German Reich (1943-1945)
Medium Armored Car – ~200 Operated
After the 8th September 1943’s Armistice between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allied forces, the Wehrmacht launched Fall Achse (English: Operation Axis) to disarm their Italianformer allies in Italy, France, and the Balkans. Around 200 AB41 armored cars were captured and almost immediately redeployed by Heer, Luftwaffe, SS, and Organization Todt (a civilian and military engineering organization responsible of eterogeneous engineering projects both in Nazi Germany and in occupied territories). In German service, it was known as the Panzerspähwagen AB41 201(i).
Italy in Turmoil
With the end of the North African Campaign after the fall of Tunisia in May of 1943 and the Allied landings in Sicily in July of 1943, the Fascist authorities became increasingly unpopular in the Kingdom of Italy. On 24th July 1943, the 28 members of the Gran Consiglio del Fascismo (English: Great Fascist Council) and Benito Mussolini gathered in Palazzo Venezia in Rome to discuss the war. At the end of the meeting, there was a vote to decide whether to leave Mussolini in charge of military decisions or transfer it to the generals of the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army).On 25th July 1943, the King of the Kingdom of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele III, met Mussolini in one of his houses in Rome under the pretext of discussing the continuation of the war. After the meeting, Mussolini was arrested, taken to multiple prisons, and then secretly imprisoned in a disused hotel on Mount Gran Sasso.
In the days after Mussolini’s dismissal, a new monarchical government was formed with Marshal Pietro Badoglio, an Army general who the King trusted, acting as Prime Minister. In order not to alarm the Germans, the new government announced that even without Mussolini in power, Italy would continue to fight the war alongside the rest of the Axis Powers.
However, the following month, General Castellani visited the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, neutral territory, to meet Allied Command representatives to discuss an armistice on 19th of August, 1943. Castellani returned to Rome on 27th August and three days later was summoned by Badoglio to send him to Cassibile near Syracuse in Sicily to negotiate with the Allies the following day.
Gen. Castellani returned to Rome to discuss with other generals and wait for the King’s permission to sign the Armistice. Castellani was re-sent to Cassibile on 2st September 1943 and he signed an armistice with the Allied powers on 3rd September 1943. The armistice was made public by the Allied powers at 18:30 on the 8th of September, 1943, on Radio Algeri, while the Italian troops were informed just over an hour later at 19:45 by the Ente Italiano per le Audizioni Radiofoniche or EIAR (English: Italian Body for Radio Broadcasting).
The Germans had been expecting this turn of events since May 1943. During a meeting in Berlin, Adolf Hitler himself on May 20th, 1943 expressed serious doubts about the strength of the Fascist regime. The German command took action.Large numbers of German troops were already in Italy from late May and early June of 1943 to respond to the Allied invasion of Sicily. Nevertheless, Mussolini’s arrest took Hitler and his generals by surprise. As such, they had to reorganize their plans to take control of the Italian peninsula.
On August 5th, 1943, Fall Achse (English: Operation Axis) was ready, but even earlier, on July 27th, 1943, German divisions had arrived in Rome and other parts of Italy, surprising the Italian generals who had not been kept in the dark about these movements.On September 8th, the German ambassador in Rome, Rudolf Rahn, was similarly surprised to be informed of the armistice by the German high command at 19:00. He escaped Rome without incident alongside a few other German officers and reached Frascati, north-west from Rome, where General Albert Kesselring had placed the headquarters of the German forces deployed in Italy, until that moment, only against the Allies.
The German reaction began at 19:50 on September 8th, 5 minutes after Badoglio’s proclamation to the Italian population. Rome, the Italian capital, was captured after two days of fierce fighting in which about 100 German soldiers died. Italian losses were larger, with an estimated 659 Italian soldiers and 121 civilians dead, in addition to 200 unrecognized bodies. By the 15th of September, 1943, throughout Italy, 1,006,730 Italian soldiers were disarmed and 29,000 were killed. The Germans also captured 1,285,871 rifles, 39,007 machine guns, 13,906 submachine guns, 8,736 mortars, 2,754 anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns, 5,568 artillery pieces, 16,631 motorized vehicles, and 977 armored fighting vehicles.
Of those 977 armored vehicles, around 200 vere AB41s, 87 of which were in Rome and 20 vere captured directly from the Ansaldo-Fossati plant, where they were stored ready to be delivered. The captured AB41s were renamed Beute Panzerspähwagen AB41 201(i) or Pz.Sp.Wg. 201(i) (English: Captured Armored Reconnaissance Car AB41 201 Italian).
The Wehrmacht planned to equip each Aufklärung Abteilungs (English: Reconnaissance battalions) of their divisions deployed in Operationszone Adriatisches Küstenland (OZAK) in northern Adriatic coast and Operationszone Alpenvorland (OZAV) in in the sub-Alpine area in Northern Italy with a reconnaissance platoon with 7 armored cars.
Design
The Medium Armored Car AutoBlindo Modello 1941 (English: Armored Car Model 1941), or more simply AB41, was the most produced Italian model of armored car during the war with 667 built. It was arguably one of the best armored cars produced during the Second World War.
The AB41 was armed with a 20 mm Cannone-Mitragliera Breda 20/65 Modello 1935 automatic cannon produced by Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche (English: Italian Ernesto Breda Company for Mechanical Constructions). Secondary armaments consisted of two 8 mm Breda Modello 1938 medium machine guns, one mounted coaxially and the other in a spherical support on the rear of the vehicle.
It was developed as a long range reconnaissance vehicle and had an operational range of 400 km thanks to the 195 liters of petrol tanks and had a maximum velocity on roads of 80 km/h. The AB41 had a double driving position, one at the front and one at the rear, allowing the armored car to be driven by two different drivers that could exchange control by lowering a lever. This permitted this fast armored car to quickly disengage from an enemy skirmish in narrow mountain and village roads. It was also equipped with 4-wheel drive and four-wheel steering systems, giving the vehicle excellent off-road performance.
The crew was composed of a commander/gunner, front driver, rear driver, and machine gunner/radio operator. The AB41 was also equipped with a powerful 60-km range radio and a 7-meter long antenna on the left side of the vehicle.
German Operational Use
Initial German Deployment
The first German unit that received AB41s was the Panzer-Ausbildungs-Abteilung Süd (English: Southern Tank Training Unit), a training unit deployed in Montorio Veronese from October of 1943 with the task of training new German crewmembers on how to operate Italian vehicles.
In 1944, the 2. Panzer-Spähwagen-Kompanie (English: 2nd Armored Car Company) was equipped with 6 AB41s and 5 Lancia Linces. That May, it was redeployed to Lonigo, near Vicenza, and received some new vehicles for training. In February of 1945, the 11 armored cars were still in service at the unit. In April, during the general insurrection of the Italian Partisans, the Panzer-Ausbildungs-Abteilung Süd tried to reach Austria, but was harried by Partisans and most of the unit did not make it to the border.
The 44. Infanterie-Division (English: 44th Infantry Division), deployed in Trentino Alto Adige region, captured 13 AB41 armored cars and one FIAT 665NM Scudato armored personnel carrier in September of 1943.
The 71. Infanterie-Division (English: 71st Infantry Division), deployed in the cities of Gorizia, Rijeka, Treviso and Trieste, captured one AB41. It probably originated from the Colonna Celere Confinaria ‘M’ (English: Fast Motorized Border Column), which had been delivered to the Rijeka prefecture in May of 1942 and later delivered by the Rijeka prefecture to the Colonna Celere.
The 65. Infanterie-Division (English: 65th Infantry Division), in Central Italy, had 10 AB41s in its ranks in October 1943.
On November 13th, 1943, production of the AB41, under the control of the Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen (English: General Inspector of the Armed Forces), was resumed for the Wehrmacht after a positive evaluation by the German troops. By December 1944, only 23 AB41s had been built. In late 1943, the German Army estimated to have a total of 134 AB41s captured from the Italian soldiers.
In November 1944 the AB41s in German service were reorganized.
Infanterie-Divisions
The recreated 94. Infanterie-Division (English: 94th Infantry Division) received 6 AB41s which were probably all destroyed during the Battle of Monte Cassino. After the battle, the remnants of the 95. Infanterie-Division (English: 95th Infantry Division) and the 278. Grenadier-Division (English: 278th Mechanized Infantry Division) were added to the 94. Infanterie-Division.
The 232. Infanterie-Division (English: 232th Infantry Division) received two AB armored cars in April 1945. The vehicles were probably used by the unit in its defense of Milan. The division surrendered to US troops on the road between Milan and Brescia near the end of the war in Europe.
The 278. Infanterie-Division received nine AB41s in June 1944, when the new unit finished its training. It fought in Forlì, Rimini, and Ancona.
Five AB41s were assigned to the 305. Infanterie-Division (English: 305th Infantry Division) that, after the Armistice, took part in the defense of the Gustav Line together with the 114. Jäger-Division. The 305. Infanterie-Division withdrew with very few losses after the Allied breakthrough since they had not been involved in the battle.. It is possible that it still had some ABs in service during the defense of the Gothic Line.
The 334. Infanterie-Division (English: 334th Infantry Division) had 9 AB41s throughout its existence that started at the Battle of Monte Cassino. The unit then operated as an anti-partisan unit near Florence until the battle for the city where the unit surrendered to the partisans and Allied forces and all the vehicles were probably destroyed.
The 356. Infanterie-Division (English: 356th Infantry Division) had 5 AB41s and AB43s that were used during the Battle of Anzio and then in Florence against the South African troops. In January 1945, it was assigned to the Eastern Front but, by that point, the division had probably lost all of its armored cars.
The 362. Infanterie-Division (English: 362th Infantry Division) received two AB41 armored cars during its deployment in the Battle of Anzio. After the retreat from the Anzio Battlefront in May 1944, it received 6 more armored cars of the ‘AB’ series. These were first used in Piemonte and then on the Gothic Line.
The 162. Turkistan Infanterie-Division, composed of Turkmen and Azeri volunteers, had a total of 6 AB armored cars delivered in January 1945 assigned to the 3. Kompanie of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 236. These were used in the La Spezia and Gorizia region in anti-partisan operations and during the defense of Bologna and of Padova.
Jäger-Divisions
The 100. Jäger-Division (English: 100th Light Infantry Division) received an unknown number of armored cars assigned to the Panzerjäger Abteilung 100 (English: 100th Tank Hunter Unit) that were used in Albania and Croatia in anti-partisans operations.
The 114. Jäger-Division (English: 114th Light Infantry Division) received seven AB41s assigned to the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 114 (English: 114th Reconnaissance Unit) after the Armistice. These were used in Dalmatia in anti-partisans operations. In January 1944, it was moved to Italy and deployed on the Anzio Front but also served as an anti-partisan unit on the German rear lines. The unit’s use of armored cars is unknown. The unit was destroyed in April 1945, after it had committed multiple war crimes in Italy.
Fallschirmjäger-Divisions
The 2. Fallschirmjäger-Division had some AB41s captured in Rome and used on the Eastern Front, together with six Camionette SPA-Viberti AS42‘Metropolitane’. In October 1943, the division was deployed to the Eastern Front and subordinated to the 42nd Army Corps, west of Kiev. On 15th December, the division was flown south to Kirovograd to contain a Soviet breakout. Is not known how many Italian captured vehicles were sent to the Soviet Union.
4. Fallschirmjäger-Division
The 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division had some AB41s and AB43s and Lancia Linces. The division was formed in Venice on 5th November 1943. It included the 1. Bataillon of the Fallschirm-Jäger-Regiment 2, the 2. Bataillon of the Fallschirm-Jäger-Regiment 6, and the 1. Bataillon of the Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1 taken from the 2. Fallschirmjäger-Division. The Italian Raggruppamento Paracadutisti ‘Nembo’ and the Reggimento Arditi Paracadutisti ‘Folgore’ also joined the division. In December 1943 the 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division was still being formed under Army Group C.It is possible that the unit received its armored cars directly from the 2. Fallschirmjäger-Division, which captured large quantities of them in Rome, before its deployment to the Eastern Front. It could also have received its armored cars from another source, since it was also equipped with AB43s and Lancia Lince scout cars, which were not present in Rome in the first days of September 1943. The armored car crews were composed of Italian paratroopers trained to drive these types of armored cars.
The 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division fought in the Battle of Anzio and was assigned to the western sector near Albano and the Moletta river. During the retreat to Rome, the division slowed down the US 1st Armored Division outside of the city to allow the German 10. Armee and 14. Armee to escape in time. The 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division then retreated toward Viterbo, about 70 km north of Rome, and then to Siena without fighting the Allied forces.
Arriving in Florence, it took part in the defense of the ancient Italian city. The Partisans in the Florence zone started the attack on the city on the 11th August of 1944 trying to avoid the destruction of the bridges and other important places. The armored cars with Italian crews of the 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division tried to slow down the Italian Partisans, but on August 13th, the US Army crossed the Arno River and the German abandoned the city center. The Partisans had succeeded, the Germans did not destroy the city.
The 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division retreated to the Passo della Futa (English: Futa Pass) that connected Florence to Bologna and part of the Gothic Line. The units fought fiercely in the region, but the British and American troops captured the German position on Mount Altuzzo on September 7th, 1944, permitting the Allies to bypass the Germans at the Futa Pass. The German forces retreated from the pass following a short skirmish on 22th September 1943.
The 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division was then maintained along the Gothic Line to support its defense. The last surviving armored cars of the unit probably fought in Rimini and then in Bologna against the British troops of the 8th Army.
Armored Units
The Aufklärungs-Abteilung (mot.) 400 had at least 2 late production AB41s used by the 1. Panzerspähwagen Kompanie of the unit. Not much is known of these armored cars. The few photos of them were taken during an anti-partisan operation in Santuario del Colle near Lenola, in the Latina area in Lazio region. They seem to originally be from the ‘Lancieri di Montebello’, from which they were captured and reused by the Germans.
The Panzergrenadier-Division Brandenburg had 6 AB41s operated by Italian crews but their service is unknown.
Panzer Abteilung Zügen-Beutepanzer Vorschlag 12
The Panzer Abteilung Zügen-Beutepanzer Vorschlag 12 or Pz.Abt.z.b.V.12 (English: 12th Department of Tanks and Trains captured for Special Use) was created in 1st October 1943 in Serbia and was only equipped with captured French pre-WWII era tanks. A total of 13 Renault R35s, 20 Hotchkiss H38s, and 8 Char B1s were ready for use, with more undergoing repairs.
In January 1944, the unit was reorganized. All the Char B1s were given to another German unit, and it received captured Italian vehicles to replace the lost B1s. A total of 1 L6/40 light reconnaissance tank, 12 Semoventi L40 da 47/32s, 4 M13/40 medium tanks, and 3 AB41s were ready to be used by the unit. A month later, in February 1944, the unit had 1 L6/40, 16 L40 da 47/32s, 2 M13/40s, and 3 medium armored cars operational. In March, the unit was equipped with 42 M15/42 medium tanks, of which only 3 were operational, alongside 15 Renault R35s, 23 Hotchkiss H38s, 1 L6/40, 10 L40 da 47/32s, and 3 AB41s. A month later, on April 1st, 1944, the unit had 12 Renault R35s, 24 Hotchkiss H38s, 11 L40s, 1 M15/42, and 6 Autoblinde AB41.
In the Fall of 1944, the Pz.Abt.z.b.V.12 operated mainly in eastern Serbia, on the border with Bulgaria, where the 1. Gebirgsjäger-Division (English: 1st Mountain Light Infantry Division) held the Nis crossroads. The 7. SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Division ‘Prinz Eugen’ (English: 7th Mountain SS Volunteer Division) replaced the 1.Gebirgsjäger Division keeping the Abteilung in the front line. On October 1st, 1944, the combat-ready equipment of the unit consisted of 6 Renault R35s, 18 Hotchkiss H38s, 4 L40 47/32s, 33 M15/42s, and 3 AB41s.
Between 14th and 20th October 1944, the battle for Belgrade raged on and on the first morning of fighting part of the unit tried to forced to retreat the enemy troops that encircled the city and tried to enter from the suburbs, but parts of the Abteilung were surrounded and cut off from the rest unit.
Polizei Units
The 13. (verst.) Polizei-Panzer-Kompanie had an unknown number of armored cars in service, while the 14. (verst.) Polizei Kompanie had a total of 3 armored cars AB41s in the ranks of its 2nd Platoon.
The 13. Polizei Panzer Kompanie also received some AB41s. It was initially deployed in southern France and later transferred to Croatia.
Polizei Regiment ‘Bozen’
The 1. Battalion of the Polizei Regiment ‘Bozen’ had 1 AB41, 1 Lancia 1ZM, an L3/33, and an L3/35 in its ranks. It was created in Bozen on 1st October 1943 as Police Regiment ‘South Tyrol’, though shortly after renamed ‘Bozen’ on 29th October and used as an anti-partisan unit in the north-east Italian sector.
It was used in Abazzia, Pola, and Rijeka to defend the Istrian peninsula. It was then used from June, 1944 to early 1945 to patrol Trieste-Abbazia road, Santa Lucia-Isonzo road,the city of Rijeka and the Pola province. The armored car was also used in the summer of 1944 on the Croatian islands off the Istrian peninsula to deter the Yugoslavian partisans from attacking the isolated Axis garrisons in the islands. In February of 1945, the I. Battalion/Polizei Regiment ‘Bozen’ was deployed in Aidussina, east of Gorizia, while in March it was in Tolmino in the upper Isonzo valley where it remained until the end of the war.
The AB41 armored car of the Polizei Regiment ‘Bozen’ maintained its old Regio Esercito plate, ‘Regio Esercito 310B’, uncharacteristically painted on the side of the superstructure. The armored car had Pirelli Tipo ‘Artiglio’ tires and Tipo ‘Libia’ tires on the spare tires. For an unknown reason, at some point between spring and summer 1944, the Germans removed the radio antenna, and presumably also the radio station, from the armored car and repainted it.
The 4. SS-Polizei-Panzergrenadier-Division had two armored cars that were used in Belgrade. In January, 1945, the unit moved to Slovakia and then to Gdansk (Poland), but the armored cars were probably already destroyed by then.
Waffen-SS
The only two Waffen-SS units that were known to use the AB41 medium armored cars in active service were the SS-Polizei-Regiment 15 and the SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs Bataillon 4 of the 4 SS Polizei Panzergrenadier Division that received an unknown number of armored cars.
In late 1943, the SS-Polizei-Regiment 15 was transferred to Italy with its headquarters stationed in Vercelli, I Bataillon in Turin, II Bataillon in Milan, and III Bataillon in Trieste. It was later reinforced by an anti-tank company, a rocket-launcher battery, and some Italian-produced vehicles captured after the Armistice.
The 24. Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Karstjäger had some AB41s and AB43s that were assigned to the unit only in July 1944, though nothing is known about their service, together with 14 P26/40 heavy tanks. These were used in the far eastern Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia in anti-partisan operations between Gorizia and Trieste.
Other Units
The 5. Gebirgs-Division (English: 5th Mountain Division) was equipped with 9 AB41s and another 9 Italian armored cars and were employed during the defense of the Gustav Line and the Battle of Monte Cassino.
The MG Battalion Kesselring 2 had 4 AB41s, 16 AB43s, and an unknown other model, but their service is not documented.
Some German-backed Croatian units received some AB41s, such as the Croatian Panzer Nachrichten Regiment 2 which fought in Hungary.
The presence of an AB41 abandoned in a street in the suburbs of Berlin after the Battle of Berlin has generated some interest. It is unknown how the armored car arrived in Berlin, but from the photograph, it seems that it took part in the fighting, was damaged, and was quickly abandoned by the crew in the battle against the Soviet soldiers. It was probably used by the 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division ‘Nordland’ in the last desperate attempt to block the way to the center of Berlin for the Red Army soldiers. The photo was taken between 25th April and 2nd May 1945. The SS Panzer Kompanie 105 of the 5. SS-GebirgsKorps that fought in the last desperate defences of the Third Reich was equipped with a total of 10 Carri Armati M13/40. In 1st May 1945 the last three were knocked out by the Soviet forces. The unit was probably also equipped with AB41s.
Luftwaffen-Sicherungs-Regiment ‘Italien’
The Luftwaffen-Sicherungs-Regiment ‘Italien’ (English: Air Force Security Regiment) was created in June 1944 with the remnants of some other Luftwaffe ground units and Italian soldiers of the Guardia alla Frontiera or GaF (English: Border Guard). It was commanded by Oberstleutnent Fritz-Herbert Dietrich and used as an anti-partisan unit in Piemonte supporting major anti-partisan actions alongside other German and Italian units, such as the Bandenbekämpfung Woche. It was also used in other operations, such as Operazione Nachtigall (English: Operation Nightingale) in Piemonte, where an AB41 was used. It may have been an AB41 from the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ (English: Armored Group).
After the operations in Piemonte, it was sent to Veneto, on the eastern Italian border, where it fought the Yugoslavian Partisans in the Istrian peninsula until fall 1944, when it was sent to Bologna. In Bologna, the unit fought alongside the 1. Fallschirmjäger-Division and probably helped to defend Rimini from the 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade and a battalion and a squadron of the 2nd New Zealand Division.
Organisation Todt
An unknown number of vehicles were also used by the Organization Todt (OT), an organization named after its founder, Fritz Todt, that cooperated with the Wehrmacht in the construction of roads, bridges, airports, port, and defense facilities in Germany and all German-occupied territories during the war.
To keep the work sites safe from partisan ambushes, attacks, or sabotage, armed units of the Organization Todt patrolled the surrounding area. Several AB41 armored cars were assigned to the patrol units.
Camouflage, Markings, and Modifications
In some cases, the AB41 armored cars in German service received interesting modifications. Some German AB41s received some minor modifications, such as the addition of spaced armored plates on the front to improve protection, armored plates on the fenders to better protect the tires from small arms fire, and some headlights. These conversions were made by the units on the front line and it is impossible to catalog them precisely.
The ones of the 14 vers. Polizei Kompanie were upgraded with additional frontal armor to better protect the vehicles against the small-arm fire. The AB41s also received a right-handed handcrafted headlight mounted on the turret side. At least two of the three vehicles of the unit were modified in this manner. The vehicles had striped two-tones camouflages, the original Italian Kaki Sahariano Chiaro (English: Light Saharan Khaki) as base and dark green or reddish brown stripes.
An unknown unit equipped its Italian monochrome camouflage AB41 with armored fenders to better protect the frontal tires from small-arms fire. The vehicle received the usual Balkenkreuzs on hull front and sides. It also had the number “3”, which’s meaning is unclear, painted in a white round of the front.
Many units maintained the Italian Kaki Sahariano Chiaro monochrome camouflage or the three-tones Continentale (English: Continental), with a Kaki Sahariano Chiaro base with reddish brown and dark green spots.
Some vehicles were also painted in the same colors but with stripes instead of spots.
Conclusion
The German Beute Panzerspähwagen AB41 201(i) performed, as in the other theaters of war, with great results even if with some flaws due to the evolution of the war that led many Allied vehicles to be replaced with better armed and armored vehicles. The AB41 proved to be still hostile adversaries against enemies with a limited anti-tank capability, such as partisan bands and in the reconnaissance role that was rarely performed by the German units.
The German units equipped with captured Italian vehicles after the Armistice often complained about the quality and mechanical reliability of Italian vehicles, which, due to lack of spare parts and lack of experienced German mechanics with adequate knowledge in Italian tanks and self-propelled guns reparation, were often forced to abandon them after light or easily repairable breakdowns. This apparently did not happen in units equipped with AB-series armored cars; in fact, it does not appear that neither SS, Luftwaffe, Wehrmacht and Polizei units ever complained about Italian armored cars.
AB41 specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)
5.20 x 1.92 x 2.48 m
Total Weight, Battle Ready
7.52 tonnes
Crew
4 (front driver, rear driver, machine gunner/loader, and vehicle commander/gunner)
Propulsion
FIAT-SPA 6-cylinder petrol, 88 hp with 195 liters tank
Speed
Road Speed: 80 km/h
Off-Road Speed: 50 km/h
Range
400 km
Armament
Cannone-Mitragliera Breda 20/65 Modello 1935 (456 rounds) and Two Breda Modello 1938 8 x 59 mm medium machine guns (1992 rounds)
Armor
8.5 mm Hull
Turret
Front: 40 mm
Sides: 30 mm
Rear: 15 mm
Total Production
667 in total, ~ 200 in German service
Sources
beutepanzer.ru
Italian Armored & Reconnaissance Cars 1911-45 – Filippo Castellano and Pier Paolo Battistelli
Le autoblinde AB 40, 41 e 43 di Nicola Pignato e Fabio d’Inzéo
… Come il Diamante, I Carristi Italiani 1943-’45 – Marco Nava and Sergio Corbatti
I Mezzi Corazzati Italiani della Guerra Civile 1943-1945 – Paolo Crippa
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (2010-Present)
Amphibious Wheeled Infantry Fighting Vehicle – Unknown Number Built
The M-2010 is a Wheeled Amphibious Infantry Fighting Vehicle produced since the late 2000s and presented in public for the first time in 2010. Therefore, it received the M-2010 designation from the US Department of Defense (DoD).
It is in service only with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and it is based on the more famous BTR-80A Soviet APC, with which it shares many external features.
New Generation of APCs for the Kim Dinasty’s Army
The Army of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Korean People’s Army – Ground Force (KPA-GF), began to realize the need for Armored Personnel Carriers only in the 1960s, when its production of self-propelled guns and tanks began to become more and more independent from the People’s Republic of China and the Soviet Union. Up to that point, the KPA had relied on a small batch of BTR-40s and perhaps BTR-50s and BTR-152s, of which delivery reports exist, but they have never been seen in active service.
In the early 1960s, a batch of about one hundred BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers arrived in the small Communist nation. According to DPRK official sources, its licensed production began in 1969 under the designation ’69’. There are doubts about the veracity of this licensed production given the very limited numbers of BTR-60PBs and 69s seen in service with the KPA.
At the beginning of the 1970s, the delivery of the YW531A Tracked Amphibious APC, commonly known as Type 63, by the People’s Republic of China started. One of DPRK’s most famous indigenous vehicles originated from the Type 63, such as the well known Tracked 323 Amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier, which was produced, according to DPRK sources, from 1973 at the Sinhung Armor Plant.
After the 323, with which the KPA seems to be very satisfied since it is still the most common APC in the North Korean armed forces, some sources claim that, at the beginning of the 1970s, an order was placed for a hundred Soviet built BMP-1s, of which there is little information.
A new personnel carrier in the ranks of the Korean People’s Army would only appear in 1992, during the parade for the 60th Anniversary of the KPA, when a Wheeled Amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier was presented, which the US Department of Defence (DoD) named M-1992.
It is common practice for Korea to keep the technical data of its vehicles secret in order to throw off Western nations. In some cases, like this one, it has not even made the official name public. The US Department of Defense assigns North Korean technology a “Western name”, often relating to the year in which it was first spotted.
This new vehicle was clearly inspired by the Soviet BRDM-1 Light Armored Car but, for an unknown reason, it did not have a large production run and was not extensively used in the KPA, appearing in only a few parades.
In the 1990s, the 323, which was arguably superior to the US M113 armored personnel carrier and the South Korean KM-900 when it entered service, was overtaken by more modern Western armored personnel carriers. It became clear that an APC with more modern amphibious capabilities had to be found.
In 2001, the DPRK signed an agreement with the Russian Federation for cooperation in the military industry. In the following years, they received a small batch of BTR-80As, with some sources claiming as few as 32 units.
It is clear that the number of supplied vehicles was small and was not sufficient to equip all the Korean People’s Army infantry mechanized divisions with more modern vehicles. The DPRK bought these vehicles to have access to their technology, which they wanted to study and adapt to their needs in order to develop a new vehicle.
During the parade celebrating the 65th Anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) in 2010, a Wheeled Amphibious Infantry Fighting Vehicle type first appeared. At first glance, it may have looked like a normal BTR-80 but, after a quick analysis, big differences easily become apparent.
In accordance with the US DoD’s classification, it is known as the Model 2010 8×8 APC or M-2010.
Design
The M-2010 is a derivative of the BTR-80A with major modifications made to suit the needs of the Korean People’s Army – Ground Force. The BTR-80 is a light and fast amphibious wheeled 8×8 armored personnel carrier produced by the Soviet Union since 1984, based on the earlier BTR-60 and BTR-70.
In total, over 5,000 BTR-80s have been produced and delivered to over 40 nations worldwide. The BTR-80A is one of the many upgraded versions of the BTR-80. It appeared in 1994 and is equipped with a remote controlled turret armed with a 30 mm 2A72 cannon with 300 rounds and a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun.
The early models of the M-2010 incorporated an amalgamation of parts similar or identical to those of the BTR-60PB, BTR-80A, 323 APC, and PT-76B light amphibious tank.
Turret
The turret of the M-2010 is completely different from that of the BTR-80A. It is manually controlled, with a larger diameter and height. It is very similar to the 323 APC turret, but it is equipped with a secondary coaxial armament and it is not perfectly circular. On the back, it is equipped with a box and a fan, which most probably house the CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) system and the fume extractor.
On the left of the roof of the turret, there is a hatch that can be opened towards the front. It is on top of a part that protrudes from the conical shape of the turret. On the turret roof, there are also a night visor in front of the hatch, a hyposcope, and a night vision device placed between the two heavy machine guns.
On all examples seen from 2013 to present, there also is a bracket welded onto the rear box for a MANPADS (MAN-Portable Air-Defense System) missile launcher that can be used only from the outside.
Hull and Armor
The hull is completely welded and its shape is almost identical to that of the BTR-80, from which it derives with rear engine compartment, central troop transport compartment, and front driving compartment. The differences that can be noted after a quick analysis are:
Lack of pistol port for the vehicle’s commander
Modification of the engine compartment
Modification of the exhaust system
Modification of the engine cooling grids
Different side access doors
Different hatches for the commander and driver
At the front, the trim vane, which is open during amphibious operations, is less visible than the one mounted on the BTR-80. On the sides of the hull, on the right, the long rear storage box and the inspection hatch of the CBRN system were removed, while the side doors are much larger. Another new feature of the doors is that these are in one piece and fixed to the upper side of the armored structure. These doors are open towards the front, giving greater protection to the crew during the exit or entering phases under enemy fire.
The steps used to enter the vehicle, between the front and rear wheel pairs, are different, with two steps instead of one, as on Soviet vehicles.
The radio antenna is mounted on the right side, next to the commander’s position, instead of behind the turret, as on Soviet BTRs. The antenna is fixed on a support that can rotate about 80° backwards to allow the opening of the commander’s hatch and also not to hinder the turret rotation.
Another detail that immediately stands out is the new arrangement of the sapper tools, the front lights, and IR intensifiers.
The roof has many differences from the Soviet BTRs. Immediately behind the turret is a large rectangular box, probably containing spare missiles for the MANPADS launcher. On its right is a small mushroom-shaped cover, probably a smoke extractor for the smoke generated by the infantry small arms fire in the troop transport compartment.
Behind this box, there is a watertight hatch to allow the soldiers in the compartment to shoot from outside the vehicle. Behind this hatch, there is a radiator cooling grill with a watertight cover which must be closed during amphibious operations.
Finally, there is an armored plate hinged on the rear that can be opened to maintain or remove the engine. This plate has, on the left side, a grille for engine cooling.
On the first production models, which appeared for the first time in 2010, the M-2010s were equipped with 3 pistol ports per side, two on the front of the crew compartment and one on the side access door. They were the same model as the pistol ports mounted on the BTR-60PB, with an armored cover that can be rotated upwards from the inside.
On the intermediate production models, these six pistol ports were replaced by more complex ones, rounded and no longer drop-shaped, similar in shape to those mounted on the BTR-80. These are more practical and placed in angled recesses towards the frontal arch and equipped with a watertight closing system, safer than the previous one when the vehicle is involved in amphibious operations.
The central passenger compartment can probably hold seven or eight fully equipped soldiers, as on the BTR-80. Six passengers can fire their personal weapons through the side slits, while the rest (one or two soldiers) can fire by exposing themselves through the hatch mounted behind the turret. The M-2010’s internal arrangement is unknown, as there are no pictures of the interior of these vehicles. It can be assumed its arrangement is similar to Soviet vehicles, from which it is derived.
As far as protection is concerned, the hull and turret are made of laminated steel plates welded together and the resistance is roughly comparable to that of the original BTR-80A, with protection from 12.7 mm bullets fired at 100 meters on the front arc, while on the flanks, the armor resists to 7.62 mm bullets fired at 100 meter range.
Engine
The modification of the engine compartment and the adoption of the rear water jet, identical to that of the PT-76B, has led military analysts to suppose that the engine mounted on the M-2010 is a licensed variant of the V-6B 6-cylinder 4-stroke in-line water-cooled diesel engine, developing a maximum of 240 hp at 1,800 rpm, also mounted on the Soviet amphibious light tank. This engine was a shortened version of the V-2 12-cylinder diesel engine mounted on the T-34-85 medium tanks, KV, and IS heavy tanks series.
The water jet is mounted at the bottom of the rear plate. Water is aspirated through holes on the rear sides of the fenders of the fourth wheel axle, which is covered by grilles. It offers better mobility during amphibious operations.
The maximum speed is estimated to be around 80 km/h, with an estimated range of about 600 km, as on the BTR. The maximum speed in water is probably about 8 to 10 km/h. Of the four wheel axles, the first two are fully steered, while the last two axles are more limited in their movement range, but this decreases the turning radius of the vehicle.
The KamAZ 7403 delivers a maximum power of 260 hp at 2,400 rpm, thus increasing the maximum speed, decreasing fuel consumption, increasing the vehicle’s range and increasing the amphibious performance of the vehicle.
Main Armament
The main armament of the M-2010 is represented by a pair of heavy machine guns produced in DPRK based on the Soviet KPVT machine guns. The large caliber machine guns, 14.5 x 114 mm, guarantee firepower, with a rate of 600 rounds per minute each and a maximum practical range of 2,000-3,000 m.
The maximum elevation also ensures the vehicle can engage targets on hillsides, very useful in the Korean hilly environment, but also targets on the upper floors of buildings or enemy helicopters at low speed, allowing the vehicle to support infantry against most types of targets, terrestrial, or aerial. The penetration of the Soviet Armor Piercing projectiles (from which the Korean Armor Piercing rounds certainly derive) is 30 mm angled at 90° at a distance of 500 m.
Even if the North Korean projectiles are probably not at the same level as the Russian ones, they should be able to deal with any enemy armored target, apart from Main Battle Tanks or heavy IFVs. The amount of ammunition transported by the vehicle is unknown.
Secondary Armament
The secondary armament consists of a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. This is a tank version of the Type 82, a licensed variant of the PKMT, itself derived from the PKM general-purpose machine gun. Very little is known about this 7.62 x 54 R mm caliber machine gun. It was developed in 1982 from the Soviet PKM and the tank version probably has a firing rate decreased to 500 rounds per minute instead to 700 rpm of the standard Type 82 and PKM. It has a heavier barrel to avoid overheating and is mounted on the right side of the PKVTs.
Mounted on a pedestal support on the turret rear is a MANPADS, probably the indigenous HT-16PGJ, derived from the Soviet 9K310 Igla-1E (NATO code name SA-16 ‘Gimlet’). If the characteristics are identical to those of the Soviet model, the Korean HG-16 IR-guided missile fired from that MANPADS is capable of hitting aerial targets up to a maximum range of 5 km, a maximum altitude of 2.5 km at a maximum speed of 1.9 Mach (2,350 km/h).
The MANPADS does not appear to be connected to the Fire-Control System (FCS) of the vehicle. To use the HT-16PGJ, the gunner is forced to exit through the hatch on the turret roof, exposing part of their body to enemy fire, although the hatch offers some protection. Obviously, this task can also be carried out by a common infantry soldier operating with the vehicle.
The M-2010 is also equipped with 3 loopholes on each side of the troop transport compartment, two in the front and one on the central access door. These allow the transported troops to increase the volume of defensive fire of the vehicle. The second slit type provides an arc of fire of approximately +20° to the right and -20° to the left and allows the soldiers to use all the types of weapons at their disposal, such as Type 68 and Type 88 assault rifles or Type 73 and Type 62 General-Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs).
Another difference compared to the APC 323 is the presence of three smoke launchers per side. These are mounted on supports welded to the sides of the turret and used to mask the vehicle from the enemy.
Service History
As the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is a very isolated nation, not even one M-2010 8×8 has been exported, even if it seems to have been proposed to the foreign market. Even the number produced remains unknown.
If the numbers painted on the hulls or turrets are progressive, assuming that the first M-2010 produced was ‘Number 1’, it is possible to say that more than 800 units have been produced between the M-2010 8×8 and 6×6 versions. APCs have been seen with painted numbers exceeding this figure, but there is no concrete evidence supporting or disproving this possibility.
The only use of such a vehicle, outside of military exercises, of which there are not many pictures, or parades was the funeral of Marshal of the Korean People’s Army Ri Ul-sol, born in 1921, who died at age 94 on November 7th, 2015.
Ul-sol was Kim Il-sung’s comrade in arms from his militancy in the anti-Japanese armies in the 1930s, in the Red Army during Second World War and served in several roles in the KPA including commander of Kim Il-sung’s family bodyguards. He was also the godfather to the young Kim Jong-il.
On 8th November, 2015, Kim Jong-un visited the General’s body at the Central Hall of Workers in P’yŏngyang, paying his respects. On November 9th the funeral took place, which is when the M-2010 was used.
The unarmed M-2010 II 8×8 Number 800 was equipped with a red velvet-covered platform behind the turret, on which Marshal Ri Ul-sol’s coffin was placed. The vehicle then paraded through the streets of the city, packed with citizens who had gathered to pay their last respects to a friend of Kim Il-sung and godfather of Kim Jong-il.
Camouflage
The M-2010s have been seen in a variety of camouflage schemes over the more than a decade of service with the KPA. In 2010, they appeared in the standard livery on Korean People’s Army – Ground Force vehicles, green khaki. An ID number is written in white on the turret, just like on the BTR-80As that had appeared in parades up to that point.
As on many other KPA vehicles, the following inscription is painted on the frontal nose: “조선인민의철천지원쑤인 미제침략자들을 소멸하라!” which translates to “Annihilate the US imperialist aggressors, who are the fiercest enemies of the Korean people!”.
In 2013, the vehicles had a new three tone camouflage, rarely seen on Korean vehicles. They had a light green base with slight dark green shades within the light green and patches of light silver gray. The wheels and tires also received some paint, something uncommon on vehicles, especially military, which tend to get dirty very quickly.
This three tone camouflage seems to have become the standard camouflage of this vehicle to date, although versions on the 6×6 chassis of that vehicle with dark green and brownish green camouflage in 2018 and sand yellow and light brown in 2020 were spotted.
Versions
M-2010 II
The so-called M-2010 II is a version with some upgrades that has been seen in some later parades. This vehicle, with an unknown official designation, is nicknamed M-2010 II 8×8. This vehicle has a modified engine bay and exhaust system and it can be assumed that it also has improvements in the firing systems and interior layout, but this is just speculation.
It seems that the more modern M-2010 II 8×8 has reached a level very similar, if not identical, to that of the BTR-80A in terms of quality of raw materials for production, production finish, protection, propulsion system, and amphibious capabilities.
On the M-2010 II 8×8, the engine compartment and the exhaust system have been modified, making analysts speculate that, given the progress of the Korean heavy industry, the KPA may have decided to incorporate new technologies, including a licensed copy of the KamAZ 7403 diesel engine of the BTR-80A.
M-2010 6×6
The M-2010 6×6 also appeared in 2010. Given that it is smaller than the 8×8 M-2010 and thus lacks the internal space to carry infantry, it can be deduced that it is probably a reconnaissance version of the M-2010 vehicle.
M-2018
There is an ATGM carrier version, known by the US DoD as the M-2018. These are M-2010 6x6s equipped with a giant turret armed with 8 ATGMs. This anti-tank system is similar to the Chinese AFT-10 or the Israeli Pereh. Analysts suspect that these are armed with eight Bulsae-4 Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) of the Non Line Of Sight (NLOS) type, a model new to the KPA.
Other
There are two other vehicles that may have been developed from the chassis of the M-2010 8×8. These were presented at the 75th Anniversary of the foundation of the Workers’ Party of Korea on 10th November 2020. They are the M-2020 ATGM carrier and the M-2020 Mobile Gun System (MGS). The designs seem to be structurally inspired by the American Stryker, as the ATGM carrier resembles the Stryker ICV and the MGS resembles the Stryker-derived M1128 MGS.
Due to the fact that the KPA-GF has had no way of getting their hands on an original Stryker, it is unlikely to have been reverse engineered as the original M-2010 was from the BTR-80A. It can be assumed that the starting chassis is the M-2010 8×8 with a redesigned armored structure.
The main armament consists of 5 ATGM NLOSs that can be lowered into a small remote turret for the M-2020 ATGM carrier and a 122 mm cannon, probably a domestic version of the Soviet D-30, in a remote turret with automatic loader for the M-2020 MGS.
Due to the lack of information and the short time since they were first presented to the public, it is difficult to give more information based on the few photos taken of them in the two parades in which they have appeared.
Conclusion
This practical 8×8 chassis lends itself to different uses and contexts, being able to be used as a simple Armored Personnel Carrier or a more complex ATGM carrier or Mobile Gun System.
Its production is not complex and does not require rare raw materials, so it is quick to produce and economical, fundamental characteristics for a hypothetical export to third world countries, where the equipment and vehicles produced by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are sometimes used.
The M-2010 is one of the first vehicles that represents the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s manufacturing autarky, produced entirely in Korean factories without support from China or Russia. This is a huge step forward for the DPRK which, until the 1990s, was completely dependent on the People’s Republic of China and the Soviet Union for the production of military vehicles and aircraft.
Since 2010, the KPA has been able to become more independent in the production of armored personnel carriers, main battle tanks, such as the M-2020, and TEL (Transporter Erector Launcher), such as those of the InterContinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), such as Hwasŏng-15 and Hwasŏng-17, thus avoiding the need to depend on the two superpowers in the defense sector.
M-2010 Specification (Estimated)
Dimensions (L-W-H)
~7.65 x ~2.9 x ~2.6 m
14 tonnes
Crew
3 (commander, driver, and gunner) + 7 or 8 passengers
Propulsion
V-6B 6-cylinder diesel engine, 263 hp at 1,800 rpm
Speed
~80 km/h; ~10 km/h in water
Range
~600 km
Armament
two 14,5 mm KPVT, one 7,62 mm Type 82 and an HT-16PGJ MANPADS
Armor
~15 mm
Sources
North Korea’s Armed Forces: On the Path of Songun – Stijn Mitzer; Joost Oliemans
massimotessitori.altervista.org – North Korean M2010 8×8 APC derived from BTR-80 – Massimo Tessitori
Kingdom of Italy (1942)
Armored Car – 1 Prototype Built
The Semovente da 47/32 su Scafo AB41 was a Second World War Italian heavily armed armored car prototype based on the AB41 medium armored reconnaissance car chassis.
The design for the Semovente da 47/32 su scafo AB41 was presented to the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) in late 1942, which subsequently requested a prototype. It was ready at the same time the North African Campaign was ending. The vehicle did not perform well during tests and it was abandoned in favor of the better armed and armored AB43 ‘Cannone’.
History of the ‘AB’ Armored Car Series Project
The ‘AB’ armored car series is the best known and most produced Italian armored car series of the Second World War. Its development started in the late 1930s, after the experiences of the Spanish Civil War showed to the Royal Italian Army High Command that the currently-used armored cars, like the Lancia 1ZM, were unsuited to modern wars. At roughly the same time, the police force that dealt with public order in the Italian colonies, the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana (PAI) (English: Italian African Police), issued a request for a new armored car to equip its reconnaissance units, especially for anti-guerrilla roles.
FIAT and Ansaldo started a joint project to develop two armored cars with the maximum communality of parts based on the SPA TM40 (TM for Trattore Medio – Medium Tractor). These were later unified and presented alongside the FIAT 626 medium and FIAT 666N heavy duty truck prototypes to Benito Mussolini, dictator of the Kingdom of Italy at the inauguration of the new FIAT Mirafiori plant in Turin on 15th May 1939.
After some modifications, production started in January of 1941. By the end of the war, a total of about 800 armored cars were produced: 24 AB40s, 667 AB41s,102 AB43s, and a dozen prototypes of various vehicles such as, command armored cars, anti-tank armored cars and lightweight armored cars.
History of the Semovente da 47/32 su Scafo AB41 Prototype
As the North African campaign progressed, British reconnaissance vehicles were outfitted with thicker armor and more powerful guns. In 1940, British armored cars were appearing on the battlefield armed with heavy machine guns chambered for cartridges ranging from 13.5 mm to 15 mm. By 1942, the British started fielding armored cars armed with 40 mm guns and with heavier armor, from 7 mm to 12 mm of the Morris CS9 or the Rolls-Royce armoured car to 16 mm to over 20 mm of the Marmon-Herrington and Daimler armoured cars. The same year, the Ispettorato Truppe Motorizzate e Corazzate (English: Motorized and Armored Troop Inspectorate) requested Ansaldo to develop a new armored car with a more powerful armament to deal with these British reconnaissance vehicles.
Ansaldo started the development in June of 1942 and, in December of that year, finished assembling the prototype with license plate ‘Regio Esercito 665B’. Testing of the Semovente da 47/32 su Scafo AB41 (English: Self-propelled gun armed with 47/32 on AB41 chassis) started in early 1943.
Design
Hull
The armor on the hull and superstructure consisted of all bolted plates, which did not offer the same protection as welded plates, but simplified the replacement of armor plates for repairs. The front and rear of the hull was 8 mm thick, while the sides were 8.5 mm thick.
The original turret and roof of the AB41 were removed and replaced with vertical walls to create an open-topped vehicle. A 10 mm thick armored shield was placed at the front of the open-topped section where the main gun was to be mounted to protect the gunner from enemy fire. The fenders were also armored to prevent enemy fire from damaging the tires.
The hull of the armored car had an internal structure on which the plates were bolted. At the rear of the superstructure were the two armored access doors for the crew compartment, divided into two parts, which could be opened separately. The radio antenna originally on the left of the superstructures was removed from on the Semovente da 47/32 su Scafo AB41, since no radio was mounted. Had the Semovente da 47/32 su Scafo AB41 gone into production, a radio may have been included.
A horn was mounted on the right side of the front of the hull and a pickaxe was stored on the right side of the hull. The exhaust pipe sat on the rear fender and two spare wheels were placed in fairings on the sides of the superstructure.
Above the engine compartment, there were two air intakes and two hatches for engine maintenance. The back was left unchanged from the original AB41 hull, with the cooling grilles, inspection hatches and rear lights.
Engine and Suspension
The Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, more commonly known as FIAT (English: Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin), and its subsidiary, Società Piemontese Automobili (SPA) (English: Piedmontese Automobile Company), designed a new engine by upgrading the original engine of the AB41, the FIAT-SPA ABM 2 6-cylinder petrol water-cooled engine, with a 4,995 cm³ displacement. This engine developed a maximum power of 88 hp at 2,700 rpm and was itself derived from the FIAT-SPA ABM 1 mounted on the AB40, which had less displacement and a maximum power of 78 hp.
The Semovente da 47/32 su Scafo AB41‘s new engine was the same as on the Autoblinda AB42 and the future AB43, the FIAT SPA ABM 3. The displacement remained unchanged, 4,995 cm³ as the previous models, but the maximum power was increased to 108 hp (sources alternatively list this figure as 100 hp, 110 hp, and 115 hp) at 2,800 rpm. This significantly increased the speed on roads to about 90 km/h, compared to 80 km/h of the AB41 and 78 km/h of the AB40.
On this armored car version, as on the AB42, the dual-drive system and rear controls were meant to be removed. The chassis was not meant to be that of the AB40 or AB41, but that of the AB42, and the same used on the SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’. For this reason, some sources claim that this armored car was named Semovente da 47/32 su Scafo AB42 or Autoblinda AB42 con 47/32. However, this was not the case for the prototype
The modifications were made to lighten the chassis, which maintained the 4×4 configuration, but only the frontal wheels steered. The suspension for each wheel was independent, with a coil spring for each wheel.
The photos of the interior of the vehicle show some mechanisms for reverse driving, such as the dashboard for the rear driver and the directional control lever which, when lowered, allowed the rear driver to take control of the vehicle.
This means that, in order to save time and resources, the prototype was probably built on the chassis of an AB41 that was partly modified.
The production vehicles would have been produced on the AB42 chassis. There were three fuel tanks totaling 195 liters. The 118-liter primary fuel tank was in the double bottom of the floor which made it vulnerable to anti-tank mine explosions. The 57-liter secondary tank was mounted in front of the driver, above the steering wheel, while the 20-liter reserve tank was placed in the rear, where on the AB40 and AB41 was placed the rear machine gun. On the left of the reserve tank was a 10 liter water tank used for engine cooling.
As on the AB40 and AB41, there was a serious problem with the lack of a bulkhead between the crew compartment and the engine compartment. The presence of the 20 liters reserve tank in front of the engine was also an issue as, in case of fire in the engine compartment, the lack of bulkhead would cause the propagation of the flames inside the crew compartment.
The Semovente da 47/32 su Scafo AB41 probably had an unchanged range of 400 km. The prototype was fitted with the tires developed by Pirelli specifically for desert terrain, the Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ 9.75 x 24″ (25 x 60 cm). Unsurprising, the rims were not modified and the vehicle could have mounted all the tires produced by Pirelli for the 24″ rims, also used on the other AB series armored cars,the Camionette SPA-Viberti AS42, AS43, and for the SPA TM40 prime mover.
Armament
The main armament on the Semovente da 47/32 su Scafo AB41 was the Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935, nicknamed ‘Elefantino’ (English: Little Elephant) by the soldiers. This gun was designed by the Austrian Böhler company and over 3,200 units were produced under license by various Italian companies for the Regio Esercito from 1937 to 1945. The main producers were Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche of Brescia, Arsenale Regio Esercito di Torino (ARET) (English: Royal Army Arsenal of Turin), Arsenale Regio Esercito di Piacenza (AREP), and Ansaldo-Fossati in Sestri Ponente. Designed as an infantry support cannon, it proved to be reliable and precise during the Spanish Civil War and the Ethiopian War. With its armor piercing rounds, it was well able to take out the few opposing armored vehicles it could expect to find in North Africa. Its maximum range was 7,000 m, but it was effective up to 4,000 m for infantry support and about 1,000 m for anti-tank fire.
The gun was mounted on a rectangular structure running horizontally between the superstructure’s sides. It had a traverse of about 40° on the left and right, with a vertical elevation from around -4° or -5° to not more than +20°.
Ammunition
The cannon had a rate of fire of 28 rounds per minute for the field artillery piece and of about 20 rounds per minute on the wheeled tank destroyer due to the cramped space. The ammunition total consisted of 100 rounds in two rectangular metal racks, each welded under the rectangular structure where the gun was placed.
The cannon fired 47 x 227 mm R rounds of five different types:
Cannone da 47/32ammunitions
Name
Type
Fuze
Projectile weight (kg)
Muzzle Velocity (m/s)
Cartoccio Granata Dirompente da 47 modello 1935
High-Explosive
Percussion Mod. 35 or Mod. 39
2.45
250
Cartoccio Granata Perforante da 47 modello 1935
Armor Piercing – Tracer
Percussion Mod. 09
1.42
630
Proietto Perforante Modello 1939
Armor-Piercing Composite Rigid – Tracer
Percussion Mod. 09
1.44
650
Proietto Controcarri Effetto Pronto
High-Explosive Anti-Tank
Internal Mod. 41
1.2
//
Proietto Controcarri Effetto Pronto Speciale
High-Explosive Anti-Tank
IPEM front fuze
1.5
//
Precise values on the penetration of the Mod. 35 armor-piercing ammunition are not available. However, an Italian document of the Spanish Civil War era states that it could penetrate 37 mm of armor at a distance of 700 m. The Mod. 39 armor piercing ammunition could penetrate plates with thicknesses of 55 mm at 100 m, 40 mm at 500 m, and 30 mm at 1,000 m, angled at 0°. The HEAT ammunition was rarely used due to its late production in the war and infrequent distribution to the crews. There is also no precise data on the penetration of the HEAT ammunition of the 47 mm gun, but an Italian report from some tests in October 1942 shows that the Effetto Pronto round was not able to penetrate the 52 mm thick side armor of the turret of a T-34/76 Mod. 1942 captured by the Italians on the Eastern Front. The Effetto Pronto Speciale round, produced in very few numbers between early 1943 and the end of the war, had greater anti-tank capabilities and was able to penetrate the front armor of an M4 Sherman.
Crew
The vehicle had a crew of three with the driver in the front of the hull, the gunner/commander seated on a seat under the gun breech, and the loader standing by the gunner. In addition to directing the crew, the commander also operated the main gun and observed the battlefield. The driver would have had a lot of trouble getting in and out of the vehicle as he had to squeeze through the narrow gap between the ammunition stowage racks, the gun’s trunnions, and the commander’s seat to enter or exit his compartment.
Testing
The Semovente da 47/32 su Scafo AB41 was finished on 3rd December 1942 and was taken to the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione (CSM) (Eng: Centre for Motorisation Studies) for testing vehicles and determining whether they should be adopted or rejected by the army.
The results were not good. The height of the gun shield, superstructure walls and cannon raised the center of gravity of the vehicle, making it unstable and increasing the risk of rollovers. The height of the vehicle caused other problems. In the flat deserts of North Africa, a vehicle of this height would have been quickly detected by British anti-tank units. However, the tests demonstrated the effectiveness of the main gun. The 47 mm cannon would have offered excellent firepower to the Italian scouting units.
The biggest problem, as would also happen with the AB42, was that the prototype was ready for testing only after the Italian defeat against Commonwealth troops at the Battle of El Alamein that lasted from 23rd October 1942 to 5th November 1942. This battle put the Italian and German troops on the backfoot in North Africa. Above all, it showed the High Command of the Royal Italian Army that the North African Campaign was lost and that it was a poor use of resources to invest money into vehicles specially developed for desert use.
Subsequent Developments
When the project was not accepted by the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione, Ansaldo and FIAT started a new project that would become the Autoblinda Modello 1941 con Cannone da 47/40 Modello 1938, more simply known as AB43 ‘Cannone’. The prototype was presented to the High Command of the Royal Army on 21st May 1943 and satisfied the requests of the Ispettorato Truppe Motorizzate e Corazzate. The Regio Esercito ordered 380 AB43s and AB43 ‘Cannone’s in summer 1943, but the Armistice signed on 8th September 1943 stopped the production of the armored car.
Conclusion
The Semovente da 47/32 su Scafo AB41 was a failed project of Ansaldo, which wanted to produce a vehicle that could meet the requests of the Royal Italian Army and, at the same time, that did not require an expensive modification of the assembly lines.
Semovente da 47/32 su Scafo AB41 Specification
Dimensions (L-W-H)
5.20 x 1.92 x ~2.5 m
Total Weight, Battle Ready
~ 7 tonnes
Crew
3 (driver, loader, and commander/gunner)
Propulsion
FIAT-SPA ABM 3, 6-cylinders 110 hp engine with 195 liters tanks
Speed
Road Speed: 80 km/h
Off-Road Speed: 50 km/h
Range
400 km
Armament
One Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935 gun with 100 rounds
Armor
8 mm to 10 mm
Total Production
1 prototype
Sources
Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, Volume Secondo, Tomo I – Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano
Kingdom of Italy (1943-1945)
Medium Armored Cars – Dozens Captured
The Autoblinda AB41 and Autoblinda AB43 (English: AB41 and AB43 Armored Cars) were the last two AB series armored cars to enter production. After the Kingdom of Italy surrendered to the Allies on 8th September 1943, the Italian peninsula was occupied by German troops, which captured the majority of Italian soldiers and equipment. In the following months, the Germans created a puppet state with Benito Mussolini as leader.
Many Italian soldiers escaped capture and, together with anti-fascist civilians, created the first Italian Partisan units, starting a guerrilla campaign in Italy. Some Axis equipment was captured by the Partisans during their resistance, and they reused it against their former owners. Light arms, ammunition, trucks, and even tanks and armored cars were redeployed by the Partisans, even if service was limited and badly documented.
Context
On 8th September 1943, the Kingdom of Italy surrendered to the Allies. Over a million Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) soldiers found themselves without orders and command.
The Italian Royal family, alongside many politicians and generals, fled south before the official announcement of surrender, and were now in Allied hands, organizing an Italian monarchic government that would rule the part of the Italian peninsula freed from Axis rule.
Italian soldiers, pushed from the south by the Allied forces and from the north by Germans, had to choose their own fate. In some units, soldiers chose to return, if possible, to their homes. In other cases, the soldiers followed their officers, depending on their political affiliation.
Many soldiers surrendered to the Allies or tried to resist the Germans and were captured. Many others, loyal to Fascism, saw the Armistice as a betrayal against Benito Mussolini. All over the European battlefields, these men surrendered immediately to the Germans, asking to continue the war on the Axis side. Due the desperate situation in which the German Army was at that moment of the war, many Italian soldiers loyal to the Axis forces were quickly reorganized into independent units or under the dependencies of German divisions.
From the very next day after the Armistice, Italian illegal political parties opposing the fascist regime met secretly in Rome.
These created the Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale (CLN) (English: National Liberation Committee), which organized the Italian partisan units. In the following months, the first cores of resistance were formed in the parts of Italy under Nazi-Fascist control.
The partisan equipment varied greatly. At the beginning of the resistance, the only weapons that the civilians who joined the resistance possessed were their own hunting rifles or pistols and a few guns recovered from abandoned Regio Esercito depots. The former soldiers of the Regio Esercito had their personal weapons, such as the cavalrymen of the 2° Reggimento Cavalleggeri ‘Piemonte Reale’ (English: 2nd Cavalry Regiment). On 12th September, when the regiment was disbanded near Turin, all the cavalrymen were free to choose their own fate, keeping all their equipment, personal weapons, ammunition and money of the regiment.
During the almost 20 months of resistance, the Partisans captured many weapons and vehicles from their enemies by attacking convoys or isolated garrisons. The Allies also provided the Partisans with weapons and ammunition after 1944, parachuting them to pre-determined areas.
An uprising known as the Great Partisan Insurrection was organized by the CLN leaders on 25th April 1945, preceded by a huge workers’ strike from all the north Italian factories that were still active.
Understandably, until mid-1945, the partisan units only engaged in guerrilla actions against the Axis forces in the northern Italian peninsula. This was due to the strong presence of anti-partisan units and control of the countryside by Nazi-Fascist forces.
Reducing their already limited presence in Piedmont, Lombardy, and Liguria, they concentrated on industrial cities or small cities with train stations used to patrol, and as a means of escape in case of attack. This increased the freedom of operation of partisan brigades, which could start capturing vehicles from Axis forces in these areas.
Armored vehicles were useful during quick ambushes on Nazi-Fascist columns or assaulting isolated garrisons. However, clandestinely maintaining a tank or an armored car was rather impossible in Italy. Most of the partisan units hid in small villages or isolated houses on high mountains, difficult to reach by anti-partisan units operating on foot and impossible to reach with armored vehicles.
Until early 1945, the Nazi-Fascist forces controlled the majority of main roads and most important cities, meaning that the Partisans could not use roads to quickly move the armored vehicles in support of other partisan brigades.
At the same time, spare parts, ammunition and fuel were really difficult to find for the Partisans. These consumables were usually recovered from Nazi-Fascist garrisons or illicitly received from pro-partisan workers that stole them from their factories. Usually, this equipment was delivered in limited numbers, barely adequate for repairing and operating civilian cars and military trucks.
The clandestine forces could not attack larger Axis facilities or depots in order to obtain adequate resources to maintain the armored vehicle. Furthermore, for any kind of repair, the Partisans could not reach a workshop without being noticed by Axis forces. At the same time, it was impossible to organize a partisan-led workshop in partisan-controlled territories due to a lack of trained mechanics, adequate infrastructure, and machinery.
It was deployed on many occasions by the Partisans against isolated garrisons, but at the same time, its use forced the Partisans to perform dozens of missions to steal adequate amounts of fuel, ammunition, and spare parts to keep the tank operational.
During the last months of war, the Partisans stopped destroying captured armored vehicles. Instead, in early 1945, they started to reuse them to free the north Italian cities.
Even if their service is badly documented, the Italian Partisans managed to deploy a plethora of armored vehicles of German, Italian, and Allied production in the last days of war on Italian soil. These included a handful of armored cars of the AB series that were reused against their former owners.
Design
The medium armored car AutoBlinda Modello 1941 (English: Armored Car Model 1941) or, more simply, AB41, was an Italian armored car developed by FIAT and Ansaldo. A total of 667 were produced during the Second World War. Some were captured and reused by a variety of forces that participated in the conflict, such as Commonwealth troops, French Partisans, and German troops, to name a few.
The AutoBlinda Modello 1943 or AB43 was produced beginning shortly before the Armistice of 1943, with 102 made until 1945. All the armored cars of this model were deployed by the Germans during the war.
Both the AB41 and AB43 were armed with a 20 mm Cannone da 20/65 Modello 1935 automatic cannon produced by Breda and two 8 mm Breda Modello 1938 medium machine guns, one coaxial and one in a spherical support at the rear of the vehicle. The armored cars were developed as long-range reconnaissance vehicles for the Regio Esercito.
The AB41 was equipped with a FIAT-SPA ABM 2 6-cylinder inline petrol engine delivering 88 hp at 2,800 rpm and had a maximum speed on-road of 78 km/h. The AB43 had a slightly more powerful FIAT-SPA ABM 3 6-cylinder inline petrol engine delivering 108 hp at 2,800 rpm, which gave a maximum speed of 81 km/h on-road.
The main difference between the two armored cars models, except for the engine, was the turret. The AB41 had the Carro Armato L6/40‘s turret, while the AB43 had a shorter and wider Modello 1942 (English: Model 1942) turret.
The AB medium armored car series had a number of particular characteristics, including a double driving position, one at the front and one at the rear, allowing the armored car to be driven by two different drivers who could take over driving by simply lowering a lever. This permitted this fast armored car to quickly disengage from a skirmish in the narrow mountain roads or African villages in which it fought.
It had all-drive and all-steering wheel systems, giving excellent off-road performance. It was also equipped with a powerful 60 km range radio with a 7 m fully-extended antenna on the left side.
Operational Use
The Piccola Banda di Ariano
The Piccola Banda di Ariano (English: Ariano’s Small Band) was a partisan unit composed of 4 men. The founder and commander was Gianluca Spinola, a nobleman and former lieutenant in the Regio Esercito. When the Armistice was signed, he escaped alone from the Civitavecchia Training School with an Autoblinda AB41 armored car that he hid in the Val di Sieve area. He then transferred his family to Florence and met up with his cousin, Franco Stucchi Prinetti, and two former Regio Esercito soldiers: Francesco Piredda and Vittorio Vargiu (the last of whom had been Spinola’s attendant).
