34 of the CXXXV Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri during training in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, date unknown. Even if part of the vehicle is covered by foliage, the one-tone desert camouflage and the smoke grenade box are visible. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano fino al 1943

The CXXXV Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri took part in some of the training that occurred in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Emilia Romagna regions until 26th July 1943.
On 25th July 1943, the King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele III, ordered the arrest of Benito Mussolini and disbanded his government in favor of a monarchic one, which continued being allied with the Germans.

Before the arrest of the Italian dictator, Rome’s defense (from Allied landings or paratrooper attacks) was assured by the 1ª Divisione Corazzata Camicie Nere ‘M’ (English: 1st Black Shirt Armored Division) that was considered loyal to Mussolini (the Camicie Nere were the most loyal units of the Fascist Army). The new government immediately understood that this Division, deployed on the north side of Rome, could easily carry out a coup d’etat to re-establish the fascist regime.

For these reasons, Marshal Pietro Badoglio, the new Italian Prime Minister, renamed it the 136ª Divisione Legionaria Corazzata ‘Centauro’ (English: 136th Legionnaire Armored Division), ordered its removal from its defensive position near Rome, put pro-monarchic commanders in charge, and expelled the most extremist soldiers. To replace it, the 135a Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete II’ was ordered on 26th July 1943 to reach the capital city. The ‘Ariete II’ Division was tasked with defending Rome from Allied landings or paratrooper attacks and from Italian soldiers loyal to Benito Mussolini.

The CXXXV Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri was placed in the Cesano area, north of Rome, where it continued the training with the semoventi.

When the news of the Armistice’s signing was made public by the Ente Italiano per le Audizioni Radiofoniche or EIAR (English: Italian Body for Radio Broadcasting) at 19:42 of 8th September 1943, Italian units were left confused, as they had not received orders on how to proceed. The CXXXV Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri continued being placed in the area of Cesano. The Battalion was not yet ready for combat and it received only a minor task, to create a defensive line between Osteria Nuova and the Cesano train station. At18:00 of 9th September 1943, the CXXXV Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri retreated with other units of the division to Tivoli, where the Division surrendered to the Germans the next day.

A Semovente M42M da 75/34 of the CXXXV Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri da 75/34 of the 135a Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete II’ near Cesano di Roma in early September 1943. Source: wikipedia.it

Repubblica Sociale Italiana

After the Armistice, Benito Mussolini was freed by the Germans. He immediately created a new state in the Italian territories not yet under Allied control, the Repubblica Sociale Italiana (English: Italian Social Republic). This was essentially a puppet state under German control. Its army was the Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano or ENR (English: National Republican Army) that was supported by its military police, the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana or GNR (English: National Republican Guard).

The Semovente M42M da 75/34 of the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’ shortly after its delivery. Source: Storia dei Reparti Corazzati della Repubblica Sociale Italiana

The Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’ (English: Armored Squadrons Group) of the ENR received a Semovente M42M da 75/34 in Autumn 1944. It was a former Regio Esercito vehicle, with the original license plate Regio Esercito 6303 and the letters R^o E^to deleted by the soldiers loyal to Mussolini.

The Semovente had a brief service life. It was a former Regio Esercito vehicle that was probably captured damaged by the Germans in the days after the Armistice, after its original crew had sabotaged it. It remained under repairs until around autumn 1944. When the vehicle was delivered to the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’, it had some performance problems that negatively influenced the opinion of its users. Due to mechanical problems, the vehicle was not deployed like other armored vehicles in service with the unit.

A Semovente M42M da 75/34 being loaded onto a French-built tank trailer towed by a Carro Armato M13/40 in early 1945. Source: …Come il Diamante

In mid-April 1945, the majority of the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’s’ armored vehicles moved from Mariano del Friuli to Ruppa to fight the Yugoslav partisans. The Semovente M42M da 75/34 was not part of this unit, as it was probably under repair in Mairano. The fate of the only Semovente M42M of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana is unknown. It was probably still under repair when the unit surrendered to the partisans.

A document of the High Command of the new fascist government dated 25th February 1945 lists the vehicles in service with the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ (English: Armored Group) of the GNR. In this list, 24 Semoventi M42M da 75/34 are said to be “in the process of being withdrawn from German service” but nothing more is known. They were never delivered to the Italian armored unit. The semoventi were probably assigned to a German Panzerjäger-Abteilung (English: Anti-Tank Battalion) operating in Italy.

Italian Partisans

The Italian Partisans took possession of a Semovente M42M da 75/34 in the last days of the war. In late April 1945, in anticipation of the Allied forces arriving and to prevent the Germans from demolishing important targets in North Italy’s most important cities, Italian Partisans carried out a major insurrection organized by the Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale or CLN (English: National Liberation Committee). On 25th April 1945, they entered the cities of Turin, Milan, Genoa and many others, starting to fight the last Nazi-Fascist forces.

Before the partisan insurrection, in Turin, some Partisans infiltrated factories dressed as workers to gather support from the workforce and prepare them to fight against the Fascist forces. One of the factories targeted was the Società Piemontese Automobili plant on Corso Ferrucci 122.

In the latter stages of the war, due to the major damage at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente, part of the assembly of Italian armored vehicles had been moved to SPA in Turin. A Semovente M42M da 75/34 and a pair of Carri Armati M15/42 were in the factory, awaiting repairs. The Partisans and workers finished the assembly and deployed the vehicles in the city’s liberation.

On the afternoon of 26th April 1945, the factory was hit by Nazi-Fascist tank fire that damaged it. The workers fought tenaciously, but the enemy armored vehicles penetrated the main courtyard of the factory. A rain of Molotov cocktails and hand grenades made the enemy forces fall back, leaving behind a burning armored vehicle.

The assembly of the vehicles was finished at 21:00, after the first enemy attack, while the Nazi-Fascist forces prepared for a second attack.

The Axis arrived shortly after 21:00 with two tanks (listed by the Partisan and factory official diary sources as “heavy”, even though they were probably medium tanks), an armored car and some trucks of the Black Brigades. They started to fire on the factory with the vehicle’s guns. The workers and the Partisans were in a desperate situation and low on ammunition. A worker then took a Carro Armato M15/42 and drove out of the factory at high speed. The enemy forces were taken by surprise and retreated, presuming that there were many other tanks ready to fight in the factory. Actually, Società Piemontese Automobili only assembled the tanks and had no ammunition for them in its depots. The three vehicles may have been able to move, but they had no rounds for the main guns or machine guns and only a small amount of fuel.

If the Partisan Semovente M42M da 75/34 was deployed in other actions is not known. Considering the scarcity of 75 mm rounds for the Cannone da 75/34, it is unlikely it saw much action against the Fascist forces. Once the Partisans liberated Turin, the Semovente M42M da 75/34 was paraded through the city’s streets on 2nd May 1945, alongside other vehicles deployed by the Partisans to free the city or captured during the fighting.

Images of the Semovente M42M da 75/34 taken during the parade of 2nd May 1945 in Turin. In the first one, behind the semovente, there is a Carro Armato M14/41 and a SPA Dovunque 41 heavy truck towing a trailer. All the vehicles are full of Partisans. Sources: pinterest.com

German Service

In German service, the Beute Sturmgeschütz M42 mit 75/34 851(Italienisch) (English: Captured Assault Gun M42 with 75/34 Code 851 [Italian]), as the Germans renamed it, was deployed mainly in Italy, even if some German units deployed the Sturmgeschütz M42 in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.

The German judgment on the Italian long-barreled self-propelled gun was better than the ones on the Beute Sturmgeschütz M41 and M42 mit 75/18 850(i) (Semoventi M41 and M42 da 75/18). The Cannone da 75/34 was considered capable of dealing with the majority of Allied medium tanks at short ranges, such as in an ambush position. Thanks to their small dimensions and limited weight, Beute Sturmgeschütz M42 mit 75/34 851(i) were deployed by Germans to quickly ambush advancing Allied columns and then move to hide to avoid the Allied planes called to intervene in the area. Even though it was a desperate defensive strategy, it was successful, and many German units successfully slowed down the Allied advance through Italy.

In total, the German forces captured 36 Semoventi M42M da 75/34 that had already been produced for the Regio Esercito. After September 1943, the production was restarted and a total of 51 Sturmgeschütz M42 mit 75/34 were produced and delivered to the Germans.

A former Regio Esercito Semovente M42M da 75/34 captured and reused by German forces. It had its original Regio Esercito’s license plate and camouflage. Source: beutepanzer.ru

Semovente M43 da 75/34

In 1944, a total of 29 Semoventi da 75/34 were produced for the Germans on the M43T chassis (where the T stands for Tedesco – German). It was essentially a Semovente M43 da 75/46 armed with a Cannone da 75/34 Modello SF. The engine compartment remained unchanged. The main differences between the M42 and M43 chassis was that the new chassis was 4 cm longer, reaching a length of 5.10 m (18 cm more than the M40 and M41 chassis), 17 cm wider (2.40 m compared to 2.23 m of the M42), and 10 cm lower (1.75 m compared to 1.85 m of the M42). Finally, the flameproof armor plate separating the engine compartment from the fighting compartment was moved back 20 cm, increasing the space for the crew.

These modifications were initially intended for the Semovente M43 da 105/25 armed with a large howitzer with greater recoil, but were also adapted for the Semovente M43 da 75/34 and for the Semovente M43 da 75/46.

In these two self-propelled guns, the superstructure’s shape was changed because of the addition of 25 mm armored plates on the front and sides.

A rare bad quality image of a Semovente M43 da 75/34 in German service. Note the bolted armor plates on the front and side partially covered by the white-camouflage tarpaulin. The self-propelled gun was also equipped with 3 Breda Modello 1938 machine guns. Source: warthunder.com

Camouflage

In the first period of their production, the Semoventi M42M da 75/34 were delivered by Ansaldo-Fossati in a Kaki Sahariano (English: Saharan Khaki) desert camouflage, which was the standard one until early 1943. An example is the Semovente M42M da 75/34 seen during training in Friuli-Venezia Giulia which spots this camouflage.

After only a few vehicles were delivered, the camouflage was then changed by a new Regio Esercito High Command circular. The new 3-tone Continentale (English: Continental) camouflage was painted on all to-be-delivered vehicles. The Continentale consisted of a Kaki Sahariano base with reddish brown and dark green spots.

Italian soldier training to break a tank’s track to stop its driving. The self-propelled gun used for the training was a Semovente M42M da 75/34 with Continentale camouflage. Colorized by Johannes Dorn Source: instagram.com @Forza_Italiana

There are no images of Semoventi M42M da 75/34 of the Regio Esercito with any insignia or coat of arms, but, as on all Italian vehicles, a 63 cm diameter white circle was painted over the vehicle’s fighting compartment hatches for air recognition.

The Semovente of the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’ was delivered to the unit in the standard Kaki Sahariano camouflage, but was probably repainted in late 1944 with the unit’s camouflage. It consisted of reddish brown and dark green vertical lines.

Another image of the Semovente M42M da 75/34 loaded on the French-built trailer. The Carro Armato M13/40 can be seen with the same camouflage. Source: …Come il Diamante

The Semovente M42M da 75/34 assembled by the Partisans was also in the standard Kaki Sahariano. This camouflage remained the standard color of the armored vehicles of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ that operated in the city. To avoid friendly fire, the Partisans painted Communist symbols, such as a hammer and sickle, on the vehicle, together with the Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale and Società Piemontese Automobili acronym and also names of fallen comrades, such as ‘Piero’. The word ‘Nembo’ was also written in white on the gun barrel and rear armored plate, and it probably referred to the 184ª Divisione Paracadutisti ‘Nembo’ (English: 184th Paratrooper Division), but the exact reason is actually unknown.

Three cheerful Italian Partisans playfully posing for a photographer near the Semovente M42M da 75/34 in front of the Teatro Colosseo of Via Madama Cristina 71 in Turin. The sight hatch on the casemate roof is opened. Source: e-shop

Conclusion

The Semovente M42M da 75/34 was one of the last Italian projects that had time to be produced before the Armistice. It was a vehicle of questionable capabilities. It was built on an inadequate chassis that was cramped in the inside and subject to frequent breakdowns. One of its main drawbacks was its small crew, who were forced to carry out too many tasks, limiting the effectiveness of the Semovente M42M da 75/34 as a weapon of war. On the other hand, its main armament was adequate to deal with many Allied medium tanks, something which its predecessors had been unable to.

It was also produced in high numbers, at least by Italian standards, with over 145 vehicles built. These actually barely saw service with a few Italian units before the Armistice. After this, a dozen German divisions deployed in Italy and in the Balkans would use it for the rest of the conflict.

Semovente M42M da 75/34 in Continentale camouflage. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Semovente M42M da 75/34 of the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Semovente M42M da 75/34 assembled by Italian Partisans. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Semovente M42M da 75/34 Specification
Size (L-W-H)	???? x 2.28 x 1.85 m
Weight, battle ready	15.3 tonnes
Crew	3 (Commander/gunner, driver, and loader/radio operator)
Engine	FIAT-SPA 15TB M42, petrol, water-cooled 11,980 cm³, 190 hp at 2400 rpm with 327 liters
Speed	38.40 km/h
Range	200 km
Armament	1 Cannone da 75/34 Modello SF with 45 rounds and 1 Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 with 1,344 rounds
Armor	50 mm front and 25 mm sides and rear
Production	1 prototype and at least 145 serial vehicles

Sources

Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, Volume Secondo, Tomo II – Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano – Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito – 2002

Italian Medium Tanks 1939-45; New Vanguard Book 195 – Filippo Cappellani and Pier Paolo Battistelli – Osprey Publishing, 20th December 2012

Andare contro i carri armati. L’evoluzione della difesa controcarro nell’esercito italiano dal 1918 al 1945 – Nicola Pignato e Filippo Cappellano – Udine 2008

Storia dei Reparti Corazzati della Repubblica Sociale Italiana – Paolo Crippa – Maravia Editions – October 2022

Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II – Ralph A. Riccio – Mattioli 1885 – 2010

Semicingolati, Motoveicoli e Veicoli Speciali del Regio Esercito Italiano 1919-1943 – Giulio Benussi – Intergest Publishing – 1976

www.istoreto.it

WW2 Italian SPGs

Semovente M41M da 90/53

Semovente M41M da 90/53 of the CLXIII Gruppo. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Kingdom of Italy (1941-1944)
Tank Destroyer – 30 Built

One of the last Semovente M41M da 90/53 produced, with the license plate Regio Esercito 5826, outside the Ansaldo-Fossati plant of Sestri Ponente, near Genoa. Behind the vehicle, on the left, was an Autoprotetto S.37. Source: Ansaldo

The Semovente M41M da 90/53 was an Italian tank destroyer developed by Ansaldo for the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army).
It was built on a Carro Armato M14/41 chassis modified to fit the powerful Cannone da 90/53 Modello 1939 (English: 90 mm L/53 Cannon Model 1939) anti-aircraft gun. It could fire deadly armor piercing and shaped charge rounds that could deal with even the most robustly armored Allied tanks.

Its low speed, light armor, and the very limited space on board, which was not enough to transport the full crew in the vehicle and only allowed for 8 90 mm rounds to be carried, were the Semovente M41M da 90/53’s main and critical drawbacks. The limited numbers produced, only 30 examples, never permitted a mass use of this complex tank destroyer.

Colorization by Johannes Dorn.

History of the Project

The Semovente M41M da 90/53 was developed, as many other Italian armored vehicles, on the suggestion of Colonel Sergio Berlese, an esteemed Italian designer, member of the Servizio Tecnico di Artiglieria (English: Artillery Technical Service).

Col. Berlese visited various German military vehicle production plants in 1940. At the production plant of Kiel, he was impressed by the German armed half-track based on a Sd.Kfz.8 chassis and returned to the Kingdom of Italy, suggesting to his commanders that similar vehicles should be produced in Italy. He easily managed to gain interest from the High Command of the Regio Esercito, and some generals showed some positive opinions towards the production of half-tracks in Italy.

In fact, some senior Italian officers had positive opinions on the production of half-tracks in Italy after seeing the German 8.8 cm FlaK 18 (Selbstfahrlafette) auf Schwere Zugkraftwagen 12t (Sd.Kfz.8) (English: 8.8 cm FlaK 18 [Self-Propelled Gun Carriage] on [Sd.Kfz.8] Heavy Traction Vehicle 12 tonnes) in action during the French campaign.

The German 8.8 cm FlaK 18 (Selbstfahrlafette) auf Schwere Zugkraftwagen 12t (Sd.Kfz.8), called ‘Bunkerflak’ by the Germans, for its main role of destroying enemy bunkers. Source: twitter.com @Tank_Archives

Col. Berlese planned to create an Italian armed half-track, even if, at that time, Italy did not produce half-tracks.

The Regio Esercito’s General Staff, enthusiastic about Col. Berlese’s ideas, ordered him to develop his design on the chassis of a fully tracked vehicle. This decision was made to speed up the project. If it was necessary to wait for the production of a half-track chassis to create a self-propelled gun on. However, it would have taken a great deal of time that the Regio Esercito simply did not have.

This led to two different design paths. Under the supervision of Col. Berlese, an artillery piece was mounted on a fully tracked chassis. This was the Semovente M40 da 75/18, one of the most successful vehicles of the Regio Esercito during the war and the only one of Col. Berlese’s designs actually built.

The other design path led the Italian Army High Command to put out some requests for the creation of half-tracks in 1941. The Regio Esercito envisioned that the half-track chassis would be used both for logistic roles and to mount guns on them, transforming them into autocannoni (English: Truck-Mounted Artillery Pieces).

Influenced by the German experience of the FlaK 8.8 cm guns mounted on flatbed half-tracks, on 12th January 1941, the Italian Regio Esercito‘s High Command requested Ansaldo-Fossati to create a 90 mm Cannone da 90/53 Modello 1939, with similar characteristics to the German gun, to be mounted on a truck chassis.

On 10th March 1941, the prototypes of the truck-mounted artillery vehicles, called in Italian autocannoni (autocannone singular), on Lancia 3Ro and Breda 52 heavy duty trucks were presented to the Regio Esercito.

An Autocannone da 90/53 su Lancia 3Ro. A total of 30 Lancia 3Ro heavy duty trucks were converted by Ansaldo-Fossati plant into these autocannoni before they were replaced by the sturdier Breda 52. Source: flickr.com @Panzer DB

It was immediately clear that these were just stopgaps before better designed vehicles were available, such as the Autocannone da 90/53 su Autocarro Semicingolato Breda 61, one of Col. Berlese’s half-track-mounted artillery projects, but these never went past the paper design stage.

The Autocannone da 90/53 su Autocarro Semicingolato Breda 61, Col. Berlese’s unrealized project. Source: Gli Autoveicoli dell’Esercito Italiano fino al 1943

On 29th December 1941, Ansaldo, which had produced the Autocannoni da 90/53 su Lancia 3Ro and Autocannoni da 90/53 su Breda 52, received the order to also develop a tracked vehicle equipped with the 90 mm dual use gun.

Even if the original Regio Esercito requirements for this vehicle were never met, it can be assumed that the Semovente M41M da 90/53 was produced to counter Soviet heavy tanks. This thesis is supported by many Italian writers. Evidence can be found in that the prototypes and preseries vehicles’ camouflage were gray-green, instead of the common desert khaki camouflage. Similarly, the first programmed deployment was on the Eastern Front.

History of the Prototype

Although the Regio Esercito’s official requirements date from late December 1941, there is photographic evidence from Ansaldo’s archives of a project of a 90 mm gun on a tracked chassis that began in autumn 1941, with the creation of a wooden mock-up in November 1941, with the unofficial designation of Cannone Anticarro (English: Anti-Tank Gun).

Two images of the Cannone Anticarro mock-up. Sources: Ansaldo

In January 1942, the pedestal for the 90 mm gun to be mounted on a tank was ready. After that, a new wooden mock-up of the vehicle was built on a Carro Armato M14/41 chassis. The tank’s hull was heavily modified, and the official designation changed from M41 (normal designations for M14/41 converted to semoventi) to M41M, in which the second M stood for Modificato (English: Modified). After the modification of the first M41 chassis, a dummy wooden barrel, trunnion, and a mock-up of the superstructure were presented to General Ugo Cavallero, Chief of Staff of the Regio Esercito, and former president of Ansaldo.

The already modified M41M hull with the superstructure mock-up and dummy gun. Sources: Ansaldo

The gun was placed on the rear of the vehicle on a trunion connected to a frontal shield. To free up space for the gun, the engine was placed in the vehicle’s center, with a driver and a commander in front of the engine compartment. As on the standard M14/41, the gearbox and brakes were placed in front of the driving position.

Chief of Staff of the Regio Esercito, Ugo Cavallero (at the front with mustache), examines the Semovente M41M da 90/53 prototype with a wooden superstructure and gun. Source: Ansaldo

The prototype of the Semovente M41M da 90/53 in the testing ground of the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in 1942. Behind the vehicle, Sestri-Ponente. Source: Ansaldo

The first prototype was ready in late February and tested on 5th March 1942.

It was immediately clear that the protection for the gun crew was not enough, and a new shield was developed. This new one protected the front, sides, and roof of the gun breech, increasing the crew’s protection and permitting the installation of the radio apparatus on the internal side of the armored plates.

On 6th April 1942, Agostino Rocca, Chief Executive Officer of Ansaldo, wrote to General Ugo Cavallero, explaining the situation of the new self-propelled gun.

In his letter, Rocca explained that the vehicle was better than what Ansaldo had anticipated thanks to the characteristics of the Cannone da 90/53 Modello 1939 and of the Carro Armato M14/41 chassis, which could be modified to fit together.

That same day, just a month after the tests of the first prototype and less than 5 months after the requirements for the development of the self-propelled gun, the first 6 examples were already assembled.

One of the first Semovente M41M da 90/53 assembled outside the Ansaldo-Fossati production line. In this image, the full traverse of the gun is shown. Source: Ansaldo

Design

Hull

The hull of the Semovente M41M da 90/53 was the same as on the Carro Armato M14/41 Iª Serie. At the front, the tank had a cast rounded transmission cover. The rounded plate had two hooks on the sides and a towing ring in the center. There were also two inspection hatches above the brakes to improve the flow of air around the transmission, especially to help cool the clutch on long drives. In combat, these hatches were to be closed. The two hatches could be opened or closed from inside the vehicle even while driving by means of a lever located on the right side of the chassis, operated by the commander.

Behind the gearbox was the driving compartment, with the driver sat on the left and the commander on the right. There were two rectangular hatches over their heads to enter and exit the vehicle. On the sides, there were two headlights for night driving.

The Semovente M41M da 90/53 with license plate Regio Esercito 5826. In this photo, the Ansaldo-Fossati plant is visible to the vehicle’s side. Behind the Semovente M41M da 90/53 is the same Autoprotetto S37 as in other photographs. Source: Ansaldo

The engine deck, behind the hatches for the crew, was the same as the original M14/41 but placed in the vehicle’s center. The chassis on the Semovente M41M da 90/53 was lengthened by some 17 cm compared to the M14/41 and the gun was placed on a trunnion on a small rear platform.

A Semovente M41M da 90/53 at the Ansaldo-Fossati. From this angle, the unmodified M14/41 engine deck is clearly visible. The white roundel on the superstructure’s roof was painted for aerial recognition. Source: Ansaldo

On the rear, under the gun’s pedestal, there were two rectangular doors where a total of 8 90 mm rounds were stored in two rows of two rounds per door.

Armor

The Semovente M41M da 90/53 chassis’ armor was the same as on the Carro Armato M14/41 it was based on. The two armored vehicles had 30 mm of armor on the rounded transmission cover plate. The upper armored plate that covered the transmission was 25 mm thick and angled at 80°. The driving compartment had a front plate 30 mm thick and angled at 0°. The sides of the hull and rear were 25 mm. The roof of the driving compartment was composed of 15 mm armored plates.

The engine compartment’s roof and inspection hatches were made of 10 mm armored plates angled at 74°. The brake inspection hatches were 25 mm thick. The floor of the vehicle was built out of 6 mm armored plates that were unable to protect the crew and engine compartments from mine explosions.

The armor was bolted to an internal frame, allowing for rapid construction of the vehicle as well as easier replacement of damaged armor plates than on models with welded or cast armor. The downside for this construction method was that it was not as light as a welded vehicle and that it generally made the armor less effective than it could have been.

Gun Shield

The gun gun shield was placed on the rear and was 30 mm thick on the front, angled at 29°. The middle ‘cheek’ plates were 15 mm thick angled at 18°, and the sides were 15 mm thick angled at 0°. The roof of the gun shield was 15 mm thick.

There were two rectangular holes on the roof of the gun shield for the panoramic hyposcopes for the gunner and loader.

On the chassis, a 6 mm thick plate was added to protect the lower part of the gun shield. The plate had two holes for the mufflers.

A Semovente M41M da 90/53 during training in Nettuno. Source: pinterest.com

On the left internal side of the gun shield, the radio apparatus and its batteries were placed. Between the armored plate and the breech, positioned in the middle, was the loader/radio operator’s seat, whilst, on the right side, was the gunner’s seat.

In front of the two gun crewmembers were the cranks for gun traverse and elevation. Due to the small space available, there was no electric engine to elevate and traverse the heavy gun, which had to be done manually.

Semovente M41M da 90/53 at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant, with the gunner and loader in their positions. Source: Ansaldo

Engine and Transmission

The engine was the same as on the Carro Armato M14/41, the FIAT-SPA 15T Modello 1941, 8-cylinder V-shaped, diesel engine, 11,980 cm³ producing 145 hp at 1,900 rpm.

The 5-speed gearbox had 4 forward and one reverse gears. In addition, thanks to the built-in reductor, another 4 forward and one reverse gears were available. However, to switch from the standard gears to the reduced-gears, the Semovente M41M da 90/53 needed to fully stop. Unfortunately, the exact model of the transmission is not mentioned in the sources, but it was a FIAT model, probably produced by Società Piemontese Automobili, its subsidiary. It was coupled with a FERCAT oil radiator and Modello 80 oil filters.

The Semovente M41M da 90/53’s battle ready weight was 15.7 tonnes, about 1.5 tonnes more than a combat ready Carro Armato M14/41 and about 800 kg less than Ansaldo’s original estimations. The maximum speed suggested for the vehicle, to avoid stress to the engine and suspension, was 25 km/h, even if the vehicle could reach a maximum speed on-road of 35 km/h.

Drawing of the left side of a FIAT-SPA 15T Modello 1941 engine. Source: Manuale di Uso e Manutenzione Carro Armato M14/41

Track and Suspension

The suspension of the Semovente M41M da 90/53 was of the semi-elliptical leaf spring type. This suspension type was obsolete and did not allow the vehicle to reach a high top speed. In addition, it was very vulnerable to enemy fire or mines.

On each side, there were four bogies with eight doubled rubber road wheels paired on two suspension units. Due the lengthened chassis, the rear bogie was positioned some centimeters further to the rear in order to better support the weight of the gun. The drive sprockets were at the front and the idlers, with modified track tension adjusters, were at the back. There were three rubber return rollers on each side.

The tank had 26 cm wide tracks. The small surface area of the tracks (about 20,000 cm²) caused a ground pressure of about 1.30 kg/cm², increasing the risk of the vehicle bogging down in mud, snow, or sand.

The two side mufflers were equipped with longer exhaust pipes due to the central engine compartment. The exhaust pipes were positioned to prevent exhaust gasses from getting in the way of the gunner and loader’s view.

Radio Equipment

The Semovente M41M da 90/53’s radio equipment was an Apparato Ricetrasmittente Radio Fonica 1 per Carro Armato or Apparato Ricevente RF1CA (English: Tank Phonic Radio Receiver Apparatus 1) produced by Magneti Marelli. These were a radiotelephone and radiotelegraph station box with a size of 35 x 20 x 24.6 cm and a weight of about 18 kg. It had 10 watts of power in both voice and telegraphy communications.

The Magneti Marrelli RF1CA. angetmi.it

The operating frequency range was between 27 and 33.4 MHz. It was powered by an AL-1 Dynamotor supplying 9-10 Watts, mounted on the hull’s right side. It had a range of 8 km in voice mode and 12 km in telegraph mode. These capabilities were reduced when the vehicles were on the move.

One of the Semovente M41M da 90/53s at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant. From this angle, the radio apparatus on the left wall of the gun shield and its radio antenna on top are clearly visible. Source: Ansaldo

The radio had two ranges, Vicino (Eng: Near), with a maximum range of 5 km, and Lontano (Eng: Afar), with a maximum theoretical range of 12 km. In reality, even with the Lontano range, in the voice mode, it had a range of 8 km.

The antenna on its 360° foldable support and, on the right, the hook to lower it. Source: Ansaldo

The radio antenna, mounted on the left side, did not have the same lowering system as the other semoventi due to the limited space. Instead, the Semovente M41M’s antenna had a 360° lowerable support. A hook on the right side permitted it to rest during long drives, in order to avoid it hitting electrical cables or interfering with driving in narrow areas.

Two Italian tank crewmembers next to a Semovente M41M da 90/53 in the Nettuno training center. The radio antenna is in its resting position. Source: pinterest.com

Armament

The Cannone da 90/53 Modello 1939 was an anti-aircraft 90 mm gun developed from the Cannone Ansaldo-OTO da 90/50 Modello 1939 gun, which had been developed for the anti-aircraft role on the warships of the Italian Regia Marina (English: Royal Navy).

An American GI inspects the damage on the barrel of a Cannone da 90/53 on a Semovente M41M da 90/53 abandoned and sabotaged by its crew in Sicily. Source: pinterest.com

Like the German 8.8 cm FlaK gun, the Italian gun was also used as an anti-tank gun in the first phases of the war, proving equally adequate in that role. About 500 guns were used in North Africa and on the Italian mainland, sometimes even as field artillery guns in indirect fire roles.

The Cannone da 90/53 Modello 1939 during testing at the Ansaldo shooting range, the same on which the Semovente M41M da 90/53 would be tested a few years after. Source: fondazioneansaldo.com

The development of this gun started in 1938, when the Regio Esercito made a request for an anti-aircraft gun that could hit enemy bombers flying at altitudes of over 10,000 m. During that period, Ansaldo was developing the Cannone Ansaldo-OTO da 90/50 (OTO stands for ‘Odero-Terni-Orlando’, an Italian shipyard that also produced artillery pieces for the Regia Marina) and decided to create a ground version of the same gun to speed up the development.

The Cannone da 90/53’s pedestal for the installation on the Semoventi. Source: Carro M – Carri Medi M11/39, M13/40, M14/41, M15/42, Semoventi ed Altri Derivati

The first 4 cannons were ready on 30th January 1940. In April that same year, they were tested at the Nettuno Shooting Area, where they proved essentially identical to the 90/50 gun tested some months before. The gun was immediately put in production by Ansaldo.

The gun weighed 8,950 kg for the Modello 1939 towed version (6,240 kg for the gun only, not including the field mount). It had an elevation of -2° to +85° and a traverse of 360°. The rate of fire was 19 rounds per minute, while the maximum firing range was 17,400 m against ground targets and 11,300 m against flying targets. On the Semovente M41M da 90/53 the elevation was from -5° to +19° while the traverse was 45° on both sides.

A travel lock for the gun barrel on which the gun was fixed during long drives was placed on the hull.

Ammunition

The Cannone da 90/53 Modello 1939 fired different types of 90 x 679 mmR rounds, the same as the naval version.

