Category: WW2 Italian SPGs

Kingdom of Italy (1941-1944)
Tank Destroyer – 30 Built

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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).

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 M41 (English: Command Tank 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 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.

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 M41 ready for delivery.

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 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.

Service History

The 30 Semoventi M41M da 90/53, 30 Carri Armati L6 Trasporto Munizioni, and 15 Carri Armati Comando 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).

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, four Carri Armati Comando 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 one Carro Armato Comando M41.

On 27th April 1942, the three Gruppi da 90/53 were created. These were:

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.

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.

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).

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.

Between late December 1942 and early July 1943, the Gruppi da 90/53 trained for their new roles.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The 6 vehicles left in Nettuno received a small coat of arms, although its meaning is not really clear.

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Kingdom of Italy (1941-1955)
Self-Propelled Gun – 162 Built (M41), 66 Built (M42)

The Semovente da 75/18 was a family of Italians self-propelled guns based on the chassis of the Italian medium M13/40, M14/41, and M15/42 tanks armed with a 75 mm L/18 Ansaldo cannon in a casemate. It is the most widely produced self-propelled gun in the Kingdom of Italy during the Second World War, capable of fighting against almost all opposing armored vehicles. It was used in various roles by the Regio Esercito (Eng: Royal Italian Army) for infantry support and a tank destroyer. 288 vehicles were produced in total. It was also appreciated by the Wehrmacht, which captured several of them and put them back into service in its armored divisions.

Development

In 1938, the Regio Esercito realized that it had no vehicles capable of dealing with the Soviet tanks of the period, such as the BT-5 and the T-26s that were encountered during the Spanish Civil War, and a new self-propelled gun project was started. Its task was to destroy enemy tanks and infantry positions. A prototype was developed on the M6 chassis (which later became the L6/40) called the Semovente M6. The initial version was armed with a 47/32 cannon, followed by one with a 75 mm cannon. The 75 mm project was abandoned due to unclear reasons, but the 47 mm version would go on to become the Semovente L40 da 47/32.

In 1939, the Regio Esercito established its first two armored divisions, and the problem of adopting a tank destroyer into service resurfaced. It was desired to use the Cannone da 75/34 Mod. S.F., but Ansaldo’s project of mounting this 75/34 gun on the hull of a L6 tank failed.

With the outbreak of World War Two, the success enjoyed by the German assault cannons derived from the Panzer III and equipped with a 7.5 cm StuK 37 L/24 cannon, the StuG III, became evident. Ansaldo proposed a new project to the Army General Staff, designed by the Colonel of the Servizio Tecnico d’Artiglieria (STA or Technical Service Artillery), Sergio Berlese, in collaboration with Ansaldo technicians. This project involved the use of a 75/18 Mod. 1934 howitzer mounted in a casemate on the hull of the M13/40 medium tank. Later models used a M14/41 or M15/42 hull. Under Berlese’s supervision, a prototype was quickly built by Fiat and delivered for testing in February 1941. After firing tests, the army ordered a first batch of sixty 75/18 self-propelled vehicles to be delivered before the middle of 1941. However, these self-propelled only appeared in North Africa in January 1942.

Design of the Semovente da 75/18

The vehicle was very similar to the medium tank it was based on, with a riveted hull, the crew located in the combat compartment inside the riveted casemate at the front, and a separate engine compartment at the back. There would be some differences based on what medium tank it was based on, either the M13/40, M14/41, or M15/42. The semi-elliptical leaf spring suspension, bogies, and the tracks were the same.

The crew was reduced to three men, however. The driver was at the front on the left side, with the loader behind him. The commander sat on the right side and he also had to aim and shoot the gun besides give orders to the crew. The loader also acted as the radio operator.

Main Armament

The cannon was located in the front of the vehicle, slightly to the right, on a tilting ball support that allowed a notable 38° of traverse, 20° to the right and 18° to the left, and an elevation from -12°to + 22°. The 75/18 was a fairly modern piece of artillery, equipped with a muzzle brake punctured by small blast holes. The ammunition supply consisted of 41 rounds.