The four men patrolled the Via Aretina (one of the longest roads in the municipality of Florence, running through some of its eastern suburbs) during the night, ambushing German columns. Their success was thanks to the darkness in which the Germans usually confused the partisan vehicle as a friendly one.
Unfortunately, none of the attacks of the Piccola Banda di Ariano have been reported in detail, often being forgotten that this partisan nucleus operated almost undisturbed until April 1944 with an armored car, right in the middle of enemy territory. Similarly, it is unknown where Lt. Gianluca Spinola and his comrades found fuel, ammunition, and spare parts for their armored car.
After a series of lightning attacks, in April 1944, Gianluca Spinola and his brave comrades were captured by a patrol of Germans while trying to mine a bridge near Arezzo. They were imprisoned until 14th June 1944, when the Germans shot them and 77 miners who had protested their poor working conditions. The fate of their armored car is unknown, as is the existence of any kind of photographic evidence of the vehicle.
Novara
During the last months of the war, Allied bombers were a serious threat for the Italian production plants. Before and during the war, the Italians usually had enormous production plants in which armored vehicles were assembled. The most important ones were in Turin such as FIAT Mirafiori and FIAT Lingotto, and Genoa, with Ansaldo-Fossati and the Cornigliano Artillery plant.
In order to diminish the risk of a total production breakdown in case of bombardments and to avoid mass strikes of the workers, who increasingly requested for better wages and shorter working shifts, the Germans divided the production of the Turin and Genoa production plants all over the northern Italian regions. Secondary operations or assembly were usually delocalized from the main production plant.
In Milan, the Fonderia Milanese di Acciaio Vanzetti Società Anonima (English: Milanese Steel Foundry Vanzetti Limited Company) assembled some armored vehicles, together with the Società Piemontese Automobili or SPA (English: Piedmontese Automobile Company) in Turin, and a SPA subsidiary plant in Caselle, near Turin for Ansaldo-Fossati.
Another Ansaldo-Fossati detachment which produced armored vehicles in the late 1944 to early 1945 was the Manifattura Rotondi of Novara, a textile company that stopped working due to its workers being enlisted.
On 25th April 1945, when the Great Partisan Insurrection broke out, the workers of the Manifattura Rotondi contacted the Partisans. According to sources, five Autoblinde AB43 (photographic evidence confirm the presence of six) were in production for a German unit.
On 26th April 1945, the 81ª Brigata Garibaldi Volante ‘Silvio Loss’ (English: 81st Fast Garibaldi Brigade) reached Novara. The task of this mechanized unit was to reach Milan through Novara and to liberate all the small cities on this road from Nazi-Fascist presence.
In total, six Autoblinde AB43 and an Autoblinda Lancia Lince scout car were received from the workers. It is not clear why there are disagreements between the sources. The factory sources are probably referring to five AB43 under assembly and the sixth one (the one equipped with armament) was awaiting delivery.
Of the AB43, three were not even equipped with turrets. Of the other three, photographic evidence permitting to confirm only one AB43 equipped with armament and another one without main armament. The third armored car was equipped with a turret, but it is not clear if it was armed or not.
The vehicles did not even have camouflage and were painted in bright red anti-rust primer. This was not the best color for a camouflage scheme, but surely the best one to avoid friendly fire from other partisan or Allied units in the area.
The 81ª Brigata Garibaldi Volante ‘Silvio Loss’, commanded by Corrado ‘Fulvio’ Moretti, was part of the Divisione Garibaldi ‘Fratelli Varalli’ (English: Garibaldi Division) commanded by Albino ‘Bruno’ Calletti. The Communist division was subordinated to the Comando Zona Militare ‘Valsesia’ (English: Military Zone Command) commanded by Eraldo ‘Ciro’ Gastone, Vincenzo ‘Cino’ Moscatelli, and Aldo Benoni, a famous Italian partisan commanders.
The 81ª Brigata Garibaldi Volante ‘Silvio Loss’ advanced to Veveri, about 3 km north of Novara in a column with the seven armored cars and some vehicles full of Partisans.
In Veveri, there was a German garrison and a blocked column of vehicles. The German soldiers in Veveri were part of the garrison and part of the Stamm Column (from the name of its German commander) that was trying to reach Bergamo. They sent various trucks full of prisoners on the road to Novara to confuse the Partisans. The few German soldiers who arrived in Veveri with dozens of partisan and Allied prisoners had barricaded themselves in city buildings, ready to resist partisan attacks and keep them occupied while most of the Stamm Column advanced toward Lombardy.
Thanks to a local priest, Leone Ossola, the partisans and Germans began negotiations. After six years of war, they felt it was senseless to lose more lives for nothing. After a series of meetings that lasted until late afternoon between Eraldo ‘Ciro’ Gastone, one of the partisan commanders, Leone Ossola, and Colonel Hahn, commander of the local garrison, the Germans agreed to surrender.
The Germans then deposited their guns and surrendered to the Partisans peacefully, while the Stamm Column surrendered on 28th April 1945 in Busto Arsizio, near Milan, to another partisan unit that blocked the road.
After having overcome Veveri, the small column of armored cars of the ‘Silvio Loss’ crossed the Ticino River (the border between Piedmont and Lombardy) and joined another motorized column composed of a few trucks and cars requisitioned by the Comando Zona Militare ‘Valsesia’.
On 27th April 1945, the armored cars participated in the small clashes with Nazi-Fascist forces in Turbigo and in Lonate Pozzolo, northeast of Milan. These were no more than small gunfights, often without casualties, after which the Germans quickly surrendered.
On the morning of 28th April 1945, the motorized column of the Comando Zona Militare ‘Valsesia’ started to move southeast to enter Milan, which they reached at about 1:00 pm.
In Milan, the armored cars paraded at low speed through the already freed city, reaching Piazza Duomo, the main square of Milan, which was full of cheering civilians and partisans. Three armored cars were parked in the square, surrounded by partisans and enthusiastic civilians. Of the three armored cars, one was armed, one had a turret, and one turretless. The other three armored cars were deployed in city checkpoints to keep order.
The main leaders of the resistance, including CNL members and partisan officers, climbed on top of the vehicle with the turret to start a speech. Teresa ‘Maruska’ Mondini, an Italo-Soviet woman who fought in the Red Army and then with the Italian partisans, also gave a speech atop an AB43. She read a letter written from the Red Army to the Italian Partisans.
After this public appearance, the vehicles disappeared from photographic and written sources. These AB43 armored cars were probably deployed to hunt down the last Fascist snipers hidden in buildings, for checkpoints, and to keep order in the city of Milan until the arrival of Allied soldiers.
Even if their fate is unknown, being vehicles in almost factory condition, it is possible that the armored cars were shipped to some manufacturing plant or military arsenal in northern Italy after the war. After the vehicles were completed with essential parts and new camouflages, they could have entered service with the new Italian forces. In fact, even if the war ended, some Italian plants finished assembling and continued to produce a small number of vehicles until they ran out of raw materials in the depots. Some of these documented productions included Lancia 3Ro and Lancia Esarò trucks, Camionette SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Metropolitane’, Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 patrol cars, and the armored cars of the AB series, that, after the war were still assembled in the AB ‘Ferroviaria’ version.
Turin
It seems that Italian Partisans did not initially operate armored cars of the AB series during the liberation of Turin during the Great Partisan Insurrection. On 28th April 1945, at least one Autoblinda AB41 was captured by an unknown partisan unit at the Caserma ‘Alessandro La Marmora’ barracks on Via Asti.
It seems that no other armored cars were deployed or captured by the Partisans in Turin in the days of the insurrection. However, many armored cars, as well as other armored vehicles, had been deployed by the Fascists units to defend the city, and it seems improbable that only a single AB41 fell in partisan hands. Other ABs were probably knocked out, captured, or damaged and in need of time to be put again in service.
On 1st May 1945, two Carri Armati M14/41 medium tanks and an armored car (probably the one captured at Caserma ‘Alessandro La Marmora’ barrack) were deployed in Robassomero, about 25 km northeast of Turin.
In Robassomero, the armored vehicles supported the 42ª Divisione Unificata ‘Garibaldi’ (English: 42nd Unified Division) and the 2ª Divisione SAP (English: 2nd SAP Division; – SAP for Squadre di Azione Patriottica – Patriotic Action Squads) against some German soldiers of the LXXV. Armeekorps (English: 75th Army Corp).
The German soldiers, survivors of the 34. Infanterie Division (English: 34th Infantry Division) and 5. Gebirgs Division (English: 5th Mountain Division) were caught by surprise. One of the partisan tanks was positioned to fire on the German troops that tried to cross the Stura River, while the second one entered the city supported by the armored car.
The battle in the city was fierce and the Germans managed to destroy the Carro Armato M14/41 that was deployed by the Partisans in the town with a Panzerfaust.
The armored car was probably also damaged in the fighting. Even if this hypothesis cannot be confirmed, it seems that not a single armored car of the AB series participated in the 6th April 1945’s Great Partisan Parade in Turin to celebrate the end of the war.
The Autoblinda AB41 may have also suffered a breakdown, or simply the tires were pierced by German bullets and it was not ready to join the Partisans during the parade.
Other Units
The vehicles already mentioned are only some of the other armored cars captured by the Partisans during the liberation of Italy.
Other armored cars of the AB series were deployed by the Italian Partisans all over the areas not yet freed from Axis presence. Unfortunately, a lack of sources, especially photographic evidence, does not permit an estimation of the total number of armored cars deployed from which unit.
An example of this lack of documentation is the Autoblinda AB43 captured and deployed by the Partisans of an unknown unit in San Martino in Rio in the Reggio Emilia province.
An Autoblinda AB41 was captured in Cividale del Friuli in Northeast Friuli Venezia Giulia region. This armored car belonged to the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’ (English: Armored Squadrons Group) and was picked up by an unknown Italian (or Yugoslavian) partisan unit that deployed it on 28th April 1945 against the German garrison of Cividale del Friuli and on 30th April against the Nazi-Fascist forces in the Udine suburbs.
Conclusion
Due to the absence of any kind of logistical lines during the whole duration of the Italian Civil War, only a few armored vehicles were deployed by the Partisans. When the Great Partisan Insurrection began on 25th April 1945, many armored cars of the AB series, mainly AB43s, were captured by Italian Partisans.
The vehicles were hardly in time to be deployed by the Partisans. Given the fortunes of war, many Nazi-Fascist garrisons surrendered without armed resistance to the Partisans when they saw the armored cars coming.
It is impossible to give a judgment on the scarce service history of the Italian partisan armored cars. However, the Autoblinda AB41 and AB43 were two vehicles that, better than others, could be useful for the Partisans thanks to their mobility and firepower.
Kingdom of Italy (1936-1955)
Utility Car – 519,847 Built
The FIAT 500 was an Italian city car produced by the Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino or FIAT (English: Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) from 1936 to 1955. It received the nickname ‘Topolino’ (English: Small Mouse) and was the smallest car produced in Europe in that period. It was the car that started the mass motorization of Italy, with half a million produced in three main variants for about 20 years.
Despite its roots as a small city car, the ‘Topolino’ would also go on to have a military career, being requisitioned by various armies and fighting forces.
History Behind the Project
In 1930, the Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, felt the necessity of increasing the number of cars present in Italy. In the 1930s, cars were becoming the most iconic symbol of welfare in the Western world and Italian Fascism did not want to fall behind.
To give an example, in 1931, the Italian peninsula had a population of 41.2 millions, with only 188,000 cars and trucks of all kinds, including public and military ones. This meant there was one vehicle for every 240 inhabitants. This low ratio was also due to the Great Depression, which had limited vehicle registrations from 33,436 in 1929 to 14,760 in 1931.
In 1936 (the year in which the FIAT 500 mass production started), there were 220,000 vehicles in Italy for a population of 46 million inhabitants. This translated into one motor vehicle for every 209 Italians, a small number, 10 times lower than France and 40 times lower than the United States’ average.
Politically, Fascism was trying to promote Italian manufacturing capabilities and tended to excel in various fields at the time. The Italian Fascists invested heavily in air races, the naval industry and, finally, even the development of cars.
Trying to emulate other European countries, such Germany with the Volkswagen Beetle, Mussolini convened with Senator Giovanni Agnelli, founder of the FIAT company. The dictator asked the businessman to fulfill the need of producing a cheap car that each Italian family could afford to buy.
The maximum price of the city car was not to exceed 5,000 lira (equivalent to $216 in 1936 or $4,800 in 2023).
Agnelli, who was not at all happy with the new task assigned to him by the Duce, was forced to accept. He assigned the unappreciated task to the FIAT Design Office placed on the fifth floor of La Palazzina (English: The Building) at the FIAT Lingotto production plant of Via Nizza 250 in Turin. The FIAT engineers, after various briefings, had two different opinions:
The first opinion was that FIAT was actually capable of producing a cheap city car using the same technologies and know-how they had gained developing other cars, but saving up as much as possible on raw materials and equipment.
The second opinion was that the FIAT was not capable of producing such a vehicle in a short time and that the project should be passed to Oreste Lardone (1894-1961). Mr Lardone was an engineer that had worked for FIAT until 1924. In that year, he followed his mentor, Giulio Cesare Cappa, when he was hired at ITALA. In 1928, Mr. Lardone presented a small and cheap ITALA prototype of a city car. The FIAT technicians in favor of the ‘Lardone Option’ suggested hiring Lardone and letting him continue his studies on the prototype under the new requests of the Fascism.
Giovanni Agnelli listened to both opinions and decided to proceed as fast as possible in both directions. He ordered the FIAT Design Office to develop a project following the FIAT standards and hired Oreste Lardone and assigned him a group of technicians and workers to develop and test his prototype.
Failed Project
After the Wall Street Crash of 1929, ITALA failed during the financial depression and Mr. Lardone accepted and willingly agreed to return to work at FIAT. He started his project, which was a small front-wheel drive city car with 4 seats and a 500 cm3 air-cooled two-cylinder engine and the development proceeded quickly. Lardone’s prototype was finished in summer 1931 and, after the driving tests on the FIAT Lingotto factory roof, the car was ready to be tested on the road.
During the driving test in the city of Turin, a FIAT test driver, Giovanni Agnelli himself and Oreste Lardone took part. Perhaps because of the excessive speed with which the project was carried out to satisfy the Fascist demands, there was an accident with the prototype.
The car exited the FIAT Lingotto production plant and drove for some kilometers around Turin. While testing the climbing capabilities of the car at the Cavoretto slope, the petrol engine caused a fire, from which the three occupants escaped quickly.
Although the accident was probably caused by a simple malfunction of the fuel pump, Giovanni Agnelli was shaken. He immediately fired Lardone and then banned front-wheel drive on FIAT cars.
Delaying the Project
After the failure of Lardone’s project at FIAT, the city car project desired by Fascism continued very slowly and without significant economic investment. Many designers at FIAT thought Lardone’s design was the best idea to keep the car as cheap as possible and did not want to contradict Giovanni Agnelli, who had banned front-wheel drive cars.
Of secondary importance, but nonetheless significant, was the anti-Fascist beliefs held by FIAT’s workers. Despite the fact that, in the late 1920s to early 1930s, the Partito Nazionale Fascista or PNF (English: National Fascist Party) had very high support among the Italian population, the working-class segment was mostly disappointed or opposed to the party of Benito Mussolini and to Giovanni Agnelli himself, who was very close to the regime.
FIAT’s workers usually joked about Benito Mussolini, calling him ‘ël Crapun’ (English: The Bald One), while Giovanni Agnelli was nicknamed ‘Giuanìn Lamera’. Giuanin is a nickname used in Piedmont (the region of Italy where Turin is located) for people called Giovanni (like Johnny for people called John in English-speaking countries), while Lamera means sheet metal in Piedmont dialect.
In general, in Turin, which was a working-segment city where most of the inhabitants were workers or working in activities related to factories and assembly plants, mainly in the automotive sector, Fascism never had the same following as in other cities of Italy. Although fascism emphasized its support for workers and the better conditions theoretically achieved, in reality, the Italian working class never had any tangible benefits during the two decades of Fascism in Italy.
Another problem was the mistreatment of the workers by the Fascist Party in Turin. For example, on 18th December 1922, in retaliation for the killing of two Fascist militants in Turin, the Squadre d’Azione (English: Action Squads) of the PNF in Turin, led by Piero Brandimarte, killed 14 workers and trade unionists and wounded 26 others.
With the Wall Street Crash a few years later, the working class experienced another period of suffering, with many workers laid off and wages reduced by 7-8% compared to the period before 1929.
After the economic recovery of the 1930s, the working conditions in the factories did not improve. Silent resistance to the Fascist regime took root at FIAT Lingotto, where, already in 1927, a Communist newspaper was being clandestinely printed and shared. The highest expression of anti-Fascism occurred on 15th May 1939, at the inauguration of the FIAT Mirafiori production plant, which was also attended by Mussolini. Of the approximately 50,000 FIAT workers present at the ceremony, more than 90% refused to applaud and cheer the dictator during his speech.
It was also for these reasons that the development of the car desired by Mussolini was delayed and hindered by the workers and managers, who wanted to avoid worker protests and demonstrations against the regime and bad publicity for the company.
Everything changed when Benito Mussolini visited the FIAT Lingotto manufacturing plant on 23rd October 1932. During a private meeting with Giovanni Agnelli, the Italian dictator reminded the businessman of the commitment he had made and the project received new emphasis.
The question returned to the desk of FIAT’s Design Office and one of the main engineers of the office, Antonio Fessia (1901-1968), suggested assigning the development of the car to a young but brilliant junior designer and his personal assistant, Dante Giacosa. The idea was also agreed to by FIAT’s other main engineer, Tranquillo Zerbi (1891-1939). In fact, both considered Giacosa the right man for this project due to his excellent work with the FIAT 508 ‘Balilla’s’ development.
The New Project
Dante Giacosa (1905-1996) is nowadays considered one of the masters of the Italian motor school. Giacosa started working in 1927, aged 22, for the Società Piemontese Automobili (SPA) (English: Piedmont Automobile Company), after graduating from the Polytechnic University of Turin. In 1929, he was transferred to the FIAT Design Office of the Lingotto plant (SPA was a FIAT subsidiary), where he started working on the development of the Pavesi P4 artillery tractor. After a brief career in the FIAT Automobiles Engines Design Office, where he was assigned to the development of the FIAT 508 ‘Balilla’, in 1933, he was promoted to Technical Car Department Office.
In 1934, Antonio Fessia met with Giacosa, detailing Agnelli’s project to him. At that time, there were examples of cheap cars in Germany and France, but the Italian designers wanted to offer a new Italian designed vehicle without taking a cue from foreign vehicles. The new FIAT car had to be powerful and more comfortable than the foreign vehicles, but with comparable prices.
From the knowledge gained in the development of the FIAT 508, Giacosa studied an even simpler version of the vehicle to make it easy to produce at lower costs, keeping in mind the failure of Lardone.
While Giacosa took on the development of the chassis and the engine, the bodywork was penned by Rodolfo Schaeffer (1893-1964), who was at the time the leader of FIAT’s Coachwork Technical Office.
The plans were to save up on everything superfluous. The fuel pump was not added, preferring a fuel tank that filled the engine by gravity, being placed over the engine. The water pump used to cool the engine was not added, and the radiator was also placed over the engine. With this solution, the cooling of the engine was made thanks to a thermosiphon passive heat-exchange physics system, with the cold water that fell in the cooling system by gravity and the hot water that returned to the water tank.
The position of the radiator over the engine permitted a sensible increase of the aerodynamics of the project. In that period, the front grilles were usually vertical or slightly angled due to the presence of the radiator in front of the engine.
Another solution to save on costs was the introduction of an independent suspension system. To do so, the engine was placed in front of the wheel axle, supported by the coachwork of the car instead of the chassis. This permitted the lowering of the car’s bonnet, improving the aerodynamics.
The lubricant oil pump was retained but was simplified as much as possible, with a rudimentary system. The oil circulated thanks to the mechanical parts that, when the vehicle was in motion, “slammed” the oil to all the parts that needed to be lubricated.
Given the small dimensions of the vehicle, a new tire size was requested from the Pirelli factory of Milan. The tire company developed a small 4/00R15 tire, the smallest tire diameter adopted for a car until then. The vehicle had a spare wheel placed on the rear side, under the rear windshield.
The simple gearbox had 4 forward and reverse gears. The third and fourth gears were synchronized.
Giacosa and Fassia assumed that the vehicle would have a chassis weighing less than 250 kg, plus 180-200 kg of coachwork, arriving at a total weight of 450 kg with all the necessary parts. Their assumption was they could sell the vehicle at 12 liras per kg (5,400 liras) instead of the 17 liras per kg (10,800 liras) for the FIAT 508.
History of the Prototype
Giacosa claims that the new vehicle’s engine’s development began after the coachwork of the car was designed. Giacosa started the engine’s drawing on 1st June 1934 and the engine project was delivered to the Prototype Production Office shortly before August 1934, before the holiday month for FIAT workers.
FIAT’s Prototype Production Office delivered the engine on 15th September 1934, less than two months after the project was finished, although the engine had some noise problems.
On 7th October 1934 (other sources incorrectly claimed 17th October), the prototype, at the time called ‘Zero A’ (A for Aero, from the Aero Engine Office in which the engine was developed), was ready for its test drive.
Due to the speed at which the vehicle had been developed, Giacosa had doubts about its capabilities, especially in terms of driving uphill because of the low engine power and braking system. Having the engine at the front, it was believed that the unbalanced weight forward caused problems, overheating the brakes even during short runs.
For the test, Giacosa and Fessia took turns driving the prototype from the FIAT Lingotto plant on the route Ivrea (~ 80 km) – Andrate (~ 15 km) – Biella (~ 20 km) – Vestignè (~ 40 km) – Borgomasino (~ 5 km) – Cigliano (~ 7 km) and, taking the A4 Highway, returned to Turin (~ 60 km) with a maximum speed on the last part of the test of 82 km/h. During the driving, especially in the Andrate – Biella, the engineers took some dirt mountain roads to test the prototype’s suspension and off-road capabilities.
The road performance was good, comfort during driving was better than other vehicles thanks to the independent suspension, and the brake system worked better than what Giacosa expected.
Three days after the first driving test, on 10th October, the prototype was tested at high speed, reaching the maximum speed of 86 km/h.
The noise problems were solved after a briefing on 11th October during which the various FIAT’s engineers and Giovanni Agnelli himself took part. In a day, the second prototype of the engine, which had 69 hours of testing, was completely dismounted and the rear bearings substituted. The noise persisted and, the very next day, the engine was tested many times, finally finding the problem in the crankshaft bearings. Engineer Giacosa quickly delivered three different crankshaft solutions to substitute the original one on the same day. The new crankshaft led to a quick redesign of the engine.
When Giacosa and Fessia started planning the car, they predicted that 20 hp of power would be needed from the engine. Due to the redesign of the engine, this goal was not achieved, but the result was still excellent. The engine was immediately considered adequate even if it delivered a total of 13 hp due to increased friction of the bearings.
A second Zero A prototype was produced with the necessary modifications. On this second vehicle, the headlights were placed outside the mudguards, while on the first one, they were inside the coachwork.
After more tests during which other small details were fixed, the tooling-up of the production lines was next. Giacosa visited the workshops many times, discussing with worker foremen and continuing to slightly modify the project of the Zero A with their suggestions to make it easier and faster to produce while still maintaining a low waste of resources.
In the end, the serial production FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ weighed 535 kg, 85 kg more than the first prototype.
The vehicle was presented to Benito Mussolini on 10th June 1936 at his home in Villa Torlonia. While testing the car with Senator Agnelli as passenger, the Italian dictator was impressed by the characteristics of the vehicle, despite its rudimentary production.
Prices, Oddities, and Nickname
The FIAT Sales Division decided the name of the new car FIAT 500 and the launch of the car took place on 15th June 1936. It was publicized abroad as the ‘Smallest Car in the World’ and as ‘L’Auto del Popolo Italiano’ (English: The Italian People’s Car) within Italy.
The FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ was sold for 8,900 liras (equivalent to $450 in 1936 or $10,000 in 2023) in the standard version and for 9,700 liras (equivalent to $496 in 1936 or $10,995 in 2023) for the convertible car configuration presented in October 1936.
The FIAT 500’s final total cost was 78% higher than Benito Mussolini’s had demanded because of the inability of the industry to produce such an inexpensive vehicle at the time.
It should also be emphasized that FIAT’s management still wanted to offer a certain degree of comfort for the buyers of the new car. The interior was not spartan, as one might expect from a car aimed at absolute economy.
The 8,900 lira price tag for the car was too much for a worker earning between 200 liras (simple worker) and 400 liras (skilled worker) monthly. The purchase of a FIAT 500 was equivalent to almost 4 years of salary for the former’s case and almost 2 years for the latter.
However, the price was not a major obstacle, especially in Turin, where FIAT workers and their relatives had discounts on the purchase of the cars they produced. The biggest problem with the FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’, which did not limit its sales however, were the only two seats available at the front, which became four with a wooden bench placed in the back, suitable only for transporting two children. When the rear passengers were two adults, the increase in weight decreased the car’s performance significantly.
The nickname of the car, Topolino, literally means ‘little mouse’ in Italian, but is also the Italian name of Walt Disney’s most iconic character: Mickey Mouse.There are a whole load of theories and opinions about the adoption of this particular nickname for the FIAT 500.
Some sources claim that the car was nicknamed Topolino, after Mickey Mouse, due to the presence on the serial vehicles of the external headlights painted black that, from inside the vehicle, reminded the driver and passengers of the characteristic rounded ears of Disney’s character.
Other sources deny the idea of Mickey Mouse being the origin of the name, claiming that it was given due to the fact it was the smallest car produced at the time in Europe. The nickname ‘Little Mouse’ was possibly given for its dimensions and speed, as a mouse is a small and agile animal.
It has to be noted that FIAT never officially adopted the nickname, like, for example, with the ‘Balilla’ nickname for the FIAT 508. However, this is not very important given that these cars are still known today in Italy simply as ‘Topolino’ and ‘Balilla’. The three-digit number or the manufacturer never needs to be mentioned.
The use of the nickname for the ‘Topolino’ is also so common because, in 1957, FIAT presented a new car model known as the FIAT Nuova 500 (English: FIAT New 500), a completely different vehicle that had nothing in common with the ‘Topolino’. Despite the specification of ‘New’ in its name, the vehicle quickly entered the common knowledge of the Italians simply as the FIAT 500. It is still one of the most iconic vehicles of the Italian industry to this day, together with the Piaggio Vespa motorbike. This is one of the reasons why, today, the FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ is simply known as the ‘Topolino’, in order to differentiate between the pre-war FIAT 500 and the post-war FIAT Nuova 500.
Shortly before the war, the Kingdom of Italy had reached a total of 290,000 vehicles registered, meaning that in 3 years, 70,000 new vehicles were registered. Given these numbers, Italy had a motorized vehicle for every 158 persons.
Design
Engine and Liquids
The engine was a water cooled FIAT Tipo 500 flathead engine, 4-cylinder in line, 569 cm3, giving out 13 hp at 4,000 rpm and with a maximum torque of 32.4 Nm at 2,500 rpm. The car was equipped with a Magneti Marelli Tipo S 25 F 14 distributor, while the horizontal carburetor was a Solex 22HD.
The FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ had a total weight of 535 kg, but with two passengers and 50 kg of luggage, the total weight reached 750 kg.The spare wheel (10 kg) and a toolbox (3.5 kg) are also considered.
FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ Speed Fully Loaded
Gear
Maximum speed (km/h)
Surmountable slope (%)
1st
20
22
2nd
32
12.5
3rd
50
7
4th
85
3
The fuel tank had a capacity of 21 liters, of which 3.4 liters of reserve. The fuel consumption of the FIAT Tipo 500 engine was about 6 liters every 100 km, meaning it had a maximum range of 350 km.
The radiator had a capacity of 4.5 liters of water to cool the engine. For the lubricant oil, there were different quantities of various oils with different viscosity. A total of 2 kg of FIAT oil lubricated the engine, and 1.45 kg of FIAT oil CP were used for the gearbox, rear axle housing, and steering box. The brake system was hydraulic on all four wheels, with a brake pedal. The brake system was loaded with 0.55 kg of a special oil for brakes (FIAT suggested the Liquido Speciale Lockheed – Lockheed Special Liquid).
Electrical System
The electric system worked at 12 V and was connected to a Magneti Marelli Tipo 6 BA 7 di 30 Ah battery on the first vehicles produced. After an unknown (but low) number of vehicles produced, the battery was substituted with a Magneti Marelli Tipo 6 VX 7, 38 Ah battery. It had a size of 17.5 x 20 x 25 cm and had a total weight of 19.7 kg with an autonomy, without dynamo, of 10 hours of traveling. The dynamo was a FIAT Tipo 75/12 that charged the battery after the engine reached 1,050 rpm.
The starting engine, until engine number 33,508, had a power of 0.7 hp. From engine number 33,509 onward, the power was increased to 0.9 hp. The ignition coil was a Magneti Marelli Tipo 662-04/20 with a power of 12 volts. The spark plugs were Magneti Marelli Tipo MW 125 T 3 P with dimensions of 12 x 1.25 cm until engine number 60,057. From engine number 60,058 onward, the spark plugs had dimensions of 14 x 1.25 cm.
The FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ was equipped with two 20 watt headlights on the front mudguards (35 watts while in main beam mode). A light was placed between the sun visors with a toggle switch on the dashboard.
On the dashboard were the speedometer, the light for the battery charge, and oil pressure gauge. An inspection bulb socket was placed on the left, under the dashboard panel.
On the first vehicles produced, the signal arrows could be added as an extra on the ‘Topolino’. After the adoption of a new Ministerial Decree on signal arrows in 1937, these were added on all vehicles. Precisely, the signal arrows were added from chassis number 14,421. The driver had to operate them manually with a button located near the steering wheel.
With the decree of 1937, the stop light on the rear also became compulsory on all models and it was placed over the license plate.
Suspension System
The first 46,000 ‘Topolino’ produced had quarter-of-ellipse leaf springs on front and rear axles, with the front ones equipped with hydraulic pistons.
This was an adequate solution for the city car version, but not for the Furgoncino (English: Little Van) version. The first examples had some problems when fully loaded, as their loading bay floor collapsed.
The problem was found to be in the small rear leaf spring suspension and the FIAT Design Office solved the problem by adopting half-of-ellipse leaf springs instead.
In order to increase the production rates and decrease FIAT’s overall costs, it was decided to modify the ‘Topolino’ with half-of-ellipse leaf springs as well, maintaining a single production line for both the models. This change was made in the second half of 1938 and, to distinguish between the two variants of FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’, the terms FIAT 500 a Balestra Corta (English: FIAT 500 with Short Leaf Spring) for the vehicles produced until 1938 and FIAT 500 a Balestra Intera (English: FIAT 500 with Entire Leaf Spring) for the vehicles produced after the modification are unofficially used.
The FIAT 500 a Balestra Intera had an increased weight of 30 kg and was otherwise indistinguishable from the earlier model.
Italian Versions
FIAT 500B
In spring 1948, a new ‘Topolino’ model was presented at the Geneva Motor Show. This was the FIAT 500B, with the pre-war model unofficially receiving the designation FIAT 500A.
The vehicle externally remained essentially unchanged, but internally had many improvements. The engine was modified with a new iron cast cylinder head with overhead valves and some other modifications that brought the total power to 16.5 hp at 4,400 rpm.
The Solex carburetor was substituted with a Weber 22 DRS reverse intake carburetor. Thanks to the increased output, the maximum speed was increased to 95 km/h while the fuel consumption was reduced to 5 liters for 100 km, bringing the range to 420 km.
An anti-roll bar was added on the rear axle, while hydraulic pistons were added on all four wheels.
Other improvements were made inside the passenger compartment with the addition, at the request of the customer, of a heating system for the winter season.
FIAT 500C
In 1948, the last version of the FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ was presented. The new vehicle was the 100th car model designed by FIAT and it was decided to completely change the design of the vehicle.
The chassis was left unchanged, while the engine received a new aluminum cylinder head, maintaining the same output and speed of the FIAT 500B.
The coachwork was completely redesigned, with headlights placed inside it and with a new ‘US-style’ front. The spare wheel was also removed from the usual position on the rear and placed behind the passenger seat.
Like for the pre-war model, in order to accomodate two more passengers at the rear, the convertible variant was needed and the demand on the Italian market for that model was high.
In order to speed up production, the convertible car variant became the standard variant in the production lines. The rigid-roof one was still produced at the specific request of the customer.
Variants
FIAT 500 Furgoncino
The FIAT 500 Furgoncino was introduced in late 1936 and had a payload capacity of 300 kg in its 1 m3 rear space. It was mainly intended for civilian users, such as milkmen, post carriers, suppliers, etc., but was also produced for the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army). The Furgoncino had a single seat for the driver and the spare wheel was placed on the driver’s right instead of the passenger’s seat. After November 1937, the second seat could be reinstalled at the request of the customer. After the introduction of the FIAT 500 a Balestra Intera, the Furgoncino’s suspension was reinforced compared to the half-of-ellipse leaf springs of the ‘Topolino’, with 13 springs instead of 6 on the city car.
After chassis number 100,900, built in December 1946, the vehicle adopted two configurations: angled rear with a single door or vertical rear with two doors.
The FIAT 500 Furgoncino based on the pre-war chassis had a maximum speed of 82 km/h (90 km/h for the FIAT 500B and C chassis) and could overcome 18% slopes. The FIAT 500 Furgoncino production was continued with the FIAT 500B and FIAT 500C and its production ended in 1954.
FIAT 500B and FIAT 500C Giardiniera
In 1946, a brilliant designer, Mario Revelli di Beaumont (son of Abiel, developer of the FIAT-Revelli machine gun and other weapons) presented a new station wagon model while working for the Carrozzeria Viotti (English: Viotti Coachworker). This type of car, built on the FIAT 1100 chassis, was called Giardinetta and does not have a proper translation. The term Giardinetta was used for some years in Italy to refer to station wagons.
Revelli di Beaumont’s innovative solution increased the space inside standard city cars by adding a rear door to make room for luggage or other materials. The spare wheel was stored on the floor of the rear section, under the luggage compartment.
FIAT, which sensed the vehicle’s potential, introduced a similar model for the FIAT 500B that was officially presented at the Turin Motor Show in 1948. As a matter of copyright, FIAT could not call the car Giardinetta, so the FIAT Sales Division renamed it Giardiniera, which had a double meaning:
Giardiniera was a similar name to the model presented by Carrozzeria Viotti, increasing its publicity.
In Piedmont, Giardiniera is an Italian relish of pickled vegetables, a simple dish, really popular among the Italian peasants and workers during and after the war in northwestern Italy. It was simple to cook and with ingredients that almost every Italian family grew in the garden or bought at the market.
The FIAT 500B Giardiniera was characterized not only by a new rear part bodywork, but also the introduction of a second row of seats. The sides of the coachwork were made not only of iron, but also of wood and Masonite (pressure-molded wood), following the example set by Revelli and the US Woodie cars. The wooden parts were produced by the Sezione Carrozzerie Speciali (English: Special Coachwork Section).
A rear door was added to easily store luggage in the back and the space was appreciated by the customers. The space could be increased by lowering the back of the second row of seats.
The FIAT 500B Giardiniera was the first mass-produced station wagon of the world.
With the introduction of the FIAT 500C, the Giardiniera in Legno (English: Wooden Giardiniera) was still produced until 1951. It was substituted on the production line by the Giardiniera Belvedere.
The difference from the previous model was the absence of the wooden and Masonite parts, supplanted by molded iron plates. The iron plates speeded up the production and obviously reduced the overall cost. The lower cost permitted even more Italian families to buy the car. The FIAT 500C Giardiniera Belvedere was the last variant of the FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ produced in Italy, with the last vehicles leaving the factories in late 1955.
Special Variants
FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ Racing Models
The FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ was not only the most popular city car in Italy, but also the base of dozens of racing cars produced in small numbers which took part in famous Italian and European racing competitions.
Unfortunately, many of these beautiful vehicles with characteristic shapes were produced in single prototypes by specialized coachworkers and companies that no longer exist. Tracking their stories or finding information is now difficult, and, in some cases, impossible.
In April 1937, the FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ made its racing debut at the Mille Miglia (English: Thousand Miles) motorsport endurance race. Not being a racing car, obviously none of the FIAT 500-equipped racing teams came close to the podium. However, the ‘Topolino’ won two different races: the Sport Class up to 750 cm3 was won by a FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ Testa SIATA modified by the Turin’s company Società Italiana Applicazioni Tecniche Auto-Aviatorie (SIATA) (English: Italian Society for Technical Applications for Cars and Airplanes) with a powerful overhead valve head engine. The car was driven by Piero Dusio and Ciro Basadonna. Another ‘Topolino’ won the National Touring Class prize for under 750 cm3. The teams arrived at the finish line 50th and 51st respectively. A total of 27 racing teams out of 149 participated in the race with FIAT 500s, some modified by specialized coachworkers, while others were simple civilian models.
In the French 24 Heures du Le Mans (English: 24 Hours of Le Mans) endurance sports car race of June 1937, two SIMCA 5 were among the 48 racing teams. The SIMCA 5 that competed in the 24 Heures du Le Mans was equipped with the smallest engine ever entered in the French race, with a volume of 568 cm3.
The new engine and coachwork of the Amedeo Gordini racing team (sometimes Frenchified into Amédée Gordini) gave the SIMCA a top speed of 110 km/h. Thanks to its performance, the Amedeo Gordini racing team won the prize for the small-engine car class for three years in a row, from 1937, when the SIMCA 5 was first entered, until 1939, before the forced break due to the war. In 1938, Amedeo Gordini’s SIMCA 5 also won the performance index prize.
In the Mille Miglia race of 1938, the ‘Topolino’ cars returned with even more curious shapes. The ones that won the Sport Class under 750 cm3 prize was the Stanguellini SN750 Spider Torricelli, while the other two ‘Topolino’ coachworked by Zagato came right behind. The vehicles were the FIAT 500 Testa SIATA Spider Zagato and the FIAT 500 Testa SIATA Hardtop Zagato.
During the next few years, the FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ continued its participation in motorsport races. In the 1940 edition of the Mille Miglia, the Stanguellini SN750 Testa SIATA Spider Torricelli arrived 12th, winning the Sport Class under 750 cm3 prize. Even after the Second World War, the FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ continued its participation in the Mille Miglia with other curious-shaped coachworks.
It is also worth mentioning the victory of Maria Teresa de Filippis (1926-2016) in the Cava dei Tirreni race in 1948 aboard a FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’. De Filippis then continued her automotive career by becoming the first woman to qualify in Formula 1 races.
FIAT 500C Coupé Bizzarrini ‘Macchinetta’
Another interesting model was the FIAT 500C Bizzarini, also known as ‘Macchinetta’ (English: Little Car). It was a personal development from engineer Giotto Bizzarini (1926-2023). Bizzarini started the development while he was studying at the University of Pisa and brought the car project as a dissertation for its university graduation. After university, the young engineers started the assembly of the car, which began in 1952 and ended the following year.
The chassis was that of a FIAT 500C, while the engine was taken from a FIAT 500B but with the cylinder head of a SIATA sport car. It also equipped the engine with two Dell’Orto carburetors for a total output of 25 or 30 hp (whether one or both carburetors were working).
The engine was then moved over the front wheel axle to decrease the front imbalance of the car. A new coachwork was designed by Bizzarini and completely made of aluminum to decrease the weight of the vehicle.
In the end, the new vehicle, produced as a single prototype, had a maximum speed of 155 km/h. The young engineer went to Ferrari’s plant in Maranello with his product after the assembly.
The founder of Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari, was surprised by the characteristics of the car and decided to hire Bizzarini. This was the start of the fortunate and brilliant career for the Italian designer.
Other Customizations
SIATA Amica 49 and 50
After the Second World War, the Società Italiana Applicazioni Tecniche Auto-Aviatorie produced two GT variants of the FIAT 500B ‘Topolino’, the SIATA Amica 49 (English: SIATA [Female] Friend 49), of which 50 were produced from 1948 to 1949, and the SIATA Amica 50, with 500 produced between 1950 to 1952.
The SIATA Amica 49 had a tubular perimeter frame, while the SIATA Amica 50 had a steel box frame. Both were convertible cars with a SIATA 633 cm3 engine delivering 22 hp that, thanks to the only 580 kg of the car, guaranteed a top speed of 100 km/h. The cars had state-of-art finishes and were among the most luxurious of the era, with elaborate detailing in the upholstery and very distinctive designs.
Zagato
It is impossible to speak of racing and sport versions of the ‘Topolino’ without mentioning Zagato. This was a coachbuilder located in Milan that specialized in coachworking ALFA Romeo, Lancia, FIAT, and Aston Martin cars in small batches for racing or GT cups.
Zagato modified the FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ chassis in many different configurations from 1936 until the 1950s.
One of the first Zagato coachworks was the Trasformabile (English: Convertible Car) that had a short life due to the appearance, in October 1936, of a similar variant coachworked by FIAT itself.
In 1938, the production of the racing versions of the ‘Topolino’ was also started, with the already mentioned FIAT 500 Testa SIATA Spider Zagato and the FIAT 500 Testa SIATA Hardtop Zagato.
During the Second World War, Ugo Zagato, the founder of the company, started the development of a new style of coachwork known as the Panoramica (English: Panoramic), characterized by windows and windshields of greater dimensions compared to standard cars.
After the war, the Panoramica coachwork was adopted on various car chassis, including the FIAT 500B ‘Topolino’ after 1948 and FIAT 500C ‘Topolino’ after 1950.
In the post-war period, Zagato cooperated with Giorgio Giusti, a designer that modified the ‘Topolino’ engine with a new cylinder head in bronze alloy, the so-called Testa d’Oro or Testadoro (English: Gold Head) for the color of the alloy.
The new 600 cm³ engine, coupled with the aerodynamic shape of the Zagato coachworks, created the famous FIAT-Giusti 500 Drin Drin Zagato, which won the Monthléry race in 1947 and had other great success in other races.
In 1948, also in cooperation with Giusti and on the ‘Topolino’ chassis, the FIAT 750 ‘Daniela’ Testadoro Zagato (five to six produced) and the FIAT 750 ‘Marinella’ Testadoro Zagato (four produced) were created. The new cars were powered by new engines developed by Giorgio Giusti’s own Testadoro company. ‘Marinella’ had a 742 cm³ cast iron engine with an aluminum alloy cylinder head. It gave a maximum output of 45 hp at 6,500 rpm. While ‘Daniela’ had the same engine, it had some modifications that brought it to a maximum output of 48 hp at 7,000 rpm.
Other Versions
Other customizations included a three-axle Furgoncino variant produced by Ollearo of Turin and produced in limited numbers. Due to its limited dimensions and payload capacity, this variant was mainly used to advertise various products with their curious shapes.
Another curious variant was the one made for the Fabbrica Italiana Velocipedi Edoardo Bianchi (English: Italian Bicycles Factory Edoardo Bianchi) or simply Bianchi. The company is one of the most famous in Italy not only for its bike production, but also for its participation at the Giro d’Italia (English: Tour of Italy) and Tour de France (English: Tour of France) bicycle races.
For its racing team, Bianchi deployed at least one FIAT 500C ‘Topolino’ in Furgoncino variant produced in 1954 and then specially coachworked as a pick-up by the Carrozzeria Grazia of Bologna in 1961.
The vehicle followed the cyclists during the race and substituted their damaged bikes in case of accidents or tire punctures. It was used for many years, probably with other vehicles coachworked in a similar manner. It was found in the 1990s and completely restored.
Production
Exact data on the production of the car per year is unknown. Dante Giacosa, in the book Forty Years of Design with FIAT, mentions that the FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ reached a production of 100 vehicles daily.
Between mid-1936 and mid-1938, the production was of 46,000 examples, as can be deduced from the introduction of the half-of-ellipse leaf suspensions on the FIAT 500 with chassis number 46,001. This surely was a sensible improvement in Italian vehicle production. The production rates increased, reaching about 20,000 examples produced (compared to an average FIAT 508 production of 16,000 cars per year) until 1940, when the Kingdom of Italy entered the Second World War. The production of everything that was not military-related was drastically reduced, as can be noted by the production of only 177 ‘Topolino’ in 1944.
The production restarted when the war ended in 1945 and was stopped in 1948, with a total of 110,000 examples produced.
The history of the ‘Topolino’ was not finished yet. In 1948, the production of the pre-war model was stopped while, in the same year, the FIAT 500B ‘Topolino’ was introduced. It was produced for shortly more than a year, totaling 21,000 vehicles in various variants. In 1949 came the turn of the FIAT 500C ‘Topolino’ that totalled over 388,000 vehicles until 1955. In total, 519,847 FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ were produced in Italy between 1936 and 1955.
Military Service
Despite being a small city car, the ‘Topolino’ also saw extensive service during the Second World War.
Italy
In North Africa, the Regio Esercito, Italian Regia Aeronautica (English: Royal Air Force), and Wehrmacht deployed small quantities of ‘Topolino’ as staff cars or liaison vehicles. Some Furgoncini were also deployed as ‘medevac’ vehicles or to transport medical equipment.
There is no information about their service, but it is easy to suppose that these small city cars were deployed to be as cheap as possible and did not perform well in operational theaters with extreme weather conditions, such as the Soviet Union or the Libyan desert.
The ‘Topolino’ had problems climbing over hills in cities, so it is difficult to imagine how they could perform off-road without adequate maintenance and spare parts.
Despite their inadequacy, many images testify to the wide use of ‘Topolino’, SIMCA, and NSU-FIAT in Italian and German service.
After the fall of North Africa in 1943 and the later Armistice of 8th September 1943, the Italian Army was disbanded. The majority of the FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ still present in the Italian peninsula not yet liberated by the Allies falled in German hands and their Italian Fascist allies.
Italian Partisans
Some FIAT 500s were deployed by Italian partisans during the Great Partisan Insurrection of April 1945 to quickly transport small groups of fighters and ammunition to the main cities in which fighting occurred. The ‘Topolinos’ as any other motor vehicle in partisan hands, were deployed as needed also as evacuation vehicles for wounded partisans and took part to the partisans paraded at the end of the conflict.
France
The Armée de Terre (English: French Ground Force) adopted the SIMCA 5 (French copy of the ‘Topolino’) for its needs. The vehicles were mainly used as staff cars to transport NCOs, liaison cars to transport important messages from headquarters, as airport cars to quickly carry pilots to the planes located far from the airstrip, and as medical cars to transport lightly wounded soldiers to the nearest hospitals.
From September 1939 until the fall of France in June 1940, the French Army placed various orders, totalling 1,650 SIMCA 5s.
In early 1940, because of the shortage of light vehicles for the Army, some SIMCA 5s intended for the civilian market were taken from the SIMCA plant or even requisitioned from civilians.
Before the surrender of France on 25th June 1940, about 1,000 SIMCA had been delivered to the Armée de Terre, while an unknown number were requisitioned.
Some vehicles also fell to French partisans, who deployed them in the same way as the Axis troops.
In 1944, during the fighting in the La Rochelle pocket against the Germans, French partisans built four improvised armored vehicles. Of the four vehicles, two were based on the SIMCA 5 and were nicknamed Joseph Camaret I and Joseph Camaret II.
The chassis were stripped of the coachwork and protected by armored plates recovered from some factories in La Rochelle. The vehicles did not participate in the clashes but took part in the victory parade after the defeat of the German forces. An example survived the war and is now exhibited in La Rochelle as a war memorial.
Germany
After the capitulation of the Armée de Terre, the German Wehrmacht captured many hundreds of SIMCA 5. Many were captured from batches not yet delivered to the French Army or requisitioned from civilians.
After Operation Barbarossa in 1941, the SIMCA 5s were mainly used as staff cars. Some vehicles were used to quickly deploy medics and their equipment to the frontline or to evacuate lightly wounded soldiers from the battlefield.
After the Italian Armistice of 8th September 1943 and the subsequent occupation of the Italian peninsula by German forces, the FIAT 500 became even more popular in German service.
With Italy having become an inconvenient ally, the Germans captured many Italian FIAT 500s, commandeering them from private individuals or FIAT plants.
The cars were widely deployed by German and Italian fascist troops to patrol areas in which Italian partisans operated or to connect isolated garrisons without deploying more precious military vehicles, such as armored cars or trucks.
Partisans normally steered clear of German or fascist vehicles to avoid confrontation. Sometimes, these cars were at the head of columns and there was a risk of losing the skirmish when confronted with reinforcements.
At the same time, in case small groups of partisans were surprised near the road, the two occupants of the ‘Topolino’ could attack them with the favor of surprise or quickly turn back to call for reinforcements. As the war continued, however, the partisans began to arm themselves better and better and began to ambush isolated vehicles.
Allied Forces
The Allied forces also deployed some FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ and SIMCA 5 captured from the Axis forces. A SIMCA 5 that was still in German three-tone camouflage was deployed by the Brigade Major of the Royal Artillery as a staff car for the officers.
Foreign Versions
SIMCA 5 and SIMCA 6
The French Société Industrielle de Mécanique et de Carrosserie Automobile (SIMCA) (English: Mechanical and Automotive Body Manufacturing Company) was founded in 1934 by Enrico Teodoro Pigozzi, an Italian who lived in France.
In 1926, Pigozzi had founded in France a company to sell FIAT cars and assemble small batches of FIAT cars produced in Italy. After the 1929 crisis, France imposed high taxes on imported vehicles. In 1934, to overcome this problem, Pigozzi with the help of FIAT, founded SIMCA, which would produce license copies of FIAT cars, opening a production plant in Nanterre.
The third model of FIAT car produced was the FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’, known in France as the SIMCA 5 or SIMCA Cinq (English: Five).
The first preseries FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ examples arrived at SIMCA, in France, before the official presentation of the car to the Italian Duce. The first SIMCA 5 was presented on 10th March 1936, but the production was delayed due some worker strikes in France in that period.
Unlike its sister from the other side of the Alps, the SIMCA 5 was not only available in two cheap configurations, but was also in expensive ones.
The ‘Standard’ model had a price of 9,900 Francs (equivalent to $382 in 1936 or $8,475 in 2023). It had the same mechanics and characteristics as the ‘Topolino’, but was not equipped with a spare wheel and running board between the front and rear wheel axles. The ‘Standard’ model was produced only until August 1936.
The SIMCA 5 ‘Luxury’ had a price of 10,900 Francs and had the spare wheel, two windshield wipers, and frontal bumper (in Italy, this was an extra). The SIMCA 5’s bumper was divided into two parts, leaving the radiator grille uncovered, while on the few Italian examples that received the bumper, it was in a single piece.
Other models of the SIMCA 5 were the ‘Grand Luxe’ (11,950 Francs) and ‘Super Luxe’ (12,750 Francs), which had refined interiors. The last and most expensive model, the ‘Découvreable Grand Luxe’ (English: Grand Luxury Convertible Car) had a price of 12,950 Francs.
In October 1937, SIMCA presented a new version of the 5 in van configuration, known as the ‘Fourgonnette’ (English: Little Van). It was externally identical to the Italian one, although it had a lighter payload of 250 kg.
Production started in 1936 but was stopped due to the war in June 1940 and restarted in 1946, finally stopping in 1948 after reaching a total of 46,472 SIMCA 5s built.
In 1948, while the FIAT 500B was still produced in Italy, SIMCA presented the SIMCA 6, a copy of the already designed but not yet produced FIAT 500C. Only 16,508 were produced from summer 1948 until 1950. In total, in France, 62,980 SIMCA 5 and 6s were produced between 1936 and 1950.
Polski-FIAT 500
The FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ was produced in Poland by Państwowe Zakłady Inżynierii or PZInż (English: National Institute of Engineering) in its production plant in Warsaw. The cooperation between PZInż and FIAT started with the license agreement signed on 21th September 1932 for the assembly and later production of the FIAT 508 ‘Balilla’.
Little is known about the production and service of the FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ in Poland. The Polski-FIAT 500 production probably started in 1937 and was suspended in September 1939, when Germany invaded the country.
FIAT-NSU 500
In 1928, the German company NSU Motorenwerke was forced to sell its new production plant of Heilbronn to FIAT due financial problems. In summer 1929, the NSU Automobil AG was founded in the Heilbronn plant. In 1934, it started to assemble and then produce FIAT cars for the German market.
As with SIMCA and PZInż, the first FIAT car produced was a copy of the FIAT 508 ‘Balilla’, known on the German market as the NSU-FIAT 1000. After a series of modifications and new models (such as the NSU-FIAT 1500), in 1937, the German company presented the NSU-FIAT 500.
The NSU-FIAT 500 was produced from 1937 to 1941 when, due to war needs, the factory stopped the production of vehicles for the civilian market. In total, until 1941, about 4,000 NSU-FIAT 500 were produced in Germany. The vehicles were also produced in the Furgoncino configuration.
After the war, the FIAT license production was restarted and, in 1951, substituted with the NSU-FIAT 500C, of which 9,064 were produced until 1955.
Surely, the most famous German version of the ‘Topolino’ was the NSU-500 Spider, a roadster coachworked by Karosseriewerke Weinsberg (English: Weinsberg Coachworker). The total number of cars produced in this version is unknown, but it was popular due to its characteristic shape.
Other License Production Around the World
The ‘Topolino’ production history did not end with Germany. Unfortunately there is little information about the other manufacturers and it is difficult to track their histories and total numbers.
The Austrian FIAT-Steyr company produced the FIAT 500 from Complete Knock Down (CKD) kits from 1952 to 1956, namely the FIAT 500C ‘Topolino’ city car, Furgoncino, and Giardiniera variants. No data on their precise numbers is given.
The Indian company Premier produced the FIAT 500 after the Second World War in the B version, but there is no more information about how many were produced.
Another nation which produced the FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ was New Zealand. The Todd Motors company produced small batches of the Italian car starting from 1937.
The ‘Topolino’ in other Parts of the World
The FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ had a discrete export success for such a small car. It was sold in various nations around the world before and after the Second World War.
At least one example was used during the filming of the US film The More the Merrier directed by George Stevens in 1943, while other vehicles were sold in the United States in small quantities.
Other vehicles were sold to Argentina, where the Italian community was very much present (today, 47% of Argentininans have Italian ancestors). It is unknown how many FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ were sold in Argentina, but the majority were bought by Italians who lived there.
Returning to Europe, many FIAT 500 were also sold in the Netherlands before and after the Second World War. Other cars were also sold in the United Kingdom, where the Furgoncino variant also had a small success.
In 1939, the British Sidney Smith Garage company in Purley presented the FIAT-SIATA Smith Special, a roadster variant of the ‘Topolino’. It had a 20.8 hp at 2,500 rpm SIATA overhead engine that powered the car to a top speed of 95 km/h. It had enough space to accommodate a driver and passenger and even two other passengers in the rear. The total number of FIAT-SIATA Smith Specials produced is unknown, but at least four still exist today.
In the 1950s, Hamblin, a British small manufacturer of sports car bodies, presented some FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ converted to sports cars for the 750 cm3 competition class.
Some FIAT 500s were also sold to Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Spain almost surely only after the war, but their use and total number is unknown.
Conclusion
The FIAT 500 ‘Topolino’ was one of the most famous cars produced in Italy during the Fascist regime. Thanks to its characteristics and cost, it was bought by a large portion of the Italian population and saw incredible success around the world, with thousands of licensed vehicles produced and sold in many nations.
Developed to be a cheap city car, it was forced into war to be deployed by various armies in Europe, with bad results in dusty desert or harsh steppes. In the ‘Topolino’s’ defense, this was not what it had been designed for.
After the Second World War, it was still produced and sold in Italy and Europe, becoming one of FIAT’s most successful vehicles.
FIAT 500A ‘Topolino’ Specification
Size (L-W-H)
3.215 x 1.275 x 1.377 m
Curb Weight
535 kg
Fully Loaded Weight
750 kg
Passengers
2 (4)
Engine
FIAT petrol, in-line, 4-cylinders, 569 cm³, delivering 13 hp at 4,000 rpm.
Fuel reserve
21 liters
Speed
85 km/h
Range
350 km
Production
519,847
Sources
I miei 40 anni di Progettazione alla FIAT – Dante Giacosa
Also in English language as: Forty Years of Design with FIAT – Dante Giacosa
Ukraine (2002)
Main Battle Tank – 1 Prototype Built
The T-62AG and T-62AGM were Ukrainian upgrades for the Soviet T-62 Main Battle Tank (MBT). Both upgrade kits could successfully bring any 2nd Generation T-62 MBT variant to 3rd Generation MBT standards of the early 2000s.
While the T-62AG made it to the prototype stage, the T-62AGM was just a concept, but it would have been an upgrade kit identical to the T-55AGM, just on the more modern T-62. The AGM kit was intended to fit both MBTs.
A single T-62AG prototype was produced and was tested by Egypt in 2009. Unfortunately, due to the Egyptian political situation of 2011, not a single upgraded T-62 was adopted.
Context
Before the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine produced significant amounts of Soviet hardware, such as MBTs, in plants such as the Malyshev Factory in Kharkiv. This single factory made over 800 MBTs in the last year of Soviet rule.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, between 5,000 and 7,000 tanks remained inside Ukrainian borders. According to the website globalsecurity.com, between 1995 and 2014, the number of operational tanks in the Ukrainian ranks decreased from 5,000 to 1,100 due to budget cuts.
In order to increase the number of operable vehicles, the Ukrainian Army adopted a unique solution. First of all, Ukraine had many tank building plants that had participated in the production of the Soviet T-64 main battle tanks in the eastern part of the country. They could also count on many workshops specialized in repairing Soviet MBTs and on tons of spare parts lying in Cold War era depots. Ukraine then decided to totally remove the few T-62s still in service and reduce the number of T-72 MBTs in its ranks, accelerating the reconditioning of T-64s.
The T-62AG and the T-62AGM were thus only meant for export.
The necessity of maintaining a large fleet of main battle tanks in the late 1990s pushed the Ukrainians to start developing upgrades for Soviet vehicles, such as the T-62AG and the T-62AGM, which appeared around the same time as other developments in the early 2000s, such as the T-55AGM and the T-72-120. All these upgrades were intended for export, hoping to gain money to recondition the T-64 fleet. However, due to poor market results with these upgraded vehicles, Ukraine started selling main battle tanks (even in bad condition) to various parts of the world, becoming, between 2010 and 2014, the ninth weapon supplier in the world.
The production of armament, such as copies of Soviet small arms and equipment, also offered Ukraine adequate funds to finance its armored fleet.
In the early 2000s, a single MBT in working condition cost the Ukrainian Army 2,000 UAH (about 400 USD) per day, too much to be sustained by a relatively poor nation (53rd largest economy in the world in 2021, behind Iraq ).
The tanks were simply stored inside depots or plant yards. One of the most prominent Ukrainian abandoned fleets was the outdoor storage area in the Kyiv Armored Vehicles Plant. Before February 2022, this held about 350 former Soviet T-62s, T-64s, and T-72s in all kinds of working order, from partially running condition to rusty hulls. The tanks present before the Ukrainian conflict in the Kyiv Armored Vehicles Plant were probably one-third of the main battle tanks present in Ukraine in 2015, as stated by the Kyiv Post newspaper.
T-62AG and T-62AGM
The AG upgrade kit was the first developed and the only one that has been mounted on a prototype, while the AGM kit was never mounted on a T-62. The AGM kit was instead mounted on a T-55. The AGM kit was developed by Ukraine after the AG kit (between 2002 and 2006) and then mounted on a T-55.
Later, the T-55AGM was modified along with the Diseños Casanave Corporation (English: Casanave Designs Corporation) of Peru, which created the Tifón-2A (Typhoon-2A), with Ukrainian designation T-55M8-A2.
The T-62AG kit was developed from a previous upgrade project by the Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau or KMBD for the T-72. The T-72AG was presented by the Morozov Bureau in 1997 at the IDEX ’97 exhibition in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.
The particularity of the T-62AG, as the KMBD officially reported, was the ease of upgrading any T-62 variant. This meant that all nations that still had the T-62 in use in any of its variants, from the T-62 Obr. 1960 up to the T-62MV, in reserve or active service, could bring their MBT to the T-62AG level. In the early 2000s, around 30 nations still had the T-62 in service.
The kit was intended for customers with limited budgets and was meant to be installed locally, in their own country. The AG kit could be installed on a T-62 in a workshop with only six staff members with the minimum requisite skills in 20 days with iron cutting equipment, welding equipment, and a 15-tonne crane.
The AGM kit was intended for nations that could invest more in upgrading T-62s and incorporated more expansive devices. Due to the absence of an actual prototype, the KMBD never provided details of time, staff, and machinery needed to bring a T-62 up to the AGM standard.
At the request of a specific customer, the KMBD could provide the T-62AG with or without a soft-kill Active Protection System (APS) and different main armament, a 120 mm smoothbore gun capable of firing NATO-standard ammunition or a Soviet-derived 125 mm smoothbore gun.
For the T-62AGM, the optional features were increased. First of all, it would have incorporated an autoloader and the APS would be standard. Also, the customer could request different output engines. Another unique feature of the AGM kit was that it could be mounted on any subvariant of the T-54, T-55, T-62, and even the Chinese Type 59.
Ukrainian Upgrades on the T-62
Upgrade Name
Weight (tonnes)
Engine Power
Main Gun
Autoloader
Ammunition
T-62AG
39.5
700 hp
125 mm KBM-1M
No
35 x 125 mm
T-62AG
39.5
700 hp
120 mm KBM-101
No
35 x 120 mm
T-62AG (w/ APS)
39.6
700 hp
125 mm KBM-1M
No
35 x 125 mm
T-62AG (w/ APS)
39.6
700 hp
120 mm KBM-101
No
35 x 120 mm
T-62AGM
50.0
850 hp
125 mm KBM-1
Yes
34 x 125 mm
T-62AGM
50.1
1,050 hp
125 mm KBM-1
Yes
34 x 125 mm
T-62AGM
50.0
850 hp
120 mm KBM-2
Yes
34 x 120 mm
T-62AGM
50.1
1,050 hp
120 mm KBM-2
Yes
34 x 120 mm
T-62AG Design
Engine and Transmission
For the upgrade, the old Soviet V-55V diesel engine, delivering 580 hp at 2,000 rpm, and its synchronized manual transmission with five forward and one reverse gears were removed.
Instead, the T-62AG was equipped with a 5TDF in-line 5-cylinder multi-fuel, high supercharger, liquid-cooled, direct injection diesel engine with opposed pistons and horizontal cylinders. This engine was an upgrade of the older 1950s 5TD engine produced by the Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau for the Soviet T-64. A great feature of this engine was its small dimensions within the original T-62 engine compartment. The 5TDF had a maximum output of 700 hp at 2,800 rpm. The new 5TDF engine weighed 1,040 kg compared to the 920 kg of the Soviet V-55V engine.