It had characteristics comparable to the German 8.8 cm FlaK anti-aircraft gun, both in the anti-aircraft and the anti-tank roles. Unfortunately for the Regio Esercito, the anti-tank rounds for the 90 mm gun were rarely delivered to the units equipped with 90 mm guns and their anti-tank capabilities were really limited.

An Italian tank crewmember showing a 90 mm High-Explosive round to the photographer. Behind him, a Carro Armato L6/40 Porta Munizioni and a Semovente M41M da 90/53. Probably at Nettuno training center. Source: pinterest.com @Lucky01

Ammunition for the Cannone da 90/53 Modello 1939
Name	Type	Mass (kg)	Quantity of TNT (g)	Muzzle velocity (m/s)	Fuze	Penetration of RHA at 90° (mm)
Name	Type	Mass (kg)	Quantity of TNT (g)	Muzzle velocity (m/s)	Fuze	100 m	500 m	1000 m
Cartoccio Granata Esplosiva*	HE – AA	10.1	1,000	850	Modello 1936	//	//	//
Cartoccio Granata Esplosiva*	HE – AA	10.1	1,000	850	Modello 1936R	//	//	//
Cartoccio Granata Esplosiva*	HE – AA	10.1	1,000	850	Modello 1941	//	//	//
Cartoccio Granata Esplosiva*	HE – AA	10.1	1,000	850	IO40	//	//	//
Cartoccio Granata Esplosiva*	HE – AA	10.1	1,000	850	R40	//	//	//
Cartoccio Granata Perforante	APCBC	12.1	520	758	Modello 1909	130	121	110
Cartoccio Granata Perforante	APCBC	11.1	180	773	Modello 1909	156	146	123
Granata Effetto Pronto	HEAT	**	**	**	Internal Modello 1941	~ 110	~ 110	~ 110
Granata Effetto Pronto Speciale	HEAT	**	**	**	IPEM	~ 110	~ 110	~ 110
Notes	* The same round but with anti-aircraft or percussion fuze. ** Prototypes ready for testing only in mid-1943. According to some sources, they were similar to the German 88 mm HohlladungsGranate 1939 (Hl.Gr. 39)

On board the Semovente M41M da 90/53, only 8 rounds were stored in two small rectangular compartments under the gun’s trunnion. Another 26 rounds were stored on the accompanying Carri Armati L6/40 Trasporto Munizioni and another 40 in the Officine Viberti ammunition trailers, for total reserve for each semovente of 74 rounds.

The rear of a Semovente M41M da 90/53. Under the trunnion of the main gun, there were two rectangular compartments, in which a total of 8 rounds were stored. The compartments were closed by armored plates. Ansaldo-Fossati plant. Source: Ansaldo

Crew

The crew riding in the vehicle was composed of 2: driver on the left and the vehicle’s commander on the right. When the vehicle was in battery position, the two crewmembers left their stations by means of a hatch over their heads.

A Semovente M41M0 da 90/53 in Nettuno training center returns to the base after a shooting training exercise. The commander sat outside for better comfort. Source: pinterest.com

An additional 2 crewmembers were transported on board a small Carro Armato L6 Trasporto Munizioni (English: L6 Tank Ammunition Carrier). This was a specialized variant of the Carro Armato L6/40 armed with a single Breda Modello 1938 medium machine gun for air defense, a crew of two, and a total of 26 rounds on board and 40 more in an armored trailer for a Semovente M41M da 90/53.

When the Semovente M41M was in firing position, the crewmembers of the L6 left the vehicle and operated as gunner and loader of the Semovente M41M.

Photograph showing the crew of a Semovente M41 da 90/53 being reviewed by the King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele III, during his visit to Sicily in January 1943. Source: svppbellum.blogspot.com

To speed up the reloading process, it is likely that other soldiers carried on other vehicles would take part.

Production and Deliveries

The first 6 Semoventi M41M da 90/53 were ready on 6th April 1942, together with 10 Carri Armati Comando Semoventi M41 (English: Command Tank [for] Self-Propelled Gun M41) and 7 Carri Armati L6 Trasporto Munizioni. The M41Ms and L6s were assembled and delivered to the units in the following months.

In his letter to Gen. Cavallero, Ansaldo-Fossati’s CEO, Rocca, mentioned that the conversion of the Carri Armati L6/40 that arrived from Turin and the production of the Semoventi was a priority for the company. Rocca also stated that delivery of the remaining 30 Semoventi M41M da 90/53, 30 Carri Armati L6 Trasporto Munizioni and 15 Carri Armati Comando Semoventi M41 would be finalized by the end of the month with no breaks, neither holiday nor night.

Officine Viberti of Turin was also part of the production contract. The Turinese company produced the ammunition trailers for the Carri Armati L6 Trasporto Munizioni, in which 40 rounds were transported. Viberti would deliver all 30 trailers between 10th and 30th April 1942.

The first 6 Semoventi M41M da 90/53s, freshly produced, ready to be delivered to the Italian Army, outside the Ansaldo-Fossati production line. Sources: Ansaldo

Known License Plates
Regio Esercito 5805
Regio Esercito 5810
Regio Esercito 5812
Regio Esercito 5824
Regio Esercito 5825
Regio Esercito 5826

On 23th April 1942, Rocca wrote to General Piero Ago, Chief of the Comitato Superiore Tecnico Armi e Munizioni (English: Superior Technical Committee on Weapons and Munitions). In his new letter, Rocca said that on the afternoon of 22th April, an order to deliver 12 Semoventi M41M da 90/53 and 12 Carri Armati L6 Trasporto Munizioni arrived. With that, Ansaldo-Fossati had delivered a total of 24 Semoventi M41M da 90/53 and 19 Carri Armati L6 Trasporto Munizioni. Rocca also reminded the general that the Ansaldo plant of Sestri Ponente had in its depots 6 Carri Armati Comando Semoventi M41 ready for delivery.

A Carro Armato Comando Semoventi M41 of the CLXIII Gruppo da 90/53 abandoned in Sicily. 3 details are interesting in this image: the coat of arms of the CLXIII Gruppo da 90/53 painted on the side, the presence of 90 mm spent casings on the foreground and the armament of the Carro Armato Comando Semoventi consisting of a couple of Breda Modello 1938 machine-guns. Source: instagram.com @Forza_Italiana

On 25th April 1942, in a document for the Italian High Command, Rocca stated that his plant had finished the production of the last 6 Semoventi M41M da 90/53, but due to delays from Magneti Marelli, the vehicles could not be equipped with radio apparatus for a few more days and that they would be ready for delivery on 28th April. On 26th April, the last 11 Carri Armati L6 Trasporto Munizioni and 9 Carri Armati Comando Semoventi M41 were ready for delivery. Regarding the trailers produced by Officine Viberti, Rocca explained to the Italian High Command that Ansaldo had received only one of the 30 expected trailers, but that Viberti had claimed that all would be delivered by the end of the month.

One of the 30 Carri Armati L6/40 Trasporto Munizioni converted by the Ansaldo-Fossati plant towing a Viberti ammunition trailer. Source: Ansaldo

The Officine Viberti ammunition trailer. It had a total payload of 1,500 kg and a capacity for 40 rounds. Source: Officine Viberti

Service History

The 30 Semoventi M41M da 90/53, 30 Carri Armati L6 Trasporto Munizioni, and 15 Carri Armati Comando Semoventi M41 were assigned to 3 Gruppi da 90/53 (English: 90/53 Groups). The staff of the gruppi was organized on 27th January 1942 by circular No. 0034100 of the Regio Esercito’s General Staff. Each gruppo was organized into two batteries and a reparto munizioni e viveri (English: Ammunition and Supply Unit).

Gruppo da 90/53 equipment
	Group Command	Batteries	Ammunition and Supply Unit	Total
Officers	6	8	4	18
NCOs	4	14	6	24
Gunners and loaders	49	104	82	235
Vehicle drivers	12	24	32	68
Armored vehicle drivers	2	18	3	23
Staff cars	1	2	1	4
Carri Armati Comando Semoventi M41	//	12	//	12
FIAT-SPA AS37 or SPA CL39	5	6	1	12
Heavy trucks	//	//	19	19
Light trucks	//	6	3	9
Carri Armati L6/40 Trasporto Munizioni	//	8	//	8
Semoventi M41M da 90/53	//	8	//	8
Mobile workshops	//	//	1	1
One-seat motorcycles	2	4	1	7
Two-seat motorcycles	3	4	//	7
Motor tricycles	1	2	1	4
Ammunition trailers	//	8	//	8
15 tonne trailers	//	//	12	12
Machine guns	//	//	3	3
Radio stations	8	16	7	31

Each group consisted of 8 officers, 24 non-commissioned officers, 235 artillerymen, 68 truck drivers, and 23 armored vehicle drivers. The vehicle fleet consisted of 4 automobiles, 12 Carri Armati Comando Semoventi M41, 12 FIAT-SPA AS37s or SPA CL39s, 19 heavy trucks, 9 light trucks, 10 Semoventi M41M da 90/53, 1 mobile workshop, 14 motorbikes, 4 motor tricycles, 10 Viberti ammunition trailers, 12 tank trailers for tank transport, 3 machine guns, and 38 radios.

Each Gruppo da 90/53 had 2 batteries, each consisting of 5 Semoventi M41M da 90/53, 5 Carri Armati L6 Trasporto Munizioni, and two Carri Armati Comando Semoventi M41.

A column of Semoventi M41M da 90/53, probably near Nettuno. Source: instagram via forza_italiana

On 27th April 1942, the three Gruppi da 90/53 were created. These were:

10° Raggruppamento Artiglieria Controcarro da 90/53 Semovente
Name	Soldiers from	English:	Location	Commander	Number of vehicles
CLXI Gruppo da 90/53	Deposito del 1° Reggimento d’Artiglieria di Corpo d’Armata	Depot of the 1st Army Corps’ Artillery Regiment	Casale Monferrato	Major Carlo Bosco	10 Semoventi M41M da 90/53 5 Carri Armati Comando Semoventi M41
CLXII Gruppo da 90/53	Deposito del 2° Reggimento d’Artiglieria di Corpo d’Armata	Depot of the 2nd Army Corps’ Artillery Regiment	Acqui	Lieutenant Colonel Costantino Rossi	10 Semoventi M41M da 90/53 5 Carri Armati Comando Semoventi M41
CLXIII Gruppo da 90/53	Deposito del 15° Reggimento d’Artiglieria di Corpo d’Armata	Depot of the 15th Army Corps’ Artillery Regiment	Pietra Ligure	Major Vittorio Cingolani	10 Semoventi M41M da 90/53 5 Carri Armati Comando Semoventi M41

The three Gruppi were initially assigned to the 8a Armata (English: 8th Army), also called ARMata Italiana in Russia or ARMIR (English: Italian Army in Russia) and were merged into the 10° Raggruppamento (English: 10th Grouping), later renamed 10° Raggruppamento Artiglieria Controcarro da 90/53 Semovente (English: 10th 90/53 Self-propelled Anti-Tank Artillery Grouping). The Raggruppamento was sent to Nettuno for training, which could only begin on 16th August 1942, due to logistical problems. This delay was also because the Regio Esercito was delayed in creating the employment rules for this unit. Only on 20th July 1942 did the Ispettorato dell’Arma di Artiglieria (English: Artillery Army Inspectorate) publish a circular (No. 16500 S) in which it explained the composition of each group and underlined the deployment rules. The Semoventi M41M da 90/53 would have to be deployed to stop enemy assaults and to counter enemy artillery with counter battery fire.

10° Raggruppamento Artiglieria Controcarro da 90/53 Semovente practicing in the Nettuno training area. Two Semoventi M41M da 90/53 and a Carro Armato L6/40 Trasporto Munizioni are visibile. Source: pinterest.com @Lucky01

In the first months of operation, the crews, supported by the workshops of the unit and those at the Nettuno training center, tried to modify the vehicles, reinforcing the barrel of the gun and repairing the vehicles that had problems with their engines or suspensions. In fact, the drivers were trained to drive Carri Armati M (English: Medium Tanks) or Semoventi M41 da 75/18, as they had similar characteristics and weights to the Semovente M41M da 90/53, and the crews needed to learn how to drive a vehicle that weighted 1.5 tonnes more than a standard M14/41.

The initial plans of the Regio Esercito were to send the Semoventi M41M da 90/53 to the Soviet Union to counter the heavily armored Soviet T-34 and KV-1 tanks. This, however, did not happen.

A Semovente M41M da 90/53 during firing training in Nettuno. Behind it, a squad of 4 soldiers reload the gun from a Carro Armato L6/40 Trasporto Munizioni. Source: pinterest.com

The Supecomando Africa Settentrionale Italiana (English: Italian North African High Command) asked for these vehicles to be put in service in the North African campaign on 26th June 1942. Gen. Ugo Cavallero rejected this idea, insisting on his idea to send the unit to the Soviet Union.

On 16th October 1942, the 10° Raggruppamento Artiglieria Controcarro da 90/53 Semovente received the order to deploy, but not to the Soviet Union. Instead, it was sent to Sicily, as the Regio Esercito’s High Command began preparations to defend Sicily from a potential Allied invasion following their victory in the Second Battle of El Alamein.

The 10° Raggruppamento Artiglieria Controcarro da 90/53 Semovente was assigned to the Comando Supremo Forze Armate Sicilia (English: Supreme Command of the Armed Forces in Sicily) of the 6a Armata (English: 6th Army) in Sicily.

The CLXI Gruppo da 90/53 and the CLXII Gruppo da 90/53, together with the 63a Officina Mobile Pesante (English: 63rd Mobile Heavy Workshop) left Nettuno immediately, while the CLXIII Gruppo da 90/53 left shortly afterwards. A total of 6 Semoventi M41M da 90/53 (2 for each group) were left in Nettuno, probably to train other crewmembers.

The CLXI Gruppo da 90/53 and the CLXII Gruppo da 90/53 probably waited somewhere in southern Italy for the arrival of the CLXIII Gruppo da 90/53. All the elements of the 10° Raggruppamento Artiglieria Controcarro da 90/53 Semovente reached the island on 15th, 17th, or 18th December (sources vary on the exact date).

A Semovente M41M da 90/53 and a Carro Armato L6/40 Trasporto Munizioni during what seems to be a parade in Sicily, before the Allied landing. Note the Breda Modello 1938 anti-aircraft machine gun on the L6, equipped with a shield to defend the crewmembers from an air attack. Source: pinterest.com

The 10° Raggruppamento Artiglieria Controcarro da 90/53 Semovente was immediately placed under the command of Colonel Ugo Bedogni, placing the headquarters in Canicattì. The CLXI Gruppo da 90/53 remained in Canicattì for a period and then moved to San Michele di Ganzaria. The CLXII Gruppo da 90/53 was sent to Borgesati and the CLXIII Gruppo da 90/53 to Paternò. The Raggruppamento was supposed to be used as an army reserve in case of an Allied landing on Sicily’s coasts.

10° Raggruppamento Artiglieria Controcarro da 90/53 Semovente in Sicily
Name	Place of deployment	Commander	Number of vehicles
10° Raggruppamento High Quarter	Canicattì	Colonel Ugo Bedogni	//
CLXI Gruppo da 90/53	Canicattì, then San Michele di Ganzaria	Major Carlo Bosco	8 Semoventi M41M da 90/53 4 Carri Armati Comando Semoventi M41
CLXII Gruppo da 90/53	Borgesati	Lieutenant Colonel Costantino Rossi	8 Semoventi M41M da 90/53 4 Carri Armati Comando Semoventi M41
CLXIII Gruppo da 90/53	Paternò	Major Vittorio Cingolani	8 Semoventi M41M da 90/53 4 Carri Armati Comando Semoventi M41
//	Nettuno	//	6 Semoventi M41M da 90/53</td>

Allied map showing the Axis’ positions before the Allied landing of 10th June 1943. In green, the Gruppi da 90/53’s positions, in yellow, the headquarter position in Canicattì. Source: i0.wp.com with author collage

Between late December 1942 and early July 1943, the Gruppi da 90/53 trained for their new roles.

A Semovente M41M da 90/53 belonging to the CLXIII Gruppo da 90/53 during live firing in Sicily, probably before the Allied landings in Sicily. Source: imgur.com

During Vittorio Emanuele III’s visit to Sicily between 28th December 1942 and 7th January 1943, the King reviewed the 10° Raggruppamento Artiglieria Controcarro da 90/53 Semovente and some photographs were taken during the ceremony. Thanks to these images, the US Secret Service had the possibility to analyze the vehicle better. The US Secret Services hypothesized that the gun was mounted on a Carro Armato M13/40 chassis, but with a more powerful engine and a total traverse of 40°. They also believed that the crew was of 6 and that the ammunition transported on board was very limited.

One of the images taken during the King’s visit and probably one of the ones analyzed by the US Secret Services. Source: Italian Tanks in Second World War

During the Allied invasion of Sicily, which began on 10th July 1943, the 10° Raggruppamento Artiglieria Controcarro da 90/53 Semovente was assigned to support the 207a Divisione Costiera (English: 207th Coastal Division) commanded by General Ottorino Schreiber (on 12th July 1943, the command passed to Brigadier General Augusto de Laurentiis).

On 10th July 1943, the CLXI Gruppo da 90/53, with all its 8 Semoventi M41M da 90/53, was sent to defend the Favarotta station, leaving its position in San Michele di Ganzaria. General Ottorino Schreiber requested 3 times to deploy the 10° Raggruppamento Artiglieria Controcarro da 90/53 Semovente to help his forces. Poor coordination between the Italian forces and a delay of radio communications allowed the US forces to occupy the station. As a result, the grouping was sent to defend Campobello di Licata along with the 177° Reggimento Bersaglieri (English: 177th Bersaglieri Regiment) and the 1a Compagnia Motomitraglieri (English:1st Motorbike Machine Gunner Company).

The next day, the CLXI Gruppo da 90/53 clashed with the 3rd Rangers Battalion and the 2nd US Infantry Division. The unit lost three Semoventi and had to retreat with the Bersaglieri to the San Silvestro area. Meanwhile, the CLXII Gruppo da 90/53, that had already moved to Gibellina, and the CLXIII Gruppo da 90/53 supported the CLXI Gruppo da 90/53 in a counterattack. The counterattack failed, but the Italians were able to stop the US forces, losing 3 Semoventi M41M da 90/53 of the CLXI Gruppo da 90/53 in the process, but knocking out or destroying 9 M4 Sherman medium tanks.

On 13th July 1943, the CLXII Gruppo da 90/53 and the CLXIII Gruppo da 90/53 were sent into combat into the Portella Recattivo area with all their staff. The engagement was a complete disaster, with 14 out of 16 Semoventi M41M da 90/53 lost to enemy fire or mechanical failure.

Other Semoventi M41M da 90/53 were destroyed on 16th July 1943 by an US attack and the remaining vehicles were placed in the Raggruppamento Tattico Schreiber (English: Schreiber Tactical Grouping) and were destroyed alongside the unit.

The Raggruppamento Tattico Schreiber was formed of the Gruppo Mobile A, Gruppo Mobile B and Gruppo Mobile C (English: Mobile Groups A, B and C) and 4 remaining Semoventi M41M da 90/53. The gruppi mobili consisted of the CII Compagnia Carri R35 (English: 102nd Renault R35 Tank Company) with Renault R35 French tanks (16 tanks per company), a mechanized infantry company, the 1a Compagnia Motomitragliatrici (English: 1st Motorcycle Machine Gun Company), the CXXXIII Battaglione Semoventi Controcarro (English: 133rd Anti-Tank Self-Propelled Gun Battalion) composed of 21 Semoventi L40 da 47/32, a motorized artillery battery, and the 2a Sezione (English: 2nd Section) of the 78a Batteria da 20/65 (English: 78th 20 mm L/65 Anti-Aircraft Cannon) of the 26ª Divisione di Fanteria ‘Assietta’ (English: 26th Infantry Division)

In 2022, on Facebook, a user under the name Claudio Evangelisti told the story of one of his paternal uncles, Dino Landini, who was a gunner on a Semovente M41M da 90/53. His and another semovente ambushed the US advancing forces in an unknown location for a whole day. They were hidden in a railway tunnel and, when a US column advanced on a nearby road, they left their shelter, opened fire against the first tank of the column, and returned to their hidden position where, covered by the tunnel, avoided the US ground attack planes called to defeat the threat.

Evangelisiti claimed that his uncle’s unit managed to knock out or destroy “a dozen of tanks” until the night, when the Italians ran out of ammunition and abandoned their vehicles in the railway tunnel and retreated. It is hard to establish the validity of this story. In fact, the two vehicles supposedly abandoned do not figure in the losses reported by the units.

7 Italian crewmembers (first on the left is Dino Landini) taking a souvenir photo probably after training, in Nettuno. Date unknown. Source: facebook.com @Claudio Evangelisti

In the book ‘Carro M – Carri Medi M11/39, M13/40, M14/41, M15/42, Semoventi ed Altri Derivati‘, Andrea Tallillo and Daniele Guglielmi claim that, on 19th July 1942, a battery of the CLXII Gruppo da 90/53 (probably having some of the 14 vehicles knocked out by the US some days earlier and which were repaired) was assigned to the 28a Divisione di Fanteria ‘Aosta’ (English: 28th Infantry Division) after reaching Nicosia.

Semovente da 90/53 of the CLXIII Gruppo da 90/53 abandoned by the Italians near Canicattì. Source: Sicily 1943

On 23rd July, the 4 Semoventi of the battery were assigned to the German 15. Panzer Division (English: 15th Tank Division). The 4 vehicles took part in the defense of Troina between 1st and 6th August. The Germans initially stopped an attack from the 39th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division and the 1st Infantry Division. After fierce fighting that cost 116 civilian lives and the total destruction of the city, on the night between 5th and 6th August 1943, the German and Italian forces retreated after having launched 25 counterattacks in 5 days. The remaining 3 Semoventi M41M da 90/53 fired their last rounds near Cesarò. Only 2 of them reached Messina on 18th August, where they were abandoned and not transported to Calabria, presumably for lack of time. There were no more uses of the Semovente M41M da 90/53 in Italian service after this.

The two Semoventi da 90/53 abandoned near Messina. Source: flickr.com @ PANZER DB

German Service

The six Semoventi remaining in Nettuno were captured by the Germans after the armistice between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allied forces on 8th September 1943. The Germans named the vehicles Beute Gepanzerte-Selbstfahrlafette 9,0 cm KwK L/53 801(i) (English: Captured Armored Self-Propelled Gun Carriage 9,0 cm L/53 coded 801 [Italian]) and assigned them to the Stabskompanie (English: Headquarters Company) of the Panzer-Regiment 26. (English: 26th Tank Regiment) of the 26. Panzer Division (English: 26th Tank Division). A single vehicle was deployed by the unit in the Chieti area. It is probable that the Germans were only able to reuse a single vehicle, due to wear and tear on the other vehicles or sabotage by the Italians before they were captured. There are some photos of a Semovente of the division in Rome, resting on a railway flatbed cart damaged by US bombing of the city in March 1944.

A US soldier near the damaged flatbed trailer loaded with the Beute Gepanzerte-Selbstfahrlafette 9,0 cm KwK L/53 801(i) of the Stabskompanie in Rome. Source: beutepanzer.ru

A GI takes a souvenir photo near a Semovente M41M da 90/53 abandoned in Nettuno. Source: reddit.com u/sasha_man123

Camouflage

The Semoventi M41M da 90/53 were painted at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri-Ponente with the green-gray camouflage used in the early war to paint the first batch of Carri Armati M13/40. A 63 cm white roundel for aerial recognition, common to all Italian tanks, was painted on the gun shield’s roof.

A Semovente M41M da 90/53 with standard green-gray camouflage, probably at the Nettuno training center. Source: pinterest.com

Following their deployment in Sicily after early January 1943, the vehicles received a new camouflage scheme that partially covered the green-gray camouflage. Some Kaki Sahariano (English: Saharan Khaki) sand camouflage was painted in stripes on the vehicles.

The CLXI Gruppo da 90/53 adopted a four-leaf clover as its coat of arms. The CLXIII Gruppo da 90/53 adopted the white silhouette of a Semovente M41M da 90/53. In both gruppi, the coat of arms were painted on the gun shield’s sides. There is no evidence of a coat of arms on vehicles of the CLXII Gruppo da 90/53.

A Semovente M41M da 90/53 of the CLXI Gruppo da 90/53, abandoned somewhere in Sicily, being inspected by two GIs. On the side is the four-leaf clover. Source: reddit.com

A Semovente M41M da 90/53 that belonged to the CLXIII Gruppo da 90/53, captured intact by the Allied troops and ready to be delivered to the Aberdeen Proving Ground. Source: pinterest.com

Colorization by Johannes Dorn

The 6 vehicles left in Nettuno received a small coat of arms, although its meaning is not really clear.

One of the 6 Semoventi da 90/53 abandoned in Nettuno. It maintained the monochrome green-gray camouflage. Note the coat of arms on the side. Source: pinterest.com

Surviving Vehicles

To this day, only a single vehicle has survived, the Semovente M41M da 90/53 shipped to the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, USA. The vehicle, with the license plate Regio Esercito 5825, was captured in Sicily and sent via merchant ship to the USA, where it was tested and then exhibited in the museum.

The Semovente M41M da 90/53 exhibited at the Aberdeen Proving Ground before restoration. Source: flikr.com @Chris Streckfus

The vehicle remained for many years outside, exposed to the elements without protection. In 2013, the vehicle was taken for a deep restoration. A new two-tone camouflage, which is significantly different from the original one, was painted. The original Semovente silhouette was repainted, in white, many years after its original 1943 drawing.

The vehicle after the restoration, with the new green-gray and sand camouflage. The coat of arms and original license plate were repainted. Source: pinterest.com

Considerations

Many sources and amateur Italian tank enthusiasts consider the Semovente M41M da 90/53 a badly designed self-propelled gun that, apart from the powerful main gun, had nothing going for it. The increased weight drastically lowered the efficiency of the engine and running gears, which forced the crews to increase the amount of maintenance done on the vehicles. Another important detail that is sometimes not considered is the inexperience of the crewmembers. The crews were taken from artillery regiments and had a basic training on artillery manning and truck driving and repairing. They received only limited tank training at the Nettuno training school before being transferred to Sicily.

Semovente M41M da 90/53 with license plate Regio Esercito 5824. Source: pinterest.com

If the vehicles had been sent to the Soviet Union, as originally intended, the results would not have been so different from those in the Sicilian campaign, where the majority of the Semoventi M41M da 90/53 were abandoned due to mechanical failures. Had the vehicles been sent to North Africa, as the Supecomando Africa Settentrionale Italiana had requested, they may have had more of a chance to be useful, thanks to the better experience of crews and mechanics in that theater.

Conclusion

The Semovente M41M da 90/53 was a medium tank destroyer produced by the Italian Regio Esercito to counter the well armored Soviet tanks, which it never fought. Its weight forced the crews to operate at really low speeds to avoid mechanical failures caused by the stress on the engine or suspensions.

Its main gun was powerful enough to permit the vehicle to deal with all the Allied armored vehicles of 1943. Nevertheless, as only 30 vehicles were ever produced, they were never employed effectively due to the desperate situation and disorganization of the Regio Esercito in Sicily. Many of these were abandoned due to mechanical failure while trying to reach their fighting positions or during the desperate retreats after failed counterattacks.

Semovente M41M da 90/53 of the CLXIII Gruppo da 90/53. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Semovente M41M da 90/53 of the CLXI Gruppo da 90/53. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Semovente M41M da 90/53 with standard green-gray camouflage. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Beute Gepanzerte-Selbstfahrlafette 9,0 cm KwK L/53 801(i) of the Stabskompanie of the Panzer-Regiment 26. of the 26. Panzer Division. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Semovente M41M da 90/53 Specification
Size (L-W-H)	5.08 x 2.15 x 2.44 m
Weight, battle ready	15.7 tonnes
Crew	2 (driver, commander) + more on another vehicle
Engine	FIAT-SPA 15T Modello 1941 8-cylinder diesel engine, 145 hp
Maximum Speed	35 km/h
Road Speed	25 km/h
Range	150 km
Armament	one Cannone da 90/53 Modello 1939
Elevation	from -5° to +19°
Traverse	45° both sides
Armor	6 mm to 30 mm
Production	30 vehicles

Sources

Carro M – Carri Medi M11/39, M13/40, M14/41, M15/42, Semoventi ed Altri Derivati Volume Primo and Secondo – Antonio Tallillo, Andrea Tallillo and Daniele Guglielmi – Gruppo Modellistico Trentino di Studio e Ricerca Storica – 2012
Guida alle Artiglierie Italiane nella 2a Guerra Mondiale. 1940-1945. Regio Esercito Italiano, Repubblica Sociale Italiana ed Esercito Cobelligerante – Enrico Finazzer – Italia Storica – Genova 2020
Le operazioni in Sicilia e Calabria (Luglio – Settembre 1943) – Alberto Santoni – Ufficio Storico Stato Maggiore Esercito Italiano – Roma 1989
Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano. Volume II – Nicola Pignato e Filippo Cappellano – Ufficio Storico Stato Maggiore Esercito Italiano – Roma 2002
http://beutepanzer.ru/Beutepanzer/italy/spg/DA_90_53/Da-90_53-1.htm

WW2 Italian SPGs

Semovente M40 da 75/18

Semovente M40 75/18. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Kingdom of Italy (1941-1943)
Self-Propelled Howitzer – 61 Built (1 Prototype + 60 Production)

The Semovente M40 da 75/18 was the first Italian self-propelled howitzer, developed by the firm of Ansaldo on the chassis of the Italian Carro Armato M13/40 medium tank of the IIIª Serie.

It was initially developed as a support vehicle for the infantry assault units of the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army). Nonetheless, due to the obsolescence of the Italian medium tanks, such as the Carro Armato M13/40, from mid-1942 until the end of the North African Campaign, in May 1943, it was deployed by Italian armored units as a tank destroyer and medium tank. In this unorthodox role, it compared positively to the other Italian tracked vehicles.

One of the first Semovente M40 da 75/18 produced. Source: Nicola Pignato

The Italian Medium Tanks

When the Regno d’Italia (English: Kingdom of Italy) joined the Germans in the Second World War, on 10th June 1940, in terms of tanks, its army was poorly equipped with tanks. The most numerous portion of its armored force was made up of the CV3 series of light tanks and only a hundred of Carri Armati M11/39 medium tanks. Production of the Carri Armati M13/40 was only just winding up and did not start until the month after the Italian declaration of war.

The left side of the Carro Armato M11/39 at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant. Source: Ansaldo

The Carro Armato M11/39 was a tank developed to fight in the mountainous terrains of the northern Italian peninsula. It was armed with a Cannone Vickers-Terni da 37/40 (37 mm L/40) gun placed on the right side of the superstructure and a one-man turret armed with two medium machine guns on the left side of the tank.

The Carro Armato M13/40 was a good tank by the standards of the 1930s, but, already in 1941, it had old-fashioned features which would render it quickly obsolete. This new tank had the same chassis as the Carro Armato M11/39, with some modifications, such as a more powerful engine and a new transmission cover. Its superstructure was raised and two machine guns were mounted in a casemate on the right side of the superstructure. A new horseshoe-shaped two-man turret was placed on top, armed with a Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935.