The gun was the Ansaldo Obice da 75/18 Mod. 1935, a howitzer developed for infantry support in early 1935 and had a low muzzle velocity (about 450 m/s). Although the original gun had a maximum range of 9,500 m, the lower elevation of the self-propelled version reduced the range to 7,000-7,500 m. It proved to be versatile and even deadly against many Allied tanks, such as the lightly-armored British Cruiser tanks, but also the heavier and better protected M3 Grants, M4 Shermans and Mk Vlll Cromwells using HEAT ammunition. With the EP (Effetto Pronto), the first type of HEAT rounds the vehicle could fire, it could penetrate those tanks at distances of about 700 m. The second type of HEAT rounds, called EPS (Effetto Pronto Speciale), could penetrate 120 mm of vertical armor tilted at any distance.

The Semovente da 75/18 also served as mobile artillery, providing indirect fire. These vehicles were very useful for infantry support thanks to their shrapnel, High Explosive (HE) and smoke rounds.

Secondary Armament

For close support and air defense, the crew carried their personal weapons which could be fired through two round pistol ports in the rear of the fighting compartment and by using the large hatch on top of the superstructure. A 6.5 x 52 mm Breda 30 machine gun could be mounted on a support bracket on the right side of the vehicle’s roof, in an anti-aircraft mount, and was generally kept inside the vehicle when not used. In the fighting compartment, a box with ammunition for the machine gun was present under the commander’s seat. The Semovente did not have any smoke extractors for the crew compartment. When engaging enemy targets, the crew needed to keep the upper hatch open in order to ventilate the noxious fumes from firing the gun, which caused many problems if the opposing forces fired artillery or conducted airstrikes on the Semovente’s position. To protect themselves from these circumstances, the crews onboard Semoventes began to wear infantry helmets.

Suspension

The suspension was of the semi-elliptical leaf spring type. On each side, there were four bogies paired on two suspension units with eight doubled road wheels in total. This model 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 tank had 26 cm wide tracks with drive sprockets at the front and idlers at the back, with three return rollers on each side.

Interior

The radio onboard the Semovente was a Magneti Marelli RF1CA placed on the left side of the hull, under its standard 1.8 m high antenna. The inverter and four Magneti Marelli 3NF-12-1-24 batteries were on the radio’s right. Further to the right was the driver’s instrument panel.

The ammunition for the cannon was transported in three racks, two on the right (14 and 15 rounds, respectively) and one with 15 rounds on the left, immediately in front of the air filter fan and behind the driver’s seat. The loader used this rack as a seat.

The back of the crew compartment had four cumbersome filters for the air, oil and two for the fuel, the fan, an engine cooling water tank, the batteries for engine ignition, and the transmission shaft. The transmission was of the Fiat 8 F2 type with four forward gears and one reverse gear.

On the left side, there was a maintenance kit and a fire extinguisher. On the roof, on the left side, there was a fully rotatable periscope and an opening for the cannon’s sight.

Differences between models

The Semovente M40 da 75/18 model, which weighed 13.1 tonnes, had the original 125 hp Fiat SPA T8 diesel engine from the M13/40 and a frontal superstructure with a maximum armor thickness of 50 mm and 25 mm on the sides. Its maximum speed on road was 33 km/h and the range was 215 km. The more powerful M41 version weighed 13.5 tonnes and had a 145 hp Fiat SPA T15 diesel engine with a road speed of 35 km/h and a range of 210 km. The superstructure’s armor consisted of two 25 mm welded armored plates with a combined thickness of 50 mm. The ammunition racks were the same as on the M40.

The front of the hull was 50 mm thick, the sides were 25 mm, while the back was 11 mm thick, with 15 mm on the roof and 9 mm on the floor. The original 6.5 mm Breda was replaced in the M41 series by a more powerful 8 x 59 mm Breda 38 with a supply of 864 rounds in two wooden racks, one with 16 magazines on the left side and one with 20 on the right side, above the radio inverter. Another feature that distinguished the M40 from the M41 were the mudguards that covered the entire length of the hull in the M41 models.