Due to the engine type, the fuel consumption was high compared to modern conventional fuel tank engines. The table below explains the differences between the 5TDF engine and the older V-55V, the IVECO Cursor diesel engine mounted on the Italian B2 Centauro wheeled tank destroyer and the German MTU MB 837 Ka-500 mounted on the Palmaria SPG. Note that the B2 Centauro weighs about 9 tonnes less than the T-62AG and the Palmaria SPG weighs 6 tonnes more than the T-62AG.
Comparison between 5TDF opposed pistons engine and conventional engines
Engine name
Maximum output (hp)
Engine weight (kg)
Consumption (l/km)
Volume (cm3)
V-55V
580
920
2.1
38,880
5TDF
720
1,040
1.92
13,600
IVECO Cursor
700
975
0.65
20,000
MTU MB 837 Ka-500
750
1,550
1.16
29,900
The engine could operate with diesel, gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel, or a mixture in any proportion. Nonetheless, the standard fuel intended for the vehicle was diesel.
5TDF engine tests with various fuels on a T-64B
Fuel Type
at 2,600 rpm
at 2,000 rpm
Engine Power (hp)
Exhaust gasses emitted (%)
Engine Power (hp)
Exhaust gasses emitted (%)
Diesel
429
50
372
50
Petrol A-76
248
20
245
23
Kerosene TS-1
345
25
311
24
50% Petrol and 50% Kerosene
273
12
274
16
75% Petrol and 25% Kerosene
257
26
254
22
Even if the percentage of visible exhaust gasses increased sensibly, the 5TDF gave a better performance with diesel fuel.
The power of the engine was enough to guarantee increased mobility even if the exact performance data is unknown. The 37-tonne T-62 had a maximum speed of 55 km/h with its original 580 hp engine. On the other hand, the T-62AG weighed between 39.5 tonnes to 39.6 tonnes (depending on the variant), and with the new 700 hp, had a maximum speed between 65 km/h to 70 km/h.
The driver could start the engine with an electrical starter, by means of a button. To drive the tank, the driver had a hydraulic steering system and a digital display for the speedometer, fuel reserve, etc.
The new transmission had an automatic gearbox with 7 forward and 4 reverse gears. The planetary gears allowed the tank to turn around a track axle when a gear was engaged, or pivot when no gears were engaged. The new transmission also guaranteed a maximum reverse speed of 30 km/h.
New self-sealing flexible-bag-type fuel tanks were installed. These were contained in armored metal containers that had an explosion suppression system. The T-62AG had an increased fuel capacity of 960 liters compared to the original 675 liters. Despite this, the fuel consumption remained similar to the V-55V diesel engine. As on all Soviet-style armored vehicles, on the rear, there were supports for two external fuel drums, for a total capacity of 400 liters of fuel. In total, without the external fuel barrels, the tank had a range of about 500 km.
The air filters for the engine were also modified and mounted at 1.80 m from the ground. This guaranteed a fording capacity of 1.80 m without preparation. The new filters also reduced maintenance with 99.8% air filtering capabilities. Also, the lifetime of the filters was increased to about 1,000 km before the crew had to dismount and clean them. When properly prepared and equipped with a snorkel kit, the T-62AG could ford 5 m deep water obstacles.
Protection and Survivability
The original T-62’s armored structure remained unmodified, with 102 mm thick armored plates on the hull glacis, 80 mm on the hull sides, 242 mm on the turret’s front and 165 mm on the turret’s sides.
Thanks to the appliqué armor kit and stand-off armor panels, the protection increased on the front and sides of the turret and hull. Together with the appliqué armor, the tank was equipped with supports for Ukrainian-designed 3rd Generation Nizh (English: Knife) Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) blocks on the turret and chassis.
The appliqué armor was the Deflek-T ceramic armor type and was also proposed for the T-55AGM. It consisted of a series of steel plates, composite materials, and polymer plates. The Deflek-T increased resistance against Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot Fin-Stabilized (APDSFS) rounds by 89% and against shaped charges rounds by up to 170%.
The Nizh ERA was designed by various Ukrainian companies and manufactured in Ukraine by the state enterprise Fundamental Center of Crucial Technologies and officially adopted by the Ukrainian Army in 2003. The Nizh ERA block has the peculiarity of eliminating or minimizing damage to adjacent blocks by 200% to 300%, increasing the tank’s resistance to multiple impacts compared to other ERA designs. The Nizh is a secure ERA, capable of withstanding small arms fire up to 30 mm automatic guns, without detonation from splinters or high temperatures, such as fire from Molotov Cocktails or napalm.
Compared to the Russian Kontakt-5, the Nizh ERA has increased efficiency, from 180% to 270%. The reason why the Nizh ERA is so effective, is that it uses cylindrical-shaped explosive charges shaped like hollow charges forming shaped charge-like jets that “cut” either the cumulative jet from a shaped charge or kinetic projectiles. This should reduce or completely mitigate their penetration performance. It also guarantees lowered explosive damage on the vehicle’s armor due to detonation, easy mounting, and lower cost.
The Nizh increased the resistance against 120 mm APDSFS rounds up to 1,750 m/s to 160% and against HEAT rounds to about 260%.
Nizh ERA blocks were positioned on the upper and lower hull front, forward third of the hull sides, turret front, and turret sides. This was made to save weight while still protecting the most sensible areas of the tank. Some Nizh ERA bricks were also installed on the turret’s roof and the turret cupolas. This marginally increased protection against top-attack ATGMs or artillery rounds, but could be more useful against loitering munitions.
Both the Deflek-T and ERA blocks sensibly increased the protection of the T-62AG and AGM. To give an example, the T-55AGM, with the same appliqué armor and ERA, was protected from 120 mm APDSFS and HEAT rounds up to 2,000 m. This meant that the protection increased by 250% against APDSFS rounds and by 430% against shaped charge rounds.
Plastic flaps were added as side skirts to protect the lower part of the hull, the hull’s lower frontal armor, and the turret. Plastic protection act as spaced armor by detonating hollow charges earlier, decreasing their penetrative capacity. For maintenance or regular crew checks, the plastic flaps could easily be raised upward.
The paint on the additional armor and the T-62AG was meant to decrease its infrared (IR) signature and make it a difficult target for thermal weapons and cameras.
The turret was equipped with an 8-tube 81 mm 902V Tucha, or as the Ukrainians called it, “Khmara” smoke launcher, positioned in three rows on the right side to protect the vehicle.
The T-62AG was equipped with a Laser Warning Receiver (LWR). It detected and located the direction of laser emissions from laser guidance systems and laser rangefinders.
The Ukrainian Varta soft-kill Active Protection System (APS), as designed by the Ukrainian Optical-Electronic Countermeasures Complex, was optional for the AG kit and standard for the AGM. The soft-kill APS was produced by the Ukrainian State Institute of Chemical Research in Shostka, Sumy Oblast. The Varta APS consisted of a detecting subsystem with four laser warning receivers. Of these, two were simply detectors that alerted the crew that the vehicle had been targeted by a laser beam, while two precision receivers signaled to the commander the position of the emitted laser with a success rate of 12 spotted positions out of 20 during tests.
When the first receivers detected a laser beam, the Varta automatically sprayed an aerosol screen in the direction of the laser guidance system or laser rangefinder. The aerosol created a screen at 20 m from the vehicle in 0.5 seconds to cover the vehicle. The spays would have been launched by the 81 mm 902V Tucha smoke launchers mounted on the right side of the turret and would have covered the vehicle even from thermal sights.
The Varta had a total of 20 shots available, but only protected the tank on an arc of 45° on both sides of the main gun. The crew could set the Varta soft-kill APS to be automatic, semi-automatic, or manual.
Other countermeasures of the Varta APS consisted of a pair of moving IR lights, which emitted coded pulses to deceive IR-guided missiles, and electro-optical jammers against wire-guided and radio-guided ATGMs. This subsystem was taken from the Soviet Shtora electro-optical active protection system officially adopted by the Russians for the T-90. Despite the effectiveness of these IR and electro-optical ATGMs countermeasures, their detection arc was only 20° on both sides of the main gun and only 2° on vertical.
The T-62AG prototype was not equipped with this expansive soft-kill APS in order to decrease the prototype’s production costs.
If the spay failed and the jammers broke, the system could be set to automatically activate one smoke launcher to cover the vehicle from laser beams and conventional optics.
Alternatively, the original T-62 option of igniting diesel on the hot exhaust pipes to generate a smokescreen around the vehicle to cover it and nearby troops remained functional.
A new Nuclear Biological and Chemical (NBC) overpressure system was also equipped, with a radiation sensor to measure external radiation.
An external PRKhR-M monitoring device was mounted to detect poison gasses or radiation. It created an alert for the crew with acoustic and light signals indicating that the area was contaminated, even if it did not specify what type of gas or radiation was detected and in which concentration.
The fire extinguisher system was of a modern type, with optic and thermal sensors, automatically activated with high degrees of efficiency with an extinguish time of 0.15 seconds in the fighting compartment and a maximum of 10 seconds in the engine compartment. In case of failure, it could be activated manually using three levers located in different parts of the vehicle to be quickly pushed by crew members in case of necessity. Each crew member also had at their disposal a fire extinguisher. The engine deck was equipped with screens that prevented burning liquids from Molotov Cocktails launched at the tank from pouring into the engine compartment.
To increase crew comfort, a KTR Climate Control System was installed. Not only did it warm the fighting compartment in frigid temperatures, but it also acted as an air conditioner for warmer temperatures.
For further increased crew comfort, new seats and an automatic transmission were introduced to decrease the stress on the driver during long drives.
Main Armament
To make the vehicle able to counter the most modern MBTs, the Morozov Machine Building engineers upgraded the tank’s main armament. The older 115 mm U-5TS smoothbore gun was substituted with a 120 mm KBA-101 or a 125 mm KBM-1M smoothbore gun, depending on a customer’s requirements.
These two guns are the Ukrainian designations for the 120 mm KBM-2 and 125 mm KBM-1 smoothbore guns without an automatic loader.
The KBM-1 is a copy of a Soviet 2A46M 125 mm gun, with a total length of 6.90 m and a barrel length of 6,000 mm (L.48). It was capable of firing Gun-Launched Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (GLATGMs). It had a maximum muzzle velocity of 1,700 m/s with 3BM42 ‘Mango’ Soviet-designed APDSFS rounds.
When the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine had tank production plants but not a single gun plant. The 2A46M smoothbore gun was then produced from 1998 in a reconditioned drilling pipe factory. Even if the factory had many of the necessary toolings for gun production, the result of producing smoothbore barrels with unskilled workers was a decrease in barrel life to 50% or even 25% compared to the Soviet ones. For these reasons, the KBM-1 production was quickly stopped. A new 125 mm smoothbore tank gun was designed by the Ukrainians. It had the same caliber but was 6,678 mm long, reducing the breech dimensions. It was designed as KBM-3 and mounted on the Ukrainian T-84 MBT.
The introduction of the KBM-3 casts doubt that the Ukrainians mounted the KBM-1 gun on the T-62 upgrade in 2002, as they had a better quality gun in production at the time. This is probably a common error, given that many sources state that even the T-55AGM was equipped with the older 125 mm KBM-1 gun.
Both Ukrainian 125 mm tank guns could fire all the Soviet and the majority of Russian ammunition for their original 125 mm smoothbore cannon.
The design of the Ukrainian KBM-2 gun began in 1999 by the State Scientific and Technical Center for Artillery and Rifle Arms with the help of the French company GIAT and produced at the Malyshev Factory. It did not have standard NATO 120 mm gun length, as it is 50 calibers long, with a barrel length of 6 m, and not L.44 or L.55, as on standard NATO MBTs. Despite the difference in barrel length, the Ukrainian gun is capable of firing a whole range of 120 mm NATO-standard rounds. The KBM-2 had a total weight of 2,600 kg, 100 kg more than the KBM-1.
The smoothbore guns were designed with a short-recoil system, between 260 mm and 300 mm, with a maximum recoil of 310 mm. The recoil system took up most of the recoil travel of comparable guns, permitting them to be installed in the small turret of the T-55 and T-62. The operational life of the two smoothbore guns was 1,000 rounds fired.
The increased firepower gave the T-62AG the anti-tank capabilities of many modern MBTs, such as the Leopard 2A5, M1A2 Abrams, Merkava Siman IV, and Russian T-72, T-80, and T-90. Thanks to an adequate fire-control system (FCS), protection, and new armament, the T-62AG could become a serious threat against each of these MBTs, designed decades after the official entrance into service of the T-62.
A feature shared only with a few new MBTs was the GLATGM capabilities. The Kombat ATGM, developed and produced by Ukraine, could be fired by the 125 mm gun, with a maximum range of 5,000 m. On the 120 mm version, another type of ATGM was fired, the Falarick 120 GLATGM.
The Falarick 120 ATGM was developed by the Belgian company Cockerill as the Falarick 105 for 105 mm rifled guns.
A further development by the Kyiv Engineering and Aviation Design Bureau for 120 mm smoothbore guns is the Konus ATGM. It had the same range and speed as the Kombat GLATGM. The missiles were equipped with tandem HEAT warheads to defeat even targets equipped with ERA blocks or spaced armor, with a total armor penetration for the Kombat of 750 mm and 700 mm for the Konus. The ATGMs could also be deployed against helicopters.
The turret rotation was enabled by an electric engine, while a hydraulic system elevated and depressed the gun. In case of breakdown, the turret could be rotated by a manual handwheel, as was the gun.
The total main gun ammunition for the T-62AG was 35 120 mm or 125 mm rounds and 5 GLATGMs. The T-62AGM had a 34 round reserve for both 120 mm or 125 mm guns and 5 GLATGMs.
Secondary Armament
The secondary armament on both the AG and AGM variants consisted of a 7.62 mm KT-7,62 medium machine gun, a Ukrainian variant of the Russian PK machine gun. Upon the customer’s request, it could be substituted with a Soviet 7.62 mm PKT medium machine gun. The machine gun was mounted coaxially to the main gun, on the right, and could be operated by the gunner and commander.
The 12.7 mm KT-12,7 anti-aircraft heavy machine gun, a copy of the Russian NSVT machine gun, positioned on the commander cupola, was stabilized in the vertical axis. At the customer’s specific request, the Soviet 12.7 mm NSVT heavy machine gun could be mounted instead of its Ukrainian copy.
The only difference in this regard between the AG and AGM kits was that, on the AG, the anti-aircraft gun was manually operated. On the AGM, the 1ETs29E anti-aircraft machine gun control system was installed. It permitted the commander to aim and fire the KT-12,7 with the hatch closed. The remote-controlled gun had PZU-7M sights and a rangefinder incorporated into the fire-control system. The PZU-7M sight had a magnification of 1.2x, 50° field of view, and an elevation from -10° to +85°.
While remotely operated, the 12.7 mm machine gun could engage targets up to 2,000 m during the day and up to 800 m during the night. The machine gun had an elevation from -5° to +75° and a total traverse of 170°. In total, there were 450 rounds for the 12.7 mm KT-12,7 heavy machine gun in three 150-round magazines and 2,500 rounds for the KT-7,62 on both tank models.
T-62AG Fire-Control System and Optic Devices
The original T-62 was equipped with a TSh2B-41 optical sight with a magnification ranging between 3.5x with a field of view of 18° to 7x with a field of view of 9°. Thanks to this sight, the original T-62 could detect targets up to 3,000 m during the day. For night vision, there was the TPN-1-41-11 electro-optical active-IR monocular periscope with a maximum magnification of 3.5x and a field of view of 6°. It worked thanks to L-2G tungsten white IR searchlights and could detect targets up to 800 m during the night.
The commander had at his disposal a TKN-3 day/night binocular periscope with an active-IR night channel. For this optic, there was an OU-3GK white IR spotlight mounted on the commander’s cupola. The TKN-3 was a generation 0 image converter with only active night vision with a maximum range of 400 m. The magnification ranges from 4.75x for the day channel to 4x for the night channel.
The original T-62 engagement procedure was simple. The commander spotted targets and estimated their ranges with his optic. The gunner aimed his optical sight, coaxial to the main gun, and elevated it against the target.
The Fire-Control System of the T-62AG is of an unknown type, even if it maintained the original Soviet optics and devices of the Volna FCS adopted on the Soviet T-62M. One of the most notable external subsystems of the Volna was the KTD-2 Soviet rangefinder mounted over the cannon barrel. This rangefinder had a minimum range of 500 m and a maximum of 4,000 m.
Modularity Items Shared by Both Upgrades
The appliqué armor and stand-off armor panels were both designed to be easily removable if damaged and replaced with new panels in less than an hour. The armor modules could be even substituted by new types of armored modules if the need arose to update the add-on armor kit.
The ease of removing panels would also be useful in peaceful times. The crews could train without the armor modules, thus saving on weight, which in turn minimized fuel consumption and wear and tear.
As an alternative to the Varta soft-kill APS, the vehicle could be equipped only with Linkey-SPZ Optronic Countermeasure Systems.
When the LWR detected an enemy laser beam pointed at the MBT, it automatically launched a smoke grenade to hide the tank behind a smokescreen.
The smoke launchers could be equipped with 81 mm smoke grenades that were a Ukrainian copy of the Soviet 81 mm 3D6 smoke grenades. This old grenade only covered the tank from optical sights. The GD-1 aerosol grenades were adopted by Ukraine against thermal sights, similar to the Russian 3D17 smoke grenades.
On both the T-62AG and T-62AGM upgrades, the engine, transmission, cooling system, and other parts were easily removable as a whole by the crew with a crane and substituted with a new one to put the tank again in combat in the shortest possible time. To do so, the crew had to remove the tracks from the sprocket wheels and remove the engine compartment.
This meant that the crew could even substitute the 850 hp engine-equipped compartment with the powerful 1,050 hp 5TDF engine-equipped compartment, making the AG and AGM upgrades more versatile.
T-62AGM Design
The T-62AGM was a further development of the T-62AG. The AGM kit was intended to be installed on T-54s, T-55s, Type 59s, and T-62s, depending on a customer’s needs. The AGM kit consisted of the upgrade of firepower, mobility, and protection modules of the Soviet-style MBTs.
Engine
Due to some additions, such as the autoloader, the weight of the AGM kit would have been higher than that of the AG by about 10 tonnes. For this reason, more powerful engines would be mounted on the vehicle.
The first option was the Ukrainian 5TDFM, with the same weight and characteristics as the 5TDF, but delivering 850 hp at 2,800 rpm. When this new engine was officially presented by the Ukrainians in September 2011 at the 8th International Exhibition of Armament, Military Equipment and Ammunition in Nizhny Tagil, Russia, it was recognized by sector experts as the best in the world in its class. Even Vladimir Putin, who visited the Exhibition, admired the Ukrainian development, considering it “promising”, as many media outlets reported.
The overall vehicle’s increased weight did offset the advantages of the new engine, as its speed and range remained unchanged. The 5TDF, together with its upgraded variant, could operate in external temperatures of -40° to +55°, making the upgraded MBT capable of operating in basically any location in the world.
Optionally, the T-62AGM could also be equipped with the even more powerful 5TDFMA engine, also developed from the 5TDF. It developed 1,050 hp at 2,850 rpm, with a total weight of 1,080 kg. With the new powerful engine, the vehicle’s performance on and off-road increased, as did fuel consumption and the MBT’s total weight, from 50 tonnes to 50.10 tonnes.
The 5TDFMA engine, mounted on the T-55AGM prototype that weighed 46 tonnes, increased the performance of the vehicle to 78 km/h with forward gears and up to 35 km/h with reverse gears.
Ukrainian Engines
Name
Weight (kg)
Dimensions (mm)
Power (hp)
Specific Fuel Consumption (g/kWh)
Fuel Consumption (diesel – l/h)
V-55V
920
Unknown
580
174
86
5TDF
1,040
1,413 × 955 × 581
700
158
96
5TDFM
850
160
118
5TDFMA
1,080
1,050
153
140
The Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau technicians underlined how modular this new upgrade was. Depending on the customer’s financial capabilities, only certain aspects could be upgraded, leaving the others unchanged. For example, only the firepower of an older T-62 could be increased by installing the autoloader and new optics, while leaving the old powertrain and protection untouched to save on costs.
Fire-Control System and Optic Device
The T-62AGM was equipped with the LIO-V Fire-Control System (FCS), the same ballistic computer produced by the Malyshev Factory in Kharkiv adopted by the Ukraninans on other upgraded MBTs, such as the upgraded T-64BV, and the T-84 Oplot.
The FCS was equipped with two rangefinders for the commander and gunner. Other subsystems are the DVE-BS anemometer and the 2E42M main gun 2-axle stabilizer.
The FCS subsystems provided the LIO-V with data on the outside temperature, air humidity, and wind speed, necessary for shooting accuracy. After receiving the inputs, the digital ballistic computer made the necessary corrections to aim the gun and provided a very high possibility of hitting the target on the first shot. The LIO ballistic computer permitted the crew to open fire with the highest chance of hitting the target while standing still or moving, against static or moving targets up to 2,000 m (over 2,000 m, it had an 80% chance to hit the target with the first shot). The tank could fire in all weather conditions, day and night.
The gunner was equipped with the 1G46M day sight. It had a two-axis stabilizer and incorporated a laser rangefinder. By changing the laser rangefinder’s frequency, the crew could use the laser beam as target designators for missile guidance capability.
The gunner’s sight was also fitted with a 2-axis stabilizer to increase precision during moving. The magnification ranged from 2.7x with a 20° field of view to 12x with a 4° field of view. The incorporated rangefinder had a minimum range of 400 m to a maximum of 5,115 m ± 10 m.
The gunner had at his disposal a night vision Buran-Catherine thermal imaging sight. The Buran-Catherine incorporated a gunner’s optronic sight and a monitor for the commander. At any moment, the commander could check on the monitor what the gunner was watching.
The Buran-Catherine sight could detect an armored vehicle at 12 km, recognize it at 5 km and identify it at 2 to 2.5 km, depending on the weather conditions during day and night.
Another FCS subsystem was the duplicate armament control for the commander. Thanks to these controls and the thermal imaging monitor for the commander, in case of necessity, the commander could override the gunner and aim and fire the main or coaxial armament. The Buran-Catherine thermal imaging sight enabled the gunner and the commander to detect and engage targets in every kind of weather condition at long range and with high accuracy. This increased the tank’s capabilities during the night or in poor visibility conditions.
The commander had at his disposal an unknown variant of the AGAT observation subsystem. It seems that the Ukrainian AGM upgrade had the AGAT PNK-5. Probably, the Ukrainian had planned to mount various kinds of commander’s periscopes, according to the customer’s requests.
The AGAT PNK-5 was an independent 3-channel panoramic periscope with a maximum magnification of 8x on the day single channel and detection range of 5,000 m and a magnification of 7.6x on the day multi-channel. In the night channel, the maximum magnification was 5.8x and the detection range was 800 m.
The driver has at his disposal two TNP-165A vision hyposcopes produced by the Izyum Instrument Making Plant, with a horizontal field of view of 71° and a vertical field of view of 33°. The commander had four new TNPO-160 commander’s vision hyposcopes in his cupola, with a horizontal field of view of 78° and a vertical field of view of 28°. These substituted older Soviet models.
Autoloader
The main armament of the T-62AGM could be a 120 mm KBM-2 or a 125 mm KBM-3 smoothbore cannon. The two guns were equipped with an autoloader developed by Ukraine to be mounted in a new bustle on the T-62 turret. The number of rounds stored in the autoloader was 18, as on the T-55AGM.
The system, identical to the one of the T-55AGM, was mounted behind the gun’s breech, on a turret bustle. It had a horizontal loading carousel system and was operated by a complex digitized electrical-mechanical system with a PN-43-2SM control panel for the gunner and a PK43-2M control panel for the commander. The second panel for the commander allowed him to check the ammunition loaded in the carousel and use it in case the gunner was wounded or his systems were broken.
The T-62AGM’s autoloader guaranteed a loading time between 5 to 7 seconds, depending on the ammunition position inside the carousel.
The turret bustle, composed of blow-up panels, was separated from the rest of the turret by a bulkhead with a small rounded armored door that automatically opened only when the gun needed reloading. If an enemy round hit the turret bustle, the crew would be safely protected by the bulkhead from an ammunition detonation.
Despite this, the vehicle had 21 main gun rounds and GLATGM stored in the fighting compartment.
Other Unknown Features
As they were never officially adopted by Ukraine or other nations, some systems installed on the T-62AG and T-62AGM are currently unknown.
The Varta soft-kill APS was not mounted on the prototype of the T-62AG in 2002. This would have permitted the Ukrainian technicians to save up money for further developments or to recondition abandoned T-64s.
The Ukrainian Ukroboronprom (Ukrainian Defence Industry) association of multi-product enterprises in various sectors of the defense industry of Ukraine eventually improved the vehicle. At the DEFEXPO 2020 in India, Ukroboronprom presented the T-72AMT. The new upgrade for the T-72 had new equipment, such as powerful multi-fuel engines, a new Duplet ERA, and a new Zaslin APS that substituted the Varta soft-kill APS. Despite these upgrades, it incorporated many subsystems already seen in the T-62AG, the AGM kit, and the Peruvian Typhoon-2A.
The T-72 upgrade project had the BOVT-1 Muzzle Reference System (MRS) that automatically and continuously measured the muzzle end angular position both in azimuth and elevation axes and notified the crew in case of barrel distortion. This could have been a useful upgrade, and it is standard on all of the most modern MBTs around the world.
Another unknown system is the radio apparatus that would have substituted the R-123 mounted on old Soviet versions of the T-62. Among the potential radio apparatus is the R-030U digital radio transceiver mounted on the Peruvian Typhoon-2As. It operates from 30 to 110 Mhz and has sixteen pre-programmed channels. Its maximum range is 20 to 25 km. It sends and receives coded data transmission systems compatible with all NATO standard equipment.
Similarly, the radio apparatus could also have been an R-173M, the upgraded version of the R-173 radio mounted on the T-62M, adopted on the T-62AG prototype. It operated from 30.0 to 79.9 Mhz. It had ten pre-programmed channels and a maximum range of 20 km with a 3 m long antenna. This simple and cheap radio produced by the Ternopol Radio Plant weighed just 43 kg and operated without problems at any temperature between -50°C to +50°C.
The intercom system was based on the AVSK-1 equipment, with a terminal for ShSh-1 helmets for each crew member and an external fourth terminal for infantry that cooperated with the tank.
In addition, on other Ukrainian upgrades, such as the T-72AG and Typhoon-2A, a GPS Satellite Navigation System model TIUS-NM is present. This system is located in the turret, close to the commander, and provides his position with great accuracy as well as that of other allied vehicles. There is no information if it was equipped on either the T-62AG or T-62AGM projects. This system facilitated the control of friendly forces on the battlefield, which is very important when enemy forces are nearby, at night, or in adverse weather conditions (fog, rain, etc.). The system also allowed it to transmit coded information about its location to friendly forces.
The T-72AMT could be equipped with two types of Auxiliary Power Units (APUs), depending on the necessities of the customer. The previous Ukrainian upgrades were most likely equipped with an APU, even if the exact model is not known. The Typhoon-2A was probably equipped with the 8 kW EA-8 auxiliary power unit mounted in the engine compartment.
Unfortunately, many sources confuse the T-55AGM kit and the Typhoon-2A MBT-specific items. For example, on the AGM upgrade, an AGAT PKN-5 independent panoramic periscope was planned, while, on the Typhoon-2A, the commander’s optic is an AGAT PKN-4S.
The last and most significant upgrade on the T-55AGM, Typhoon-2A, and T-72AMT was to the suspension. Thanks to the new transmission and more powerful engine, the MBTs are now able to overcome higher obstacles and steeper slopes, both forward and in reverse.
In the AGM kit for the T-55, the suspension is also equipped with modern shock absorbers and new torsion bars that provide a much smoother ride. Three return rollers, which further dampen vibration, particularly when moving over rough terrain, were added. The old Soviet RMSh or OMSh single-pin all-iron links have been replaced by new, wider Western-style two-pin rubber padded tracks. This, in addition to the modified suspension, further improves the vehicle’s performance by reducing noise and vehicle ground pressure per cm³.
Failed Export
As Ukraine’s Narodna Armiya military gazette and some Western sources confirmed, in mid-2009, an upgrade of the T-62 was proposed to the Egyptian High Command.
The War Production Ministry of the Egyptian Republic organized a tender for the upgrade of some of its older military hardware, such as T-62 MBTs, OT-62 TOPAS amphibious APCs, and OT-64 wheeled APCs. The tender was attended by several countries, including Russia and Ukraine, and finished on 14th December 2009 with the Ukrainian victory.
The Russian Federation attacked the Egyptian decision in its mass media, claiming that the copyrights on the T-62 tank upgrades allegedly belonged to the Uralvagonzavod Tank Plant and that, consequently, the Ukrainian Kharkiv Plant had no legal right to upgrade Soviet-era armaments.
A contract was agreed between the War Production Ministry of the Egyptian Republic and Ukrainian Special Export (Ukrspecexport), a Ukrainian state-owned arms trading company, part of the state conglomerate of the Ukrainian Defense Industry. The contract included the upgrade of 200 Egyptian OT-62 TOPAS and 200 Egyptian T-62 MBTs. Egypt and Ukraine probably signed a contract to upgrade the T-62s with the AGM kit. Even if the sources do not mention the exact upgrade proposed to Egypt, it is clear that the work would have taken place in Ukraine. It seems strange that a nation like Egypt, with several armored vehicle repair and production facilities and skilled workers, did not independently mount the AG. The AG kit was developed by KMDB to be mounted on the tank in 20 days by a team of six workers, anywhere in the world. Based on that, it can be assumed that Egypt opted for the T-62AGM to be mounted in Ukraine, given the difficult modifications to the turret due to the automatic loader and new optics.
The first batch of Egyptian OT-62s was shipped to the Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau and started to be upgraded in July 2010. It was planned to deliver the first upgraded vehicles in mid-2011. Nothing is known about the T-62s, which would probably have been upgraded after the OT-62s, but it seems none ever arrived in Ukraine.
The start of the Arab Spring, a series of anti-government protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world from late 2010 until 2012, affected the planned upgrade. Heavy protests started in Egypt in early 2011 and forced president Hosni Mubarak to stand down in February of the same year. After political turmoil, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi became the new president, taking power following a coup. He canceled the Ukrainian conversion of the T-62s because Egypt was no longer interested in T-62 upgrades.
The Ukrainians offered the vehicle again in early December 2018 at the Egyptian Defense Exhibition 2018 (EDEX-2018) at the International Exhibition Centre in Cairo. Ukroboronprom offered a T-62 equipped with 6TD-2 diesel engines.
The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has put a hold on any Ukrainian T-62 upgrade exports.
Conclusion
Unfortunately for the Ukrainian industry, the T-62AGM and T-62AG did not arouse any interest in the overseas market when they appeared in the early 2000s. The success gained by the T-55AGM, adopted with some modifications by the Peruvian Army with the name Typhoon-2A, made some people consider a comeback of the project. As this never happened, not a single T-62AG or T-62AGM was ever produced, except the prototypes, and their fate is unknown today.
T-62AG and AGM Specification
T-62AG
T-62AGM with 5TDFM
T-62AGM with 5TDFMA
Size (L-W-H)
10.200 x 2.640 x 2.395 m
Weight, battle ready
39.5 tonnes in both 120 mm and 125 mm variant
50 tonnes in both 120 mm and 125 mm variant
50.1 tonnes in both 120 mm and 125 mm variant
Crew
4 (commander, gunner, loader and driver)
3 (commander, gunner, and driver)
Engine
5TDF multi-fuel engine delivering 700 hp at 2,800 rpm
5TDFM multi-fuel engine delivering 850 hp at 2,800 rpm
5TDFMA multi-fuel engine delivering 1,050 hp at 2,850 rpm
Speed
65 km/h
60 km/h
~ 75 km/h
Range
~ 500 km
~ 500 km
~ 450 km
Main Armament
120 mm KBM-2 or 125 mm KBM-1 smoothbore guns with 35 rounds
120 mm KBM-2 or 125 mm KBM-1 smoothbore guns with 34 rounds
Secondary Armament
1 KT-7.62 medium machine gun with 2,500 rounds and a KT-12.7 with 450 rounds
Armor
Rolled Homogeneous Armor with ERA blocks
Production
1 prototype
Sources
Desarrollos Industriales Casanave SA Latin America Associate
Italian Republic (2000-Present)
Military Transport Vehicles – Unknown Number Built
The IVECO AutoCarro Tattico Logistico or ACTL (English: Tactical Logistics Truck) is a whole range of logistic and special purpose trucks specifically developed at the request of the Esercito Italiano (English: Italian Army) in the 1990s.
The ACTL family was intended to substitute all Italian logistic vehicles deployed during the Cold War and, thanks to their effectiveness and NATO standardization, thousands were bought by various other nations, mainly in Europe. They are produced in a total of three different main variants, with two, three, and four axles, with many sub-variants and sub-versions produced.
The Italian Companies that Produced the ACTLs
The vehicles were developed by IVECO DV (Industrial VEhicles COrporation Defence Vehicles), which is part of the IVECO Group. It includes various Italian and European brands, such as the German Magirus-Deutz, the Spanish Pegaso, and the French Unic and Heuliez Bus SAS. The Italian FIAT Veicoli Industriali (English: FIAT Industrial Vehicles), Officine Meccaniche or OM (English: Mechanical Workshops), Lancia Veicoli Speciali (English: Lancia Special Vehicles), IVECO BUS, and Anonima Sarda Trasporto e Recupero Automezzi, or more commonly ASTRA (English: Anonymous Sardinian Transport and Vehicle Recovery), are all a part of this large conglomerate.
All the vehicles of the ACTL family were developed by the IVECO Group. The ones for the Italian Army were built by the ASTRA production plant in Piacenza, Italy. For this reason, they have two different nomenclatures. In Italy they are commonly known as ASTRA ACTL, partly because the company’s logo is placed over the radiator grille, while for the international market, they are presented under the IVECO brand and sold with the company’s logo. These are produced at the IVECO plant of Bolzano.
This choice is made by IVECO to take advantage of its popularity around the world, as many civilian and military customers already know the Italian brands for its qualities. Because of this they are shown at military expos and exhibitions around the world under the IVECO trucks logo instead of the less known ASTRA brand.
The Spanish Army trucks are produced by Pegaso and the French Army ones by IVECO and Soframe.
History of the Project
After the Italian participation in the Gulf War and in peacekeeping missions in the Balkans in 1999s one thing was clear to the Italian Army. The standard Italian logistic truck, the IVECO ACM 80/90, was no longer enough to service new military hardware, such as self-propelled guns and MLRS, which fired high numbers of rounds in short periods. The ACM had a weight of 4,700 kg and a payload capacity of 4,000 kg.
In response, the Italian Army created a list of requirements for a new vehicle:
loading capacity doubled compared to the ACM 80/90
hauling capacity doubled compared to the ACM 80/90
transport capacity at least doubled compared to ACM 80/90
a common frame to use spare parts in common
reduced fuel consumption on road transfers and increased overall efficiency
standardized with NATO equipment.
IVECO proposed the ASTRA HD6 and HD9 (HD for Heavy Duty) 6×6 and 8×8 trucks. These were judged positively by the Esercito Italiano and the development of a military family starting from the ASTRA trucks was initiated by the IVECO Group.
At the tine of publication of this article, the IVECO ACTL is available to the Italian and international market in three different series:
Standard Militare – Military Standard: the most produced series, developed from the Italian Army requests. It comprises dozens of versions. Various hundreds have been produced and sold around Europe.
ASTRA ACTL SM 44.30 BAD, basic with loading platform
ASTRA ACTL SM 44.30 CAD (sometimes referred as PLE)
ASTRA ACTL SM 44.31 BAD, with loading platform
ASTRA ACTL SM 44.31 CAD
ASTRA ACTL SM 44.31 CAT aeronautical fuel carrier and filler (7,500 liters)
ASTRA ACTL SM 44.31 AAT water carrier (8,000 liters)
ASTRA ACTL SM 44.31 telescopic aerial work platform
ASTRA ACTL SM 44.31 AAT fuel carrier (8,000 liters)
ASTRA ACTL SM 44.31 mobile work platform
ASTRA ACTL SM 44.31 AAT dump truck
ASTRA ACTL SM 66.40 BAD fuel carrier (8,000 liters)
ASTRA ACTL SM 66.40 BAD water carrier (8,000 liters)
ASTRA ACTL SM 66.40 CAD container transporter
ASTRA ACTL SM 66.40 CAD artillery tractor
ASTRA ACTL SM 66.40 CAD aeronautical fuel carrier and filler (8,000 liters)
ASTRA ACTL SM 66.45 AMT dump truck
ASTRA ACTL SM 66.45 BMT concrete mixer with pump
ASTRA ACTL SM 66.45 BIT prime mover
ASTRA ACTL SM 88.42 BAT with Isoli M200 crane
ASTRA ACTL SM 88.42 BAT with Isoli M120C crane
ASTRA ACTL SM 88.42 BAT container transporter
ASTRA ACTL SM 84.45 BAT container transporter
ASTRA ACTL SM 84.45 BAT aeronautical fuel carrier and filler (18,000 liters)
ASTRA ACTL SM 88.45 BAT with Isoli M200 crane
ASTRA ACTL SM 88.45 BAD container transporter
ASTRA ACTL SM 88.45 BAD SAMP-T SAM transport erector launcher
ASTRA ACTL SM 88.45 BID container transporter
ASTRA ACTL SM 88.45 BID single hook loader
ASTRA ACTL SM 88.45 BIT with TCM C 300M crane
ASTRA ACTL SM 88.45 BIT with TCM C 400M crane
ASTRA ACTL SM 88.50 TIM Tank Transporter
Standard Militare ‘Heavy’ – Military Standard Heavy: designed to transport heavier loads, developed from the battle-proven SM series. This version is mainly intended for engineering and as tank transporters and only a few models entered service with the Italian Army.
ASTRA ACTL SMH 44.30 BAD dump truck
ASTRA ACTL SMH 44.31
ASTRA ACTL SMH 66.40 BAD fuel tanker
ASTRA ACTL SMH 66.45 BAT with TCM C 300M crane
ASTRA ACTL SMH 66.45 BAT with TCM C 400M crane
ASTRA ACTL SMH 66.45 AAT dump truck
ASTRA ACTL SMH 88.45 APS – single hook loader
HD6 – Heavy Duty 6: 3rd series produced with ASTRA civilian cab. This version is designed for use in urban environments for specific operations where the use of vehicles with a strong military appearance would not be well perceived by the population.
ASTRA ACTL HD6 66.45 dump truck
ASTRA ACTL HD6 66.45 ASPIDE SAM transport erector launcher
ASTRA ACTL HD6 66.52 prime mover
ASTRA ACTL HD6 66.45 with Isoli M120 crane
ASTRA ACTL HD6 66.45 TIM prime mover
ASTRA ACTL HD6 66.52 prime mover
The ASTRA-type nomenclature can be understood as follows:
ASTRA-type nomenclature
Abbreviation
Meaning
Notes
ASTRA ACTL SM 44.31 BAD
ACTL
AutoCarro Tattico Logistico
Series: ASTRA ACTL xx 44.31 BAD
SM
Standard Militare
Sometimes also named as SMR
SMH
Standard Militare ‘Heavy’
HD
Heavy Duty
Refers to the civilian cab
Drive configuration: ASTRA ACTL SM xx.31 BAD
44
4×4
66
6×6
84
8×4
88
8×8
Engine output divided per 10: ASTRA ACTL SM 44.xx BAD
30
300 hp
31
310 hp
40
400 hp
42
420 hp
45
450 hp
50
500 hp
Wheelbase: ASTRA ACTL SM 44.31 xAD
A
3,300 mm
B
3,750 mm
C
4,200 mm
Transmission: ASTRA ACTL SM 44.31 BxD
A
Automatic
M
Manual
I
Hydromechanical
IM
Hydromechanical
For prime movers
Brakes: ASTRA ACTL SM 44.31 BAx
D
Disks
T
Drums
The IVECO export nomenclature is easier to follow, with the two axle variants of the ACTL known as the IVECO M170WM, the three axle variant known as IVECO M250WM, and the four axle variant known as IVECO M320WM. To show their power output, the IVECO nomenclature maintains the power output in horsepower divided by 10, such as the IVECO M170.30WM, IVECO M250.40WM, and IVECO M320.45WM to name just a few. The ASTRA ACTL SM 88.50 TIM Tank Transporter is the only one with a different designation type, IVECO M1100.50.
Due to the double nomenclature, the simpler and clearer IVECO nomenclature will be used in this article. The ASTRA nomenclature will be used in the captions if the exact model is specified by the original source.
Design
The common design of the ACTL (66% of parts are shared by the whole range) allows the description of the characteristics of the vehicles, such as frame, cabs and some configurations, which are common in all the series.
Starting from the front of the vehicle, the cab is a classic European-style cab-over with three seats, of which the left one is for the driver. Comfort reaches very high levels compared to other military vehicles, as the interiors are identical to the civilian cabs of the IVECO/ASTRA family of heavy trucks. The crew members have enough space to place all their equipment (personal weapons, backpacks, etc).
On request, the vehicles can be equipped with longer cabs. This permits two types of customization: the addition of a second row of seats or the addition of a sleeping berth for the driver.
The protection on the standard military cab is NATO AEP-55 STANAG 4569, even if the exact level is not reported by official documentation. It consists of a bulletproof windshield, light armor plates that protect the cab from objects (such as stones) being thrown at it, small arms fire, anti-personnel mines, and light IED (Improvised Explosive Devices) explosions. This maintains a high degree of protection while operating in asymmetric warfare conditions, in which IEDs and ambushes are widely used by terrorist forces against unarmored logistic vehicles.
Apart from physical protection, the cab is also equipped with an NBC (Nuclear, Bacteriological, and Chemical) system with which the truck can also operate in contaminated areas, protecting the crew.
All the cabs have a hatch on the center of the roof. It is mainly used to check the ground from a higher position or to escape in case of the vehicle overturning. At the request of the customer, it can be equipped with a rail and support for a machine gun.
Despite the fact that the standard cabs are already protected from small arms fire and light IEDs, the protection can be enhanced with the application of armor kits made of kevlar. The armored kit, which weighs 2 tonnes, increases the resistance of the cab and survivability of the crew against small arms, IEDs, and grenade splinters. Like for the standard cabs, no data on the precise STANAG 4569 level are made public by IVECO DV.
To transport the vehicle on railways or for aerial transport, the vehicles can be equipped with a lower profile cab or, the height can be decreased by operating the Central Tires Inflation System (CTIS) on the vehicles equipped with such a system. The IVECO M170 can be loaded on Lockheed C-130 ‘Hercules’ cargo planes, while the other trucks of the IVECO ACTL family can be loaded on Airbus A400M ‘Atlas’.
The first axle (and second axle on the 4 axle trucks) has spring suspension integrated with hydraulic shock absorbers, including a stabilizer bar. The rear one or two axles have tilting spring suspension on a central pivot, supplemented by six longitudinal reaction bars. This type of suspension assures traction of all the wheels even while driving on rough terrains, permitting the trucks to overcome more obstacles than other suspension types without reaction bars.
Pressure in the wheels is maintained by a compressor with manual adjustment. The CTIS can be mounted at the request of the customer.
Apart from the CTIS, armored cab or lower cab, the customer can ask for many other types of additions, such as: sel-helping winches built by TREIBMATIC with a power of about 9,000 kg (90 kN), run flat tires, traction control system, protected gunner position, a preset for communication systems (radios installed by the customer according to his needs), an electromagnetic compatibility system of MIL level and, as the IVECO DV claims on its official website, “many other options are also available”.
Specific models can be provided with bodyworks with specific superstructure solutions. These can increase the capabilities of the whole range of vehicles of the ACTL series, obviously increasing the cost and weights depending on variants.
All the vehicles of the IVECO ACTL family are equipped with a pre-heater to help start the engine, even in frigid temperatures of -32°. If the pre-heating system is unserviceable, the engine is limited to be started at temperatures of -10°.
The electrical system is 24 V, with two 150 Ah batteries in series or four 110 Ah batteries in series-parallel and a 24V-35A alternator. The system is equipped with a radio interference suppression device.
The IVECO ACTL trucks can ford deep rivers up to 850 mm without preparation and up to 1,200 mm with a snorkeling kit.
Main Versions of the ACTL Family
IVECO M170WM
The IVECO M170WM is the lightest version of the ACTL series. It is powered by a diesel IVECO Cursor 8 E3 6-cylinder inline 4-valve-per-cylinder, turbocharged engine with a volume of 7,800 cm³, developing 310 hp at 2,400 rpm, and maximum torque 1,100 Nm at 1,900 rpm. The Cursor has a total weight of 680 kg and, despite its power, respects European law on engine emissions level 3 (EURO 3).
It can be substituted with a slightly more powerful model of the Cursor 8 E5, giving out 330 hp. In both models, the maximum speed is about 90 km/h fully loaded, with a maximum range of 1,200 km.
Both the engines are coupled with the ZF 5HP502 automatic gearbox produced by the ZF Friedrichshafen AG company. To transfer the power from the gearbox to the rear axle, a IVECO TC 1800 transfer box is used. The vehicle is equipped with brake disks on both front and rear wheels and is equipped with ABS. The tire size is 14.00R20, with a single wheel on the front axle and twin wheels on the rear.
On the request of the customer, the gearbox can be substituted with the ZF 12 AS 2330 TO that can work both in semi-automatic and automatic modes.
The M170, with a total weight of 10 tonnes, has a payload capacity of 7 tonnes, and a towing capacity of 20 tonnes. This means that the Gross Combined Weight or GCW (truck + trailer + cargo) is 37 tonnes.
Using the ASTRA nomenclature, the vehicles of the SMH series, thanks to their heavier frame, have a payload capacity of 9.5 tonnes and a towing capacity of 29 tonnes. Obviously, with armored cabs, the payload capacity is reduced, on both SM and SMH models, by about 2 tonnes.
IVECO M250WM
This is the medium truck of the ACTL series with three all-drive axles. The M250, in addition to maintaining 66% common parts with the other vehicles of the series, also has some parts in common with the IVECO TRAKKER heavy duty truck developed for the civilian market but also deployed by many armies.
The M250 can be equipped with three different types of the IVECO Cursor C10 engines depending on the needs:
The IVECO Cursor C10 of the M250 is a 6-cylinder in-line, 4-stroke, 4-valve-per-cylinder, turbocharged engine with a volume of 10,308 cm³.
The Cursor C10-400 develops 400 hp at 1,600 rpm and a maximum torque of 1,900 Nm at 1,480 rpm.
The Cursor C10-420 develops 420 hp at 1,570 rpm and a maximum torque of 1,900 Nm at 1,600 rpm.
The last Cursor, the C10-450, develops 450 hp at 1,570 rpm, with maximum torque 2,100 Nm at 1,050 rpm.
For all the variants, the maximum speed is about 90 km/h fully loaded, while the maximum range is about 1,200 km.
The engine, no matter which exact model, is coupled with a ZF 6HP902 automatic gearbox, while the transfer box to the rear axles is an IVECO TC 2200.
At the request of the customer, the vehicle can be equipped with a ZF 16 AS 2601 OD that can work both in semi-automatic and automatic modes.
The brakes, coupled with ABS, are commonly discs, but certain specific versions (dump truck and prime mover, for example) have drum brakes installed.
The curb weight of the M250 is 13 tonnes (15 tonnes with armored cab). The maximum payload capacity is 12 tonnes, while the maximum Gross Combined Weight is about 45 tonnes.
As with the IVECO M170, the Standard Militare ‘Heavy’ version with a more robust chassis can transport cargo with a maximum weight of 13 tonnes but a maximum load of 45 tonnes, for a total GCW of 71 tonnes.
The most peculiar version of the M250 is the artillery tractor, better known with the ASTRA nomenclature of ASTRA ACTL SM 66.40 CAD.
Behind the usual three-seat cab (for the driver, commander, and an artillery crew member), it is equipped with a secondary cab with side doors and windows. It is used to comfortably transport six more artillery crew members.
Behind the secondary cab, the vehicle is equipped with a cargo bay that is smaller compared to standard M250 ones. The lower part of the cargo bay has 155 mm round racks for 16 rounds plus their separated charges.
IVECO M320WM
This is the heavy truck version of the ACTL series with four axles. It is produced in two main versions: four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
As with the M250, it can be powered by two types of IVECO Cursor C10: the C10-420 and the C10-450, with the same power output characteristics as on the lighter chassis.
The gearbox is an automatic ZF 6HP 902. On the 8×8 version, the transfer box for the rear axles is an IVECO TC 2200, as on the M250.
At the request of the customer, the gearbox can be substituted by a ZF 16 AS 2601 OD that can work both in semi-automatic and automatic modes or by an automatic ZF 16AS2631.
The weight of the vehicle is 12.85 tonnes (15 with the armored cab). Its total weight (truck + cargo) is 32 tonnes, meaning that the maximum onboard cargo is about 19 tonnes. The truck can also tow 24 tonnes for a GCW of 56 tonnes.
In the SMH version, it can carry heavier cargo (even if the total payload capacity is not specified) and tow a total weight of 45 tonnes, reaching a GCW of about 80 tonnes.
This is not a lot compared to the M250 payload and towing capacities, but the M320 was developed mainly for specialized versions, such as a crane transporter, container transporter and, Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) for Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs). A TEL is a truck (or a tracked vehicle) that can carry, elevate to fire position, and launch one or more rocket propelled weapons (SAMs, tactical ballistic missiles, ICBMs, etc).
The Peculiar ACTL HD6 Versions
The ASTRA ACTL HD6 version has, for now, only been sold to the Italian Army (and for this reason seems to not have received an IVECO nomenclature), maintains all the other characteristics, but increasing the number of powerpack solutions and features from the standard ASTRA cab installed on civilian trucks.
This version was made for two main reasons. First of all, a truck equipped with a civilian cab costs less than a truck equipped with a military cab. Secondly, the vehicles are intended to be deployed in the Italian mainland in which, for example, the bulletproof windshield is not needed. When deployed in peacekeeping missions, the ASTRA ACTL HD6 can be preferred due its more civilian-style resemblance. In fact, on some occasions, a strong military appearance would not be well perceived by the civilian population of the region in which the peacekeeping missions are undertaken.
IVECO M1100.50 Tank Transporter
When the C1 Ariete Main Battle Tank (MBT) entered service with the Regio Esercito between March 1998 and August 2002, the army was not equipped with a vehicle to transport it.
The older FIAT-IVECO 320.45 WTM (that had nothing in common with the M320) three axle tank transporter could tow the standard Leopard 1A1, 1A2, and 1A5 of the Italian Army (with weights ranging from 40 to 42.2 tonnes) and the 47.7 tonnes of the M60A1 Patton, but was overloaded with the 54 tonnes of the C1 Ariete.
A new tank transporter was needed and the heavier truck of the IVECO ACTL family was taken and modified for this role.
The 8×8 IVECO chassis was modified into a prime mover. It was equipped with a diesel IVECO Cursor C13 6-cylinder in line, 4-stroke, 4-valve-per-cylinder, turbocharged engine with a volume of 12,900 cm³, developing 500 hp at 2,000 rpm, maximum torque 1,850 Nm at 900 rpm. As with the M320, the engine is coupled by a ZF 6 HP902 automatic gearbox and the usual IVECO TC 1800 transfer box.
The final vehicle, weighing 19 tonnes, still has many components in common with the other ACTL vehicles but an extreme towing capacity. As a semi-trailer, the Italian Army bought the license for the French LOHR SMC 64-6.3 DI with a capacity of 64 tonnes, but seems that the version produced in Italy has received some upgrades permitting it to reach a capacity of over 70 tonnes of cargo.
The Gross Combined Weight permitted by law is 110 tonnes but, in cases of emergency or oversize load, the truck total load can reach 130 tonnes. This is a perfect example of the robustness of the Italian version of the LOHR, that can be loaded with a payload of 92 tonnes.
This heavier vehicle still has a maximum speed on-road of 80 km/h even while towing some types of vehicles. When reaching a total weight of 110 tonnes, the speed is reduced to 60 km/h to avoid overstressing of the chassis. At a maximum payload of 130 tonnes, the speed is reduced to 40 km/h.
Towing a LOHR semi-trailer loaded with a C1 Ariete, the GCW is 92 tonnes. In other words, the tank transporter loaded with the Italian main battle tank can reach maximum speeds of 80 km/h.
The IVECO M1100.50 were produced in 2003 and entered service in the Italian Army starting from 2004. Due to IVECO’s policy of not revealing information about the number of vehicles produced and sold to the customers, the exact number of IVECO M1100.50 produced and delivered to the Italian Army is unknown.
IVECO M1250.70 T WM
With the introduction in the past decades of modern main battle tanks with composite armor, add-on kits, and other features, their total weight has further increased.
The M1 Abrams, which weighed 54 tonnes in its first variant, can now weigh 66.4 to 68.8 tonnes in the M1A2 SEPv2 and M1A2 SEPv3 versions, respectively. The Leopard 2 reached 66.5 tonnes in the 2A7V variants.
In June 2016, on the occasion of the Eurosatory 2016 exhibition in Paris, IVECO DV proposed to the international market the new IVECO M1250.70 T WM tank transporter.
The new IVECO behemoth is only slightly heavier than its predecessor, 19.6 tonnes with standard cab and 22 tonnes with the armored cab.
The new vehicle is powered by the most powerful engine of the Cursor series, the diesel IVECO Cursor 16 In-line 6-cylinder, 4 valves per cylinder, turbocharged engine with liquid cooling.
Its maximum power output is 580 hp at 2,100 rpm with a maximum torque of 2,990 Nm at 1,500 rpm. The gearbox for this truck is an automated ZF TC-Tronic 12TC3041 WO plus intarder with 12 gears + 2 reverse gears. The transfer box is a ZF Steyr VG2700 equipped with neutral position. On request, the gearbox can be substituted with a fully automatic Allison HD 4700 equipped with retarder.
Another possible request is a new cab interior layout with a fourth seat. The IVECO M1250 is equipped with ABS and drum brakes on all the four axles. On the cab rear, near the engine cooling system, there are two Rotzler HZ200 winches with a combined capacity of towing up to 50 tonnes (250 kN each).
This new powerful vehicle can reach a Gross Combined Weight (GCW) permitted by law of 125 tonnes, being capable of towing all MBTs currently in service with all the armies in the world without problems. Nevertheless, in case of emergency or oversize load, it can tow up to 150 tonnes. This makes the IVECO M1250 the most powerful tank transporter in the world at the moment, outclassing the US M1300 and German MAN HX81 tank transporters. Thanks to its robustness, it can reach a maximum speed of 70 km/h with a GCW of 125 tonnes.
Even if it seems that not even a single order was placed for the truck by Italy in 2016, it is possible to assume that, in the near future, the Esercito Italiano will order a small number of M1250s for the Leopard 2A8s that it will purchase in 2025. In fact, the new version of the Leopard, of which the Italian Army has placed an order for 250 examples, weighs 67 tonnes, 13 more than the C1 Ariete.
Being presented for the international market, the IVECO M1250.70 T WM tank transporter has not yet received an ASTRA nomenclature.
Comparison Between Tank Transporters
Name
Curb weight (tonnes)
GCW (tonnes)
Engine output (hp)
Maximum speed (km/h)
Range (km)
M1070A1
20.60
108.46
700
80
750
M1300
19.84
131.65
700
//
//
Renault TRM 700-100
16.80
98.00
700
80
800
Ural-63708
15.00
100.00
600
90
800
KamAZ-65225
11.90
75.00
360
80
1,000
IVECO 320.45 WTM
15.42
85.00
450
65
600
MAN HX81
23.50
130.00
680
88
800
IVECO M1100.50
19.00
110.00 (130)
500
90
800
IVECO M1250.70 T WM
19.60
125.00 (150)
680
70
800
Models on the IVECO/ASTRA Chassis
Complesso Autoscarrabile APS 95
The Complesso Autoscarrabile APS 95 (English: Multi Lifting Complex APS 95) is probably the most famous version of the IVECO ACTL family. In Italian, autoscarrabile designates a truck that can lift a container or a loading bay autonomously without the use of a crane. This system guarantees the autonomy of loading and unloading cargo without the help of other specialized vehicles, such as cranes, and without modifying the layout of the truck by adding a crane on it.
These systems, introduced by various armies starting from the 1980s, are currently in service with the majority of the NATO armies. This is thanks to the ISO (International Standardization Organization) that standardized the container and loading bay dimensions to 6.10 x 2.40 m and weights between 14 to 16 tonnes.
The Italian multi-lifting complex is the MULTILIFT Mark IV developed by the British company CARGOTEC and produced under license in Italy by the company Isoli SPA.
This type of lifter can lift a variety of loads including containers, flat loading platforms, and standard cargo bay platforms. This allows a single ACTL to transport containers loaded of ammunition, spare parts or other equipment, light vehicles such as the VBL Puma APC or IVECO VTLM ‘Lince’, or be used as a standard cargo truck, increasing versatility on the battlefield. It is also easy to be used by the truck driver by means of a joystick to lift or unload the cargo. The control panel is placed both in the cab, on the right of the driver and externally. This makes the system easy to be operated by its crews and speeds up the operations.
The Italian Army also developed special containers (such as surgery and command post) that are loadable by the MULTILIFT Mark IV.
The modularity of the MULTILIFT Mark IV system added to the off-road capabilities of the IVECO vehicle ensure that the complex has excellent maneuverability, being able to reach areas of the battlefield that are difficult or nearly impossible for other logistics vehicles to reach, autonomously release cargo, and retreat in a very short time, increasing the safety of the vehicle even at a very short distance from the frontline.
This is impossible for logistics vehicles that require cranes to unload cargo. With the flat loading bay, the vehicle is useful for recovering damaged vehicles with a maximum weight of 16 tonnes and quickly retreating to field workshops in the rear lines.
ASTRA ACTL SM 88.45 BAD SAMP-T SAM TEL
The SAMP-T missile began development in1989 as a joint Italian and French program. In French, SAMP-T stands for Sol-Air Moyenne-Portée – Terrestre (English: Ground-Air Medium-Range – Ground). The missiles are both surface-to-air and anti-missiles with a maximum range (in the ASTER 30 version) of 120 km.
The SAMP-T missile complex entered service in 2013 and 24 launchers were adopted by the Italian Army.
Each Italian SAMP-T battery is composed of 6 different types of vehicles, all on IVECO 320WM chassis.
The ARABEL 90 multifunction radar mounted on a truck performs target discovery, acquisition, identification, and tracking.
The Command Module where the mission is planned, supervised, and where the logistical support of the battery is coordinated.
The Engagement Module where tactical control of the system is exercised.
The Generator Unit is used to power the radar and the other modules during long-period missions. It features a double generator set in order to ensure continuity of operation.
The Transporter Erector Launcher on which eight ASTER 30 missiles are loaded.
The Transloader Module, an ASTRA truck equipped with a crane to load or unload the missiles of the battery TELs.
All the six IVECO 320WM variants for SAM batteries are equipped with hydraulic jacks that are operated by the truck’s engine thanks to a Power Take-Off (PTO) system. When necessary, the driver stops the vehicle, shifts out of gear on the gearbox, engages the handbrake and, via a manual override, connects the engine’s flywheel to a second driveshaft that operates the hydraulic system. This is the same for the winches mounted on the other standard trucks of the ACTL family.
The ASTER 30 Franco-Italian missiles have a total weight of 450 kg, of which 15 kg of High-Explosive – Fragmentation warhead with a lethal radius of 2 m.
Once out of the launcher, the missile reaches a maximum altitude of 20 km and a speed of 1,400 m/s (Mach 4.5).
The ASTRA HD6 66.45 was also adopted as a transloader for the Skyguard SHOrt Range Air Defense (SHORAD) loaded with Aspide 2000 Italian medium range SAM. It is commonly deployed to tow the launcher trailers loaded with 4-6 missiles. The truck carries 6 missiles and a crane with which it loads the missiles carried on the trailer.
Recovery and Cranes
As recovery vehicles for damaged trucks or light Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs), the Italian Army had adopted various versions of cranes produced and installed on the IVECO ACTL by the Isoli SPA company.
The lighter variant is the Isoli M120 crane that is mounted on the ASTRA ACTL HD6 66.45 with civilian cabs. The crane has a lifting capacity of 12 tonnes and is commonly used for field preparation of armored vehicles, such as the Centauro heavy armored cars and the Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) of the Italian Army, the VCC-80 Dardo and the VBM Freccia.
The second variant of ASTRA ACTL with a crane is the ASTRA ACTL SM 88.42 BAT equipped with the Isoli M200 crane. This type of medium crane can lift up to 20 tonnes of cargo and is commonly used on Italian military bases. Like the other ASTRA ACTL SM 88 modified to receive a crane, it is equipped with four hydraulic jacks operated by the truck’s engine thanks to a PTO system.
The third version of the mobile crane on IVECO ACTL chassis is equipped with a TCM C 300M crane. This type of crane can lift up to 30 tonnes with its boom, which can elevate at 80°, reaching a maximum height of 14.80 m. It can be equipped with an armored cab both for the truck and for the crane to safely operate even near the frontline. It is deployed by the Italian Army to lift equipment in its military bases, maintenance in field workshops, or in case of natural disasters, helping the civilian population.
The last and heaviest mobile crane on the IVECO ACTL chassis is equipped with the TCM C 400M crane. This heavy crane has a maximum lifting capabilities of 40 tonnes with a boom that can elevate to 80°, reaching a total height of 23 m.
The ASTRA ACTL SM 88.45 BIT can be equipped with the ROSPO M, which is a recovery device mounted on the rear of the IVECO ACTL equipped with TCM C 400M to lift the front or rear axle of damaged vehicles.
The ROSPO M is a versatile system that can be equipped with many towing supports to tow damaged VBM Freccia, MRAPs, and ‘Lince’.
Italy also tested the TCM C 700 SP mobile cranes on ASTRA ACTL HD6 chassis. These have a total lifting capability of 70 tonnes, but it is not known, for now, if the Italian Army officially adopted it. The last model, with a similar fate, is the TCM C 1300 with a lifting capacity of 130 tonnes.
Upgrades
At Eurosatory 2018, the French company Marrel, a subsidiary of the Fassi Gru company specialized in crane production, presented an upgraded multilift variant for the IVECO M320.
The Marrel Ampliroll AL16500 DM is a telescopic moving hook loading system with CHU (Container Handling Unit). It has a total weight of 3,480 kg and a lifting capacity of 16.5 tonnes. This allows it to easily lift NATO standard containers. The system was not adopted by the Italian Army but is used by the PPTLogs of the French Army.
At Eurosatory 2022, which took place from 13th to 17th June 2022, IVECO Defense Vehicles presented a facelift to the IVECO ACTL family. The new trucks maintain the same engines and characteristics. The upgrades concerned new cabs, with the standard military ones restiled while the older ASTRA HD6 civilian cabs were substituted with the more modern IVECO T-Way civilian cabs that were militarized.
The IVECO ACTL truck family now comprises a heavier 10×10 truck and their GVW now range from 18 tonnes up to 40 tonnes. On the cabs front, the new IDV acronym of IVECO Defense Vehicles is present.