The Carro Armato M13/40 outside the Ansaldo-Fossati plant. Source: Ansaldo

The armor of the vehicle was light: 30 mm on the front of the hull, 42 mm on the front of the turret, and the sides were only 25 mm. As if that were not enough, the armor produced was of a poor quality, leaving it weaker than it should have been and with a tendency to spall.

There were faults with the guns too. The 37 mm and 47 mm guns had good anti-tank capabilities by 1930s standards, but, once more, by the 1940s, they were increasingly outdated and unable to keep pace with the growth and improvement in tank protection. On top of all of this, the optics were poor compared to contemporary British optics and their practical range was less than a kilometer.

History of the Project

The problems encountered with the Italian medium tanks in North Africa were only part of the motivations that led the Italian High Command to decide to adopt self-propelled howitzers.

The firm of Ansaldo claimed that, in the early stages of the Second World War, Italian war correspondents that followed the German Wehrmacht in France were impressed by the characteristics of the German Gepanzerten Selbstfahrlafette fur Sturmgeschütz 75 mm Kanone (English: Armored self-propelled gun carriage for assault gun 75 mm cannon) self-propelled assault guns, or more simply Sturmgeschütz III, based on the Panzerkampfwagen III chassis, the main German tank in that period.

Some Italian generals that had visited the European battlefields before the Italian declaration of war or that had been invited to witness German training had reported a positive impression of the German Sturmgeschütz III.

A Gepanzerten Selbstfahrlafette fur Sturmgeschütz 75 mm Kanone or, more simply, StuG III. Source: pinterest.com

Other sources claim that the development of a self-propelled howitzer on the chassis of the Carro Armato M13/40 equipped with a Obice da 75/18 was conceived by Colonel Sergio Berlese of the Servizio Tecnico di Artiglieria (English: Artillery Technical Service) in collaboration with the Servizio Tecnico Automobilistico (English: Automobile Technical Service).

Col. Berlese had visited a German factory in Kiel in 1940, where gun-armed half-tracks were assembled. According to the plans of Col. Berlese, the Kingdom of Italy would produce an armored and armed half-track. However, at that time, the Italian industry was not producing half-tracks of any kind.

Despite the lack of a suitable half-track, Col. Berlese did not quit and would continue to advocate for his idea, finally culminating in 1943 with a paper project called Autocannone da 90/53 su Autocarro Semicingolato Breda 61. In the absence of a suitable half-tracked platform and to put his idea into practice, a fully tracked chassis was needed instead. The choice fell on the best medium tank chassis in Italy at that time, the Carro Armato M13/40.

The first mention of the Semoventi was in January 1941, when the Regio Esercito’s High Command created three proposals for self-propelled guns and howitzers. One of these was the Pezzo Semovente da 75/18 (English: 75/18 Self-Propelled Artillery Piece) on the hull of the M13/40 medium tank. It would have armor of 40 to 50 mm on the front and 25 mm on the other sides.

Each reggimento d’artiglieria (English: artillery regiment) of each divisione corazzata (English: armored division) would have a group of these self-propelled howitzers.

An important note is that these vehicles were developed as long range self-propelled howitzers, similar to the US M7 Priest, the British Ordnance QF 25-pdr on a Valentine known as the ‘Bishop’, or the German Leichte Feldhaubitze 18/2 Auf Fahrgestell Panzer II Wespe. However, during their service history, the Italian vehicles were mainly used as short range support vehicles or as tank destroyers.

On 28th May 1941, General Mario Roatta, Chief of Staff of the Regio Esercito, wrote to the Ispettorato Superiore dei Servizi Tecnici (English: Higher Inspectorate of Technical Services) to develop new designs of such vehicles on tracked or half-tracked chassis to support the armored divisions.

At the same time, Gen. Roatta asked the Inspectorate to develop an adequate observation/command tank and an armored ammunition carrier that would follow the self-propelled howitzers.

On 3rd June 1941, the Ispettorato Superiore dei Servizi Tecnici replied to the General, assuring him that a self-propelled howitzer with the following characteristics was being studied:

Crew: 4
Main Gun: a Obice da 75/18 or a Cannone da 75/34
Ammunition: at least 50 rounds
Ground pressure: 0.60-0.65 kg/cm3
Power to weight ratio: at least 15 hp per tonne
Maximum velocity: about 60 km/h
Maximum height: 1.8 meters

The reply also mentioned that a trailer meant to be towed by the SPG on flat ground was also being designed, with a capacity for 50 to 70 rounds. It also mentioned that it was planned to move the powerpack to the front, mounting the main gun on a pedestal on the chassis’s rear.

The reply also specified that the Ispettorato dell’Arma dell’Artiglieria (English: Artillery Army Inspectorate) preferred the adoption of the Obice da 75/18 due to its specific support role (the Cannone da 75/34 was an anti-tank gun).

This solution was not adopted on the Semovente M40 da 75/18, but was later incorporated for the more powerful Semovente M41M da 90/53 tank destroyer with a Cannone da 90/53 Modello 1939 90 mm L.53 cannon.

The Ispettorato della Fanteria (English: Infantry Inspectorate), in a letter on 5th June 1941, wrote that they would avoid the production of a self-propelled howitzer on Carro Armato M13/40, because it was too expensive to produce. The Ispettorato della Fanteria suggested the production of a light self-propelled gun on the Carro Armato L6/40 chassis armed with a 47 mm gun for infantry support.

On 21st June 1941, the Chief of the Services Office of the General Staff of the Regio Esercito, General Aldo Rossi, wrote a document in which he listed the decisions made by the Army General Staff regarding the new self-propelled howitzers and guns.

The Regio Esercito awaited the new self-propelled gun armed with a Cannone da 75/34. They also wanted an observation tank and a command tank to accompany it. For the ammunition carriers, the army could rely on Carri Armati L3s or captured Renault UEs towing an ammunition trailer.

History of the Prototype

The project of the Semovente designed by Col. Berlese was developed at Ansaldo-Fossati. On 10th January 1941, Ansaldo produced a wooden model of the self-propelled howitzer. The Regio Esercito officials were clearly impressed with the design and promptly ordered 30 vehicles on 16th January 1941.

On 11th February 1941, the prototype, quickly assembled, was tested in Cornigliano, with great results. Production began shortly after, and the Regio Esercito increased the order of self-propelled howitzers on the Carro Armato M13/40 chassis, after a decrease to 15 vehicles had been requested for unknown reasons on 10th March 1941.

On 25th May 1941, the order was increased to 60 vehicles. On 5th December 1941, it was increased to 144 vehicles and, in the end, it was increased to 200 vehicles on 17th May 1942, when the M40 was no longer in production. In fact, after 60 vehicles were produced, Ansaldo changed the chassis of the medium tank from the M13/40 to the slightly more powerful Carro Armato M14/41.

Semoventi M40 Production
Order’s data	Number of Vehicles Ordered	Vehicle Type
16th February 1941	30	Semoventi M40 da 75/18
15th March 1941	15¹	Semoventi M40 da 75/18
25th May 1941	30	Semoventi M40 da 75/18
5th December 1941	144	Semoventi M41 da 75/18
Note	¹ Ansaldo claimed to have received the request of just 15 semoventi officially. On an unknown data before May 1941, the Regio Esercito corrected the misunderstanding with Ansaldo and the original order for 30 vehicles was restored

The Semovente M40 da 75/18 prototype in green-gray livery. The production vehicles differed only by the presence of the radio apparatus and hyposcope, not yet installed on the prototype. Source: Semovente da 75/18

The prototype was then tested at Nettunia with members of the Servizio Tecnico Armi e Munizioni (English: Weapons and Munitions Technical Service), Ispettorato Superiore dei Servizi Tecnici, and Servizio Tecnico di Artiglieria in attendance. As General Umberto Farulli of the Servizio Tecnico di Artiglieria later wrote, the frontal armor on the prototype was not thick enough to withstand British 40 mm (2-pdr) armor piercing rounds.

For this reason, the vehicles in production were modified, slowing down the production rates. The frontal armor was substituted with new armor plates with higher percentages of nickel and chromium, which increased their strength.

The first vehicles were delivered to the Regio Esercito training schools in May 1941.

Production and Deliveries

In 1941, a total of 60 Semoventi M40 da 75/18 were produced. Many Italian companies participated in the production of the M40 da 75/18.

Companies that participated in the M13/40’s production
Name	Place	Production
Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino (FIAT)	Turin	Fuel injector pump
Società Piemontese Automobili (SPA)	Turin	Engines
Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche	Brescia	Machine guns
Magneti Marelli	Corbetta and Sestri Ponente	Engine starter, radio systems, and batteries
San Giorgio	Sestri Ponente	Optics devices
Società Italiana Acciaierie Cornigliano (SIAC)	Cornigliano	Armor plates
Alemanno	Turin	Pressure gauges and tools
Bosch		Air filters
SA ALIT	Turin	Oil Filters
FERCAT	Turin	Oil radiator
Pirelli & Company	Milan	Rubber parts of the return rollers and wheels
Ansaldo	Sestri Ponente	Guns and assembly
Duco	Milan	Paint

The acronym SIAC (Società Italiana Acciaierie di Cornigliano) is clearly visible on the idler of a Semovente M41 da 75/18. The big ‘S’ on the foreground stands for Sinistra (Left), denoting it was the left idler wheel support. Source: Museo della Melara via author

All the produced parts arrived at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri-Ponente, where they were assembled. Ansaldo produced the cannons, while Duco of Milan produced the paints with which the M40s were camouflaged in the Sestri Ponente plant.

Design

Armor

The armor of the Semovente M40 da 75/18 hull was the same as that of the Carro Armato M13/40. The two armored vehicles had 30 mm of armor on the transmission cover plate, which was rounded. The upper glacis plate was 25 mm thick and angled at 80°. The superstructure’s armor consisted of two 25 mm welded armored plates with a combined thickness of 50 mm angled at 5°. The angled plate that connected the upper glacis plate of the transmission cover and the front plate was 30 mm at 65°.

The sides were 25 mm for the hull and casemate, with the only difference that the casemate sides were angled at 8°. The rear of the casemate was protected by a 25 mm thick armored plate. The rear of the engine compartment was 27 mm thick and angled at 20°. The roof was composed of 15 mm armored plates, horizontal in the first section and then angled to 85°. On the sides of the roof, other 15 mm plates were angled at 65° on the right and 70° on the left side.

The engine compartment roof was composed of 10 mm armored plates angled at 74°. The inspection hatches of the engine compartment also had the same thickness. The brake inspection hatches were 25 mm thick, while the driver port on the front armored plate was 50 mm thick.

The armor was bolted to an internal frame, allowing for rapid construction of the vehicle, as well as easier replacement of damaged armor plates than on models with welded or cast armor. The price for this construction method was that it was not as light as a welded vehicle and that it generally made the armor less effective than it could have been.

In many cases, in order to increase protection, the crews added track links, rocks, and sandbags on the armor. Source: Carro M – Carri Medi M11/39, M13/40, M14/41, M15/42, Semoventi ed Altri Derivati

During a test done by British technicians of the School of Tank Technology at Chobham regarding the armor thickness and resistance on the Carro Armato M14/41 and Semovente M40 da 75/18, the most resistant armor plate was the rounded front plate that covered the transmission of the Semovente. It had a Brinel hardness of 270 BHN, while the M14/41 had 210 BHN on the turret frontal plate and 245 BHN on the rounded transmission cover plate. These Brinell results showed this Italian armor to be slightly ‘softer’ than US armor, which had a hardness of 280-320 BHN, and far softer than the 413-460 BHN encountered on Soviet steel.

The abbreviation BHN – Brinell Hardness Number (unit of measurement kg/mm²) is a figure used to determine the hardness of a material from a hardness test. The harder a steel is, then generally the better it will be at resisting shell impacts, but also more vulnerable to shattering.

Hull and Casemate

The hull was the same as that of the Carro Armato M13/40 IIIª Serie. At the front, the tank had a cast rounded transmission cover. The rounded plate had two hooks on the sides and a towing ring in the center. There were also two inspection hatches above the brakes to improve the flow of air around the transmission, especially to help cool the clutch on long drives. In combat, these hatches were meant to be closed. The two hatches could be opened or closed from the inside of the vehicle even while driving by means of a lever located on the right side of the chassis, operated by the gunner.

Front view of a Semovente M40 da 75/18, license plate Regio Esercito 4459, at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant. Source: Semovente da 75/18

On the frontal armored plate, there was a round hole for the main gun’ spherical support. On the left side, there was a slot for the driver, who also had a hyposcope placed above for use when the slot was closed. The hyposcope had a size of 19 x 36 and a vertical field of view of 30°, from +52° to +82°.

For night driving, there were two adjustable headlights on the sides of the superstructure.
On the roof, there were two big hatches, which opened backwards and permitted the crew to easily access or exit the vehicle and to load the ammunition.

There was a panoramic monocular periscope produced by San Giorgio placed on the left side of the hatch for the loader/radio operator on the roof. For the commander/gunner, there was a sight mounted on the right side of the gun. The roof had a small hatch that could be closed when the sight was not mounted.

Side view of a Semovente M40 da 75/18, license plate Regio Esercito 4459, at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant. Source: Semovente da 75/18

On the rear side of the superstructure, there were two pistol ports closed by revolving shutters from the inside and an air intake. The pistol ports were added after the negative experiences of Italian crew members during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War (1935-1936), where they could not defend themselves from Ethiopian warriors attacking the sides or rear. The air intake sucked air from the outside into the crew compartment and then into the engine compartment. This gave a sort of comfort to crews operating in North Africa, where, inside the tanks, the temperature could reach 60°C, but could create problems during winters in the Italian peninsula or Balkans.

Rear view of a Semovente M40 da 75/18, license plate Regio Esercito 4459, at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant. Source: Semovente da 75/18

On the mudguards, on each side behind the superstructure, were tool boxes and the mufflers behind. The engine deck had two large-size inspection hatches which could be opened at 45°. Between the two inspection hatches were the sapper tools, including a shovel, a pickaxe, and a crowbar.

The rear top of the vehicle had the horizontal radiator cooling grills and, in the center, the fuel cap. The rear had a towing ring in the center and two hooks on the sides, one spare wheel on the right, a jack on the left, a track removal system on the center, a license plate on the left side with a brake light.

For tooling, the crew could transport a shovel, a pickaxe, a crowbar, and a sledgehammer on the engine deck, between the two inspection hatches. A jack, a spare wheel, a track connecting tool, a tow rope, and a towing shackle were on the rear, plus two tool boxes on the sides, in front of the mufflers, used to store wrenches and small spare parts.

Suspension

The suspension of the Semovente M40 da 75/18 was of the laminated semi-elliptical leaf spring type. On each side, there were four bogies with eight doubled rubber-covered road wheels paired on two suspension units. This suspension type was obsolete and did not allow the vehicle to reach a high top speed. In addition, it was very vulnerable to enemy fire or mines.

The drive sprockets were at the front and the idlers, with modified track tension adjusters, were at the back, with three rubber return rollers on each side.

The tank had 26 cm wide tracks with 84 track links per side. The small surface area of the tracks (about 13,750 cm²) gave a ground pressure of about 0.95 kg/cm², increasing the risk that the vehicle would bog down in mud, snow, or sand.

Engine and Transmission

The Semovente M40 da 75/18 was powered by a V-shaped, 8-cylinder, liquid-cooled FIAT-SPA 8T diesel engine with a maximum power output of 125 hp at 1,800 rpm. It was mounted on the rear part of the vehicle, separated from the crew compartment by a bulkhead. The engine compartment had two large inspection hatches, through which it was easy to check and maintain the engine, something positively highlighted in British reports on the Italian tanks and self-propelled guns. The hatches had two butterfly screws on the lower side and were attached to pins on the upper side, opening upwards at 45° and blocked in an open position by a rod, like a car’s engine deck. Usually, in North Africa, during driving on asphalted roads where not much dust was raised, the crew kept the hatches open to ventilate the engine.

A scheme of the Semovente M40 da 75/18 showing the engine compartment, transmission shaft and gearbox. Source: pinterest.com

The associated 5-speed gearbox had 4 forward and one reverse gears. In addition, thanks to the built-in reducer, another 4 forward and a reverse gear were available. However, to switch between standard and reduced gears, the vehicle had to come to a stop. Unfortunately, the model of the transmission is not mentioned in any source, but it was a FIAT model, probably produced by Società Piemontese Automobili, its subsidiary. It was coupled with a FERCAT oil radiator and Modello 80 oil filters.

The engine was the same as the one on the Carro Armato M13/40, one of the tank’s major handicaps. It was not very powerful and also not very reliable. This engine was developed for vehicles weighing around 8 tonnes and had already created problems on the Carro Armato M11/39, a tank more than 2 tonnes lighter than the M13/40 and the M40 da 75/18.
In the first series of M13/40s, the lack of sand filters was a serious problem, resolved to some degree in the 3rd series (from which the M40 da 75/18 was derived) with the Bosch Fa 11 S1 anti-sand filters.

The engine of the Carro Armato M13/40 and Semovente M40 da 75/18: the FIAT-SPA 8T Diesel. Source: pinterest.com

The engine used three different types of oil, depending on the temperatures in which the vehicle operated. In Africa, where the outside temperature exceeded 30°, Ultra Denso (English: Ultra-Thick) oil was used. In Europe, where the temperature was between 10° and 30°, Denso (English: Thick) oil was used, while in winter, when the temperature fell below 10°, Semi Denso (English: Semi-Thick) oil was used.

Due to the poor Regio Esercito logistics, in some cases, the battalions had to use winter oil in North Africa, diminishing the effectiveness of oil lubrication.

In order to start the engine, there was a Magneti Marelli electric starter but also an inertial starter produced by Onagro. The lever for the inertia starter could be inserted outside the vehicle, on the rear, or from the inside of the fighting compartment. Two crew members had to turn the crank, reaching about 60 rotations per minute. At that point, the driver could turn the engine button on the dashboard until the first strokes of the engine.

In order to start running, the crew members needed to check the amount of coolant, engine oil, and transmission and gearbox oil. Then, they had to be sure that there were no leaks from the various tanks and that the brakes and suspension were working properly. The sag of the tracks had to be 2 to 3 cm between the upper rollers, so that, in case of mud or sand between the track and the wheels, the track would not break.

The driver, with the levers released, the transmission in neutral, the handbrake set, had to turn on the instrument panel, via his key, and the dynamo bulb would turn red. After having opened the fuel tap on the main tank and brought the fuel pump to full power (its controls were located on the rear bulkhead), it was necessary to press the button on the dashboard that allowed the heating of the glow plugs.

Once the glow plugs had become incandescent, it was necessary to press the button that controlled the engagement of the two starter motors. If everything was in order, the start would be immediate. When the engine reached 450 revolutions per minute and the oil pressure between 6 to 7.5 kg/cm², the vehicle could move.

The two large fans, powered by the engine, sucked air through the fighting compartment. This allowed for the ventilation of air for the crew but also the cooling of the braking system and transmission due to the air drawn through the opened brake inspection hatches.

In order to stop the tank, the engine was turned off by the driver pushing the button for the fuel injection pump (essentially stopping the flow of fuel to the engine), located on the bulkhead on the rear of the fighting compartment. The fuel injection pump was a FIAT 6.70 2D18.

Before getting out the tank, it was necessary for the crew to clean the exterior of the tracks and suspension from mud, snow, and debris, and the interior of the tank by opening, if necessary, the holes in the bottom of the hull. The crew also needed to open a small inspection hole on the sprocket wheels to lubricate them.

The fuel tank capacity was about 145 liters plus 35 liters of reserve, for a total of 180 liters in three tanks, two of about 60 liters each and the third of 35 liters. The range was 210 km on road or about 10 hours off-road. In North Africa, it was common for the crews to transport 20 liter cans everywhere there was space inside and outside the self-propelled gun in order to increase the range. A total of 6 or more 20 liters cans (180 liters) were commonly transported on the Semoventi M40 da 75/18.

The self-propelled gun could reach a maximum speed of 30 km/h on the road and about 15 km/h on rough terrain. With a turning radius of about 4.50 m, it could cross 2 m wide trenches, ford water 1 m deep, and climb steps 0.80 m high. The vehicle was also equipped with a hand brake that locked the sprockets.

The transmission of the Semovente M40 da 75/18 was as epicyclic, as was the clutch. It was mounted frontally, connected to the front sprocket wheels. It was removable, together with the brakes, after removing the armored plate that protected it.

The Carro Armato M13/40’s gearbox, the same as on the Semovente M40 da 75/18. Source: fondazioneansaldo.com

Main Armament

The main armament of the Semovente M40 da 75/18 was the Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934. It was a field howitzer developed after General Ettore Giuria created a call in 1929 for the replacement of outdated guns.

The Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934 on show for the Regio Esercito’s High Command. Source: italie1935-45.com

It had to be light to be quickly transported anywhere and had a caliber of 75 mm. This questionable decision was taken even if, during the First World War, the Regio Esercito had noted that a howitzer with a larger caliber was better to destroy enemy fortified positions. The reason why the Servizio Tecnico di Artiglieria chose the 75 mm caliber again was due to the presence of thousands of 75 mm rounds in the army depots and barracks.

The Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934 on the Semovente M40 da 75/18’s spherical support. Sources: fondazioneansaldo.com

In 1932, Ansaldo presented its project: the Obice da 75/17 with a single central trail, weighing 696 kg and capable of firing at a range of 9,300 m. It had 3° of traverse to either side and an elevation from -10° to +80°. The Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934 weighed 780 kg.

After lengthy trials, this design was abandoned in 1933 in favor of that of Lieutenant Colonel Berlese, at the time a member of the design bureau of the Direzione Superiore del Servizio Tecnico Armi e Munizioni (English: Higher Directorate of Weapons and Munitions Technical Service). This gun was accepted into service and was designated Obice da 75/18 Modello 1932.

The Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934 mounted on a Semovente, side and upper views. Sources: Semovente da 75/18

Spherical support for the Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934, seen here after ballistic tests. Source: fondazioneansaldo.com

On the Semovente M40 da 75/18, the Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934 was mounted slightly on the right in order to give the driver more space. Its traverse was 20° to the left and 16° to the right. Elevation was from -12° to +22°.

It had modifications on the recoil mechanism to diminish the recoil inside the vehicle and the modified support came from the Cannone Schneider da 105/28 Modello 1916. The sight was a field one modified to be mounted inside the self-propelled gun and could be dismounted when not used.

The Semovente M40 da 75/18 sight and aiming reticule. Source: pinterest.com

Secondary Armament

The secondary armament consisted of a Fucile Mitragliatore Breda Modello 1930 (English: Breda Light Machine Gun Model 1930) that could be used on the anti aircraft support or with a bipod in order to defend the crew when operating outside the self-propelled gun.

The Fucile Mitragliatore Breda Modello 1930 with closed bipod. Source: italie1935-45.com

Even if, before the war, the Fascist propaganda considered it a well designed example of Italian technology, in reality, it proved to be a far from perfect weapon. It was chambered for the same 6.5 mm x 52 mm Mannlicher-Carcano cartridge used in Italian rifles. It was a light munition for a machine gun, but the Italian Army preferred this cartridge to ease its logistic lines.

Developed in 1929 from the Breda Modello 5GF light machine gun, it was adopted in 1930 after a series of modifications. It was fed by 20 round clips that were loaded in a swing chamber on the right side of the weapon.

After opening the swing chamber forward, the gunner had to load the clip with 20 rounds, remove the empty clip, close the swing chamber, reload the gun, and open fire. This was a time-consuming operation that decreased the rate of fire to 150 rounds per minute.

A Semovente M40 da 75/18 with a Fucile Mitragliatore Breda Modello 1930 mounted in the anti-aircraft position. Source: Archivio Centrale dello Stato

It proved an ineffective weapon for the infantry because of mechanical problems. In fact, it jammed often if not perfectly lubricated, a problem that was exacerbated in sandy North Africa.

As a secondary armament for a self-propelled gun, it proved even less effective. The short range and difficulty of reloading it made it even less effective with a further diminished rate of fire.

When not used, the Breda Modello 1930 was stored on the right side of the casemate, near a maintenance kit.

Ammunition

The Semovente M40 da 75/18 had two ammunition racks, for a total of 43 75 mm rounds in rows of 4 interspersed with rows of 3. The racks were opentable from the top, which slowed down the reloading operations.

Semovente M40 da 75/18 common ammunition
Name	Type	Weight (kg)	Muzzle Velocity (m/s)	Penetration (mm) at
Name	Type	Weight (kg)	Muzzle Velocity (m/s)	100 m	500 m	1,000 m
Granata Dirompente Modello 1932	HE	6.35	450	//	//	//
Granata Perforante da 75 mm	APCBC	6.42	425	44	39	33
Granata Perforante Modello 1932	APCBC	6.26	476	50	44	38
Effetto Pronto	HEAT	4.50	//	100	100	100
Effetto Pronto Speciale	HEAT	5.20	400	120	120	120

Secondary ammunition also consisted of 600 machine gun rounds divided in 30 20-round clips. The clips were stored on the vehicle’s floor, near the gunner’s seat.

An abandoned Semovente M40 da 75/18 in the Egyptian desert. It was probably the British soldiers that had examined it who had positioned the rounds on the roof: high-explosive (left) and armor piercing (right). Source: pinterest.com

Interior

Starting from the front of the vehicle, there was the transmission connected to the braking system. On the left was the driver’s position, with the seat with a fold-down back for easy access. In front, it had the two steering tillers, an armored slot that could be closed with a lever, and a hyposcope for driving with the slot closed. On the left, he had the control panel from which the driver started the engine and, on the right, the gun breech.

The Semovente M40 da 75/18’s interior. On the left, the driver’s seat, in the middle, the gearbox and gun breech, and, on the right, the circular seat for the commander/gunner (behind the recoil rail). Source: fondazioneansaldo.com

Behind the driver, there was a box rack for the 75 mm gun ammunition. This also served as a seat for the loader. The loader had, on the left, the radio system and radio batteries and, above him, one of the two armored hatches. In case of an attack from the air, the loader would also have to use the anti-aircraft machine gun. On the right side of the fighting compartment was the gunner’s/commander’s seat without a backrest. In front of his seat, the gunner had the elevation and traverse handwheels. On his left was the gun breech.

Interestingly, the lever for opening the breech was placed on the upper side of the breech. This meant that, after firing, the gunner had to rotate his torso by about 90° (a very uncomfortable action in the narrow space) and open the breech. On his right was the support for the anti-aircraft gun (when not in use), a maintenance kit, and a fire extinguisher.

A blueprint of the interior space of the fighting compartment of the Semovente M40 da 75/18. On the right side was the Fucile Mitragliatore Breda Modello 1930, the two ammunition racks, the commander’s seat, and machine gun ammunition. On the left were the radio, the driver’s seat and dashboard, and the other ammunition rack. In the center was the transmission shaft. Source: warthunderforum.com

Behind the gunner/commander was the last ammunition rack. On the rear wall of the fighting compartment, there were four cumbersome filters for air, oil, and two for the fuel. The engine fan, an engine cooling water tank, the batteries for engine ignition were also there, and the transmission shaft ran through the entire fighting compartment, dividing it in half.

Radio Equipment

The radio equipment of the Semovente M40 da 75/18 was a Magneti Marelli Apparato Ricetrasmittente Radio Fonica 1 per Carro Armato or Apparato Ricevente RF1CA (English: Tank Audio Radio Receiver Apparatus 1). This was a radiotelephone and radiotelegraph station with power of 10 Watts in both voice and telegraphy with a size of 35 x 20 x 24.6 cm and a weight of about 18 kg. The decision to equip each Semovente with a radio apparatus was taken on 28th May 1941 by Gen. Mario Roatta.

Interior of an operational Semovente M41 da 75/18 exhibited at the Museo della Melara in La Spezia. On the right, the radio Apparato Ricevente RF1CA was the same as on the Semovente M40 da 75/18. Source: author

The operating frequency range was between 27 to 33.4 MHz. It was powered by an AL-1 Dynamotor supplying 9-10 Watts mounted on the hull’s right side. It had a range of 8 km in voice mode and 12 km in telegraphics mode. These two numbers reduced when tanks were on the move.

The radio had two ranges, Vicino (Eng: Near), with a maximum range of 5 km, and Lontano (Eng: Afar), with a maximum range of 12 km.

Crews were urged to use voice mode but with short messages and, if possible, in dialect. There are 20 regions in Italy, each with different dialects that in some cases vary significantly even within the same region. This was a great method because, even if enemy troops could listen to Italian communications, it was really difficult that one enemy soldier could understand all the different Italian dialects.

Crew

The crew was composed of three: the driver on the left, the commander/gunner on the right and, behind the driver, on the left, the loader/radio operator that also manned the anti-aircraft machine gun.

Due the small space inside the self-propelled gun, loading the gun was a laborious task. To make matters worse, the loader and the vehicle’s commander had to perform too many tasks. For example, the loader could not load the gun if using the radio, and to fire the anti-aircraft machine gun, he would have had to expose himself. Additional ammunition for the anti-aircraft machine gun would have to be passed to him by the gunner/commander, further slowing down the loading process and rendering it impossible for the vehicle to use the main gun at the same time.

Three crew members lined up in front of a Semovente M40 da 75/18. Source: pinterest.com

Organization and Deployment

On 24th May 1941, General Mario Roatta, the new Capo di Stato Maggiore (English: Chief of Staff) of the Regio Esercito, wrote a document in which he specified that the first 60 Semoventi M40 da 75/18 and 20 Carri Armati Comando M40 were enough to create the first 5 gruppi (English: groups).

He also explained that the Semoventi M40 da 75/18 had to be deployed in long-range support and not, as they were deployed in North Africa, for assault support, following the Italian infantry.

He also required that a new support vehicle had to be developed to follow the infantry in the assault. He suggested a fast vehicle based on a half-track or fully tracked chassis.

Each gruppo (English: group) was composed of 2 batteries with 4 Semoventi M40 da 75/18 and 2 Carri Armati Comando M40, for a total of 8 Semoventi 40 da 75/18 and 4 Carri Armati Comando M40, plus 2 more Semoventi M40 da 75/18 and 1 Carro Armato Comando M40 in reserve. Each gruppo consisted of a comando (English: Command), two batterie (English: batteries) with four Semoventi M40 da 75/18, and a reparto munizioni e viveri (English: Ammunition and Supplies Unit). Each battery was divided in two squadra (English: Squad) with 2 Semoventi M40 da 75/18 commanded by a Carro Armato Comando M40. The command section was composed of a staff car, 2 Carri Armati Comando M40, 2 SPA CL39 light lorries, 2 one-seat motorcycles, 3 two-seat motorcycles, and one motor tricycle.

For logistic and reconnaissance roles, each battery was equipped with a staff car, 7 SPA CL39 light lorries, 2 one-seat motorcycles, 2 two-seat motorcycles, one motor tricycle, and other 6 light trucks were deployed to transport various types of equipment and supplies.

The reparto munizioni e viveri (English: Supply and Ammunition Department) assigned to each group was equipped with 1 staff car, 20 light trucks, 1 one-seat motorcycle, 1 mobile workshop, and a water tanker truck.