On 8th May 1943, the Semovente M42 da 75/18, derived from the M15/42 hull, was delivered to units. A new base for the Italian self-propelled guns, weighing 15 tonnes with improved protection of 35 mm of armor on the hull and sides and 20 mm on the rear. The frontal superstructure armor changed to a single 50 mm plate. It also had smoke grenade launchers transported in a box in the rear of the hull. The M42 was a little longer (5.06 m compared to the 4.92 m of the M40 and M41) because the engine compartment needed to accommodate the new more powerful engine, a Fiat SPA T15B (‘B’ stands for Benzina – Petrol) with 190 hp and its accompanying fuel tanks with a 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 39 km/h and the range was decreased to 200 km. The number of rounds carried was 44 in the usual three racks and 1,104 rounds (46 magazines) for the Breda 38 machine gun.

Production and deliveries

The production of the Semovente da 75/18 took place in the same factories that produced, in parallel, the M13/40 and the subsequent M14/41 and M15/42. The model evolved accordingly, both in terms of weight, power, speed, autonomy and protection.

Production was programmed to finish at the end of 1943, when it was planned to be replaced with more powerful models. These were at that time at the prototype phase, including the better armed Semovente M42M da 75/34 and the better armored and armed Semovente M43 da 75/46 and M43 da 105/25.
The Semovente da 75/18 was seen by the Italian High Command as a temporary vehicle before the P26/40 heavy tank could enter service and replace the M13/40 and M14/41 tanks and the self-propelled vehicles derived from their hulls. The 8th September 1943 Armistice stopped the Royal Army’s plans in their tracks.

Self-propelled guns built with the 75/18 howitzer were produced from early 1941 to late 1944. These consisted of 60 M40 da 75/18 on the M13/40 hull, 162 M41 da 75/18 on the M14/41 hull and 66 M42 da 75/18 on the M15/42 hull. These numbers could have been higher, but Allied bombings of the Fiat and Ansaldo factories and worker’s strikes hindered production.

During the first desert combat operations in Egypt in 1942, it was observed that the self-propelled guns did not have an adequate quantity of ammunition on board. Thus, out of necessity, they were always assisted by supply vehicles. AS.37 Autocarro Sahariano were used for the transport of ammunition while, for recovery and towing, the larger Lancia 3Ro was used, capable of transporting one Semovente da 75/18 in the Mod. Bianchi trailer.

The Semovente da 75/18 in action

Regio Esercito

Tactically, the Semovente da 75/18s were delivered to the Armored Divisions primarily as divisional mobile artillery. However, the divisions also used them as tank destroyers as their tanks were not capable of destroying the better armored British tanks, such as the Matilda and Valentine, and also the US tanks in service with the British Army such as the M3 Lee and M4 Sherman.

The divisional structure consisted of two artillery groups for each armored division, composed of 2 batteries of four Semovente da 75/18s each, four command tanks for each artillery group and two more Semoventi and a Command tank in reserve, a total of 18 tanks and 9 command tanks. The production run of the M40 version consisted of 60 vehicles that were divided into 6 groups from DLI to DLVI in Roman numbers (551st to 556th)

The first two batteries delivered were IV and VI, part of the DLI group on April 30, 1941. After the crew training, the two batteries went to equip the 132ª Divisione Corazzata “Ariete” (Eng: 132nd Armored Division) on May 14, 1942, also the DLII went to equip the “Ariete”. DLIV formed on May 15, 1942, and went to arm the 131ª Divisione Corazzata “Centauro” (Eng: 131st Armored Division). DLV and DLVI, also formed on 16 May, went to the 133ª Divisione Corazzata “Littorio” (Eng: 133rd Armored Division).

DLI, DLII, DLIV, and DLVI came to the forefront on January 18, 1942, and saw use during the African Campaign but were all destroyed at El Alamein. The fate of DLV is not known, although it is presumed that it was used as a reserve in order to replace the destroyed self-propelled vehicles used in the other armored divisions.

Because of the subpar quality armor produced by Ansaldo, the crews put sandbags and spare tracks to improve protection from Allied guns. Additionally, petrol cans were often fixed to the sides of these vehicles to increase the operational range. On the M42 version, some racks were mounted directly from the factory. The water tanks were marked with white-colored crosses in order to distinguish them from the petrol ones.