Italian Use
IVECO has never officially published the total number of vehicles produced and to which nation they were sold.
An unknown number of trucks are in service with the Aeronautica Militare (English: Air Force), the Marina Militare (English: Royal Navy), and the Esercito Italiano. There is very little information about their use and deployment with the different branches of the Italian Armed Forces.
The Aeronautica Militare deploys the trucks to transport equipment and personnel to the airbases. On the rare occasions in which the Italian Air Force has been deployed outside the Italian peninsula, the vehicles have rarely been spotted.
For the Marina Militare there is a similar situation, the trucks are used to transport equipment for the amphibious units and there are a few in service with this branch of the Italian Armed Forces.
Another two Italian users are the Guardia di Finanza (English: Financial Police), which uses some fuel carriers on the ASTRA ACTL SM 44.31 chassis to refill its helicopters of the Reparto Operativo AeroNavale or ROAN (English: Aero-Naval Operations Department) and the Croce Rossa Italiana (English: Italian Red Cross), which deploys Complesso Autoscarrabile APS 95 (with both SM and HD6 cabs) in its military corps to transport medical equipment and mobile labs.
Export
France
France was one of the first customers of the IVECO ACTL, called Porteur Polyvalent Terrestre or PPT (English: Multipurpose Land Carrier) in France.
The Direction Générale de l’Armement or DGA (English: General Directorate of Armaments) placed an order in 2010 for 200 new vehicles from IVECO DV and Soframe (French company under Lohr management) to substitute some aging vehicles of the Armée de Terre (English: French Ground Forces).
The vehicles produced for the French Army are based on the IVECO M320WM, but many parts are produced in France by IVECO French subsidiaries. At first, France had planned to buy a total of 2,400 vehicles, but later the number was reduced to 1,800 to be ordered in various batches.
From what is known, France has ordered three batches for a total of 900 IVECO vehicles produced and delivered until 2019. More are expected to arrive.
The French Army had two different variants in service: the Porteur Polyvalent Logistique or PPLog (English: Multi-role Carrier Logistics Vehicle) and the Porteur Polyvalent Lourd de Dépannage or PPLD (English: Multi-role Truck Recovery Vehicle). These vehicles will probably be joined by another two variants that have not yet entered in service but are planned to be produced with the next batches: the Porteur Polyvalent de l’AVant or PPAV (English: Versatile Forward Carrier) and the Porteur Polyvalent Benne du Génie or PPBG (English: Multi-purpose Carrier Engineering Tipper). Of the 900 vehicles received:
50 are PPLD with armored cabs
700 are PPLog with standard cabs
150 are PPLog with armored cabs
The French trucks can be equipped with both armored and standard military cabs. The IVECO PPTs are modified to receive the PR4G radio, DAGR or PLGR GPS and SITEL information system.
A total of 400 vehicles were ordered with armored cabs and entered service from 2016. These vehicles include a 7.62 mm self-defense armament mount over the turret with ballistic protection for the gunner and a reserve of 2,000 rounds, a medium-power jammer, a run-flat device in case of tire puncture, and ballistic protection against small arms fire, artillery splinters and anti-mine/IED protection.
The Porteur Polyvalent Lourd de Dépannage can tow damaged vehicles up to 50 tonnes and can lift with its crane up to 12 tonnes, being able to recover the majority of wheeled and light armored vehicles of the French Army. With the crane, it can lift engines, turrets and other parts in field workshops, speeding up the maintenance or repair operations.
The Porteur Polyvalent Logistique, like the IVECO M320, can lift a weight of 16.5 tonnes and can easily transport ISO 1C containers.
The Armée de Terre deployed an unknown number of IVECO vehicles during its counterinsurgency Operation Barkhane in Mali. The armored cab variants were assigned to the French forces which were headquartered in Chad and operated in Mali. The operation ended only in November 2022 and there is no official documentation nor opinion on the vehicles published right now.
Romania
Romania is one of the main customers of the IVECO ACTL family trucks. The Romanian Ministry of National Defence started the purchase of IVECO trucks in 2015. During that year, a total of 57 IVECO trucks were sold to Forțele Terestre Române (English: Romanian Land Forces) followed in 2017 by a second batch of 173 trucks.
The Romanian Army was impressed by the truck’s characteristics and needed to substitute its old DAC444 and 665 military trucks. In December 2019, a contract for the purchase of 2,902 IVECO trucks was signed between the Romanian Ministry of National Defence and IVECO DV.
A first batch of 942 IVECO trucks was delivered starting from 2020. It was composed of all the ASTRA ACTL SM main variants on 4×4, 6×6, 8×4, and 8×8 chassis, including the M1250.70 tank transporter. In April 2021, a new IVECO DV production plant was inaugurated in Romania in the city of Petrești. with a full rate production of 440 vehicles per year.
On 4th October 2023, it was announced that IVECO DV would start the delivery of the second batch of 1,107 trucks in the near future.
Romania is for now the second largest user of the IVECO ACTL family.
Spain
In May 2015, a contract between the Ejército de Tierra (English: Spanish Ground Forces) and the IVECO DV group was signed for the purchase of 700 IVECO ACTL trucks to be delivered until 2021, plus an option for more for the future.
The IVECO trucks are produced in Spain by the IVECO Group subsidiary Pegaso and are known in Spain as IVECO-Pegaso.
As with the Romanian Army, the contract included many variants of the truck on 4×4, 6×6, 8×4, and 8×8 chassis. In March 2022, a second contract for the purchase of other vehicles was signed, even if the total number was not made public. The new 2022 contract had an overall cost of €128 million.
Ukraine
A total of 10 155 mm FH-70 howitzers were transferred from the Italian Army in the third aid package launched by the Draghi government in May 2022 to support the Ukrainian land forces during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The howitzers arrived with other equipment such as 6 Panzerhaubitze 2000, Aspide and Skyguard batteries, and other equipment and medical aid.
Together with the 10 howitzers, 10 ASTRA ACTL SM 66.40 CAD artillery tractors arrived in Ukraine, which were immediately deployed with the howitzers against the Russian forces.
At the time of writing (October 2023), not a single ASTRA seems to have been destroyed by Russian artillery or loitering ammunition, as it is missing from the Oryx Blog lists.
Other Lesser Known Users
Belgium
The Defensie van België (English: Belgian Army) purchased a total of 400 IVECO M250.45WM trucks in 2005. Later, the Belgian Army ordered a second batch of 379 IVECO M250, of which 350 with an armored cab.
Denmark
The Danish Army bought 20 (or 21, depending on the sources) IVECO M320 trucks.
These trucks, known as IVECO M320 E42, are in service with the Danish Royal Air Force and are the perfect example of IVECO truck’s modularity when customers ask for modifications: the trucks have single wheels on all the axles and are equipped with a Cormach 156000 E4 hydraulic crane. The maximum lifting capacity is 29.7 tonnes.
Ireland
The Irish Army also adopted the IVECO M320 truck, with 55 vehicles bought.
Unconfirmed and Failed Export
Some sources claim that the Algerian Army bought 110 ASTRA HD6 trucks, but this is not confirmed by official sources nor photographic evidence.
USA
In October 2022, IVECO DV joined AM General, a US company that provides vehicles to the US Army, in the development of the new Common Tactical Truck (CTT) program for the US Army.
The program, which will lead to the production of 40,000 trucks for a total contract value of US$14 billions, selected in January 2023 four Requests for Prototype Proposal (RPP). Unfortunately, the joint IVECO-AM General development of the Heavy Mobility Range Vehicle (HMRV) CTT was not accepted. Oshkosh Defense, Mack Defense, American Rheinmetall Vehicles/GM Defense, and Navistar Defense projects were instead accepted for the second phase of the program.
United Kingdom
The IVECO ACTL also failed the tests in the United Kingdom. At least 3 vehicles were tested by the British Army during an unknown period, but they were rejected. It seems that, in 2012, the British Army preferred to buy a total of 206 IVECO TRAKKER 6×6 and 8×8 in various configurations similar to the ones on the ACTL chassis. It is plausible to assume that the British Army preferred the TRAKKER due to their lower prices compared to the ACTLs. They were bought to be operated in the country, where such powerful and protected vehicles were not needed. As on many other occasions, this could not be confirmed due to the absence of official information from the producer.
Camouflage
The IVECO ACTLs were the first vehicles of the Italian Army which adopted the three-tone camouflage based on the CIELAB 1976 colorimetric system. The Italian variant, studied by the Ufficio Tecnico Territoriale or UTT (English: Territorial Technical Office) of Turin is applied following the NATO STANAG 4422 regulations.
These regulations consist of 45% dark green, 41% black, and 14% brown with an error acceptable for each color of ± 0,5%. The UTT also studied desert and winter camouflages and also easily removable paint. A special paint is used for the tarpaulins because they are made of elastomer.
The types of paint used diminished the IR signatures of the trucks but not to resist chemical attacks. The camouflage schemes were created by AutoCAD software application which, thanks to the IVECO original scheme delivered to the UTT, automatically created possible solutions after adding the percentage of paint the Italian Army used.
Conclusion
The ASTRA/IVECO ACTL family is certainly one of the most famous in the world. Due to their robustness and limited costs compared to other logistics vehicles, they are becoming one of the most widely used logistics vehicle families in Europe, with seven European nations having adopted them.
The commonality of spare parts shared by all the vehicles of the family together with the possibility of being adopted in many specific variants make the ACTL family one of the most versatile of its type.
German Reich (1942-1945)
Wheeled Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun – Unknown Number Built
The Schwere Geländegängiger Lastkraftwagen 4.5t Mercedes-Benz L4500A als Flakwagen was a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) used by the German military during World War II. It was built by converting a standard Mercedes-Benz L4500A heavy-duty truck into an anti-aircraft vehicle by mounting either a 2 cm, 3.7 cm, or even a 5 cm anti-aircraft gun on the truck’s bed. This was a cheap conversion of a standard heavy-duty truck produced by Mercedes-Benz that could guarantee an adequate defense to German columns. It showed its limits due to the partial armor that protected only the most sensible parts of the truck, exposing the crew during the fighting. Together with other wheeled SPAAGs, it was intended as a stopgap solution until properly designed anti-aircraft vehicles were developed.
History of the Project
The need for mobile anti-aircraft vehicles became evident with the development of aviation technology in the early 20th century. Initially, these vehicles were intended to engage enemy balloons, which were used for reconnaissance and artillery spotting.
As aircraft technology advanced and became more prominent in warfare, the role of mobile anti-aircraft vehicles evolved to include countering this new threat. The German Army, in particular, recognized the importance of anti-aircraft defenses and began producing a series of SPAAGs during the First World War.
These early SPAAGs were mounted on wheeled chassis and were often equipped with machine guns or small caliber artillery guns. They were relatively mobile and could quickly respond to enemy aircraft, making them a valuable asset on the battlefield. Their primary purpose was to protect vital industrial and military targets against enemy aircraft.
Despite being built on civilian truck chassis, SPAAGs offered greater mobility than towed anti-aircraft guns. As the war progressed, these vehicles were upgraded with additional equipment, such as range finders, searchlights, and acoustic detectors, which further improved their effectiveness against enemy aircraft. Interestingly, SPAAGs also proved to be effective against enemy tanks thanks to their mobility and firepower. This versatility made them a valuable asset on the battlefield, and they continue to be used in modern military conflicts.
After the First World War ended, Germany was prohibited from having certain military vehicles, including SPAAGs, by the Treaty of Versailles. This was done to limit Germany’s military capabilities and prevent another world war. In 1930, the German Army gradually started to rearm and also began to develop and build more armored vehicles. After the Nazis took over Germany in 1933, the Treaty of Versailles was completely disregarded.
With this general rearmament, the concept of SPAAG was brought up again. This time the Germans turned to their half-tracks as the main chassis. This came in the form of the Sd.Kfz.10/4 half-track armed with a 2 cm Flak 30 anti-aircraft gun. Such vehicles were allocated to more mobile formations, such as the Panzer divisions.
No particular attention was given to wheel-based SPAAGs. One of the first such vehicles was the small Kfz.4 Truppenluftschutzwagen (English: Air Defense Vehicle) introduced in 1938. It was a 4-wheeled cross-country personal carrier armed with a Zwillingslafette 36 (English: Dual Mount 36) and machine guns. The idea behind the Kfz.4 was to have a small reliable vehicle that could effectively defend itself and the troops against low-flying aircraft with its dual machine guns. However, these vehicles would only be produced in small numbers.
As the war progressed, the Luftwaffe had more difficulty providing sufficient protection for the ground forces. These, in turn, were forced to find alternative solutions. Half-track SPAAGs were mainly allocated for highly mobile formations, such as the Panzer divisions. Other military units had to use what was at hand. This led to the development and deployment of various anti-aircraft weapons on wheeled chassis, including trucks. One solution was to improvise by placing an anti-aircraft gun in the rear cargo bay of a truck. This was a simple and quick solution that could be implemented with whatever resources were available at the time. Such improvised vehicles were relatively common as they were cheap and easy to build. Their improvised nature and lack of armor limited their combat effectiveness. But, as often nothing better was available, these did the job to some extent.
As improvisations were not the proper solution, the Germans resolved to build more dedicated designs. These vehicles were more effective and reliable than improvised solutions. The armament consisted of either 2 cm or larger 3.7 cm anti-aircraft guns. In rarer cases, the much larger 5 cm anti-aircraft gun was used. They all shared a basic overall design, with a front armored cabin, central firing, and rear storage compartments. Sources do not go into detail about when these vehicles were constructed or their numbers. Given that the half-track SPAAGs received armored cabins after 1942, it would suggest that these too were built around the same time. Production numbers are unknown, but it is most likely that not many were built given the overall limitations of the wheeled chassis.
But it is important to note that even such vehicles were far from perfect. Despite the attempts to improve their performance, they were in essence still improvisations, albeit to a slightly lesser degree. Designing a dedicated wheel-based SPAAG would have taken too much time and resources.
Names
The SPAAG on Mercedes-Benz L4500A chassis received the official name of Schwere Geländegängiger Lastkraftwagen 4.5t Mercedes-Benz L4500A als Flakwagen (English: Heavy Off-Road Truck 4.5t Mercedes-Benz L4500A as Anti-Aircraft Gun Truck). Für (English: for) and the designation of the main armament – für 3.7 cm Flak 37, für 5 cm Flak 41 and für 2 cm Flakvierling 38 – were added.
The generic Heer designation of this type of SPAAG was Mittlerer Flak Kraftwagen (English: Medium Anti-Aircraft Motor Vehicle) with Kraftfahrzeug or Kfz. (English: Motor Vehicle) code number 410. The Mittler designation refers to the anti-aircraft gun designation, not the load capacity of the vehicle’s chassis.
The Kfz.410 was also split in three other designations: Kfz.410/1, Kfz.410/2, and Kfz.410/3, even if it is not clear if the sub-designations referred to the chassis used or main armament installed on the truck chassis.
Another slightly shorter official designation that was used was Schwerer Geländegängiger Lastkraftwagen 4,5t für Flak (Selbstfahrlafette) (English: Heavy Off-Road Truck 4,5t for Anti-Aircraft Gun [Self-Propelled Gun Carriage]).
Design
Chassis and Frame
The 4.5 tonnes Mercedes-Benz L4500 was a heavy-duty truck that was developed as a larger version of the L3000 medium truck. It entered production in 1939 at the Mercedes-Benz plant of Gaggenau, in south-west Germany. Between the months of September and October 1944, two Allied bombings raids on the city destroyed the Mercedes-Benz plant, forcing it to restart production at the Saurer plant in Vienna until the end of the war. Today, the Mercedes-Benz L4500 is a rare and highly sought-after collector’s item, with a number of examples preserved in museums and private collections around the world.
Model
L4500S
L4500A
Empty weight
5.250 tonnes
5.717 tonnes
Payload capacity
5,150 tonnes
4.685 tonnes
This was an uncommon capacity for the period and permitted the Mercedes-Benz truck to transport, for example, a Panzer I in its cargo bay. The towing capacity is not specified, but it was able to tow an 8.8 cm Flak anti-aircraft gun or a tank transporter trailer.
All three variants of the truck shared the same frame and bodywork but differed in the suspensions used. The Mercedes-Benz L4500S and L4500A were equipped with leaf spring suspension on both front and rear axles, while the Mercedes-Benz L4500R had, on the rear axles, Panzer II light tank suspension and tracks.
During its service history, some modifications were made to the chassis to speed up production output and lower the overall cost of the vehicle.
In 1943, a new type of cab substituted the original civil cab. The new Einheitsfahrerhaus (English: Standard Cabins) was a box-shaped pressed-wood cab developed to fit on various German and Italian trucks and half-track chassis. Another modification, which appeared in late 1944, when production switched to Saurer, was a different and shorter bumper, simplified fenders, and lastly different headlights.
Mercedes-Benz L4500 heavy-duty truck production 1939 – 1945
Model
Number Produced
Mercedes-Benz L4500S
6,402
Mercedes-Benz L4500A
2,711
Mercedes-Benz L4500R
1,486
Total Produced
10,599
Of the 6,402 Mercedes-Benz L4500S produced, 2,021 were converted into firefighter trucks and 1,214 were equipped with gasifier engines. Of the 2,711 Mercedes-Benz L4500A, 308 were converted into off-road firefighting trucks. The total number of Mercedes-Benz L4500A trucks converted in SPAAGs is unknown.
The civilian variants were standard cargo trucks with wooden cargo bays. A bus version called O4500 was produced only in 1943-1944, and a firefighting truck, called LF25, was also built.
Engine and Suspension
The Mercedes-Benz L 4500 engine was the diesel 4-stroke, inline 6-cylinder Mercedes-Benz OM 67/4 water cooled, 7,274 cm3, delivering 112 hp at 2,250 rpm. This powerful engine was of the precombustion chamber injected type with Over Head Valves (OHV).
The diesel engine, mounted in front of the cab, was coupled with a single disc dry clutch and 5 gears and one reverse manual gearbox with reductors. The maximum speed was 66 km/h on-road.
The fuel capacity was 140 liters in a single tank placed under the cab. The truck had a fuel consumption of 25 liters per hour on-road, which meant that the truck had an on-road range of about 500 km.
The vehicle was equipped with a ZF Typ 721 steering system that assisted the driver in turning the steering wheel and a peculiar brake system: a hydraulic system for the front drum brakes and a pneumatic system for the rear drum brakes (and the trailer brakes). Although all wheels were equipped with drum brakes, the parking brake blocked only the rear axle (and the trailer brakes). The vehicle was equipped with 10.5-20″ tires with twin wheels on the rear axle.
The Mercedes-Benz L4500A had an off-road gear, which permitted the driver to switch on the front-wheel-drive. With this off-road gear, the performance of the truck was diminished, with a maximum speed decreased to 43 km/h, while the payload capacity was reduced to 4.085 tonnes.
Mercedes-Benz L4500A Specifications
Length
7. 86 m
Width
2.35 m
Height
3.34 m
Wheelbase
4.60 m
Ground Clearance
34 cm
Water Depth
80 cm
Turning Radius
19.3 m
Payload
4.685 tonnes
Payload With Off-road Gear
4.085 tonnes
Total Weight Permitted by Law
10.400 tonnes
Total Weight With Off-road Gear
9.800 tonnes
Armor
The Geländegängiger Lastkraftwagen 4.5t Mercedes-Benz L4500A, due its crucial role and vulnerability on the frontline, was equipped with armored plates to protect part of the crew from light arms fire.
The great payload capacity of this massive German truck allowed the bolting of armored plates on the cab without overstressing the chassis. The Germans called the armored structure Behilf Panzerung (English: Auxiliary Armor).
The engine compartment was protected on the front by an armored plate-shaped V fixed on the bumper on the lower part, and by means of a long rod on the upper part.
The armored cab was composed of armored plates revered on an internal structure and shared similar shapes to the armored cabs of other German vehicles, such as the 8.8 cm Flak 18 (Selbstfahrlafette) auf Schwere Zugkraftwagen 12t (Sd.Kfz.8) nicknamed “Bunkerflak”, the Sd.Kfz.7/2 anti-aircraft armored half-track, and the similar Büssing-NAG 4500A anti-aircraft armored truck.
On the front armored plate of the cab, there were two slits protected by the armored glass, while on the side hatches, there were two sliding slots. A fifth slit was placed on the rear of the armored cab to connect the crew inside the cab with the other soldiers on the platform. For self-defense, ventilation and observation, there were two hatches on the armored roof from which the commander and driver could check the area around or defend the vehicle with personal weapons. The commander had a split hatch with parts fixed on the sides, while the driver’s hatch, albeit of the same dimension, had a single part openable to the front.
The armored cab’s plate thickness is not specified in official documentation, but it probably ranged between 10 mm to 14.5 mm, similar to other German armored cabs. This thickness was barely enough to protect the occupants of the cab from light arms fire and artillery splinters. This level of protection did not even protect the vehicle from enemy air strikes, the most likely opponent to defend against.
The crew in the rear platform, apart from the protection given by the armored cab and gun shield (8 mm to 10 mm thick), was severely exposed.
During production, some parts were simplified in the hope of speeding up the assembly and to decrease costs. The slots protected by armored glass were substituted with bigger ones without armored glass and with armored ports. The side slots were replaced with sliding slots of bigger dimensions. The bench on the rear was removed and the cab was shortly elongated. Also, the radiator’s plate was replaced with a longer one.
Modifications
Behind the armored cab, a new firing platform made of iron sheets was fixed on the truck chassis. The platform was equipped with foldable sides made with robust wire mesh. When in firing position, the sides were folded horizontally to permit a 360° traverse of the anti-aircraft gun and increase the floorspace for the gun’s operators. Right behind the armored cab was the padded bench for the gunner and loaders. In the middle of the platform was the main armament.
At the rear, a stowage box was placed, the top of which could open. It was used to transport ammunition for the anti-aircraft gun, toolboxes, and other parts. Over the rear stowage box was a backrest to allow it to be used as a bench for other crew members.
In later vehicles, the stowage box on the rear was removed and replaced with a bench, while the front bench was removed too. This gave more space for the crew but reduced the possibility of transporting other equipment.
A total of four jacks were added, two for each side of the firing platform, and used to increase the stability of the vehicle while firing. These jacks were not introduced on the half-tracked SPAAGs because of the sturdier chassis and bigger contact area of the tracks, which gave more stability than wheels. During serial production, the four jacks were first simplified to save on raw materials and then reduced to one for each side. The new jack model was composed of a telescopic rod with a foot placed on the front of the firing platform. Sapper tools were placed on the platform’s foldable sides while, under the platform, on each side, was a 20-liter fuel can support.
The vehicles were equipped with Notek night lights placed near the front armored plate that protected the radiator.
There was a compartment in the rear stowage box of the platform for an unknown but limited number of round clips or magazines.
Crews regularly transported spare ammunition on one-axle standard military trailers. The most common ones were the Sonderanhänger 56 or Sd.Ah.56 (English: Special Trailer 56) for 2 cm Flak ammunition, the Sonderanhänger 57 or Sd.Ah.57 (English: Special Trailer 57) for 3.7 cm Flak automatic cannon rounds or the multiuse Sonderanhänger 51 Sd.Ah.51 that could be loaded both with 3.7 cm Flak 36/37 or 2 cm Flakvierling 38 ammunitions. The trailer also transported the gun’s spare optics, spare parts, and other tools.
Main Armament
2 cm Flakvierling 38
The 2 cm Flakvierling 38 was a common anti-aircraft gun of the Second World War. It was designed by Mauser-Werke to replace the older 2 cm Flak 30 and was introduced in May 1940. Its effective firing range was between 2 to 2.2 km, while the maximum horizontal range was 5,782 m. The maximum rate of fire was 1,680 to 1,920 rpm, but 700-800 rpm was a more appropriate operational rate of fire. The elevation was –10° to +100°.
The gun was placed on a triangular-shaped platform with three supporting legs. For transportation, this platform was connected to a two-wheel bogie. To hold the gun in place, three stabilizer connectors for the 2 cm Flakvierling 38 legs were added on top of the vehicle’s rear positioned platform.
3.7 cm Flak 36 and 37
The 3.7 cm Flak 36 was intended to replace the inadequate 3.7 cm Flak 18. It could engage enemy air targets up to 4.8 km. The firing rate was 160 rounds per minute but 80 rpm was a more practical fire rate. The elevation was –8° to +85°. It was generally an effective design that had improved firepower over the weaker 2 cm rounds. Unfortunately for the Germans, they never produced enough of them. The Flak 37 version received some improvements, such as a better gun sight but, in general, these two were almost identical.
The 3.7 cm Flak 36/37 used a similar triangular-shaped platform, with three supporting legs, albeit somewhat larger. Early 3.7 cm Flak 18 used much complicated two two-wheel bogie. Later models would use only a single two-wheel bogie. The installation process of these two guns on the Mercedes-Benz’s rear-positioned platform would be the same as on the 2 cm gun.
On some trucks armed with 3.7 cm automatic cannons, other ammunition racks were placed under the firing platform, behind the rear axle. Each rack could be loaded with three iron crates for 2 8-round clips each, for a total of 96 rounds.
5 cm Flak 41
The 5 cm Flak 41 was Krupp’s response to the request made by the German Army for an anti-aircraft gun to fill the gap between the 3.7 cm and 8.8 cm anti-aircraft guns. In 1935, Rheinmetall was tasked with developing such an anti-aircraft gun. A few years later, in 1939, Krupp was also contacted for the same purpose, but its design would be rejected. Rheinmetall 5 cm anti-aircraft gun was deemed a better design and it would be accepted for service in November 1940.
The gun was placed on a triangular-shaped platform, equipped with two side folding outriggers to provide better stability during firing. For transportation, this platform was connected to two two-wheel bogies, which were then moved either by a heavy-duty truck or a half-track.
This gun was gas operated and equipped with a vertical sliding breech. With a muzzle velocity of 840 m/s, it had a maximum firing range of up to 9 km, while the more practical range was 5.6 km. The horizontal firing range was 12.4 km. It had a full traverse of 360° with an elevation of –10° to +90°. The total weight of the gun was 3.1 tonnes.
It could fire a few different rounds. The standard high-explosive round had two different settings. It could be timed to explode after 5 to 8 seconds or longer, at 14 to 18 seconds, depending on the combat need. In addition, this round was also provided with a tracer that burned for up to 10 seconds. It could also fire an armor-piercing round (basically a modified 5 cm PaK 38 round) and a training round. The practical firing rate was 130 rounds.
While issued early in the war, these guns proved disappointing. They were unstable during firing, slow in tracing enemy aircraft, and due to their large size, difficult to conceal and move. After some 200 (precise numbers differ greatly between sources, from 80 to 200) guns were built, the production was canceled. Despite their limited production numbers, these guns saw combat in their original configuration but also in some self-propelled versions.
From photographic evidence, it is possible to confirm that at least four 5 cm Flak 41 were installed on Schwere Geländegängiger Lastkraftwagen 4.5t chassis. At least one was mounted on a Schwere Geländegängiger Lastkraftwagen 4.5t Mercedes-Benz L4500A als Flakwagen, two were mounted on unarmored Mercedes-Benz L4500A chassis, and the fourth one was installed on an unarmored Schwere Geländegängiger Lastkraftwagen 4.5t Büssing-NAG 4500A als Flakwagen.
Crew
The driver was placed in the left side of the armored cab, while the commander sat on the right side. Behind the cab was a padded bench on which the gunner and one or two loaders sat. It was not unusual for crews to number up to 7 soldiers, with 4 loaders and ammunition carriers for the gun.
Only the commander and driver were protected from enemy light arms fire by the armored cab, while the rest of the crew sat outside without any protection, even against bad weather.
Unprotected Versions
During the production of SPAAGs on Mercedes-Benz trucks, there were small series built using unarmored vehicles.
The first one appeared to be produced in late 1942 according to the presence of some vehicles in North Africa, under the Deutsche Afrika Korp control.
This was a really rudimentary conversion probably produced in limited numbers, possibly for testing. This version was equipped with the original metal cab and without jacks. The precision of the main gun was badly influenced by the bad stability of the wheeled platform, so the crews tried to solve the problem using jacks to raise the chassis from the ground and sandbags stacked around the wheels when in battery position.
This peculiar version also sported different ammunition racks and crew benches on the firing platform. The folding sides were made of iron sheets instead of serial production wire meshes.
Another version that appeared later in the war was an unarmored Mercedes-Benz L4500A with an open-topped cab, foldable windshield, and early production firing platform with 4 jacks and wire mesh foldable sides.
Photographic evidence confirms the production of at least 2 unarmored vehicles with open-topped cabs armed with the rare 5 cm Flak 41. The unarmed version of the Geländegängiger Lastkraftwagen 4.5t on Mercedes-Benz L4500A was produced in limited numbers, which perhaps stopped after these 2 prototypes. These vehicles seem to have remained in Germany to train recruits and defend the homeland.
This last unarmored version illustrates how desperate the German situation was at the end of the war. The unarmored Geländegängiger Lastkraftwagen 4.5t could only be operated in a relatively safe environment, safe from any ground attacks, artillery. Apart from the thin and small gun shield, the crew was completely exposed to artillery splinters and light arms fire. This unarmored solution, therefore, suggests that it was designed for training Flak recruits as a cheaper and lighter version of the SPAAG.
Operational Use
Unfortunately, information about the combat use of these vehicles is quite difficult to find. They are often just barely mentioned in the sources. They surely saw combat use given the existence of many surviving photographs. Given the Luftwaffe’s inability to provide air defense and the general lack of half-track SPAAGs, these would be used to fill the gap.
Conclusion
These vehicles were part of a series of stopgap solutions that the German military developed during the war to counter Allied air superiority. This SPAAG based on a truck chassis was sort of a mix-bag. On one side, they provided increased mobility for the anti-aircraft guns. This helped to greatly increase the combat effectiveness of these units. The partial armor that protected only the most sensitive parts of the truck meant that the crew was exposed during combat. They also lacked proper mobility when driving off-road. It was ultimately a temporary solution to a growing problem that required more advanced and specialized anti-aircraft vehicles.
Schwere Geländegängiger Lastkraftwagen 4.5t Mercedes-Benz L4500A als Flakwagen Specification
Crew
4-5 (driver, commander, gunner and 1 or 2 loaders)
Engine
Mercedes-Benz OM 67 diesel engine delivering 112 hp at 2,250 rpm, 140 liter fuel tank
Speed
66 km/h
Range
~ 500 km
Armament
3.7 cm Flak 37
or
5 cm Flak 41
or
2 cm Flakvierling 38
German Reich (1942-1945)
Improvised Armored Car – 1 Converted
During the Axis occupation of Yugoslavia during the Second World War, the ever-increasing resistance movements caused great destruction to the Axis infrastructure and manpower. The Germans were particularly hard-pressed as they could not provide proper forces and equipment. Instead, they often relied on captured weapons and units of mixed experience and quality. Regarding the armor used, these were also mostly captured vehicles that were for the most part obsolete. To further increase their number, some improvised vehicles were also used, including one based on a captured British Morris CS8 truck.
A Brief History of the Yugoslavian Occupation
After the unsuccessful invasion of Greece by Italian forces, Benito Mussolini was forced to ask for help from his German ally. Adolf Hitler agreed to provide assistance, fearing a possible Allied attack through the Balkans would reach Romania and its vital oil fields. On the path of the German advance towards Greece stood Yugoslavia, whose government initially agreed to join the Axis side. This agreement was short-lived, as the Yugoslavian government was overthrown by an anti-Axis pro-Allied military coup at the end of March 1941. Hitler immediately gave an order for the preparation for the invasion of Yugoslavia. The war that began on 6th April 1941 was a short one and ended with a Yugoslavian defeat and the division of its territory among the Axis powers.
Following the collapse of Yugoslavia, the occupying Axis forces did not expect any significant trouble to come from this part of Europe. Unfortunately for them, two resistance groups emerged very quickly, the Royalist Chetniks and the Communist Partisans. What followed was five years of heavy struggle, suffering, and destruction on all warring sides in Yugoslavia.
Early Field Modifications
To battle the ever-rising numbers of Partisans attacks, the Axis forces, particularly the Germans, had limited available resources in the early stages of the armed uprising. After the April War, the Germans captured at least 78-80 Yugoslav armored fighting vehicles. These were to be transported out of occupied Yugoslavia by the end of 1941. As a result of the uprising, most of these vehicles were instead distributed to German occupation units. However, even these were not enough, as most of them were the older and obsolete WW1-era Renault FT tanks. They lacked mobility and suffered from engine reliability issues due to their age.
In an attempt to increase mobility and add firepower to their units, the Germans could only add machine guns and other light armaments on any truck or car that they could get their hands on. These vehicles did not receive any kind of armored protection, and, in general, had limited combat potential.
The Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) found itself in an identical situation. Whilst the Italian occupation divisions were equipped with a number of Italian-built armored cars and tanks, almost all also had improvised armored personnel carriers used to patrol the most important roads to escort convoys. These improvisations were made mostly on Italian-built trucks, such as Bianchi Miles medium trucks, Isotta Fraschini D80 heavy-duty trucks, OM Taurus medium trucks, and even some French Renault ADRs captured during the French campaign.
Luckily for the Germans, during their Balkan campaign in April 1941, they managed to capture a variety of British equipment in Greece. This includes trucks, cars, and even some tanks. Some of these vehicles were put to use as anti-partisan vehicles in their original form. A few of them were reused for other projects, such as the modification of a Morris CS8’s 4×4 chassis with the addition of an armored compartment armed with one machine gun. Not much is known of this vehicle besides the fact that it was a German field modification, possibly made in 1942, and likely used by the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division ‘Prinz Eugen’.
Identification of the Frame
The exact frame on which the armored superstructure of this improvised armored car is not known. From the images, it is easy to identify it as a British-built Morris CS8 light truck.
Unfortunately, on the frame of this vehicle, 3 more vehicles were produced: the Morris C8 Quad prime mover, the 4×4 Morris C8 GS light truck, and the Morris CS9 armored car. It is logical to exclude the CS9 armored car as the possible frame since it would have made no sense to build an armored structure for a vehicle that already had one.
The armored superstructure could be mounted on a Morris C8 Quad prime mover with a 4×4 traction. The Morris C8 GS (GS for General Service) can also be excluded, as it entered service only in 1943.
Morris CS8
The Morris CS8 was the standard light truck of the Commonwealth Armed Forces. It was developed after the request of the War Office in 1934 for a 750 kg payload capacity light lorry. The Morris Commercial Cars company started the development of this vehicle on the base of its civilian trucks of the C series, which had entered production in 1933. It was presented as the Morris CS8 (C for Commercial, S for Six-cylinder engine, and 8 for the wheelbase in feet). When the Second World War began, it was the standard platoon truck of the British Army and Commonwealth forces with total production, until 1941, of 21,319 CS8s.
Dozens of different variants were built, including a command post variant, radio center, water, and fuel tanker, and even an armored car. Some were also modified in the field to carry the French Hotchkiss 25 mm Mle. 1934, the Bofors 37 mm, or the 2-pounder gun in portée versions, and even the Italians, who captured many Morris trucks in North Africa, modified them as truck-mounted artillery, known as the Autocannone da 65/17 su Morris CS8.
Design
Despite being a field modification, it appears to be a well-designed project. Due to a lack of information, how the vehicle was modified is unknown. Using the available photographs nonetheless, some educated guesses can be made.
Chassis and Engine
The chassis and the engine most likely remained unchanged. Given that it was a captured vehicle with limited spare parts, little could be done in regard to improving its overall performance. The Morris CS8 was powered by a 3,485 cm3 6-cylinder inline side valve petrol engine that delivered 60 hp at 2,800 rpm. The manual transmission had four forward and one reverse gear. Its empty weight was 1.94 tonnes, reaching 3 tonnes fully loaded.
Its maximum velocity on road was 64 km/h, and thanks to a 100-liter fuel tank, its maximum range was 400 km. On the German improvised armored car, the maximum speed and range most likely decreased due to added weight.
Armored Superstructure
On top of the original chassis, a new fully enclosed armored superstructure was placed. It appears to be something more than an improvised vehicle made crudely in a workshop and something more professionally put together.
The frontal armor plates are angled to provide additional protection. On the front engine plates, there was a large centrally positioned, and protected ventilation grille for the radiator. Next to it, on both sides, two round-shaped hatches for the vehicle’s lights were added. The driver had a rectangular-shaped vision port, which could be fully closed or opened depending on the need. Opposite, a small rectangular firing port for the main armament was placed. On either side of the vehicle’s armored superstructure, two large doors opening backward were added. This could give some problems to the crew if they needed to exit or enter the vehicle under enemy fire. The doors were equipped with vision slits.
As there is no photograph of this vehicle from the rear, it is unclear how its design was made. It is possible that a door was placed there too, or at the very least, a firing port for self-defense. A large rectangular-shaped hatch was placed on top of the vehicle. It provided the commander with the possibility to fully observe the surroundings, and, at the same time, permitted the crew to defend themselves from air attacks. The main armament, or, optionally, a second machine gun, could be placed on the roof and used to shoot down enemy planes or support the infantry in anti-partisan operations.
Some sapper tools were placed on the sides, a pickaxe on the right, and a jack mounted on the left door. The rest were probably stored in the rear.
Armor
The thickness of these armor plates is unknown, but in order to keep the vehicle driving performance at an acceptable level, it must have been quite light, possibly only a few millimeters thick. As the partisans generally lacked any kind of a dedicated anti-tank weapon during the early stages of the uprising, this would not have been a major issue, as its armor only needed to protect against small caliber bullets.
Another interesting detail is that it seems that the armored plates were all welded and not bolted together as many other Axis-improvised armored vehicles of the era. This provides further evidence that it was a well-designed and manufactured project.
The vehicle probably suffered from problems caused by the weight of the armored superstructure. Between 1936 and 1938, Morris produced the CS9, an armored car on the frame of the CS8. It had a meager 7 mm armored superstructure bolted to an internal superstructure for a fully loaded weight of 4.5 tonnes. It was deployed in France by the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and in North Africa, where the crew complained about its underpowered engine. The German improvised armored car on a Morris chassis would have certainly been affected in a similar way.
Armament
The main armament of this vehicle appears to have consisted of only one machine gun. This machine gun was positioned on the right side of the vehicle and placed inside a small firing port. The precise machine gun used is difficult to know, but it was not of German origin. Like most weapons employed in Yugoslavia, it was presumably taken from a captured weapons stock. In this case, it appears to be the Czechoslovak 7.92 mm ZB vz. 26 or a Vz. 30 light machine gun, a highly popular and effective weapon. Before the April War, the Yugoslavian Army had in its inventory some 5,000 ZB vz. 26s and over 15,000 (possibly up to 17,000) Vz. 30Js (export version for Yugoslavia).
Both of these were excellent machine gun designs. These were gas-operated, had an easily removable barrel, and 20-round vertical magazines. The maximum firing rate was between 500 to 600 rounds per minute. The muzzle velocity of these two was 750 to 762 meters per second and weighed around 9.5 kg. Both of these guns achieved great export success being sold to countries like Afghanistan, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Romania, Spain, Turkey, etc.
Additionally, the crew would carry their personal weapons, such as rifles, pistols and even hand grenades. An additional machine gun of the same or different model could have been mounted on the roof.
Crew
The exact crew number and configuration is also unknown. Given the existing photographs, it would at least have been two crew members: a driver and a gun operator. It is also highly likely that a third crew member, a commander, would also have been included. It is difficult to know precisely, but it is also possible that the improvised Morris may have acted as a small armored personnel carrier, so additional soldiers may have been squeezed inside it. In fact, the original Morris CS8 was a light lorry with a payload capacity of 750 kg or enough space for 8 fully equipped soldiers. In this armored car version, it may have space for a pair, or more soldiers in the cramped rear.
Combat
Not much is known of this vehicle’s combat history. While it could have been built in the first year of Axis occupation, this seems unlikely, as at that time, the use of armor by units in Yugoslavia was rare. The armor available was mostly the Yugoslavian captured tanks or simple modifications that included adding armament on trucks or cars. From 1942 onwards, more complex such modified vehicles began to be seen more commonly (but still rare speaking in the wider context of the war in Yugoslavia) by nearly all sides.
The Morris improvised armored car itself likely belonged to the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division. This unit was officially formed in early 1942. It mainly consisted of ethnic Germans that lived in most of the northern part of Yugoslavia. This particular Division became quite notorious in fighting the Yugoslav resistance movements by conducting many crimes against the local civilians. Its equipment was supplied by the Germans and consisted of foreign captured weapons. The evidence to suggest this vehicle may have belonged to this unit, is the photographic evidence where it is seen supporting elements of the Prinz Eugen Division fighting the Partisans, possibly in the area of Zapadna Slavonija.
This vehicle remained in use up to the end of the war. The victorious Partisans managed to capture it and other German armored vehicles that were left abandoned in Slovenia in May 1945. Its fate after this point is unknown, but it was likely scrapped as it had little combat value to the Partisans.
Conclusion
While appearing to be a well-made vehicle, sadly, very little is known about the German Morris improvised armored car. It was one of the many improvised vehicles of the Second World War that would have been forgotten were it not for some old photographs. Its overall performance and use is shrouded in mystery, but it did survive until the end of the war. This either indicated that its overall design was good enough to survive for that long, or that it was rarely used and mostly stored in reserve somewhere. In either case, due to a lack of information, no proper conclusion can be made.
German Morris CS8 Armored Car Technical Specifications
Crew
3 (driver, gunner and commander)
Weight
∼4 tonnes
Dimensions
Length ∼4.3 m, Width ∼2.0 m, Height ∼2.2 m
Engine
3,485 cm3 6-cylinder inline sidevalve petrol engine that delivered 60 hp at 2,800 rpm
Speed
//
Range
//
Armament
7.92 mm ZB vz. 26 or 30 light machine gun
Armor
light
Sources
B. B. Dimitrijević and D. Savić (2011) Oklopne jedinice na Jugoslovenskom ratištu 1941-1945, Institut za savremenu istoriju, Beograd.
D. Predoević (2008) Oklopna vozila i oklopne postrojbe u drugom svjetskom ratu u Hrvatskoj, Digital Point Tiskara
N. Đokić and B. Nadoveza (2018) Nabavka Naoružanja Iz Inostranstva Za Potrebe Vojske I Mornarice Kraljevine SHS-Jugoslavije, Metafizika
F. Cappellano and P. P. Battistelli (2018) Italian Armored and Reconnaissance Cars 1911-1945, New Vanguard https://www.ravnoplov.rs/somborski-i-okolni-nemci-u-ss-diviziji-princ-eugen/
Kingdom of Italy/Italian Social Republic (1940-1945)
When speaking of Italian armor during the Second World War, it is important to analyze the training that Italian tank crew members received before being assigned to frontline units.
Although the Italian war industry was unable to keep up with the production capabilities of the Allied nations, it could have matched Nazi Germany in the experience gained by its crews due to the large number and variation of operations it was involved in. Unfortunately, training was completely ignored by the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) High Command during the war, leading to catastrophic results.
Italian Training Before Second World War
Before joining the bloodiest war of the 20th Century, the Kingdom of Italy relied on a large and heterogeneous fleet of light and obsolete tanks for training.
In order to train crew members in driving light tanks, many Carri Veloci 33 and CV35 vehicles were employed together with older FIAT 3000s. In order to train medium tank crew members, the only Schneider CA at the Departmental Headquarters for the Tank School in Bologna was available. The vehicle remained in service as a training vehicle until 1936, two decades after it was first introduced.
Surprisingly, the High Command of the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) did not consider the lack of training a notable issue, instead blaming the defeats suffered during the Spanish Civil War on the obsolescence of the vehicles used. A prime example of this is the absence of any change in the training of the Regio Esercito infantry or tank drivers during and after the Spanish Civil War.
The Regio Esercito focused on developing new fighting vehicles to deal with more modern threats, such as the Soviet armored fighting vehicles encountered in Spain.
Despite the development of new vehicles, such as the Autoblinda AB40 and the M11/39 tank, the Regio Esercito remained anchored on the concept of mountain trench warfare that had seen it victorious in the Great War, but in which armored fighting vehicles were not considered a priority.
One of the most serious problems that would be faced by the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) during the Second World War was not the enemy, but the effectiveness of its armored vehicles. On many occasions in North Africa, entire Italian armored units failed to adequately confront similarly sized Commonwealth units because of the Italian crews’ poor training.
The Italian 3 tonnes Carri Armati L3 light tanks had been delivered to cavalry schools to replace horses with tracks. Medium tanks, on the other hand, were delivered to tank schools where prospective crews had already completed infantry courses and then received tank crew members training. In fact, in Italy, the tank units were called fanteria carrista (English: tank crew infantry), meaning that they were infantry and tank crew members at the same time.
Miscellaneous Training during World War II
Training on armored cars and light tanks is barely reported in the relevant sources. The armored car training courses were held, for the duration of the war, at the Scuola Militare di Cavalleria (English: Military School of Cavalry) in Pinerolo, Piemonte.
Armored car crew members were recruited from soldiers that had already been trained as cavalrymen or from the Italian assault light infantry, also known as Bersaglieri.
The only difference between the two types of recruits was their nomenclatures: Bersaglieri units were composed of coppia (English: couples) consisting of 2 armored cars, plotone (English: platoons) composed of 2 couples, compagnie (English: companies) composed of one command platoon (one command car) and four platoons, for a total of 17 armored cars. Battaglioni (English: battalions) consistedof one command company and two to four companies, for a total of 35 or 69 armored cars. The cavalry units used squadrone (English: squadrons) instead of compagnie and gruppi (English: groups) instead of battaglione in the nomenclature.
Interestingly enough, some armored car training units were deployed on Italian coastal patrols after completing basic driving training in Piemonte.
The war diary of the VIII Battaglione Bersaglieri Blindato Autonomo (English: 8th Armored Bersaglieri Autonomous Battalion) shows that the crew training lasted from mid-August 1941 (the unit was established on 10th August) and ended in October 1941. Some of the companies of the battalion were shortly after sent to North Africa, with less than 3 months of training.
On 14th December 1941, the Ispettorato delle Truppe Motorizzate e Corazzate (English: Inspectorate of Motorized and Armored Troops) issued the rules for the training of the first three squadrons of Carri Armati L6/40.
Training lasted a few days and consisted of firing exercises up to 700 m. Also included were driving over varied terrain and practical and theoretical instruction for the unit personnel assigned to drive heavy trucks. Each Carro Armato L6/40 had at its disposal, during training: 42 rounds for the 20 mm main armament, 250 rounds for the coaxial 8 mm machine gun, 8 tonnes of gasoline. For the logistic truck drivers, there was 1 tonne of diesel fuel for training.
The Italian training on armored vehicles was very poor. Because of the lack of availability of equipment, Italian tank crews had few opportunities to train to shoot in addition to substandard mechanical training.
Medium Tank Training during World War II
Italian medium tank crew members were recruited from soldiers who had first completed their training as infantry. They were then selected by commanders from those with a minimum knowledge of engines or those who had a driver’s license. An elementary school diploma was compulsory for all participants in the tank crew course.
In many cases, the officers and NCOs were replacements and had barely finished the officer academy, being sent to war before they had a chance to even finish their courses.
Production of the Carro Armato M13/40 (English: M13/40 Tank) started in January 1940 and the first training courses were started for 12 officers, 12 non-commissioned officers (NCOs), and 30 soldiers at the Corso Carrista (English: Tank Crew Course) in the Centro Addestramento Carristi (English: Tank Crew Training Center) of Bracciano near Rome, under the guidance of Colonel Scalabrino.
The crew members first trained on a Carro Armato M11/39, 5 Carri Armati L3/35 light tanks and, surprisingly, also on the Carro Armato M13/40 prototype.
Each soldier was trained to perform multiple tasks, not just one. For example, almost all crew members were taught how to use radios, which were nonetheless almost absent in the first produced Carri Armati M13/40.
Unfortunately, there were few practical lessons. Each tank commander fired only 5 rounds with the 47 mm gun and a magazine of machine gun ammunition, while drivers and machine gunners/radio operators fired 3 47 mm rounds and a magazine with the Breda. The loaders probably followed a mechanical course to be able to maintain and repair the tank.
Unfortunately, due to the demands of war, the Carri Armati M13/40 training course was interrupted on 4th February 1940, by which time the 54 crew members had not yet fully completed their training on the new medium tanks.
Some courses also started at Ansaldo-Fossati of Genoa on 15th July 1940. The first of these lasted only 19 days, weekends included. The crew members trained on a single Carro Armato M13/40 and on the new vehicles that were tested after production on the Ansaldo testing ground. The first 15 Carri Armati M13/40 produced by Ansaldo were delivered to the Bracciano Tank Training School in mid-July 1940 to train the new crews.
However, only on 29th August did the courses restart at the Bracciano training school. The number of students greatly increased to about a battalion, but with very limited numbers of vehicles available for training: one Carro Armato M11/39, 5 Carri Armati L3/35, and 8 Carri Armati M13/40. Nothing is known about the other 7 Carri Armati M13/40 delivered a few weeks earlier.
A total of 14 crew members were trained as general mechanics and engine mechanics during a 10-day course at the Centri Addestramento Carristi (English: Tank Crew Training Centers). Of these 14 soldiers, 7 carried out the course at Ansaldo-Fossati of Genoa, while the other 7 carried out the course at Società Piemontese Automobili plant in Corso Ferrucci, in Turin.
On 27th October 1940, General Mario Roatta complained in the Foglio N.9,722 (English: Paper Number 9,722) about the scarcity of trained personnel at the tank crew infantry regiments. Out of 3,905 soldiers, only 1,166 were specialists.
The Italian Army High Command was convinced that, in 3 months, the tank school could adequately train a driver or a tank commander, while, in the other Axis and Allied countries, the tank training courses were longer.
Another serious problem was the lack of instructors. The few officers and NCOs that were trained to operate the medium tanks were all deployed to North Africa and, to a lesser extent, also to the Balkans. In some cases, the drivers trained with the tanks, but they did not fully know the machinery at their disposal.
The theoretical courses were full of superfluous details and failed to teach the crews important tactical considerations, such as which terrain was best for an ambush or how to overcome obstacles.
These serious learning gaps were signaled by Ansaldo and FIAT, first to Gen. Caracciolo of the Ispettorato Superiore Servizi Tecnici ed alla Direzione Generale della Motorizzazione (English: Superior Inspectorate of Technical Services) and then to General Augusto de Pignier of the Ispettorato delle Truppe Motorizzate e Corazzate (English: Motorized and Armored Troops Inspectorate). The two inspectors slightly modified the training.
With the start of 1941 and the need to form new tank units, the courses intensified. In January and February, the fourth and fifth courses took place, while on 5th February, the first course for NCOs arriving from infantry and cavalry units began. They trained on the Carro Armato M13/40, but also on Carri Armati L6/40 light reconnaissance tanks and Autoblinde AB41 medium armored cars.
On 6th April, a course for Carri Armati M13/40 officers began and, on 1st March 1941, the fourth Carri Armati M13/40 course for an entire tank battalion began. On 13th April, a course on Carri Armati M13/40 for self-propelled gun crews began, as the Carro Armato M13/40 and Semovente M40 da 75/18 shared the same chassis and similar internal layout. The Ispettorato delle Truppe Motorizzate e Corazzate also had a first advanced course for Carri Armati M13/40 tanks for tank officers lasting 25 days, which began on 1st December 1941.
The crews were trained to shoot only while the tank was stationary, so it was common during the North African Campaign for the crews to stop for a few seconds, permitting the gunner to aim and shoot while advancing against British positions or fighting against British tanks.
On 29th December 1941, the Italian High Command created the rules for the training of the battaglioni esploranti corazzati (English: armored reconnaissance battalions), which were equipped with Autoblinde AB41 armored cars and Semoventi M40 da 75/18.
On 12th March 1942, Centri di Istruzione (English: Instruction Centers) for tank crews were established in North Africa. These centers were created with the goal of facilitating the acclimatization of crews to the hot and arid North African environment.
Mixed training sessions were also organized. In 1941, one was held south of Bologna from 10th to 12th June by the IX Battaglione Carri M13/40 with 5 light tanks, 41 Carri Armati M13/40, and a Renault R35 light tank. During that training, all the Carri Armati M13/40 suffered mechanical failures, while the use of radios by the crews was judged to be good.
General Roatta, who had become Chief of Staff of the Regio Esercito on 24th March 1941, sent the results of the training to the Ispettorato Superiore Servizi Tecnici ed alla Direzione Generale della Motorizzazione on 15th June 1941, highlighting the problems of the Carri Armati M13/40.
He suggested increasing the training courses to 12 days, permitting the crews to train for 2 days in the Brughiera di Sequals near Udine, which had a similar terrain to the Marmarica region in Libya, and to carry out experiments on similar terrain with a Carro Armato M13/40 with a powerful engine and to compare the results with results of the Somua S35 and Skoda T22 tanks. In the same letter, he required a 15 day training course for units equipped with Renault and Somua tanks directly in Libya.
In general, the units equipped with semoventi were better trained. Light tanks were crewed by cavalrymen and medium tanks by infantrymen, while the semoventi were employed by artillery units.
These vehicles, based on the same Carro Armato M13/40 (and then Carro Armato M14/41) chassis, broke down significantly less often. This was not because of a change in weight, as semoventi weighed roughly as much as medium tanks and were equipped with the same engines. The reason seems to have been that the drivers and crew members had been previously trained to repair military heavy trucks or prime movers to tow their artillery pieces.
As can be seen, the training on Italian armored vehicles was scarce and suboptimal. Due to the limited availability of vehicles, the Italian tank crew members had few opportunities to conduct live fire training, which led to lower rates of fire and poorer precision in combat. Mechanical training was likewise scarce, increasing the time needed for repairs of the tanks and lowering availability.
In order to train the soldiers to operate and repair the tanks, from the start of the war, on 10th June 1940, up to 1st July 1942, FIAT deployed a total of 120 workers and technicians. The project, completely financed by FIAT, provided FIAT workers to training schools on the Italian mainland and on the battlefront. Of these 120 workers, one died during fighting against Allied troops, another died due to other causes, and 19 were taken prisoner.
In the book Carro M, Volume I, a document from Engineer Lieutenant Picciafuoco is mentioned, which states that in the training school of Bologna, some tank commanders and officers were instructed in the use of radios.
One tank was called a stazione (English: station), multiple tanks were called a maglia (English: network), and many maglie with a command stazione were called nodo (English: knot, node).
The communications were never meant to be stated in the clear, in usual language. The voice mode on the radio was only used between the tank commander and radio operator. The radio operator repeated orders received in Morse code to the commander or repeated unclear messages.
Crews were urged to use voice mode only 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 of disguising communications because, even if enemy troops could listen to Italian communications, it was improbable that any one enemy soldier could understand all the different Italian dialects. On the other hand, this difficulty also applied to the Italians themselves.
Each company of a battalion was usually nicknamed using an Italian city in radio messages, such as: Bologna, Ferrara, Genoa, or Turin. Each platoon was given a number along with the company’s city name: Primo (English: First), Secondo (English: Second), Terzo (English: Third), or Quarto (English: Forth). So the first platoon of the company would have been Bologna Primo. Each platoon commander was distinguished with numbers from 1 to 9, while each tank distinguished itself with two-digit numbers, the first one being the number of its platoon and the second was the number of the tank in the platoon (from 2 to 5). It could be, for example: Torino Secondo 5 or Torino 2-5 meaning that it was the 5th tank of the second platoon of the 2nd Company. In some other cases, the names of platoon commanders were used instead of the numbers primo, secondo, etc.
Crew members sometimes used the voice mode to send messages on the frontline. Commonwealth tanks were called Elefanti (English: Elephants), armored cars Gazelle, and armored trucks, reconnaissance vehicles, and jeeps were called Volpi (English: Foxes). Colonels were referred to as il papà (English: the father) and generals il padrone (English: the boss).
Crews were instructed to destroy their radio equipment to avoid the enemy capturing them and using them to intercept Italian radio communications.
Post-Armistice Training
Due to the desperate situation after the Italian Armistice of 8th September 1943, the problem of trained crew members became even more serious.
After the Armistice, many military leaders, ignoring the disbanding of the Regio Esercito, remained loyal to Fascism and to Dictator Benito Mussolini.
Soldiers regrouped, in some cases in their dozens, in some other cases, even entire battalions, under their command and operated quite independently from the Italian High Command. There was also a confusing difference between training units, and different examples of well documented training courses that Italian soldiers received after the Armistice are illustrative.
In this desperate situation, Italian Defense Minister Marshal Rodolfo Graziani met Adolf Hitler on 13th October 1943 in Germany to speak about reorganization of the Italian army with divisions trained in Germany by German instructors and partially equipped with German equipment.
In other meetings between Italian and German commands, 8 infantry divisions and a single armored division were programmed to form up in Germany with Italian personnel.
At the same time, in October 1943, the German Panzer-Ausbildungs-Abteilung Süd (English: Tank Training Unit South) was created to train German soldiers to operate on Italian captured vehicles. The training unit was located in Montorio Veronese, near Verona.
In November 1943 a total of 120 Italian officers, NCOs and crew members were gathered in Montorio Veronese and went to create the 1a Compagnia Addestramento Italiana (English: 1st Italian Training Company) with German trainers.
The 120 Italian soldiers were former Italian veterans or fresh young volunteers. It was commanded by Lieutenant Alberto Santurro and was divided into 10 to 15 men squads under a German instructor’s command.
In the book Come il Diamante! I Carristi Italiani 1943-35 written by Sergio Corbatti and Marco Nava, an Italian veteran’s recounting of training is given. Each Italian volunteer was trained in practical courses of tank driving, operating radio apparatus, maintaining and lubricating guns and repairing engines and electrical systems on the tanks.
The Germans meant to train each crew member in as many tasks as possible to prepare them for any threats and be capable of substituting a wounded comrade. The theoretical courses were harder due to the language differences. In these cases some German soldiers from Sudtirol were helpful. This is the northernmost region of Italy which is still, to this day, majoritarily German in ethnicity.
Everyday life started at 6 am, with an hour a day dedicated to the vehicle’s refueling and engine starting. The Italian veteran explained that starting the Italian tracked vehicle engines by means of the electrical starter was forbidden by the German instructors due to frequent failures which necessitated consequent electrical system repairs. The crew had to start their tanks manually with cranks.
Driving and shooting lessons were made north-east of the Panzer-Ausbildungs-Abteilung Süd base, at the Montorio castle area. The fields around the castle were used to train the crews to cooperate during the fights and shoot at concrete targets located at various distances.
After months of trainings, in June 1944, the 1a Compagnia Addestramento Italiana was disbanded. The 120 Italian soldiers that had trained for over 6 months were reassigned back to the original units from which they came over or to other Italian units. With the skills they earned in the training, the majority of the soldiers were assigned to frontline and rear line units. Sadly, some were assigned to units that did not have any armored vehicles, making their training useless.
The Italian veteran reported that he (together with 3 comrades of the company) were assigned to the 29. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (italienische Nr. 1) (English: 29th SS Mechanized Division (Italian No. 1)) that was not equipped with armored vehicles. They later asked to be assigned to the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ (English: Armored Group).
The soldiers of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ had trained in Montichiari near Brescia. A few officers and soldiers of the disbanded 1a Divisione Corazzata Legionaria ‘M’ (English: 1st Legionnaire Armored Division) had refused to obey the Armistice, recovered as many vehicles as they could in Rome (were they were previously located) and reached Montichiari on 29th September 1943.
The unit only had a few armored vehicles so, until December 1943, the soldiers did not train but departed throughout northern Italy to find armored vehicles. During this time, freshly enlisted volunteers joined the unit and awaited training. Among the crew members who joined the unit in that period were 5 officers that were part of the 132ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete’ (English: 132nd Armored Division) before the Armistice. Two of them had already been decorated with medals for bravery.
Between early December 1943 and February 1944, the unit trained in the hilly area near Montichiari, even if its training regimen is not detailed in the sources. In March 1944, the unit reached Turin.
In December 1944, the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’, which in the meantime had become the biggest armored unit of the Fascist Italian forces after the Armistice, established a supply and workshop unit in Milan.
The unit, known as the Distaccamento di Milano (English: Milan Detachment) was moved from Turin and received the tasks of resupplying Italian troops in the Piacenza area and sending spare parts to Turin to repair some damaged tanks. Another important task of the unit was to train the young militiamen in the training company. The training unit was located in the former barracks of a cavalry regiment, with some nearby fields for exercises.
The commander of the Distaccamento di Milano received the task of creating an armored battalion for the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ under dependencies of Milan command. The training company in Milan then received the order of training the new companies.
The training company created a workshop and a driving class in two enormous depots of the barracks. The training courses were divided into engine maintenance, driving courses, shooting courses and radio operator courses. Each recruit received driving lessons on armored cars and tanks and, at the end of the training, they received their tank driving license.
The armored car driving lessons were undertaken in the deserted streets of Milan, after curfew. This allowed the drivers to improve their skills in urban terrain.
The tank driving lessons were given in the fields near the barracks. From veteran testimonies, during the war, these fields were erroneously bombarded by the Allies. Italian training officers then created an off-road route along the bomb craters in order to train the drivers.
The instructors were former combat-experienced Regio Esercito crew members. They had at their disposal a pair of L3 light tanks, 2 medium tanks, and a Semovente L40 da 47/32 self-propelled gun. Unfortunately, the exact number of Italian crew members that finished the tank courses in Milan is unknown.
After their training, the soldiers were not deployed to form new armored companies as planned. They were instead assigned to various Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ garrisons around northern Italy.
Conclusion
During the Second World War, the Italian armored vehicle crews received poor training that usually led, together with the vulnerability of the Italian vehicles, to the total defeat of numerous Italian units in all theaters of war.
From 10th June 1940, the day when Italy joined the war, to 2nd May 1945, the training of Italian crews lacked resources, time, vehicles, men, and instructors.
With the continuation of the war, ammunition, fuel, spare parts, and even armament were rarely delivered to training schools, which were forced to buy equipment from private individuals and use obsolete tanks instead of modern vehicles.
As repeatedly seen in the century-long history of the tank, one need not necessarily have the best vehicle on the battlefield, well-trained crews are sufficient in some cases. The Regio Esercito, unfortunately, had neither effective tanks nor trained crews.
