Italian armor

knightdepaix · Dec 14, 2016

Videos:
The Great Fighting Machines of WW2: Axis Armor 2/5
The Great Fighting Machines of WW2: Axis Armor 3/5

The two videos shows Japanese type95 Ha-Go on trial run and Italian tankettes, light tanks and medium tanks on trials and crossing shallow waters.

Information from books:

Hitler's Italian Allies, Royal Armed Forces, Fascist Regime, and the war of 1940-1943
By MacGregor Knox
Cambridge University Press, 2000, 207 pages
Amazon New, From $20.46, Used, From $9,55

P.153
The effective range of the 47mm main tank gun against British armor of around 600 meters severely constrained Italian commanders. The Ariete armored battalion in the attack tended to make a headlong dash at the enemy at the M13's lamentable cross-country top speed of roughly 12 kilometers per hour, to bring the range down to 400 meters or less before British artillery and tank guns could perforate too many Italian tanks. Closer ranges also made best use of the M13's limited ammunition supply; as in other forms of firefight, the side that ran out first suffered deep embarrassment. The arrival in spring 1942 of FIAT-Ansaldo 75mm assault gun on the M14 chassis allowed the Ariete and the newly arrived Littorio division a somewhat wider tactical repertoire, until British deployment of U.S. medium tanks negated that small advantage.
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Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semovente_da_75/18#Service
The Semovente da 75/18s were deployed in the North African campaign and during the Allied invasion of Sicily, alongside M tank units to provide additional firepower. Despite the fact that they were not designed to fight other tanks, their 75 mm howitzer proved ideal (thanks to its low muzzle velocity) for firing HEAT shells; its 5.2 kg HEAT shell ("Effetto Pronto" in Italian) could pierce 80 mm of armour at 500 meters, and could thus defeat tanks such as the US built M3 Grant and M4 Sherman used by the British Army.[4] As such, these machines were responsible for many of the successes by the Italian armoured troops during 1942–43, when the medium tanks (all armed with a 47 mm gun) were no longer effective.
The most successful action fought by Semovente da 75/18 took place on 10 June 1942, south of Knightsbridge, during the Battle of Gazala. Thirty M3 Grant and ten M3 Stuart of 1st and 6th Royal Tank Regiment attacked a position held by the Ariete division but were repelled by Semovente da 75/18s as well as some M13/40s and gun trucks, losing three Grants and two Stuarts from 6th Royal Tank Regiment and twelve Grants and three Stuarts from 1st Royal Tank Regiment.[5] The Italians lost two M13/40s.[6]
Despite its limitations (namely its cramped interior and the insufficiently powerful engine in the M40 and M41 variants), the Semovente da 75/18 proved successful both in the direct support role and in anti-tank fighting; its main advantages, other than their sheer firepower, was in its thicker armour (relative to the medium tanks) and lower silhouette that made it more difficult to hit.
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http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/italy/Semovente_da_75-18.php
Tactically, these vehicles were mostly used as mobile artillery at divisional level. The organic structure consisted of two artillery groups for each armored division, 2 batteries of four 75/18 each and a command vehicle. The first batch was just enough to equip three armored divisions. The first units equipped with these vehicles started operating in Libya in January 1942. At El Alamein they performed remarkably well, continuing to do so during the entire campaign, until November 1943. They proved versatile and even deadly against many Allied tanks in direct fire, although the American M3 Lee/Grant and M4 Sherman required the use of HEAT rounds. They also served as assault guns, providing indirect fire. These vehicles were well-served by their low profile, good protection, and could fire either HE, AP or HEAT shells, and often performed even better than the mediums equipped with high-velocity 47 mm (1.85 in) guns.

However, there were several issues with this machine. Firstly, its lack of ammunition, with only 44 round carried, which required supply vehicles to be permanently on hand. Secondly, they lacked range compared to the open-topped Allied SPGs, like the Priest and Sexton, or the German Wespe, limiting the effectiveness of indirect support. Thirdly, they did not have a coaxial machine-gun and proved vulnerable to infantry assaults. The old-fashioned bolted hull was weaker than welded ones, and the 1930-style suspension did not allow great speeds.
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Italian armor

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