When large Semovente M40 formations were sighted, British tank crews preferred to request Hawker Hurricane Mk IID (with two 40 mm anti-tank guns) strikes instead of directly engaging them. 35 self-propelled guns of DLIV and DLVI fought admirably at the Second Battle of El Alamein. On this occasion, they were all loaded with about one hundred rounds each. They fought near Hills 33 and 34, but only two Semovente M40s survived.

12 M40s of the DLI and DLII fought during the night between 4th and 5th November 1942 together with the entire “Ariete” Division, 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 enemy armored brigades which were now on the attack. They claimed to have destroyed about 30 enemy tanks, including M4 Shermans, M3 Grants, and Crusaders. The last radio message of the “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 three Semovente M40s still in action on the Fuka Road on November 6th and of the last radio message claiming “Three self-propelled guns remain, we strike back”. However, most sources speak of the total destruction of the Ariete Division in the night between November 4th and 5th with no survivors. The two surviving self-propelled guns of DLVI were lost during the defense of Fort Ridotta Capuzzo on November 9th against the Australian Army.

From 6 December 1941 to May 1943, a total of 162 Semoventi were ordered on the new chassis of the M14/41 tank called Semovente M41 da 75/18. Other groups were created but only three were sent to Africa, DLVII, DLIX, and DLIII. The last two were lost due to British air attacks that sunk the ships carrying the units and were brought back to strength with additional vehicles sent in the weeks after. In October 1942, the batteries were reorganized. Three groups of 6 vehicles and a command tank divided into nine squads. Each battery now consisted of 18 Semoventi M41s and three command tanks.

At the beginning of 1943, the men and the very few armored and logistic vehicles of the surviving ‘Ariete’ and ‘Littorio’ divisions, together with the infantry of the 5° Reggimento Bersaglieri (Eng: 5th Bersaglieri Regiment) and several Semoventi of the 31° Reggimento Carri (Eng: 31st Tank Regiment) arrived in Africa from Greece, forming the ‘Centauro’ Division. Ironically, this division of the Royal Army, formed from veterans and survivors of the British onslaught, was the only one to record successes against the US Army in the rest of the African Campaign.

In January 1943, the division participated in a clash at Ousseltia, where it forced the participating Free French forces to withdraw and captured some vehicles and cannons. The ‘Centauro’ Division became part of the 5. Panzerarmee on February 23, 1943. In the Battle of Kasserine Pass, the units of the ‘Centauro’ division attacked American units armed with Sherman tanks, forcing them to retreat and captured abandoned military material. On February 23, a massive British airstrike forced the Italian-German troops to retreat and Kasserine Pass returned to American control. The ‘Centauro’ Division had very few vehicles remaining, with only thirty combat vehicles in service on March 10, 1943. These consisted of two Semoventi M41 da 75/18s, eighteen M14/40 medium tanks, and ten AB41 armored cars that went to create the Raggruppamento Corazzato ‘Piscitelli’ (Eng: Armored Grouping).

Ten days later, the Division was deployed to Gafsa and was attacked by the US Army ll Corps. The ‘Centauro’ resisted for 12 days, until March 21, when it was replaced by the 21. Panzer-Division. On 7 April 1943, the division was moved to El Guettar but, due to a lack of men and vehicles, it was merged with the 10. Panzer-Division under Italian command. The Raggruppamento Corazzato “Piscitelli” continued to fight with seventeen M14/41 tanks of the XIV battalion, ten Semoventi M41 da 75/18s of the DLVII Group and fourteen German tanks of the 21. and 15. Panzer Divisions, facing about two hundred British armored vehicles. In a clash that lasted about two hours, the Semoventi M41 da 75/18 participated in pushing back the British armored division, claiming the destruction of twenty-eight tanks with the loss of only four Italian vehicles. As of 10 April, the “Piscitelli” had only eleven M14/41 tanks, twelve Semoventi M41 da 75/18s and forty AB41s armored cars in its inventory.