Sources
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
Italian Soldiers in North Africa 1941-1943 – Piero Crociani and Pier Paolo Battistelli – Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013
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
Andrea Viotti Uniformi e Distintivi dell’Esercito Italiano nella Seconda Guerra Mondiale 1940-1945 Roma 1988
Andrea Viotti Uniformi e Distintivi dell’Esercito Italiano fra le Due Guerre 1918-1935 Roma 2009
Andrea Viotti e Stefano Ales Le Uniformi e i Distintivi del Corpo Truppe Volontarie in Spagna 1936-1939 Roma 2004
Ruggero Belogi Regio Esercito Italiano. Uniformi 1919-1933 Pubblicazione dell’autore 1989
Sergio Coccia e Nicola Pignato Le Uniformi Metropolitane del Regio Esercito dalla Riforma Baistrocchi all’Inizio della Seconda Guerra Mondiale 1933-1940 Roma 2005
Uniformi e Armi magazine, number 163, Parma 2009 – Roberto Manno, Rudy A. D’Angelo e Marco Ghedini article title: Segni di distinzione. Medaglie e distintivi della seconda guerra mondiale – Page 132
Nicola Pignato e Filippo Cappellano Le Armi della Fanteria Italiana (1919-1945) Parma 2008
Ministero Forze Armate Istruzione provvisoria sull’uniforme dell’Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano(1944 – XXII)
Paolo Crippa Storia dei Reparti Corazzati della Repubblica Sociale Italiana 1943-1945 Marvia 2022
Kingdom of Italy/Italian Social Republic/Italian Republic (1939-1948)
Heavy Duty Truck – 8,000 Built
The Autocarro FIAT 666N (English: FIAT 666N Truck) heavy duty truck was the first Italian heavy cab-over-engine truck produced by Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino or FIAT (English: Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin), from 1939 until 1948.
It was produced both in a civilian versions for the Italian and European markets and in a military versions for the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army), Italian Regia Aeronautica (English: Royal Air Force) and Italian Regia Marina (English: Royal Navy).
After the Italian Armistice of 8th September 1943, it was also deployed by the Germans and by the Repubblica Sociale Italiana (English: Italian Social Republic).
After the war ended, it remained in production for another 3 years in a civilian version that also saw a small export to other European countries.
History of the Project
After the Great War, in the 1920s, the Italian industry grew with the development of robust and capable petrol trucks that were substituted in the mid-1930s with diesel engines, in a similar way Germany had done in 1932.
The major truck producers in the Kingdom of Italy were FIAT Veicoli Industriali (English: FIAT Industrial Vehicles), the FIAT branch that produced trucks; Lancia Veicoli Industriali of Turin; ALFA Romeo of Milan; and Isotta Fraschini of Milan.
There were also other producers, such as Fabbrica Automobili e Velocipedi Edoardo Bianchi (English: Edoardo Bianchi Automobile and Bicycle Factory) and Officine Meccaniche or OM (Mechanical Workshops) that produced light and medium and heavy trucks.
Except for the FIAT, all the other ones had bought diesel engines from German producers such as Junkers, MAN and Mercedes-Benz. Some other Italian vehicles were simply copies of German trucks such as the ALFA Romeo 500 that was developed from a Büssing-NAG medium truck with a new Deutz diesel engine or the OM 3 BOD produced under Saurer license.
All the vehicles produced by these companies were powered by petrol or diesel engines, had different payloads and weights, and in some cases, even between trucks produced by the same company, their characteristics were not similar.
In July 1937, the Italian government created a law on truck production. The law was passed for 3 main reasons:
Firstly, Italy was a rapidly growing nation with numerous companies producing dozens of different models of trucks. Standardization would lead companies to produce vehicles very similar to each other and with common parts, increasing production capacity.
Secondly, there was also the problem of embargoes placed on the Kingdom of Italy and the policy of autarky (the aspiration of Italian Fascist leaders to be economically independent from foreign countries). Unified truck standards, as part of this policy, were one part of the process, and they would help to avoid wasting resources.An example of this standardization process can be seen in the size of wheel rims. After 1935, due the embargoes placed after the invasion of Ethiopia, Italy had little rubber with which to produce tires. If all the trucks had the same rim diameters and sizes, companies that produced tires could produce one-size tires adaptable to all heavy trucks.
Thirdly, and probably the most important reason, was the unification of civilian and military truck standards, which meant that, in case of war, civilian trucks could be requisitioned for military purposes.
Autocarri Unificati Laws
Truck Types
Medium
Heavy
Maximum Weight (tonnes)
6.5
12
of which payload
3
6
Engine Type
Diesel ¹
Diesel
Maximum Speed (km/h)
60
45
Maximum Turning Radius (m)
7
7
Length (m)
2.35
2.35
Ground Clearance (cm)
20
20
Driving System
4×2
4×2
Note
¹ In some cases were accepted also patrol engines for medium trucks
With Regio Decreto (English: Royal Decree) N° 1809 of 14th July 1937, the so-called Autocarri Unificati (English: Unified Trucks) were born. For heavy trucks, the maximum weight should not exceed 12,000 kg, of which at least 6,000 kg had to be of payload, with a diesel engine with a minimum road speed of 45 km/h. The ALFA Romeo 800 and FIAT 666N were the first heavy trucks designed under the Regio Decreto N° 1809 rules.
Many Italian truckers were reluctant in purchasing the Autocarri Unificati, this was because in case of war these trucks would be requisitioned first. Despite their better features, Italian truckers preferred to continue buying older or less efficient vehicles that theoretically would not be requisitioned in case of war.
History of the Prototype
FIAT Veicoli Industriali started the development of a new heavy truck and of a new medium truck after the adoption of the decree on autocarri unificati.
FIAT’s plan was to substitute their earlier FIAT 632N, FIAT 633N, FIAT 634N, and FIAT 635N diesel heavy trucks.
The new heavy truck would become the FIAT 666N (‘N’ for Nafta – Diesel), while the medium one would become the FIAT 626N. Both the projects were cab-over-engine layout (the first for the FIAT) and followed the Regio Decreto N° 1809’s rules.
The FIAT 666N project was ready in late 1938 and the first prototype was produced between 1938 and early 1939.
This new truck was presented to the Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini and accompanying press on 15th May 1939. This was also the occasion of the opening of a new FIAT factory in Turin, the modern FIAT Mirafiori.
It was in this new plant where these new trucks would be produced. This factory building covered 300,000 m2 on an area of over one million m2, with a total of 22,000 workers on 2 shifts. All 50,000 FIAT workers of Turin were present for Mirafiori’s inauguration.
Despite a serious propaganda incident (Mussolini did not receive the reception he expected at Mirafiori), the Italian dictator visited the factory in which some military officers presented him the FIAT 626N, the FIAT 666N, and the Autoblinda AB40 prototypes.
The military version, the FIAT 666NM (‘NM’ for Nafta Militare – Diesel; Military), was presented to the Centro Studi ed Esperienze della Motorizzazione (English: Vehicle Study and Experience Center), the Italian department which examined new vehicles in Rome, for evaluation on 19th September 1940.
It differed from the civilian version through the addition of acetylene headlights, a bulb horn, support for rifles on the cab’s roof, manually operated turn signals on the sides of the windscreen, and only the rear side of the cargo bay was openable.
It was accepted into service and the first Regio Esercito order for the new unified heavy truck was made on 10th January 1941.
Production
FIAT 666N Ordered or Produced
Year
Regio Esercito
Regia Aeronautica
Wehrmacht
1941
2,500 ordered 1
796 ordered 2
//
1942
1,000 ordered 1
//
//
1943
700 ordered 1
//
//
1944 – 1945
//
//
78 brand new trucks produced for the Germans
Total Production until 1948
~ 8,000 3
Notes
1 No data about the delivery, so it is impossible to know how many were produced, the presence of new orders in 1942 and then in 1943 suggests that the previous orders had been completed. 2 Probably all delivered 3 Including civilian versions
In total, between late 1939 to 1948 a total of about 8,000 Autocarri FIAT 666N in all variants were produced by FIAT Mirafiori plant in Turin.
An unknown number of vehicles were sold around Europe after the war. Some FIAT brochures in French suggest the FIAT 666N were sold in the French market, while posters suggested the sale of FIAT 666N’s bus version in the United Kingdom. Many Autocarri FIAT 666N were also sold in Spain, probably in all civilian variants. The relatively small number produced would suggest that only a few hundreds were exported.
Design
Chassis
The chassis was composed of 2 stringers connected by side cross members. In the front, the bumper connected to the stringers, the engine and radiator were in the center, between the driver and passenger’s seats. The compressed air tank for the brakes and the battery box were fixed on the left side of the chassis, while the fuel tank and the muffler were placed on the right side.
Engine and Suspension
Propulsion was provided by a FIAT Tipo 366 6-cylinder in-line diesel engine. It had overhead valves, with a displacement of 9,365 cm³ and FIAT-produced injectors. The maximum output power was 110 hp at 2,000 rpm on the civilian FIAT 666N, the FIAT 666NM for the Regia Aeronautica, and on the FIAT 665NM. The maximum output power on the Regio Esercito’s FIAT 666NM was limited to delivering 95 hp (70.84 Kw) at 1,700 rpm. The Ricardo type direct-injection chamber created lots of problems in the cold Russian steppes, which forced the crews to mix the diesel fuel with gasoline in order to allow the engine to start. In some cases, crews had to light fires near the vehicle’s cabs to heat the engine before igniting it.
The maximum speed on-road was 48.3 km/h (30 mph) for the power-limited FIAT 666NM, 56.8 km/h for the FIAT 666N and FIAT 666NM and 57 km/h for the FIAT 665 NM.
The fuel was kept in a 135 liter tank (255 liters for the FIAT 665NM) located on the right side of the chassis, which offered a 750 km on-road range (465 km for the FIAT 666N). A FIAT 6-75-2510 diaphragm pump then pumped the fuel into a 5.5-liter tank located behind the cab’s dashboard. This ensured trouble-free feeding thanks to a gravity injection pump. In case of breaking of the main fuel pump or of the main tank itself. This system ensured, in case of pump failure or puncture of the main tank, a limited range until reaching a workshop that could repair the damage.
The water-cooling tank had a capacity of 50 liters. Air was drawn through 2 filters mounted at the back of the engine. Up until engine number 000530, they used cartridge filters, after which they were replaced with oil bath filters. As on the FIAT 626 medium truck, the engine could be extracted through the cab’s front after the removal of the grille thanks to rollers mounted on the 2 supports of the engine, rolling on guides fixed to the frame.
The lubricant oil for the engine was 20 liters (about 16 kg), 1.5 liters (1.2 kg) for the oil bath filters, and about 30 liters of oil (21 kg) in the gearbox and transmission. The brake fluid was 3 liters (2.9 kg).
Brakes and Electric Systems
The single dry plate clutch was connected to the gearbox via a drive shaft. This could be removed independently of the gearbox and engine simply by removing the rear casing. This meant that maintenance and disassembly were easier.
The transmission, thanks to the reducer, had eight forward gears and two reverse gears.
The drum brakes were hydraulic and had a pedal-operated air-brake booster.
The compressed air tank, with a capacity of 55 liters, was located on the left of the frame. It had a pressure of 5.5 bar (550 kPa). On the NM version, the rear axle was equipped with a differential.
There was a 12 Volt electrical circuit used to power the headlights and dashboard, and a FIAT 10 hp/24 Volt circuit for starting the engine. The batteries were 2 Magneti Marelli 6MF21 12V housed in a box on the left side of the chassis, behind the air tank.
Structure and Bodywork
The cargo bay measured 4.75 m long by 2.20 m wide. The height of the cargo bay was 600 mm on the civilian version and 650 mm on the military version for a total cargo volume of 6.27 m3 and 6.79 m3 respectively. It was homologated to carry up to 6 tonnes of cargo, but could carry, without much difficulty, a 6.84 tonnes Carro Armato L6/40 light reconnaissance tank.
The cab had the steering wheel and the driver on the right, while the vehicle’s commander was placed on the left. The cab’s doors opened backwards. FIAT was one of the only Italian truck companies that produced bodywork for its vehicles instead of having them coach-built. This allowed FIAT to increase the speed of its production as well as reducing the overall cost of the truck.
Despite this, some FIAT 666N were provided with custom coach-built bodies by various private companies upon special request from the customer.
Due to the slow production rates, some early FIAT 666NMs were equipped with civilian FIAT 666N cabs. These differed from the military ones for the presence of a road sign on the cab’s roof. The black square with a yellow or white triangle painted inside meant the truck could tow a trailer and warned drivers in its vicinity to be careful. If the rectangle was upright, the truck was towing a trailer. If it was horizontal, the trailer was not present. The triangle was only required by law on civilian vehicles. Another detail not present in the military cabs were the electric arrow keys that were manual on the military version.
In spite of its respectable dimensions and its large load capacity, the FIAT 666 heavy-duty truck chassis weighed only 1 tonne.
The bodywork and cargo bay increased the weight by 5 tonnes for a total weight of 6 tonnes in the FIAT 666NM variant.
The FIAT 666N, FIAT 666NM Regia Aeronautica, and FIAT 665NM could travel at a maximum empty speed of 56 km/h, while the FIAT 666NM Regio Esercito had a maximum speed of 48 km/h. Fully loaded, it could climb a 20º or 28° slope while empty or fully-laden, respectively.
Thanks to its short wheelbase and cab layout, it was comfortable traveling on mountain roads. The FIAT 666NM had a wheel rim size of 20 x 8” (50.8 x 20.32 cm). Like the other vehicles, it could use a wide variety of tires developed and produced by the Pirelli company in Milan.
It was considered a short range heavy duty truck. In fact, the companies that coach-built bodywork on the chassis never used long cabs with berths inside (apart from some of Officine Viberti’s private work). The only FIAT vehicle with berths was the FIAT 634N, the first truck in Europe with the possibility to be equipped with 2 or 3 berths. As an example, the second company to provide a berth in the cabin was Renault with its 3-axle Renault AFKD, with a load capacity of 10 tonnes, which entered service only in 1936. The third was Lancia with the Lancia 3Ro in 1938 that could have 1 or 2 berths.
Special Variants
The Autocarro FIAT 666NM was produced in a wide range of special bodyworks for the Regio Esercito.
Autocarro FIAT 665NM
One of the most notable versions of the FIAT 666N was the 4-wheel drive Autocarro FIAT 665NM that had the majority of parts in common with the FIAT 666NM truck.They were deployed as heavy duty cargo trucks with larger tires and 4-wheel drive that could reach any unit for resupply even in muddy roads and on rough terrains even with an empty weight of 7.2 tonnes.
Thanks to its excellent off-road mobility, it was introduced in 1942 as a cargo truck and about 100 were eventually converted into APCs by applying armored plates to them. The FIAT 665NM Protetto was a standard 4×4 heavy truck on which armored plates with a thickness between 4.5 mm to 7.5 mm were added on the existing cargo truck bodywork. Another vehicle called FIAT 665NM Blindato con Riparo Ruote was designed but never produced. It had a new armored superstructure that would transform the vehicle into a well designed armored personnel carrier.
Autocisterna and Autobotti
The Officine Viberti (English: Viberti’s Workshops), one of the coach-building companies specialized in custom-built bodywork for trucks, produced a FIAT 666N fuel carrier variant for the Italian Regia Aeronautica, the Autocisterna FIAT 666N Modello Regia Aeronautica 4 (English: Fuel Carrier [on] FIAT 666N Model [for the] Royal Air Force [type/version/model] 4). This vehicle was equipped with a 7,710 liter fuel tank and could tow a 10,995 liter tank on trailer for a total of 18,705 liters of fuel transported to refuel planes. There were 2 Società Anonima Industriale di Verona or SAIV (English: Industrial Anonymous Company of Verona) pumps delivering 100 liters of fuel per minute.
From photographic evidence, it seems that standard Regio Esercito fuel carriers with a capacity of 5,000 liters were not produced on the FIAT 666NM chassis. After the war, some civilian FIAT 666N were equipped with fuel or water tanks (in Italian nomenclature, a water carrier is ‘Autobotte’). The majority were Viberti-SAIV tanks, but some were equipped with other companies’ special bodyworks.
Autofficine
For the Regio Esercito’s needs, some FIAT 666NM were equipped with special bodywork, such as Officine Volanti (English: Flying Workshops). These mobile workshops were composed of 4 Autocarri FIAT 666NM 2 in van configuration that transported machinery tools while other 2 standard cargo trucks transported the spare parts.
It seems that the only unit produced, under the control of FIAT mechanics, was sent to the Soviet Union as a FIAT private project to support Italian soldiers on the frontline. It was deployed in Stalino (today known as Donetsk, Ukraine) in the abandoned Putilov Plant and supported the Autofficine Pesanti Modello 1938 (English: Heavy Mobile Workshops Model 1938) of some Italian infantry divisions.
Some Autocarri FIAT 666N in mobile workshop versions were also deployed by the Regia Aeronautica and Regio Esercito in Officina Mobile Modello 1938 configuration. The mobile workshop was composed of 2 trucks, one for spare parts and another one for machinery tools. The exact number of workshop bodied FIAT 666N is unknown, even if it could be supposed that only a small number were converted due the absence of photographic evidence.
Other Variants
In 1942, the Società Anonima Bergomi of Milan proposed a special tow truck version of the Autocarro FIAT 666N with a winch on the rear to tow even other heavy trucks. The Regio Esercito was not interested in the project because the unit usually towed broken down trucks with other trucks.
A special version which remained a prototype was the Autocarro FIAT 666NM Radio, equipped with an A310 radio apparatus, and developed by Officine Viberti. This powerful radio apparatus had a range, with special radio antennas, of 200 to 300 km. To avoid air recognition, the soft-skinned cargo bay could be covered by a second tarpaulin to make it seem like a standard cargo truck. Due to unspecified uninspired performances during trials, the project was abandoned.
Due to problems encountered with the injection of the engine at low temperatures, FIAT proposed a patrol version of the FIAT 666NM, the Autocarro FIAT 666BM (BM for Benzina Militare – Patrol Military). It was approved only in June 1943, when the Soviet front was lost and the petrol version of the truck was no longer a necessity. It was never adopted due the Armistice of 8th September later that year that canceled production.
The vehicle was also produced in some bus variants even after the war.
After the war, a new variant of the vehicle was produced, the Autocarro FIAT 666N7, with a major modification, direct injection engine. The vehicle was produced until 1948, when it was substituted on the production lines by the Autocarro FIAT 680N.
Trailers
The Autocarri FIAT 666N and 666NM had a towing capacity permitted by law of 12 tonnes (cargo + trailer) for a total weight of the fully loaded truck and fully loaded trailer of 24 tonnes. During the war, the FIAT 666NM was found capable of loading on the cargo bay a battle ready Carro Armato L6/40 light truck without problems.
It was a similar story in terms of towing. With special towing tank trailers, it could tow Carri Armati M13/40, M14/41, and M15/42 and the semoventi on their chassis that ranged between 13 to 16 tonnes without over-stressing the engine.
Brief Operational Service
The first Autocarri FIAT 666N were ready in early 1940, but the majority of them were requisitioned by the Regio Esercito for military needs and immediately redeployed to frontline units. Some civilian trucks were seen during the Italian invasion of France. In fact, in June 1940, the FIAT 666NM was not yet in production, so civilian trucks were needed.
Each Italian division had some heavy-duty trucks to tow the artillery pieces or the tanks of the division. The exact number of heavy-duty trucks changed for each division type. An armored division had a theoretical number of 246 heavy-duty trucks, which was increased to 258 in June 1942. In 1942, an Italian motorized division had in service a theoretical number of 861 trucks (light, medium, and heavy), prime movers, and staff cars. The 101ª Divisione Motorizzata ‘Trieste’ (English: 101st Motorized Division) had 61 heavy duty trucks of all variants during the same year. An infantry division in North Africa had a theoretical organic strength of 127 heavy trucks, 28 SPA Dovunque medium trucks, and 72 FIAT-SPA TL37 light prime movers.
Many Autocarri FIAT 666NM were assigned to Italian infantry and mechanized divisions of the Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia (English: Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia) that was then renamed ARMata Italiana in Russia or ARMIR (English: Italian Army in Russia).
During the Great Soviet Offensive on the Don, many Italian trucks were captured by the Soviets that redeployed only some sturdy Axis vehicles that did not have problems in ignition at low temperatures. From Italian veterans reports, it is known that the Soviet preferred to destroy the Autocarri FIAT 666N when they ambushed the Axis troops on retreat because the low-temperature ignition problems meant that it was considered problematic by the Soviets.
In North Africa, the FIAT 666N was deployed in all logistic roles, from artillery tractor to tank transporter. The British managed to capture some vehicles, but it seems that their judgment was not positive and only a few were reused. Their objections were probably down to the cartridge filters that failed with the desert dust. The problem was solved shortly after by adopting bath oil filters for the engine.
In 1942, the Italian Regia Marina (English: Royal Navy) developed its own Autoprotetto FIAT 666NM per la Regia Marina (English: Armored FIAT 666NM for the Royal Navy). Its main task was to patrol Italian military harbors and docks and to patrol coastal areas to prevent Allied paratrooper landings. A single prototype was built, but the project was abandoned due to the minimal protection to the soldiers transported on board.
After the Armistice of 8th September 1943, the German forces captured dozens of Autocarri FIAT 666NM and redeployed them on any front of the war, together with 79 brand new vehicles produced under German control.
Some were also deployed by the new Italian puppet state, the Repubblica Sociale Italiana or RSI. The RSI forces were equipped with a few dozen FIAT 666NM. Among them was the 630ª Compagnia Ordine Pubblico (English: 630th Public Order Company) of Piacenza, that, due the absence of armored vehicles, modified a civilian Autocarro FIAT 666N with armored plates and an heavy machine gun, creating the FIAT 666N Blindato.
The Germans, on other hand, deployed some FIAT 666NM as self-propelled anti-aircraft guns loading 2 cm Flakvierling 38 quadmount anti-aircraft automatic cannons on the cargo bays of a few FIAT 666NM.
In Italy, after the war, the Azienda Recupero Alienazione Residuati or ARAR (English: Company of Recovery and Alienation Survey) society was entrusted by the Italian Government of National Unity with the task of reconditioning and selling military vehicles confiscated from the enemy or abandoned by the Allied armies on Italian territory after the Second World War. Private owners, companies, the Italian Army, and the Italian police had the possibility of buying hundreds of those vehicles after 1945. Many other vehicles were also acquired, such as US GMC 353 and Dodge T-110 trucks, German Opel Blitz, British CMPs, and the ubiquitous FIAT and Lancia trucks.
After the war, FIAT also proposed a new versions, the FIAT 666N7 direct ignition cargo truck and with Viberti-SAIV presented new fuel carriers for the civilian market.
Conclusion
The Autocarro FIAT 666N and its military version, the FIAT 666NM, were both reliable vehicles and innovative in Italy for their cab-over-engine configuration.
Even if their service in cold winter temperatures was judged to be poor due to ignition issues, the overall service could be considered positive, with some trucks sold in France, the United Kingdom, and Spain after the war. It was one of the three most widely produced and deployed Italian heavy trucks during Second World War, along with the Lancia 3Ro and FIAT 634N.
Autocarro FIAT 666NM Specification
Size (L-W-H)
7.095 x 2.250 x 2.850 m
Empty weight
6,000 kg
Payload capacity
6,000 kg
Crew
2 (driver and commander)
Engine
FIAT Tipo 366, 9,365 cm3 6-cylinder diesel, 95 hp at 1,700 rpm
Speed on road
48,3 km/h
Range
465 km on-road, 350 km off-road
Production
about 8,000 trucks in all the variants
Sources
Gli Autoveicoli Tattici e Logistici del Regio Esercito Italiano fino al 1943, Tomo 1 – Nicola Pignato e Filippo Cappellano – Ufficio Storico Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito – 2005
Italie1935-45.com
Gli Autoveicoli Tattici e Logistici del Regio Esercito Italiano fino al 1943, Tomo 2 – Nicola Pignato e Filippo Cappellano – Ufficio Storico Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito – 2005
Ruote in Divisa, I veicoli Militari Italiani 1900-1987 – Brizio Pignacca – Giorgio Nada Editore, 1989
Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II – Ralph A. Riccio – Mattioli 1885 – 2010
Semicingolati, Motoveicoli e Veicoli Speciali del Regio Esercito Italiano 1919-1943 – Giulio Benussi – Intergest Publishing – 1976
Kingdom of Italy/Italian Social Republic (1943-1945)
Reconnaissance Car – 11 Converted From Pre-Existing Vehicles
The Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943 (English: Desert Reconnaissance Car Model 1943) was an Italian Regio Esercito desert reconnaissance car that was created in early 1943 by modifying existing FIAT-SPA Autocarri Sahariani Modello 1937 or A.S.37 (English: FIAT-SPA Saharan Trucks Model 1937) light lorries.
Despite their name and original chassis, these camionette (singular camionetta) were never deployed in North Africa. The vehicles were assigned to the Battaglione d’Assalto Motorizzato (English: Assault Motorized Battalion) that used the camionette in public order duties on the Italian mainland for a short period of time. It was only during the desperate defense of Rome, between 9th and 10th September 1943, that the Camionette Desertiche Modello 1943 got actively deployed by the Italian troops.
Previous Camionette
The Regio Esercito started the North African Campaign on 9th September 1940, fighting against the British and Commonwealth troops based in Egypt. After a few months, in January 1941, the Italian Xª Armata (English: 10th Army) was forced to retreat to Libya and take defensive positions, awaiting German help.
In that period, the Regio Esercito‘s High Command started to request the development of various new kinds of vehicles based on the experience gained in the first months of desert warfare. One of the most famous vehicles designed in that period was the FIAT-SPA S.37 Autoprotetto (English: Armored [Wheeled Vehicle] FIAT-SPA S.37) armored personnel carrier, based on the FIAT-SPA Trattore Leggero Modello 1937 ‘Libia’ (English: FIAT-SPA Light Tractor Model 1937), or more simply, the FIAT-SPA T.L.37 ‘Libia’ light prime mover.
At the same time, due to the absence of many types of special purpose vehicles, the Italian soldiers on the frontline tried to fill the gaps in their organic strength with improvised vehicles of two kinds: support and reconnaissance vehicles, based on both Italian built and captured trucks.
The support trucks were called autocannoni (English: truck-mounted artillery). Basically, these were just standard trucks without cab roofs and windshields with support, anti-aircraft, or anti-tank guns mounted permanently on their cargo bays.
The reconnaissance trucks were built on light lorries and were called camionette desertiche (English: desert reconnaissance cars). In Italian, the term camionetta (camionette plural) is used to designate any kind of unarmored light reconnaissance vehicle of the army or unarmored police vehicles.
One of the support truck models was the Autocannone da 75/27 su FIAT-SPA T.L.37. It was armed with a Cannone da 75/27 Modello 1911 field gun mounted on the modified rear side of a prime mover.
The first camionette were based, in the first stages of the war, on the FIAT-SPA Autocarro Sahariano Modello 1937 (English: FIAT-SPA Saharan Truck Model 1937), or more simply FIAT-SPA A.S.37, a light desert truck developed on the T.L.37 chassis.
These vehicles had the advantages of being powered by a strong petrol engine and, thanks to their large tires, had great off-road mobility. The armament usually consisted of a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 anti-aircraft gun, which was also effective against light armored vehicles, or machine guns mounted on pedestal supports.
In the first years of war in North Africa, the Italian troops in the southern Libyan Sahara, who were not involved directly in the campaign, were deployed to defend isolated garrisons from the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) patrols. The first mechanized columns, later renamed compagnie sahariane (English: saharan companies) were equipped with standard cargo trucks (mainly FIAT 634N heavy trucks, FIAT-SPA A.S.37 desert lorries, and even some captured British LRDG trucks) loaded with Italian and colonial soldiers and with some 20 mm automatic guns and medium or heavy machine guns on the cargo bays.
These cheap, easy to modify all-terrain vehicles proved themselves to be really effective against the British saboteurs and reconnaissance units. They were also effective against convoys or small armored units. In particular, the camionette on FIAT-SPA A.S.37 chassis were judged better for their off-road capabilities and speed compared to the bigger FIAT 634N, which had greater loading capacity but was slower and had difficulties crossing loose sand areas.
The success of these vehicles persuaded the Comando Militare del Sahara Libico (English: Libyan Sahara Military Command), the branch of the Regio Esercito’s High Command in North Africa, to ask for upgraded vehicles with similar characteristics modified in workshops to better adapt to the Italian necessities.
In mid-1942, the Comando Militare del Sahara Libico ordered the modification of the FIAT-SPA A.S.37 light desert lorries into camionette. The modifications were made by a specialized military workshop in the Hon Oasis, the headquarter of that branch of the Regio Esercito.
One of the biggest problems encountered with the FIAT-SPA A.S.37 was its height, which, in flat landscapes like the desert, made it easily spottable by enemy forces. The FIAT-SPA A.S.37 was 2.65 m high due to the cab and waterproof tarpaulin.
The Hon workshop then cut the cab, removing the roof, rear wall, and windshield, and lowered the chassis by a few centimeters. The equipment of the vehicle was increased, adding 20 liter can supports and ammunition boxes to increase the range and firepower of the camionetta.
A universal support was mounted in the modified cargo bay’s center, which could be equipped with a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 or a Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935. The armament was completed with a 8 mm Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937 (English: Breda Medium Machine Gun Model 1937) manned by the vehicle’s commander.
Probably no more than 2 FIAT-SPA A.S.37s were modified into camionette, tested and then delivered to the compagnie sahariane.
These vehicles gave great results in the last stages of the Italian defense of the Libyan desert and in the early stages of the Tunisinian campaign. As a result, the Comando Militare del Sahara Libico sent a favorable report to the Regio Esercito’s High Command in Rome. During that period, the Stato Maggiore del Regio Esercito (English: General Staff of the Royal Army) had ordered the production of long-range desert camionette inspired by the British LRDG patrol cars. The Regio Esercito’s plan was to create an Italian special force with similar characteristics and tasks as the British one. The Long Range Desert Group would be countered and emulated by the X Reggimento Arditi (English: 10th Arditi Regiment), while Arditi Distruttori della Regia Aeronautica (English: Arditi Destroyers of the Royal Air Force) did likewise with the Special Air Service (SAS).
The Camionetta Desertica SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’, based on the Autoblinda AB41 chassis, was developed for the X Reggimento Arditi. A few were delivered before the end of the North African campaign and gave excellent results. Another patrol car was the Camionetta Desertica SPA-Viberti AS43 which was not produced in time to participate in the North African campaign.
The Italian designers modified the project shortly after the presentation of the desert version prototype, removing some 20 liter can supports and adding lockers for ammunition. The new vehicle, renamed Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43, was deployed only in Europe in small numbers by the Regio Esercito until September 1943 and then by the German and Italian fascist troops until the end of the war. The SPA-Viberti AS43 was a cheaper option compared to the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Metropolitana’, the non-desert version of the Camionetta Desertica SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’.
The FIAT-SPA Autocarro Sahariano Modello 1937
The Autocarro Sahariano Modello 1937 was developed from the FIAT-SPA Trattore Leggero Modello 1937 or FIAT-SPA T.L.37 (English: FIAT-SPA Light Tractor Model 1937) light prime mover. The two vehicles were developed by Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino or FIAT (English: Italian Automobile factory of Turin) and produced by its subsidiary, the Società Piemontese Automobili or SPA (English: Piedimontese Automobile Society), at its plant in Corso Peschiera 249 in Turin. For this reason, they were known as FIAT-SPA even if only the Società Piemontese Automobili logo sat over the radiator grille. Due to the presence of the logo, in many foreign sources, these trucks are known simply as “SPA A.S.37”.
The FIAT-SPA Autocarro Sahariano Modello 1937 was especially developed by FIAT for desert service with large tires, long-range capabilities, and a powerful petrol engine. It was developed after a special request by the Governatore della Libia (English: Libya’s Governor), Italo Balbo, who wanted a long-range desert truck for its compagnie sahariane before the war. In 1938, a total of 200 FIAT-SPA A.S.37 were delivered to Libya. In March 1942, 584 FIAT-SPA A.S.37 were in service, and by April 1943, a total of 802 were in service in North Africa.
A total of 190 liters of petrol were transported in the fuel tanks, giving a range of 450 km for the first variants. The fuel tanks were increased to 210 liters and then to 380 liters in the last upgraded versions, for a maximum range of 500 km and then 900 km. Another 4 50-liter tanks for drinkable and engine water were transported, together with 6 ghirbe, used by the Italians before the 20-liter cans were adopted in 1941. The ghirbe were transported on the outer side of the cargo bay and were used only for drinking water. This great amount of water permitted the crew to survive in the desert for many days if the vehicle had a mechanical failure in the middle of the desert.
The engine compartment and hood were inherited from the FIAT-SPA T.L.37, with two headlights on the sides, radiator cap on the front, and fuel cap near the windshield. On the front was a bumper and two bars to protect the radiator grille. The engine’s ignition crank was fixed on the bars.
The cab was fully made of iron sheets and the doors opened backwards. The side windows were lowerable and the windshield could be opened to better cool the driving compartment. The cab had three seats: one on the right for the driver and a bigger seat for the vehicle’s commander and another soldier. The seats were leather-lined until 1942, when production was changed to faux leather to save on raw materials and on the total cost of the vehicle.
Behind the cab was the spare wheel support, mounted on the right, and the 4 50-liter cube-shaped drinking water tanks were stored on the left. On the first series of A.S.37, there were two ladders with two steps on each side of the vehicle, behind the cab. Beginning on the first A.S.37 upgrade 7, the left one was removed to add the 50-liter tank support. The ladders could have been used for repairs, tarpaulin mounting, and for observation in the desert. To remove the spare wheel from its support, the right ladder had to be removed.
On the rear, there was a cargo bay with a payload capacity of 800 kg or enough space for 8 fully equipped soldiers, usually crewmembers when the vehicle was used as an artillery tractor. On the frontal side of the cargo bay, two racks were transported for a total of eight Moschetto Carcano Modello 1891 per Truppe Speciali (English: Carcano Model 1891 for Special Troops Rifle) for the artillery crews.
The cargo bay was made of wooden planks bolted on an iron structure. It had fixed sides with only a section of the rear side openable, with a foldable step to ease the loading and unloading operations. The benches on which the soldiers sat were divided in 2 parts: the lower part could be folded upwards to save space for equipment, while the backrest could be folded backwards to lower the cargo bay’s height or to ease the loading and unloading operations.
Three supports for a tarpaulin could be mounted on the cargo bay’s side to mount a waterproof tarpaulin on the cargo bay and the space between it and the cab. The tarpaulin was, in some variants of the vehicle, extended to the roof of the cab to store more equipment and then, in the 900 km range version, to protect the rooftop mounted fuel tank.
The truck was also used for specific and special variants, such as a radio station with two radio antennas openable on two different sides and an observation post with an elevating ladder on the cargo bay.
Design
Due to the delays in the delivery of the Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 in early 1943, the Centro Studi ed Esperienze della Motorizzazione modified some FIAT-SPA A.S.37 into camionette, which were delivered to the Battaglione d’Assalto Motorizzato (English: Assault Motorized Battalion).
The question of its name is up for debate. The majority of sources call it Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943, except for the book Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano written by Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano, which calls it Camionetta AS43 Modificata (English: Modified AS43 Reconnaissance Car). This article will use the Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943 designation, as it is the most commonly used name.
Chassis and Bodywork
The chassis was composed of two members with ovoid holes in order to lighten the total weight, connected by cross members made of stamped sheet metal.
The cab was modified. The windshield, roof, and doors were completely removed. The seats were substituted with two new ones. The rear spare wheel support and rear wall of the cab were not modified. This resulted in a separation between the front crew (driver and vehicle commander) and the rear crew (gunner and 2 loaders).
A total of three supports for Moschetti Automatici Beretta Modello 1938 or MAB38 (English: Beretta Automatic Rifles Model 1938) were added, two on the sides of the cab, and one over the driver’s seat. A support for the machine gun tripod was added on the right frontal fender. If needed, the crew could dismount the machine gun and deploy it on the ground.
On the front mudguards, two width-limit indicator rods with a red sphere on top were used by the driver to help drive through narrow mountain streets or to park.
The cargo bay lost the benches. On the more spacious floor, a support for a 20 mm anti-aircraft automatic gun was installed. The ammunition was probably held in wooden boxes with racks on the cargo bay’s front, where the loaders sat and on the rear part. Three 20-liter can supports were present per side and sapper tools were put on the cargo bay sides.
On the rear side of the cargo bay, on the sides of the foldable part, another 2 20-liter can supports were positioned. A further two can supports were on the frontal mudguards, for a total of 10 cans for petrol, lubricant oil, and drinkable water.
Engine and Suspension
The Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943 light desert truck was powered by a FIAT-SPA Tipo 18TL in-line, four-cylinder, water cooled gasoline engine that produced 52 hp at 2,000 rpm. Its maximum revolutions per minute were limited to 2,000 rpm to increase its lifetime, reducing the need for maintenance and overall costs. The Zenith Modello 1936 TTHVI carburetor was designed for off-road and steep slope operations.
The FIAT-SPA T.L.37 prime mover had the same engine and, on the vehicles delivered to Libya, the Zenith air filter was replaced by a standard OCI oil bath model. It is logical to assume that, on the FIAT-SPA A.S.37s, these were specifically developed for desert service the OCI oil bath filters were standard.
The engine-clutch assembly was suspended from the chassis by four silent blocks.
Main Armament
The main armament on the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 was a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 anti-aircraft automatic gun that could also be used against light armored targets, such as light reconnaissance tanks or armored cars.
The anti-aircraft gun was developed by Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche (English: Mechanical Constructions Ernesto Breda Italian Limited Company) in 1935. In its field version, it had a crew of five, while on the camionetta, the number of crew was decreased to 3: a gunner and two loaders. The gunner was seated behind the gun and the loaders were seated in the cargo bay, on the gun’s sides. The driver would probably occasionally help load the gun to speed up reloading.
The maximum anti-aircraft range was 1,500-2,000 m. Against ground targets, the maximum range was 5,000 m, while the effective range decreased to about 2,500 m.
This gun was one of the best light automatic guns of its era, with a total weight of 330 kg and a theoretical rate of fire of 500 rounds per minute. The practical rate of fire dropped to about 300 rounds per minute in case of the presence of a single loader in the cargo bay. The maximum depression was -10°, while maximum elevation was +80°.
Secondary Armament
Secondary armament consisted of a Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937 (English: Breda Medium Machine Gun Model 1937) mounted on a gooseneck support on the left side of the cab and used by the commander for anti-personnel fire or to fire against low flying enemy planes.
This gun was developed according to the specifications issued by the Ispettorato d’Artiglieria (English: Artillery Inspectorate) in May 1933. Different Italian gun companies started working on the new machine gun. The requirements were a maximum weight of 20 kg, a theoretical rate of fire of 450 rounds per minute, and a barrel life of 1,000 rounds.
The Comitato Superiore Tecnico Armi e Munizioni (English: Superior Technical Committee for Weapons and Ammunition) in Turin issued its verdict in November 1935. The Breda project won. A first order for 2,500 units of the Breda medium machine gun was placed in 1936. After operational evaluation with the units, the weapon was adopted in 1937 as the Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937.
The weapon was famous for its robustness and accuracy, despite its annoying tendency to jam if lubrication was insufficient. Its weight was considered too large compared to foreign machine guns of the time. It weighed 19.4 kg and its tripod had a weight of 18.8 kg, making this weapon the heaviest medium machine gun of the Second World War. The practical rate of fire, which was about 200-250 rounds per minute, was considered a bit low. The machine gun was fed by 20-round rigid strips. After firing, instead of ejecting the spent casings like all firearms, the Breda Modello 1937 reinserted them into the rigid strip to facilitate the recovery of reusable spent casings.
The machine gun shot 8 x 59 mm RB cartridges developed by Breda exclusively for machine guns. The 8 mm Breda had a muzzle velocity between 790 m/s and 800 m/s, depending on the round type. The armor piercing rounds could penetrate 11 mm of non-ballistic steel angled at 90° at 100 m. Even if there is no photographic evidence, as on other Italian vehicles, the Breda Modello 1937 could be substituted with the Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 (English: Breda Medium Machine Guns Model 1938) with the same action and cartridges of the Modello 1937, but specially developed for armored vehicles. It had a shorter barrel, pistol grip, and top curved 24-round magazines.
On the right front mudguard, a support for the machine gun tripod was fixed by means of butterfly screws. In fact, the Breda could be quickly dismounted and deployed in a fixed position by the crew on the ground.
Even if rarely seen on Mitragliatrici Medie Breda Modello 1937 mounted on vehicles, the one mounted on the Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943 number ‘9’ was equipped with anti-aircraft sight and iron stock to help the machine gunner hold the recoil of the machine gun during anti-aircraft shooting. Even it could seem a special upgrade, the anti-aircraft sights were delivered to all the infantry units with which the Mitragliatrici Medie Breda Modello 1937 were deployed, along with spare tripod parts to use it as anti-aircraft support.
Using the standard tripod, some additional legs were added to stretch the height, permitting a standing soldier to fire the machine gun. An anti-aircraft sight was mounted on the barrel while a collimator was placed halfway between the barrel and the grip. An iron tube shaped as a rifle-stock for the machine gunner’s shoulder was placed on the left side of the machine gun.
Operational Use
The Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943 was deployed by the Battaglione d’Assalto Motorizzato, made up of two compagnie fucilieri d’assalto (English: assault riflemen companies) and a compagnia esploratori (English: reconnaissance company). The latter one was theoretically composed of a command platoon and 3 camionette platoons.
Due to the absence of camionette in late 1942, the Centro Studi ed Esperienze della Motorizzazione started the development of the Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943, which were only ready in August 1943, a few months after the end of the North African Campaign.
During the same period, the Battaglione d’Assalto Motorizzato was equipped with 21 or 24 Camionette SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Metropolitane’. It officially had 11 Camionette Desertica Modello 1943 and 3 Camionette SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Metropolitane’ in the command platoon and 3 platoons with 6 Camionette SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Metropolitane’ each. Probably 3 more ‘Metropolitane’ were maintained in reserve.
Shortly before the Armistice with the Allied forces, in early September 1943, the Compagnia Esploratori of the Battaglione d’Assalto Motorizzato was stationed in downtown Rome for public security duties.
When the Armistice was made public on the evening of 8th September 1943, the Company was still in Rome, and on 9th September, it was deployed against the Germans that tried to enter the city. They very likely saw action on 10th September 1943 in the Porta San Paolo area. In the small square with the Ancient Roman walls and gate was the Via Ostiense, the quickest way to reach downtown Rome.
The details of the clashes are not clear and there are no mentions in official sources about the Compagnia Esploratori. Based on the testimony of a Battaglione d’Assalto Motorizzato officer, the Company lost an entire platoon during the fighting against the German 2. Fallschirmjäger-Division “Ramke” (English: 2nd Paratrooper Division) during the clash near Porta San Paolo. Nothing is known about which platoon was destroyed and there is no information about the use of the Camionette Desertica Modello 1943.
After the failed defense of Rome, another unit used the Camionette Desertica Modello 1943. Many Italian soldiers still loyal to Mussolini, who had refused to fight against the Germans, decided to join to crate an Italian unit allied to the Germans.
They had already explained to the German commanders that they were loyal to Mussolini and to the Axis forces. They tried to find new military equipment to arm the new unit. They found 2 Carri Armati M13/40s and some lorries abandoned after 10th September in the Forte Tiburtino fortress, the headquarters of the former 4º Reggimento Fanteria Carrista (English: 4th Tank Crew Infantry Regiment). The 2 tanks were from the 3° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista (English: 3rd Tank Crew Infantry Regiment) that arrived in Rome shortly before the Armistice to equip the IX Battaglione Carri M, which was being created. The “light lorries” found in the fortress were probably light trucks, but at least one was in all likelihood a Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943 that was later deployed by the Fascist soldiers. Before the Armistice, the 4º Reggimento Fanteria Carrista had 31 tanks, 11 semoventi, and 20 camionette, of which only 7 were with certainty Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43, while the others were unknown models.
On 17th September 1943, Lieutenant General Renzo Montagna, the former commander of the Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale or MVSN (English: Voluntary Militia for National Security) was put in charge. The former 1ª Divisione Corazzata Legionaria ‘M’ was part of the MVSN before the Armistice, so returned under its control.
Lt. Gen. Montagna mentioned in a letter that the units under his control had recovered a total of about 40 medium tanks and dozens of other vehicles in the streets of Rome. Even if the tank number seems high, the Fascist soldiers recovered dozens of knocked out or abandoned vehicles, of which only some were re-deployed.
The two tanks and the vehicles found in Forte Tiburtino were immediately put into service on the order from Lt. Gen. Montagna. The Carri Armati M13/40s and a Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943 were deployed to guard the Piazza Colonna, where the Ente Italiano per le Audizioni Radiofoniche or EIAR (English: Italian Body for Radio Broadcasting) and the Partito Fascista Repubblicano or PFR (English: Republican Fascist Party) were headquartered, in the Palazzo Wedekind. A FIAT 626 and a civilian car were also deployed to transport militiamen.
On 29th September 1943, the former officers and soldiers of the 1ª Divisione Corazzata Legionaria ‘M’ created the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ (English: Armored Group) and were transferred to Montichiari, near Brescia, with the few armored vehicles that they had recovered in Rome. It seems that the Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943 did not follow the unit. The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ was disbanded on 1st May 1945 after its surrender to the US troops in Northern Italy. There is no mention in official documents nor photographic evidence of this camionette in service with the unit between September 1943 and May 1945.
After the War
After the defense of Rome, the soldiers of the Compagnia Esploratori disbanded, but some of its camionette were reused by the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana or PAI (English: Police of the Italian Africa) for public order duties in Rome. Nothing is known about their service with the PAI, but, when the Allied forces liberated Rome in June 1944, all the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana camionette and equipment were taken by the Allied forces that, at the end of the war, delivered them to the newly formed Italian Police.
The Italian Police deployed many Camionette AS42 of both models and at least a Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943.
The vehicle was only photographed in 1947. during a parade of the Reparto Mobile Blindisti (English: Armored Car Fast Department) in Rome. It was probably deployed as a command vehicle for the armored car unit equipped both with T17E1 Staghound heavy armored cars of US production and with AB43 medium armored cars of Italian production. The two images show the absence of the 20 mm automatic cannon, instead of which 2 Mitragliatrici Breda Modello 1937 were installed on anti-aircraft pintle mounts with big metal crates fixed on the right, containing the 20-round clips to feed the machine guns. These anti-aircraft pintle mounts were from Italian Navy boats.
Although it could seems a heavy piece of equipment for a public order corp, the camionette and armored cars were only deployed as deterrents during strikes or political rallies.
The Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943 was painted in Amaranth Red (standard Italian Police color after the war) with “Polizia” painted white on the cargo bay.
Conclusion
The Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943 was a cheap transformation of a light truck into a reconnaissance car. It would have been adequate for the role even if its moderate speed could have been a problem during some attacks. It was a good solution to equip a small unit with camionette as a stopgap before the more powerful SPA-Viberti models were available. Had there been a large-scale production of the Camionette Desertiche Modello 1943, FIAT-SPA A.S.37 light desert lorries had to be modified, decreasing the total monthly delivery of light lorries to increase the camionette delivery. This was another example of the Regio Esercito’s continuous production problem throughout the whole war.
Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943 Specification
Size (L-W-H)
4.65 x 2.00 x ~ 2.70 m
Weight, battle ready
~5 tonnes
Crew
5 (driver, commander, gunner and 2 loaders)
Engine
SPA 18TL, 4-cylinder petrol engine, 4053 cm3, 52 hp at 2,000 rpm
Speed
50 km/h
Range
900 km
Armament
1 Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 and a Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937
Production
11 converted
Sources
Le Camionette del Regio Esercito. FIAT-SPA AS/37, SPA-Viberti AS/42, FIAT-SPA AS/43, Desertica 43, i Reparti che le Impiegarono – Enrico Finazzer and Luigi Carpetta – Gruppo Modellistico Trentino – 2014
Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II – Ralph A. Riccio – Mattioli 1885 – 2010
Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, Volume Secondo, Tomo II – Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano – Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito – 2002
Semicingolati, Motoveicoli e Veicoli Speciali del Regio Esercito Italiano 1919-1943 – Giulio Benussi – Intergest Publishing – 1976
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (1978-Present)
Main Battle Tank – Unknown Number Built
The Ch’ŏnma, better known under the unofficial designation of Ch’ŏnma-Ho, is the second North Korean-produced Main Battle Tank (MBT) in service with the Korean People’s Army. Originally, the Ch’ŏnma was a licensed production version of the T-62 Soviet MBT built in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). It was intended to equip its armored divisions with an indigenous tank capable of facing the US-made MBTs serving in the Republic of Korea Army in the late 1970s.
The program fulfilled the request, and for about a decade, the DPRK deployed MBTs capable of dealing with South Korean armored fighting vehicles north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Despite its initial superiority over South Korean tanks, with the appearance of the K1 Main Battle Tank in the late 1980s, the Ch’ŏnma became obsolete. Already in the early 1980s, North Korean technicians tried upgrading the tank with indigenous programs. These upgrades led to the development of the Ch’ŏnma-92, Ch’ŏnma-98, and other later variants.
The high production costs of the upgraded Ch’ŏnmas forced the Korean People’s Army (KPA) to still maintain early production Ch’ŏnmas with small upgrades in service to this day, swelling the ranks of the KPA in case of a massive attack through the DMZ.
Korean Tank Production
From the creation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea until the late 1960s, its army was equipped with Soviet and Chinese armored vehicles. About 1,000 T-34-85 medium tanks and an unknown number of T-54-2s and T-54-3s were received by the Hermit Kingdom.
As the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea officially claims, its tank industry was born in 1967, with the creation of production lines for PT-76B light amphibious tanks, of which serial production started in the 1970s. In 1968, a T-55 assembly line was initiated and production started shortly after. In both cases, production was only possible with a great deal of support from the Soviet Union, which retooled the Sinhung (for light tanks and APCs) and Kusong (for heavier vehicles) production plants in North Korea.
Ever since, the two production plants have become the backbone of North Korean tank production, with many hundreds of vehicles produced each year. In 2023, the plants were modified and retooled, and it seems that Sinhung now has the task of producing North Korean MBTs.
In the late 1960s, the first production lines for the Soviet BTR-60 were assembled in Korea with Soviet help. Production of the North Korean indigenous copy of the Soviet armored personnel carrier, called ‘69’, started in 1969.
This North Korean-improved version of the Chinese YW 531A amphibious APC featured an elongated hull, hydro jets, and a rotating turret armed with two 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine guns.
Ch’ŏnma Theories
It has been stated many times that the DPRK ordered 500 T-62s from the Soviet Union in two batches in 1970 and 1974, which were delivered between 1971 and 1978. This information seems to have appeared in various early 2000s unofficial and unconfirmed reports, but seems to be completely wrong.
The most accurate current theory states that, between the early and mid-1970s, the DPRK asked the Soviet Union for new T-62s, probably also placing an order in the early 1970s. The Soviet Union, which never delivered T-62s to Korea, organized the production of the MBT in Korea as it had done for the PT-76B, T-55, and BTR-60. Also, in this case, the Soviet Union probably donated a T-62 production line to the DPRK.
The drastic deterioration of the international relationship between the Soviet Union and the small Korean peninsula nation in the mid-1970s due to the Sino-Soviet Split forced the Korean technicians to start their production without additional Soviet aid. The DPRK took the Chinese side and the diplomatic relationship with the Soviet Union collapsed. The planned production of the T-62 seems to have been canceled since China did not produce, nor possess, T-62s, except for a single T-62 captured by the People’s Liberation Army during the 1969 Sino-Soviet border clash along the Ussuri River. That single vehicle was jealously guarded by Chinese engineers for testing and evaluation.
It is possible that, as other unconfirmed sources state, the DPRK could have received at least one T-62 from Syria in the early 1970s, after the Yom Kippur War, and started the reverse engineering process to produce it.
In the late 1970s, the Korean T-55 copy production in the Kusong production plant gradually decreased in order to reorganize the production lines. From North Korean sources, confirmed by the CIA, in 1976, the first T-62 left the production line with the Korean designation of Ch’ŏnma (Korean: 천마호), referring to the Korean mythological flying horse. It was designated by the US Department of Defense (DoD) as Chonma-Ho I or Chonma-Ho Ga. The Korean People’s Army and official North Korean sources never called the main battle tank Ch’ŏnma-Ho.
A plethora of North Korean-made design elements present on these initial Ch’ŏnmas make North Korean-licensed production the most likely theory and indicate that these were not merely bought from the Soviet Union or assembled in North Korea with Soviet-produced components.
CIA reports also claim that the Ch’ŏnma production started in 1978 (when the Soviet Union ended its T-62 production), reaching large-scale production in 1980.
Design
Hull
The serial production Ch’ŏnma copied the hull of the Soviet T-62 Obrazets 1962 and the turret of the Soviet T-62 Obrazets 1972.
The hull of the Ch’ŏnma, with the same dimensions and characteristics as the original Soviet one, was not equipped with supports to mount anti-mine roller devices, such as the KTM-7, on the front glacis. This is still a major and puzzling shortcoming for North Korean MBTs that need specialized vehicles to clear minefields. This would slow down any attack through the 4 km deep Demilitarized Zone, which is completely covered by minefields.
The hull’s rear could be fitted with supports for external drum fuel tanks to increase the range of the Ch’ŏnma. Despite this, the fuel drums were rarely seen mounted on the North Korean Main Battle Tanks. The absence of external fuel tanks could be explained by the scarcity of fuel in North Korea due to embargoes, the small dimensions of the nation, and their vulnerability even to light arms fire.
Suspension
The North Korean MBT had 5 big “starfish” style road wheels on each side, torsion bar suspension, and probably a copy of the Soviet V-55V diesel engine delivering 580 hp. This should have been sufficient for the Ch’ŏnma, which weighs about 37 tonnes.
The Ch’ŏnma had slightly longer and different rubber covers on the rear mudguards compared to the T-62.
The tracks adopted by Koreans are all-iron single-pin links designed and produced by the North Koreans, although similar to the Soviet and Chinese track links. It was common for Ch’ŏnmas in foreign service to be equipped with Soviet RMSh or OMSh single-pin links.
Starting in the early 2000s, the Ch’ŏnmas appeared on parades equipped with modern rubber-padded track links. These were probably adopted in order not to damage P’yŏngyang’s streets during parades.
Turret
Other differences with the Soviet T-62 MBT regard the turret. The loader’s rounded hatch is different, together with the anti-aircraft mount that is equipped with a Korean-produced 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun instead of the Soviet 12.7 mm DShKM. The loader’s hatch can be rotated and used to protect the loader by opening it forward. Due to the larger dimensions of the anti-aircraft machine gun, the hatch was modified compared to that of the original T-62. The machine gun was installed on a mount that rotated with the loader’s hatch. In other words, the heavy machine gun had a traverse of 360°, increasing the anti-aircraft and support fire of the Ch’ŏnmas compared to regular T-62s.
Another modification that could be easily spotted is the presence of the handles welded on the turret’s sides. On the Soviet T-62, there were two handles on each turret side, while, on the Ch’ŏnma, there is one handle on each side.
Apart from these small details and different cast turret weldings, the Soviet and North Korean Main Battle Tanks are externally identical.
As on the T-62, the driver is positioned on the front left side of the fighting compartment, the commander and gunner are on the left of the cannon and the loader is positioned on the right. There are only 3 hatches for the crew members, one for the driver, one for the commander and the gunner, and one for the loader.
There are some theories regarding the Ch’ŏnma’s armor being different to the T-62. There is no supporting evidence to the claim that the armor of early production Ch’ŏnmas was made of thinner armored plates than on the Soviet T-62. As it was a copy, the armor should have had the same thicknesses, even though the quality of the steel it was made from was probably lower than the Soviet equivalent. It seems that no foreign nation that operated the Ch’ŏnmas ever complained about thinner armor, or in general, the quality of the armor.
The armor of the Ch’ŏnmas was adequate to deal with South Korean MBTs at least until the introduction of the K1 Main Battle Tank designed by US Chrysler Defense and South Korean Hyundai Precision Industry in 1987.
Main Armament
The main armament of all the heterogeneous variants of the Ch’ŏnma was a copy of the Soviet 115 mm U-5TS semi-automatic smoothbore cannon with roughly comparable characteristics.
When the Ch’ŏnma entered production, the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) could not oppose it with MBTs of similar quality. Compared to the 90 mm rifled cannon that armed the M47 and M48 tanks that the ROKA had in its ranks, the U-5TS had greater penetration, due to a muzzle velocity of 1,600 m/s, and better angle performance. Unfortunately, the bad quality of the aiming devices did not allow gunners to take full advantage of the cannon’s capabilities.
The North Korean technicians repeatedly tried to improve the poor precision of the cannon with a laser rangefinder, fire-control systems, and barrel sleeve, but these expensive solutions were rarely adopted on early production Ch’ŏnmas. Even nowadays a great part of the KPA’s Ch’ŏnma fleet are not equipped with these upgrades.
Nothing is known about KPA ammunition, except that it was considered by South Korean analysts to be similar in anti-tank performance to its Soviet counterparts. Many sources state that the Ch’ŏnma could carry a total of 40 115 mm rounds, as on the T-62.
In the 2010s, with the introduction of new versions of the Ch’ŏnma, new 115 mm rounds were developed and produced, or at least this is claimed by analysts. It is not known if the older versions of Ch’ŏnma could fire this supposed new ammunition.
Secondary Armament
As secondary armament, the Ch’ŏnma had a coaxial 7.62 mm medium machine gun derived from the Soviet PKT. As an anti-aircraft gun, a 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun was operated by the loader. The weight of the gun is about 50 kg, which forces the loader to elevate it using handwheels. The total ammunition carried for the 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun is unknown. In contrast, for the 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun, a maximum of 3 magazines, probably 50 rounds each, are transported outside the tank and fixed on the turret’s rear. But it is also unknown if any additional magazines are carried inside the hull.
The KPVT machine gun was extremely versatile when the vehicle entered service, capable of hitting flying targets, supporting infantry with heavy fire, and even capable of dealing with lightly armored vehicles, such as the US M113 armored personnel carriers.
Nowadays, the 14.5 mm machine gun can be deployed in a more limited capacity against South Korean or US helicopters, for infantry support, and with lucky shots, against UGVs or loitering ammunitions.
During a parade in 2010, some early Ch’ŏnmas were spotted with a pintle mount for a MANPADS (MAN-Portable Air-Defense System) missile on the rear of the turret, presumably to increase the anti-aircraft defense of the MBT. It seems to be manually operated and a crew member or an infantryman has to stand on the engine deck to operate the missile. Such devices disappear during exercises and seem to be meant only for parades.
Despite the difficulty in operating the system, this new upgrade (seen only on a small number of Ch’ŏnmas) could be a serious threat to enemy planes that want to attempt to attack a tank or column of vehicles on the move.
Upgrades
Several small modifications were made to the basic Ch’ŏnma main battle tank during the 1980s to increase the capabilities of the North Korean tank.
1st Upgrade
The first upgrade of the Ch’ŏnma was spotted during a parade in 1986. It had a new turret bustle to increase the turret’s interior space. It seems to be used to store the radio and other equipment to free up space inside the turret for a ready-to-use 115 mm rounds rack, perhaps increasing the original ammunition capacity of 115 mm rounds.
The turret bustle was an indigenous modification never seen on the Soviet T-62 and shows the first Korean attempt to add changes to the aging Soviet design. The Ch’ŏnma MBTs with turret bustle filmed in 1986 also had new night vision optics for the tank’s commander, mounted on his cupola.
This variant of Ch’ŏnma was also sporadically equipped with mounting points for slat armor on the turret side and metal bars with brackets to also equip the hull sides with slat armor. The slat protection consisted of welded weave-mesh panels positioned several inches from the hull and turret that were easy to fix using short brackets.
The new model of Ch’ŏnma never received an official designation, nor an unofficial one. Its rare appearances during Korean parades and military training suggests that very few were produced.
The slat armor supports were retrofitted on some early Ch’ŏnma already produced and even on earlier Soviet and Chinese origin tanks in service with the KPA, such as T-34-85s, Type 59s, and T-55s.
The slat armor, even if now quite obsolete against HEAT warheads from MBT rounds or Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs), could be useful in a modern conflict against loitering munitions, which have shown themselves to be more and more effective in the Nagorno-Karabakh War (2021) and Ukrainian Conflict (2022-23).
2nd Upgrade
A second upgrade for the North Korean Ch’ŏnma MBT was first spotted in 1985 and officially shown, during a parade, in 1992 for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the KPA. Laser rangefinders assembled by North Korea were positioned on the main guns and a new Fire-Control System was installed. This upgrade was intended mainly to overcome the firing limitations of the second generation Main Battle Tanks. Combined, they increased the speed of target acquisition and first hit compared to the previous older optical devices.
The laser rangefinder mounted on the Ch’ŏnma has a different appearance from the Soviet KTD-1 and KTD-2 laser rangefinders mounted on Soviet MBTs and it was probably developed by Korean technicians.
In addition, the turret was fitted with two small boxes on the rear. These boxes were used to store tools and other items. Night vision optics using infrared light were also installed.
This upgrade was named Chonma-Ho II or Chonma-Ho Na by the US DoD, but it did not have an official KPA designation. It was probably intended to upgrade all the existing Ch’ŏnmas with laser rangefinders and fire-control systems, but the high costs of conversion probably forced the Korean People’s Army’s High Command to abort the plan in favor of installing new hardware on the most modern Korean-built MBTs. The small boxes on the turret rear and night vision devices were also retrofitted on early produced Ch’ŏnmas.
Production and Deliveries
The Korean People’s Army has never made public the number of Ch’ŏnma main battle tanks in service in its ranks. It is currently estimated that between 800 and 2,600 Ch’ŏnmas of all variants have been produced. Other analysts have placed the number at between 1,000 and 1,500 Ch’ŏnmas of all variants produced, and this seems to be a more plausible count.
The factories that produced the tank at least until the 1990s were located in Sinhung, South Hamgyong Province, under the 2nd Machinery Industry Bureau of the 2nd Korean Economic Committee. The biggest one seems to have been the Ryu Kyong-su Tank Factory, which started the production of new main battle tanks in 1992. Components and subsystems were produced by factories across the country, with some components presumably imported from the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, Eastern Europe, or the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The first examples went on to equip the 105th “Seoul” Tank Division, the KPA’s elite unit and only armored division. In the following years, the Ch’ŏnmas also equipped part of the 10 tank brigades and other mechanized units in the KPA ranks.
After the early 1990s, with the fall of the Soviet Union, North Korea lost its greatest source of food causing a famine. Until the late 1990s, the great famine killed over 500,000 people and forced the country’s leadership to cut funding for defense.
As a result, fuel and ammunition resupply to units was lowered and, from the testimonies of North Korean deserters, it appears that the majority of the North Korean main battle tanks were parked in depots for the majority of the year. They were only taken out a handful times each year for overall maintenance and division-size training exercises.
Because of DPRK’s limited economical and industrial capability, and the priority given to the nuclear program, until 2010, the Korean factories had produced only small quantities of modern tanks, forcing the KPA to maintain hundreds of unupgraded Ch’ŏnmas in service.
Starting in the 1990s, Korean tank crew members used dedicated training vehicles and equipment to improve their skills on Ch’ŏnmas.
The Ch’ŏnma armored units are positioned north of the DMZ and in P’yŏngyang, and are ready to intervene in case of a new conflict breaking out with South Korea.
In the early 2000s, South Korean and US intelligence reported that the Korean People’s Army had about 4,300 Main Battle Tanks and light amphibious tanks in its ranks, out of about 40,000 armored fighting vehicles, SPGs, APCs, SPAAGs, towed artillery, and MRLSs.
