Solothurn 20mm
Yep, the tankette was actually armed with an anti-tank rifle. This was a poor attempt to make it effective against opposing armor. Some of these types were even included in the Axis forces during El Alamein! You do what you can… :rolleyes:
It have good effects in armored cars and A9/A13 cruisers but none against Shermans and Grants, the main battle tanks of the allied forces in Alamein.
More pics of Italian armor. A few images from Das grosse Weltgeschehen, a series of books published in Switzerland during WWII. I haven’t come across these photos elsewhere in other sources, so perhaps they will be “new” to other members as well. I’m no expert on Italian armor, so hopefully one of the resident experts here can provide more information than that found in the original captions. I’m thinking M 11/39 in the first photo, M15/42 in the last one…and in the middle??? An export or license-built version of the Renault FT-17?
Whoops. I see from previous illustrations that the middle photo is of a Fiat 3000A. Mongo does not know much about Italian armor, just found some interesting old photos.
Vey good ones, I think the tanks in the left are M-14/41, the 15/42 used a longer main gun.
Panzer III ausf N used by the Division Centauro, some were imported from Germany in Early 1943.
Panzer IV ausf G of the same combat unit.
It seems that this AFVs were not deployed in Afrika, only they saw use in the Italian mainland.
Correct.
Divisione Centauro only had Italian tanks in North Africa.
Divisione Centauro only had Italian tanks in North Africa.
Wich was not promising in regard of the combat capabilities.:mrgreen:
StuG IIIs of the Centauro div. Between 25 to 30 examples were delivered in april 1943.
Excellent thread Panzerknacker, thanks for the link!
Still trying to find my way around this impresssive site
Thank you and dont worry, there are people that got some 700 post ( not just seven) , and still they are trying to find the way around.
Semoventi M1940 dal 75/18 near Bir Hacheim, June 1942.
do anyone knows if the saharino recce was anfibius?
No, is not amphibian, there was no need of that because hardly it going to cross rivers in the “Africa Settentrionale” theater of operations.
I cannot help but think this tank looks very similar to a T34/76/06.
I know there are only a certain number of “viable solutions” in developing tanks, yet: the close similarity to the T34 struck my eyes immediately.
Given a proper main armament, in the 75mm class, this, lightly armoured though it is, could have been a formidable tank indeed, given the combat methods of the era.
Regards, Uyraell.
It had a bit of the T-34, tank wich the italians already faced ( and suffered) with the Expeditionary Corps sent to Russia in july 1941, but its more important inspiration was the Crusader, AFV wich really impressed the italians, ironic because in british service the crusader was considered no match for german mediums Pz III and IV and also mechanically unrealiable.
Images of knocked down M-13s. Is interesting to note the shape of the cracks in the armor, the lower pic indicates an overhardened plate wich was broken like a porcelain plate by the incoming round. Very low quality armor.
Nice picture of Rommel near the Semoventi 75/18 of the Ariete division close to Bir Hacheim.
Italian newsreel of 1942 showing the manufacture of M14/41 tanks.
No, it’s an economic question: at the time of pre-war period Ansaldo is controlled by the Italian state so for economic reason the Italian state didn’t outsource to other private companies the war production.
The English consider the Breda Modello 35 cal 20 mm a very usufel weapon faster, hard-hitting and more reliable thant their cannon. And Fiat AS42 has it, so they kept few of them in heavy section of Long Rage Desert Group, but in real they prefer the Fiat AS 37. The Fiat AS42 is primary used by soldier expert in desert warfare of Auto Sahariana Company, a military unit similar to the Long Rage Desert Group.
This is why the Littorina are dispatched to the Balkans: they cheked the rail line just before the expensive train convoy pass, assuring that the rail line is safe.
That was excellent, seldom get to see the workings of war time industry…Those guys knew how to run a hammer…
From the looks of it though, even the Carro Armato Celere Sahariano had armor that had rivets to join plates.
Would not these act as bullets inside the hull from even a glancing blow by a enemy shell (and not even a big one?)
Were any of the Italian AFVs welded with no use of rivets?
Deaf
Hello Deaf, from memory, very few (I want to say “if any”, but may be open to correction on that) Italian AFVs were of welded build.
Apparently, welding facilities were even less common than in UK factories, which also lacked that ability to a great degree.
Kind Regards, Uyraell.
