Topic: Tanks of WWII Part Four: Italian M13/40

[Chris SI]

Standard Italian tank

The Carro Armato M13/40 had its origins in the earlier M11/39 tank but improved on the latter's 37-mm gun by mounting a 47-mm main armament. Experience in the Libyan campaigns highlighted the M11/39's weakness and the M13/40, designed by a team under General di Feroleto appeared in December 1940 as a much more satisfactory AFV. The M11/39's turret could not rotate through 360 degrees and this antiquated feature was dropped in the M13/40, while the machine-gun turret was moved to the hull, resulting in a lower silhouette. The frontal armour was increased to 30-mm and the crew to four, but the M11/39's FIAT SPA V-8 43 hp engine was retained.

By 1941 250 vehicles were in service. Reports soon indicated that the tank was underpowered for its weight, and an up-rated FIAT engine of 105 hp was fitted to remedy this shortcoming. Limitations discovered included the weakness of the armour and the susceptibility of the engine filters to dust, but the vehicle was an advance on the M11/39 and was used by the Ariete 32nd Armoured Division in Rommel's offensive of March 1941.

M13/40 tanks were well armed with the Ansaldo 47-mm (1.8-in) Model 37 gun, for which 104 rounds were carried. This weapon had a muzzle-velocity of 630 m/s (2,060 fps), and three Breda Model 38 8-mm machine-guns provided secondary armament. An improved version, the M14/41, appeared in parallel production to the M13/40 but the problem of inadequate armour persisted.
Tanks were deployed in Regiments of three Battalions of three Companies of five-tank platoons, but the Italians seemed to lack tactical savoir-faire and tended to employ their armoured forces in penny-packets.

An assault-gun, the Semovente 75/18, was based on an improved M13/40 chassis and gradually tank production was phased out in favour of this assault-gun. An M13/40 OP version with rangefinders was also built. To some extent the M13/40 was comparable to the German PzKw III, but inferior to the British Matilda.

Specifications:
Length:16ft 1in
Width: 7ft 4in
Height: 17ft,10in
Weight: 13.5 tons
Top speed: 19 mph

[Just plain old Punisher]

Piece of crap. Outclassed by just about everything it came up against, including scout vehicles armed with 20mm cannon.

[Hale]

This looks like the Italian tank in Road to Rome.

[Chris SI]

Its one good point was its gun, 47mm was more powerful than any German or Brotish tank gun when the tank was designed.

Of course, that changed very quickly, this tank was probaly the worst mass-produced tank in history.

[S'Raek]

Thanks for the posts Chris, I've been out of town for a week and missed them initially.  I think one of the problems of the Italian Army was their shoddy equipment.  (Well, and a lack of determination to fight.) 

[Chris SI]

The Spanish Civil war actually hurt the Italians more than is realized, the Italians sent Franco a lot of military equipment, much of it was never replaced.

Italy's airpower was stuck in mid-30s mindset, and the tanks weren't much better.

Mussolini didn't want to go to war, he only declared because he thought the British would quit when the French did, and he is quoted as saying "I need a few thousand dead to sit at the peace table."

[Just plain old Punisher]

Actually the Japanese produced some pretty crappy tanks with hand-cranked turrets and armour that could be penetrated by a rifle bullet.