At present, the older Ch’ŏnmas variants are supposedly being withdrawn from service in favor of upgraded Ch’ŏnmas or the newer, more powerful Songun-215 main battle tanks that appeared during the 65th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea military parade in 2010.
If the mysterious new M-2020 main battle tank enters service with the Korean People’s Army, the older Ch’ŏnmas will likely be replaced in the armored brigades by the more modern Ch’ŏnma-216 and Songun main battle tanks.
These vehicles will likely be either scrapped or repurposed into specialized vehicles. However, the Ch’ŏnmas could potentially find a second life by being sold at a favorable price to nations unable to afford more expensive Chinese or Russian equipment. Countries like Eritrea, Yemen, and Zimbabwe require an expansion of their armored units with cheap tanks. For instance, Eritrea and Zimbabwe are currently equipped mostly with T-55 and T-62 tanks.
Export
Iran
The Iranian Revolution, which began in 1978, led to the deposition of the Shah (King) Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in early 1979 and the installation of religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini. In September 1980, the Iraqi Republic, led by Saddam Hussein, invaded Iran, sparking the bloody eight-year-long Iran-Iraq War.
During the early stages of the Iran-Iraq War, the Islamic Republic of Iran faced great military difficulties and subsequently started purchasing large quantities of weapons and equipment from various sources in order to bolster its forces.
The DPRK reportedly sold an unknown number of Ch’ŏnma tanks to Iran in the early 1980s, with some sources claiming the number to be 150, though this was never officially confirmed. The tanks were part of a larger supply of war materiel that also included 170 mm Chuch’e p’o self-propelled guns, multiple launch rocket systems, small arms, and ammunition.
The service record of the Ch’ŏnma tanks during the Iran-Iraq War is unknown, as is the opinion that the Iranian Army had of them. In general, the Iranian view of Korean equipment during the war was negative, particularly when it came to light arms. However, there is a lack of information regarding heavier equipment. Despite the bad reputation of Korean light arms, it appears that heavier equipment, such as self-propelled artillery and main battle tanks, remained in service even after the war.
The surviving Ch’ŏnma tanks were later deployed by the Islamic Republic of Iran Army for many years and occasionally appeared in military parades in Tehran. At least one example was displayed at the Museum of the Islamic Revolution and the Holy Defense of Tehran. Their current service in the Iranian Army is unknown.
During the Iran-Iraq War, at least one Ch’ŏnma tank was captured by Iraqi forces and likely left abandoned in an Iraqi depot. In 2003, the tank was discovered by US forces abandoned on the roadside and subsequently moved to an Iraqi Captured Vehicles depot, where it was eventually scrapped.
Ethiopia
The relationship between the DPRK and the People’s Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was established in 1974, when a military coup in Ethiopia overthrew Emperor Hailé Selassié I and installed a new Marxist regime under the control of the Derg, a military junta that ruled Ethiopia. During the Ogaden War between Ethiopia and Somalia from 1977 to 1978, North Korea delivered an unknown number of self-propelled guns, small arms, and ammunition to Ethiopia.
North Korea also delivered an unknown number of Ch’ŏnma tanks to Ethiopia in the early 1980s. However, due to the complete absence of reports and photographic evidence , it is unclear how many tanks were delivered, when they were delivered, and their service history. It appears that the Ch’ŏnma tanks did not participate in the Ogaden War between Ethiopia and Somalia from 1977 to 1978, as mass production of these tanks did not begin until 1978, after the end of the conflict.
In the early 1980s, Ethiopia entered into a bloody civil war. Overall, the role of the Ethiopian Ch’ŏnmas is uncertain. A handful of pro-government Ch’ŏnmas took part in the desperate defense of Addis Ababa in May 1991 among a greater number of Soviet T-62s. At least three were positioned by the Government forces at Addis Ababa’s Royal Palace for a last stand. Alongside an unknown number of T-62s, they faced the rebel forces that attacked the Royal Palace on 28th May 1991. One was destroyed and burned out during the fight, while another was probably captured by the rebel forces.
The active service of the Ch’ŏnmas during the confusing and bloody civil war shows how the vehicle could be operated even by inexperienced crews and in the almost total absence of spare parts.
The standard of North Korean equipment, often considered of a low quality and unreliable, is elevated thanks to their service in Ethiopia, which used the Ch’ŏnmas for about a decade, helping to qualitatively reassess the North Korean tanks.
It is unknown if Ethiopia deployed Ch’ŏnmas in the Eritrean–Ethiopian War between 1998 and 2000 in which dozens of main battle tanks were lost in combat. The lack of information or even images showing tanks in service does not allow the identification of any Korean MBTs in service.
For the same reason, it seems that nowadays the Ethiopian Ground Force does not have Ch’ŏnmas in its ranks. During the Tigray War between November 2020 and November 2022, both factions used many Soviet and Soviet-inspired main battle tanks in combat. Even if photographic evidences do not show North Korean vehicles, it is possible, that it will eventually emerge that some of the tanks deployed in the conflict were old North Korean Ch’ŏnmas. Even the Tigray militias that fought against the government forces were equipped with Cold War-era MBTs , among which may be a handful of Ch’ŏnmas.
Eritrea
Eritrea currently has some Ch’ŏnma MBTs in service in an unknown but limited number. It is not clear if Eritrea inherited them after independence from Ethiopian Army depots, if they were captured in battle, or whether the Ch’ŏnmas were handed over to Eritrea by North Korea after 1991. Despite North Korea’s alliance with Ethiopia during the Eritrean Independence War that broke out in 1982 during the Ethiopian Civil War; Korea and Eritrea created a strong relationship, while relations between Ethiopia and North Korea were cut again. As many Western sources have confirmed, North Korea has sold small arms and communications technology to Eritrea. The shipment of new North Korean tanks would be surely spotted and tracked by Western observers.
During a parade in August 2019 celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Sawa Military Training Centre and the launching of the National Service Programme in Siwa, at least one Ch’ŏnma was spotted between some Eritrean T-62 Obr. 1962s and T-62 Obr. 1972s. The vehicle, which had received a new camouflage, had a peculiar Eritrean modification. The 14.5 mm PVK heavy machine gun was mounted coaxially to the main gun on the right side. This characteristic modification is also visible on the standard Soviet-origin T-62s during the same parade.
Unfortunately, due to the absence of other photographic sources, it is impossible to state how many North Korean Ch’ŏnmas are currently in service with the Eritrean Army. The Eritrean example easily shows how the Ch’ŏnmas are roughly comparable to the Soviet T-62 main battle tanks for their robustness and reliability. The Eritrean Ch’ŏnmas have been in service for nearly four decades.
Modernized Versions
Ch’ŏnma-92
The Ch’ŏnma-92 was presented at a parade for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the KPA, on 25th April 2002, and showed off new North Korean upgrades, such as a new welded turret equipped with Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) blocks on the sides, a thermal sleeve for the gun, eight smoke dischargers per side, and a new laser rangefinder mounted on the barrel. The chassis seems unmodified even if it was equipped with rubber side skirts.
This new Ch’ŏnma variant was presumably produced in small numbers as a stopgap to counter the South Korean K1. The Ch’ŏnma-92 was unofficially known by Western commentators as the M-1992 and designated by the US’ DoD as Chonma-Ho III or Chonma-Ho Da.
Ch’ŏnma-98
The Ch’ŏnma-98 was first spotted during a parade in 2000 and featured a new welded turret shaped like more modern Chinese MBTs, such as the Type 85. Albeit with a new shape and dimensions, it seems that the optical devices and the crew member’s hatches remained in the same position as on the previous cast turret.
It shared many of the upgrades of the Ch’ŏnma-92, such as side skirts, smoke launchers, and a new model of laser rangefinder over the barrel.
Analysts have reported that North Korea could have imported fire-control systems and thermal imaging cameras, and even a new autoloader for this tank from the Islamic Republic of Iran, but these suggestions have never been confirmed by official sources.
The Ch’ŏnma-98 has rarely been spotted in parades and the like, with its last appearance being at the North Korean Tank Exhibition on 12th April 2012 for the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Kim Il-sung. It is officially known with the US’ DoD designation of Chonma-Ho IV or Chonma-Ho Ra.
Ch’ŏnma-214
The Ch’ŏnma-214 appeared for the first time in 2001. It seems to be the serial production version of the Ch’ŏnma-98. The vehicles shared many upgrades, such as the same turret and laser rangefinder, even if the Ch’ŏnma-214 received add-on armor on the frontal part of the turret to better protect the vehicle. The Ch’ŏnma-214 is also equipped with rubber flaps under the add-on armor and on the lower side of the hull.
The Ch’ŏnma-214 is rarely spotted in military parades in P’yŏngyang or other North Korean cities. This would suggest that the Ch’ŏnma-214 was a simple stopgap, perhaps serving as a pre-series for the next-generation North Korean main battle tanks.
The US’ DoD designation for the Ch’ŏnma-214 is Chonma-Ho V or Chonma-Ho Ra.
Ch’ŏnma-215
On 16th February 2002, US intelligence reported that a new North Korean main battle tank was tested in the P’yŏngyang area. The development of the new Ch’ŏnma-215 had probably already started in 1992, when the DPRK received a T-72 “Ural” from unknown sources. Work was most likely carried out by the 2nd Economic Committee and the 2nd Academy of Defense Sciences.
New features included an anemometer, used to better calculate gunfire, increasing the precision of the U-5TS gun coupled with a new laser rangefinder. Laser rangefinders of the same model are also mounted on the modern Songun main battle tanks.
It appeared with add-on armor on the hull front and rubber flaps on the lower hull’s front. The turret add-on armor seems to be different from the previous one on the Ch’ŏnma-214.
A 6th road wheel was added to the vehicle, increasing the total length of the vehicle, thus permitting the designers to increase the turret diameter.
The Ch’ŏnma-215, as many other North Korean vehicles, has received several unofficial designations, from M-2002 and Chonma-Ho VI (Chonma-Ho Ma) in the early 2000s, to P’okp’ung-Ho I adopted later in 2010 when it was first spotted.
Ch’ŏnma-216
The most recent version of the Ch’ŏnma series is the Ch’ŏnma-216, which appeared for the first time at the North Korean Tank Exhibition on 12th April 2012. It was then spotted in several parades held in subsequent years. The Ch’ŏnma-216 received the US’ DoD designation of P’okp’ung-Ho II.
On this version, the smoke launchers are mounted in two rows, instead of a single row, as on previous models.
An upgraded variant was spotted for the first time in 2014. It had an increased armament with two ATGMs and MANPADS for air defense. This increases the offensive capabilities of the vehicle against more modern South Korean main battle tanks.
In 2018, the Ch’ŏnma-216 was seen with a plethora of new upgrades, including two ATGMs mounted on the left side of the turret. On the rear of the turret, a lowerable support for two MANPADS was also mounted. It appears the ubiquitous 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun has been abandoned for heavier support guns and two 30 mm automatic grenade launchers, which are a copy of the Soviet AGS-17.
To increase the protection of the vehicle, new Laser Warning Receivers (LWRs) have been added on the turret sides to detect enemy rangefinder’s laser beams and automatically activate the smoke launchers to cover the vehicle with a smoke screen.
Ch’ŏnma designations
Name
US’ DoD designation
Other names
Ch’ŏnma
Chonma-Ho I or Chonma-Ho Ga
Ch’ŏnma
Chonma-Ho II or Chonma-Ho Na
Ch’ŏnma-92
Chonma-Ho III or Chonma-Ho Da
M-1992
Ch’ŏnma-98
No DoD designation
Ch’ŏnma-214
Chonma-Ho IV or Chonma-Ho Ra
Ch’ŏnma-215
Chonma-Ho V or Chonma-Ho Ra
P’okp’ung-Ho I or M-2002
Ch’ŏnma-216
Chonma-Ho VI or Chonma-Ho Ma
P’okp’ung-Ho II
Variants
Ch’ŏnma ARV
The Ch’ŏnma Armored Recovery Vehicle is based on a turretless Ch’ŏnma chassis with three hatches to protect the crew. Unlike other armored recovery vehicles of its era, it is not equipped with a dozer blade or crane, and it is probably only deployed to tow damaged or broken-down vehicles. This has forced the Korean People’s Army to adopt other specialized vehicles for other engineering roles, such as bulldozers and cranes.
The Ch’ŏnma ARV was also spotted during a military training exercise with a KPVT heavy machine gun and over 10 soldiers riding it. This could probably mean that it can also be deployed to transport a sapper squad and support it with machine gun fire in specific situations.
Ch’ŏnma Bridgelayer
The Ch’ŏnma Bridgelayer has only been spotted a couple of times in official North Korean videos of military training exercises. It is a Ch’ŏnma with its turret replaced by a special bridge-launching equipment similar to the one mounted on the Slovakian MT-55A armored vehicle-launched bridge. The bridge can be deployed to overcome obstacles, such as anti-tank ditches and small rivers, and could be an effective support vehicle in the Korean peninsula.
Conclusion
On occasions, people tend to underestimate the DPRK’s tank production capabilities. Even if the early series Ch’ŏnmas are totally outdated nowadays, it could effectively be used by a fierce army of fanatics ready to defend every inch of North Korea from an attack. Even during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the better-equipped Russian Army was forced to reactivate some T-62s for use, even if they are not more than infantry support vehicles. With upgrades such as laser rangefinders and Fire-Control Systems, some Ch’ŏnmas could prove to be troublesome enemies to deal with, even for the better-equipped US Army and ROKA forces.
It should also be noted that the DPRK was the only country under Soviet influence to produce a licensed copy of the T-62, giving luster to the country’s war industry, which was also able to export several hundred examples to other nations.
Despite the bad reputation that gravitates to everything produced and exported from the DPRK, the Ch’ŏnma appears to be one of the few vehicles with comparable capabilities to its Soviet counterpart, the T-62. Its service of more than four decades in the KPA and some African nations are a testament to North Korean capabilities.
Regardless, under present circumstances, a fleet of hundreds of Ch’ŏnmas cannot compete against the more modern South Korean and US MBTs deployed south of the Demilitarized Zone.
Ch’ŏnma Specification
Size (L-W-H)
9.350 x 9.335 x 2.395 m
Weight, battle ready
~ 38 tonnes
Crew
4 (commander, gunner, loader, and driver)
Engine
V-55V diesel engine copy delivering 580 hp
Speed
~ 50 km/h
Range
~ 400 km
Armament
Korean copy of the 115 mm U-5TS cannon, 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, 14.5 mm anti-aircraft machine gun, and from 2010, 1 MANPADS
Kingdom of Italy/Italian Social Republic (1942-1945)
Reconnaissance Car – 66-182 Built
The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 (English: SPA-Viberti AS43 Reconnaissance Car) was an Italian reconnaissance car developed for the Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) for long-range reconnaissance in the North African desert, ambushing Allied convoys, countering the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG), and escorting Axis convoys on the desert roads.
Unfortunately, it entered service too late in the war to participate in the North African campaign. For this reason, the vehicle was deployed only in Italy and the Balkans.
North African Campaign and First Camionette
The Regio Esercito started the North African Campaign on 9th September 1940, fighting against the British and Commonwealth troops based in Egypt. After a few months, in January 1941, the Italian Xª Armata (English: 10th Army) was forced to retreat to Libya and take defensive positions, awaiting German help.
In that period, the Regio Esercito‘s High Command started to request the development of various new kinds of vehicles based on the experience gained in the first months of desert warfare. One of the most famous vehicles designed in that period was the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto (English: Armored [Wheeled Vehicle] FIAT-SPA S37) armored personnel carrier, based on the FIAT-SPA Trattore Leggero Modello 1937 ‘Libia’ (English: FIAT-SPA Light Tractor Model 1937), or more simply, the FIAT-SPA TL37 ‘Libia’ light prime mover.
At the same time, due to the absence of many types of special purpose vehicles, the Italian soldiers on the front tried to fill the gaps in their organic strength with improvised vehicles of two kinds: support and reconnaissance vehicles, both based on Italian built or captured trucks.
The support trucks were called autocannoni (English: truck-mounted artillery). Basically, these were just standard trucks without cab roofs and windshields with support, anti-aircraft, or anti-tank guns mounted permanently on their cargo bays.
The reconnaissance trucks were built on light lorries and were called camionette desertiche (English: desert reconnaissance cars). In Italian, the term camionetta (camionette plural) is used to designate any kind of unarmored light reconnaissance vehicle of the army or unarmored police vehicles.
One of the support truck models was the Autocannone da 75/27 su FIAT-SPA TL37. It was armed with a Cannone da 75/27 Modello 1911 field gun mounted on the modified rear side of a prime mover.
The first camionette were based, in the first stages of the war, on the FIAT-SPA Autocarro Sahariano Modello 1937 (English: FIAT-SPA Saharan Truck Model 1937), or more simply FIAT-SPA AS37, a light desert lorry developed on the TL37 chassis.
These vehicles had the advantage of being powered by a strong petrol engine and, thanks to their large tires, having great off-road mobility. The armament was usually a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 anti-aircraft gun, which was also effective against light armored vehicles, or machine guns mounted on pedestal supports.
These cheap, easy to modify, all-terrain vehicles proved themselves as really effective against the British saboteur and reconnaissance units, but also against convoys or small armored units.
In mid-1942, the Comando Militare del Sahara Libico (English: Libyan Sahara Military Command), the branch of the Regio Esercito High Command in North Africa, ordered the modification of the FIAT-SPA AS37 light desert lorries into camionette. The modifications were made by a specialized military workshop in the Hon Oasis.
One of the biggest problems encountered with the FIAT-SPA AS37 was their height, which, in flat landscapes like the desert, made it easily spottable by enemy forces. The FIAT-SPA AS37 was 2.65 m tall due to the cab and waterproof tarpaulin.
The Hon workshop then cut the cab, removing the roof, rear wall, and windshield, and lowered the chassis by a few centimeters.
In the modified cargo bay’s center, a universal support was mounted, which could be equipped with a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 or a Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935. The armament was completed with a 8 mm Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937 (English: Breda Medium Machine Gun Model 1937) manned by the vehicle’s commander.
Probably no more than 2 FIAT-SPA AS37s were modified into camionette, tested and then delivered to the compagnie sahariane (English: saharan companies).
These vehicles gave great results and the Comando Militare del Sahara Libico probably sent a favorable report to the Regio Esercito’s High Command in Rome.
The Camionetta Desertica SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’ – the Expensive Reconnaissance Car
The Camionetta Desertica SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’ (English: Desert Reconnaissance Car SPA-Viberti AS42) was presented as a prototype at the Centro Studi ed Esperienze della Motorizzazione (English: Vehicle Study and Experience Center) in Rome on 9th July 1942.
It was a 5.62 m long, 2.26 m wide, and 1.8 m tall (with armament installed) reconnaissance car with two rows of 20 liter cans on each side, usually carrying fuel, and 4 20 liter cans on the front mudguards for drinkable water and lubricant oil.
These reconnaissance cars had a universal support in the center able to mount a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935, a Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935, or a Solothurn S-18/1000 anti-tank rifle, known in Italian service as the Carabina ‘S’ (English: ‘S’ Carbine) or as the Fucile Anticarro ‘S’ (English: ‘S’ Anti-Tank Rifle). A smaller support was positioned on the right frontal side and two more were positioned on each side on the rear. These three supports were used for 8 mm Mitragliatrici Medie Breda Modello 1937 or Modello 1938 machine guns, used for anti-aircraft and anti-personnel fire.
Less than 100 were produced and delivered before the loss of the North African campaign in May 1943. More were produced, under the new designation Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Metropolitana’ or ‘Sahariana II’ (English: Reconnaissance Car SPA-Viberti AS42 “Metropolitan”). These differed only by the absence of the first row of 20 liter cans on each side and the installation of stowage compartments for ammunition.
These camionette proved themselves really useful to the Axis forces in the last actions of the North African campaign, with a claimed kill ratio of 1:5. Their flaw was the cost of each vehicle. They had a 4×4 steering system and a frame in common with the Autoblinde (English: Armored Cars) of the AB series. The camionette were not expensive financially, but, for each Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS42, an Autoblinda AB41 chassis was removed from the armored car production line, decreasing the number of precious armored cars produced. Also, for this reason, a new camionetta with a different frame had to be built.
History of the Prototype
The Officine Viberti design office, thanks to the reports on the various types of improvised camionette, started development of a new reconnaissance car on the FIAT-SPA Autocarro Sahariano Modello 1937 chassis. The design was probably influenced during development by the reports on the Camionetta AS37 received in summer 1942 from the Comando Militare del Sahara Libico.
In late summer 1942, the prototype of the new vehicle, initially called Camionetta Desertica SPA-Viberti AS43, was presented at the Centro Studi ed Esperienze della Motorizzazione in Rome.
The prototype differed from the production vehicles by the presence, on the sides, of two 20 liter can supports, for a total of 10 cans transported. After the loss of North Africa, the production vehicles were modified, removing the can supports and transforming the free space into lockers where ammunition was stored.
Production and Deliveries
On 1st February 1943, a document was published by the Direzione Generale della Motorizzazione (English: General Directorate of Motor Vehicles), part of the Ministero della Guerra (English: Ministry of the War). This mentioned that the total order for the Camionette AS43 was of 180 vehicles. This could confirm the total number of 300 camionette ordered: 120 AS42 and 180 AS43.
The Officine Viberti’s documents, however, confirm the production of 167 to 169 AS43 between June 1943 to January 1946. It is necessary to add the 13 SPA-Viberti AS43 produced for the Germans with modified bodyworks and armaments to this number. If this claim is correct, the SPA and the Officine Viberti produced a total of 180 or 182 AS43s. The monthly production ratio was planned to reach 30 Camionette AS43. Nevertheless, due to the Italian industry’s poor situation in early 1943, this goal was never reached, and only 23 AS43s were delivered to the Regio Esercito before the war.
Another source claims that there were 66 Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 built, of which 23 were produced and delivered before the Armistice of 8th September 1943. This source is supported by an acknowledgement of a debt of 12 million Italian lira for the production of 63 camionette from December 1943. The debt was paid off in May 1947.
Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 Produced and Delivered before the Armistice
Engine Serial Code
Chassis serial Code
License Plate
Date of Registration
Delivered to
100010
47269
Regio Esercito 1120B
7th July 1943
Deposito 1° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Vercelli on 28th July 1943
100011
47270
Regio Esercito 1121B
Deposito 1° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Vercelli on 29th July 1943
100012
47271
Regio Esercito 1122B
Deposito 1° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Vercelli on 28th July 1943
100014
47273
Regio Esercito 1123B
Deposito 1° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Vercelli on 29th July 1943
100017
47276
Regio Esercito 1124B
Deposito 1° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Vercelli on 28th July 1943
100018
47277
Regio Esercito 1125B
Deposito 1° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Vercelli on 29th July 1943
100016
47275
Regio Esercito 1126B
100022
47281
Regio Esercito 1127B
100023
47282
Regio Esercito 1128B
28th July 1943
4° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Rome on 4th August 1943
100026
47285
Regio Esercito 1129B
100028
47287
Regio Esercito 1130B
100020
47279
Regio Esercito 1131B
100025
47284
Regio Esercito 1132B
19th August 1943
Deposito 33° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Parma on 14th August 1943
100029
47288
Regio Esercito 1133B
28th July 1943
4° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Rome on 4th August 1943
100021
47280
Regio Esercito 1135B
100024
47283
Regio Esercito 1136B
100030
47289
Regio Esercito 1138B
19th August 1943
Deposito 33° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Parma on 14th August 1943
100034
47293
Regio Esercito 1139B
29th July 1943
Deposito 33° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Parma on 4th August 1943
100003
47268
Regio Esercito 1140B
19th August 1943
Deposito 33° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista of Parma on 14th August 1943
100032
47291
Regio Esercito 1142B
100057
47316
Regio Esercito 1143B
100071
47330
Regio Esercito 1144B
100070
47329
Regio Esercito 1145B
Organization
Before the delivery of the first SPA-Viberti AS43, the units that employed the previous SPA-Viberti AS42 were composed of compagnie camionettisti (English: reconnaissance car driver companies). Each compagnia camionettisti was equipped with 24 camionette, 2 FIAT 1100 staff cars, and 8 FIAT-SPA 38R light lorries, divided into 4 pattuglie (English: Patrol Unit) with 6 camionette each. Each pattuglia was composed of 2 officers and 18 Arditi. Each Ardito was armed with a Carcano Modello 1891 rifle or a Moschetto Automatico Beretta Modello 1938 (MAB 38) pistol and dagger and was trained to use various types of explosives. At least a pair of compagnie camionettisti was equipped with a total of 10 SPA-Viberti AS43 that were probably integrated within these organic strengths.
From a document of 30th May 1943, each compagnia camionette (English: reconnaissance car company) was composed of a plotone comando (English: command platoon) with 2 command camionette equipped only with 8 mm machine guns as defensive armament and an Apparato Ricetrasmittente Radio Fonica 3M (English: Audio Radio Receiver Apparatus 3M) produced by Magneti Marelli. The personnel of the plotone comando consisted of 2 officers, 2 camionette drivers, and 4 soldiers. The squadra servizi (English: service squad) was composed of 1 NCO, 5 drivers, 29 soldiers, 1 small mobile workshop, 2 FIAT-SPA 38R light lorries, 4 motorbikes, and 1 motor tricycle.
The command platoon commanded 4 plotoni camionette (English: reconnaissance car platoons) with 2 camionette each. The personnel and equipment of a platoon had a staff of an officer, an NCO, 6 soldiers and 2 camionette drivers. In total, a compagnia camionette had an organic strength of 5 officers, 5 NCOs, 57 soldiers, 15 drivers, 10 Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43, 1 small mobile workshop, 2 FIAT-SPA 38R light lorries, 4 motorbikes, and 1 motor tricycle.
Compagnia Camionette organization
Personnel
Vehicles
Officers
NCOs
Soldiers
Drivers
Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43
Small mobile workshop
FIAT-SPA 38R
Motor tricycle
Motorbikes
Plotone Comando
1
/
4
2
2
/
/
/
/
Squadra Servizi
/
1
29
5
/
1
2
1
4
1° Plotone Camionette
1
1
6
2
2
/
/
/
/
2° Plotone Camionette
1
1
6
2
2
/
/
/
/
3° Plotone Camionette
1
1
6
2
2
/
/
/
/
4° Plotone Camionette
1
1
6
2
2
/
/
/
/
Total Plotoni
4
4
24
8
8
/
/
/
/
Total Compagnia
5
5
57
15
10
1
2
1
4
On 12th August 1943, General Augusto de Pignier, Chief of the Centro Studi ed Esperienze della Motorizzazione wrote a document about the new role of the Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 in the ranks of the Regio Esercito. In fact, the North African Campaign had been lost three months prior, and the AS43 needed a new role.
The reconnaissance cars were repurposed to perform anti-landing duties on the Italian coasts, while the heavier AS42s were deployed on anti-paratrooper duties in Southern Italy.
The document reported all the necessary data about the new role of the camionette. An important and curious note was that the general explained how to sink Allied landing craft by firing at them under the floating line.
De Pignier then suggested training the crew of the camionette to drive during the night without headlights, create hull-down positions on the shores and in the area behind to be ready to protect their homeland.
The number of plotoni camionette was reduced from 4 to 2 in this document, but the number of camionette in each platoon was increased from 2 to 4.
Design
Chassis and Bodywork
The chassis was produced by the Società Piemontese Automobili plant at Corso Ferrucci 122 in Turin, which had also produced the TL37s and the AS37s.
As on the Camionette Desertiche AS37, the modifications to the frame of the new camionetta were similar to the ones approved by the Comando Militare del Sahara Libico. The FIAT-SPA Autocarro Sahariano Modello 1937 chassis was lowered from a ground clearance of 390 mm to 345 mm. The cab was completely modified, apart from the engine hood and the radiator grille. The side doors, the windshield, the roof, and the third seat were removed.
On the front, there was a bumper and 2 iron bars to protect the radiator. On the lower bar, a support for the engine’s ignition crank was mounted. A new frontally foldable armored plate with bulletproof Securit glass was mounted for the driver on the right side. The bulletproof glass also had a slit that could be closed to protect the glass from splinters. The shield was foldable to allow the main gun to shoot at 0° elevation on the front arch when the vehicle was in a static position.
The cargo bay consisted of a structure of electrically welded steel sections with a wooden floor and sides connected to the driving compartment. The rear wooden side of the cargo bay was protected on the inner side by a 1.2 mm thick metal sheet. On the floor of the cargo bay, there were 4 ammunition boxes. The mudguards were made of 1.5 mm thick metal sheets and the rear one had a metal bar that protected the wheel at 75 cm from the ground.
On the rear of the vehicle, there were the license plate with light, stop light, and support for the sapper tools: shovel, pickaxe, and crowbar.
To protect the crew from the elements, the vehicle could be equipped with a green-gray waterproof tarpaulin. When not used, it was rolled up on the rear side of the cargo bay. When used, it was fixed on the rear side on 2 extendable supports by means of carabiners and, on the front, to the armored shield for the driver and to a tiltable support positioned on the left side of the cab. On the center, there was an arch-shaped tube that was lifted when the tarpaulin was mounted. The sides of the vehicles were also equipped with waterproof tarpaulins with small plexiglas on the sides for the commander and driver, and another one frontally, also for the commander.
The spare wheel support was moved from behind the cab to the cargo bay’s rear to free up space. The spare wheel was placed on a new tilting support that the crew could angle backwards to allow the main gun to shoot at 0° elevation even on the rear arch. The loading bay’s sides were fixed and could not be lowered, but were wide enough to permit the installation of a 360° traverse universal gun support.
Even if the main can racks were modified, the vehicle could transport a total of 6 20 liter cans on the mudguards: two for each rear mudguard, and one for each frontal mudguard. The cans were intended for drinkable water, lubricant oil, and fuel, but were rarely transported on the vehicles that were all deployed in Europe, where it was not necessary to extend the already long-range of the vehicle.
The driver was on the right and, under his seat, he had a small storage compartment, while the vehicle commander was placed on the left. Between the seats was a rack for the machine gun’s ammunition. Other machine gun ammunition was stored on the sides, over the lockers.
Engine and Suspension
Like the FIAT-SPA AS37, the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 had all-wheel drive.
The front wheels had independent coil spring suspension coupled with hydraulic shock absorbers, which guaranteed great comfort on rough terrain. The rear wheels had inverse leaf springs coupled with hydraulic shock absorbers. The rear leaf spring was reinforced compared to the one of the FIAT-SPA TL37 light prime mover or the FIAT-SPA AS37 due to the new role of the vehicle.
The engine was a more powerful version of the 52 hp SPA 18LT used on the FIAT-SPA AS37, the SPA 18VT 4a Variante, 4-stroke, 4-cylinder, petrol engine delivering 73 hp (or 75 hp, as sources offer differing values) at 2,000 rpm.
The gearbox had 5 gears plus reverse and was mounted behind the clutch, on the vehicle’s center. Behind the gearbox was the tire compressor. The Camionetta AS43 had hydraulic brakes.
Developed as a super long-range desert reconnaissance car, the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 was equipped with two 120 liter fuel tanks between the fenders, under the lockers. The 240 liters of petrol guaranteed a range of 750 km. With the 6 20 liter cans mounted on the mudguards, the range extended to 1,120 km. On the prototype, with the unmodified can supports for 10 more 20 liter cans, the range was of 1,700 km.
The frame had a wheelbase of 2,500 mm, the same as on the FIAT-SPA TL37 ‘Libia’ and all the vehicles developed on its chassis. The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 frame weighed 2.62 tonnes (without fuel, cooling water, oil, etc.), the empty vehicle weighed 3,500 kg, while the fully equipped and battle ready weight was 5 tonnes.
The maximum speed of the battle loaded Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 was 68.5 km/h, while the maximum slope was 45°, more than the previous vehicles produced on the previous chassis.
Tires
The tires also used on the AB41 were produced by the Pirelli factory in Milan, as were almost all the tires on Italian vehicles. Pirelli produced several tires for the 24″ (60 cm) rim used on the FIAT-SPA TM40 prime mover, SPA Dovunque 41 heavy duty truck, and many other vehicles and armored cars.
The Tipo ‘Artiglio’ 9 x 24″ (22 x 60 cm) and Tipo ‘Artiglio a Sezione Maggiorata’ pneumatics were used for continental terrain and the Russian steppes. Tipo ‘Libia’ 11.25 x 24” (28.5 x 60.96 cm), Tipo ‘Libia Rinforzato’, and Pirelli Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’ 11.25 x 24″ were used for sandy soils and Tipo ‘Raiflex’ were for universal use. The Pirelli Tipo ‘Raiflex’ tires were produced with Rayon (Raion in Italian) synthetic fibers (RAI-flex for Raion) in order to improve strength with cross ply.
Main Armament
The main armament of the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 was a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 anti-aircraft automatic gun or a Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935 anti-tank/support gun.
Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935
The anti-aircraft gun was developed by Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche (English: Italian Ernesto Breda Company for Mechanical Constructions) in 1935 as an anti-aircraft gun, but showed itself powerful enough to deal with light armored vehicles, such as armored cars and light tanks. In its field version, it had a crew of five, while on the camionetta, the number of operators was decreased to two: gunner and loader. The gunner was seated behind the gun and the loader was seated in the cargo bay. The driver would probably occasionally help to load the gun to speed up reloading.
The maximum anti-aircraft range was 1,500-2,000 m, while against ground targets, the maximum range was 5,000 m and the effective range decreased to about 2,500 m.
This gun was one of the best light automatic guns of its era, with a total weight of 330 kg and a theoretical rate of fire of 500 rounds per minute. The practical rate of fire dropped to about 300 rounds per minute due to the presence of a single loader in the cargo bay. The maximum elevation was +80°, while the depression was -10°.
Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935
The Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935 was nicknamed ‘Elefantino’ (English: Little Elephant) by Italian soldiers. This gun was originally designed by the Austrian Böhler company and found use with various nations. The Regio Esercito, for example, used over 3,200 units which had been produced under license by various companies between 1937 and 1945. The main producers were Breda of Brescia, Arsenale Regio Esercito di Torino or ARET (English: Royal Army Arsenal of Turin), Arsenale Regio Esercito di Piacenza or AREP, and Ansaldo (only for tank use).
Designed as an infantry support cannon, it proved to be reliable and precise during the Spanish Civil War and capable of taking out the few opposing armored vehicles. It had a total dismounted weight of 108 kg, while the barrel weighed 64.5 kg.
The Italian Army High Command, satisfied by its performance against enemy tanks in Spain, considered it a reliable anti-tank gun. Despite its performances in the Spanish Civil War, from 1940 onward, it became less adequate because the armor of the enemy tanks became thicker.
Its maximum range was 7,000 m, but it was effective up to 4,000 m for infantry support and about 800-1,000 m for anti-tank fire. Its compact mounting and short recoil of just 20 cm were perfect for mounting on a small vehicle, such as the camionetta. Thanks to the small dimensions of the rounds and the automatic breech, the gun could reach, with well trained crews, a rate of fire of 28 rounds per minute, even if for a short time.
Other Main Armaments
After the Armistice, the German soldiers of the Luftwaffe and of the Wehrmacht captured a certain number of Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 and produced a small lot of slightly modified vehicles. The vehicles captured by the Germans after the Armistice were often rearmed with German FlaK 38 anti-aircraft automatic cannons that had larger magazines compared to the Italian ones (30 round magazines vs 12 round clips) and guaranteed an increased rate of fire.
At least an AS43 deployed by the Germans after the Armistice was armed with a Cannone-Mitragliera Scotti-Isotta Fraschini da 20/70 Modello 1939 (English: Scotti-Isotta Fraschini 20 mm L.70 Automatic Cannon Model 1939), but it is probable that more than one was armed in this manner.
This automatic gun shared similar characteristics to those made by Breda. The gun was gas-operated and had a theoretical rate of fire of about 500 rounds per minute. However, this dropped to 250 rounds per minute in practice. Its maximum firing range was 5,500 m against ground targets and 2,000 m against flying targets.
Secondary Armament
The secondary armament was one Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937 (English: Breda Medium Machine Gun Model 1937) mounted on a gooseneck support on the left side of the cab and used by the commander for anti-personnel fire or to fire against low flying enemy planes.
This gun was developed after the specifications issued by the Ispettorato d’Artiglieria (English: Artillery Inspectorate) in May 1933. Different Italian gun companies started working on the new machine gun. The requirements were a maximum weight of 20 kg, a theoretical rate of fire of 450 rounds per minute, and a barrel life of 1,000 rounds.
The Comitato Superiore Tecnico Armi e Munizioni (English: Superior Technical Committee for Weapons and Ammunition) in Turin issued its verdict in November 1935. The Breda project won. A first order for 2,500 units of the Breda medium machine gun was placed in 1936. After operational evaluation with the units, the weapon was adopted in 1937 as the Mitragliatrice Breda Modello 1937.
The weapon was famous for its robustness and accuracy, despite its annoying tendency to jam if lubrication was insufficient. Its weight was considered too large compared to foreign machine guns of the time. It weighed 19.4 kg and its tripod had a weight of 18.8 kg, making this weapon the heaviest medium machine gun of the Second World War. The practical rate of fire, which was about 200-250 rounds per minute, was considered a bit low. The machine gun was fed by 20-round rigid strips. After firing, instead of ejecting the spent casings like all firearms, the Breda Modello 1937 reinserted it into the rigid strip to facilitate the recovery of reusable spent casings.
The machine gun shot 8 x 59 mm RB cartridges developed by Breda exclusively for machine guns. The 8 mm Breda had a muzzle velocity between 790 m/s and 800 m/s, depending on the round type. The armor piercing rounds could penetrate 11 mm of non-ballistic steel angled at 90° at 100 m. Even if there is no photographic evidence, as on other Italian vehicles, the Breda Modello 1937 could be substituted with the Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 (English: Breda Medium Machine Guns Model 1938) with the same action and cartridges of the Modello 1937, but especially developed for armored vehicles. It had a shorter barrel, pistol grip, and top curved 24-round magazines.
On the right front mudguard, a support for the machine gun tripod was fixed by means of butterfly screws. In fact, the Breda could be quickly dismounted and deployed in a fixed position by the crew on the ground.
On the Camionette SPA-Viberti deployed by the Germans, especially the Luftwaffe ones, the Italian machine guns were dismounted and substituted with Mauser MG15 aircraft machine guns recovered from damaged German planes deployed in the Italian peninsula or Balkan airfields. These 7.92 x 57 mm Mauser medium machine guns guaranteed an increased rate of fire thanks to their ammunition belts.
Ammunition
The Breda automatic cannon could fire various kinds of caliber 20 x 138 mm B armor piercing and high-explosive rounds of Italian production, but also those used by the German FlaK 30 and FlaK 38 cannons and the Solothurn S18-1000 anti-tank gun, increasing the anti-tank capacity of the cannon. With the Granata Perforante da 20 mm Modello 1935 Italian armor-piercing bullets, it could penetrate a 38 mm armor plate angled at 90° at 100 m and a 30 mm armored plate at 500 m. With German Pz.Gr. 40 ammunition, it could penetrate a 50 mm armor plate angled at 90° at 100 m and a 40 mm armored plate at 500 m.
On board the Camionetta, 960 20 mm rounds were transported in 12 round clips, for a total of 80 clips. Of these clips, 8 sat in each ammunition box on the floor, for a total of 384 rounds. The other 48 clips were transported in the side lockers, 12 per side.
Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 ammunition
Name
Type
Muzzle Velocity (m/s)
Projectile Mass (g)
Penetration at 500 meters against an RHA plate angled at 90° (mm)
The 47 mm gun could fire different types of ammunition: Proietto Perforante da 47 Modello 1935 (English: 47 mm Armor Piercing Round Model 1935) and Modello 1939, Cartoccio Granata Dirompente da 47 modello 1935 (English: 47 mm High-Explosive Round Model 1935) and 2 different High-Explosive Anti-Tank rounds: the Effetto Pronto and the Effetto Pronto Speciale that, however, were rarely deployed.
Proietto Perforante da 47 Modello 1939 Armor Piercing Round
Distance (m)
Penetration of vertical armored plates
500
35 mm
1,000
30 mm
1,500
25 mm
2,000
22 mm
There is no precise data on the penetration of the HEAT ammunition of the 47 mm gun, but an Italian report from some tests in October 1942 shows that the Effetto Pronto round was not able to penetrate the 52 mm thick side armor of the turret of a T-34-76 Mod. 1942 captured by the Italians on the Eastern Front.
On the Camionetta, 160 47 mm rounds were transported, of which 60 in the 4 ammunition boxes on the floor and the others in the side lockers, 50 per side.
For the 8 mm machine gun, there were 100 20 round clips, for a total of 2,000 rounds placed between the driver and commander’s seats and over the lockers.
Operational Use
X Reggimento Arditi
In 1942, the Regio Esercito’s High Command decided to create a battalion-sized unit of Arditi (translatable as ‘The Daring [Ones]’) directly under command of the Regio Esercito’s High Command. This battalion originally had 4 companies, of which only 3 were formed.
On 26th April 1942, the battalion was created. Recruitment started on 15th May 1942 and the training was done in Santa Severa, near Rome. The location was chosen because in the area there were some flat and rough terrains, similar to the ones that the soldiers had to operate on in North Africa. Also in the area there were saboteur and paratrooper training schools.
A company was composed of paracadutisti (English: paratroopers) that trained at the Tarquinia Paratrooper training school, another company composed of nuotatori (Literally: swimmers, meaning marine saboteurs) trained in Pola, now Croatia, while the last company of camionettisti (English: reconnaissance car drivers) trained in Santa Severa.
On 20th July 1942, the Regio Esercito’s High Command ordered a second battalion to be formed by 1st August of the same year and the 2 battalions were grouped in the X Reggimento Speciale (English: 10th Special Regiment). The name of the regiment was then changed to X Reggimento Arditi (English: 10th Arditi Regiment).
The companies were renamed 101a Compagnia Paracadutisti (English: 101st Paratrooper Company), 102a Compagnia Nuotatori (English: 102nd Marine Saboteurs Company), and 103a Compagnia Camionettisti (English: 103rd Reconnaissance Car Drivers Company) for the renamed I Battaglione (English: 1st Battalion). The II Battaglione (English: 2nd Battalion) had the new 111a Compagnia Paracadutisti (English: 111th Paratrooper Company), 112a Compagnia Nuotatori (English: 112th Marine Saboteurs Company), and 113a Compagnia Camionettisti (English: 113th Reconnaissance Car Drivers Company).
In February 1943 the III Battaglione (English: 3rd Battalion) with 121a Compagnia Paracadutisti (English: 121st Paratrooper Company), 122a Compagnia Nuotatori (English: 122nd Marine Saboteurs Company), and 123a Compagnia Camionettisti (English: 123rd Reconnaissance Car Drivers Company) was also created, but this last battalion would never become operative.
In May 1943, in anticipation of an Allied attack on the Italian peninsula, the first 2 compagnie paracadutisti were grouped into the new IV Battaglione (English: 4th Battalion) and were substituted in the I Battaglione and II Battaglione by the 110a Compagnia Speciale and the 120a Compagnia Speciale (English: 110th and 120th Special Companies).
Shortly before the Armistice of 8th September 1943, the 122a Compagnia Nuotatori was transformed into a compagnia camionettisti and another company was created in Viterbo: the 133a Compagnia composed of soldiers of Benito Mussolini most loyal soldiers.
The I Battaglione was deployed in North Africa (103a Compagnia Camionettisti), while the other 2 companies were sent to Sardinia, all equipped with Camionette Desertiche SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariane’.
With the loss of North Africa, the 112a Compagnia Nuotatori and the 113a Compagnia Camionettisti of the II Battaglione were sent to Sicily, equipped with Camionette Desertiche SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariane’.
The first company to receive the new Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 was the 122a Compagnia Camionettisti, which had serious shortages in equipment and vehicles. It was sent in August 1943, with 8 AS43, to Rome to perform public order duties. In the book Dal TL37 all’ AS43 written by Pignato and Cappellano, it is mentioned that the 133a Compagnia was equipped with 2 SPA-Viberti AS43 for training purposes, but it is not clear if it was in Santa Severa, Rome or Viterbo when the Armistice was made public.
On 8th September 1943, the X Reggimento Arditi was scattered all over the place: the I Battaglione was in Sardinia, the II Battaglione and 2 companies of the IV Battaglione were in Santa Severa for reorganization after the Sicilian defense, while the 111a Compagnia Paracadutisti and the 122a Compagnia Camionettisti were in Rome for public order duties.
Not a single Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 was deployed against the German forces during the Defense of Rome that ended on 10th September 1943.
Repubblica Sociale Italiana Service
After the Armistice, the Regio Esercito was disbanded, with over a million taken prisoner. Mussolini then founded the Repubblica Sociale Italiana (English: Italian Social Republic) under German control. Some soldiers still loyal to Benito Mussolini immediately joined the new Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano (English: National Republican Army) and the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana (English: National Republican Guard).
Some vehicles were recovered from former Regio Esercito depots or barracks and deployed by the Italians and by the Germans. The Battaglione ‘Fulmine’ (English: Battalion) of the Xª Divisione MAS (English: 10th MAS Division) had an armored Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 called SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata in late 1944 and early 1945. They probably recovered it from Vercelli, where 8 Camionette AS43 were delivered before the Armistice. It is also possible that the vehicle was delivered directly by the Officine Viberti plant.
It was probably modified by workers in one of the dozens of factories of Turin, such as FIAT, SPA, or Officine Viberti. The armored plates used on the vehicle were most likely donated to the battalion by the Arsenale Regio Esercito di Torino, renamed by the new fascist government as Arsenale di Torino. At that time, it was responsible for the production of improvised armored vehicles for some Fascist units in the Turin area, among other things.
It was armed with a total of 3 Mitragliatrici Medie Breda Modello 1937 and light armor, sufficient to barely withstand the bullets of small arms.
Very little is known about this vehicle that was deployed in Locana, Piemonte, on 29th November 1944, in anti-partisan operations in that area. In early 1945, the Xª Divisione MAS was sent to Veneto, north-east Italy, to fight against the Yugoslavian Partisans. The armored reconnaissance car surely followed the division in Veneto, but traces of it are lost after this.
The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ (English: Lioness Armored Group) deployed 2 to 4 (sources vary on the exact number) armored personnel carriers based on the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 called SPA-Viberti AS43 Autoprotette.
The bodywork was left unchanged, but an armored superstructure was added to protect the crew and the 6 soldiers transported. Its armament was composed of 2 Mitragliatrici Medie Breda Modello 1937, one mounted frontally, another on the rear.
A SPA-Viberti AS43 Autoprotetta was lost in Santo Stefano Roero in Piemonte on 8th March 1945. It was set aflame by a partisan ambush. Its commander, Lieutenant Berneschi, tried to slow down the partisans while his men were getting out of the vehicle to take cover, but was killed shortly after.
The vehicle was totally destroyed by the fire or by the partisans the next night, when the fascist forces retreated. Another SPA-Viberti AS43 Autoprotetta was surrendered to US soldiers when the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ surrendered to the Allied forces on 5th May 1945.
In the book Storia dei Reparti Corazzati della Repubblica Sociale Italiana 1943-1945, written by Paolo Crippa, the Italian author mentions a XXXVIa Brigata Nera ‘Natale Piacentini’ (English: 36th Black Brigade) veteran’s testimony. Militiaman Piero Sebastiani recounts that in Autumn 1944, the Prefecture of Verona donated to the unit a camionetta that was “…equipped with a Breda 38 machine gun and an armored shield…”. It could have been a Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 that was previously owned by the Autoparco della GNR (English: GNR’s Vehicle Depot) of Verona.
There is no photographic evidence of this vehicle and, therefore, it is impossible to confirm the presence of a camionetta in this Black Brigade. Due to the absence of documents, it is also impossible to verify when this vehicle was delivered to the XXXVIa Brigata Nera ‘Natale Piacentini’. The Black Brigade was one of the better-equipped Black Brigades of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana, equipped with a Lancia 3Ro Blindato and armored trailers, a FIAT 1500 Berlina Blindata armed with a Mauser MG42, this camionetta, and a FIAT 626NM armed with a twin machine gun mount (the exact caliber is not clear).
German Service
The total number of vehicles deployed by the Germans is impossible to clarify. Many Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 were rearmed by German units with 2 cm FlaK 38 and Mauser MG15 guns. A total of 13 vehicles were produced with particular specifications ordered by the German Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen (English: General Inspector of the Armed Forces).
These vehicles differed from the original ones by the addition of foldable iron sides on the cargo bay. These sides could be used as backseat for the crew during marching and lowered to ease reloading and to increase the working space for the crew.
When lowered to 0°, they had 2 diagonal bracings per side that held them in position. From the original blueprint, it is noticeable that the tarpaulin position was also changed, but there are no images of a modified AS43 for the Germans with waterproof tarpaulin installed.
The only existing images of these German AS43s show them equipped with a Cannone-Mitragliera Scotti-Isotta Fraschini 20/70 Modello 1939, but it seems that they were intended to be equipped with German 2 cm FlaK 38. In fact, from the original drawing, supports for 30 round magazines, for a total of 10 transported, 4 on each side and 2 on the rear, can be seen on the outer sides of the foldable iron plates. These racks were not present on the German AS43 equipped with Scotti-Isotta Fraschini automatic cannon.
The camionette armed with 2 cm FlaK 38 were deployed by the Sicherungs-Abteilung (English: Safeguarding Department) of the Transportkorps Speer. It was organized in motor transportation battalions and regiments, supported by depot, repair, engineering, signal, safeguarding, and medical units. The Transportkorps Speer was assigned to the Organisation Todt (English: Todt Organization). The organization was responsible for a huge range of engineering projects, both in Germany and in occupied territories.
The Sicherungs-Abteilung was used to escort columns for the majority of its service but, in the last months of the war, its armored and armed vehicles were also deployed in anti-partisan operations.
Part or all the 13 AS43s produced for the Germans were delivered to the Fliegerabwehrkanonen Erdkampf Schule Sued (English: Southern Anti-Aircraft Ground Fighting School) in Spilimbergo, near Udine. It was a training school for anti-aircraft crews, in which they improved their anti-tank training with anti-aircraft guns. In fact, its commander was Joseph Prentl, one of the first officers that deployed the 8.8 cm FlaK 37 against enemy tanks.
The German training school was also equipped with various other kinds of captured Italian vehicles, including some tanks and self-propelled guns that were deployed, together with its students, against the partisans in Friuli Venezia Giulia in the last months of war.
Italian Republic
An unknown number of Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 were deployed by the Italian Polizia di Stato (English: State Police) after the war. They were AS43s captured or delivered intact to the Allied forces or new vehicles that were produced by Officine Viberti to end the production contract of 180 AS43 stipulated with the Regio Esercito before the war. The last vehicle was delivered on 26th January 1946.
The only source that mentions their service is Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, but nothing more is known apart that they were assigned to the Reparti Celeri (English: Fast Departments) of the Polizia di Stato. These units had the task of intervening quickly where there was a need for public order, for help after natural disasters, or in case of a clash with a foreign army or organized guerrilla. There are no pictures of Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 in service after the war.
Camouflage
The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 prototype was painted in Kaki Sahariano Chiaro (English: Light Saharan Khaki) for desert environments. Even if the few images of the prototype at the Centro Studi ed Esperienze della Motorizzazione are without waterproof tarpaulin, it is logical to suppose that it was also in desert camouflage.
The production vehicles were painted at the Officine Viberti in Continentale (English: Continental) camouflage. This 3-tone camouflage had as its base the Kaki Sahariano Chiaro, partially covered with dark green and reddish brown spots. Interestingly enough, even the internal sides of the cargo bay were camouflaged. In this version, the tarpaulin was in green-gray camouflage but, on some vehicles, the tarpaulin was also painted with Continentale camouflage scheme.
The Germans painted some of the captured vehicles in dark green with darker green or black stripes.
The Polizia di Stato vehicles were probably repainted in Amaranth Red, a reddish rose shade used at the time on all the police vehicles.
Versions
Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43
Two to six Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 armored cars were produced by the Officine Viberti plant. The first draft of this project of the design office of Officine Viberti dates from 18th January 1944. The last modification is dated 3rd April 1944, while the first photos of operational vehicles are from May of the same year.
It was equipped with an armored superstructure in which, at the top, an Autoblinda AB41 turret armed with a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 and a coaxial Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 was installed.
A Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 was employed during a fight with the partisans in Valtellina, Lombardia, on 27th April 1945. The column in which it was deployed was ambushed by the partisans. The armored car ended up in partisan hands after the clash, along with other vehicles of the fascist column. These were used in the following days, until 2nd May 1945, in the area of the Mortirolo Pass, at 1,852 m above sea level, where an attack by a Fascist unit was feared.
SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata
The SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata was a project of an armored ambulance designed by Officine Viberti together with the Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43.
It had an armored superstructure partially in common with the Carrozzeria Speciale, but also with the older FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto. In fact, the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 and the FIAT-SPA TL37 shared the same frames, even if heavily modified.
It remained a paper project, but, from the original information that can be found in the Officine Viberti archives, it could carry a total of 2 stretchers and a crew of 3 or 4 healthcare personnel.
Conclusion
The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 was a successful vehicle of the Italian industry. Even if the first project was intended for long-range desert reconnaissance and sabotage, the production vehicles ended up operating in Europe, where they performed without noteworthy reliability issues.
Its off-road capabilities were extraordinary, as was its sturdiness. Another interesting feature was the frame that could be easily modified into various kinds of armored fighting vehicles.
It could be used in various roles, such as patrolling shores to counter possible landings or on small mountain paths to counter the Italian and Yugoslavian partisans. Thanks to its 20 mm automatic cannons, it had the possibility of engaging light armored vehicles and planes or, with the 47 mm gun, it could support infantry attacks and counter light armored vehicles.
Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 Specification
Size (L-W-H)
4.83 x 2.06 x 2.20 m
Weight, battle ready
5 tonnes
Crew
4 soldiers (driver, commander, gunner, and loader)
Engine
SPA 18VT 4a Variante, 4-cylinder, petrol engine, 73 hp at 2,000 rpm and 240 liters tanks
Speed
68.5 km/h
Range
750 km
Armament
one Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 or a Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935. One 8 mm Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937 or Modello 1938
Production
66-182 built
Sources
Le Camionette del Regio Esercito. FIAT-SPA AS/37, SPA-Viberti AS/42, FIAT-SPA AS/43, Desertica 43, i Reparti che le Impiegarono – Enrico Finazzer and Luigi Carpetta – Gruppo Modellistico Trentino – 2014
Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II – Ralph A. Riccio – Mattioli 1885 – 2010
Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, Volume Secondo, Tomo II – Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano – Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito – 2002
Semicingolati, Motoveicoli e Veicoli Speciali del Regio Esercito Italiano 1919-1943 – Giulio Benussi – Intergest Publishing – 1976
Andare Contro i Carri Armati, L’Evoluzione della Difesa Controcarro nell’Esercito Italiano dal 1918 al 1945. – Filippo Cappellano and Nicola Pignato – Gaspari Editore – 2008
Italian Truck-Mounted Artillery in Action – Ralph Riccio and Nicola Pignato – Squadron Signal Publications – 1971
Storia dei Reparti Corazzati della Repubblica Sociale Italiana 1943-1945 – Paolo Crippa – Marvia Edizioni – October 2022
Italian Social Republic (1944)
Armored Ambulance – Paper project
The SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata (English: ‘Armored’ [literally ‘Shielded’] Ambulance) was a post-Armistice paper project of the Officine Viberti (English: Viberti Workshops) company of Turin. It was meant to equip the Italian units with an armored emergency vehicle that could evacuate wounded soldiers.
At that time, only parts of the Italian peninsula were under the rule of the fascist Repubblica Sociale Italiana or RSI (English: Italian Social Republic). In order to speed up production and save raw materials, Officine Viberti developed a new vehicle instead of reusing old hulls. It was developed on the Camionetta (English: Reconnaissance Car) SPA-Viberti AS43 reconnaissance vehicle chassis and FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto (English: Armored [wheeled vehicle]) armored personnel carrier superstructure, with which it shared some parts. Unfortunately, this interesting design would never materialize and remained only a paper project.
Regio Esercito Projects Prior of the Armistice
After the first engagements between Italian and Commonwealth troops in North Africa in 1941, the Italian Regio Esercito’s (English: Royal Army) High Command immediately understood three important things:
It was necessary to field a light armored car for fast reconnaissance as soon as possible.
It was urgent to field an armored personnel carrier (APC) to quickly and safely transport soldiers across the desert battlefields.
An armored ambulance to rescue and evacuate wounded soldiers safely was necessary.
The FIAT-SPA Trattore Leggero Modello 1937 ‘Libia’ (English: Light Tractor [Produced by] FIAT-SPA Model 1937), abbreviated FIAT-SPA TL37 ‘Libia’, was a light prime mover that had good mobility thanks to its powerful gasoline engine and large tires. The ‘Libia’ (English: Libya) was a version of that prime mover specifically developed to operate in North Africa. Using it as the basis, a new armored car was designed.
The new Autoblinda TL37 or Autoblinda AS37 (AS for Africa Settentrionale – North Africa) armored car had an open-topped turret armed with a powerful Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 (English: 20 mm L/65 Automatic Cannon Breda Model 1935) autocannon and a coaxial machine gun. Only one was built by the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente, near Genoa.
The Autoblinda AS37 prototype was shipped to North Africa, where it formed part of an experimental armored car platoon of the Regio Esercito, the Raggruppamento Esplorante del Corpo d’Armata di Manovra or RECAM (English: Reconnaissance Grouping of the Mobile Army Corp). RECAM was also equipped with 3 AB41s of the Army, and 9 AB41s and an AB40 from the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana or PAI (English: Police of the Italian Africa), which had arrived at a similar time. Unfortunately, not much is known about its service. It was abandoned at Sidi Rezegh, south of the main road between Tobruk and Bardia, east of El Adem, probably due to a mechanical failure. The AS37 project was abandoned in favor of the ‘AB’ series of armored cars, the most produced during the war. The AB armored cars, even if not as light as the Autoblinda TL37, were effective in the same role.
At the same time, in January 1941, the Regio Esercito started the development of a light armored personnel carrier based on the same FIAT-SPA TL37 ‘Libia’. About 4 months later, the project was completed, and in May 1941, it was tested at the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione (English: Center for Motorisation Studies) in Rome. On 24th May 1941, a total of 200 S37 Autoprotetti were ordered, of which only 150 were produced. Ironically enough, not a single FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto, also known as Autoprotetto FIAT-SPA AS37 Coloniale (English: Colonial Armored [Wheeled Vehicle] FIAT-SPA AS37), was sent to North Africa. Instead, they were all deployed to the Balkans against the Yugoslavian Partisans.
With the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto, the Regio Esercito stopped further developments, completely ignoring their previous requirement for an armored ambulance. The need for an armored ambulance was probably considered no longer a priority, as the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetti, like many other types of armored personnel carriers, could also be used to rescue wounded soldiers.
At the same time, probably in order to stem the problem of the absence of armored ambulances, the organization of the Regio Esercito’s divisions was revised. AfterMarch 1941, each motorized division in North Africa had a theoretical force of 360 motorized vehicles, including 20 ambulances. The armored divisions were also subject to similar changes. Starting from August 1941, each Italian armored division had a theoretical force of 1,198 motorized vehicles (tanks excluded), of which 26 were ambulances.
In North Africa, there was a development of ‘special’ vehicles by Italian frontline troops, which desperately needed vehicles to support their offensives. This is how some camionette were born, based on the chassis of the FIAT-SPA AS37 (AS in this case means Autocarro Sahariano – Saharan Truck), a light desert lorry developed on the chassis of the FIAT-SPA TL37 ‘Libia’ especially for desert environments.
In Italian, the term ‘camionetta’ (plural camionette) designates unarmored cars, jeeps, or light trucks used in reconnaissance and infantry support roles.
These easy-to-modify vehicles were appreciated due to their off-road characteristics and sturdiness. In late 1942, the Regio Esercito started to mass-produce vehicles with similar characteristics and for the same purposes. The first one was the Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943, of which 11 were produced and which was used mainly in the defense of Rome between 8th and 10th September 1943.
The production of the Camionette Desertiche Modello 1943 started in mid-to-late January 1943, when the Axis forces in North Africa were outnumbered by the Allied forces.
The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 began development in late 1942. It was initially designed to equip the compagnie sahariane (English: saharan companies). These were fast and mobile units meant to counter the British Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) and Special Air Force (SAS) patrol cars that attacked isolated air bases or supply and fuel depots.
Although the vehicle was intended for desert environments, when production started, it was clear to the Italian High Command that the vehicles would not reach North Africa in time to participate in the last stages of the North African campaign. The project was modified with the new goal of deploying reconnaissance cars in Europe.
The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 entered service in July 1943 and saw use in Italy with the troops of the Regio Esercito to prevent attacks by paratroopers and Allied landings on the Italian coast.
Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana Projects after the Armistice
After the Armistice of 8th September 1943, which led to the occupation of central and northern Italy by the Germans, the few vehicles captured and those produced between 1944 and 1945 were used almost exclusively by the Wehrmacht.
Of the dozens of Italian units loyal to Mussolini after the Armistice, only a couple used the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43:
The 2ª Compagnia (English: 2nd Company) of the Battaglione ‘Fulmine’ of the 2° Reggimento (English: 2nd Regiment) of the Xª Divisione MAS (English: 10th MAS Division) used a single modified vehicle, known as the SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata.
The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ (English: Armored Group) modified a certain number of vehicles at the Officine Viberti of Turin.
Between 2 and 6 Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 were converted into Carrozzerie Speciali su Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43, small armored cars, similar to the Autoblinda TL37 produced 3 years before. In fact, the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 was derived from the Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943, itself derived from the FIAT-SPA AS37 light desert lorry, in turn derived from the FIAT-SPA TL37, on which the Autoblinda TL37 superstructure was built. A full circle of sorts.
The Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 was equipped with an Autoblindo AB41 medium reconnaissance armored car turret armed with a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 and a coaxial 8 mm Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 (English: Breda Model 1938 Medium Machine Gun).
Another curious vehicle was the SPA-Viberti AS43 Autoprotetta, of which between 2 and 4 vehicles were produced for the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’. These were standard Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 with armored plates added to create an open-topped crew compartment to protect from enemy light arms fire on the front, sides, and rear. The 2 crewmembers and the 6 soldiers transported on board were armed with a total of 2 machine guns mounted on spherical supports on the front and rear armored plates.
Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43
The Camionetta FIAT-SPA AS43 or SPA-Viberti AS43 was an Italian light reconnaissance unarmored vehicle. It was the first Italian vehicle of this category especially developed for continental battlefields, together with the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Metropolitana’ (or ‘Sahariana II’), a continental version of the Camionetta Desertica SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’, the first camionetta developed and produced.
The SPA-Viberti AS43 was developed by Società Piemontese Automobili or SPA (English: Piedimontese Automobiles Company), a Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino or FIAT (English: Italian Automobiles Company of Turin) subsidiary, and by Officine Viberti, a coachwork company, both based in Turin. The project was started using the chassis of the FIAT-SPA AS37 light desert lorry.