Early type of Gruppo scheme. Source: Author’s own

From 2nd July to November 1942, the batteries were modified, adding 4 semoventi and bringing the total number of Semoventi M40 da 75/18 to 12. This came with the decrease of Carri Comando M40 to 4 in total, 2 for the command and 1 for each battery. The composition of these groups was 19 officers, 21 NCOs, 206 tank crew members and soldiers, 81 drivers and 20 tank drivers, 4 staff cars, 16 SPA CL39 light lorries, 31 light trucks (FIAT-SPA 38R or FIAT SPA AS37), 2 heavy trucks, 2 towing trucks, 1 mobile workshop, 2 prime movers, 7 one-seat motorcycles, 9 two-seat motorcycles, 3 motor tricycles, 3 medium machine guns, 4 radio stations, 2 trailers, 12 semoventi, and 4 command tanks.

From 1st October 1942, the groups were reorganized with 3 batteries with 6 Semoventi each, for a total of 18 semoventi and 9 command tanks. Only the DLIII Gruppo Semoventi M40 da 75/18 (English: 553rd M40 Self-Propelled Gun Group), the DLVII Gruppo Semoventi M40 da 75/18 (English: 557th M40 Self-Propelled Gun Group), and the DLIX Gruppo Semoventi M40 da 75/18 (English: 559th M40 Self-Propelled Gun Group) were created with the later organic formation of 3 batteries group.

Two army circulars summarize the deployment of the Semoventi M40 da 75/18 on the African front. One is Notizie Circa l’Impiego dei Carri e Autoblindo in A.S. [Africa Settentrionale] (English: News About the Use of Tanks and Armored Cars in North Africa) written by Colonel Mario Bizzi. The second is Nuovi Ordinamenti Organici per le Artiglierie delle Divisioni Corazzate in A.S. (English: New Organic Orders for the Artillery of Armored Divisions in North Africa) of 8th July 1942 from the Ordering Office of the General Staff of the Regio Esercito. These two texts stated that the Semoventi M40 da 75/18 had participated in action by flanking enemy tanks, where the enemy armor was lighter and this had surprised the British themselves. However, shortcomings were also listed, such as a limited range of the cannon, poor accuracy at long ranges, and a small field of fire. All this meant that the Semoventi M40 da 75/18 were used for tank support actions and not as self-propelled guns.

Operational Use

The first Semoventi M40 da 75/18 were allocated to IV Gruppo M40 da 75/18 and VI Gruppo M40 da 75/18 (English: 4th and 6th M40 Group), usually simply called IV and VI Gruppo by the sources. These 2 groups were assigned to the 133° Reggimento Artiglieria Corazzata ‘Littorio’ (English: 133rd Armored Artillery Regiment) of the 133^a Divisione Corazzata ‘Littorio’ (English: 133th Armored Division).

The IV Gruppo, commanded by Major Pasqualini, and VI Gruppo, commanded by Captain Viglieri, were sent to the Nettunia training center, where the crews trained on the new vehicles and where Benito Mussolini inspected the Semoventi in September 1941. In early January 1942, the two groups were sent to North Africa, where they were then assigned to the 132° Reggimento Artiglieria Corazzata ‘Ariete’ (English: 132nd Armored Artillery Regiment) of the 132^a Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete’ (English: 132th Armored Division). The 2 groups reached the 132° Reggimento Artiglieria Corazzata ‘Ariete’ in El Agheila on 18th January 1942.

Semoventi M40 da 75/18 and Carri Armati Comando M40 of the IV Gruppo and VI Gruppo after their disembarking in Tripoli. They were about to reach the 132^a Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete’ in El Agheila. Source: Semovente da 75/18

After the victorious Axis offensives in North Africa in summer 1942, the Comando Supremo (English: Supreme Command) stated that the number of Semoventi M40 da 75/18 in the armored divisions was inadequate, and an increase of 60% was demanded, decreasing the number of now obsolete Carri Armati M14/41.

From August, the Ispettorato dell’Arma d’Artiglieria (English: Artillery Army Inspectorate) decided to create mixed battalions with M tanks and Semoventi M40 da 75/18.

In November 1942, the Second Battle of El Alamein was fought between the Axis and Commonwealth forces. The Italians deployed in that battle all the Semoventi M40 da 75/18 present in their batteries. The IV Gruppo and the VI Gruppo were now renamed DLI Gruppo and DLII Gruppo (English: 551st and 552nd Groups).

The new DLIII Gruppo (English: 553rd Group) was assigned to the 1^a Divisione di Fanteria ‘Superga’ (English: 1st Infantry Division) but was lost at sea during transport. The DLIV and DLVI Gruppi (English: 554th and 556th Groups) in the 133^a Divisione Corazzata ‘Littorio’ (English: 133rd Armored Division) were also lost during the Second Battle of El Alamein, apart from 2 reserve semoventi of the DLIV Gruppo that were sent to Yugoslavia before the departure of the group to the North African theater of operations.

An unknown number of Semoventi M40 and M41 da 75/18 of DLIV Gruppo and DLVI Gruppo fought admirably at the Second Battle of El Alamein. During the battle, they were all loaded with as many 75 mm rounds as possible stored everywhere in the fighting compartment. They fought near Quota 33 and Quota 34 (equivalent to US Hill), but only 2 Semoventi M40 da 75/18 survived.

Twelve Semoventi M40 da 75/18 of the DLI Gruppo and DLII Gruppo fought during the night between 4th and 5th November 1942 together with the entire 132^a Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete’, which had a total of 27 tanks. The Division had until then remained in the rear. It now covered the retreat of the entire Italian-German Army, not far from Bir El Abd, in an attempt to stem the Commonwealth armored brigades which were now on the attack. The ‘Ariete’s’ tanks claimed to have destroyed about 30 enemy tanks, including M4 Shermans, M3 Grants, and Crusaders.

The last radio message of the 132^a Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete’ was transmitted at 15:30 on November 5th by commander Francesco Arena:

“Carri nemici fatta irruzione sud Divisione Ariete. Con ciò Ariete accerchiata. Trovasi circa 5 chilometri nordovest Bir el Abd. Carri Ariete combattono”.

“Enemy tanks broke through south of the Ariete Division. Because of that Ariete is surrounded, located five kilometers north-west of Bir-el-Abd. Ariete tanks are still fighting”.

Some sources speak of 3 Semoventi M40 da 75/18 still in action on the Fuka Road on 6th November and of the last radio message claiming “3 self-propelled guns remain, we strike back”. However, most sources speak of the total destruction of the 132^a Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete’ in the night between 4th and 5th November. The 2 surviving self-propelled guns of DLVI Gruppo were lost during the defense of Ridotta Capuzzo fort on November 9th against Australian forces.

A map showing the position of the Italian units during the Second Battle of El Alamein. Source: AFV NEWS Volume 5 No. 6

The last Semoventi M40 da 75/18 unit was the DLVII Gruppo (English: 557th Group) that was formed with crew members of the 133^a Divisione Corazzata ‘Littorio’. It arrived in Africa and was assigned to the 131^a Divisione Corazzata ‘Centauro’ together with the DLVIII Gruppo (English: 558th Group) equipped with the more powerful Semoventi M41 da 75/18 on Carro Armato M14/41 chassis. These 2 groups were destroyed during the Tunisian campaign in April 1943.

After the end of the North African campaign, the Semovente M40 da 75/18 did not participate in any military operations.

Versions

Carro Armato Comando M40

The Carri Comando Per Semoventi M13/40 (English: Command Tanks for Self-Propelled Guns) or Carro Armato Comando M40 were Carri Armati M13/40 3a Serie without the turret. Instead of the turret ring, a 4-door hatch with an anti-aircraft support was mounted.

The two Breda medium machine guns in the hull were left for self-defense, while a Breda Modello 1930 light machine gun was stored inside for anti-aircraft duties. The crew consisted of four: driver, commander, machine gunner, and radio operator.

It was equipped with the Apparato Ricetrasmittente RF1CA and the Apparato Ricetrasmittente RF2CA from Magneti Marelli, mounted on the right side of the fighting compartment. Its stereoscopic rangefinder was placed inside the fighting compartment and mounted on the tank’s roof when used. The vehicle was produced exclusively to command the self-propelled gun units.

A Carri Comando Per Semoventi M13/40 at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente in December 1941. Source: fondazioneansaldo.com

Italian tank crew members outside a Carro Comando M40, with the stereoscopic rangefinder mounted on its support on the vehicle’s roof. This vehicle belonged to the VI Gruppo of the 133ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Littorio’. Source: Pignato

Semovente M40 da 75/32

The Semovente M40 da 75/32 was an Italian prototype of self-propelled gun developed to equip the Italian units with a more powerful gun with better anti-tank characteristics than the shorter-barrel Obice da 75/18. The project was appreciated, but the Cannone a Lunga Gittata da 75/32 Modello 1937 (English: Long Range 75 mm L/32 Cannon Model 1937) was a field gun and did not have adequate characteristics to be installed on armored vehicles. It was substituted by the Cannone da 75/34 Modello S.F. (English: 75 mm L/34 Cannon Model Spherical) on the Semoventi M42M da 75/34, of which about 170 were produced.

The Semovente M40 da 75/32 an the Ansaldo-Fossati plant. Source: worldwarphoto.com

Differences Between Semoventi da 75/18 Models

The Semovente M40 da 75/18 was derived from the Carro Armato M13/40. The more powerful Semovente M41 da 75/18 model, derived from the Carro Armato M14/41, was externally identical to the previous model apart from new, longer mudguards that in the latter model, covered the entire length of the hull.

As the M14/41 medium tank, it had a FIAT-SPA 15T Modello 1941, 8-cylinder V-shaped, diesel engine, producing 145 hp at 1,900 rpm, increasing maximum speed to 33.3 km. The superstructure’s armor consisted of a single armored plate with a thickness of 50 mm instead of two 25 mm thick plates bolted together. The ammunition racks were the same as on the M40.

A Semovente M41 da 75/18 was abandoned by the Italian soldiers in North Africa. Source: pinterest.com

The original 6.5 mm Fucile Mitragliatore Breda Modello 1930 was replaced in the Semoventi M41 series by a more powerful 8 x 59 mm Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 with a total of 864 rounds (36 magazines) in 2 wooden racks, one with 16 magazines on the left side and one with 20 on the right side, above the radio inverter.

On 8th May 1943, the Semovente M42 da 75/18, derived from the Carro Armato M15/42 hull, was delivered to units. A new base for the Italian self-propelled guns, it weighed 13.25 tonnes with improved protection of 35 mm of armor on the hull and sides and 20 mm on the rear.

The Semovente M42 da 75/18 was a little longer (5.06 m compared to the 4.92 m of the Semovente M40 and M41) because the new engine compartment needed to accommodate the new more powerful petrol engine, the modified FIAT-SPA 15TB (‘B’ stands for Benzina – Petrol) Modello 1942 with 190 hp and its accompanying fuel tanks with a increased capacity of 307 liters (including 40 liters of the reserve). It also had improved fire fighting equipment due to the increased flammability of the petrol fuel. It had a consumption of 1.5 l/km, the maximum road speed was 38.4 km/h and the range was decreased to 150 km.

The number of rounds carried was 44 in the usual 3 racks and 1,104 rounds (46 magazines) for the Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 machine gun. The antenna support was modified and three 20 liter can supports were added on each side plus two on the rear side of the casemate. The new engine compartment had new cooling grilles on the inspection hatches and new rear plate and shields to protect the mufflers from impacts.

Semovente M42 da 75/18 ready to be delivered to the Regio Esercito. The new engine compartment is visible together with radio antenna support and 20 liter can supports. Source: worldwarphoto.com

Apart from a first production of 60 Semoventi M40 da 75/18, a total of 162 vehicles were produced on Semovente M41 da 75/18 until 1942 when the chassis was again changed. Before the Italian Armistice in September 1943, another 66 Semoventi M42 da 75/18 were built. This meant that a total of 288 semoventi da 75/18 were produced on the 3 chassis models.

Surviving Vehicles

Only 2 Semoventi M40 da 75/18 have survived to this day out of 60 built. One was recovered after the war from the El Alamein scrapyard, and, without repairs, was transported, probably by Italian volunteers, to the El Alamein War Memorial in December 1967, when the museum was officially created.

The Semovente M40 da 75/18 exhibited at the El Alamein War Memorial in Egypt, near a Cannone da 90/53 Modello 1939. Source: wikipedia.org

A second vehicle is exhibited at the Musée des Blindés of Samur, in France. This vehicle is in great condition, even if its camouflage seems to be totally wrong. In fact, the 3-tone camouflage was painted on vehicles after the loss of the North African campaign, while the Semoventi M40 da 75/18 were all lost after the El Alamein or in fighting occurred shortly after the battle.

The Semovente M40 da 75/18 exhibited at the Musée des Blindés, in France. Source: eltee1.tumblr.com

Conclusion

The Semovente M40 da 75/18 was the first Italian self-propelled gun of the Second World War, which led to the development of a whole range of Italian self-propelled guns until 1945.

Its series was one of the most produced Italian SPGs during the war. With its short-barreled howitzer, it could support the infantry and fire against enemy tanks thanks to shaped charge rounds.

Its thin armor, weak engine, and cramped interior affected its operational use. These problems decreased the efficiency of the semoventi, while their powerful main gun offered the Italian divisions adequate anti-tank firepower that the medium tanks had failed to deliver early in the war.

Luckily, the M40 da 75/18 was quickly replaced by the Semovente M41 da 75/18, which shared the majority of its parts with the previous model, but had a more powerful engine and new anti-aircraft machine gun.

Prototype of the Semovente M40 da 75/18. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Semovente M40 75/18 of an unknown battery of the DLVI Gruppo M40 da 75/18 133ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Littorio’. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Semovente M40 75/18 of the 2ª Batteria of the IV Gruppo M40 da 75/18 of the 132° Reggimento Artiglieria Corazzata ‘Ariete’. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Semovente M40 da 75/18 Specification
Size (L-W-H)	4.915 x 2.200 x 1.850 m
Weight, battle ready	13.1 tonnes
Crew	3 (Driver, gunner/commander, loader/radio operator)
Engine	FIAT-SPA 8T Modello 1940 diesel, 8-cylinder, 11,140 cm³ 125 hp at 1,800 rpm
Speed	31.8 km/h
Range	210 km
Armament	Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934 with 44 rounds and a Breda Modello 1930 light machine gun with 600 rounds
Armor	25 mm to 50 mm
Production	60 vehicles

Sources

Guida alle Artiglierie Italiane nella 2^a Guerra Mondiale. 1940-1945. Regio Esercito Italiano, Repubblica Sociale Italiana ed Esercito Cobelligerante – Enrico Finazzer – Italia Storica – Genova 2020

La Meccanizzazione dell’Esercito Italiano fino al 1943 Volume I Parte I – Lucio Ceva and Andrea Curami – Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Ufficio Storico, 1994

La Meccanizzazione dell’Esercito Italiano fino al 1943 Volume I Parte II – Lucio Ceva and Andrea Curami – Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Ufficio Storico, 1994

Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano Volume II Tomo I – Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano – Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Ufficio Storico, 2002

Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano Volume III Tomo I – Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano – Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Ufficio Storico, 2002

Andare contro i carri armati. L’evoluzione della difesa controcarro nell’esercito italiano dal 1918 al 1945 – Nicola Pignato e Filippo Cappellano – Udine 2008

Semovente da 75/18, Tecnica del Primo Semovente Italiano – Nicola Pignato – Storia Militare – Parma 2010

Italian Medium Tanks 1939-45; New Vanguard Book 195 – Filippo Cappellani and Pier Paolo Battistelli – Osprey Publishing, 20th December 2012

Carro M – Carri Medi M11/39, M13/40, M14/41, M15/42, Semoventi ed Altri Derivati Volume Primo and Secondo – Antonio Tallillo, Andrea Tallillo and Daniele Guglielmi – Gruppo Modellistico Trentino di Studio e Ricerca Storica, 2012

WW2 Italian Prototypes

Autoblindo AB42 Comando

AB42 Comando. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Kingdom of Italy (1942-1943)
Command Armored Car – 1 or 2 Prototypes Built

The Autoblindo AB42 Comando (English: AB42 Command Armored Car) was an Italian fast mobile command and observation vehicle developed by the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) using a pre-series model of an AB40 present in one of its depots in Rome.

The Regio Esercito‘s High Command accepted it into service in late 1942 and planned to order a first batch of 50 vehicles. Unfortunately, according to official sources, it seems that the order probably never arrived at Ansaldo, which was manufacturing the AB series armored cars, and production never started. After the Italian Armistice of 8th September 1943, the project was abandoned.

The Autoblindo AB42 Comando at the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione in Rome during testing. Source: Gli Autoveicoli dell’Esercito Italiano fino al 1943

The AB40

The AB, short for AutoBlindo (English: Armored Car), series of medium reconnaissance armored cars were the Italian industry’s most produced armored car series during the Second World War.

The first vehicle type of the series, the Autoblindo Modello 1940 (English: Model 1940 Armored Car), or simply AB40, was developed as a successor to the Lancia 1ZM, a First Word War era Italian armored car.

The Italian Army made a request for a new armored car with similar characteristics to the previous Lancia. At the same time, the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana or PAI (English: Police of Italian Africa), the police corps that guaranteed security in the Italian colonies in Africa, also ordered a similar vehicle to patrol the colonies.

The Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, or FIAT (English: Italian Automobile Factory of Turin), and Ansaldo of Genoa started a joint development to meet these requirements. In order to speed up production and save money, they produced a single vehicle type that could satisfy the two requests, and in 1938, the first prototype was ready.

The AB40 maintained the same armament distribution as the Lancia 1ZM, two medium machine guns in the turret and a third one on the rear. All the machine guns were 8 mm Breda Modello 1938. Apart from that, it had a totally new shape and two driving seats, one at the front and one at the back.

With the experience gained by the Italians during the Spanish Civil War, in which the Republican forces were equipped with the 45 mm armed BA-6 heavy armored cars and T-26 and BT-5 light tanks, the Italian High Command understood that two machine guns were not enough to deal with enemy vehicles.

Because of this, only 24 AB40s were produced in 1941, before being improved with a new turret armed with a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 20 mm automatic cannon. This version was renamed Autoblindo Modello 1941. This new version also received a more powerful engine that delivered 88 hp instead of the previous 78 hp (although some models received the new armament but the old engine).

History of the Prototype

The Autoblindo AB40 with license plate Regio Esercito 116B was produced in mid-1940 as the final pre-series vehicle for the Regio Esercito. Unlike the production vehicles, it had a German Notek headlight on the front, an anti-aircraft support for a Breda Modello 1938 machine gun on the roof, and lacked a radio antenna.

The AB40 116B seems to have been used as a training and exhibition vehicle in Rome for some years, until 1942. In mid-1942, the armored car was modified into a command vehicle by the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione (English: Centre for Motorisation Studies) in Rome.

It is unclear if this vehicle was meant to be used by Italian units as a company, battalion, or regimental command vehicle. The radio equipment on board was the same as on the command tanks deployed in armored regiments and companies. Theoretically, in units with these command tanks, there were 24 for each regiment and 3 for each company. Infantry and mechanized divisions relied on radio-trucks, sometimes towing a mobile command post. It is probable that the Italian Regio Esercito intended to substitute some command tanks in armored regiments and equip its armored car regiments with this agile wheeled command command cars.

The modified AB40 116B was tested and accepted into service on 18th November 1942. The prototype was then sent to the Ansaldo plant of Sestri Ponente, where the Regio Esercito hoped a series of vehicles would be built.

The pre-series AB40 with license plate Regio Esercito 116B at the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione of Rome, where it was evaluated. At the time, the license plates were not painted on the front of the Regio Esercito‘s vehicles. Source: Gli Autoveicoli dell’Esercito Italiano fino al 1943

The Regio Esercito High Command had ordered a first batch of 50 vehicles, but, based on official documents, it seems that the order was never received by Ansaldo or SPA, which never started the production of the vehicles.

Design

Modifications

The AB40 with license plate Regio Esercito 116B received a number of modifications. The most visible was the removal of the turret and the superstructure’s roof, which was substituted with a new higher roof that permitted the soldiers transported to stand inside the vehicle. The new roof was probably made of 8.5 mm thick armor plates, the same as the superstructure.

The AB40 Regio Esercito 116B at the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione in Rome. The license plate, the upper hatch, and the rear bolted plates are visible. Source: italie1935-45.com

To access the vehicle, the crew could rely on the usual rear doors. In order to observe the battlefield, they could use a 4-part hatch placed on the new roof. Two of the four doors were equipped with thick glass in order to allow light to get into the crew compartment and also to provide some limited protection and vision when opened to the front and rear, even if this decreased protection. The photos of the prototype at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant of Sestri Ponente, near Genoa, show that the glass was substituted with standard armored hatches at some point before 29th January 1943, the day on which the photos were taken. Because of this, it is unclear which type of hatch the production vehicles would have been equipped with.

The rear driving position and machine gun position were removed to gain more space inside the vehicle. Another reason was that the vehicle was intended to operate far from the battlefield and it was not necessary to equip it with a rear driver, used mainly to retreat quickly, nor with armament.

The rear slot for the driver was covered by a rectangular armored plate bolted on the rear. The removed spherical support for the rear machine gun was substituted with a rounded armored plate, also bolted on the rear. The peculiarity of this armored plate is that it was equipped with a pistol port closed by a revolving shutter from the inside, identical to the ones mounted on the upper parts of the side doors. This would permit the crew to defend from enemy infantry attacks.

The interior was almost totally modified. The driver’s position was the only unmodified part of the armored car. The frontal vision slit, the episcope used when the slit was closed, the steering wheel, and the dashboard were placed in front of the driver’s position.

On the right of the driver’s position was the gearbox lever, and on the left, to the top, was a crank that facilitated the raising or lowering of the radio antenna. This is probably because the chassis from which the AB42 Comando prototype was built was not equipped with a radio antenna and it was not added during modification, but it is logical to assume that the productions vehicles would have the same radio antenna as the AB40, AB41, and AB43 production vehicles.

Image of the driving compartment of the AB42 Comando at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant. In front, the vision slot and episcope, on the right, the RF3M radio apparatus, on the sides, the storage spaces in which the radio apparatus was positioned and the folding seats. Strangely enough, it was equipped with the crank to lower and raise the antenna on the episcope’s left, even if the AB40 RE 116B was not equipped with a radio antenna. Source: fondazioneansaldo.com

The ammunition racks on the sides of the superstructure were substituted with wooden storage boxes with two doors, in which the radio apparatus was mounted.

Four foldable padded seats were placed on the floor of the vehicle for increased comfort for the radio operators and officers. In the center of the crew compartment, there was a small step on which the observer stood to watch from the hatch on the roof.

A top view of the center-rear of the crew compartment. The folding seats are visible, together with the side storage space. Source: fondazioneansaldo.com

At the rear was a foldable table where the officers could position maps and binoculars. It was placed in front of the engine’s 10 liter water cooling tank and the 20 liter reserve tank. The table, when folded, did not interfere with refueling operations.

On the left side, there was a small electric engine with its dashboard. This was probably added to increase the power of the electrical system of the armored car due to the increased power necessary to operate the radio apparatus and probably to permit the radio operators to use the radio even when the vehicle’s engine was turned off.

On the right side was the pistol port, and above it, supports for the crew’s personal weapons that could be used through the pistol ports of the armored car. On the floor, near the left door, there was a jack mounted on its support.

The rear side of the AB42 Comando. The table is folded, with the electric engine on its right, the jack on the left, and the tanks behind it. Above the table is the pistol port, on the left, and the slot on the right. Above the pistol port are two cloth cases for MAB 38 submachine guns. Source: fondazioneansaldo.com

Crew

The crew was made up of 5 people: the driver at the front, two officers or NCOs to check the battlefield, and two radio operators.

The crew’s personal weapons were used to defend the vehicle and were transported on the right side of the rear, near the door. The guns transported on the prototype were 2 Moschetti Automatici Beretta Modello 1938 or MAB 38 (English: Beretta Automatic Carbine Model 1938), but it is probable that there would have been the possibility to add a third gun or that these were substituted by Carcano Modello 1891 rifles, which were standard for Italian soldiers.

Hull and Armor

The armor on the entire hull and superstructure consisted of bolted plates. This arrangement did not offer the same efficiency as a mechanically welded plate, but facilitated the replacement of armor elements for repairs.

The armored plates of the prototype were left unchanged. The hull had 8.5 mm thick armored plates on the front, sides, and rear. The wheel fenders were also armored to prevent enemy fire from piercing the tires.

In general, for the tasks the armored car had to perform, the armor was more than adequate, protecting the crew from enemy infantry light weapons.

Internal structure on which the plates were bolted on the original AB40 and AB41’s chassis. Source: pinterest.com @Lucky01

The hull of the armored car had an internal structure on which the plates were bolted. At the rear of the superstructure, there were the two armored access doors, divided into two parts that could be opened separately. The upper part had a pistol port closed by a revolving shutter from the inside, so that the crew could use their personal weapons for close-quarters defense. On the left was the antenna, which rested on a support at the back of the superstructure. In fact, to open the upper part of the left door, it was necessary to raise the antenna a few degrees.

The AB42 Comando at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente. Source: La Meccanizzazione dell’Esercito fino al 1943

On the right, the horn was placed at the front, a pickaxe was placed on the right side, and the exhaust pipe was placed on the rear mudguard. The two spare wheels were placed in two fairings on the sides of the superstructure. Above the engine compartment, there were two air intakes and two hatches for engine maintenance. On the back were the cooling grille and the two rear lights with the license plate.

Radio Equipment

Not much is known about the radio equipment. It seems that, on the left side, just behind the driver’s position, there was a Apparato Ricetrasmittente Radio Fonica 3M (English: Audio Radio Receiver Apparatus 3M), produced by Magneti Marelli, which was installed on all vehicles of the AB series from March 1941 onwards.

The RF3M consisted of a transmitter placed on a shelf and the receiver placed on another shelf. Underneath them, on the floor, the power supplies and accumulator were placed on the sides of the driver’s seat. The transmitter was in a 35 x 25 x 25 cm box weighing 14.2 kg, whilst the receiver was in a 35 x 22 x 19.5 cm box weighing 8.4 kg. The radio was a radiotelephone and radiotelegraph station with power of 35 watts in telegraphy mode. Operating frequency range was between 1.690 and 2.790 kHz.

The transmitter and receiver parts of the Magneti Marelli RF3M radio equipment. Source: ha5kdr.hu

The mounted antenna (on AB series production vehicles) could be lowered to 90°. When ‘hoisted’ up, it was 3 m tall, but could reach 7 m fully extended. At its top height, it had a maximum range of 60 km and 25 to 35 km when just 3 m high. The RF3M would probably have been used for communication between the command vehicle and the battalions it would command.

Even less is known about the radio equipment stored inside the wooden storage space. Due to the dimensions of the wooden storage boxes, it seems that two other radio devices were mounted.

One was probably the Apparato Ricetrasmittente Radio Fonica 1 per Carro Armato or Apparato Ricevente RF1CA (English: Tank Audio Radio Receiver Apparatus 1). It was a 35 x 20 x 24.6 cm box weighing about 18 kg containing a radiotelephone and radiotelegraph station with 10 watts of power in both voice and telegraphy.

Operating frequency range was between 27 to 33.4 MHz. It was powered by an AL-1 Dynamotor supplying 9-10 Watts, mounted on the hull’s right side. It had a range of 8 km in voice mode and 12 km in telegraphics mode.

The radio had two ranges, Vicino (Eng: Near), with a maximum range of 5 km, and Lontano (Eng: Afar), with a maximum range of 12 km. In early 1940, it was mainly dedicated to internal communications for the company commanders in the tanks on which it was mounted.

The Magneti Marrelli RF1CA. angetmi.it

The other radio apparatus could have been the Apparato Ricetrasmittente RF2CA operated in graphic and voice mode. Its production began in 1940 and had a maximum communication range of 28-30 km that was lowered to 7-8 km when on the move. Its operating frequency range was between 4.285 – 5.300 MHz and with a maximum power of 10 Watts. It was used on the tanks for communication among tank company commanders and with the regiment or division command, in some cases also with the army commanders. Thanks to this, the radio operator could send the radio messages from individual tank commanders to more senior command units.

The Magneti Marelli T4, the field version of the RF2CA, with which it shared many components. Source: qrz.com

Engine and Suspension

The engine in the AB40 was a 78 hp FIAT-SPA ABM 1 6-cylinder water-cooled inline petrol engine. It was cooled by a water circuit driven by a centrifugal pump. The engine cooling water tank was placed under the rear driver’s hatch, on the left of the fuel reserve tank. The engine was coupled with a Zenith type 42 TTVP carburetor housed in the back of the engine compartment.

The engine could be started manually using a crank or electrically with an ignition key. The single dry plate clutch transmitted the movement of the drive shaft to a gearbox. The differential, from which the four drive shafts departed, was in the center of the vehicle and connected to the propeller shaft on the rear.

The engine compartment was well cooled with grilles on the engine deck, right behind the rear armored plate of the superstructure, grilles on the maintenance hatches, and inclined grilles on the rear for the radiator’s water cooling. It should also be considered that the lack of a bulkhead allowed for easier cooling.

The FIAT-SPA ABM 1 engine cooling system. Source: Autoblindo AB41 & AB43

The engines were designed by FIAT and produced by its subsidiary, Società Piemontese Automobili or SPA (English: Piedmontese Automobiles Company), in Turin.

There were two fuel tanks with a total capacity of 138 liters. The main one, with 118 liters, was in the double bottom of the floor, while the 20 liter reserve tank was placed on the rear armored plate, in the rear of the crew compartment. The oil bath air filters were of satisfactory quality, giving great results even in desert environments.

The AB41’s fuel system scheme. Source: Autoblindo AB41 & AB43

The electrical system was composed of a Magneti Marelli 3 MF15 battery with 4 accumulators and was used to power the 4 external headlights, radios, and the horn placed on the front right mudguard.

The AB42 Comando had four-wheel drive and four steering wheels with independent shock absorbers on each wheel which, coupled with the large diameter tires, gave excellent off-road mobility to the armored cars.

Two Prototypes? The Centro Studi della Motorizzazione and Ansaldo Vehicles

One thing that is immediately noticeable by seeing the images of the AB42 Comando prototype are the difference between when it was at the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione, when the vehicle was tested in Rome, and when it was at the Ansaldo-Fossati Plant of Sestri Ponente. This opens the possibility that more than one vehicle was built.

The Autoblindo AB42 Comando at the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione in Rome (top), and at the Ansaldo-Fossati Plant of Sestri Ponente (bottom). The hatches are different. Sources: Archivio Ansaldo and italie1935-45.com with author collage

In the photographs taken at the Ansaldo plant, the Autoblindo AB42 Comando had all the hatches at the top of the vehicle made from solid metal. Although the Notek headlight support is visible in the Ansaldo plant photos, the actual headlight is not present.

The absence of the frontal 57 liter fuel tank increases the hypothesis that a second prototype was produced. This secondary 57 liter fuel tank in front of the steering wheel was present on AB40s and early AB41s. This fuel tank increased the range, but it was very vulnerable to enemy fire. For this reason, during production of the AB41, it was removed.

Although it can be missed at a quick glance, the Regio Esercito 116B license plate painted on the frontal lower armored plate seen in the photographs at the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione is not present in photos at Ansaldo. The reason for this may just be that the vehicle was repainted at Ansaldo. The vehicle photographed at Ansaldo also had the same radio antenna as the other AB series vehicles.

Lastly, and perhaps the most compelling case to suggest more than one vehicle was built was the presence of the rear driver’s slot. It seems illogical that Ansaldo’s workers, after receiving the prototype from Rome, would have unbolted the rectangular armored plate bolted in Rome and reintroduced the driver’s slot and its lever to raise it.