The ‘Centauro’ Division was no longer mentioned in documents after April 7, 1943. On April 22, the command of the 1st German Army, part of the Afrika Heeresgruppe, decided to bring together all the surviving Italian vehicles in the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lodi’ or R.E.Co (Eng: Armored Scouting Group) which received several armored vehicles and cargo vehicles including a pair of M41 da 75/18 found in some other unit and several captured British, French and American vehicles.

Their last victorious action in North Africa was in the defense of Capo Bon, before the unit was moved to Bizerte, where five M14/41 tanks, four German Panzerkampfwagen Tiger, and six Semoventi M41 da 75/18s remained operational on 8 May 1943. The R.E.Co continued to fight, but the Allied assaults caused serious losses to the Italian-German units and, on 11 May, after having fought northwest of Boufichia, the last armored vehicle of the R.E.Co. was destroyed in battle against Allied tanks, a few days before the surrender of the Axis forces in North Africa.

The self-propelled guns present in Sicily during the Allied landing in July 1943 were employed by armored units operating on the peninsula: the 135ª Divisione Corazzata “Ariete II” (Eng: 135nd Armored Division) employed 94 M41 da 75/18s (10 in the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato and 84 in the Reggimenti Corazzati). Other self-propelled guns were employed by the Reggimento Motorizzato Corazzato (Eng: Armored Motorized Regiment) stationed in Sardinia which did not see combat during the Second World War, the XII Gruppo Anticarro (Eng: 12th Anti-Tank Group) of the Divisione di Fanteria “Sassari” (Eng: Infantry Division) and six squadrons belonging to the Reggimento “Lancieri di Vittorio Emanuele II”.

After the Armistice on September 8, the “Ariete II” was engaged in fighting against the Germans during the defense of Rome in the days after the armistice. There were also engagements in the city of Cesano, and on the Via Ostiense leading to Rome.

At Porta San Paolo, one of the entrances to the city of Rome, at the dawn of September 10, the Italian soldiers of the 21ª Divisione fanteria “Granatieri di Sardegna”, the I Squadrone (Eng: 1st Squadron) of the Reggimento ‘Genova Cavalleria’, some units of the Divisione di Fanteria ‘Sassari’, Paratroopers of the X° Reggimento Arditi Paracadutisti (Eng: 10th Paratroopers Regiment) and lots of civilians (including the future president of the Italian Republic, Sandro Pertini) fought bravely against the German Paratroopers who wanted to enter the city. During mid-morning, eleven Semoventi M41 and M42 da 75/18s of the 4° Reggimento Carri Armati (Eng: 4th Tank Regiment) of the 8ª Brigata Bersaglieri (8th Bersaglieri Brigade) commanded by the Second Lieutenant Vincenzo Fioritto came in support of the Italian troops, fighting furiously against the German vehicles of the 2. Fallschirmjäger-Division (Eng: 2nd Paratrooper Division). Fioritto was wounded in one arm by a grenade explosion, but refusing medical treatment, he urged the soldiers to continue fighting. He died shortly after. The soldiers under his command continued to fight the German soldiers until 17.00 (even though the surrender of the city was signed at 16.00) when, together with the other Italian fighters, they withdrew, joining the partisans and destroying some of their vehicles and abandoning the others which would fall into German hands.

The captured self-propelled guns of the 4° Reggimento Carri Armati went to equip the 2. Fallschirmjäger-Division together with other vehicles captured in Rome, such as some Camionette AS.42s, some AB.41 armored cars, and other vehicles. All the vehicles available in the Italian territory occupied by the Germans and the DLVIII group vehicles assigned to the 11ª Divisione di Fanteria “Brennero” (the only group not assigned in Italy or Libya armed with the self-propelled gun) which was captured in Albania were pressed into service with German Armored Divisions. In some cases, the vehicles were repainted and given German coats of arms and other markings.

Esercito e Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana

Some vehicles captured by the Germans were then given to some units of the Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano or ENR, (Eng: Republican National Army) of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana or RSI (Eng: Italian Social Republic), Mussolini’s collaborationist army which was created in October 1943, after the Armistice, and fought alongside the Germans.