The SPA-Viberti AS43 was produced from early 1943 until the 8th September 1943 Armistice. After the German occupation of northern Italy, production was restarted for the German Army, which used the vehicles, with some modifications, until the end of the war.
To produce the camionetta, the FIAT-SPA AS37 chassis was lowered from a ground clearance of 390 mm to 345 mm. The cab was completely modified, apart from the hood and the radiator grille. The side doors, the windshield, the roof, and the third seat were removed. The cargo bay was completely modified. The spare wheel was moved from behind the cab to the cargo bay’s rear, on tiltable support that the crew could lower to allow the main gun to fire at 0° elevation, even to the rear. The loading bay’s sides were fixed and could not be lowered.
The main gun of the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 could be a Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935 (English: 47 mm L/32 Cannon Model 1935) support gun or a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 anti-aircraft gun. The vehicle’s commander also fired a Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937 or Modello 1938 (English: Breda Model 1937 or 1938 Medium Machine Gun) on a support mounted on the left side of the cab. The ammunition was placed in a small rack between the driver’s and commander’s seats and on the sides.
The Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43’s Predecessors
In January 1944, Turin’s Officine Viberti resumed the project of the Autoblindo TL37, this time based on the chassis of the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43, in order to obtain a vehicle that was cheaper and easier to produce than the armored cars of the ‘AB’ series.
In April 1944, the vehicles were ready, and in May 1944, they were seen for the first time outside their production plant.
It is likely that the SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata’s development started after the development of the Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43. In fact, from the original drawings, many common details can be observed. This was probably done by Officine Viberti to speed up development, production, and total costs.
Design
The armored ambulance vehicle was developed by Officine Viberti. This was a company specialized in doing bodyworks for Lancia Veicoli Industriali (English: Lancia Industrial Vehicles) and FIAT Veicoli Commerciali (English: FIAT Commercial Vehicles) trucks during the pre-war period. When the Second World War began, the majority of the Officine Viberti work was converted to the bodywork of military vehicles, such as fuel carriers, ammunition carriers and the production of fuel trailers, tank trailers, and other specialized vehicles, including, jointly with SPA, of armored cars and camionette during the war.
The SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata was developed after the Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43. For this reason, it shared the same chassis, engine, and mudguards as the armored car.
Engine and Suspension
The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 had all-wheel drive, as did the FIAT-SPA AS37. On this new vehicle, only the front wheels steered, reducing the mechanical complexity and the need for maintenance of the steering system.
The front wheels had independent coil spring suspension coupled with hydraulic shock absorbers, which guaranteed great comfort on rough terrain. The rear wheels had inverse leaf springs, but these were reinforced compared to those of the FIAT-SPA TL37 light prime mover. The Camionetta AS43 had hydraulic brakes.
The engine was a more powerful version of the one used on the FIAT-SPA AS37, the SPA 18VT 4a Variante, 4-stroke, 4-cylinder, petrol engine delivering 73 hp (or 75 hp, depending on the sources) at 2,000 rpm. The maximum speed of the 5 tonne battle loaded Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 was 68.5 km/h. Due to the size and total weight, the SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata would probably have had a maximum speed that did not exceed 50 to 55 km/h.
The gearbox was probably the same as on the FIAT-SPA AS37, with 5 forward gears and reverse. Nothing is known about speeds and ranges. The rear-mounted 120 liter fuel tank used on the Carrozzeria Speciale could not be used on this vehicle due to the presence of a rear door. The tank could have been placed under the patient’s compartment or on the right side of the same compartment.
The frame had a wheelbase of 2,500 mm, the same of the FIAT-SPA TL37 ‘Libia’ and all the vehicles developed on its chassis. In order to increase the internal space, inside the armored ambulance version, the rear overhang was increased to 1,400 mm for a total length of 4,945 mm, as for the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto. This was a few centimeters more than the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 and the Carrozzeria Speciale.
Superstructure
The engine compartment was at the front and it had a single armored radiator grille. In contrast, the Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 had the radiator grille divided into 4 pieces due to a redesigned and well-angled front. This change for the ambulance was presumably done to save money and speed up production. The Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 had a better sloped frontal arc armored plates to increase protection, while the armored ambulance, although armored, did not have the same protection level.
Contrary to what one might imagine, the engine compartment was not the same as that of the Carrozzeria Speciale, but was instead inherited from the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto. Why the Officine Viberti design team made this decision is unclear, not least because the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto was produced at the Ansaldo-Fossati production plant in Sestri Ponente near Genoa, while the Carrozzeria Speciale was assembled in Turin, at the Officine Viberti plant in Corso Peschiera 249. Maybe there were some spare Autoprotetti armored superstructures in some depots and an eventual prototype could be assembled starting from these spare parts. It is plausible that, if the vehicle had been produced, in order to speed up assembly, the engine compartment would have been the same as the Carrozzeria Speciale.
On the engine deck, there were two inspection hatches, which were the same size as the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto’s hatches, but shorter than the ones used on the Carrozzeria Speciale. In order to remove the engine, the bolts of the engine deck had to be unscrewed and the plate lifted with a winch.
The driver was on the right and the commander on the left. The 2 crewmembers had hatches closable by a lever to view the battlefield. When the ports were closed, they could use 2 rectangular vision slits.
The main difference between the Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 and the SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata was the rest of the superstructure. The most noticeable difference was the absence of the left door, substituted on the Ambulanza Scudata by a spare tire support. On the right, a door was divided into two parts due to the angled armored plates. The door opened backwards, and would not provide adequate frontal protection to the crewmembers if they exited the vehicle in an emergency situation.
From the original (and only) drawings of the vehicle, it seems that the door was identical to those of the Carrozzeria Speciale, but placed a few dozen centimeters ahead. Another interesting thing that can be noticed is that, in order to speed up the design process and future production, the designers took the left side door from the Carrozzeria Speciale and placed it on an inverted frame on the Ambulanza Scudata. For this reason, inconveniently, it would have only been able to open backwards.
The patient’s compartment was more rectangular-shaped and higher than the Carrozzeria Speciale‘s fighting compartment. On the rear, there was a central door divided into two parts, two stoplights on the lower side, and the license plate. To speed up production, both the side and rear doors were not equipped with slits. This could be a serious drawback, as the slits could have been useful for the crewmembers to check the surrounding area before opening the door in order to prevent enemy ambushes.
Interior
Internally, the vehicle had the driving compartment connected to the patient’s compartment, decreasing the comfort for the wounded soldiers during transport, but offering more space and allowing, in case of emergency, for the commander to help the medic, even when the vehicle was being driven.
The interior of the vehicle was arranged in the standard way of other armored ambulances of the era, such as the German Sd.Kfz.251/8 Mittlere KrankenPanzerwagen (English: Medium Armored Ambulance).
On the left side, there were two stretchers, probably foldable in order to offer more space while not transporting severely wounded personnel. On the right side, there was a seat for the medic and most likely another seat for a lightly wounded soldier or a nurse. Medicines and medical equipment were doubtless stored behind the commander and driver’s seats and on the right armored wall.
From the vehicle’s original drawings, it seems that the roof of the patient’s compartment could be opened to some degree to presumably offer light and fresh air to the wounded personnel on board.
The water tank cap was placed on the engine compartment, on the front, while the unprotected headlights were mounted in front of the mudguards. The vehicle had four armored mudguards to prevent small arms rounds from piercing the tires. On the front fenders sat the width-limit indicators, used by the driver to help drive on narrow mountain roads or to park.
The tires had the usual dimensions for Italian armored cars, with 60 cm rims, giving this armored ambulance great off-road capabilities. These armored cars had the tires developed by the Pirelli Company of Milan specifically for continental terrain: the Pirelli Tipo ‘Artiglio’ 9 x 24″ (22.8 x 60 cm), the Pirelli Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’ 11.25 x 24″ (28.5 x 60 cm), and the Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ 9.75 x 24″ (24.76 x 60 cm) desert tires. The ‘Libia’ tire’s dimensions are specified in the original drawing. Given the chaotic state of the RSI and its armed forces, these tires were common even after the loss of the North African campaign.
The rims were not modified and the vehicle could have mounted all the tires produced by Pirelli for the 24″ rims, also mounted on the Autoblindo AB series armored cars, the Camionette SPA-Viberti AS42, and the FIAT-SPA TM40 prime mover.
The total weight of this paper project is not known, but it is probable that it ranged between 4 tonnes to 4.5 tonnes. This is because the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 chassis weighed 2.62 tonnes (without fuel, cooling water, oil etc) and the armored superstructure probably weighed about a tonne. The equipment, fuel, cooling water, lubricant oil and passengers would have increased the total weight.
Armor and Protection
The armored ambulance was probably equipped with the same Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 armor plate type, which was 8 mm thick on all the sides of the superstructure.
The shapes of the engine compartment and various sections of the patient’s compartment are similar to those of the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto, which could suggest that part of the armor plates for the ambulance were the same as the pre-Armistice designed armored personnel carrier. This means that the armor plates could also have ranged between 8.5 mm thick armored plates on the front and 6 mm thick armored plates on the sides and rear, as on the FIAT-SPA S37 Autoprotetto. This is not a far-fetched theory, as the role of the vehicle was to rescue wounded soldiers from the battlefield and it did not need heavy armor to perform this task. As per the Geneva Convention, in theory, ambulances should not be fired upon and the armor was more to protect the crew from shrapnel and stray hits. The vehicles would have lacked floor protection, which means that, in case of a mine detonation, the soldiers on board would be extremely vulnerable.
As on most Italian armored vehicles of the war, the armor was made of steel plates riveted to an internal structure. On the Carrozzeria Speciale su AS43, the armored superstructure had a mass of 911.23 kg, excluding connecting elements such as bolts and rivets. It is probable that in the Ambulanza Scudata, the armored superstructure exceeded a tonne of weight due to its dimensions, even if assembled with thinner armor plates. On the other hand, the absence of any armament or a rotating turret lightened the total weight of the Ambulanza Scudata.
There is no information about possible defensive armament or other protective features, such as smoke launchers. It is probable that the crew had to defend themselves with their personal weapons, such as pistols or rifles.
Crew
The crew most likely consisted of three personnel: driver; a medic or commander, who was probably licensed to treat the wounded; and a medic or a nurse, seated in the patient’s compartment.
The vehicle was equipped with 2 stretchers for seriously injured soldiers, but presumably had enough space for a third wounded soldier seated on the right side. As in the Sd.Kfz.251/8, it is imaginable that the number of wounded soldiers seated could be increased by removing or folding the stretchers.
Conclusion
The SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata could have been an effective vehicle on the Second World War’s battlefields. The speed would not have been very high, but it would have had great mobility, even off-road.
Unfortunately for the Italians, Officine Viberti developed it too late in the war, when the German and Italian forces were without raw materials and out of time. Such a vehicle would have cost significant time that could be spent producing an armored fighting vehicle. For these reasons, and the chaotic state Italy was in on either side of the Armistice, this vehicle was never actually produced, not even as a prototype.
Specification of the SPA-Viberti AS43 Ambulanza Scudata
Size (L-W-H)
4.945 x ~1.900 x ~2.200 m
Weight, battle ready
4 to 4.5 tonnes
Crew
3 (driver, commander, medic/nurse) + 2 wounded soldiers on stretchers
Engine
SPA 18VT 4a Variante, 4-cylinder, petrol engine, 73 hp at 2,000 rpm
Speed
~ 50 km/h
Range
//
Armor
6 mm to 8.5 mm
Production
Paper project
Sources
Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, Volume Secondo, Tomo II – Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano – Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito – 2002
Semicingolati, Motoveicoli e Veicoli Speciali del Regio Esercito Italiano 1919-1943 – Giulio Benussi – Intergest Publishing – 1976
Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II – Ralph A. Riccio – Mattioli 1885 – 2010
Le Camionette del Regio Esercito. FIAT-SPA AS/37, SPA-Viberti AS/42, FIAT-SPA AS/43, Desertica 43, i Reparti che le Impiegarono – Enrico Finazzer and Luigi Carpetta – Gruppo Modellistico Trentino – 2014
Italian Social Republic/German Reich (1943-1945)
Tank Destroyer – 11 to 18 Built
The Semovente M43 da 75/46 (English: 75 mm L/46 M43 Self-Propelled Gun) was the last self-propelled gun (SPG) produced by Italy during the Second World War. It was based on the previous Semovente M43 (plural semoventi) chassis, but featured new spaced armor that offered better protection to the crew. It was developed by Italian companies after a German request of late 1943.
A total of 11 to 18 vehicles were produced, but most of the vehicles were delivered to the Germans, who deployed them on the Italian peninsula against the Allied forces in the last stages of the Second World War.
Previous Models
The effective Semovente M40 da 75/18 self-propelled howitzer based on the chassis of the Carro Armato M13/40 IIIa Serie immediately proved to be more potent than Italian-produced medium tanks in terms of firepower. When deployed in North Africa by the Italians, it demonstrated to be an effective support vehicle, and could deal with almost all the Allied tanks in that theater of operations. It was deployed mainly as an assault tank or to support infantry attacks, but it was also deployed to attack Commonwealth armored formations with success.
It was armed with a Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934 (English: 75 mm L/18 Howitzer Model 1934) with 44 rounds and a Fucile Mitragliatore Breda Modello 1930 (English: Breda Light Machine Gun Model 1930) with 600 rounds. Its engine was the FIAT-SPA 8T Modello 1940 diesel giving out 125 hp at 1,800 rpm.
After the production of a small series of 60 vehicles, the Semovente da 75/18 was changed to the chassis of the more advanced and modern Carro Armato M14/41, becoming the Semovente M41 da 75/18. This vehicle was powered by the new FIAT-SPA 15T Modello 1941 diesel engine with a maximum power of 145 hp at 1,800 rpm. This semovente was also captured by the Germans and renamed as the Beute Sturmgeschütz M41 mit 7,5 cm KwK L/18 850 (Italienisch) (English: Captured Assault Gun M41 with 75 mm L/18 Cannon [Coded] 850 [italian])
In 1942, the chassis was again changed to the Carro Armato M15/42’s, becoming the Semovente M42 da 75/18. It was longer than its predecessors by 14 cm due to the new engine compartment mounting a powerful 190 hp petrol engine, the FIAT-SPA 15TB Modello 1942. The M42 da 75/18 was known in German service as the Beute Sturmgeschütz M42 mit 7,5 cm KwK L/18 850 (Italienisch).
The Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934 had a great High-Explosive Anti-Tank round, but had a short firing range and was imprecise at long ranges. A new armored vehicle with a different gun had to be produced, and, in October 1942, Ansaldo-Fossati started the new development. In February 1943, the prototype of the new semovente was ready.
The new tank destroyer had a casemate that was made 11 cm longer in order to host the Cannone da 75/34 Modello SF [Sfera] (English: 75 mm L/34 Cannon Model [on Spherical Support]), which had more recoil than the previous howitzer.
In German service, the vehicle was known as Beute Sturmgeschütz M42 mit 7,5 cm KwK L/34 851(Italienisch).
Other developments were the Semoventi M41M da 90/53 tank destroyer, based on a heavily modified Carro Armato M14/41 chassis with the engine compartment in the center and the main gun on the rear. It was accompanied by the more conventional-shaped Semovente M43 da 105/25, a new self-propelled gun on a completely modified M42 chassis.
The M43 Chassis
The Semovente M43 chassis, also called in Ansaldo documents Semovente M42L (L for ‘Lungo’ – English: ‘Long’), was 4 cm longer than the M42, reaching a length of 5.10 m. It was also 17 cm wider (2.40 m compared to 2.23 m of the M42) and 10 cm lower (1.75 m compared to 1.85 m of the M42).
Finally, the flameproof bulkhead separating the engine compartment from the fighting compartment was moved back 20 cm, increasing the fighting compartment’s space. All these modifications brought the total weight of the vehicle to 15.7 tonnes battle-ready, compared to the 15 tonnes of the M42.
The Semovente M43 chassis was first adopted for the Semovente M43 da 105/25 equipped with the Obice da 105/25 Modello SF [Sfera] (English: 105 mm L/25 Cannon Model [on Spherical Support]), which needed more space for the cumbersome gun breech and longer ammunition.
It was also adopted by the Germans as the base for their new chassis, to which some original Italian production documents referred to as Semovente M42T (T for ‘Tedesco’ – English: German), meaning that it was derived from the previous Semovente M42L chassis.
The German ordered the installation of the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 (English: 75 mm L/46 Anti-Aircraft Cannon Model 1934) and Cannone da 75/34 Modello SF on this chassis to the Italian Ansaldo factory, which remained in the German controlled zone after the Armistice.
History of the Project
After the Armistice of 8th September 1943 and Operation Achse (English: Axis), the German forces captured thousands of Italian vehicles. Many of these were obsolete or needed to be repaired, but some were immediately redistributed to frontline German units in Italy and Balkans to replace some losses.
The Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen (English: Inspector General of the Armed Forces) of the Wehrmacht inspected the various Italian factories and their armored vehicle projects in order to reorganize the production of Italian vehicles. He canceled the production of non-suitable vehicles by German Army standards and ordered modification to some vehicles to meet some German tank requirements.
On 18th December 1943, the Abteilung Waffen und Gerät beim Wehrkreiskommando 6 (Italienisch) (English: Weapons and Equipment Department of the Military District Headquarters No. 6 [Italian]) reported the proposal of the modification of the Semovente M43 da 105/25, called by the Germans Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 10,5 cm KwK L/25 853 (italienisch) (English: Captured Assault Gun M43 with 105 mm L/25 Cannon [Coded] 853 [italian]).
After authorization from the LXXXVIII Armee Korps (English: 88th Armored Corps), German Hauptmann Dobiey, commander of the Panzerjäger-Abteilung 356 (English: 356th Anti-Tank Battalion) assigned to the 356. Infanterie-Division, proposed a series of modifications for the Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 10,5 cm KwK L/25 853(i) that his unit had received after the Armistice. The 356. Infanterie-Division was formed in Toulon, France in May 1943, and was moved to northern Italy, between Genoa and Ventimiglia, in November 1943, where it received the Italian Semoventi M43 da 105/25.
Hauptmann Dobiey proposed the addition of 25 mm Schotten-Panzerung (English: Shadow Armor) and Seitenschürzen (English: Side Aprons) to increase the protection on the casemate to 60 mm on the superstructure sides and 34 mm on the chassis.
The German Hauptmann assumed an increase in weight of 600 kg, bringing the vehicle weight to about 16 tonnes, a weight that the original suspensions could withstand.
It is not clear who proposed to mount the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 on this upgraded chassis. It is improbable that Hauptmann Dobiey, a German officer, had such extensive knowledge of the Italian cannon that he knew it was also an adequate anti-tank weapon and could be installed inside an armored vehicle.
Another note on the armament is that it was planned to modify the Cannone da 75/46 Antiaereo Modello 1934 to fire German PaK 40 ammunition. This would have increased the anti-tank performances of the Italian cannon and standardized ammunition production.
Major General Ernst von Horstig, head of Dienststelle Italien des Heereswaffenamt (English: Italian Branch of the [German] Army Weapons Office), took the initiative and ordered the development of the vehicle. Ansaldo had to produce the prototype by 15th January 1944, less than a month later. The German general wanted the prototype tested before deciding its fate.
The Semovente M43 da 75/46 was rarely mentioned in Second World War Italian documents. It was barely mentioned by German sources either, but when it was mentioned, it was named with its German designation: Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) (English: Captured Assault Gun M43 with 75 mm L/46 Cannon [Coded] 852 [italian]).
In this article, the vehicle was referred to with both designations. The factory designation Semovente M42T will be used while referring to an up-armored version of the Semovente M42L chassis.
Production and Delivery
It is not known when the Semovente M43 da 75/46 prototype was ready and tested, but the German response was positive. Its production was organized at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant.
Ansaldo archive sources claim a total production of 11 Semoventi M43 da 75/46, 8 (including the prototype) in 1944 and 3 in 1945. The same document reports that only 7 spherical supports for the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 were produced, all in 1944. Photographic evidence confirms the existence of 6 production vehicles and a prototype.
In the late war, the German Army wanted to save on raw materials, producing only the most powerful and reliable vehicles. This was done in Germany and also in Italy. It was planned to cancel the production of all Italian armored fighting vehicles apart for the Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i), the Beute Panzerspähwagen AB43 203(i) (aka the Autoblinda AB43 medium reconnaissance armored car), and the Beute Panzerkampfwagen P40 737(i) (aka the Carro Armato P26/40 heavy tank).
On 20th February 1945, the Wehrmacht planned to equip 4 infantry divisions with Italian armored fighting vehicles. The Aufstellungsstab Sued was in favor of a production contract extension with the Italian factories. They essentially wanted to let all the Italian armored vehicle factories still capable of producing vehicles convert their production lines to Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) and Beute Panzerspähwagen AB43 203(i) (no mention was made of of the Beute Panzerkampfwagen P40 737(i) in this document), with a production estimated at 50 StuG and 50 Pz.Sp.Wg. per month.
The new production schedule for Ansaldo-Fossati plant of Sestri Ponente, where all the semoventi were produced, was of 116 Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 (not specifying the armament) in total until August 1945.
Ansaldo-Fossati production planned by the Germans in early 1945
Vehicle’s Name
March
April
May
June
July
August
Total number
Panzerkampfwagen P40 737(i)
2
4
12
12
15
6
51
Beute Sturmgeschütz M43
14
22
25
25
25
5
116
Panzerbefehlswagen M42 772(i)
3
3
8
8
0
0
22
The document did not specify which of the 3 semoventi on the M43 chassis it refers to, but, the Germans wanted to standardize the production of the Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i). It could be assumed that, in German plans, all or the majority of Sturmgeschütz M43 mentioned in the document would have been armed with the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934.
The German document also mentioned that the Ansaldo-Fossati plant produced 7 Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) in 1944. Another 12 vehicles with and without main guns were produced in 1945.
Some of these were produced at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant but then sent to Milan, at the Fonderia Milanese di Acciaio Vanzetti Società Anonima (English: Milanese Steel Foundry Vanzetti Limited Company), which was reconverted into an assembly plant.
In fact, the German report specifically mentions the presence of 12 completed (but without guns) Sturmgeschütz M43 at the Fonderia Milanese di Acciaio Vanzetti S.A. assembly plant. At that plant, the vehicles were equipped with cannons and delivered to their German units, so it is probable that some of the 12 unarmed chassis at Fonderia Milanese di Acciaio Vanzetti S.A. plant of Milan were later equipped with Cannoni da 75/34 in order to send them to the frontline as soon as possible.
At the end of the war, Aufstellungsstab Sued (English: Positioning Staff South) reported the production of a prototype and 7 Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) in 1944 plus 2 Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) between 5th December 1944 and 5th January 1945.
Another 2 were produced between 5th January to 15th February 1945 and another 6 Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) chassis were produced between 16th February and 20th March 1945, of which only 2 equipped with main guns.
Beute Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) Production as Reported in German Documents
Data
StuG M43 mit 75/46 852(i) Chassis Produced
StuG M43 mit 75/46 852(i) with Main Guns Installed
Status
1944
81
8
All delivered
5th January 1945
2
2
All delivered
15th February 1945
2
2
All delivered
20th March 1945
6
2
2 on the way to their unit2
Total
18
14
Note
1Including the prototype 2Nothing is known about the other 4 chassis
The total German number of 18 Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) differs from the Ansaldo-Fossati one, of just 11. This difference in sources can be easily explained as, from early 1945 on, assembly (and probably production) of Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) was moved from the Ansaldo-Fossati plant of Sestri Ponente to Fonderia Milanese di Acciaio Vanzetti S.A. of Milan. When assembly was moved, Ansaldo simply stopped counting the Semoventi M43 da 75/46. Another explanation could be that some chassis meant for other types were armed with the Cannone da 75/34 in order to put them in service as soon as possible.
The same report from 20th February 1945 claimed that Beauftragte für Waffen (English: Weapons Commissioner) Goering had reported that 25 StuG M43 mit 75/46 852(i) should be delivered in March 1945.
A last note about Italian armored vehicle production was sent on 9th April 1945 to the Reichsministerium fuer Rüstung und Kriegsproduktion (English: Reich Ministry for Armaments and War Production), directed to Reichsminister Albert Speer. The note was sent by the Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen and reported that the Beauftragter fuer Panzerkampfwagen bei Rüstung und Kriegsproduktion (English: Representative for Armored Fighting Vehicles at Armament and War Production) in Milan wanted to order more Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) and Beute Panzerspähwagen AB43 203(i), reaching a full rate production of 50 StuG and 50 Pz.Sp.Wg. per month.
The Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen wrote to Reichsminister Speer that he was in favor of continuing the Italian armored vehicle production if it did not interfere with German vehicle production because of the very few raw materials available.
The Generalinspekteur’s note reported that, if the Reichsministerium fuer Rüstung und Kriegsproduktion would approve, the Italian factories would increase, by every means, the production rate of armored vehicle currently on the lines, especially the Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i).
This unrealistic production plan was never realized. On 25th April 1945, 2 weeks later, the Italian Partisans started a great insurrection, attacking the last Axis forces in the main cities of northern Italy. Turin, Milan, Novara and Genoa, where the Italian armored fighting vehicles were produced, were freed between 25th to 28th April 1945, capturing the production plants with the help of the workers.
German Modifications
Apart from the new armored plates, mounted only on some Semoventi M43 chassis, other upgrades were done on the Italian semoventi produced for the Germans. These included 4 bigger teeth bolted on the outside of the sprocket wheel, intended to prevent the track slipping off the wheels while driving in muddy or snowy terrain. Another modification was the addition of 3 helmet supports on the roof, 2 on the left side and one on the right, for the crew members when operating with open hatches. The third modification requested by the Germans was to substitute the right roof hatch with one openable in 2 parts for better ventilation of the fighting compartment.
Other unconfirmed modifications claimed by many sources were:
Substituting the Italian radio apparatus with more reliable German-produced ones
Replacing the gearbox with one of German origin
German-produced Mauser MG34s or MG42s instead of the original Italian anti-aircraft machine guns
The Germans did not usually change the radio apparatus of the Italian tanks and self-propelled guns they used. It is possible the sources refer to occasional changes made by individual crews, such as German intercoms or new batteries and accumulators. The Germans did not modify the powerpacks on the Italian vehicles.
There is no photographic evidence showing the adoption of German machine guns on Italian self-propelled guns. This suggests that these were not widely adopted on Italian vehicles. Most likely, many sources are confusing the machine guns due to the German caliber. In fact, during the German occupation, the factories were ordered to change the caliber of the Italian machine guns and even some rifles to standardize to the German 7.92 x 57 mm Mauser caliber. Many Breda Modello 1938 Italian medium machine guns were modified to fire the Mauser cartridges. This could be considered another German modification of the Semovente M43 da 75/46.
Design
Armor
The armor was both bolted to an internal frame and partially welded (a great innovation for Italian vehicles) and had great thickness compared to Italian standards. The hull armor had 2 angled armored plates with a thickness of 50 mm at 40° on top and 35 mm at 50° on the bottom for the transmission.
The transmission deck plate was 25 mm-thick angled at 78°. It also had 2 brake inspection hatches of the same thickness. The hull side armored plates were 40 mm thick.
The superstructure had a 75 mm thick armor plate angled at 5° frontally, while the gun spherical support was 60 mm thick.
On the casemate’s sides, the 45 mm thick armored plates were angled at 7°, while the rear was protected by a 45 mm thick plate angled at 0°. A plate of 25 mm angled at 15° protected the back of the engine compartment. The roof and floor of the vehicle were 15 mm thick. Unlike its predecessors, the Semovente M43 da 75/46 had three-part side skirts.
The peculiarity of the Semovente M42T was the addition of 25 mm thick spaced armored plates angled at 25° on the front. They had a hatch where the driver port of the M43 was placed. The gun barrel received a 25 mm thick gun shield angled at 25°. This was a great improvement. For all the duration of the war, one of the problems encountered in Italian semoventi was the absence of protection to the spherical support that was sometimes blocked by light arm fire or artillery splinters. On the side, protecting the casemate and the lower part of the fighting compartment, there was a 25 mm spaced armored plate.
Nothing is known about the real efficacy of this spaced armor. At the end of the war, the Italian ballistic armor, like the German one, was produced with poor raw materials and the final result was of bad quality and often broke or split.
Nevertheless, the spaced armor probably guaranteed more chances to survive thanks to the distance between the spaced armor and the casemate’s plate. The total weight of the vehicle was about 15.6 tonnes, 100 kg less than the less-armored Semovente M43 da 105/25.
Hull
On the left front mudguard, there was a support for the jack. On the sides of the superstructure, there were two headlights for night operations. On the rear part, the engine deck had two large-size inspection hatches which could be opened by 45°. Between the two inspection hatches were the sapper tools, including a shovel, a pickaxe, a crowbar, and a track removal system.
The rear of the vehicle had the horizontal radiator cooling grills in the center, the cooling water cap and, on the sides, two fuel caps. The rear had a towing ring in the center and two hooks on the sides, one spare wheel on the left side, and a license plate on the lower left side with a brake light. A smoke grenade box was placed on the rear armored plate, on the right.
On either side of engine deck, on the rear fenders, there were two storage boxes and the mufflers covered by a steel shield to protect them from impacts.
A total of 6 racks for 20-liter cans were placed on the sides of the vehicle, 3 on each spaced armored plate on the sides, just like on other Italian self-propelled guns and tanks. It should be noted, however, that on the Semoventi M43 da 75/46, the cans were not transported because they were never sent to North Africa, and it was not necessary to transport a great amount of fuel during operations in Italy, where it was deployed.
On the inside, starting from the front of the vehicle, was the transmission connected to the braking system, which had two armored inspection hatches. These could be opened from outside by means of two handles, or from the inside by means of a knob located on the right side of the vehicle, which could be used by the gunner. On the left was the driver’s seat, equipped with a fold-down back for easy access. In front, it had two steering tillers, a driving port that could be closed with a lever, and a hyposcope used when the port was closed. The hyposcope had 19 x 36 cm dimensions and a vertical field of view of 30°, from +52° to +82°. On the left was the dashboard and, on the right, the gun breech.
Behind the driver was the seat for the loader. The loader had, on the left, the radio apparatus and, above him, one of two armored hatches. In case of an attack from the air, the loader would also have to use the anti-aircraft machine gun. On the right side of the fighting compartment was the gunner’s seat without a backrest. In front of his seat, the gunner had the elevation and traverse handwheels.
On the gunner’s right was the support for the anti-aircraft machine gun when not in use, a maintenance kit, and a fire extinguisher. Behind the support was a wooden rack for ammunition for the secondary armament. In order to prevent the magazines from falling on rough terrain, the rack had a closable curtain. Behind the gunner/commander were the ammunition racks for the main gun. On the rear wall were the engine fan, an engine cooling water tank, and the Magneti Marelli batteries. On the rear side of the superstructure were two pistol ports which could be closed by revolving shutters from the inside. These were used for self-defense and to check the rear side of the vehicle in order to avoid the crew having to expose themselves outside of the vehicle. The transmission shaft ran through the entire fighting compartment, dividing it in half.
Radio Equipment
The Semovente M43 da 75/46’s radio apparatus was an Apparato Ricetrasmittente Radio Fonica 1 per Carro Armato or Apparato Ricevente RF1CA (English: Tank Audio Radio Receiver Apparatus 1) produced by Magneti Marelli. This was a radiotelephone and radiotelegraph station box of 415 x 208 x 196 mm and a weight of about 18.5 kg. It had 10 watts of power in both voice and telegraphy. It had a small cover that was raised up when the radio was in use.
Operating frequency range was between 27 and 33.4 MHz. It was powered by an AL-1 Dynamotor supplying 9-10 Watts, mounted on the hull’s right side, with a power supply of 12 Volts from NF-12-1-24 batteries produced by Magneti Marelli connected in series. It had a range of 8 km in voice mode and 12 km in telegraph mode. These capabilities were reduced when the self-propelled guns were on the move.
The radio had 2 ranges, Vicino (Eng: Near), with a maximum range of 5 km, and Lontano (Eng: Afar), with a maximum range of 12 km. Even with the Lontano range, in the voice mode it had a range of 8 km.
It was produced from 1940 by the Magneti Marelli company of Sesto San Giovanni, near Milan. and was mounted on all the Italian self-propelled guns and tanks of the M series (except for the Carro Armato M11/39) and the Carro Armato P26/40 heavy tank.
The radio was produced after the Armistice for the Germans, together with manual books in German language. The production of the Apparato Ricevente RF1CA until 1945 also contrasts the hypothesis of the use of German radios on semoventi. After the war, the turning unit of this transceiver was almost entirely copied on the US Army AN/GRR-5 receiver.
On the previous models of semoventi, the antenna radio was mounted on a support that was lowerable thanks to a crank inside the vehicle. The loader had to turn the crank until the 1.8 m antenna was fully raised or fully down. This was a slow operation and the crank occupied space inside the fighting compartment.
From 1942, a new antenna support was mounted on Italian vehicles. The first model equipped with this new antenna was the Semovente M41M da 90/53, while it was introduced in the Semovente M42 da 75/18 later. The new antenna had a 360° lowerable support, meaning that it could be folded in any direction. Usually, a hook on the left side of the front of the casemate permitted it to rest during long drives to avoid it hitting electrical cables or interfering with driving in narrow areas. It seems that, on the prototype and the production Semoventi M43 da 75/46, this support was never mounted and the crew did not have the possibility to lower the antenna.
On all the semoventi produced before the Semovente M43 chassis, the antenna support was mounted on the rear left side of the casemate’s roof, while on the Semovente M43 da 105/25, it was moved on the front left side for a different internal arrangement. On the Semovente M43 da 75/46, the antenna radio support was again moved to the rear left side of the roof. To speed up production, Ansaldo-Fossati deployed a single M43 chassis production line. When the chassis was ready, Ansaldo’s workers made a hole on the rear side on the semoventi that would have received spaced armored plates, filling the front left hole with a round armored plate welded on it.
Engine and Transmission
The petrol engine of the Semovente M43 was inherited from previous semoventi M42 and M43 and the Carro Armato M15/42. The new model, the FIAT-SPA 15TB (‘B’ for ‘Benzina’ – Petrol) Modello 1943 petrol, 12-cylinder, V-shaped, water-cooled 11,980 cm³ engine developed 190 hp at 2,400 rpm (some other sources claim a maximum output of 192 hp or even 195 hp).
It is not clear if the Germans modified the vehicle in other ways. It seems improbable that they ordered the mounting of German transmissions or other German-produced parts on the semoventi. The engine was designed by Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino or FIAT (English: Italian Automobile Factory of Turin) and produced by one of its subsidiary companies, the Società Piemontese Automobili, or SPA (English: Piedmontese Automobile Company).
The engine ignition system and lighting systems, engine cooling system, and fuel circulation systems were inherited from the previous Semovente M43 da 105/25. In order to start the engine, there was a Magneti Marelli electric starter but also an inertial starter produced by the Turin-based company Onagro. The lever for the inertial starter could be inserted outside the vehicle, on the rear, or from the inside of the fighting compartment. Two crew members needed to turn the crank, reaching about 60 rotations per minute. At that point, the driver could turn the engine button on the dashboard until the first strokes of the engine. The crew members rarely ignited the engine from the inside due to the cramped space, but this could become useful when under enemy artillery fire or in areas in which the enemy could easily ambush dismounted crews.
On road, the Semovente M43 da 75/46’s maximum speed was 38 km/h, while off-road, the maximum speed was about 15 km/h. It had an on-road range of 180 km and an off-road range similar to the one of Semovente M43 da 105/25, of about 100 km.
On the Carro Armato M15/42, thanks to the increased space in the engine compartment, the fuel tanks were increased to 367 liters in main tanks, plus 40 liters in the reserve tank. This gave a total of 407 liters. On the M43 chassis, the fighting compartment was 20 cm longer, reducing the space in the engine compartment. In other words, the fuel tanks were shortened, decreasing the volume from 407 liters to 316 liters.
This was also likely due to some changes to the engine. The Carro Armato M15/42 and Semovente M42 chassis mounted the FIAT-SPA 15 TB Modello 1942 petrol engine, while the M42T chassis mounted a FIAT-SPA 15TB Modello 1943. This could be simply a wrong official designation or a 1943 development by FIAT and SPA. The modifications are unknown, but it seems that they did not modify the overall performances of the engine. They probably concerned a decrease of the weight of engine or upgraded engine fire extinguisher system due to the extremely flammable petrol. Modifications to the engine weight are plausible due the extremely modest weight of Semovente M43 da 75/46, 15.6 tonnes battle ready, lighter than the Semovente M43 da 105/25 which did not have the spaced armor.
The engine was connected to a transmission produced by FIAT, with 5 forward and one reverse gears. The transmission was mounted frontally. In order to remove it, the transmission deck’s armored plate had to be removed first.
Due to the increased size of the casemate, the rear bulkhead that divided the engine compartment from the fighting compartment was moved 20 cm back. This increased the space occupied by the engine’s flywheel cover inside the fighting compartment, increasing the heat coming from the engine in the crew’s compartment.
The heat and proximity of fuel tanks near ammunition could be a serious danger in case of fire, but during winters, it warmed up the crew members that had to leave at least an upper hatch opened during fighting to ventilate the fighting compartment.
Suspension and Tracks
The Semovente M43 da 75/46’s suspension was a semi-elliptical leaf spring type, as on all vehicles developed from Italian medium tanks. On each side, there were 4 bogies connected to a leaf-spring with 8 doubled rubber road wheels paired on 2 suspension units in total. This suspension type was obsolete and did not allow the vehicle to reach a high top speed. In addition, it was very vulnerable to enemy fire or mines. Due to the lengthening of the hull on the Semoventi M43, one of the 2 suspension units was mounted a few centimeters back.
The tank had 26 cm wide tracks with 86 track links per side, 6 more than the other tanks of the ‘M’ series due to the hull lengthening.
The drive sprocket wheels were at the front and the idlers, with modified track tension adjusters, at the back, with 3 rubber return rollers on each side. The small surface area of the tracks (about 14,750 cm²) gave a ground pressure of about 1 kg/cm², increasing risk that the vehicle would bog down in soft soils, such as mud or snow.
In a photo taken in 1944 outside the Ansaldo-Fossati plant production line, there were a Semovente M43 da 75/46 and M43 da 105/25 for comparison. The Semovente da 75/46 was equipped with Ostketten (English: Eastern Chains) on the right track. These were probably delivered by the Germans for tests. They were meant to increase surface in contact with the ground and to decrease overall pressure on the ground. Apart from this photo, no other photographic evidence suggests the use of Ostketten on Italian captured armored vehicles.
Like the Semovente M43 da 105/35, the M43 da 75/46 was equipped with a side skirt. These were only 4 mm thick and partially protected the sides of the vehicle. Their role was not to protect the semovente from anti-tank rifle rounds or shaped charges ammunition, but to prevent shrapnel from damaging the suspension units and track links. The side skirts had a cut in the back to allow crew to be able to reach the track tension adjuster without dismounting the skirt. Another 3 small holes were made to add lubricant to the return rollers without losing time by removing the side skirt.
Main Armament
The Semovente M43 da 75/46’s main armament was the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934, an Italian anti-aircraft cannon developed by Ansaldo in 1932 that entered service in 1934. It appeared after an Italian Regio Esercito’s High Command request for a new anti-aircraft cannon in 1929.
Ansaldo and Odero-Terni-Orlando (OTO) not only developed some guns but also tested foreign ones, such as the 80 mm luftvärnskanon m/29 anti-aircraft gun produced by Swedish Bofors. The Bofors gun inspired the Ansaldo design office, which presented the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei in 1932.
During trials, the Direzione Superiore del Servizio Tecnico Armi e Munizioni or DSSTAM (English: Higher Directorate of Technical Service Weapons and Ammunition), the branch of the Regio Esercito’s High Command which created artillery design requests and accepted them into service, helped Ansaldo to modify the cannon. This was done to such an extent that some sources even called the cannon the DSTAM-Ansaldo. In 1933, the gun was ready (even if it was only accepted into service in 1934), and the Regio Esercito ordered 100. Ninety-two were delivered by October 1939, while another 240 were to be built in 1940.
At the start, only the Ansaldo Pozzuoli plant (specialized in artillery production) and the Stabilimento Artiglierie di Cornigliano (English: Artillery Plant of Cornigliano), which was under Ansaldo’s control, produced the cannon. A total of 232 pieces were delivered between 1941 and 1942, while another 4 were delivered in the first 4 months of 1943, together with 108 spare barrels.
OTO and Arsenale Regio Esercito di Piacenza or AREP (English: Royal Army Arsenal of Piacenza) also produced spare parts. OTO delivered a total of 120 cannons by December 1942. The last order of the Regio Esercito’s High Command for 472 Cannoni da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 to be delivered by the end of 1943 was never started due to the Armistice of 8th September.
When the cannon appeared in the mid-1930s, it was a great artillery piece. It had high initial muzzle velocity due to the use of powerful propellant and barrel length, sustained rate of fire, and large firing arcs thanks to a cross-platform. The gun’s breech had a system to switch between being manually-opened or semiautomatic, with a maximum rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute with a trained crew. Its muzzle velocity was 800 m/s and maximum range was 8,500 m in the anti-aircraft role and 13,000 m against ground targets. The traverse was 360° while the elevation was from 0° to 90°.
In July 1943, there were 31 batterie antiaeree da 75/46 (English: 75 mm L/46 anti-aircraft batteries) operational. The Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 was deployed on all fronts of the war, in the Modello 1934 version, Modello 1934M version (slightly modified), and Modello 1940 static defense version. The majority of the batteries were sent to North Africa. In the Soviet Union, the few groups sent gave great results in the anti-tank role against early variants of Soviet T-34 medium tanks.
Although it was a marked improvement over the 75 mm guns of the First World War and it had cutting edge characteristics for the 1930s, the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 showed some weaknesses during its use. Rapid wear and tear of cannon’s bore caused its muzzle velocity to drop from 800 m/s to 750 m/s. The Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 was quickly superseded as a positional piece for territorial anti-aircraft defense as the war continued. It was therefore time to switch to a more powerful weapon, the Cannone da 90/53 Modello 1939.
After the Armistice of 8th September 1943, the anti-aircraft gun was deployed by the Germans, who renamed it 7,5 cm Flugabwehrkanone 264/3 (italienisch) (English: 75 mm Aircraft-Defense Cannon coded 264/3 [italian]) and continued its production. Even the Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano (English: National Republican Army), the Italian Army allied to the Germans, equipped a pair of anti-aircraft units with this cannon. Some guns were also deployed by Italian soldiers in the Allied armies in order to defend Southern Italy from Axis air attacks.
The Cannone da 75/46 mounted on the semovente was called Kampfwagenkanone 75/46 (English: 75 mm L/46 Tank Cannon) by the Germans. On the semovente mount, the Cannone da 75/46 had an elevation of -10° to +18° and traverse was 17° to either side. The traverse decreased compared to the Semoventi M42M da 75/34 and M43 da 105/25 of 18° due to the presence of new spaced plates.
The barrel weighed 686 kg, while the gun mounted on the spherical support of the semoventi weighed 810 kg according to German reports. An interesting feature was that the vehicle had the possibility of also being equipped with the Cannone da 105/25 Modello SF just by removing the 75 mm cannon and spherical support with a winch and changing the main gun’s ammunition racks. The difference between the Cannone da 75/46 and Cannone da 105/25 was that the latter weighed just 40 kg more.
The Semoventi M42L armed with the Cannone da 105/25 weighed more than the Semoventi M42T with spaced armor and Cannone da 75/46. This was largely due to weight of 105 mm ammunition. In other words, if the Semovente M43 da 75/46 was equipped with the Cannone da 105/25, its weight would have increased by several hundred kilograms.
The Cannone da 105/25 Modello S.F. was developed by Ansaldo and produced by the Stabilimento Artiglierie di Cornigliano. It was developed on the basis of the Obice da 105/23 Modello 1942 a howitzer developed by Ansaldo as a prototype for divisional artillery, together with the Cannone da 105/40 Modello 1943. Due to delays and high costs, only the Cannone da 105/40 Modello 1943 was accepted in service, however it was only adopted from May 1943 and saw limited use. The the tank version of the Obice da 105/23 Modello 1942 was adopted on the Semovente M43 da 105/25 and, after the war, also used in Italian fortifications on the Italo-Yugoslavian border.
Inside the semoventi, the Cannone da 105/25 Modello SF had a horizontal traverse of 18° to either side, as well as a depression of -10° and an elevation of +18°. Traverse probably decreased on the Semoventi M42T due to the spaced armor, like the horizontal traverse of other cannons mounted on the same chassis.
The Cannone da 105/25 Modello SF fired the same ammunition as the Cannone da 105/28 Modello 1916, with a maximum muzzle velocity of 500 m/s with armor-piercing rounds. It was capable of piercing a Rolled Homogeneous Armor (RHA) plate of 80 mm at 1,000 m according to German reports.
The Main Gun’s Problems
The Germans proposed to modify the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934, or as they called it, the 7,5 cm Fliegerabwehrkanone 264/3(i). It is unknown if they finally ordered a modification to the cannons, as planned in December 1943. The really slow production rate of the Cannoni da 75/46 for the Semoventi M43 da 75/46 could be explained by a long and difficult breech modification made in order to permit Panzerabwehrkanone 40 or PaK 40 ammunition to be fired.
The PaK 40 rounds had a length of 714 mm (75 x 714 mm R), while the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 round’s cartridge had a length of 580 mm (75 x 580 mm R). In order to fire PaK 40 rounds, Ansaldo had to modify the chamber, if necessary also modify the inner face of the bolt, the extractor, and probably also reinforce the breech and powder chamber if the pressures resulting from firing the PaK 40 ammunition exceed those tolerated by the Cannone da 75/46.
However, the slow rate of delivery of Italian cannons could also be explained by other hypotheses. The first one could be the slow production of spherical supports used to mount the cannons on the semoventi chassis. This does seem an unsatisfactory explanation. In fact, the Italian industry, albeit always failing in the delivery of self-propelled gun spherical supports in large quantities, could probably have fulfilled a request for so few 75 mm cannon mounts.
The last hypothesis that could explain the low delivery rate of the Cannone da 75/46 is the really low production rate of Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934. It was produced in Piacenza, Pozzuoli, and Stabilimento Artiglierie di Cornigliano, under Ansaldo’s control. After the Armistice of 1943, Pozzuoli was freed by Allied forces in late September, while Arsenale Regio Esercito di Piacenza was converted mainly for vehicle reparation and production of armored improvised vehicles. The artillery production decreased. This meant that the majority of Cannoni da 75/46 production was the responsibility of the Stabilimento Artiglierie di Cornigliano, which remained one of the few Italian artillery producers until 1945.
Main Gun Considerations
The Germans and Ansaldo probably decided to mount the Cannone da 75/46 on the Semovente M42T due to its better anti-tank performance compared to other Italian guns at their disposal.
The choice of mounting a modified anti-aircraft gun proved to be a poor choice for the Germans and it cost them a very low production rate, especially compared to the production rate of Semoventi M42L da 105/25 and Semoventi M42T da 75/34, other last ones produced on the same chassis.
In order to increase the production of better armed Semoventi M42T, the mounting on the Semoventi M42T chassis of the German Panzerabwehrkanone 40 could have been an alternative option. The weight of the vehicle would not have increased by much, as the 7.5 cm KwK40 weighed 750 kg, compared to the 686 kg of the Cannone da 75/46.
Before the Armistice, Italy and Germany signed a contract for the license production of the field version of the PaK 40 in Italy (Italian nomenclature Cannone da 75/43 Modello 1940). The production was not started before September 1943, but some production lines were assembled. It is not known why the Germans did not restart the project earlier instead of adopting the Cannone da 75/46. It would probably have been easier to start delivering German-produced PaK 40 in Italy and then make Italian industry autonomous instead of modifying the Italian anti-aircraft cannon’s production line. After the armistice, OTO produced some spare parts for the PaK 40 for the Germans until the late war.
Secondary Armament
Secondary armament consisted of a Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 (English: Breda Medium Machine Gun Model 1938) produced by Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche (English: Italian Ernesto Breda’s Company for Mechanical Constructions). It was derived from the Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937, the most modern Italian medium machine gun during the war.
Breda Modello 1938 was its vehicle version, with a shorter and heavier barrel, pistol grip, and top-mounted curved magazine with a capacity of 24 rounds. These modifications were made to ease the use of the machine gun inside vehicles. Breda machine guns fired a particular cartridge developed by Breda especially for machine guns, the 8 x 59 mm RB with a muzzle velocity between 790 m/s and 800 m/s, depending on the round type.
The machine gun was fixed on an anti-aircraft mount attached to a crowbar that offered an increased horizontal traverse for the machine gun in case of an aerial attack. The anti-aircraft supports mounted on the previous model of Italian self-propelled guns barely covered the frontal arc of the vehicles. A similar feature was made on Beute Sturmgeschütz L6 mit 47/32 770(i) (Semovente L40 da 47/32), on which the Germans added a crowbar support for a machine gun to increase the horizontal traverse of the machine gun.
During the German occupation of Northern Italy, the Mitragliatrici Medie Breda Modello 1938 were rechambered for German 7.92 x 57 mm Mauser cartridges, due to the similar dimensions of the bullets: 82.00 mm for the German compared to the 80.44 mm of the Italian cartridge and casing diameter of 11.95 mm compared to the 11.92 of the Italian casings. The 24-round magazine and wooden ammunition racks were left unchanged.
Beginning in 1942, Italian factories started to produce a licensed copy of the German Nebelkerzenabwurfvorrichtung or NKAV (English: Smoke Grenade Dropping Device). It was a smoke grenade system that, through a wire connected to a camshaft, dropped a smoke grenade to the ground. Total capacity was 5 Schnellnebelkerze 39 (English: Quick Smoke Grenade 39) smoke grenades. The grenades had a length of 140 mm, a diameter of 90 mm, and a weight of 1.8 kg. They had a burning time of 4 to 7 minutes, depending on wind and in which area the SPG released the smoke grenades.
The commander had to pull the wire and the camshaft rotated, dropping a smoke grenade.
This system was mounted on the rear of the vehicle, so the smoke screen was created behind the vehicle and not around it, on the front arc.
The Germans began to stop using this system in 1942 in favor of smoke grenade launchers on the turret, because the grenades fell at the back and the tank had to reverse to hide behind. The Italians, on the other hand, apparently gave no thought to this problem and adopted it in 1942.
It seems that the Italians copied the protected variant, called Nebelkerzenabwurfvorrichtung mit Schutzmantel (English: Smoke Grenades Dropping Device with Protective Sheath). It had a rectangular protection, even if the Italian and German protections seem different. It is not known if the Italians also produced the Schnellnebelkerze 39 smoke grenades under license or if the Italian vehicles used the grenades imported from Germany. This smoke system was quickly adopted on all the Italian armored tracked vehicles starting from the Carro Armato M15/42 and on all the semoventi on its chassis. A smaller version appeared even on the Autoblinde AB41 and AB43 medium reconnaissance armored cars.
A cylindrical support for spare smoke grenades was also transported on the vehicle. It was fixed on the rear side of the armored superstructure, behind the engine’s cooling grilles and could transport 5 more smoke grenades.
Ammunition
Ammunition for the Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 transported on the vehicle was stored in 2 racks, totalling 42 rounds. One was on the left side of the floor of the fighting compartment and the second one on the floor of the right side of the fighting compartment. The left one was used by the loader as a seat, while the right one was behind the gunner and was openable from the top.
The left rack had the rounds stored in 2 5-round rows and 2 6-round rows for a total of 22 rounds, while the second rack had 2 4-round rows and 2 5-round rows, for a total of 18 rounds.
Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 Rounds
Name
Type
Muzzle Velocity
Fuze
Filler
Weight
Penetration (RHA angled 30° from vertical)
Perforante da 75/46
APCBC
~ 800 m/s
Percussion Model 1909
//
6.2/6.9 kg
70 mm at 500 m
55 mm at 1,500 m
Dirompente da 75/46
HE
?
Percussion I.O. 36/40
335 – 345 g of TNT
~ 6.3/6.5 kg
//
Notes
The gun could fire other three different types of rounds, but these were anti-aircraft rounds not adopted on the Semovente
Compared to other semoventi racks, these were under the level of the vehicle’s sponsons and were difficult to hit by enemy rounds that pierced the vehicle’s armor. This problem caused many Semoventi M42M da 75/34 or Semoventi M43 da 105/25 to blow up after penetration.
If the Cannoni da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 were really modified to fire the same ammunition as the PaK 40, it would probably fire all German ammunition for this type of gun.
Ammunition fired by the 7.5 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 40
Name
Type
Muzzle Velocity
Weight
Penetration (RHA angled 30° from vertical)
Panzergranate 1939 (PzGr. 39)
APCBC-HE-T
790 m/s
6.80 kg
108 mm at 100 m; 80 mm at 1,000 m
Panzergranate 1940 (PzGr. 40)
APCR
990 m/s
4.50 kg
143 mm at 100 m; 97 mm at 1,000 m
Sprenggranate 1934 (SprGr. 34)
HE
550 m/s
5.64 kg
N/A
Hohlladung pattern C grenades. (Gr.38 HL/C)
HEAT
450 m/s
4.57 kg
75 mm
Crew
The Semovente M43 da 75/46 had a crew of 3. The driver was positioned on the left of the fighting compartment. On his left was the dashboard and on his right was the gun breech. The commander/gunner was positioned on the right of the vehicle, on the left side of the breech, while the loader/radio operator was sat on the left, behind the driver.
Some German sources state that the Germans preferred to add a fourth crew member behind the gunner, who would load the gun. The loader’s seat would be occupied by the commander/radio operator and the gunner would perform only one function. Obviously, adding a fourth crew member meant reducing the space inside the cramped fighting compartment, which was already cramped with only 3 crew members.
Very little is known about the Semovente M43 da 75/46’s service. Due to their short service, there are no reports about the operational service or German crews opinions.
Major German complaints on other Italian semoventi were about their lack of proper observation sights, insufficient frontal armor, a cramped crew compartment, and (apart from the Semovente M43 da 105/25) main armament not capable of dealing with the most modern enemy tanks. The driving capabilities were never seriously complained about while, whereas for maintenance, complaints depended on a number of factors. If the German unit that deployed Italian semoventi had veteran Italian mechanics or was located in Italy, where Italian military workshops were present, the complaints were much lesser compared to German units that deployed them outside Italy, where the experienced Italian mechanics were few, and there was a general lack of Italian spare parts.
With the Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i), in all likelihood, the insufficient armor and main armament’s anti-tank performance complaints were solved.
Operational Use
Not much is known about the Semoventi M43 da 75/46’s service in German hands. Neither Italian nor German sources mention to which German Panzerjäger-Abteilung (English: Tank Destroyer Battalion) the few vehicles produced were assigned to.
The prototype was assigned to a training school in northern Italy that trained German Panzerjäger and German-equipped Italian tank destroyer squads. Infantrymen were also trained to attack enemy tanks and self-propelled guns with anti-tank improvised devices, mines, anti-tank hand grenades, and rocket launchers. Unfortunately, the name of the German training unit is unknown.
Some guesses can be made as to which German units used the Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i). The 26. Panzer-Division (English: 26th Armored Division), which operated Italian self-propelled guns, created the Jägdpanzer-Abteilung 51 on 17th November 1944. The personnel of the new battalion consisted of veterans from Panzer-Regiment .26 (English: 26th Tank Regiment) and some Sd.Kfz.164 Nashorns from the Schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 525 (English: 525th Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion) were used to equip the 1. Kompagnie (English: 1st Company).
The heavy anti-tank gun platoons of the Panzergrenadier-Regiment 9. and Panzergrenadier-Regiment 67. (English: 9th and 67th Mechanized Infantry Regiments) were used to form the 3. Kompagnie (English: 3rd Company). In November 1944, the unit was operational without the 2. Kompagnie (English: 2nd Company), which was deployed only in January 1945. Some vehicles of the 2. Kompagnie may have been Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i). The 26. Panzer-Division surrendered to the Allied forces in early May 1945 in the Vicenza area, about 200 km east of Parma.
The only unit that for certain deployed the Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) was the 148. Infanterie-Division (English: 148th Infantry Division) that was deployed in Italy after mid-September 1944. On 1st October 1944, it had in its ranks 6 mechanized infantry battalions supported by the 13. Kanonen-Kompanie (English: 13th Cannon Company) and 14. Schwere-Kanonen-Kompanie (English: 14th Heavy Cannon Company). These 6 battalions and 3 companies were divided in 3 regiments: Grenadier-Regiment 281., Grenadier-Regiment 285., and Grenadier-Regiment 286..
The Artillerie-Regiment 1048. (English: 1048th Artillery Regiment) deployed a total of 3 105 mm howitzers groups and 1 150 mm heavy howitzer group with 3 batteries each. It also had Füsilier-Battalion 148. (English: 148th Rifle Battalion), with 4 squadrons, together with many other logistic units, such as the Pioneer-Battalion 1048. (English: 1048th Engineer Battalion) and the Veterinär-Kompanie 148. (English: 148th Veterinary Company). In fact, only 30% of the division was mechanized, the rest of the logistics were towed by horses.
On 3rd December 1944, the Panzerjäger-Abteilung 1048 (English: 1048th Anti-Tank Battalion) was created, composed of Panzerabwehrkanone-Batterie 1. or PaK-Batterie 1. (English: 1st Anti-Tank Battery) with anti-tank cannons, Schwere-Panzerabwehrkanone-Batterie 2. or Schwere-PaK-Batterie 2. (English: 2nd Heavy Anti-Tank Battery) equipped with 8,8 cm PaK 43 anti-tank cannons. On 19th December 1944, it received a platoon of the Festungs-Pantherturm 2. (English: 2nd Fixed Panther Tank Turrets) and then, on 28th December, it also received 6 half-track-mounted 88 mm cannons, quite surely the surviving 8.8 cm Flak 37 (Selbstfahrlafette) auf Schwere Zugkraftwagen 18t (Sd.Kfz.9) (English: 8.8 cm FlaK 18 [Self-Propelled Gun Carriage] on [Sd.Kfz.9] Heavy Traction Vehicle 18 tonnes) formerly belonging to the 26. Panzer-Division that operated in the same areas.
The last company assigned to the Panzerjäger-Abteilung 1048 was the FlaK Kompanie 3. (English: 3rd Anti-Aircraft Cannon Company). After March 1945, the Schwere PaK Batterie 2. was equipped with, as referred to by the original document, 11 7.5 cm Sturmgeschütze. These were in all likelihood of Italian origin, as also claimed by Italian historian Leonardo Sandri in La 148^ Infantrie Division sul Fronte Italiano 1944-1945: Una Documentazione. Eleven of these Beute StuGs is equal to the total production of the entire Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) until January 1945, so it is impossible that all the vehicles were Semoventi M43 da 75/46, some could have been Semoventi M43 da 75/34 or their pre-Armistice version, the Semoventi M42M da 75/34. It could also be a document error. In fact, in many cases, the official German documents referred to “in service” vehicles whilst, in reality, they had not yet been delivered to the unit. In March 1945, the 11 Sturmgeschütz had almost certainly already left the factory but they were still on their way to Panzerjäger-Abteilung 1048.
The Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) probably arrived at the German anti-tank unit between mid-March to early April 1945. They had a really short operative life with the German soldiers.
A Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7.5 cm KwK L/46 852(i) was captured by the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Regiment “Sampaio” of the Força Expedicionária Brasileira or FEB (English: Brazilian Expeditionary Force) in Caorso, 60 km from Parma.
The history behind the capture of this particular vehicle is not clear. It was probably abandoned by Panzerjäger-Abteilung 1048 due to a lack of fuel or mechanical breakdown during the retreat from Bologna, trying to reach the southern shore of the River Po to cross it in the Piacenza area and try to reach northern Italian border to return home before the surrender of the entire 148. Infanterie Division. Another plausible hypothesis was that it was surrendered peacefully by the German soldiers of the Panzerjäger-Abteilung 1048 after various failed attempts at opening a gap in the US and Brazilian encirclement in the Parma and Piacenza areas between 28th April and the morning of 29th April. The unit transferred over 600 wounded Axis soldiers between 13:00 and 14:30 on 21 ambulances to the Mantova Allied hospital and then surrendered to the Allied forces on the afternoon of 29th April 1945.
About 80 pieces of equipment, including 7,5 cm PaK 40, mortars, 105 mm and 150 mm artillery pieces, 8.8 cm half-track-mounted artillery pieces, and Sturmgeschütz, were captured. Together with these, the US and Brazilian forces captured 4,000 horses, 2,500 motor vehicles (trucks, staff cars, cargo half-tracks etc), 1,000 motorcycles, and between 13,579 and 14,779 Axis soldiers.
The only other operational service of the Semovente M43 da 75/46 was in Milan on 25th April 1945. One was captured by the Italian Partisans, probably at the Fonderia Milanese di Acciaio Vanzetti S.A. assembly plant, left abandoned by the German soldiers. This suggests that not all the semoventi in the Vanzetti plant were delivered to the German units.
The Semovente M43 da 75/46 captured in Milan was ‘graffitied’ by the Partisans, with “W la Libertà” (English: Long Live Freedom) and the acronym “C.L.N.” or Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale (English: National Liberation Committee) written on to avoid friendly fire. It probably had no ammunition and no secondary armament. The Partisans added a 7.7 mm Breda-SAFAT medium machine gun on the roof. It was probably delivered to the Allies after the war ended and scrapped.
Camouflage
The Semoventi M43 da 75/46 produced for the Germans were painted with a single camouflage scheme. It was similar to the Italian Continentale (English: Continental) adopted in mid-1943. The standard Kaki Sahariano (English: Saharan Khaki) monochrome sand camouflage was covered by reddish brown and dark green spots.
The Regio Esercito’s Continentale camouflage scheme was upgraded, covering the Italian armored cars, medium tanks, and self-propelled guns with dark green and adding on them reddish brown spots and sand yellow stripes that bordered the reddish brown and dark green spots.
As the Semoventi M43 da 75/34 received only this type of 3-tone camouflage, it never received Italian-style camouflage schemes. The prototype, probably assigned to a training school in northern Italy, received the Balkenkreuz, the German tanks’ coat of arms, for identification on the sides and rear, and the number “22” painted on the sides. The other vehicles seem to have been without coats of arms. This was also caused, in all likelihood, by the delivery of the semoventi in the last months of 1944 and early 1945, when German troops were in a shortage of trained crews, fuel, ammunition, and paint and did not waste time painting reconnaissance coat of arms or the unit’s own coats of arms.
Versions
Semovente M43 da 75/34
In 1944, a total of 29 Semoventi M43 da 75/34 were produced for the Germans on the same upgraded and uparmored Semovente M43 da 75/46 chassis. It was essentially a Semovente M43 da 75/46 armed with a shorter and less powerful Cannone da 75/34 Modello SF, already mounted on the Semovente M42M da 75/34. All the rest of the vehicle remained unchanged compared to the Semovente da 75/46.