The AB42 Comando at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente. It had new armored hatches. The upper superstructure seems to be slightly modified from the AB40 prototype. The radio antenna is visible. Source: Archivio Ansaldo

The official sources do not mention the production of a second prototype or the fate of the first one, and overall, are really unclear about the order for production of the first batch. In fact, some secondary sources claim that the order was never received by Ansaldo, and other claim that it was received but the production never started due to the Italian Armistice.

The vehicle photographed at the Ansaldo plant could be a prototype built by Ansaldo after the supposed arrival of the Regio Esercito’s order to produce the first batch.

The Question of the Name

In official sources, the command armored car is named Autoblinda AB42 Comando, even if the prototype was created by modifying an AB40.

The Autoblinda AB42 was a prototype produced in the same period as the AB42 Comando. The armored superstructure and turret were totally redesigned and did not look like the AB41’s shape. The frame was the same but with some changes. The AB42 no longer had the all-steering wheels nor the rear driving position.

The Autoblindo AB42 at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant. Source: Gli Autoveicoli dell’Esercito Italiano fino al 1943

The AB42 prototype was made especially to fight in North Africa, where the four-wheel steering and rear driving position were rarely employed by AB41 crews during reconnaissance missions. The designers intended the rear driver position to allow for an easy retreat in narrow streets in case of an emergency. This was not the most useful in deserts environments.

The Autoblinda AB42 was not adopted in service but its chassis was used for the creation of the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’ (English: SPA-Viberti AS42 Reconnaissance Car) and on the Semovente da 47/32 su Scafo AB41, another prototype of the AB armored car series.

The Semovente da 47/32 su Scafo AB41 prototype outside the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente, 3rd December 1942. Due to the absence of the rear driving position and all wheel steering, it is also called Semovente da 47/32 su Scafo AB42. Source: Archivio Ansaldo

The AB42 Comando prototype did not have the rear driving position. It can be supposed that the all wheel steering system was not as necessary on a command vehicle that did not need to retreat quickly in the same way as a reconnaissance armored car and thus it was removed.

The AB41’s chassis. Source: Ansaldo

The AB command vehicles would have likely eventually been produced on the AB42 chassis.

The Autoblinda AB40 prototype with the license plate Regio Esercito 116B was powered with the FIAT-SPA ABM 1 engine, but at the time when the vehicle was converted into a command armored car, this engine was substituted with the FIAT-SPA ABM 2 and then with the FIAT-SPA ABM 3 on the regular armored cars. The latter version delivered a maximum power of 108 hp at 2,800 rpm. If the command armored car had been produced, it would certainly have had this powerful engine that would have increased the top speed of this lighter vehicle compared to a fully equipped AB41 and AB42 armored cars.

Conclusion

The Autoblinda AB42 Comando could have been a useful vehicle if produced. Its speed, off-road capabilities, and range could make it a reliable vehicle for the armored units of the Italian divisions. The command armored car could follow tank or armored car units and organize the division’s attacks.

Unfortunately, it was developed too late, when the Axis forces were defeated in North Africa, where the need for a vehicle with similar characteristics was most pressing. The photographs at Ansaldo were taken in late January 1943, 4 months before the fall of the North African front, so, even if it had entered service, the Autoblinda AB42 Comando would have been used in other theaters of the war, where it could still have been effective, but there was less need for it and more pressing requirements for other AFVs.

AB42 Comando. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Autoblinda AB42 Comando Specification
Size (L-W-H)	5.20 x 1.93 x 1.92 m
Weight, battle ready	//
Crew	5 (driver, 4 officers)
Engine	FIAT-SPA ABM1 6-cylinder petrol, 78 hp with 138 liters tank
Road Speed	~80 km/h
Off-Road Speed	~50 km/h
Range	400 km
Armament	//
Armor	8.5 mm all sides
Production	1 or 2 prototypes built

Sources

La Meccanizzazione dell’Esercito fino al 1943, Tomo II, Volume II – Lucio Ceva and Andrea Curami – Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito – 1994

Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, Volume II, Tomo I – Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano – Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito – 2002

Italian Armored Cars Autoblindo AB41 & AB43, Pz.Sp.Wg AB41 201(i) & AB43 203(i) – Daniele Guglielmi – Armor PhotoGallery #8, Model Centrum PROGRES – 2004

WW2 RSI Armor

Carro Armato M13/40 in Repubblica Sociale Italiana Service

Post author By Arturo Giusti
Post date January 14, 2023
2 Comments on Carro Armato M13/40 in Repubblica Sociale Italiana Service

Carro Armato M13/40 of IIa Serie. It was the 2nd tank of the I Squadrone Carri M of the Gruppo Corazzato 'Leoncello' in early 1945. Illustrations by Oussama Mohamed 'Godzilla' funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Repubblica Sociale Italiana (1943-1945)
Medium Tank – 710 Built, Less Than 25 In RSI Service

A Carro Armato M13/40 of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ during training in Piedmont in Summer 1944. Source: I Carristi di Mussolini

The Carro Armato M13/40 was the most widely produced Italian tank during the Second World War, with a total of 710 examples produced between early 1940 and mid 1941. It was used mainly by the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) in the North African campaign.

After the Italian Armistice of 8th September 1943, some Carri Armati M13/40s remained on the Italian mainland for training or other tasks and were taken over by soldiers of the German Wehrmacht and by Fascist soldiers still loyal to Mussolini. In their hands, these tanks would be deployed against both partisans and the advancing Allied forces.

It is known that at least 11 were used by Repubblica Sociale Italiana or RSI (English: Italian Social Republic) units, along with 14 more medium tanks. Unfortunately, for the other 14 tanks, the sources do not specify which precise model they are, referring to them as ‘Carri M’ (English: Medium Tanks). Based on the Second World War era documents, it is only possible to confirm that they were Carri Armati M13/40s or Carri Armati M14/41s.

Colorization by Johannes Dorn

Italian Peninsula after the Armistice

After the end of the North African Campaign, Fascism began to lose support among the Italian population, exhausted by the Allied bombings, in crisis due to the embargoes and with most of the men deployed in war. Citizens no longer believed in Benito Mussolini’s promises.

On 10th July 1943, the Allied troops began the invasion of Italy with landings in Sicily. With these landings, even more support was lost by the Fascists, who had failed to organize a defense to protect their own country.

Thanks to the critical situation, the King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele III, along with some Fascist politicians who had lost confidence in Mussolini and his ideology, carried out a coup on 25th June 1943, 15 days after the allies landed in Sicily. Mussolini was arrested and transferred to many places to maintain his position secret from the Italians still loyal to him and from the German secret services.

The same day of Mussolini’s arrest, the King created a new monarchic government with General Marshal Pietro Badoglio as Prime Minister. Almost immediately, Badoglio’s government tried to arrange an armistice with the Allied forces. This Armistice was signed on 3rd September 1943 and made public only at 1942 hrs. on 8th September 1943.

Between 9th and 23rd September, the Germans occupied all the territories under Italian control, capturing over a million of Italian soldiers and killing about 20,000. Thousands of tonnes of military equipment were captured, including 977 Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs).

However, some of the Italian soldiers, still loyal to Mussolini, immediately surrendered to the Germans without fighting or joined them against the Yugoslavian partisans in the Balkans and against the Allied troops in the Southern part of the peninsula. In fact, on 3rd September 1943, the Allied troops had disembarked on the Italian Peninsula.

Repubblica Sociale Italiana

On 12th September 1943, Mussolini was freed from his last prison. He had been jailed in a hotel on the Gran Sasso, a 2,912 m high mountain about 120 km from Rome. Thanks to a unit of German Fallschirmjäger (English: Paratroopers) that landed with two Fieseler Fi 156 ‘Storch’ liaison planes, he was freed and left the mountain to go to Munich, Germany.

On 14th September 1943, he met Adolf Hitler in Rastenburg where, for 2 days, they spoke about the future of the northern part of Italy, which was still under German control.

On 17th September 1943, Mussolini spoke for the first time on Radio Munich, saying to the Italian population that he was alive and that a new Fascist government would be created in the part of the Italian peninsula not yet occupied by the Allied forces.

On 23rd September 1943, Mussolini returned to Italy and the Repubblica Sociale Italiana was officially created. In Salò, a small city near Brescia, Lombardia region, many offices and headquarters of the new republic were created. For this reason, in Italy, the Repubblica Sociale Italiana is also known as Repubblica di Salò (English: Salò Republic).

The Repubblica Sociale Italiana’s territories on 25th September 1943. By 25th April 1945, its territory was severely diminished as the Allied forces advanced from the south. Source: wikipedia.org

The New Armies

The new Repubblica Sociale Italiana’s army was the new Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano or ENR (English: National Republican Army). This was composed, during its 20 months of existence, of a total of 300,000 soldiers. Mussolini and Hitler had planned to form 25 divisions of which 5 armored divisions and 10 motorized divisions.

During the 20 years of Fascist government in Italy, all the paramilitary and police corps in Italy were substituted with militias: harbor militia, railway militia, etcetera.

After the Armistice, all these militias were united and renamed Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana or GNR (English: National Republican Guard). It was composed of over 140,000 militiamen and soldiers that mostly fought partisan units or as Police duty units in the main cities.

A Bianchi Miles medium truck of the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani, probably in Turin. It had two Fucili Mitragliatori Breda Modello 1930 on the cabin’s roof and a L3 light tank trailer. Source: Italia 43-45, I Blindati di Circostanza della Guerra Civile

The two armies were supported by the Squadre d’Azione delle Camicie Nere (English: Auxiliary Corps of the Action Squads of the Black Shirts).

The Auxiliary Corps of the Action Squads of the Black Shirts were simply known as the ‘Brigate Nere’ (English: Black Brigades). They were under the control of the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana and were born from the necessity for small units to be located in the small cities of Italy as garrisons to stop partisan formations.

The reason for the constitution of the Black Brigades is to be found mainly in the attempt to preserve the life and property of the republican fascists and to constitute auxiliary units, well rooted in the territory where they operated (most of the members were born and lived in the cities where they operated) and to be used in the fight against the partisans.

During their existence, the Black Brigades were also used to help bigger units in anti-partisan operations, to maintain public order in the cities and to prevent partisan sabotage against sensible targets in the cities.

Design

The Carro Armato M13/40, which, after 14th August 1942, was renamed in official designations into M40, was the first Italian medium tank equipped with the main armament in a rotating turret during the war. It was developed from the Carro Armato M11/39, with which shared many parts of the chassis and the suspension.

The Carro Armato M11/39 was developed in the 1930s with the task of fighting in the Italian mountains. In fact, the Italian High Command in the 1920s and 1930s thought that, in case a second Great War broke out, it would fight like during the first one, in the mountains of northern Italy.

For these reasons, the Carro Armato M11/39 had the 37 mm main armament on the right hand of the frontal hull armored plate and the secondary armament in a rotating one-man turret.

The new Carro Armato M13/40 reversed the gun positions, with a new 47 mm main gun coupled with a coaxial machine gun in the turret, with a depression of -15°, and an elevation of +25° and 2 coupled machine guns in a spherical support on the right side of the casemate.

The armor was 30 mm thick on the front of the casemate, 25 mm on sides and rear and 14 mm roof and floor. The horse-shoe-shaped turret had 40 mm thick armored plates on the gun mantlet and 25 mm on side and rear.

The crew was composed of 4 soldiers. The driver was on the left side of the hull, the machine gunner/radio operator on the right, the loader on the left side of the turret, and the commander/gunner on the right side.

Operational use

Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano

The new RSI High Command, composed of the new War Minister, Marshal of Italy Rodolfo Graziani, and Chief of General Staff General Gastone Gambara, already Regio Esercito’s generals.

During a private meeting with Adolf Hitler in Rastenburg on 13th October 1943, Marshal Graziani spoke with the German dictator about Italian armored units. The German Generals had no more confidence in the Italians but, thanks to Graziani, Hitler agreed to train the Italian tank crews in Germany and in Italy, but with German instructors.

Three days after, on 16th October, in the same Prussian city, Italian General Secretary of the Ministry of War, Colonel Emilio Canevari, met German General Walther Buhle, Chief of the Army Staff of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW), to discuss about Italian armored units.

Incredibly, they planned to train enough Italian crew members at the Panzertruppenschule (English: Tank Troop School) Wünsdorf near Bergen to equip 4 different units (not known if battalions or companies or other types), which would then be assigned to 4 different Italian infantry divisions. They also planned to do this a second time, creating another 4 armored units which would then be assigned to other divisions, and a 9th one to be equipped with German armored fighting vehicles by the end of 1944.

After a brainstorming with the German Heeresgruppe B on 26th October 1943, the Italian High Command ordered the Console (English: Consul) General Alessandro Lusana, commander of the 1ª Divisione Corazzata Camicie Nere ‘M’ (English: 1st Black Shirt Armored Division), also known as the 1ª Divisione Corazzata Legionaria ‘M’ (English: 1st Legionary Armored Division, where ‘M’ stands for Benito Mussolini) to send 268 tank crew members, mechanics and specialists to San Michele, 38 km from Verona. In the letter, the Italian High Command urged Console Generale Lusana to send the soldiers as quickly as possible, and that his men should be in San Michele by 30th October. After this decision, the plan to train Italian crew members in the Panzertruppenschule of Wünsdorf was aborted.

The document for the creation of the school, written by Heeresgruppe B, arrived to Colonel Canavari only on 29th October 1943. In that document, the Germans listed all the Italian personnel that they needed to open the Reparto Addestramento (English: Training Unit) of the Scuola Carristi (English: Tank Crew School) of San Michele. Food, equipment, uniforms, barracks, and canteens would be provided by the Wehrmacht.

In total, 286 soldiers (of 268 planned) of the 1ª Divisione Corazzata Camicie Nere ‘M’ arrived in San Michele from Rome, of which 173 were tank crew members, 15 mechanics and 20 radio operators. The others were officers and specialists with other tasks.

However, it is unclear to which unit the 286 soldiers belonged. In fact, on that date, the 1ª Divisione Corazzata Camicie Nere ‘M’ was already renamed Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ and was transferred to Montichiari, near Brescia, and only the 1st Armored Division’s command had remained in Rome, in the militia’s headquarters at Caserma Mussolini (English: Mussolini Barracks) in Viale Romania.

Between late 1943 and the early weeks of 1944, many other Italian tank crew members arrived in San Michele, while many others were sent to Verona, where a former Regio Esercito tank unit had its headquarters. These men would be used for other training in the future.

The High Command planned to create three companies at the training school: an Armored Car Training Company, a Light Tank Training Company and a Tank Hunter Training Company.

1° Deposito Carristi

On 20th February 1944, the RSI High Command renamed the old 32° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista (English: 32nd Tank Crew Infantry Regiment) of Verona into the 1° Deposito Carristi (English: 1st Tank Crew Depot) in order to replace the old Monarchic names.

In the same document, the High Command ordered the disbanding of the 31° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista (English: 31st Tank Crew Infantry Regiment) of Siena by 29th February 1944. All the soldiers and materiel from the former 31st Regiment were then moved to Verona. However, a Lieutenant Colonel, a Captain, 6 Lieutenants, 41 Second Lieutenants, 17 NCOs and 30 crew members volunteered for the training school of San Michele on 5th February 1944.

After April 1944, the Scuola Carristi of San Michele ceased to exist. Probably all the men and tanks (of which no numbers and models are known) were given to the 1° Deposito Carristi.

The new 1° Deposito Carristi on 14th April 1944 was theoretically composed (unfortunately, lack of documents do not allow us to understand if they were completed or not) of a Depot Command, Logistic office, Administration office and an Enlistment and rookies office, with a total of 14 officers, 16 NCOs and 46 soldiers.

The commander of the 1° Deposito Carristi was, at first, Lieutenant Colonel Enrico dell’Uva but, between March and May 1944, the Lt. Colonel left his position to Lieutenant Colonel Pietro Calini.

On 23rd February, a document was sent from the Ufficio Operazioni e Servizi of the Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito (English: Operations and Services Office of the Army General Staff) to all the Fascist Comandi Militari Regionali (English: Military Regional Commands). This asked them to send all the already trained tank drivers, tank commanders, radio operators and tank mechanics under their command to the 1° Deposito Carristi.

This meant that, in February 1944, the High Command was in such a desperate situation that they had to take all the tank crew members already trained before the Armistice in order to equip the armored units. However, on 28th February 1944 General Gastone Gambara of the Ufficio Operazioni e Servizi of the Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito sent a phonic message to the Comando Militare del Veneto (English: Veneto’s Military Command).
The Italian general ordered the soldiers of the 1° Deposito Carristi to be sent at the Centro Costruzione Grandi Unità (English: Division’s Building Center) of Vercelli to form tank destroyer self-propelled guns companies. In mid May 1944 6 officers and 106 crew members under Captain Giovanni dalla Fontana were sent to the Centro Costruzione Grandi Unità and to be trained and assigned at the 1ª Divisione Bersaglieri ‘Italia’ and to the 2ª Divisione Granatieri ‘Littorio’. Another 4 officers were sent to Sennelager, in Germany but they returned to Verona a month after.

When it was created the 1° Deposito Carristi had in its ranks: 2 Carri Armati M13/40s, 1 Semovente M43 da 105/25 and an unknown number of trucks in various efficiency status.

The 1° Deposito Carristi needed more equipment and sent soldiers to search for equipment in many former Regio Esercito depots, trying to find any kind of abandoned military stuff.

Military Equipment recovered by the 1° Deposito Carristi
Former unit	City	Equipment recovered
	Bologna	20 tonnes of equipment and a damaged Carro Armato L3 light tank
433° Battaglione Carrista	Fidenza	u/k
	Reggio Emilia	4 Carri M (probably medium tanks), previously sabotaged
Centro Addestramento Carristi	Cordenons	10.7 tonnes of equipment including: Renault R35 hull and Somua S35 spare parts

With this new equipment, in May 1944, the 1° Deposito Carristi had 3 Carri Armati M13/40s and 3 Carri Armati M15/42s. All were non-operational and, on 17th May 1944, Lt. Col. Calini wrote a letter to the 203° Comando Militare Regionale (English: 203rd Military Regional Command) asking for permission to purchase material for repairs, since the production of Italian tanks was under German control after 8th September 1943. The Germans no longer trusted the Italian soldiers and did not share spare parts or armored vehicles with the Italian Repubblica Sociale Italiana.

On 31st May 1944, the 203° Comando Militare Regionale authorized the purchase of resources on the civilian market, but at the same time, ordered that all salvageable material be recovered from the Regio Esercito depots abandoned the previous year in order to save money. Thanks to this “4 Carri Armati M13/40s could be prepared” even if the military command probably meant 4 medium tanks, in fact the 1° Deposito Carristi would never have 4 Carri Armati M13/40s in its ranks.

From a report written on 17th June 1944 by Lieutenant Colonel Amedeo Reggio, the presence of 2 Carri Armati M13/40s and a Carro Armato L3 tank in running condition is confirmed. He also mentioned that those tanks were sometimes used in support of GNR units in the region for anti-partisan operations, but also that, if the War Ministry needed them, the tanks could be made available.

Reggio complained about the lack of fuel and lubricants, which could be bought on the civilian market (but he needed the approval of the Military Command), and for lack of spare parts and specialized mechanics to repair the other tanks. Another serious problem was the lack of ammunition for the tanks, especially for the 47/40 cannons of the Carri Armati M15/42s and for the 105/25 howitzer of the semovente they had.

With the equipment in its ranks the 1° Deposito Carristi was composed of 1° Battaglione Addestramento (English: 1st Training Battalion). It had an unspecified number of training companies, the only known was the 1ª Compagnia Addestramento (English: 1st Training Company) but, due the presence of 3 Compagnia Deposito Carristi (English: Tank Crew Depot Companies) numbered from 4ª to 6ª, it is logical to assume that the training companies were 3 in total, probably a light tanks one, medium tank one and a self-propelled guns one.

In total, on 17th June 1944, the 1° Deposito Carristi had in its depots:

1 Semovente M43 da 105/25 – non-operational
3 Carri Armati M15/42s – non-operational
3 Carri Armati M13/40s – 2 in running condition, 1 non-operational
3 Carri Armati L3/35s – 1 in running condition, 2 non-operational
1 Carro Armato L6/40 – non-operational
1 FIAT 15 TER ¹
2 FIAT 18 BLRs ¹
1 FIAT 618 ¹
2 Ceirano C50s ¹
1 FIAT 626 ¹
1 Lancia Ro NM ¹
1 Lancia 3Ro ¹
1 Ceirano 47CM fuel carrier – non-operational
1 Ceirano 47CM fire truck – non-operational
1 FIAT 508 Spider – running condition
1 FIAT 508 Berlina – running condition
1 Guzzi 500 Sport 14 motorcycle²
1 Bianchi 500 M motorcycle²
1 Benelli 500 motor tricycle²

(¹ of these 9 trucks 4 were in running conditions, 5 non-operational, ² of these only one non-operational)

However, Lt. Col. Reggio pointed out that all vehicles in running condition needed repairs or maintenance in order to be 100% operational.

During its existence the 1° Deposito Carristi delivered trained crew members or tank mechanics to various Italian and German armored units, including: the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’, the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leoncello’, 1ª Divisione Bersaglieri ‘Italia’ and to the 26. Panzer Division.

1° Deposito Carristi Ranks
Data	Officers	Non-Commissioned Officers	Crew members
14th April 1944	14	16	46
1st May 1944	6	22	245
30th May 1944	29	26	85

The repair of many vehicles was really slow due the fact that many mechanics were enlisted in other armored units and sent to other Italian cities leaving only few well trained mechanics in Verona.

The High Command of the Fascist Army answered on 15 July 1944, accepting all requests of Lt. Col. Reggio. The 203° Comando Militare Regionale was ordered to purchase fuel and parts for vehicle repairs. It was then ordered to give priority to refurbishing the medium tanks and the self-propelled gun.

Two days laters, the Ufficio Operazioni e Addestramento (English: Operations and Training Office) ordered the Ufficio Operazioni e Servizi of the Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito to provide the 1° Deposito Carristi with 1,000 47 mm rounds for the 47 mm L.40 cannons and 100 rounds for the Semovente M43 da 105/25 main gun.

Anyway, on 27th June 1944, 10 days after Lt. Col. Reggio’s report, the High Command ordered the delivery (when operational) of 2 Carri Armati M13/40s with their crews to Sorbolo (near Parma), at the dependencies of the Centro Addestramento Reparti Speciali (English: Special Forces Training Center). 1 Carro Armato M13/40 would be delivered to the Squadrone Autonomo di Cavalleria (English: Autonomous Cavalry Squadron), while the last medium tank (which the Army General Staff called Carro Armato M13/40) would remain at the 1° Deposito Carristi to perfect the training of the crews.

On 31st August 1944, the Army General Staff ordered the disbanding of the 1° Deposito Carristi.
The remaining vehicles were assigned to a newly formed Sezione Carristi (English: Tank Crew Section) of the 27° Deposito Misto Provinciale (English: 27th Provincial Mixed Depot) always in Verona. This unit was equipped, in January 1945 with:

10 Carri Armati L3 light tanks
3 Carri Armati L6/40 light tanks
2 Carri Armati M13/40 medium tanks
4 Semoventi L40 da 47/32 SPGs
4 Autoblinde AB41 medium reconnaissance armored cars

The Sezione Carristi was composed of 2 officers, 3 NCOs and 4 soldiers. To the 27° Deposito Misto Provinciale was also assigned the workshop of the 1° Deposito Carristi that was particularly effective in reparations and maintenance.
On 1st October 1944 the 1° Deposito Carristi’s workshop and the Deposito C (English: C Depot) of the 27° Deposito Misto Provinciale went to form the Officina Autonoma Carristi (English: Autonomous Tank Crew Workshop) composed of 4 officers, 17 NCOs and 34 soldiers and tank crew members.

Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leoncello’

On 20th September 1944, the Ufficio Operazioni e Servizi of the Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito wrote a report about the spare parts needed for the reparation of tanks. These were significantly less than the ones ordered by Lt. Col. Reggio on 17th June, meaning that the 1° Deposito Carristi had done a great job in the restoration of the tanks, managing to find 4 new guns for the medium tanks and also to repair a serious problem with the electrical system of the self-propelled gun all by himself.

In the same report, the military office suggested to create a Compagnia Autonoma Carri (English: Tank Autonomous Company) with three platoons equipped as follows:

Source: author via diagrams.net

The office also suggested the ranks for this company, with 1 command platoon and 3 tank platoons.

Of these 16 tanks, 8 would be taken from the former 1° Deposito Carristi. Anyway, it is not clear why the office mentioned 5 Carri Armati M13/40s when the 1° Deposito Carristi had only 3 Carri Armati M13/40s and 3 Carri Armati M15/42s. They probably confused the medium tanks models.

On 26th September 1944, Captain Gian Carlo Zuccaro, who had been instructed in previous days by the Army High Command to form the autonomous company, wrote a letter to the 210° Comando Militare Regionale (English: 210th Regional Military Command) of Alessandria, in Piedmont, to deliver its Carro Armato M13/40 for the creation of the Reparto Autonomo Carri (English: Tank Autonomous Unit).

This was done to concentrate all the available tanks under the dependencies of a single unit and not individually with small units scattered throughout the peninsula still in Italo-German hands. From this letter, it is possible to infer that the Compagnia Autonoma Carri’s suggestion was accepted and its theoretical strength was expanded to include multiple tank companies.

Capt. Zuccaro had already been trying for months to create an armored unit for the RSI without the knowledge of the Germans. The cover name he had given the unit, in order to confuse the German authorities, was Battaglione Carri dell’Autodrappello Ministeriale delle Forze Armate (English: Armed Forces’ Ministerial Tank Battalion Unit).

On the same day, Capt. Zuccaro wrote a letter to the 27° Comando Militare Provinciale to deliver the Officina Autonoma (English: Autonomous Workshop) that, at that moment, was being retrained to become a new tank unit. He asked to stop the training and to send all the soldiers and materials to his command.

Whatever Capt. Zuccaro asked in his letters what was done and, after 1st October 1944, the workshop unit was renamed Officina Autonoma Carristi (English: Tank Crew Autonomous Workshop).

The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leoncello’ (English: Armored Group) was created in Polpenazze del Garda near Brescia on 13th September 1944 by Captain Gian Carlo Zuccaro. It had all the tanks that should have been assigned to the Reparto Autonomo Carri, which was never created. It was never deployed in active service apart from a few skirmishes on 24th and 25th April 1945. The personnel of the unit were 6 officers, 9 NCOs, and 38 crew members and soldiers in January 1945, increased to 8 officers, 22 NCOs, and 58 crew members and soldiers on 31th March 1945. The small number of men in the armored unit is explained for one reason: Commander Zuccaro wanted only volunteers in the ‘Leoncello’, and at the same time, these volunteers had to be staunch fascists, loyal to Mussolini and Italy. In many cases, letters from volunteers were rejected the very day they arrived, if Zuccaro did not think the soldiers were adequately fascists. Due to the presence of only volunteers, many soldiers enlisted had not received tank training, many had already fought in other units such as Carabinieri, i.e. military police that never trained or operated with tanks.

Due to the absence of barracks or military buildings in Polpenazze, the crew members and soldiers of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leoncello’ were hosted by the inhabitants of the small city in their houses while the NCOs and officers lived in an abandoned mansion. They rented a depot as their military canteen and holded the armored vehicles in barns or parked along the few civilian cars and trucks on the street sides.

The search for new tanks continued and, on 18th March 1945, the unit was equipped with 1 Semovente M43 da 105/25, 1 Carro Armato M15/42, 4 Carri Armati M13/40s, one Carro Armato L6/40, and 7 Carri Armati L3s. This meant that the unit never reached Zuccaro’s planned ranks of 16 armored vehicles but only reached the ranks of 14 armored vehicles, 3 trucks, 2 staff cars, 2 motorcycles, and some Cannoni-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935s (English: 20 mm L.65 Breda Automatic Cannons Model 1935). This number is also confirmed by Lieutenant Carlo Sessa in a document dated 16th April 1945.

The Carri Armati M13/40s were assigned to the I Squadrone Carri M (English: 1st M Tanks Squadron) under Lieutenant Carlo Sessa command, the 7 Carri Armati L3 and probably also the Carro Armato L6/40 were assigned to the II Squadrone Carri L (English: 2nd L Tanks Squadron) under Second Lieutenant Lucio Furio Orano while the Carro Armato M15/42, the Semovente M43 da 105/25 together with the unarmored vehicles and the automatic cannons were assigned to the Squadrone Comando (English: Command Squadron) under Lieutenant Giacomo Cossu.

The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leoncello’ unit’s ranks. Source: author via diagrams.net

A small section of the unit detached in Milan, in the last days of war also deployed 2 Carri Armati P26/40s. It was the only Italian unit that deployed such a heavy tank.

The medium tanks of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leoncello’, lined up in January 1945. Source: …Come il Diamante

The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leoncello’, placed in Polpenazze to defend the ministries of the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana trained for the whole duration of its existence awaiting for its deployment against the Allied forces. In fact, Zuccaro wanted to fight the Allied forces that slowly advanced in Italy and refused many times the deployment of the ‘Leoncello’ in anti-partisan operations. The trainings with mixed vehicles were hold in the hills near Polpenazze and probably in the nearby Lonigo where the Germans had placed the Panzer-Ausbildungs-Abteilung Süd (English: Tank Training Division South) created to train the German soldiers to operate on Italian vehicles.

On 23rd April 1945, the Armored Group ‘Leoncello’ received an order from General Graziani to reach Monza, where many ministries of the Fascist government were placed after the Allied advance along the Italian peninsula.

Capt. Zuccaro organized the unit for the march and, on the morning of 24th April, departed with his own staff car, a Bianchi S6 armed with four heavy machine guns, to plan the road trip to reach Monza. While his car was moving toward Milan with 2 Carri Armati L3s, he was attacked first by a US reconnaissance unit near Sant’Eufemia della Fonte and then by a US plane (a North American P51 or a Lockheed P38) in the city of Rovato. The plane damaged and forced Zuccaro to abandon a light tank but was itself shot down by the anti-aircraft fire from Zuccaro’s car.

Cap. Zuccaro was then forced to continue by foot the march and met an US tank column near Palazzo sull’Oglio. An Italo-American US soldier on a Willy MB Jeep asked him for road information and Zuccaro got into the jeep in which he arrived in Palazzolo from where he then reached Milan alone.

Part of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leoncello’ left Polpenazze on the night of 24th April to avoid air attacks. It had the new task of reaching Milan (which was being liberated by the partisans in those hours) with 5 medium tanks, the self-propelled gun and 3 Carri Armati L3 light tanks towed by the medium tanks to save fuel. At least 2 Carri Armati L3s, the only Carro Armato L6/40 of the unit and the Officina Autonoma Carristi remained in Polpenazze.

The tragi-comic story of the column started during the march, when one of the medium tank drivers felt sick and lost control of the vehicle, which skidded and ended up in a small canal on the roadside. The unit had to stop and tow it outside the canal, and when the tank was recovered, the march was restarted.

After a while, one of the iron chains connecting a Carro Armato M13/40 with the Carro Armato L3 it was towing broke, and the light tank fell off a small bridge, probably in the same canal as before. The driver (the only soldier inside the tank at the time) survived, jumping outside the tank a few seconds before the crash.