The Gruppo Corazzato “San Giusto” (Eng: Armored Group “St. Justus”) received three M42 da 75/18s for the medium tank squadron, together with a Semovente M42M da 75/34 and four medium tanks of different versions. The Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani or RAP (Eng: Anti-Partisan Group) had two M42 da 75/18s and the Gruppo Corazzato “Leonessa” (Eng: Armored Group “Lioness”) had two command tanks on M42 hulls, used to coordinate the operations of 35 M13/40, M14/40 and M15/42 medium tanks.

Italian partisans

During the strike that began on April 18, 1945 (which led to the Turin insurrection on April 25), about 12,300 workers from FIAT’s Mirafiori Turin factory occupied it by erecting barricades, digging trenches, placing machine guns and blocking entrances.

The first days of protest were calm but, on the morning of April 24, news of an impending Fascist attack arrived. The workers began to repair three armored vehicles which were in the factory to be repaired. After a few hours, they managed to find the materials and start the recovery of two M15/42s and an M42 da 75/18. At 18:00 the same day, the fascists attacked the factory with three tanks and a dozen armored cars, while the repairs on the vehicles were still underway. The workers fought tenaciously, but the tanks and an armored car (unknown models, the FIAT archives describe the enemy tanks only as “heavy”) penetrated the main courtyard of the factory, but a rain of Molotov cocktails and hand grenades made the enemy forces fall back, leaving behind a burning tank and at least three armored cars.

At 21:00, the Fascists, supported by some German soldiers, attempted a new attack, but the workers had finished building their tanks. These were supplied with ammunition and fuel. However, they were not fully repaired, missing many components. They came out of the factory at full speed, opening fire against the enemies. The Fascist and German troops withdrew, and the worker’s tanks destroyed some armored cars and a tank that tried to stop them.

They were used to defend the Porta Nuova train station of Turin from German sabotage. Other information about their service is not available, but it is known that they were paraded in Turin to celebrate the liberation of the city by the Italian partisans.
The vehicles had hammer and sickles painted on them in red to avoid friendly fire and the inscription ‘CLN’ or Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale (Eng: National Liberation Committee), the committee that organized the partisan units scattered throughout central and northern Italy.

An M42 da 75/18 self-propelled gun was used by the 7ª Divisione Partigiana Autonoma “Monferrato” (Eng: 7th Autonomous Partisan Division) which arrived in Turin on April 25, 1943, from the north. This vehicle can be distinguished by the markings “W LA MONFERRATO” and “W STALIN” on the hull and the nickname of the division commander, “Ali”, who one night captured a tank of the ‘Leonessa’ Division without the RSI forces noticing it. However, this was probably a myth created by the partisans.

On April 27, 1945, the 7ª Divisione attacked and conquered the local government area of Turin with the support of the M42 da 75/18. The Semovente is shown in more than one picture in the center of Turin together with an L3/35 captured by the RAP or the “Leonessa” Division.

An interesting detail is that the division was “autonomous”, i.e. it was not linked to any political group, unlike the Garibaldi Partisan Brigades which were mostly composed of Communists and the Matteotti Partisan Brigades which were mostly composed of Socialists. This means that the members of the division most likely painted “W STALIN” on the transmission cover just to avoid friendly fire.

There are no other known details of usage of the Semovente da 75/18 in Milan, Genoa, and other cities of northern Italy which were freed from the Nazi-Fascist oppression in the days between April 24 and 30. In Milan, only an M43 da 75/46 and some Italian armored cars were employed by the partisans and by the Fascists and German, while Genoa only saw the use of a couple of L3/35s.

Germany

In the aftermath of the Italian surrender in September 1943, the Germans began Operation Achse (Axis) which envisaged disarming all Italian divisions in Italy and the occupied territories. The Operation began on September 8 and ended on September 19, 1943, and led to the capture of over 800,000 Italian soldiers and the capture of thousands of vehicles and military equipment. According to Thomas Jentz and Werner Regenberg in their book Panzer Tracts No. 19-2, the Germans had captured 123 vehicles on October 1, 1943, which they renamed Beute-Sturmgeschütz mit 7.5 KwK L/18 (850)(i) sometimes mentioning the M41 or M42 or mentioning the chassis of the average tank from which they were derived: M14/41 or M15/42, for example, Beute-Sturmgeschütz M15/42 mit 7.5 KwK L/18 (850)(i). On October 5, production was restarted and a further 55 M42 vehicles were produced until 1945. The Germans, however, modified them slightly, adding another spare wheel on the back of the vehicle and welding four large teeth to the frontal wheel to avoid the track slipping. Another modification that was not made on all vehicles was the replacement of the Breda Mod. 1938 (and its ammunition) with a German MG34 or MG42.