The Semoventi M43 da 75/34, known by the Germans as Beute Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 7,5 cm KwK L/34 851(i), were employed only by the Germans in Italy after late 1944. They supported an unknown German Panzerjäger-Abteilung in the Gothic Line, occasionally operating with Fascist soldiers loyal to Mussolini belonging to the 1ª Divisione Bersaglieri ‘Italia’ (English: 1st Bersaglieri Division).
Many sources place the total number of Semoventi M42M da 75/34 at 174 instead of 145. This is not correct, as the first number also counts the 29 Semoventi M43 da 75/34.
A Semovente M42T chassis was armed with a Cannone da 105/25 Modello SF and tested by the Germans but nothing is known about its fate after the German tests.
Conclusion
The Semovente M43 da 75/46 was the first Italian project that had offensive and defensive characteristics that made it capable of dealing with most of the Allied armored vehicles in the Second World War. This was mainly thanks to the German effort to upgrade some Italian vehicles.
The few vehicles produced and equipped with main guns had short operational lifes and not much is known about their service or their crew’s complaints.
The low delivery rate of the main armament provided by the Cornigliano artillery plant was the greatest problem causing the slow production rate. This forced the Germans to place the finished vehicles in depots awaiting for their main guns, which were delivered with a rate of 1 or 2 per month.
The low gun production rate was not the only criticism of the self-propelled gun. In the same period, the Germans also produced the Semovente M43 da 75/34 with a shorter and less powerful cannon as a stopgap while waiting for the ones armed with 75 mm L/46 guns.
Twenty-nine were built, and while more than those equipped with the 75/46 gun, this was insufficient to even put a dent in the thousands of armored vehicles of the Allied armies.
This low production rate, that was characteristic of the Italian industry during the Second World War, became more pronounced in the last stages of the war due to the scarcity of raw materials, Allied bombardments, and worker’s strikes.
1 Cannone da 75/46 Contraerei Modello 1934 with 42 rounds, 1 Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 with 504 rounds.
Armor
75 mm + 25 mm front, 45 mm + 25 mm sides and 45 mm rear
Production
1 prototype and 12 vehicles produced
Sources
Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, Volume Secondo, Tomo II – Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano – Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito – 2002
Italian Medium Tanks 1939-45; New Vanguard Book 195 – Filippo Cappellani and Pier Paolo Battistelli – Osprey Publishing, 20th December 2012
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
United Kingdom/United States of America (1941-1943)
Medium Armored Car – Unknown Number in Allied Service
The Autoblinda AB41 was an Italian medium reconnaissance armored car used during the whole duration of the North African campaign, mainly deployed by the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) and by the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana or PAI (English: Italian African Police). During this campaign, many German and Italian vehicles fell into Allied hands, including, among others, Australian, British, Free French, Polish, and South African units. After Operation Torch, when the Allied forces attacked the Axis in North West Africa in early November 1942, they captured a number of AB41s and redeployed them.
Italian Vehicles in Allied Service
Unsurprisingly, the AB41 was not the only Italian armored vehicle to be put into service with Allied forces. For instance, six Carri Armati M11/39 and an unknown number of Carri Armati M13/40 were used by the Australian 2/6th Cavalry Regiment and the British 6th Royal Tank Regiment, until spring 1941, when they ran out of spare parts and they were destroyed.
One of the most used vehicles in North Africa by the Italians was the Autoblinda AB41 armored car that, in addition to performing reconnaissance tasks, was also used as a vehicle to support infantry assaults. In fact, thanks to its protection and armament, it could perform the support task with success if the enemy forces were only equipped with light weapons.
The unquestionable fame of the vehicle made it an interesting vehicle for Commonwealth and Allied troops to reuse it after capture.
Design
The AutoBlinda Modello 1940 was the first of the AB medium reconnaissance armored car series. It had two driving positions, at the front and at the rear. This feature was designed to permit the armored car to disengage from skirmishes even on narrow mountain roads or in the dense North African villages.
The armor on the entire hull, superstructure, and turret consisted of bolted plates. This arrangement did not offer the same efficiency as mechanically welded plates, but facilitated the replacement of an armor element in case it had to be repaired. The hull plates were bolted onto an internal frame.
There were 4 crewmembers: the front and rear drivers, a commander/gunner, and the rear machine gunner. The engine was a petrol FIAT-SPA ABM 1, 6-cylinder in-line with an internal volume of 4,995 cm3. It had a 78 hp (some sources mention 80 hp) output at 2,700 rpm. The maximum speed was 76.4 km/h. In the rear driving position, the driver could use only 4 of the 6 gears with a maximum speed of 36.4 km/h.
Influenced by the experiences gained in the Spanish Civil War, the Regio Esercito’s High Command ordered a more potently armed version of the AB40. For this, the Torretta Modello 1941 (English: Turret Model 1941) of the Carro Armato L6/40 (English: L6/40 Tank) was mounted. It was armed with a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 (English: 20 mm L/65 Automatic Cannon Breda Model 1935) with a coaxial Breda Modello 1938. A second machine gun in a spherical support on the vehicle’s rear, on the left of the rear driver.
With 667 built, the AutoBlinda Modello 1941 (English: Armored Car Model 1941), or, more simply, AB41 Medium Armored Car, was the most produced Italian armored car of the Second World War.
The designers planned for the new Autoblinda AB41 to be equipped with a FIAT-SPA ABM 2 engine. At 88 hp at 2,700 rpm, it was more powerful than the previous ABM 1. This allowed for a maximum velocity of 78.38 km/h in the 6th gear and 37.3 km/h in the 4th gear. Due to delays in producing FIAT-SPA ABM 2 engines, a total of 435 ABs with Torretta Modello 1941, up to the vehicle with license plate Regio Esercito 551B, were equipped with the FIAT-SPA ABM 1 engine of the AB41. The vehicles with different engines are impossible to distinguish from the outside and are considered AB40 and AB41 hybrids.
The AB series armored cars were equipped with a powerful 60 km range radio with a 7 m fully-extended antenna on the left side.
Allied Operational Use
Some AB41s were captured by Commonwealth troops during the North African campaign (10th June 1940 – 13th May 1943). The British Army supplied some of these armored cars to Australian and Polish forces.
Perhaps the most famous use was the Autoblinda AB40/AB41 hybrid of the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade. It had most probably been captured from the III Gruppo Autoblindo ‘Nizza’ (English: 3rd Armored Car Group) at some point after March 1941. Contrastingly, the book Italian Armored Cars Autoblindo AB41 & AB43, Pz.Sp.Wg AB41 201(i) & AB43 203(i) written by Daniele Guglielmi, mentions that the armored car was captured from the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana. This seems to be incorrect, as the coat of arms of the IV Plotone Autoblindo (English: 4th Armored Car Platoon) of the III Gruppo Autoblindo ‘Nizza’ is seen painted on the right side of the armored car in a contemporary propaganda video.
The armored car was used alongside Marmon-Herrington armored cars against its former owners and the Germans in Egypt between May and August 1942. After that, it was requisitioned by the British High Command.
The Autoblinda AB41 of the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade was probably not the only AB41 captured and reused by Allied troops, even if no concrete information has emerged. Many Italian sources mention that two Autoblinde AB41 armored cars were sent to Chobham, in Surrey, England, although British reports mention only one armored car tested.
Some of the AB series armored cars that were used by France post-war to regain control of its colonies were delivered by British or other Allied forces in North Africa after the end of the North African campaign. It is known that French forces deployed at least 10 and probably more AB41s after the war, so, this could be a partial number of AB41s in service with the Commonwealth forces in North Africa during the last stages of the campaign.
From British veterans’ memoirs, an unknown, but limited number of Italian captured vehicles were used by British forces in training camps located in Egyptian territories. They were used to familiarize British soldiers with enemy vehicles. It seems that even few AB41s were deployed to teach their armored car crews to train to drive and fight Italian armored cars. Sadly, no photographic evidence has been found.
An AB41 is exhibited at the South African National War Museum in Johannesburg alongside other Second World War-era Allied and Axis vehicles and Cold War-era NATO and Soviet vehicles. How and why the vehicle arrived in South Africa is not known, even if it is probable that this vehicle was captured by Commonwealth troops, used for training in Egypt, and that it arrived in South Africa only after the end of the war.
The US Army also used some captured Autoblinde AB41s when they entered the war in North Africa in November 1942. At least two were captured and deployed in Tunisia but further details of their operational history are unknown. Only one image of these vehicles is known. The US vehicles were repainted in the common olive drab painting and received white stars for aerial recognition on the front and sides.
The British School of Tank Technology Report
In May 1943, Major J. D. Barnes and Major D.M Pearce published a detailed report of a captured AB40 armored car with a Modello 1941 turret that had been transported to the United Kingdom and thoroughly inspected at the School of Tank Technology of Chobham. The vehicle was the one previously belonging to the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade.
At some point between March 1941 and the first months of 1942, the British High Command decided to take the armored car of the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade and transport it to Britain for evaluation. The AB41 was perhaps withdrawn from the frontline in August 1942, then sent to the rear lines, probably a harbor in Egypt or Palestine, before being sent to the United Kingdom, where it was analyzed by the School of Tank Technology 9 months later.
The analysis revealed it was built in 1941 and had the chassis number ‘40788’ and had the ‘ABM40’ name on the chassis plaquet. The engine had production code ‘100041’ and was built on 21th November 1940.
The first note in the report was about the status of the vehicle when it arrived in Chobham:
“The car arrived in this country in good condition. This is accounted [sic] by the comparatively small mileage covered, and by the considerable troubles taken to protect components from corrosion or damage during transit. After a few minor adjustments the car was made a runner, and mechanically it appeared to be fairly sound with the exception of the steering which needs some attention.”
From photographic evidences it is possible to determine that it was equipped with 3 Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ tires (front axle and rear left ones) and 3 Pirelli Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’ tires (rear right axle and spare wheels) even if British report claimed 4 Tipo ‘Libia’ and 2 “heavy duty” tires or Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’. These were two Italian low pressure tires developed for sandy soils. The first type was developed for armored vehicles, while the latter type was developed for the Camionette Desertiche (English: Desert Scout Car) SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’ but used on various vehicles with the same rim sizes, including the armored cars of the AB series.
The all-wheel steering and al-driving wheels were praised:
“Mechanically the car has many interesting and certain commendable features. The distributed drive to all four wheels and the four wheel steering, make it possible to use a single differential at the expense however of a very large number of bevel gears.”
The British appreciated the dual driving position, but listed a number of shortcomings. They reckoned that the directional control lever that permitted the front driver to take control of the vehicle was in an awkward position and that the rear driver’s seat did not allow tall soldiers to seat comfortably.
“While the general mechanical layout appears to have been well thought out and designed specially for the job, the mechanical details in certain cases contrast strikingly in their inadequacy or shoddyness. The whole construction and layout of the rear driver’s section savours of modification or afterthought. The main petrol tank under the floor is only protected by a light gauge tray and is extremely inaccessible. The forward tank feeds into the main tank by gravity and no stop cock is provided in the line. There are other similar examples of bad design.”
The British technicians were less enthusiastic about the armament and its positions on the armored car.
“With regards to the armament and armour, it is noticeable that again the lack of attention paid to detail design considerably reduces the potency of the car as a fighting vehicle. The one man turret does not conform to the latest British requirement for a three man turret. The exposed traverse gears, the akward position of the 2 cm. cocking handle and the limited observation in the turret are in our opinion decidedly undesirable feature: There is no electrical equipment in the turret and consequently no rotary base junction. The commander is therefore faced with the problem of what to do with his headphone and microphone leads when travelling the turret.”
The rear machine gun position was considered to have various deficiencies.
“It is impossible to sight the rear hull gun when it is fully depressed and extremely difficult to do so at any angle under zero. The gunner’s seat is not in line with the gun and he must lean awkwardly in order to sight when the gun is traversed left. His back is fouled by the turret gunner’s seat when the turret is straight ahead or traversed left. These points and the improvised appearance of the gun mounting suggest the possibility that the rear hull gun was added as an afterthought.”
The engine was judged adequate by the front line soldiers, even if the British considered it difficult to maintain, due to the presence of brackets for the armored plates that were welded to the hull frame, which limited accessibility in the engine compartment. Interestingly enough, Italian crews never reported this as a problem.
During driving tests, the British noticed that the first 4 gears were noisy and it was difficult to change them. The last two gears were not as noisy and were easier to change. The engine performed perfectly at slow speeds and was considered quiet from the front driver’s position, even if the vehicle did not have a bulkhead. The engine was found to be noisier from the rear driver’s position, and due to the absence of a bulkhead, part of the engine’s fumes entered the crew compartment. During the driving, it was noticed that at 24 km/h, the vehicle tended to glide with a swaying motion. At 32 km/h, the armored car was almost uncontrollable.
The hydraulic brakes were found easy to operate but, for maintenance reasons, were not very effective. The independent suspension was judged excellent during off-road and on-road driving and it provided the crew with great comfort. The spare wheel’s position was also praised. This was a common feature on AB series armored cars and it permitted the spare wheels to help the vehicle to overcome obstacles during off-road driving, and at the same time, avoiding ‘bellying’ on rough terrains.
The armor was considered to be badly bolted to the superstructure with dangerous gaps between the armored plate and the structure on which these were bolted.
“The fitting of the plates is generally bad, and even in such exposed positions as the nose, considerable gaps occur between the plate edges. Very little attempt has been made to protect the crew against bullet splash. Turret ring protection is provided only at the rear by a length of 6 mm. angle section bolted to the top plate.”
During a test done by British technicians of the School of Tank Technology with a Poldi portable tester, Brinnel hardness was registered between 320 BHN and 340 BHN, harder than the Italian tank’s armor. These Brinell results showed this Italian armor used on the armored cars to be quite similar to US armor, which had a hardness of 280-320 BHN, and far softer than the 413-460 BHN of Soviet steel.
The abbreviation BHN – Brinell Hardness Number (unit of measurement kg/mm²) is a figure used to determine the hardness of a material from a hardness test. The harder a steel is, then generally, the better it will be at resisting shell impacts, but also more vulnerable to shattering.
The Autoblinda AB41 tested at Chobham was scrapped probably shortly after the tests concluded, in fact, it was never again mentioned in British reports.
Recognition Pictorial Manual on Armored Vehicles – Italy
On 3rd November 1943, the US Army War Department published the Recognition Pictorial Manual on Armored Vehicles – Italy, which briefly described the Autoblinda AB41’s main features: double drive, all steering and all driving wheels, the presence of spare wheels free to rotate, and a maximum velocity of 49 mph (78 km/h) with front driving and 24 mph (38 km/h) with rear driving. The vehicle that they analyzed at the Aberdeen Proving Ground was probably captured during the Sicily campaign in May-June 1943. The US technicians did not analyze it as thoroughly as the British, and after a short time, scrapped it.
Conclusion
Despite the School of Tank Technology’s not very positive final judgment on the Autoblinda AB41, some Allied units reused several in North Africa. It was fast, with great off-road capabilities, adequate protection, and armament to combat against other Axis reconnaissance vehicles. At least one or two vehicles captured were sent to the School of Tank Technology in the United Kingdom and another to the Aberdeen Proving Ground in the United States.
Autoblinda AB41 Specification
Size (L-W-H)
5.20 x 1.92 x 2.48 m
Weight, battle ready
7.52 tonnes
Crew
4 (front driver, rear driver, radio operator/machine gunner and commander/gunner)
Engine
FIAT-SPA 6-cylinder petrol, 88 hp with 195 liters tank
Speed
80 km/h
Range
400 km
Armament
Cannone-Mitragliera Breda 20/65 Modello 1935 (456 rounds) and Two Breda Modello 1938 8 x 59 mm machine guns (1992 rounds)
Armor
9 mm Hull Turret: Front: 40 mm Sides: 30 mm Rear: 15 mm
Production
667 in total, unknown number in Allied service
Sources
Preliminary Report on Italian Armored Car Autoblinda 40 – Major J. D. Barnes and Major D.M Pearce – May 1943
Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, Volume II, Tomo I – Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano – Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito – 2002
Kingdom of Italy/Italian Social Republic (1942-1945)
Self-Propelled Gun – 146 Built (1 Prototype + 145 Production)
The Semovente M42M da 75/34 was an Italian Self-Propelled Gun (SPG) developed for the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) in 1943, but deployed mainly by the Wehrmacht after the Armistice of 8th September 1943. It was the first self-propelled gun produced by the Italian industry with enough anti-tank capabilities to deal with the most modern medium tanks of the Allied powers. After the Armistice, only a few examples of these vehicles were deployed by Mussolini’s led German puppet-state, the Repubblica Sociale Italiana (English: Italian Social Republic).
History of the Project
The first Semovente (Semoventi plural) was the Semovente M40 da 75/18. It was a Carro Armato M13/40 equipped with a casemate armed with a Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934 (English: 75 mm L/18 Howitzer Model 1934). Its design started thanks to the input of Colonel Sergio Berlese of the Servizio Tecnico di Artiglieria (English: Artillery Technical Service), in collaboration with the Servizio Tecnico Automobilistico (English: Automobile Technical Service).
The Regio Esercito ordered 30 vehicles on 16th January 1941, followed by another 30 later. On 11th February 1941, the quickly assembled prototype was tested at the Cornigliano shooting range with great results.
After production of 60 Semoventi M40 da 75/18, the chassis was changed, switching to Carro Armato M14/41 ones. A total of 162 vehicles with the new chassis were produced until 1942, when it was once more changed. Before the Italian Armistice of September 1943, another 66 self-propelled howitzers armed with 75 mm L/18 howitzers were built on the Carro Armato M15/42. This meant that a total of 288 Semoventi da 75/18 were produced on the three chassis variants.
The Regio Esercito’s High Command knew that the 75 mm L/18 howitzer was not a great choice for an armored vehicle’s main gun. Its range was moderate, its precision at long ranges was questionable, and it did not have great anti-tank performance. Because of this, on 21st June 1941, in a document, the Regio Esercito’s High Command clarified that Italian generals preferred the Cannone da 75/34 (English: 75 mm L/34 Cannon). In June 1941, the High Command already understood that the Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934 was not suitable as the main armament of semoventi, but, despite that, the Semoventi da 75/18 were produced until 1943, when new powerful guns entered in service. This is a perfect example of the desperate situation the Italian Regio Escercito found itself in.
In 1941, a Semovente M40 chassis was equipped with a Cannone a Grande Gittata da 75/32 Modello 1937 (English: 75 mm L/34 Long Range Cannon Model 1937). This particular self-propelled gun did not interest the Italian generals due its separate charge rounds and the project was abandoned. The Ansaldo-Fossati plant of Sestri Ponente, near Genoa, had adopted the Cannone a Grande Gittata da 75/32 Modello 1937 instead of the Cannone da 75/34 because the 75/32 was directly derived from the Obice da 75/18 Modello 1934 and many parts of the two guns were common, while, at the time, the Cannone da 75/34 was not yet ready.
History of the Prototype
The order to install a Cannone da 75/34 on a Semovente hull arrived at Ansaldo in October 1942. The delay in production of this semovente was due to the slow development of the cannon and slow production of support parts to mount this gun on the semovente chassis. To exemplify this, the Semovente M42M da 75/34 was delivered only in May 1943, whilst the first Semoventi M42 da 75/18 left the production lines in December 1942, about 6 months earlier.
For the prototype’s production, the Semovente M42 chassis with the license plate Regio Esercito 5844 was modified. Due to the higher recoil of the new gun, the armored superstructure was lengthened 11 cm at the front. An easily noticeable detail is the presence of a third bolt on the frontal angled armored plate’s upper side.
Apart from these structural modifications, the spherical support for the gun was also modified and was placed in the center of the frontal armored plate. Its traverse was 18° to either side (instead of the previous 20° on left and 16° on right) and elevation was from -12° to +22°
The ammunition racks of the Semoventi da 75/18 were modified to permit the transportation of 45 75 mm rounds and 1,344 rounds for the secondary armament.
Because of all these modifications, the new chassis received a new designation: M42M. The first M stood for Medio (English: Medium), the number ‘42’ referenced the year in which it was accepted into service, and the last M meant Modificato (English: Modified) due to the longer casemate and other smaller modifications. This was also the case for the Semovente M41M da 90/53, which, due to the new superstructure and armament, was renamed.
The prototype was tested on 15th March 1943. During testing, the maximum muzzle velocity registered was 618 m/s and maximum firing range was 12,000 m, compared to the 7,000-7,500 m of the Semoventi da 75/18. This allowed the semoventi to perform the role of self propelled artillery as well as tank destroyers. Doctrinally, the Regio Esercito had developed the semoventi as support vehicles. Nevertheless, the Italians, and the Germans after the Italian Armistice, deployed the semoventi mainly as tank destroyers.
Design
Armor
The armor was both bolted to an internal frame. This arrangement did not offer the same efficiency as a mechanically welded plate, but facilitated the replacement of an armor element in case it had to be repaired.
The frontal armor of the transmission cover was rounded and 30 mm thick. The upper transmission cover and inspection hatches were 25 mm thick and angled at 80°. The frontal plate of superstructure, including the driver’s slot, was angled at 5° and was 50 mm thick. The sides of the hull and superstructure, angled at 7°, were 25 mm thick.
The back of the superstructure was 25 mm thick angled at 0° and 12°, while the back of the hull was 25 mm thick angled at 20°.
The roof was composed of 15 mm armored plates, horizontal in the first section and then angled to 85°. On the sides of the roof, other 15 mm plates were angled at 65° on the right and to 70° on the left side.
The engine compartment roof and inspection hatches for the engine compartment were composed of 9 mm armored plates angled at 74°. The brakes’ inspection hatches were 25 mm thick, whilst the driver’s port on the front armored plate was 50 mm thick. The floor of the vehicle was a thin 6 mm, which did not protect the crew from mine explosions.
Hull and Casemate
On the left front mudguard, there was a support for the jack. On the sides of the superstructure, there were two headlights for night operations. The engine deck had two large-size inspection hatches which could be opened by 45°. Between the two inspection hatches were the sapper tools, including a shovel, a pickaxe, a crowbar, and a track removal system.
The rear of the vehicle had the horizontal radiator cooling grills and, in the center, the fuel cap. The rear had a towing ring in the center and two hooks on the sides, two spare wheels (which was then reduced to just the one placed on the right), and a license plate on the left side with a brake light. A smoke grenade box was placed on the rear armored plate.
On either side of engine deck, on the rear fenders, there were two storage boxes and the mufflers covered by a steel shield to protect them from impacts.
A total of eight racks for 20-liter cans were placed on the sides of the vehicle, four on each side, just like on other Italian self-propelled guns and tanks. In fact, from 1942 onward, the racks were factory fitted on all vehicles, as most would have gone to operate in Africa, where the cans would have increased the range of the vehicle. It should be noted, however, that on the Semoventi M42M da 75/34, the cans were not transported because they were never sent to North Africa, and it was not necessary to transport a great amount of fuel during operations in Italy, where it was deployed.
On the inside, starting from the front of the vehicle, was the transmission connected to the braking system, which had two armored inspection hatches. These could be opened from outside by means of two handles, or from the inside by means of a knob located on the right side of the vehicle, which could be used by the gunner. On the left was the driver’s seat equipped with a fold-down back for easy access. In front, it had two steering tillers, a driving port that could be closed with a lever, and a hyposcope used when the port was closed. The hyposcope had 19 x 36 cm dimensions and a vertical field of view of 30°, from +52° to +82°. On the left was the dashboard and, on the right, the gun breech.
Behind the driver was the seat for the loader. The loader had, on the left, the radio apparatus and, above him, one of two armored hatches. In case of an attack from the air, the loader would also have to use the anti-aircraft machine gun. On the right side of the fighting compartment was the gunner’s seat without a backrest. In front of his seat, the gunner had the elevation and traverse handwheels.
On the gunner’s right was the support for the anti-aircraft machine gun when not in use, a maintenance kit, and a fire extinguisher. Behind the support was a wooden rack for ammunition for the secondary armament. In order to prevent the magazines from falling on rough terrain, the rack had a closable curtain. Behind the gunner/commander were the ammunition racks for the main gun. On the rear wall were the engine fan, an engine cooling water tank, and the Magneti Marelli batteries. On the rear side of the superstructure were two pistol ports which could be closed by revolving shutters from the inside. These were used for self-defense and to check the rear side of the vehicle in order to avoid the crew having to expose themselves outside of the vehicle. The transmission shaft ran through the entire fighting compartment, dividing it in half.
Engine and Suspension
The Semovente M42M’s engine was inherited from the previous Semovente M42 da 75/18 and Carro Armato M15/42. In addition to the increase in displacement, which increased the overall performance of the vehicle, the novelty was that the new engine worked on gasoline instead of diesel fuel, which had been used by the engines on the Carro Armato M13/40, Carro Armato M14/41, and the SPGs based on their hulls. The change from diesel to gasoline was due to the fact that the Italian diesel reserves were almost completely exhausted in mid-1942.
The new FIAT-SPA 15TB Modello 1942 (‘B’ for ‘Benzina’) petrol, water-cooled 11,980 cm³ engine developed 190 hp at 2,400 rpm (some other sources claim a maximum output of 192 hp or even 195 hp). It was designed by FIAT using the FIAT-SPA 15T Modello 1941, 8-cylinder V-shaped, diesel engine, 11,980 cm³ producing 145 hp at 1,900 rpm as its base. It was produced by FIAT’s subsidiary company, the Società Piemontese Automobili, or SPA (English: Piedmontese Automobile Company).
On the Semoventi M42 and M42M, the engine system was slightly different from the Carro Armato M15/42. They had different starting and lighting systems, engine cooling system, and fuel circulation. In order to start the engine, a Magneti Marelli electric starter was used, but an inertial starter produced by the Onagro company of Turin was also available. The lever for the inertia starter could be inserted outside the vehicle, on the rear, or from the inside of the fighting compartment. Two crewmembers had to turn the crank, reaching about 60 rotations per minute. At that point, the driver could turn the engine button on the dashboard until the first strokes of the engine.
The FIAT-SPA 15TB Modello 1942 engine gave the vehicle a maximum velocity of 38 km/h on-road and 20 km/h off-road. It had an on-road range of 200 km and an off-road range of 130 km, or 12 operational hours.
On the Carro Armato M15/42 and Semovente M42M da 75/34, thanks to the increased space in engine compartment, the tank’s fuel tanks were increased to 367 liters in the main tanks, plus 40 liters in the reserve tank. This gave a total of 407 liters. It is not clear how many liters were transported on the Semovente M42M. In the book Carro M, Carri Medi M11/39, M13/40, M14/41, M15/42 Semoventi e altri Derivati, the authors mention that the vehicle had only 338 liters of fuel in the tanks, while Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano fino al 1943 mentions only 327 liters of fuel in its fuel tanks. This figure is also supported by Ralph Riccio in Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II.
The engine was connected to a new transmission produced by FIAT, with 5 forward and one reverse gears, one gear more than the previous vehicles.
The suspension was of the semi-elliptical leaf spring type. On each side, there were four bogies with eight doubled rubber road wheels paired on two suspension units in total. This suspension type was obsolete and did not allow the vehicle to reach a high top speed. In addition, it was very vulnerable to enemy fire or mines. Due to the lengthening of the hull, one of the two suspension units was mounted a few inches further back.
The M42 chassis had 26 cm wide tracks with 86 track links per side, six more than the Carri Armati M13/40, M14/41, and Semoventi M40 and M41, due to the hull lengthening.
The drive sprockets were at the front and the idlers with modified track tension adjusters at the back, with three rubber return rollers on each side. The small surface area of the tracks (14,200 cm²) caused a ground pressure of 1.03 kg/cm², increasing the risk that the vehicle would bog down in mud, snow, or sand.
Radio Equipment
The radio apparatus of the Semovete M42M da 75/34 was an Apparato Ricetrasmittente Radio Fonica 1 per Carro Armato or Apparato Ricevente RF1CA (English: Tank Phonic Radio Receiver Apparatus 1). It was a radiotelephone and radiotelegraph station with a power of 10 Watts in both voice and telegraphy in a 35 x 20 x 24.6 cm sized-box and a weight of about 18 kg. It was placed on the left side of the superstructure, behind the driver’s dashboard.
Operating frequency range was between 27 to 33.4 MHz. It had a range of 8 km in voice mode and 12 km in telegraphics mode. These figures reduced when the self-propelled guns were on the move.
It was powered by an AL-1 Dynamotor supplying 9-10 Watts. The batteries were four NF-12-1-24 Magneti Marelli, each with a voltage of 6 Volts, connected in series. The radio had two ranges, Vicino (Eng: Near), with a maximum range of 5 km, and Lontano (Eng: Afar), with a maximum range of 12 km.
On this semovente, a new antenna was mounted. Previously, the radio’s antenna was mounted on a support which could be lowered by a crank inside the vehicle. The loader had to turn the crank until the 1.8 m antenna was fully raised or fully down. This was a slow operation and the crank occupied space inside the fighting compartment. Starting on the Semovente M41M da 90/53, a new antenna support was mounted on the semoventi. The Semovente M42M’s new antenna had a 360° lowerable support, meaning that it could be folded in any direction. A hook on the left side of the front of casemate permitted it to rest during long drives to avoid it hitting electrical cables or interfering with driving in narrow areas.
Main Armament
The Cannone da 75/34 Modello SF [Sfera] (English: 75 mm L/34 Cannon Model [on Spherical Support]) was derived directly from the Cannone a Grande Gittata da 75/32 Modello 1937 gun designed by the Arsenale Regio Esercito di Napoli or AREN (English: Royal Army Arsenal of Naples).
In the first half of the 1930s, the divisional artillery of the Regio Esercito found itself using First World War era pieces, causing serious problems, as many artillery pieces produced before the 1920s could only be towed by horses or donkeys and not by trucks.
The new Obici da 75/18 Modello 1934 and Modello 1935 had too limited firing range to be used as conventional cannons. The request for a 75 mm long barrel cannon was answered by Ansaldo with a totally new Cannone da 75/36 (English: 75 mm L/36 Cannon) that would nonetheless never enter production. The Naples Arsenal proposed a Cannone da 75/34 obtained by mounting a new barrel, originally 40-calibers long and proposed a few years earlier as a tank gun. It was coupled with the carriage of the Obice da 75/18 Modello 1935 already in service. The Arsenale Regio Esercito di Napoli’s solution proved successful and went into production with a shortened barrel and modified muzzle brake by Ansaldo, thus being renamed Cannone a Grande Gittata da 75/32 Modello 1937.
The modifications of the semovente’s gun, compared to the field version, were limited to the cradle, which was installed on a spherical mount, specially designed by the AREN, that connected the shaft itself to the armor plates of the casemate of the armored vehicle. It was also used on the powerful Carro Armato P26/40.
The sight was mounted on the right side of the main gun, with a small openable hatch for it on the roof. It could be dismounted when not used and the hatch closed.
Secondary Armament
The secondary armament consisted of a 8 mm Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 (English: Breda Medium Machine Gun Model 1938). This gun was developed from the Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937 medium machine gun after the specifications issued by Ispettorato d’Artiglieria (English: Artillery Inspectorate) in May 1933. It was a specific vehicle-mounted variant and differed from the infantry’s Modello 1937 through a shortened barrel, pistol grip, and a new 24-round top-curved magazine instead of 20-round strip clips. These modifications were made to save up space and ease shooting with them in the cramped spaces inside armored vehicles.
The theoretical rate of fire was 600 rounds per minute, while the practical rate of fire was about 350 rounds per minute. The 8 x 59 mm RB cartridges were developed by Breda exclusively for these machine guns. The 8 mm Breda had a muzzle velocity between 790 m/s and 800 m/s, depending on the round.
On the Semovente M42M da 75/34, the machine gun was mounted on an anti-aircraft support on the vehicle’s roof. When not deployed in an anti-aircraft role, the machine gun was stored on a support on the right sponson of the fighting compartment. Together with the support, in the right sponson, there was a maintenance kit for the machine gun.
Beginning in 1942, Italian factories started to produce a licensed copy of the German Nebelkerzenabwurfvorrichtung or NKAV (English: Smoke Grenade Dropping Device). It was a smoke grenade system that, through a wire connected to a camshaft, dropped a smoke grenade to the ground. Total capacity was 5 Schnellnebelkerze 39 (English: Quick Smoke Grenade 39) smoke grenades. The commander had to pull the wire and the camshaft rotated dropping a smoke grenade. If the commander pulled the wire 5 times, all the 5 Schnellnebelkerze 39 would be released. This system was mounted on the rear of the vehicle, so the smoke screen was created behind the vehicle and not around it, on the front arc.
The Germans began to stop using this system in 1942 in favor of smoke grenade launchers on the turret, because of the problem that grenades fell at the back and the tank had to reverse to hide behind. The Italians, on the other hand, apparently gave no thought to this problem and adopted it in 1942.
It seems that the Italians copied the protected variant called Nebelkerzenabwurfvorrichtung mit Schutzmantel (English: Smoke Grenades Dropping Device with Protective Sheath) with a rectangular protection, even if the Italian and German protections seem different. It is not known if the Italians also produced the Schnellnebelkerze 39 smoke grenades under license or if the Italian vehicles used the grenades imported from Germany. This smoke system was quickly adopted on all the Italian armored tracked vehicles starting from the Carro Armato M15/42 and on all the semoventi on its chassis and, in a smaller version, even on the Autoblinde AB41 and AB43 medium reconnaissance armored cars.
A cylindrical support for spare smoke grenades was also transported on the vehicle. It was fixed on the rear side of the armored superstructure, over the air intake armored plate, and could transport 5 more smoke grenades.
Ammunition
In total, there were 45 rounds for the main gun and 1,344 rounds for the anti-aircraft machine gun. The 75 mm ammunition rounds were stored in two different racks, with 22 and 23 rounds. The 22-round rack had rows of four rounds interspersed with rows of three rounds, while the 23-round rack had rows of five rounds interspersed with rows of four rounds.
The racks were openable from the top, which slowed down the reloading operations. If the gun needed to fire High-Explosive rounds, the loader had to search through the rows for the explosive rounds.
Ammunition for the Cannone da 75/34 Modello SF
Name
Type
Muzzle velocity (m/s)
Weight (kg)
penetration in mm of a RHA angled at 90° at
penetration in mm of a RHA angled at 60° at
500 m
1,000 m
500 m
1,000 m
Granata Dirompente da 75/32
High-Explosive
570 (estimated)
6.35
//
//
//
//
Granata Dirompente da 75/27 Modello 1932
High-Explosive
490
6.35
//
//
//
//
Granata Perforante da 75/32
Armor Piercing
637
6.10
70
60
55
47
Granata da 75 Effetto Pronto
High-Explosive Anti-Tank
557
5.20
*
*
*
*
Granata da 75 Effetto Pronto Speciale (early type)
High-Explosive Anti-Tank
*
5.20
*
*
*
*
Granata da 75 Effetto Pronto Speciale Modello 1942
High-Explosive Anti-Tank
399**
5.30
*
*
70
70
Notes
* Unavailable data
** Muzzle velocity of the projectile fired from the L/27 gun
The machine gun rounds were increased from 1,104 (i.e. 46 magazines) on the Semoventi M41 and M42 da 75/18 to 1,344 (i.e. 56 magazines) on the Semovente M42M da 75/34. As on the previous semoventi, the machine gun rounds were transported in wooden racks mounted on the sides of the fighting compartment.
Crew
The crew of the Semovente M42M da 75/34 was composed, as on all semoventi-based on the Carri Armati M chassis, of 3 soldiers. The driver was positioned on the left of the vehicle. On his right was the gun breech. The commander/gunner was positioned on the right of the gun breech and the loader/radio operator on the left, behind the driver.
This meant that the commander had to inspect the battlefield, spot targets, aim, open fire, and, at the same time, give orders to the rest of the crew and hear all the messages that the radio operator relayed.
Similarly, the loader had to do many tasks too. Loading the gun and operating the radio equipment were the main ones, but he also manned the anti-aircraft machine gun, with the commander/gunner passing him the machine gun magazines. This meant that, when the self-propelled gun was firing with the anti-aircraft machine gun, it could not fire with the main gun, and vice versa. The loader was also the engineer of the crew, with the task of repairing the engine if the vehicle had a breakdown far from the divisional mobile workshop assigned to the unit.
In general, the better trained units were the ones equipped with self-propelled guns. The self-propelled guns were crewed by artillery personnel that had been trained in specific self-propelled gun training schools. For contrast, light tanks were crewed by cavalry personnel and medium tanks by infantry personnel.
Semoventi based on the same Carro Armato M15/42 (and previously on the Carro Armato M13/40 and Carro Armato M14/41) chassis broke down much less often than the medium tanks. This was not because of weight issues, as self-propelled guns weighed roughly as much as medium tanks and were equipped with the same engines (the Carro Armato M15/42 weighed 15 tonnes, the Semovente M42M da 75/34 weighed 15.3 tonnes). The reason why these vehicles were more efficient was because self-propelled gun crews were trained to repair military heavy trucks or prime movers to tow their artillery pieces during their basic artillery training. On the other hand, cavalry and infantry personnel instructed to operate a tank received only limited repair and maintenance training during their short tank courses.
Semoventi M42M da 75/34 Production
The first Semoventi M42M da 75/34 were only ready in May 1943. In July 1943, the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente had produced a total of 94 self-propelled guns, of which only 60 were delivered. Some of the known license plates ranged from Regio Esercito 6290 to Regio Esercito 6323.
Unfortunately, due to the confusion that followed the Armistice of September 1943, the production and delivery data for August and the early days of September 1943 are unknown.
In total, the German deployed 36 Semoventi M42M da 75/34 captured from Italian Regio Esercito forces.
The German Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen (English: General Inspector of the Armed Forces) that took control of the Italian industry after the Armistice restarted the production of these self-propelled guns. Between 9th September and 31st December 1943, a total of 50 Semoventi M42M da 75/34 were produced for the Germans. In 1944, another 30 were produced by Ansaldo for the Germans, but of these vehicles, only one was on a M42M chassis. The other ones were produced on the lower and larger M43 chassis, the same as on the Semovente M43 da 75/46.
Ignoring the gap in the production tables concerning the vehicles produced and delivered between 1st August 1943 to 8th September 1943, the total production was of 146 vehicles including the prototype.
If the 39-day gap between August and September 1943 is considered, the total production numbers would surely increase, even if not in a significant way. It is impossible to accurately give an exact number. In those 39 days, Ansaldo-Fossati could have produced several dozen semoventi. By this point, the new Semovente M42M had a high production rate, at least by Italian standards. Furthermore, during this period, the Ansaldo-Fossati plant was not hit by Allied bombardments, which would have slowed down production. After the Armistice, when the Germans restarted production, the Ansaldo-Fossati plant was hit several times by the British and US bombers that caused semoventi production to be suspended for some days. The most significant bombing raids occurred in the nights between 29th and 30th October 1943, 30th and 31st October 1943, and 9th and 10th November 1943.
In many sources, the total number of Semoventi M42M da 75/34 is stated as 174. This is not correct, as this figure also counts the 29 Semoventi M43 da 75/34.
Semoventi M42M da 75/34 Deliveries
Before the Armistice, 24 Semoventi M42M da 75/34 were assigned to the XIX Battaglione Carri Armati M15/42 (English: 19th M15/42 Tank Battalion).
Some were delivered to the 31º Reggimento Fanteria Carrista (English: 31st Tank Crew Infantry Regiment) of Siena. In summer 1943, the Regiment had in its ranks the XV Battaglione Carri and the XIX Battaglione Carri, in which there were only medium tanks, and 6a Compagnia, 7a Compagnia, and 8a Compagnia (English: 6th, 7th and 8th Companies) which were equipped with Semoventi M42M. Due to the limited number of vehicles delivered to the Regio Esercito, it is probable that only some platoons were equipped with long-barreled semoventi or that the full organic was never reached due to the Armistice.
Other Semoventi M42M da 75/34 were assigned to 32º Reggimento Fanteria Carrista (English: 32nd Tank Crew Infantry Regiment) of Verona. It had in its ranks the 1a Compagnia, 2a Compagnia, and 3a Compagnia (English: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Companies). As with the companies of the 31º Reggimento Fanteria Carrista, not all the platoons were equipped with Semoventi M42M or the companies’ ranks were only partially filled with Semoventi M42M.
On 1st July 1943, the XXX Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri (English: 30th Anti-Tank Self-Propelled Gun Battalion) was formed under the command of Major Aldo Riscica. It was assigned to the 30ª Divisione di Fanteria ‘Sabauda’ (English: 30th Infantry Division) with a semoventi company assigned to each of its infantry regiments for infantry support and anti-tank roles. It probably had an organic strength of 18 Semoventi M42M da 75/34.
For the 135a Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete II’ (English: 135th Armored Division), the three company CXXXV Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri (English: 135th Anti-Tank Self-Propelled Gun Battalion) was created.
Operational Use
Regio Esercito
At least a Semovente M42M da 75/34, with license plate Regio Esercito 6310, was assigned to the Reggimento di Cavalleria ‘Cavalleggeri di Alessandria’ (English: Cavalry Regiment) on 12th July 1943 and was seen in training with Italian soldiers.
The 135a Divisione Cavalleria Corazzata ‘Ariete’ (English: 135th Armored Cavalry Division) was formed on 1st April 1943 in Ferrara. The command of the unit was given to the Brigade General Raffaele Cadorna, former chief of the Pinerolo Cavalry School and son of Luigi Cadorna, the Italian general who won the Italian campaign of the First World War.
After a brief period of training and vehicle deliveries, in late-May or June 1943, the unit was bolstered by the CXXXV Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri that had crewmembers taken from the 32º Reggimento Fanteria Carrista.
The division was later renamed 135a Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete II’ and had in it ranks:
In the end, the Division never received its full complement of the planned 260-270 tanks and self-propelled guns for all its armored regiments. Instead, it only received 40 tanks and self-propelled guns, 50 armored cars (out of 70 planned), and 70 artillery pieces. Other sources claim that the total organic strength was of 247 armored vehicles and 84 artillery pieces, but that, on 8th September 1943, the Division was equipped with 176 armored vehicles and 70 artillery pieces.
Some sources claim that the CXXXV Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri was composed of 12 Semoventi M42M da 75/34 in two companies instead of the 18 in three companies, as stated by other sources. This may mean that not all the self-propelled guns were delivered to the battalion or, maybe, that the vehicles were delivered in two batches on two different occasions.
The CXXXV Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri took part in some of the training that occurred in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Emilia Romagna regions until 26th July 1943.
On 25th July 1943, the King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele III, ordered the arrest of Benito Mussolini and disbanded his government in favor of a monarchic one, which continued being allied with the Germans.
Before the arrest of the Italian dictator, Rome’s defense (from Allied landings or paratrooper attacks) was assured by the 1ª Divisione Corazzata Camicie Nere ‘M’ (English: 1st Black Shirt Armored Division) that was considered loyal to Mussolini (the Camicie Nere were the most loyal units of the Fascist Army). The new government immediately understood that this Division, deployed on the north side of Rome, could easily carry out a coup d’etat to re-establish the fascist regime.
For these reasons, Marshal Pietro Badoglio, the new Italian Prime Minister, renamed it the 136ª Divisione Legionaria Corazzata ‘Centauro’ (English: 136th Legionnaire Armored Division), ordered its removal from its defensive position near Rome, put pro-monarchic commanders in charge, and expelled the most extremist soldiers. To replace it, the 135a Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete II’ was ordered on 26th July 1943 to reach the capital city. The ‘Ariete II’ Division was tasked with defending Rome from Allied landings or paratrooper attacks and from Italian soldiers loyal to Benito Mussolini.
The CXXXV Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri was placed in the Cesano area, north of Rome, where it continued the training with the semoventi.
When the news of the Armistice’s signing was made public by the Ente Italiano per le Audizioni Radiofoniche or EIAR (English: Italian Body for Radio Broadcasting) at 19:42 of 8th September 1943, Italian units were left confused, as they had not received orders on how to proceed. The CXXXV Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri continued being placed in the area of Cesano. The Battalion was not yet ready for combat and it received only a minor task, to create a defensive line between Osteria Nuova and the Cesano train station. At18:00 of 9th September 1943, the CXXXV Battaglione Semoventi Controcarri retreated with other units of the division to Tivoli, where the Division surrendered to the Germans the next day.
Repubblica Sociale Italiana
After the Armistice, Benito Mussolini was freed by the Germans. He immediately created a new state in the Italian territories not yet under Allied control, the Repubblica Sociale Italiana (English: Italian Social Republic). This was essentially a puppet state under German control. Its army was the Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano or ENR (English: National Republican Army) that was supported by its military police, the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana or GNR (English: National Republican Guard).
The Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’ (English: Armored Squadrons Group) of the ENR received a Semovente M42M da 75/34 in Autumn 1944. It was a former Regio Esercito vehicle, with the original license plate Regio Esercito 6303 and the letters Ro Eto deleted by the soldiers loyal to Mussolini.
The Semovente had a brief service life. It was a former Regio Esercito vehicle that was probably captured damaged by the Germans in the days after the Armistice, after its original crew had sabotaged it. It remained under repairs until around autumn 1944. When the vehicle was delivered to the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’, it had some performance problems that negatively influenced the opinion of its users. Due to mechanical problems, the vehicle was not deployed like other armored vehicles in service with the unit.
In mid-April 1945, the majority of the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’s’ armored vehicles moved from Mariano del Friuli to Ruppa to fight the Yugoslav partisans. The Semovente M42M da 75/34 was not part of this unit, as it was probably under repair in Mairano. The fate of the only Semovente M42M of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana is unknown. It was probably still under repair when the unit surrendered to the partisans.
A document of the High Command of the new fascist government dated 25th February 1945 lists the vehicles in service with the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ (English: Armored Group) of the GNR. In this list, 24 Semoventi M42M da 75/34 are said to be “in the process of being withdrawn from German service” but nothing more is known. They were never delivered to the Italian armored unit. The semoventi were probably assigned to a German Panzerjäger-Abteilung (English: Anti-Tank Battalion) operating in Italy.
Italian Partisans
The Italian Partisans took possession of a Semovente M42M da 75/34 in the last days of the war. In late April 1945, in anticipation of the Allied forces arriving and to prevent the Germans from demolishing important targets in North Italy’s most important cities, Italian Partisans carried out a major insurrection organized by the Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale or CLN (English: National Liberation Committee). On 25th April 1945, they entered the cities of Turin, Milan, Genoa and many others, starting to fight the last Nazi-Fascist forces.
Before the partisan insurrection, in Turin, some Partisans infiltrated factories dressed as workers to gather support from the workforce and prepare them to fight against the Fascist forces. One of the factories targeted was the Società Piemontese Automobili plant on Corso Ferrucci 122.
In the latter stages of the war, due to the major damage at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente, part of the assembly of Italian armored vehicles had been moved to SPA in Turin. A Semovente M42M da 75/34 and a pair of Carri Armati M15/42 were in the factory, awaiting repairs. The Partisans and workers finished the assembly and deployed the vehicles in the city’s liberation.
On the afternoon of 26th April 1945, the factory was hit by Nazi-Fascist tank fire that damaged it. The workers fought tenaciously, but the enemy armored vehicles penetrated the main courtyard of the factory. A rain of Molotov cocktails and hand grenades made the enemy forces fall back, leaving behind a burning armored vehicle.
The assembly of the vehicles was finished at 21:00, after the first enemy attack, while the Nazi-Fascist forces prepared for a second attack.
The Axis arrived shortly after 21:00 with two tanks (listed by the Partisan and factory official diary sources as “heavy”, even though they were probably medium tanks), an armored car and some trucks of the Black Brigades. They started to fire on the factory with the vehicle’s guns. The workers and the Partisans were in a desperate situation and low on ammunition. A worker then took a Carro Armato M15/42 and drove out of the factory at high speed. The enemy forces were taken by surprise and retreated, presuming that there were many other tanks ready to fight in the factory. Actually, Società Piemontese Automobili only assembled the tanks and had no ammunition for them in its depots. The three vehicles may have been able to move, but they had no rounds for the main guns or machine guns and only a small amount of fuel.
If the Partisan Semovente M42M da 75/34 was deployed in other actions is not known. Considering the scarcity of 75 mm rounds for the Cannone da 75/34, it is unlikely it saw much action against the Fascist forces. Once the Partisans liberated Turin, the Semovente M42M da 75/34 was paraded through the city’s streets on 2nd May 1945, alongside other vehicles deployed by the Partisans to free the city or captured during the fighting.
German Service
In German service, the Beute Sturmgeschütz M42 mit 75/34 851(Italienisch) (English: Captured Assault Gun M42 with 75/34 Code 851 [Italian]), as the Germans renamed it, was deployed mainly in Italy, even if some German units deployed the Sturmgeschütz M42 in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
The German judgment on the Italian long-barreled self-propelled gun was better than the ones on the Beute Sturmgeschütz M41 and M42 mit 75/18 850(i) (Semoventi M41 and M42 da 75/18). The Cannone da 75/34 was considered capable of dealing with the majority of Allied medium tanks at short ranges, such as in an ambush position. Thanks to their small dimensions and limited weight, Beute Sturmgeschütz M42 mit 75/34 851(i) were deployed by Germans to quickly ambush advancing Allied columns and then move to hide to avoid the Allied planes called to intervene in the area. Even though it was a desperate defensive strategy, it was successful, and many German units successfully slowed down the Allied advance through Italy.
In total, the German forces captured 36 Semoventi M42M da 75/34 that had already been produced for the Regio Esercito. After September 1943, the production was restarted and a total of 51 Sturmgeschütz M42 mit 75/34 were produced and delivered to the Germans.
Semovente M43 da 75/34
In 1944, a total of 29 Semoventi da 75/34 were produced for the Germans on the M43T chassis (where the T stands for Tedesco – German). It was essentially a Semovente M43 da 75/46 armed with a Cannone da 75/34 Modello SF. The engine compartment remained unchanged. The main differences between the M42 and M43 chassis was that the new chassis was 4 cm longer, reaching a length of 5.10 m (18 cm more than the M40 and M41 chassis), 17 cm wider (2.40 m compared to 2.23 m of the M42), and 10 cm lower (1.75 m compared to 1.85 m of the M42). Finally, the flameproof armor plate separating the engine compartment from the fighting compartment was moved back 20 cm, increasing the space for the crew.
These modifications were initially intended for the Semovente M43 da 105/25 armed with a large howitzer with greater recoil, but were also adapted for the Semovente M43 da 75/34 and for the Semovente M43 da 75/46.
In these two self-propelled guns, the superstructure’s shape was changed because of the addition of 25 mm armored plates on the front and sides.
Camouflage
In the first period of their production, the Semoventi M42M da 75/34 were delivered by Ansaldo-Fossati in a Kaki Sahariano (English: Saharan Khaki) desert camouflage, which was the standard one until early 1943. An example is the Semovente M42M da 75/34 seen during training in Friuli-Venezia Giulia which spots this camouflage.
After only a few vehicles were delivered, the camouflage was then changed by a new Regio Esercito High Command circular. The new 3-tone Continentale (English: Continental) camouflage was painted on all to-be-delivered vehicles. The Continentale consisted of a Kaki Sahariano base with reddish brown and dark green spots.
There are no images of Semoventi M42M da 75/34 of the Regio Esercito with any insignia or coat of arms, but, as on all Italian vehicles, a 63 cm diameter white circle was painted over the vehicle’s fighting compartment hatches for air recognition.
The Semovente of the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’ was delivered to the unit in the standard Kaki Sahariano camouflage, but was probably repainted in late 1944 with the unit’s camouflage. It consisted of reddish brown and dark green vertical lines.
The Semovente M42M da 75/34 assembled by the Partisans was also in the standard Kaki Sahariano. This camouflage remained the standard color of the armored vehicles of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ that operated in the city. To avoid friendly fire, the Partisans painted Communist symbols, such as a hammer and sickle, on the vehicle, together with the Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale and Società Piemontese Automobili acronym and also names of fallen comrades, such as ‘Piero’. The word ‘Nembo’ was also written in white on the gun barrel and rear armored plate, and it probably referred to the 184ª Divisione Paracadutisti ‘Nembo’ (English: 184th Paratrooper Division), but the exact reason is actually unknown.
Conclusion
The Semovente M42M da 75/34 was one of the last Italian projects that had time to be produced before the Armistice. It was a vehicle of questionable capabilities. It was built on an inadequate chassis that was cramped in the inside and subject to frequent breakdowns. One of its main drawbacks was its small crew, who were forced to carry out too many tasks, limiting the effectiveness of the Semovente M42M da 75/34 as a weapon of war. On the other hand, its main armament was adequate to deal with many Allied medium tanks, something which its predecessors had been unable to.
It was also produced in high numbers, at least by Italian standards, with over 145 vehicles built. These actually barely saw service with a few Italian units before the Armistice. After this, a dozen German divisions deployed in Italy and in the Balkans would use it for the rest of the conflict.
Semovente M42M da 75/34 Specification
Size (L-W-H)
???? x 2.28 x 1.85 m
Weight, battle ready
15.3 tonnes
Crew
3 (Commander/gunner, driver, and loader/radio operator)
Engine
FIAT-SPA 15TB M42, petrol, water-cooled 11,980 cm³, 190 hp at 2400 rpm with 327 liters
Speed
38.40 km/h
Range
200 km
Armament
1 Cannone da 75/34 Modello SF with 45 rounds and 1 Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 with 1,344 rounds
Armor
50 mm front and 25 mm sides and rear
Production
1 prototype and at least 145 serial vehicles
Sources
Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, Volume Secondo, Tomo II – Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano – Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito – 2002
Italian Medium Tanks 1939-45; New Vanguard Book 195 – Filippo Cappellani and Pier Paolo Battistelli – Osprey Publishing, 20th December 2012
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 (1941-1944)
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.
Ammunition for the Cannone da 90/53 Modello 1939
Name
Type
Mass (kg)
Quantity of TNT (g)
Muzzle velocity (m/s)
Fuze
Penetration of RHA at 90° (mm)
100 m
500 m
1000 m
Cartoccio Granata Esplosiva*
HE – AA
10.1
1,000
850
Modello 1936
//
//
//
Cartoccio Granata Esplosiva*
HE – AA
10.1
1,000
850
Modello 1936R
//
//
//
Cartoccio Granata Esplosiva*
HE – AA
10.1
1,000
850
Modello 1941
//
//
//
Cartoccio Granata Esplosiva*
HE – AA
10.1
1,000
850
IO40
//
//
//
Cartoccio Granata Esplosiva*
HE – AA
10.1
1,000
850
R40
//
//
//
Cartoccio Granata Perforante
APCBC
12.1
520
758
Modello 1909
130
121
110
Cartoccio Granata Perforante
APCBC
11.1
180
773
Modello 1909
156
146
123
Granata Effetto Pronto
HEAT
**
**
**
Internal Modello 1941
~ 110
~ 110
~ 110
Granata Effetto Pronto Speciale
HEAT
**
**
**
IPEM
~ 110
~ 110
~ 110
Notes
* The same round but with anti-aircraft or percussion fuze.
** Prototypes ready for testing only in mid-1943. According to some sources, they were similar to the German 88 mm HohlladungsGranate 1939 (Hl.Gr. 39)
On board the Semovente M41M da 90/53, only 8 rounds were stored in two small rectangular compartments under the gun’s trunnion. Another 26 rounds were stored on the accompanying Carri Armati L6/40 Trasporto Munizioni and another 40 in the Officine Viberti ammunition trailers, for total reserve for each semovente of 74 rounds.
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.
Known License Plates
Regio Esercito 5805
Regio Esercito 5810
Regio Esercito 5812
Regio Esercito 5824
Regio Esercito 5825
Regio Esercito 5826
On 23th April 1942, Rocca wrote to General Piero Ago, Chief of the Comitato Superiore Tecnico Armi e Munizioni (English: Superior Technical Committee on Weapons and Munitions). In his new letter, Rocca said that on the afternoon of 22th April, an order to deliver 12 Semoventi M41M da 90/53 and 12 Carri Armati L6 Trasporto Munizioni arrived. With that, Ansaldo-Fossati had delivered a total of 24 Semoventi M41M da 90/53 and 19 Carri Armati L6 Trasporto Munizioni. Rocca also reminded the general that the Ansaldo plant of Sestri Ponente had in its depots 6 Carri Armati Comando 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).
Gruppo da 90/53 equipment
Group Command
Batteries
Ammunition and Supply Unit
Total
Officers
6
8
4
18
NCOs
4
14
6
24
Gunners and loaders
49
104
82
235
Vehicle drivers
12
24
32
68
Armored vehicle drivers
2
18
3
23
Staff cars
1
2
1
4
Carri Armati Comando M41
2
2
//
4
FIAT-SPA AS37 or SPA CL39
5
6
1
12
Heavy trucks
//
//
19
19
Light trucks
//
6
3
9
Carri Armati L6/40 Trasporto Munizioni
//
8
//
8
Semoventi M41M da 90/53
//
8
//
8
Mobile workshops
//
//
1
1
One-seat motorcycles
2
4
1
7
Two-seat motorcycles
3
4
//
7
Motor tricycles
1
2
1
4
Ammunition trailers
//
8
//
8
15 tonne trailers
//
//
12
12
Machine guns
//
//
3
3
Radio stations
8
16
7
31
Each group consisted of 8 officers, 24 non-commissioned officers, 235 artillerymen, 68 truck drivers, and 23 armored vehicle drivers. The vehicle fleet consisted of 4 automobiles, 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:
10° Raggruppamento Artiglieria Controcarro da 90/53 Semovente
Name
Soldiers from
English:
Location
Commander
Number of vehicles
CLXI Gruppo da 90/53
Deposito del 1° Reggimento d’Artiglieria di Corpo d’Armata
Depot of the 1st Army Corps’ Artillery Regiment
Casale Monferrato
Major Carlo Bosco
10 Semoventi M41M da 90/53
2 Carri Comando M41
CLXII Gruppo da 90/53
Deposito del 2° Reggimento d’Artiglieria di Corpo d’Armata
Depot of the 2nd Army Corps’ Artillery Regiment
Acqui
Lieutenant Colonel Costantino Rossi
10 Semoventi M41M da 90/53
2 Carri Comando M41
CLXIII Gruppo da 90/53
Deposito del 15° Reggimento d’Artiglieria di Corpo d’Armata
Depot of the 15th Army Corps’ Artillery Regiment
Pietra Ligure
Major Vittorio Cingolani
10 Semoventi M41M da 90/53
2 Carri Comando M41
The three Gruppi were initially assigned to the 8a Armata (English: 8th Army), also called ARMata Italiana in Russia or ARMIR (English: Italian Army in Russia) and were merged into the 10° Raggruppamento (English: 10th Grouping), later renamed 10° Raggruppamento Artiglieria Controcarro da 90/53 Semovente (English: 10th 90/53 Self-propelled Anti-Tank Artillery Grouping). The Raggruppamento was sent to Nettuno for training, which could only begin on 16th August 1942, due to logistical problems. This delay was also because the Regio Esercito was delayed in creating the employment rules for this unit. Only on 20th July 1942 did the Ispettorato dell’Arma di Artiglieria (English: Artillery Army Inspectorate) publish a circular (No. 16500 S) in which it explained the composition of each group and underlined the deployment rules. The Semoventi M41M da 90/53 would have to be deployed to stop enemy assaults and to counter enemy artillery with counter battery fire.
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.
10° Raggruppamento Artiglieria Controcarro da 90/53 Semovente in Sicily
Name
Place of deployment
Commander
Number of vehicles
10° Raggruppamento High Quarter
Canicattì
Colonel Ugo Bedogni
//
CLXI Gruppo da 90/53
Canicattì, then San Michele di Ganzaria
Major Carlo Bosco
8 Semoventi M41M da 90/53
2 Carri Comando M41
CLXII Gruppo da 90/53
Borgesati
Lieutenant Colonel Costantino Rossi
8 Semoventi M41M da 90/53
2 Carri Comando M41
CLXIII Gruppo da 90/53
Paternò
Major Vittorio Cingolani
8 Semoventi M41M da 90/53
2 Carri Comando M41
//
Nettuno
//
6 Semoventi M41M da 90/53</td>
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.
Semovente M41M da 90/53 Specification
Size (L-W-H)
5.08 x 2.15 x 2.44 m
Weight, battle ready
15.7 tonnes
Crew
2 (driver, commander) + more on another vehicle
Engine
FIAT-SPA 15T Modello 1941 8-cylinder diesel engine, 145 hp
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.
1 Ansaldo claimed to have received the request of just 15 semoventi officially.
On an unknown data before May 1941, the Regio Esercito corrected the misunderstanding with Ansaldo and the original order for 30 vehicles was restored
The prototype was then tested at Nettunia with members of the Servizio Tecnico Armi e Munizioni (English: Weapons and Munitions Technical Service), Ispettorato Superiore dei Servizi Tecnici, and Servizio Tecnico di Artiglieria in attendance. As General Umberto Farulli of the Servizio Tecnico di Artiglieria later wrote, the frontal armor on the prototype was not thick enough to withstand British 40 mm (2-pdr) armor piercing rounds.
For this reason, the vehicles in production were modified, slowing down the production rates. The frontal armor was substituted with new armor plates with higher percentages of nickel and chromium, which increased their strength.
The first vehicles were delivered to the Regio Esercito training schools in May 1941.
Production and Deliveries
In 1941, a total of 60 Semoventi M40 da 75/18 were produced. Many Italian companies participated in the production of the M40 da 75/18.
Companies that participated in the M13/40’s production
Name
Place
Production
Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino (FIAT)
Turin
Fuel injector pump
Società Piemontese Automobili (SPA)
Turin
Engines
Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche
Brescia
Machine guns
Magneti Marelli
Corbetta and Sestri Ponente
Engine starter, radio systems, and batteries
San Giorgio
Sestri Ponente
Optics devices
Società Italiana Acciaierie Cornigliano (SIAC)
Cornigliano
Armor plates
Alemanno
Turin
Pressure gauges and tools
Bosch
Air filters
SA ALIT
Turin
Oil Filters
FERCAT
Turin
Oil radiator
Pirelli & Company
Milan
Rubber parts of the return rollers and wheels
Ansaldo
Sestri Ponente
Guns and assembly
Duco
Milan
Paint
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.
Semovente M40 da 75/18 common ammunition
Name
Type
Weight (kg)
Muzzle Velocity (m/s)
Penetration (mm) at
100 m
500 m
1,000 m
Granata Dirompente Modello 1932
HE
6.35
450
//
//
//
Granata Perforante da 75 mm
APCBC
6.42
425
44
39
33
Granata Perforante Modello 1932
APCBC
6.26
476
50
44
38
Effetto Pronto
HEAT
4.50
//
100
100
100
Effetto Pronto Speciale
HEAT
5.20
400
120
120
120
Secondary ammunition also consisted of 600 machine gun rounds divided in 30 20-round clips. The clips were stored on the vehicle’s floor, near the gunner’s seat.
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 133a 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 132a 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 1a 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 133a 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 132a 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 132a 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 132a 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 133a Divisione Corazzata ‘Littorio’. It arrived in Africa and was assigned to the 131a 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.
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
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
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