Near Chiari, meanwhile, some Germans were loading some train wagons with stolen stuff of all kinds. The tanks of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leoncello’ arrived when the Germans were departing. The commander of the Italian column, Lieutenant Carlo Sessa, threatened the Germans that they would open fire if they did not return everything to the civilians. The Germans unloaded everything and left for Germany on the train. Lt. Sessa allowed his men to take some packages of linen and sheets that could have been useful in the following days. The packages were loaded onto the engine decks of the medium tanks. After that, the tanks restarted the march.

Near Rovato, the column was attacked by some Allied planes. It is known that at least oneM13/40 was damaged by the attack and probably also the last two 2 Carri Armati L3 tanks, which were, in fact, abandoned. The crew of the Carro Armato M13/40 tried desperately to repair their tank to join the rest of the ‘Leoncello’. It seems that the other tanks were not damaged because the majority of the bullets fired by the Allied planes hit the linen and sheet packages being carried on the engine decks.

Arriving at Cernusco sul Naviglio, Lt. Sessa called the Milan headquarters from a public phone to receive orders. The Milan command informed him of the situation and suggested that he contact the Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale or CLN (English: National Liberation Committee), the partisan command, to surrender.

Lieutenant Sessa contacted former Alpini Major Lucioni, commander of the Partisan forces in Cernusco and the surrender was made official. All the Fascist soldiers of the column received civilian clothes by the Partisans and were free to return to their homes apart from Sessa who was arrested.

The damaged Carro Armato M13/40 tank that was abandoned was then repaired in a few hours and restarted the march. On board there was also the driver of the Carro Armato L3 light tank that had fallen some hours before in the canal. Near Chari, it was attacked by a US plane; to avoid destruction, the driver hid under some trees at the side of the road and the aircraft gave up the attack.

After a few kilometers the engine broke again and the crew understood that they could not repair it for lack of parts and waited for other Axis units. Nothing happened on 25th April 1945, but at dawn on 26th April, some farmers informed the crew that the war in Italy was over. The crew split up and each soldier went his own way. Some of them reached Polpenazze and informed the soldiers remaining in the city of the situation and together went to the CLN of the city to peacefully surrender and deliver their weapons and tanks to the Partisans.

Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’

The Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’ (English: Armored Squadrons Group) was born in January 1934 as the 1° Gruppo Carri Veloci ‘San Giusto’ (English: 1st Fast Tank Group) in Parma with cavalrymen of the former 1° Gruppo Squadroni a Cavallo (English: 1st Horse-Mounted Squadrons Group) from the 19° Reggimento ‘Cavalleggeri Guide’ (English: 19th Regiment).

It was composed of three gruppi carri veloci (English: fast tank groups), later renamed gruppi carri L (English: light tank groups) and some cavalry squadrons.

In 1941, it was deployed with Carri Armati L3/33s and Carri Armati L3/35s during the Yugoslavian Campaign and remained in the Balkans with anti-partisan tasks until 8th September 1943. When the news of the Armistice arrived at the unit, it had a headquarters, a Squadrone Comando (English: Command Squadron) and Squadroni Carri L (English: Light Tank Squadrons). All were equipped with Carri Armati L3 light tanks.

The majority of the unit disbanded in the days after the Armistice, apart from the 2° Squadrone Carri L (English: 2nd L Tanks Squadron) under the command of Captain Agostino Tonegutti. On 9th September 1943, with its soldiers and 15 light tanks (of which 4 found abandoned during the march), it reached Rijeka from Susak and Crikvenica. Arriving in the city, they helped to stop the Yugoslavian Partisan attack that was besieging the city for days.

Tonegutti’s unit remained in Rijeka until February 1944, when the German command ordered him to reach Gorizia, also near the Yugoslavian border. The Germans provided the unit with Italian soldiers (some from the 1° Deposito Carristi of Verona) and armored vehicles. In Gorizia, they received another 80 soldiers and the 1° Gruppo Carri L ‘San Giusto’ had the following armored vehicles:

13 Carri Armati L3/33 and Carri Armati L3/35
2 Carri Armati L3/35 Lanciafiamme (Flamethrower)
1 Carro Armato L3 Comando
2 Carri Armati M13/40
3 Carri Armati M14/41
1 Semovente M41 da 75/18
2 Semoventi M42 da 75/18
1 Semovente M42M da 75/34
2 Semoventi L40 da 47/32
4 Autoblindo AB41
3 FIAT 665NM Scudati
2 FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetti
1 Renault ADR Blindato armed with a flamethrower

A Carro Armato M13/40 of the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’ in late 1944. Source: …Come il Diamante

These were all the armored vehicles the unit had during its operational life. Never were they all operational all at once.
Thanks to the new vehicles, it was renamed Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’ and organized into three squadrons:

The Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’c ranks in Spring 1944. Source: author via diagrams.net

The unit had at its disposal a total of 8 officers, 23 NCOs, and 80 soldiers, while in late 1944 the ranks were increased to 100-130 soldiers and 8 officers. In early 1945, due to about 20 losses, the unit remained with 6 officers. It was under the command of the German Befehlshaber in der Operationszone Adriatisches Küstenland (English: Commander in the Adriatic Coast Operational Zone), General Ludwig Kübler, even if it theoretically remained under Italian orders. In fact, it was the only armored cavalry unit of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana. During the reorganization of late 1944 the unit recovered from various sources 4 FIAT-SPA 38R light lorries, 1 FIAT 621P 3-axle medium truck, 2 SPA Dovunque 35 heavy duty trucks, 2 FIAT 666NM heavy duty trucks, 3 SPA mountain light lorries, and some staff cars.

The Germans usually called it the Italienische Panzer-Schwadron “Tonegutti” (English: Italian Armored Squadron) even after its renaming in Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’. The German designation clearly refers to the Italian as a squadron, in fact it was a company-sized (or squadron-sized in Italian cavalry nomenclature) force that maintained the squadrons group designation for its military traditions.
In Gorizia the unit was rarely deployed and its mechanics repaired many vehicles to bring them on marching conditions and maintained 2 Littorine Blindate armored locomotives that were not assigned to the unit.
In April 1944, the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’ moved to Merano del Friuli, 12 km from Goriza and on the Udine – Monfalcone – Trieste main road abandoning in Gorizia the Renault R35 and the armored truck armed with flamethrower due the lack of spare parts for the first and probably for continuous maintenance needed by the armored truck.

In Merano del Friuli Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’ was first trained reaching fully operable capabilities and then deployed in active service to protect the main road from partisan ambushes, escorting the military supply convoys and in anti-partisan operations near the Gorizia countryside, in Friuli Venezia Giulia’s east part. On some occasions, some units were employed for the protection of isolated guarrisons, bridges, or military depots.

The bloodiest fighting in which the unit took part was the one in Dobraule di Santa Croce, on the road between Gorizia and Aidussina, in the Vipacco Valley, on 31st May 1944.
During the escort of a military convoy, the unit was attacked by partisans and lost 1 Carro Armato M14/41, 2 Autoblinde AB41 medium reconnaissance armored cars, and two FIAT 665NM Scudati, even if the loss of life was more constrained, with only 3 deaths.

On 21st January 1945, a section of medium tanks broke the Yugoslavian encirclement to the Battaglione ‘Fulmine’ of the Xª Divisione MAS (English: 10th MAS Division) in Tarnova. On 17th January, three medium tanks were transferred to the area between Rijeka and Postumia to support the German forces that tried to fill the gaps in the Axis defensive line.

A Carro Armato M13/40 of the third series ready to tow a Semovente M42M da 75/34 on a French-built tank flatbed trailer. One of the men behind the Semovente is the unit commander, Capt. Tonegutti, 1945. Source: …Come il Diamante

On 28th March 1945 General Archimede Mischi wrote a report on the unit that he had passed in review 6 days before. In his reports he claimed a total of 137 soldiers in the ranks of the unit. A report dated 8th April 1945 has a full list of all the armored vehicles of the unit. Some of these were likely under repair and were not operational at the time.

16 Carri Armati L3/33s and Carri Armati L3/35s (probably the same of February 1944)
4 Carri Armati M13/40s and Carri Armati M14/41s
1 Semovente M41 da 75/18
2 Semoventi M42 da 75/18s
1 Semovente M42M da 75/34
2 Semoventi L40 da 47/32s
2 Autoblindo AB41s

In mid April 1945, the situation for the Nazi-Fascist troops in the Balkans was becoming disperate and the Germans called the Italienische Panzer-Schwadron “Tonegutti” for support.

In total, 8 Carri Armati L3s, 3 Carri Armati M (Carri Armati M13/40s and Carri Armati M14/41s) and 2 Semoventi M42 da 75/18s with 4 officers (with Tonegutti himself), 56 NCOs, and soldiers were sent to Ruppa (nowadays Rupa in Croatia), about 50 km Southeast of Triest on railway. Their mission was to protect the city from the 4th Yugoslavian Army. From 18th April to 23th April 1945 the vehicles were deployed in patrol actions and many were attacked by Allied planes but without losses.

On 24th April, while the column was moving from Fontana del Conte (nowadays Knežak in Slovenia) to Massun, North of Ruppa, a Carro Armato L3 tank drove over an anti-tank mine which exploded and killed the crew and another light tank fell in a canal. The explosion attracted the attention of the Yugoslavs, who attacked the column with mortar fire and bursts of small arms fire. Under heavy fire, the remaining tanks were forced to retreat from the area while the semoventi shooted the majority of their 75 mm ammunition trying to slow down the partisans.

On the evening of 25th April 1945, the ‘San Giusto’ unit that had been sent to Ruppa had lost 3 Carri Armati L3 tanks, 2 to mines, and 1 to mortar shells. Another Carro Armato L3 was damaged by machine gun fire, while a medium tank and a self-propelled gun were damaged by air attacks.

Given the desperate situation and the impossibility of slowing down the Yugoslav partisans, the unit sent to Ruppa departed on 27th April 1945 first to Trieste and then to Mariano del Friuli, where the rest of the unit was headquartered.

They arrived in the city only on 28th April morning, discovering that the rest of the unit had peacefully surrendered to the partisans the day before and that the partisans had used some Carri Armati L3 tanks and an Autoblinda AB41 (the only operational vehicles that had remained in the barracks) against the German forces in Cividale del Friuli.

The still-equipped forces arrived from Ruppa then decided to disband, abandoning their tanks on the road on the same day.

Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani

The Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani or RAP (English: Anti Partisan Group) was created in August 1944 as an anti-partisan unit. Its main task was to counter partisan actions and to patrol the areas where the partisans concentrated.

It was created in Brescia, where it received 2 Carri Armati M13/40s. These were the two tanks of the 1° Deposito Carristi destined for the Centro Addestramento Reparti Speciali on 27th June 1944. 8 of the 13 tank crew officers of the RAP were from the already disbanded 1° Deposito Carristi of Verona.

After the organization of the unit, it left Brescia and was deployed in Turin, where it was headquartered in many barracks of the city.
In November 1944 the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani was composed of:

Source: author via diagrams.net

The Reparto Autonomo di Cavalleria (English: Cavalry Autonomous Department) was created in Bergamo and was composed of soldiers and crew members of various ENR units. The unit slowly phagocytes all the units of the Gruppo Esplorante (English: Exploring Group), where the armored vehicles were deployed. It was transferred in Turin in November 1944 and was headquartered in the Scuola di Applicazione (English: Training School) in Via Arsenale.

The 1a Compagnia Carri M had in its ranks 1 Carro Armato M13/40 medium tank received by the 1° Deposito Carristi. The 2a Compagnia Carri L was equipped with 10 Carri Armati Leggeri L3.

The commander of the 1a Compagnia Carri M was Lieutenant Ascanio Caradonna. Of the about 20 officers of the unit, 12 were trained in an unknown German Panzertruppenschule (English: Armored Troops School) and, for that reason, were praized in December 1944 by Oberleutnant (English: Senior Lieutenant) Glaser for their training.

Between November 1944 and January 1945 the 1a Compagnia Carri M was disbanded for the lack of medium tanks and the 2a Compagnia Carri L was renamed 1a Compagnia Carri L.
In December 1944 the RAP wrote to the German Aufstellungsstab Süd (English: Positioning Staff South) asking for the delivery of Italian armored vehicles.
After an inspection from Oberleutnant Glaser that after praized the crew members positively reviewed the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani, the Aufstellungsstab Süd delivered to the Italian unit some Italian armored vehicles.
The Germans put at the disposal of the unit some tanks abandoned at the Deposito di Caselle (English: Caselle’s Depot) in Caselle, near Turin.
The Germans would have had to spend too much time repairing them, so they donated them to the RAP, who could try to repair some and use the others for parts. The tanks that were made available by the Germans for the unit were:

7 Carri Armati L3
1 Carro Armato M13/40
2 Semoventi L40 da 47/32
1 Autoblindo AB41
2 Semoventi da 75/18 (exact model unknown)

All the vehicles were in bad conditions and necessitated to be heavily overhauled to return to combat valuable status.

On 10th January the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani had 6 serviceable Carri Armati L3 and 8 vehicles.

On 30th January 1945, the armored company was composed of 21 officers, 2 NCOs, 24 soldiers, and 5 female auxiliaries. On 5th April 1945, there were 16 officers, 5 NCOs, 27 soldiers, and 1 female auxiliary. The other soldiers were missing in action or had deserted.

Some of the vehicles delivered by the Germans were repaired and pressed into service with the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani. On 25th February 1945, in a report from the National Republican Army General Staff, the following vehicles were listed as in service with the RAP:

1 Autoblindo AB41
17 Carri Armati L3 (of which 7 under repair)
1 Carro Armato L6/40
2 Carri Armati M13/40

However, it seems that the Carro Armato L6/40 would have been a Semovente L40 da 47/32 that was wrongly identified, as some photographic sources reveal.

On the same document, the National Republican Army General Staff ordered the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani to deliver all its medium tanks and the Autoblindo AB41 to the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’, while the ‘Leonessa’ had to deliver all its light tanks to the RAP.

This was done to concentrate all the medium tanks and self-propelled guns in a single bigger unit able to fight against Allied forces, while the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani was created to fight the badly equipped partisans which were only equipped with light and obsolete vehicles.

It seems that the delivery was started before the Great Partisan Uprising of late April 1945. In fact, on 6th March 1945, the partisans captured a Lancia Lince scout car during an ambush near Cisterna d’Asti, a small city near Turin. This small scout car was deployed by the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani even if it was formerly a ‘Leonessa’ vehicle.

Anyway, the transfer was never finished. In fact, on 23rd March 1945, the AB41 armored car was still in the ranks of the RAP. On 28th April 1945, when the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani left Turin, it abandoned many of its tanks in its barracks, of which at least one was a Carro Armato M13/40.

However, during an unknown period, in order to allow the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani crews to receive adequate training, the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ assigned some of its tank crew officers to the RAP. One of these officers was put in charge of the Carro Armato M13/40 given his extensive previous experience. The only serviceable Carro Armato M13/40’s story is unknown, as is its fate.

The Carro Armato M13/40 of the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani being transported on a trailer back to Turin after an anti-partisan operation in Turin’s countryside. The man in the photo was a ‘Leonessa’ officer that was reassigned to the RAP. The vehicle had no radio antenna (even if it was equipped with the radio) and had 20-liter fuelcan supports on the side, never mounted at the Ansaldo on Carro Armato M13/40s. Source: I Mezzi Corazzati Italiani della Guerra Civile 1943-1945

Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana

Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’

The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ was the biggest and best equipped unit of the entire Repubblica Sociale Italiana.

It was created from officers and soldiers (the majority of them tank crew members) from the disbanded 1ª Divisione Corazzata Legionaria ‘M’. After the Armistice, on 21st September 1943, the Division created the new armored group in the Caserma Mussolini of Rome. They had already been disarmed by the German 2. Fallschirmjäger-Division ‘Ramke’ (English: 2nd Paratrooper Division) on 12th or 13th September in Tivoli, near Rome.

The soldiers put back the Fascist insignia on the lapel of the uniform (removed after the arrest of Mussolini on 25th July 1943) and tried to find new military equipment. They found 2 Carri Armati M13/40 and some lorries abandoned after 10th September in the Forte Tiburtino fortress, the headquarters of the former 4º Reggimento Fanteria Carrista (English: 4th Tank Crew Infantry Regiment). The 2 tanks were from the 3° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista (English: 3rd Tank Crew Infantry Regiment) that arrived in Rome shortly before the armistice to equip the IX Battaglione Carri M under creation.

On 17th September 1943, Lieutenant General Renzo Montagna, the former commander of the Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale or MVSN (English: Voluntary Militia for National Security) was put in charge. The former 1ª Divisione Corazzata Legionaria ‘M’ was part of the MVSN before the Armistice, so returned under its control.

Lt. Gen. Montagna mentioned in a letter that the units under his control had recovered a total of about 40 medium tanks and dozens of other vehicles in the streets of Rome. This not seems an exaggerated number, in fact before the armistice, in Summer 1943 the 4º Reggimento Fanteria Carrista alone had at its disposal 31 tanks (probably all Carri Armati M), 11 semoventi and 20 camionette of which the majority deployed during the disparate defense of Rome.

2 Carri Armati M13/40 knocked out in Rome after the Armistice. Source: I Mezzi Corazzati Italiani della Guerra Civile 1943-1945

The 2 medium tanks were immediately reused after an order of Lt. Gen. Montagna. They were to guard the Piazza Colonna, were the Ente Italiano per le Audizioni Radiofoniche or EIAR (English: Italian Body for Radio Broadcasting) and the Partito Fascista Repubblicano or PFR (English: Republican Fascist Party) were headquartered in Palazzo Wedekind.

Two former Regio Esercito’s Carri Armati M13/40 just arrived in Piazza Colonna, where they were deployed until 29th September 1943. On the foreground Palazzo Wedekind. Source: I Carristi di Mussolini

Another photo of a Carro Armato M13/40 on the left side of Palazzo Wedekind in Piazza Colonna. Source: …Come il Diamante

On 29th September, the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ was transferred to Montichiari, near Brescia, with the few armored vehicles that it had recovered in Rome. The command of the former 1ª Divisione Corazzata Legionaria ‘M’ remained in Rome until November 1943 and then joined a small group of officers who prepared the new headquarters in Rovato, near Brescia.

The unit started to reorganize and a lot of new volunteers joined the unit. Among these were also 5 officers that were part of the 132ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete’ (English: 132nd Armored Division) before the Armistice, two of them already decorated with medals for bravery.

The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ was able to create 3 companies. However, the armored ones were almost immediately disbanded due to the scarcity of armored vehicles in the unit’s ranks.

On 8th December 1943, due to the few tanks present in the unit’s ranks, the Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale High Command planned to transform the unit into a public order company. After a fierce resistance of the officers to maintain the status of armored unit, General Renato Ricci, the new commander of the MVSN, amazed by the tenacity of the officers of the ‘Leonessa’ ,granted the unit two months to reorganize and find armored vehicles to use.

The officer in command of the armored group, Lieutenant Colonel Priamo Switch, ordered some officers to recover as many armored vehicles as possible from anywhere on the RSI territories.

The most successful officers were Tenant Giovanni Ferraris and Tenant Loffredo Loffredi who, in less than two months, found dozens of tanks, armored cars, trucks and other equipment in Bologna, Brescia, Milano, Siena, Torino, Vercelli and Verona.

Some tanks were found in the 32° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista (English: 32th Tank Crew Infantry Regiment) barracks and depots in Verona, thanks to the suggestions of former 32° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista members that joined the unit. Spare parts were taken from the depots of the Breda factory in Turin (which produced only spare parts), as Tenant Ferraris had some friends among the factory managers.

Everything that was found was sent to Montichiari, where the workshop of the unit commanded by Lieutenant Soncini and Lieutenant Dante, supported by civilians and workers from a nearby factory of the Officine Meccaniche or OM (English: Mechanic Workshops), repaired them. They were able to repair dozens of vehicles: motorbikes, staff cars, trucks, armored cars and tanks, allowing the unit to remain an armored group.

On 9th February 1944, Gen. Ricci arrived in Brescia to participate in the ceremony for the official Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ loyalty oath. After the ceremony, all the running condition vehicles of the unit paraded through the streets of Brescia. At least one was a Carro Armato M13/40 of the 1st series.

A Carro Armato M13/40 of the 1st Series lined up with soldiers of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ in Brescia in January 1944. Source: …Come il Diamante

On 1st March 1944, the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ moved to Turin with the 1ª Compagnia Arditi Autocarrata (English: 1st Motorized Arditi Company), the 2ª Compagnia Guastatori (English: 2nd Saboteurs Company) and the 3ª Compagnia (English: 3rd Company). The moving was complete on 5th March and the group was headquartered in three different Turin barracks: the Caserma Alessandro La Marmora in Via Asti, the Caserma Vittorio Dabormida in Corso Stupinigi, Caserma Luigi Riva of Via Cernaia the and Caserma Podgora in Piazza Carlo Emanuele.

The 1ª Compagnia Arditi Autocarrata was deployed in the Caserma Luigi Riva, headquarter of the 1ª Brigata Nera ‘Ather Capelli’, while the 2ª Compagnia Guastatori was deployed in the Caserma Podgora.

The majority of the armored vehicles of the unit (unfortunately, there is no data to say how many there were) were deployed with the 2ª Compagnia Guastatori, even if it seems that the tanks were not assigned to the companies.

From Second World War-era documents about the operations of ‘Leonessa’, it is known that the armored vehicles were not assigned to a particular company but that they were essentially assigned to a company before the start of a mission. Obviously, the more dangerous the mission, the more armored vehicles were assigned to the company.

Together with the tanks, the crews were also assigned at the mission’s start. In fact, the armored group’s command decided to maintain the same soldiers for each tank as long as possible in order to create cohesion between the various members of the crew. More importantly, in this way, the driver knew all the characteristics of his vehicle and knew how best to repair it.

A group of veterans of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ wrote a list of all the vehicles of the armored group in the book Gruppo Corazzato Leonessa 1943–1945 – RSI. They did not specify if this is the list of vehicles in service at a certain data of the armored group’s life or if this is the full list of vehicles that the armored group had in service during its 20-month long service.

35 Carri Armati M (M13/40, M14/41, M15/42, and at least 2 M42 command tanks)
5 Semoventi L40 da 47/32s
1 Carro Armato L6/40
16 Carri Armati L3s
18 Autoblinde AB41s and Autoblinde AB43s
1 Dingo Scout Car (actually a Lancia Lince scout car, the Italian copy of the Dingo)
10 Autoblinde Tipo ‘Zerbino’ (improvised vehicles, unknown models)
3 Autoprotette Pesanti (improvised vehicles, unknown models)
4 Autoprotette Leggere (improvised vehicles, unknown models)
8 Autoblindo S40 and S26 (improvised vehicles, unknown models)

60 Lancia 3Ro heavy duty trucks
5 SPA Dovunque 41 heavy duty trucks
12 FIAT 634N heavy duty trucks
13 FIAT 666 heavy duty trucks
25 FIAT 626 medium trucks
10 OM Taurus medium trucks
4 Bianchi Miles medium trucks
9 FIAT-SPA 38R light trucks
8 FIAT-SPA TL37 light prime movers
48 Staff and civilian cars
60 Motorcycles
8 Mobile kitchens
2 Mobile workshops

4 Cannoni da 75/27 Modello 1911s

The only original list of vehicles in service with the armored group was written on 25th February 1945 in a document of the National Republican Army General Staff. It states that the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ had in its ranks:

10 Carri Armati M15/42s
10 Carri Armati M13/40s and Carri Armati M14/41s
Unknown number of Carri Armati M13/40s and Carri Armati M14/41s under repair
12 Autoblinde
30 Motorcycles

This is surely an incomplete list that does not mention all the trucks in service with the armored group, but allows to understand the number of losses that the partisans inflicted on the Fascist forces.

The first anti-partisan action of the unit was on 21st March 1944, when it participated with a medium tank and an Autoblindo AB41 armored car that were temporarily assigned to the Füsilier-Bataillon 29 “Debica” (English: 29th Rifle Battalion) of the 29. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS “Italia” (English: 29th Grenadier Division of the SS) with about 500 soldiers under German SS General Peter Hansen.

The armored vehicles were deployed in the Lucerna Valley, where Italian communist partisans of the IV Brigata ‘Pisacane’ (English: 4th Brigade) were active. During a patrol, the vehicles were divided from the rest of the SS soldiers due to a landslide caused by the explosion of a partisan mine. The partisans then started to throw hand grenades and Molotov cocktails on the medium tank and the Autoblindo AB41. The Autoblindo AB41, hit by a hand grenade, fell off the road into a nearby river, killing the three crew members inside, while another 4 soldiers and an NCO were captured.

2 Carri Armati M13/40s of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ during the parade in Piazza Carlo Felice in Turin on 23rd May 1944. The first vehicle had a machine gun placed in the anti-aircraft position. Source: Istituto Luce

To celebrate its service in the Piedmontese capital city, on 23rd May 1944, a parade was organized by the High Command of Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ and the city’s mayor.

The parade counted 9 Carri Armati L3s, 1 Carro Armato L6/40, 2 Autoblinde AB41s, 2 Carrozzerie Speciali su SPA-Viberti AS43s, 2 Carri Armati M13/40s, another medium tank and some trucks. It departed from the Porta Nuova train station, passed through Piazza Carlo Felice, Via Roma and then arrived in Piazza Castello, Turin’s main square.

The second Carro Armato M13/40 of the previous photo in front of a Carro Armato L6/40 light tank. Source: PiemonteTopNews

From Piazza Castello, the armored vehicles and trucks full of militia men turned back to Porta Nuova, from which the column disbanded and the troops returned to their barracks.

The first Carro Armato M13/40 of the column turned right in Piazza Carlo Felice to enter Via Roma. In front of it are visible the tank commanders on the Carri Armati L3 tanks and, far behind, Piazza Castello. Source: Istituto Luce

On 28th May, just returned from an anti-partisan operation in which 33 partisans and 3 former prisoners of war escaped from a military camp were captured, the ‘Leonessa’ was deployed in Operation Hamburg that took place in Biella, Caluso Cavaglia, Chatillon, Dondena, Gressoney, Rivara, and Ronco.

In total, two tanks and two armored cars (models unknown) and a company-strength unit of the ‘Leonessa’ were deployed. Together with the armored group soldiers were other units: the GNR from Vercelli, from other Turin units, a company of the GNR border police, a unit from the Legione Autonoma Mobile ‘Ettore Muti’ (English: Mobile Autonomous Legion) and some German soldiers.

Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ crew members cleaning the gun barrels with rods and checking the suspensions in Caserma Alessandro La Marmora in Via Asti in Turin, June 1944. Source: …Come il Diamante

In June 1944, the unit was reorganized with the 1ª Compagnia Carri (English: 1st Tank Company), the 2ª Compagnia Autoblindo (English: 2nd Armored Car Company) and the 3ª Compagnia Arditi (English: 3rd Arditi Company).

Reloading operations on the same tanks from the previous photos. The first photo gives a great view of the coat of arms while the second one shows the tank crew’s helmets sitting on the tank. The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ was the only RSI unit that applied a coat of arms on the helmets as well. Source: …Come il Diamante

Between 26th June and 8th July 1944, the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ was deployed in an anti-partisan operation in Avigliana, 22 km from Turin. During the operation, 3 Carri Armati M13/40s were deployed, of which one was deployed in the city after the operation and remained in the city probably as a deterrent against other partisan attacks. Nothing is known about its service in Avigliana or how long the garrison of Avigliana remained operational.

After the same Val di Susa anti-partisan operation, at least 1 Carro Armato M13/40 was deployed to protect the Fixed Aircraft Spotting Post of Lanzo. This tank was deployed after a partisan operation, when the garrison of the 2ª Compagnia Ordine Pubblico (English: 2nd Public Order Company) commanded by Captain Giuseppe Bertoni was attacked by partisan forces. As reported by Captain Bertoni in his report, the armored vehicles of the ‘Leonessa’ left the barracks, attacking the partisans and forcing them to retreat.

The Carro Armato M13/40 medium tank was certainly engaged in combat at least once against the partisans. The garrison was disbanded at the end of 1944.

On 25th July 1944, Gen. Ricci organized a big parade in Milan to celebrate the first anniversary of the first fall of Fascism in Italy. A total of 5,000 soldiers and 275 female auxiliaries took part in the parade, including Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ armored vehicles.

A Carro Armato M13/40 of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ in Piazza Duomo in Milan on 25th July 1944. It had license plate ‘Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana 4340’. Source: I Carristi di Mussolini

On 25th September 1944, a Carro Armato M15/42, a Carro Armato M13/40, 2 Carri Armati L6/40s (probably a light tank and an SPG), an Autoprotetta and a platoon of the 1ª Compagnia of the ‘Leonessa’ were deployed in Giaveno, in Val di Susa, under the command of Major Antonio Braguti.

During the mission, some soldiers from the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani and from the 1ª Brigata Nera ‘Ather Capelli’ were also present. Together with the soldiers and vehicles of the armored group, they patrolled the villages of Fratta, Giaveno, and Maddalena di Val Sangone.

On 15th January 1945, 1 Carro Armato M13/40 was sent to support a convoy of German vehicles in Villanova D’Asti, which was hit by a partisan attack. The tank returned to its barracks in Turin the same night.

On 21th February 1945, 2 Carri Armati M13/40s, 2 armored cars and 2 autoprotette of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ were deployed in an anti-guerrilla operation between Villanova D’Asti and Mononio. Together with these armored vehicles, the XXIX Battaglione ‘M’ (English: 29th ‘M’ Battalion), the 1ª Compagnia Ordine Pubblico (English: 1st Public Order Company) of Turin and some soldiers from the Xª Divisione MAS participated. Only a single partisan was killed during the operation.

The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ was deployed after April 1944 to protect the Roberto Incerti Villar or RIV ball bearing factory in San Raffaele Cimena, near Chivasso. Some machinery tools were transferred from Turin to San Raffaele to continue the production. In fact, in February 1944, the RIV plant at Via Nizza 148 in Turin was badly damaged by Allied bombardments. The San Raffaele Cimena area was really quiet until 6th February 1945, when about 40 partisans attacked 21 ‘Leonessa’ soldiers, killing 2 and wounding 3 of them.

For this reason, after 3rd March 1945, a Carro Armato M13/40 was deployed by the armored group’s garrison in the village. In total, on 3rd March, the garrison had at its disposal 6 officers, 88 NCOs and militia men, 2 Carri Armati L3 light tanks, and 1 Carro Armato M13/40.

On 16th March 1945, the ranks of the garrison were reinforced with another Carro Armato M13/40 tank, but on the 29th, the ranks of the garrison were modified with 3 M15/42 medium tanks, 3 L3 light tanks, 5 officers, 50 NCOs and militia men. The garrison was probably disbanded and the soldiers returned to Turin between 15th and 20th April 1945.

On 23th March 1945, the unit took part in its last parade, on the occasion of the anniversary of the foundation of the Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale in Turin. Its tanks now paraded in Via Po, arriving in Piazza Vittorio Veneto, where Alessandro Pavolini, secretary of the Partito Fascista Repubblicano, took part at the ceremony.

A tank that seems like a Carro Armato M13/40 of the first series with a monochrome desert camouflage. Photo taken during the 23rd March 1945 parade in Via Po. Source: I carristi di Mussolini

At 1630 hrs. on 17th April 1945, Lt. Col. Swich had a small briefing with the officers of the unit present in Turin to inform them that the CNL had proclaimed a worker’s strike on 18th April. The unit patrolled the city roads all the night and day after but without partisan attacks. On this occasion, almost all the vehicles were deployed.