They were employed by 16 German divisions in Italy and the Balkans: 18 were supplied to the XI. Fliegerkorps under the command of the Luftwaffe, 25 were supplied to 15. Panzergrenadier-Division. 48 divided into groups of 6 went to arm 8 Infanterie-Divisionen: 65. Infanterie-Division, 71. Infanterie-Division, 94. Infanterie-Division, 162. ‘Turkistan’ Infanterie-Division, 305. Infanterie-Division, 334. Infanterie-Division, 356. Infanterie-Division, 362.Infanterie-Division together with other Italian self-propelled guns mostly M42M from 75/34 and L40 from 47/32.

Another six went to the 44. Reichs-Grenadier-Division “Hoch und Deutschmeister” and to the 5. Gebirgs-Division and five others to the Panzer-Ausbildungs-Abteilung Süd which was founded in Verona, Northern Italy, in October 1943.

Others were employed in unknown numbers by a Jäger-Division, 3 assault brigades, and a company of the 12. Division Panzer SS ‘Hitlerjugend’. The remaining vehicles were kept in reserve and used to replace the losses suffered by the divisions that used them.

After the war

After the war, a total of 62 Semovente survived, consisting of 50 M41 da 75/18s and 12 M42 da 75/18s that were reused by the Esercito Italiano (Eng: Italian Army) from 1946 to November 1955. They began to be withdrawn in 1953 when the newer and more powerful M47 Patton arrived from the United States. In 1955, they were completely withdrawn from service but remained in reserve until 1965 when they were scrapped. 21 of them were repaired by the Turin arsenal between 1945 and 1950. All the vehicles were repainted in NATO green and received more powerful N.19 radio equipment of Canadian production.

Problems with the Semovente da 75/18

The Semovente da 75/18 self-propelled guns suffered from a series of problems during their time in service. Firstly, the small quantity of ammunition carried, only 44 rounds, which required the close support of vulnerable supply vehicles. The range and power of the cannon were lacking compared to the Allied self-propelled guns, such as the Priest or the Sexton, or the German Wespe, limiting its effectiveness during indirect support missions. Thirdly, they did not have a coaxial machine gun, leaving them vulnerable to infantry attacks. Fourthly, the obsolete riveted hull was weaker and heavier than a welded one. Finally, the suspension did not allow for great speed.

Variants

M40, M41 and M42 Command Vehicles

The M40 command version was an M13/40 tank with the turret removed and the turret whole covered by four hatches. It was equipped with the usual Magneti Marelli RF1CA and a Magneti Marelli RF2CA radio with two inverters and eight Magneti Marelli 3NF-12-1-24 batteries. The dual 8×59 mm Breda 38 machine guns in the hull were retained, along with 1,560 rounds in five racks. A signal gun with 45 rounds was kept inside the vehicle. Each battery had eight Semovente self-propelled guns and two command tanks.

This version was succeeded by the M41 command tank on the hull of the M41/41. It was armed with a 13.2×96 mm Breda Mod. 1931 heavy naval machine gun with 37 magazines. One Breda 38 machine gun with 504 rounds was mounted in an anti-aircraft position. The radio equipment remained unchanged.

The last version, the M42 command vehicle on the M15/42 hull, was meant for aerial communication and therefore equipped with the standard RF1CA station and the RF3M radio. This had a greater signal range than the RF2CA radio device. The ammunition stowage for the main machine gun remained unchanged, but the ammunition for the Breda Mod. 1931 machine gun was reduced to 20 magazines.

Semovente M40 da 75/32 and M42 75/34

Another self-propelled gun version was the M40 da 75/32, a prototype Semovente armed with a 75/32 Mod. 1937 gun with better anti-tank performance mounted on the M40 hull. This version remained a prototype and was replaced by an improved version on the M42 hull with a 75/34 cannon Mod. S.F. which needed less work to adapt for the confined space of the SPG’s hull. The longer barrel of the 75/34, along with the more powerful ammunition, increased the anti-tank performance.