On 24th April 1945, General Adami Rossi, Commander of the 206° Comando Provinciale Regionale, ordered the creation of 22 checkpoints in the Turin countryside to prevent partisan attacks. All the roadblocks were patrolled by militia men from the 1ª Brigata Nera ‘Ather Capelli’.

On 25th April, the day of the Great Partisan Insurrection, the 1ª and 2ª Compagnia of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’, 2 companies of the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani, a platoon of the Xª Divisione MAS, the XXIX Battaglione ‘M’, a Battaglione Ordine Pubblico of the GNR of Turin and the 1ª Brigata Nera ‘Ather Capelli’ were present in Turin.

The ‘Leonessa’ headquarter was in the Via Asti Barracks, together with the Battaglione Ordine Pubblico. The 1ª Compagnia, under the command of Lieutenant Tommaso Stabile, was in the Caserma Luigi Riva with a company of the Black Brigade, while the 2ª Compagnia, under the command of Lieutenant Nicola Sanfelice, was in the Caserma Podgora together with the RAP companies.

Lt. Col. Swich had ordered 2 Carri Armati M13/40s to Piazza Castello with an armored car and about 15 militiamen to defend the prefecture of the city in that square. The Carro Armato M14/41 commanded by Brigadier Leonardo Mazzoleni was placed in Piazza Gran Madre di Dio to protect the bridge over the Po river. Two companies of the Battaglione Ordine Pubblico, the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani companies and the majority of the ‘Leonessa’ soldiers were deployed to reinforce the roadblocks and checkpoints and to patrol the city roads.

On 25th April 1945, the day was calm due to the fact that, in Turin, the CLN had delayed the attack by one day, to the 26th April. The Fascist soldiers tended to their guns and the engines of their tanks.

On 26th April, the partisans started their attack, occupying Porta Nuova, Dora, and Stura train stations, 8 of the 10 FIAT plants in the city (FIAT Lingotto and FIAT Mirafiori remained in Fascist hands), Lancia Veicoli Industriali, the RIV plant, the city hall and the Gazzetta del Popolo newspaper headquarter.

The EIAR headquarter was also attacked by the partisans but the soldiers and vehicles of the ‘Leonessa’ deployed near the radio broadcasting building, with a medium tank and two armored cars, forced the partisans to retreat.

Some counter attacks were undertaken and the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ was able to retake control of the majority of the production plants and train stations occupied by the partisan on the same day.

In the city hall, before being arrested by the partisans, the Podestà (English: Major) Michele Fassio called for reinforcements. Immediately, a medium tank and an armored car commanded by Second Lieutenant Stornelli of the 1ª Compagnia, together with some soldiers under the command of Captain Milanaccio, were deployed from the Caserma Luigi Riva to reoccupy the city hall.

The small unit reached the city hall where the partisans, hearing the engine noises, barricaded themselves inside the building. The door of the city hall was destroyed by the tank’s main gun, the major freed and the vehicles and men of the 1ª Compagnia returned to the Via Asti barracks.

In the afternoon, the Lamarmora barracks was surrounded but the partisans could not force the Fascists to retreat due to the heavy armament of the defenders. Lieutenant Marchegiani, commander of a medium tank, opened fire against the windows of a building near Porta Nuova train station, while partisans opened fire against a hotel from where civilian German inhabitants were rescued. After several machine gun bursts, the partisans retreated, abandoning the building.

The Caserma Luigi Riva was attacked around 14:00 of 26th April by partisans and auxiliary police (who joined the partisans that morning) from the Corso Vinzaglio police barracks, near the Porta Susa train station. The partisans also fired mortar shells against the building, but their lack of training did not permit them to deal heavy damage.

According to the testimony of Lt. Tommaso Stabile, at 18:00, 4 medium tanks, 3 armored cars, a platoon from the ‘Leonessa’ and a platoon from the ‘Ather Capelli’ left from the Caserma Luigi Riva. This group attacked the partisans and auxiliary police officers, who tried to resist. After a few hours, the Fascist armored cars destroyed the partisan 20 mm automatic cannons and the 47 mm guns of the tanks destroyed the barrack’s doors, allowing the Fascist troops to enter.

After the loss of 10 partisans and police officers, the rebels disbanded, retreating through the Pietro Micca tunnel which had been dug in 1706 by the Piedmontese Army to destroy French forces that had surrounded the city. One of the four tanks advanced until Porta Susa, 600 meters from the Caserma Luigi Riva’s entrance.

On 27th April 1945, almost all the plants and other targets occupied by the partisans the previous day were recaptured by Fascist forces. During the morning, 5 medium tanks and 2 armored cars were deployed to patrol the roads in the perimeter: Corso Vinzaglio, Via Cernaia, Piazza Castello, and Porta Susa train station.

At 15:00 on 27th April 1945, there was a briefing between all the Fascist commanders in Turin. They planned to activate the Esigenza Z2B Improvviso (English: Requirement Z2B Sudden) secret plan. This was a planned retreat of all Fascist forces to the Valtellina Valley, where they would wait for the Allied forces to surrender to them, avoiding falling into partisan hands.

The units were ordered to start moving toward Piazza Castello, where the Fascist column would depart from during the night.

All the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ militia men reached Turin’s main square, where Lt. Col. Swich ordered the tanks to position themselves in front and rear to defend the column in case of attacks.

At 0128 hrs. on 28th April 1945, about 5,000 Fascists, the few remaining Germans and some civilians (soldier’s families or persons who had collaborated with the Fascists) left the city towards Lombardia. The tanks in the front of the column opened a break in a barricade near the Dora train station and then reached the road to Chivasso.

On the dawn of 28th April 1945, the column left the highway to avoid Allied air attacks and continued the march on small roads, without the few German soldiers that had joined the column that night. The Germans tried to reach Germany or other foreign units continuing to march in the Northern direction.

After stopping their march for the night near Livorno Ferraris, the Fascist forces of the column were informed of Benito Mussolini’s execution. The officers then decided that it was useless to reach Valtellina and preferred to deploy the over 5,000 soldiers under their command in the village of Strambino Romano, where they created a headquarters and waited until 5th May 1945, when the Allied troops arrived in the area. At that point, the Fascist troops in Strambino Romano numbered between 15,000 and 20,000. All surrendered without fighting to the Allied troops.

Vehicles of the Fascist soldiers that surrendered in Strambino Romano. The majority of them were from the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’. The farthest tank in the photo appears to be a Carro Armato M13/40. On the left of the tank, a SPA-Viberti AS43 Autoprotetta is also visible. Source: I Mezzi Corazzati Italiani della Guerra Civile 1943-1945

Carro Armato M13/40 assigned to the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’

The first 2 tanks assigned to the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’ (English: 2nd Cyclist Assault Battalion) operating in Val d’Ossola area were 2 Carri Armati M13/40s that were temporary assigned to the Fascist unit from the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ with their crews under command of Adjutant Ferdinando Baradello. They were headquartered in Omegna but it seems that they were not used in early September 1944.

The Repubblica dell’Ossola (English: Ossola Republic) was a partisan republic that arose in northern Italy on 10th September 1944. This was a small (1,600 km²) territory freed by partisan troops.

In early October 1944, the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ temporarily assigned a total of 3 medium tanks and 10 armored cars more and their crew members to some units deployed in the area of Repubblica dell’Ossola to launch a fierce attack on the partisans, forcing them to disband.

At least 2 more tanks were assigned to the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’ of the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana, one Carro Armato M13/40 and one Carro Armato M14/41 commanded by Lieutenant Oberdan Marchegiani. They were deployed to the south of the republic. It had the task of destroying the partisan first line in Ornavasso and then reaching Domodossola as soon as possible, the capital city of the self proclaimed republic.

The attack on the Repubblica dell’Ossola was codenamed Operazione Avanti (English: Operation Ahead). The operation was planned by Monza High Command and the command was assigned to German Colonel Ludwig Buch.

Anyway, the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’ was supported by the Füsilier-Bataillon 29 “Debica” and some other small units, forming Kampfgruppe ‘Noveck’. It started the attack on the partisan republic on 10th October 1944. The book Il Battaglione SS ‘Debica’ written by Leonardo Sandri claims that the SS soldiers arrived at Gravellona Toce on 10th October and that the anti-partisan actions started on 11th October, a day after.

The same book claims that, during the operation, apart from the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’ and the Füsilier-Bataillon 29 ‘Debica’, a company of the Scuola Allievi Ufficiali (English: Officer Rookies School) of the GNR of Varese and a company of the Battaglione Paracadutisti ‘Mazzarini’ (English: Paratrooper Battalion) were also deployed for a total of about 3,500 soldiers. The Italian troops were supported by a 8.8 cm FlaK gun, two 75 mm mountain howitzers, two 75 mm anti-tank guns, two 47 mm anti-tank guns, a German armored train and 2 Carri Armati M13/40s. This confirms the presence of 2 Carri Armati M13/40s even if they had to be at least 5. Probably the book Il Battaglione SS ‘Debica’ was listing only the forces that supported the ‘Debica’ and not all the Axis forces deployed to attack the Partisan’s republic. The last tank detached to the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ was a Carro Armato M15/42 that was assigned together with a Carro Armato M13/40 and the Carro Armato M14/41 to the Il Battaglione SS ‘Debica’ after the Operazione Avanti.

On the first day, the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’ tried to break up the defensive line of the Divisione Partigiana ‘Valtoce’ (English: Partisan Division) on the right side of the Toce river, trying to enter in the city of Ornavasso. The Füsilier-Bataillon 29 ‘Debica’, on the left side of the river, tried to break the line of the Divisione Partigiana ‘Val d’Ossola’, trying to capture Mergozzo.

The 2 medium tanks were supporting the 1ª Compagnia, 3ª Compagnia and 4ª Compagnia of the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’ on the valley floor, while the 2ª Compagnia tried to circumvent the partisan defensive line, climbing the narrow streets of Monte Massone, covered by woods.

Luckily for the partisans, their reinforcements arrived quickly and they could start a counter attack before the 2ª Compagnia arrived in position. When the partisans attacked, the 2 tanks left the road to avoid being easily detected, but got stuck, probably in a mud field. The Fascist forces were forced to retreat with the tanks. On that day, the partisans resisted the attack.

A group of partisans during the clashes in Val d’Ossola. Source: archiviodelverbanocusioossola.com

At dawn of the next day, 2 tanks, supported by infantry, having learnt the ground, reached the partisan positions near Ornavasso, forcing the partisans to leave them.

The Fascist forces then advanced more into the partisan republic territory, but were blocked about 2 km north from Ornavasso, where the partisans had dug anti-tank ditches and entrenched themselves in a First World War-era bunker of the Liena Cadorna (English: The Cadorna Line). The Fascist forces were forced to stop their advance, fighting against the partisans barricaded in the fortress until 12th October 1944.

The night between 12th and 13th October, two companies of the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’ encircled the partisan forces from Monte Massone and deployed unnoticed on the right side of the partisan line, waiting to ambush the partisan reinforcements.

One of the Carri Armati M13/40s detached by the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ to the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’ in Val d’Ossola. This particular tank was a 1st Series vehicle. Source: Storia dei Reparti Corazzati della Repubblica Sociale Italiana 1943-1945

On the morning of 13th October, the remaining two companies of the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’ along with the medium tanks attacked the partisan positions in the Linea Cadorna again. When the soldiers of the Divisione Partigiana ‘Valtoce’ from the rearguard arrived in the area, the two companies hidden on the mountain ambushed them, causing many losses.

The partisans were forced to abandon the battle and retreated, pursued by Fascist forces and tried to reach Switzerland, a neutral territory, where they could have been saved. On 14th October afternoon, the reconnaissance squads of the Fascist forces arrived at Domodossola, the capital city of the partisan republic.

On 16th October 1944, the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’ and the Carro Armato M13/40 commanded by Lt. Marchegiani dispersed the last weak partisan defense in Varzo. After liberating the city, two companies of the battalion and the tank continued the advance, trying to arrive as soon as possible to the Swiss border and block the retreat of the last partisans in the area.

An interesting story about that day was mentioned by the commander of the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’, Lieutenant Ajmone Finestra, in his book Dal Fronte Jugoslavo alla Val d’Ossola. In it, he mentions that the Carro Armato M13/40 challenged the Swiss border guards when it arrived at the Swiss border, rolling towards the roadblock at high speed. The Swiss border guards tried to place an anti-tank gun in position as a deterrent, but before the gun was ready, the tank arrived near the borderline, turned around and went back.

The border between the Kingdom of Italy and Swiss Confederation, probably before the war. Source: La ‘repubblica’ dell’Ossola – Paolo Bologna

After the end of the operations, one of the 2 Carri Armati M13/40s detached to the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’ in August returned back to Turin with Lt. Marchegiani. A single Carro Armato M13/40 was put under command of 1° Aiutante (English: Adjutant of 1st Class) Ferdinando Baradello, with driver Adjutant Stevani, while the other two crew members were Legionnaires Bianchi and Ciardi. It remained in Omegna under the command of the 2ª Compagnia of the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’. The other 3 tanks as seen before followed the Il Battaglione SS ‘Debica’.

The Carro Armato M13/40 of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’, temporally assigned to the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’, in front of the Partito Fascista Repubblicano’s headquarter in Gravellona Toce after the fighting. Source: …Come il Diamante

In January 1945, thanks to the Carro Armato M13/40, the Fascist forces reached the goal of capturing an entire batch of Allied equipment launched from a cargo plane in the Val d’Ossola for the partisans.

On 14th and 15th March, the 2ª Compagnia of the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’ was attacked at Omegna. The troops, supported by the Carro Armato M13/40 of 1° Aiutante Ferdinando Boradello, broke through the encirclement and tried to reach Quarna, where a mixed garrison composed of Battaglione ‘Castagnacci’ of the Xª Divisione MAS and a black brigade were encircled. When the tank arrived, the Fascist troops had already surrendered.

On 17th March 1945, the car of Lieutenant Ajmone Finestra was ambushed by partisans while traveling with two soldiers from Omegna to Baveno. Miraculously escaping from death, the three fascist soldiers barricaded themselves behind the car, refusing to surrender. Meanwhile, the rifle shots attracted the attention of the fascist soldiers in Omegna, who sent the tank on the road.

Rescuing the officer and the two soldiers, the tank was again attacked by partisans near Omegna. This was an unsuccessful attack that cost the partisans 5 men.

Another photo of the Carro Armato M13/40 taken in the same place as the first one. From this angle, the monochrome desert camouflage and the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ coat of arms are visible. Source: …Come il Diamante

On 22nd March 1945, a tank and an armored car took part in an anti-partisan operation in Varallo Sesia, while the Carro Armato M13/40 of Adjutant of 1st Class Boradello was deployed with the same task in Gravellona Toce area.

During the same month, 1° Aiutante Ferdinando Boradello was transferred and Adjutant Stevani took his place as tank commander. From March to late April 1945, the tank was deployed to support the units of the ‘Venezia Giulia’ battalion, black brigades, militia men and German forces in the cities of Cireggio, Lucerna, Luzzogno and Omegna. Their opponents were the 2ª Divisione ‘Garibaldi’ communist partisans and the autonomous of Divisione ‘Beltrami’.

The tank was again deployed in Intra, near Omegna, against the partisans on 21st April 1945. During the night between 23rd and 24th April 1945, the 2ª Compagnia of the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’ received the order to withdraw from Omegna to Baveno. On the morning of 24th April, the company left the city in column formation, with the tank at the rear. The partisans from the valley’s sides opened fire, blocking the Fascist company for some hours.

In the end, the column succeeded retreating to Gravellona Toce, where it met the rest of the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’ and other Italian and German units arriving from Domodossola. Together, they reached Baveno; the column was named ‘Stamm’ Column for the name of the German commander of the SS-Polizei-Regiment 20.

On 25th April 1945, there were 450 soldiers of the II Battaglione Ciclisti d’Assalto ‘Venezia Giulia’, 150 of the XXIX Brigata Nera ‘Ettore Muti’, plus some more Italian and German soldiers. In total, there was the Carro Armato M13/40 of Adjutant Stevani, two German armored cars and 700 soldiers ready to move toward Stresa under command of Major Fagioli and German Captain Stamm.

The column moved on the road to Belgiate, breaking all the Partisan roadblocks and entering Stresa and then Belgiate. During the late afternoon of 25th April, the column reached Meina, while the partisans in the area reached Arona to block the column.

During the night, the Carro Armato M13/40 and the German armored cars attacked Arona where the partisans opened fire with heavy guns. The muzzle flashes of the partisan bursts were targeted by the Fascist 75 mm WW1-era artillery pieces and by German 20 mm FlaK bursts.

Before dawn, some troops encircled the partisans. Supported by the medium tank and the two armored cars, the partisans came under heavy fire and were forced to leave Arona. After entering Arona, the Fascists freed it immediately and settled in Castelletto Ticino for 2 days awaiting ferries to cross the Ticino river.

On 28th April 1945, the ferries did not arrive and they tried to reach Milan but the road was blocked. They tried to go to Novara, but the road to that city was blocked. The Fascists were then reached by the Bishop of Novara, who went to confer with them, giving them news of the great partisan insurrection and that Milan and Novara were now in partisan hands.

The fascists came to an agreement with the partisans that allowed them to go to Novara where they would wait in the Caserma Cavalli in Novara for the arrival of the Allied troops.

They arrived in Novara on 29th April and parked the Carro Armato M13/40 of Adjutant Stavani outside the barracks. The unit surrendered to soldiers of the US 34th Infantry Division on 1st May 1945.

The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ in the Piacenza countryside

Piacenza is one of the biggest cities of the region of Emiglia-Romagna, located in the center north of the Italian peninsula. Piacenza was the capital of the homonymous province, with a population (in 1936) of 64,210 inhabitants. It was an important city for the Italian economy, with a well organized agriculture. The city also had some small companies specialized in the bodywork of cars and trucks and in the production of truck trailers. Machinery tools were also important in Piacenza, with many companies specialized in the production of lathes and other components. However, the most important companies in the area were the Azienda Generale Italiana Petroli (English: General Italian Oil Company) the only one in Italy that extracted oil until 19th April 1945, and the Arsenale Regio Esercito di Piacenza or AREP (English: Royal Army Arsenal of Piacenza). Until the armistice of September 1943, it was used mainly to produce and repair artillery pieces. After the armistice, it was renamed Arsenale di Piacenza and the workers started working for the Wehrmacht.

After the Armistice of September 1943, the German forces transformed the city into a headquarters for their units in the region. The Plazkommandantur was placed in Via Santa Franca, under Colonel Blecher’s command. Under his command were a number of units deployed in the city. In Via Cavour 64 was a Waffen-SS unit and a Sicherheitspolizei or SIPO (English: Security Police) and in Via Garibaldi 7 was another SIPO unit.

The Todt Organization, a German civil and military engineering organization responsible for a huge range of engineering projects in all the occupied territories, also had some units in Piacenza. In Piazza Cavalli 94 was its volunteer enlisting center, while in the Caserma (English: Barrack) of Via Emilia Pavese were the dormitories for the Todt workers.

The San Damiano airbase near the city was also under German control (even before the Armistice). There were also the Train Station, the bridges, the arsenal and the most important company of the city, the Officine Massarenti, specialized in the extraction of the little oil found in the Piacenza countryside.

To prevent this important city from falling into the hands of the partisans or Allied paratroopers, the garrison of Piacenza was reinforced by some Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ units. At the beginning, only 2 armored cars (other sources claim 1 armored car and an autoprotetta) and 50 soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Giovanni Ferraris arrived in the city on 20th August 1944. They were headquartered in the Caserma Paride Biselli. The first actions of the unit were essentially escort missions.

In the same period, part of the 29. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS ‘Italia’ was deployed in the area. It was at the orders of SS-Obersturmbannführer Franz Binz’s Kampfgruppe ‘Binz’ command along with a 29th Division regiment.

The unit was extensively used in the area and, in the months after, many other soldiers and vehicles were deployed in the Piacenza countryside. On 17th March 1945, a German report gave a list of vehicles deployed by the 3ª Compagnia and 4ª Compagnia of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ in the area of Piacenza:

In Montecchio (where the AGIP oil wells were located), these were commanded by Lieutenant Loffredo Loffredi.

Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ equipment in the area of Piacenza
Montechino garrison; Lieutenant Loffredo Loffredi
Name	Model	Number
Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937	Medium Machine gun	1
Fucile Mitragliatore Breda Modello 1930	Light machine gun	4
Moschetti Automatici Beretta (MAB)	Submachine guns	7
various	Rifles	42
various	Pistols	12
Carro Armato M15/42	Medium tank	1
Carro Armato M13/40	Medium tank	1; non-operational
Carro Armato L3	Light tank	1; non-operational
Autoblindo AB41	Armored car	2; 1 non-operational
u/k type	Motorized tricycle	3; 1 non-operational
u/k type	Motorbike	7; 5 non-operational
Rallio Garrison; Lieutenant Francesco Motta
Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937	Medium machine gun	2
Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938	Medium machine gun	4
Mitragliatrice Media FIAT-Revelli Modello 1914/1935	Medium machine gun	1
Fucile Mitragliatore Breda Modello 1930	Light machine gun	2
Moschetti Automatici Beretta	Submachine guns	6
various	Rifles	37
various	Pistols	15
Carro Armato L3	Light tank	3; 2 non-operational
Moto Guzzi Alce	Motorbike	1 non-operational
Moto Bianchi 500 M	Motorbike	1 non-operational
FIAT Balilla	Staff car	1 non-operational
Piacenza; Captain Giovanni Bodda
various	Rifle	10
various	Pistols	8
Carro Armato M13/40	Medium tank	1 non-operational
Carri Armati L6/40	Light tanks	2 non-operational
Autoprotetta	Armored personnel carrier	1 non-operational
Moto Guzzi Alce	Motorbike	1 operational
FIAT 1100	Utility car	1 non-operational
FIAT 626	Medium truck	1 operational
Bianchi Miles	Medium truck	1 operational

Unluckily, the sources do not mention when the Carri Armati M13/40 were deployed in Piacenza. It is probable that they arrived in February 1945, after some heavy clashes with partisans. In Piacenza was also located the II Battaglione SS ‘Debica’ with the 3 Carri Armati M detached from the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ after the Operazione Avanti. It seems that the tanks were only theoretically assigned to the Italian SS unit, in fact it seems that not all 3 were operational in Piacenza.

On 12th April, the situation was slightly changed by the arrival of a Carro Armato M14/41 in the Montechino garrison, which had also repaired its Carro Armato L3. The Rallio garrison had received 1 running condition Carro Armato M13/40 (probably from the Montechino garrison). It had an operational Carro Armato L3 and another one under repairs.

The Piacenza headquarter had at its disposal 1 Carro Armato M13/40, 1 Carro Armato L6/40 and an Autoblinda AB41 under repairs, while an Autoblinda AB41 and 2 Semoventi L40 da 47/32 (they arrived on 20th April) were combat ready.

On 15th April, the 3 operational medium tanks (an M13, an M14, and an M15) were assigned to the I. Waffen-Grenadier Bataillon of the Waffen-Grenadier-Regiment SS 81. of the 29. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS ‘Italia’. The light tanks were assigned to the II. Waffen-Grenadier Bataillon ‘Nettuno’ from the same regiment, while the Autoblinde AB41 remained under Capt. Bodda’s command. The operational one, under the command of Legionnaire Medoro Minetti, was used to support the withdrawal of the Fascist garrisons in Montechino and Rallio.

The armored vehicles placed in Rallio were transported to Rivergaro and placed with the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ soldiers as garrison in the city, together with the Battaglione ‘Mantova’ of the V Brigata Nera Mobile ‘Quagliata’.

The German and Italian officers in Piacenza concentrated all the units under their command in Piacenza, apart from the I. Waffen-Grenadier Bataillon and II. Waffen-Grenadier Bataillon ‘Nettuno’. On 16th April, these latter units attacked Gropparello and Perino, inflicting heavy losses on the partisans.

During the next few days, the Brazilian forces of the Força Expedicionária Brasileira (English: Brazilian Expeditionary Force) and US troops entered Bologna and advanced further north.

The partisans tried to enter the city of Piacenza from all directions. The I. Waffen-Grenadier Bataillon retreated from Gropparello with their three medium tanks on 24th April. Two tanks were commanded by Vice Brigadier Donati and Vice Brigadier Martini, while the third one was probably Lieutenant Rinetti’s. The unit reached Pontenure, deploying on a defensive line along the Nure river, with the headquarters of the unit placed in a nearby farm on the Via Emilia.

On 25th April morning, 1 Semovente L40 da 47/32 under Second Lieutenant Giancarlo Fazioli left the Piacenza barracks of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’, leaving the city and taking the Via Emilia with 7 or 8 soldiers and a German officer. Their task was to reach the Allied reconnaissance units to counter them and slow down the Allied advance.

After crossing the II. Waffen-Grenadier Bataillon ‘Nettuno’ defensive line, south of Piacenza, it met Allied forces near Montale, 6 km south of Piacenza, and after firing some 47 mm rounds in the direction of the Allied forces, retreated before becoming an easy target for Allied artillery.

On the same day, I. Waffen-Grenadier Bataillon exchanged some light gun bursts with a platoon of A Company of the 755th Tank battalion of the US Army, which supported some troops of the 135th Infantry Division. The skirmish cost the life of a single Italian soldier.

After the skirmish, German commander SS-Obersturmbannführer Franz Binz, who commanded the Italian SS, ordered the battalion to retreat and to entrench itself in a defensive line closer to Piacenza. The I. Waffen-Grenadier Bataillon ‘Debica’ was located in the south-east part of Piacenza, in the city of Montale.

The 1. Kompanie (English: 1st Company), under the command of Waffen-SS Obersturmführer Giorgio Giorgi, was placed on the left side of the defensive line, the 2. Kompanie (English: 2nd Company), under the command of Waffen-SS Obersturmführer Vittorio Passéra, was on the right side, while the Abteilung-Schwere-Waffen (English: Heavy Weapons Section) of the 4. Kompanie (English: 4th Company) under Waffen-SS Obersturmführer Franco Lanza was a few hundred meters behind them with the support guns. The heavy equipment of the unit consisted of 81 mm mortars and some Cannoni da 47/32 Modello 1935 or 1939 anti-tank guns.

A few months before, the unit was equipped with 6 75 mm mountain howitzers, 6 Cannoni da 47/32 Modello 1935 or 1939 anti-tank guns, and three 20 mm automatic cannons, but it is not clear if some were lost in the previous weeks and how many were deployed in Montale.

On the morning of 26th April, the US soldiers of the 135th Infantry Division, supported by Sherman tanks of A Company, A platoon of B Company, and some M7 Priests of the 755th Tank battalion, stormed the defensive line of the Italian SS soldiers. Arriving within range of the German produced Panzerfausts (used for the first time by the units in combat) in the hands of the Italian soldiers, the US tanks were easily knocked out, while the Italian tanks and guns on the rear guard started heavy suppression fire in the direction of the US forces.

During the attack, the US soldiers were forced to retreat, leaving the task of breaking through the Italian lines to the Shermans. Some minutes after the start of the battle, the three medium tanks of the ‘Leonessa’ assigned to the Kampfgruppe ‘Binz’ arrived in the area, starting to fire at the US tanks. Some sources claim that there was probably also a Semovente L40 da 47/32 with them.

During the 20 minute-long battle, 2 Shermans and an M7 Priest were destroyed, while many others were damaged by mortar shells, Panzerfausts, and 47 mm armor piercing rounds and subsequently abandoned.

During the fighting, Waffen-SS Obersturmführer Giorgio Giorgi, a pair of NCOs and at least 4 soldiers of Kampfgruppe ‘Binz’ were killed. To these losses need to be added a squad of soldiers of the 2. Kompanie that was barricaded in a farm and was attacked by one of the Shermans. After a brief skirmish, the Italian soldiers surrendered. Corporal Major Rosario Carli was shot by US troops after surrendering because he refused to hand over personal items and for responding to the beating he suffered.

The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ suffered the loss of a driver and of Second Lieutenant Arnaldo Rinetti, the last Italian tank crew member killed in action during the Second World War. The information about his death is not so clear. Many sources claim different variants of which, in the past years, some were refuted.

At least two tanks were commanded by Vice Brigadier Donati and Lieutenant Rinetti. If the Semovente L40 da 47/32 was really deployed in the battle, it seems that the vehicle commander was Legionnaire Mimmo Bontempelli.

During the battle, one of the medium tanks was hit, probably by a US 75 mm armor piercing round. Which Italian tank was hit is nowadays a mystery. Lieutenant Loffredi, during an interview reported in the book …Come il Diamante, stated that, during the retreat after the battle, the Carro Armato M13/40 was present, commanded by Vice Brigadier Donati, while all the other sources claim that the vehicle targeted by the American shell was a Carro Armato M13/40. However, the armor piercing round penetrated an unspecified frontal part of the tank, killing the driver, cutting his legs and lightly wounding the commander who got out of the vehicle with slight burns. The crew tried to restart the vehicle, but it probably suffered a mechanical failure.

Lt. Rinetti did not abandon the burning tank and continued to fire with the main gun even if the vehicle was immobile. From the testimony of a veteran of the 29. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS ‘Italia’, it seems that, from the crew, 3 crew members exited. Lt. Rinetti was probably killed by a splinter of armor after a second shot hit his tank a few minutes later.

A source claims that he was killed by partisans after surrender, a hypothesis refuted because there were no partisans in the area. Another interesting hypothesis was the one that claimed that Lt. Rinetti was killed by the breech of the 47 mm gun during recoil.

This hypothesis is plausible as Italian medium tanks were cramped vehicles and, with a fifth crew member, the space inside would be really limited but. However, it needs to be noticed that, during the same day, Vice Brigadier Casoni was hit in the face by the 47 mm gun breech during recoil and, after the battle, he went to the Piacenza military infirmary to be treated.

The source which states that Lt. Rinetti died from the gun recoil was probably a confusion, created perhaps by a veteran who unwittingly mixed the two stories.

Another source claims that Lt. Rinetti was captured by US troops and transported to a prisoner camp, where he was shot by partisans to take revenge for all their fellow comrades killed by the ‘Leonessa’ tanks in the last months of war in the Piacenza area. However, this claim appears to have no supporting sources.

Anyway, the US Army had already won the battle and another heavy tribute of life was not necessary. For this reason, the fight was brief and, for the rest of the day, the Allied forces maintained the Italian positions under heavy artillery fire. This was also done to prevent the Italian soldiers from capturing the damaged Sherman and Priests abandoned on the battlefield.

The I. Waffen-Grenadier Bataillon ‘Debica’ retreated from Montale and was redeployed between Via Emilia and Mortizza, where one of the two river ferries used to reach the northern shore of the Po river was stationed.

During the battle between the I. Waffen-Grenadier Bataillon ‘Debica’ and the US soldiers, the partisans had infiltrated the city and the Fascist forces of the city fought back, supported by the soldiers of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’, the operational Autoblindo AB41 of Vice Brigadier Campanini, a tank (model unspecified but probably the Carro Armato L6/40 or a Carro Armato L3) and an automatic cannon.

On the night of 26th April, all the ‘Leonessa’s’ guns, ammunition and fuel depots were destroyed to prevent partisan capture. The non-operational vehicles were also destroyed, including the Autoblindo AB41 of Lt. Minetti.

The vehicles that survived destruction in Piacenza were:

2 Semoventi L40 da 47/32
1 Carro Armato L6/40 under repair
1 Carro Armato M13/40 of unknown status
1 Autoblindo AB41

2 medium tanks assigned to the I. Waffen-Grenadier Bataillon ‘Debica’ (model unknown).
1 Carro Armato L3 assigned to the II. Waffen-Grenadier Bataillon ‘Nettuno’.

During the night, the majority of German and Italian units crossed the Po river under the cover of darkness. The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ and the ‘Debica’ and ‘Nettuno’ battalions remained on the southern shore of the river to defend the city.

The Allied troops could easily enter the city and destroy the ferries with their armored forces, but they had made an agreement in the past days with the partisans. The partisans would free the city and then the Allied troops could enter. This decision favored the Fascist soldiers in the city that, with a few tanks, could slow down the partisan liberation.

On 27th April, the partisans suffered heavy losses and a total of 18 partisans lost their lives during two different clashes with the Fascists. Two medium tanks were under ‘Debica’s’ command, along with the last L3 of ‘Nettuno’. The Semoventi L40 da 47/32 were protecting the pier of Mortizza’s ferry for the duration of the day.

The I. Waffen-Grenadier Bataillon ‘Debica’ was not employed in action on 27th April and, at dawn on 28th April, was transferred to the northern shore of the Po river from Mortizza. During the crossing, some shells fell near the ferry without causing losses. The two medium tanks were probably too heavy for the Mortizza ferry and, on 27th April, they left the Italian SS unit to reach the other ferry pier in San Rocco al Porto, less than 5 km from Mortizza ferry.

The tanks waited all day and, on the morning of 28th April 1945, one of the two tanks was transferred to the other shore.

The second tank, claimed by Lt. Giancarlo Grazioli to be a Carro Armato M13/40, remained on the southern shore to defend the pier but was destroyed by artillery fire during the same day at an unknown hour.

The remaining 20 soldiers of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ and 20 soldiers of the 162. Infanterie-Division ‘Turkistan’ were taken from the command of Lieutenant of 1st Class Loffredi and transferred to Lieutenant Romolo Paroletti.

Lt. Paroletti divided the soldiers in squads of 10 soldiers (5 Italian and 5 Turkmeni) that entrenched on the main roads of Piacenza: the State Road for Cremona, Via Emilia Parmense, Via Emilia Pavese, and State Road 45.

The soldiers were well equipped. They took all the Italian firearms that remained in the city, such as heavy and light machine guns and submachine guns, dozens of hand grenades and also some really rare Italian anti-tank hand grenades.

The Turkmeni were also equipped with 8.8 cm Raketenwerfer 43 ‘Puppchen’ anti-tank rocket launchers.

The night of 28th April passed calmly, with Lieutenant Paroletti in a medium tank that patrolled the city roads.

Lt. Paroletti mentioned that the tank was a Carro Armato M14/41. If this information is true, it probably means that the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ mechanics in Piacenza had repaired the second Carro Armato M13/40 before the partisan insurrection and US attack.

Unfortunately, this information cannot be confirmed. However, the book …Come il Diamante reports that an Carro Armato M13/40 was left to defend the San Rocco pier.

Three or 4 medium tanks had left the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ barracks in Piacenza on 26th April 1945. A Carro Armato M13/40 was knocked out in Montale, while the rest retreated. The Carro Armato M15/42 crossed the Po river on 28th April, the last Carro Armato M13/40 was destroyed by artillery fire on 28th April while the last tank, a Carro Armato M14/41, was used to patrol the city of Piacenza.

During the night of 28th April 1945, the Carro Armato M14/41 was connected to an old WW1-era FIAT 18BL which the tank towed through all the city, taking all the Italian and Fascist soldiers still in Piacenza. Shortly after 0400 hrs., the soldiers reached San Rocco al Porto. The troops dismounted from the vehicles and crossed the Po river with the ferry.

Arriving on the northern shore, the ferry was destroyed and the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ veterans claimed that they were able to see US tanks already on the southern shore. The Carro Armato M14/41 that Lieutenant Paroletti used all night on patrol was ferried with the soldiers, while the old truck was abandoned near the shore, where dozens of damaged vehicles lay abandoned by the Axis forces.

While the soldiers were leaving the southern shore, a Carro Armato L6/40 tank reached their position at maximum speed. It was the Carro Armato L6/40 of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ deployed in Piacenza which, during the last days, was blocked in the barracks for maintenance. During the night, the crew had repaired it and was ready to transport it on the other shore but the Germans refused this, probably due to the lack of time. For the transport of the light tank, the ferry had to do 2 river crossings, wasting time, fuel (which probably they did not have) and increasing the risk that US or partisan forces would attack the ferry.

Lieutenant Romolo Paroletti ordered the sabotage of the tank and, when the ferry was on its way to cross the river with the medium tank loaded on, he ordered firing a pair of 47 mm rounds to totally destroy it.

On the morning of 28th April, the survivors of Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ and the Kampfgruppe ‘Binz’ restarted their march in the northern direction towards Erba to reach the rest of the 29. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS ‘Italia’.

Their real task was to reach Travagliato, near Brescia, to join the Kommandostab Ersatz Einheiten der italienischen Waffenverbände der SS (English: SS Italian Armed Forces Reserve Unit Command) under SS-Sturmbannführer Luis Thaler. Together, they were then meant to reach the Alto Adige region passing through Val Camonica.

For unknown reasons, only some soldiers of the 162. Infanterie-Division ‘Turkistan’ reached Travagliato.

On 28th April 1945, the soldiers of Kampfgruppe ‘Binz’ entered Santo Stefano Lodigiano, already liberated by the partisans. The partisans, seeing the Italian Fascist soldiers, preferred to retreat from the city and hid themselves in a nearby forest. The Italians freed hundreds of Fascist soldiers captured during the partisan attack of the previous days and also a dozen trucks.

The column restarted the march with a total of about 2,000 soldiers, including about 100 Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’s’ soldiers under Lieutenant Loffredi’s command. Together with them were about a hundred trucks, cars and motorbikes, 3 tanks (2 Carri Armati M15/42s and a Carro Armato M14/41), the Semovente L40 da 47/32 and an Autoblindo AB41 armored car. There were also some 75 mm howitzers, 4 Cannoni da 47/32 and some 20 mm automatic cannons.

The Semovente L40 da 47/32 of Second Lieutenant Giancarlo Fazioli fell into a canal near the road on the same day due to the ground collapsing under its weight. It was recovered after a few hours with a pair of oxen pulling it out of the canal.

In order to avoid US air strikes, the column was divided into three sections, with the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ vehicles in the front section, the II. Waffen-Grenadier Bataillon ‘Nettuno’ in the center section, and the I. Waffen-Grenadier Bataillon ‘Debica’ at the rear of the column.

For about half an hour, the reconnaissance groups of the column had a skirmish with partisan forces in Guardamiglio, where the partisans had a 20 mm automatic cannon on top of a bell tower and opened fire on the forward units of the column. After the fighting, the column was attacked by 3 Republic P-47 ‘Thunderbolts’ US ground attack planes.

During the attack, the last Lancia 3Ro of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ was damaged by 0.50 in. machine gun rounds, while the quick reaction of the Fascist soldiers damaged an US plane. Hauptmann Noweck, with a German 20 mm FlaK, shot down one of the planes.

The Lancia was towed by a medium tank and the column quickly restarted to move, reaching Codogno, where the column was ready to fight the partisans in the city. These had captured some German soldiers of another unit.

The unit commander and SS-Obersturmbannführer Franz Binz started discussions with the partisans and, in the evening, they managed to convince the partisans to free the Germans, or they would shell the city with artillery fire.

At midnight, the column stopped. The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ stayed in Livraga, the II. Waffen-Grenadier Bataillon ‘Nettuno’ in Ospedaletto, and the I. Waffen-Grenadier Bataillon ‘Debica’ stayed in Somaglia. The Semovente L40 da 47/32 crew slept in Brembio, near Livraga, where the Fascist soldiers entered the city pub where there were also some partisans. Before entering the city, in order to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, the partisans and fascists agreed to a ceasefire for the night.

On 29th April 1945, the march restarted on secondary roads to avoid the US planes. Around noon, the column reached Sesto San Giovanni, where some partisan commanders from Lodi arrived to have the column surrender.

German Commander Franz Binz strongly refused to surrender, intending to reach the city of Erba at all costs. During these hours, the Semovente L40 da 47/32 commanded by Lt. Fazioli was assigned to the ‘Debica’ battalion.

The soldiers under Lieutenant Loffredi’s command were composed of about 80 GNR soldiers of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’, 9 German sailors from the ferry, one female auxiliary, 4 militiamen, probably from the XIII Brigata Nera ‘Turchetti’, the Carro Armato M13/40 (the other one was abandoned due to mechanical failure), the Autoblindo AB41 and 2 trucks, of which one damaged. All the soldiers were well armed. Some hours before, they learned of the death of Benito Mussolini and the majority of the ‘Turchetti’ militiamen decided to return to their homes.

In Locate Triulzi, Lieutenant Loffredi’s forces, which now served as the vanguard of the column with about 600 ‘Nettuno’ soldiers, met some partisans. After a furious discussion between Lt. Loffredi and the partisan commander of the area, the partisans left the small city without shooting a single bullet.

During the night, at 2300 hrs., part of the column tried to advance but was blocked by a roadblock in Zizzolo and surrendered to the partisans.

On the morning of 30th April, the column restarted the march but was blocked again in Melzo by the partisans. After a few hours, they reached an agreement. They restarted the march but they were shortly after reached by US tanks from the 34th Infantry Division. SS-Obersturmbannführer Franz Binz finally surrendered to the Allied forces.

The troops under Lieutenant Loffredi had taken another road the night before and were not blocked in Melzo. They moved toward San Giuliano Milanese, Caleppio and Truccazzano, finally approaching Trecella, where they took a break to repair the Carro Armato M13/40 that still worked, but not at its best. Lt. Loffredi, along with some officers, reached the school of Trecella, where they spoke with an US NCO, trying to gain time while the crew repaired the tank.

When the tank was ready to move again, the force was encircled by at least 6 M18 Hellcat tanks, so Lt. Loffredi was forced to surrender.

From a postwar letter of Lt. Loffredi, it is claimed that the last tank was an Carro Armato M13/40 and that the US tank crew found it ready, permitting the crew to restart the engine with the crank, laughing a lot for all the operation. All the soldiers under Lt. Loffredi were taken prisoner without any problems.

Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ in Milan

In mid October 1944, the Compagnia Addestramento (English: Training Company) of the ‘Leonessa’ was transferred to the former Reggimento ‘Savoia cavalleria’ barracks in Via Monti with training tasks. Shortly after, it became part of the combat ready unit.

It was commanded by Major Egidio Zerbio. It was first planned to become an independent battalion but, due to the lack of men and vehicles, it remained under Leonessa’s command with logistic and support tasks. It supported the troops deployed in Piacenza and defended the Oleoblitz, the last refinery of Italy to produce fuel from the oil that came from Piacenza.

The unit remained a training unit and trained new crew members that were assigned to different Gruppo Corazzato companies around northern Italy after the courses.

The crew members were trained to drive armored cars in the city streets. For the tank driving lessons, the fields filled with US bomb craters near the barracks were used.

For training duties, a Carro Armato M13/40 and a Carro Armato M14/41 arrived from Turin. These were shortly accompanied by 2 Carri Armati L3 light tanks and a Semovente L40 da 47/32 recovered from some depots in Milan and repaired by the workshop of the unit in Milan.

In early 1945, Lieutenant Barone found 5 or 6 Italian medium tanks in Chiari. These arrived in Milan by railway. In the book I Mezzi Corazzati Italiani della Guerra Civile 1943-1945, the writer mentions a German document reported that the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ recovered about 30 damaged medium tanks from the Germans, who were in the process of scrapping them.

In the same book, Paolo Crippa states that only 5 of these tanks were repairable. This could suggest that the vehicles found by Lieutenant Barone were part of this batch. This also clarifies why the depot of the Distaccamento di Milano (English: Milan Detachment), as it was called, was full of spare parts. They were probably recovered from badly damaged tanks. The tanks were probably sent to Turin after repairs.

On 16th December 1944, the Distaccamento di Milano participated in the last speech of Mussolini at the Lyric Theater. Mussolini then climbed on the turret of a Carro Armato M15/42 tank outside the theater to make a second shorter speech. On the same day, Mussolini visited the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ barracks in Milan, where 2 Carri Armati M15/42 and 2 Autoblinde AB41 were lined up.

This means that the Carro Armato M13/40 was under repair, or the tank was assigned to another company. The first hypothesis makes more sense because the unit was created only in mid October 1944 and needed time to train the crews. It seems improbable that, in just 2 months, the tank was reassigned.

However, on 25th April 1945, Lieutenant Morandi participated with a medium tank in supporting the Fascist units in Sesto San Giovanni. With some soldiers, he then reached the Fiera Campionaria depot in Milan to take some freshly built armored vehicles not yet assigned to the Axis forces. They recovered 2 Autoblinde AB43 medium reconnaissance armored cars.

The same night, the company prepared to leave Milan and reach Valtellina. The Distaccamento di Milano was deployed with its armored vehicles in the front and rear of the column of Fascist forces leaving Milan.

The column left Milan at about 0600 hrs. on 26th April and the march for the valley was eventful, with some air attacks (without significant damage) and some machine gun fire from a partisan motorcycle that quickly retreated under the fire of the 47 mm cannon of the semovente.

During their way to Como, a Carro Armato M13/40 of the Distaccamento di Milano had a mechanical failure and Lt. Morandi shot some pistol rounds into the engine to make it unrepairable. One of the Autoblinde AB43s also had a failure of the fuel ignition system, but the failure was shortly repaired and the armored car reached Como. On the afternoon of 26th April, the Distaccamento di Milano arrived in Caserma De Cristoforis in Como. There, it surrendered to the partisans, as Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana’s High Commander, General Niccolò Nicchiarelli, had ordered.

The number of vehicles in service with the Distaccamento di Milano is uncertain. When it was transferred to Milan, it had only a Carro Armato M13/40 and a Carro Armato M14/41. Two months later, it had at least 2 Carri Armati M15/42, 2 Autoblinde AB41 armored cars, a Carro Armato L3 light tank, and probably a Carro Armato M13/40.

Before departing from Milan on 25th April night or 26th April early morning, Vincenzo Costa, one of the soldiers of the unit, wrote a list mentioning that the column that was leaving Milan had 10 tanks and 4 armored cars. The number of armored cars coincided with those present in the unit 4 months earlier (2 Autoblinde AB41 + 2 Autoblinde AB43 taken the day before), while the number of tanks had increased, although some may have been Carro Armato L3 light tanks from other Milanese units.

Comando Provinciale della Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana

The Reparto Corazzato (English: Armored Department) of the Compagnia Comando (English: Command Company) of the Comando Provinciale della Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana (English: Provincial Command of the Republican National Guard) in Varese had in its ranks a Carro Armato M13/40 and an Autoblinda AB41 armored car recovered shortly after the Armistice by Captain Giacomo Michaud from the countryside of Varese.

These were probably used only to defend the Varese’s command building and escort some convoys without fighting until September 1944. In September 1944, the High Command of the National Republican Army ordered the Provincial Command to send its armored vehicles in the Val d’Ossola area against the partisan brigades.

The vehicles, under Capt. Michaud’s command, arrived at Laveno and were embarked on a ferry, arriving in Cannobio on 9th September. However, only the Carro Armato M13/40 was disembarked while the Autoblinda AB41 that suffered from mechanical failure and returned to Varese.

The Carro Armato M13/40 took part in the Operazione ‘Avanti’ against the Ossola Republic, but in another sector of the battlefield. It departed from Cannobio and advanced east to Domodossola supporting 2 Nazi-Fascist columns. It was deployed in the area and then in Val Formazza against Partisan units until late October 1944. In that period it was heavily damaged, while the Cap. Michaud was badly wounded.

The Carro Armato M13/40 returned to the workshop in Varese but could not be repaired due to a lack of spare parts. Together with the unrepaired Autoblinda AB41, it was sent probably to Genoa or Turin. There they were repaired by specialized workshops and then were assigned to other unknown units.

The Autoblinda AB41 and a Carro Armato M13/40 inspected by some officers of the Comando Provinciale della Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana. Source: Paolo Crippa

XXI Brigata Nera ‘Stefano Rizzardi’

In a document from the Undersecretary of the Ministry of the Interior Giorgio Pini, in January 1945, the XXI Brigata Nera ‘Stefano Rizzardi’ (English: 21st Black Brigade) of Verona had a Carro Armato M13/40. The unit was named after Bersagliere Stefano Rizzardi, who died on 26th October 1943 and was the first Italian soldier awarded the Memorial Gold Medal for Military Valor.

Unfortunately, little information is known about the black brigade of Verona. In August 1944, the commander was Luigi Sioli and the total brigade force was about 150 soldiers.

The tank, used to patrol the streets of the city of Verona, was probably taken from the depot of the former 27° Deposito Misto Reggimentale when it was disbanded.

Partisan Service

About the service of the former Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leoncello’ tanks, the Partisan commander Giacomo Cibra, nicknamed ‘Nino’ that commanded the 5° Squadra Volante (English: 5th Flying Squad) of the 11ª Brigata Partigiana ‘Matteotti’ (English: 11th Partisan Brigade).

In his book written after the war Cibra explained that, on 24th April 1945 night, while the majority of the Partisans attacked the Axis forces at Carugate, his detachment remained in Pioltello stopped a Nazi-Fascist column of vehicles in Cerusco sul Naviglio, near the tram station.
The Axis soldiers, aware of the imminent end of the war, surrendered weapons and vehicles peacefully. Cibra explained that created a column composed of 2 tanks (2 Carri Armati M13/40 of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leoncello’), a German armored car, 2 trucks full of partisans, and a staff car in which Cibra himself took his seat.
The column, after small skirmishes along the journey, reached Milan, entering in the northeastern boulevard Corso Buenos Aires.
As they advanced on the boulevard, at the height of Porta Venezia, in the downtown they met a car full of fascist soldiers that opened fire against the Partisan column.
One of the two tanks, probably while the driver tried to stop it to open fire, broke a track hitting at high speed a sidewalk and was abandoned.

The Carro Armato M13/40 after the fighting in Milan, being inspected by Milanese civilians or other partisans. Source: …Come il Diamante

The other tank, nicknamed ‘TEMPESTA’ (English: Storm), was deployed first to patrol some streets of the city and, on 26th April 1945 it was deployed in the final Partisan assault on Piazza 4 Novembre, where was located the Milanese headquarter of the Xa Divisione MAS.

The Carro Armato M13/40 ‘TEMPESTA’ during the parade in Pioltello on 1st May 1945. It was in Via Adua, now Via Aldo Moro. Source: pinterest.com

On 27th April 1945 the tank nicknamed ‘TEMPESTA’ was transported to Pioltello, city of origin of most of the partisans of the 11ª Brigata Partigiana ‘Matteotti’ after the end of the battle in Milan. It was shown in the great partisan parade in Pioltello on 1st May 1945.
Always from Cibra’s testimony, the damaged tank was transported to Cernusco sul Naviglio where it was repaired in a local workshop with spare track links that Cibra had recovered somewhere in Milan.

The Carro Armato M13/40 ‘TEMPESTA’ during the parade in Pioltello on 1st May 1945. On the transmission cover was painted the writing ‘BRIGATA MATTEOTTI’ and a white sheet was placed on the turret, probably to cover the fascist’s coat of arms. Source: instagram.com @Forza_Italiana

Another Carro Armato M13/40 was taken on 25th April 1945 by the partisans of the 183ª Brigata Partigiana ‘Garibaldi’ (English: 183th Partisan Brigade) in Saronno. The tank was damaged by a Panzerfaust hit and the partisans took it to a Elettro Meccanica Societa Anonima or CEMSA (English: Caproni Electro Mechanical Limited Company) workshop. There, the tank was repaired by two Soviet prisoners of war that joined the Italian communist partisans after escaping from a fascist prison camp.

The Carro Armato M13/40 captured by the Partisans in Saronno. Behind it there was a 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT heavy machine gun and a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda 20/65 Modello 1935 with shield. In front of the tank there were other guns including a Cannone-Mitragliera Scotti-Isotta Fraschini 20/70 Modello 1941. Source: I Mezzi Corazzati Italiani della Guerra Civile 1943-1945

It was put in service again to patrol the streets of the city of Saronno during the partisan uprising and then publicly shown after the war for some time in the city.

At least one Carro Armato M13/40 was captured by the partisans in the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani barrack of Turin. Partisan’s War Diary declares that the vehicle was used during the fighting to liberate the city. It seems not clear if this statement is correct, in fact, if the vehicle had been in a condition to march, the Fascist forces would have taken him with them and not abandoned a working vehicle in enemy hands.
Some Italian sources, about the Comando Provinciale della Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana of Varese, only the armored car was sent back to Turin or Genoa for reparations while the tank remained in Varese where it was delivered peacefully by the Fascist to the Partisans at the war’s end on 25th April 1945. In the image of this vehicle it seems a Carro Armato M13/40 of 1st series or a Carro Armato M14/41; unfortunately the bad quality of the image and the presence of Partisans in front of it, did not permit a clear identification.

A Carro Armato M13/40 captured by the Partisans in the Varese area. This was not the Comando Provinciale della Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana. It was probably captured by another Fascist unit. Source: I Mezzi Corazzati Italiani della Guerra Civile 1943-1945

Camouflage and Markings

The Carri Armati M13/40s used in the first months of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana usually maintained the common monochrome Kaki Sahariano (English: Saharan Khaki) desert camouflage used by the majority of former Regio Esercito vehicles.

The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leoncello’ medium tanks (4 Carri Armati M13/40 and a Carro Armato M15/42) received three different camouflage schemes: at least 1 Carro Armato M13/40 was painted with a green-gray camouflage (probably the one applied at Ansaldo), while some other Carri Armati M13/40 received some medium brown and dark green spots camouflage. The Carro Armato M15/42 (and maybe also some Carri Armati M13/40s) were in Kaki Sahariano camouflage.

The three tone camouflaged Carro Armato M13/40 of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leoncello’. Even if the photo is of poor quality (it was taken from a newspaper), the unit’s coat of arms and the Italian flag with the number I in Roman numerals and number 3 are visible. Source: …Come il Diamante

On the sides of the turret, at the front, lions were painted standing on two legs in a white rectangle. The lion was the symbol of the ‘Leoncello’. At the center of the turret was a tricolor Italian flag. Above the tricolor was painted a Roman numeral, indicating the number of the squadron, in this case the I Squadrone Carri M. Under the tricolor, in Arabic numerals, the number of the tank in the squadron was painted. These symbols were also painted on the turret rear, while on the front hull armored plate, between the driver and machine gunner’s positions, was only an Italian flag. Each tank also received a name painted near the driver’s slot. The names were painted in white capital letters.

The 2nd tank of the squadron was painted in green-gray camouflage and was named ‘TEMPESTA’ (English: Storm). The 3rd tank of the same squadron had the three tone camouflage but its name is not known.

One of the Carri Armati M13/40 of the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’ during a revision. It had the three tone camouflage scheme and the unit’s coat of arms on the frontal plate, partially covered by the driver’s vision port. This Carro Armato M13/40 of 2nd or 3rd series is equipped with two more spare wheels placed on the fenders. Source: …Come il Diamante

The Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’ tanks were painted in standard Kaki Sahariano camouflage and received the unit’s coat of arms on the front of the casemate.
The coat of arms changed with the evolution of the unit. The earliest one was a simple Italian flag. After Spring 1944, the black silhouette of an Italian medium tank was added on the flag. After late 1944, the flag was repainted as waving with the black silhouette of an Italian self-propelled gun.

Another photo of the same Carro Armato M13/40. It shows the last version of the coat of arms of the unit and the spare wheel on the fender. Source: Storia dei Reparti Corazzati della Repubblica Sociale Italiana 1943-1945

At least one of the Carro Armato M13/40 medium tanks of the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani was painted with a particular three-tone camouflage similar to the Continentale (English: Continental) applied by Ansaldo on the tanks ready to be delivered. The Continentale had dark green and reddish brown spots on the original Kaki Sahariano camouflage.

In this case, it seems that the unit totally covered the Kaki Sahariano original paint with two different shades of dark green spots and then they outlined the border of the spots with slight Kaki Sahariano lines.

The Carro Armato M13/40 of the Compagnia Carri Medi of the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani. Photo taken when the tank was towed after an anti-partisan operation in Turin’s countryside. Note the particular three tone camouflage. Source: I Mezzi Corazzati Italiani della Guerra Civile 1943-1945

The medium tanks of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ were painted in usual Kaki Sahariano camouflage with the unit’s symbol, a red ‘m’ with a lictorial beam (symbol of the Fascist party) intersected by a lictorian beam. Under it was the acronym GNR painted in red. These coats of arms were painted on the turret sides and rear and were the only symbols painted on the Carri Armati M13/40 of which there are available images. The tanks also had a license plate with the acronym GNR. These plates were probably the original Regio Esercito ones but with the acronym RE covered. This hypothesis is supported because one of the license plates, ‘Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana 4340’, was probably the former ‘Regio Esercito 4340’.

A Carro Armato M13/40 of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ during ammunition reloading operations. The unit’s coat of arms is clearly visible. Source: …Come il Diamante

After late 1944, the camouflage was modified on almost all the medium tanks, even if at least one Carro Armato M13/40 deployed in Turin was not repainted. The vehicles were now also painted with a camouflage similar to the Continentale, with dark green and medium brown spots, sometimes covering the coat of arms on the turret sides and sometimes maintaining them.

Conclusion

The Carro Armato M13/40 was already an obsolete vehicle when it was substituted by the Carro Armato M14/41 in 1941. Its main problem was the underpowered engine that did not permit it a good speed or good off road characteristics.

However, when used to stop the partisan maneuvers, the old Carri Armati M13/40 proved to be a more than adequate vehicle. Fighting the partisans, who did not have anti-tank weapons such as cannons, anti-tank guns, or rocket launchers, medium tanks were virtually unstoppable.

The absence of sand also favored the tank, which suffered fewer mechanical failures on the Italian mainland. This also permitted the crews to operate on mountain streets where partisans operated without overstressing the engines.

Carro Armato M13/40 of IIa Serie. It was the 2nd tank of the I Squadrone Carri M of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leoncello’ in early 1945. It was nicknamed ‘TEMPESTA’. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Carro Armato M13/40 of IIa Serie. It was the 3rd tank of the I Squadrone Carri M of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leoncello’ in early 1945. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Carro Armato M13/40 of IIa Serie of the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani in Piemonte. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Carro Armato M13/40 of IIIa Serie of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ in Piemonte, Summer 1944. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Carro Armato M13/40 IIIa Serie del Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Carro Armato M13/40 Specification
Size (L-W-H)	4.915 x 2.280 x 2.370 m
Weight, battle ready	13 tonnes
Crew	4 (driver, machine gunner, gunner/commander, and loader)
Engine	FIAT-SPA 8T Modello 1940 diesel, 8-cylinder, 11,140 cm³ 125 hp at 1’800 rpm
Speed	30 km/h
Range	210 km
Armament	one Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935 with 87 rounds, four 8 mm Breda Modello 1938 medium machine guns with 2,592 rounds
Armor	Hull: 30 mm front, 25 mm sides and rear. Turret: 30 mm front, 25 mm sides and rear.
Production	710 built until mid 1941, less than 25 in RSI service.

Sources

I Mezzi Corazzati Italiani della Guerra Civile 1943-1945 – Paolo Crippa – TankMasterSpecial Italian and English Edition Volume 5

I Carristi di Mussolini: Il Gruppo Corazzato “Leonessa” dalla MSVN alla RSI – Paolo Crippa – Witness to war Volume 3

… Come il Diamante. I Carristi Italiani 1943-45 – Marco Nava and Sergio Corbatti – Laran Editions

Dal Fronte Jugoslavo alla Val d’Ossola, Cronache di guerriglia e guerra civile. 1941-1945 – Ajmone Finestra – Mursia

Il Battaglione SS “Debica”: Una documentazione: SS-Freiwilligen Bataillon “Debica” – Leonardo Sandri – eBook

La “repubblica” dell’Ossola – Paolo Bologna

Storia dei Reparti Corazzati della Repubblica Sociale Italiana 1943-1945 – Paolo Crippa – Marvia Edizioni

I Sbarbàa e i Tosànn che Fecero la Repubblica, Fatti, Storie, Documenti dal Primo Dopoguerra alla Liberazione a Pioltello – Giacomo Cibra – Lupetti

Ch’ŏnma Specification

Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 Specification

Specification of the SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata

Semovente M43 da 75/46 Specification

Autoblinda AB41 Specification

Semovente M42M da 75/34 Specification

Semovente M40 da 75/18 Specification

Autoblinda AB42 Comando Specification

Carro Armato M13/40 Specification

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (1978-Present) Main Battle Tank – Unknown Number Built

Korean Tank Production

Ch’ŏnma Theories

Design

Hull

Suspension

Turret

Main Armament

Secondary Armament

Upgrades

1st Upgrade

2nd Upgrade

Production and Deliveries

Export

Iran

Ethiopia

Eritrea

Modernized Versions

Ch’ŏnma-92

Ch’ŏnma-98

Ch’ŏnma-214

Ch’ŏnma-215

Ch’ŏnma-216

Variants

Ch’ŏnma ARV

Ch’ŏnma Bridgelayer

Conclusion

Ch’ŏnma Specification

Sources

Kingdom of Italy/Italian Social Republic (1942-1945) Reconnaissance Car – 66-182 Built

North African Campaign and First Camionette

The Camionetta Desertica SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’ – the Expensive Reconnaissance Car

History of the Prototype

Production and Deliveries

Organization

Design

Chassis and Bodywork

Engine and Suspension

Tires

Main Armament

Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935

Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935

Other Main Armaments

Secondary Armament

Ammunition

Operational Use

X Reggimento Arditi

Repubblica Sociale Italiana Service

German Service

Italian Republic

Camouflage

Versions

Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43

SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata

Conclusion

Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 Specification

Sources

Italian Social Republic (1944) Armored Ambulance – Paper project

Regio Esercito Projects Prior of the Armistice

Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana Projects after the Armistice

Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43

The Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43’s Predecessors

Design

Engine and Suspension

Superstructure

Interior

Armor and Protection

Crew

Conclusion

Specification of the SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata

Sources

Italian Social Republic/German Reich (1943-1945) Tank Destroyer – 11 to 18 Built

Previous Models

The M43 Chassis

History of the Project

Production and Delivery

German Modifications

Design

Armor

Hull

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (1978-Present)
Main Battle Tank – Unknown Number Built

Kingdom of Italy/Italian Social Republic (1942-1945)
Reconnaissance Car – 66-182 Built

Italian Social Republic (1944)
Armored Ambulance – Paper project

Italian Social Republic/German Reich (1943-1945)
Tank Destroyer – 11 to 18 Built

United Kingdom/United States of America (1941-1943)
Medium Armored Car – Unknown Number in Allied Service

Kingdom of Italy/Italian Social Republic (1942-1945)
Self-Propelled Gun – 146 Built (1 Prototype + 145 Production)

Kingdom of Italy (1941-1944)
Tank Destroyer – 30 Built