The Semovente da 75/18 on the M40, M41 and M42 hulls did show that a self-propelled gun with better armament, armor and more ammunition on board was needed. This led to the design of a new Semovente M43 hull, 10 cm lower and 20 cm wider than the M42 with the frontal armor plate 75 mm thick and with more internal space for ammunition.

Semovente M43 da 105/25

Another design, the Semovente M43 da 105/25, using the new hull, fired rounds that were more powerful than the 75 mm of the 75/18 with its 105 mm gun, but could only carry 48 shells. The German StuH 42, armed with a similar cannon, carried only 36 rounds.

Even the Semovente M43 da 75/46 transported 42 rounds, but its rounds were significantly longer than those of the 75/18 howitzer. The Semovente M43 da 75/34 produced in very few numbers carried 65 rounds. They were very similar in size to the rounds of the German 7.5 cm KwK 40 tank cannon mounted on the German Panzer IV.

Surviving vehicles

Out of the 288 vehicles produced, 18 Semoventi da 75/18 vehicles have survived to this day.

There are two M40 75/18s, one at the ‘Musée des Blindés’ in Saumur and the second, damaged, shown at the ‘El Alamein War Museum’ in El Alamein, Egypt.

11 Semoventi da 75/18 survived, 7 used as monuments in barracks in several Italian cities such as Lecce, Rome, Maniago and Vercelli. The other four are exhibited in museums, the first at the ‘U.S. Army Ordnance Training and Heritage Center’ in Fort Lee, Virginia, United States while the others are exhibited in Italy, one at the ‘Museo della OTO-Melara’ in La Spezia, ‘Museo Storico della Motorizzazione Militare’ in Cecchignola near Rome and the last M41 is exhibited at the ‘Museo di Guerra per la Pace Diego de Henriquez’ in Trieste.

Even 4 M42 75/18s survived the war, one of them became a monument at the “Babini” Barracks of Bellinzago Novarese, headquarters of the 4th Tank Regiment. One is on display at the ‘Museo dell’Aviazione’ in Rimini while the last two are on display in monuments against the war at Lonate Pozzolo and Bergamo.

Only one example of a Command Semovente survived. It is an M41 on display at the ‘Museo Storico della Motorizzazione Militare’ in Cecchignola.

Only two vehicles are still in running conditions. These are two 75/18 M41s that have been restored, one is the one at the ‘Museo Storico della Motorizzazione Militare’ and the second is the one at the ‘Museo della OTO-Melara’. The first, however, is equipped with the Canadian radio system mounted on the vehicles used after the Second World War by the Italian Army, the second, having been restored in the same factory that 60 years before had built it, was repaired and repainted in 2008.

Conclusion

The Semoventi da 75/18 were initially developed as infantry support vehicles and to support the tanks but, having proved to be able tank destroyers, they became indispensable to fight against enemy armored vehicles.

But their production failed to supply sufficient vehicles to the Italian Army. The transformation of the medium tank hulls into Semoventi could only start in 1942 with deliveries in 1943 when the African campaign was practically lost and Italy was heading towards serious internal political problems.

Nonetheless, the variants of the Semovente da 75/18 served until the end of the war with the various parties fighting in Italy and even after the war, well into the early Cold War, although their utility at the time was doubtful at best. They provided valuable infantry support and some anti-tank capabilities to the Italian Royal Army at a time when it was in dire need of competent armored vehicles.

Sources

Nicola Pignato – Semovente da 75/18.
Nicola Pignato – I mezzi blindo-corazzati italiani 1923-1943.
Nicola Pignato, Filippo Cappellano – Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, vol. II (1940-1945).
Antares – La divisione Littorio ad El Alamein.
Fiat Turin Archive
Filippo Cappellano, Nicola Pignato – Il semovente italiano da 75/18
Thomas Jentz, Werner Regenberg – Panzer Tracts No. 19-2: Beute-Panzerkampfwagen