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Carro Armato M13/40

1940 WORLD WAR 2

History

The M13/40 was the next logical evolution of the 1939 M11/39 medium tank series, introducing improved armor protection and a more powerful main gun, while introducing diesel-powered engines and improved defensive armament. The M13/40 came online to replace previous Italian tank products, including the L3, L6/40 and M11/39, and the arrival of the M13/40 directly replaced the then-produced M11/39.

A total of 779 M13/40s were produced, most of which belonged to the Ansaldo-Fossati brand. Although the M13/40 weighed 14 tons, the Italian Army classified the M13/40 as a "medium tank" because the "M" in its name stood for "medium" and was based on the Italian Army's naming convention at the time.

The M13/40 was delivered to an Italian tanker waiting in Libya in 1940.

The design of the Carro Armato M13/40 series is traditional throughout. Its long-running side-mounted chain system has a drive sprocket at the front of the assembly and a chain idler at the rear. Along the upper part of the track system are three track pulleys with no less than eight small pairs of wheels, two wheels per bogie and two bogies per suspension.

The fuselage is wheel-suspended by a leaf spring bogie system, and the chassis itself is based on the earlier M11/39 series. The tank's chassis was heavily influenced by pre-war Italian use of the British Vickers 6-ton tank - a very popular light tank that influenced several other designs before the war.

The hull has strongly sloping forward plates (almost horizontal) and a solid superstructure with slightly sloping fairings. The turret assembly is mounted on top of the superstructure and is designed for high profile.

The structure is riveted steel and the armor thickness along the key fairing is 42mm.

The performance of the M13/40 series is derived from a modification of the SPA TM40 V8 diesel engine. The engine produces up to 125 hp and features a shaft at the rear of the fuselage that drives the front sprocket.

This enables the vehicle to reach a top speed of 20 mph on smooth roads (less off-road) with a range of up to 120 miles. A range of 120 miles is indeed an excellent quality for a tank, and its top speed of 20 mph is rather slow for this light tank design (although it is classified as a medium tank).

The total weight is close to 14 tons.

Carro Armato M13/40 piloted by a crew of four, including driver, tank commander, gunner and machine gunner. The driver reserved a seat in the front left of the fuselage, with the gunner on the nose to his right. The machine gunner also served as a tank radio operator, a contemporary practice. However, the radio is not fitted as standard equipment on all completed M13/40s.

Both the commander and the gunner lived in the narrow turret. Access to the turret is via a two-part hatch in the roof. The hull crew is managed along the superstructure using the left rectangular hatch.

The main weapon of the series is the 47mm Cannone da 47/32 M35 main gun. The 104 x 47mm projectiles are available for the rifle group and these projectiles include a mix of Armor Piercing (AP) and High Explosive (HE) rounds for "hard" and "soft" targets as required. The turret allows for +20 and -10 elevation angles, while the turret allows full 360 degree rotation. Three to four 8mm Modello 38 series machine guns were installed throughout the design.

The machine gun was mounted coaxially with the main gun in the turret and operated by the gunner. The gunner/radio operator manages a pair of twin 8mm machine guns in the forward hull via flexible bullet racks. While pairing can be considered advantageous, shooting angles and positional perspectives are relatively limited. If equipped, a fourth 8mm machine gun can be mounted on top of the turret and perform a dual role, both against enemy infantry and low-flying attack aircraft.

Ammunition up to 3,048x8 mm is provided for all available machine gun emplacements.

The lightweight nature of the Carro Armato M13/40 is evident in practice. In its inception, it was a solid product, sharing much of its British-inspired track system and using a diesel engine rather than the traditional petrol-powered type. The 47mm gun has ample ammunition and is capable of hitting lightly armored targets (up to 45mm thick) at ranges up to 500 meters. However, nothing is perfect, as mechanical problems will always arise throughout the life of the tank, and the interior fighting compartment is cramped at best.

In any case, this tank was a new installation that could prove valuable in battle, especially in the style of the Italian army at the time.

The M13/40 played a role in both the Balkans and the Western Desert campaign in North Africa during World War II. The 47mm gun is capable of handling all types of light armour and troop builds. Early British "cruiser" tanks were contemporary tanks, and the 47mm main gun proved useful.

However, as Allied experience and equipment improved, these Italian "medium" tanks proved to be significantly less effective, and many were routed by more powerful enemy artillery in subsequent operations. While other global military powers have adapted their fighting styles and techniques to the changing battlefield, the Italians have failed to do so and suffered the consequences. Enough M13/40 tanks were abandoned by the Italians and subsequently captured by British and Commonwealth troops to fill the ranks of the British 6th Royal Tank Regiment and the Australian 6th Cavalry Regiment only to be used against their former owners.

The tanks were properly marked to avoid "friendly fire" during the extended desert campaign. Due to the extreme lack of strong armor by the Allies at the time, the use of enemy equipment was almost a prerequisite for future success until Allied tank production increased.

The M13/40 participated in the famous Second Battle of El Alamein, which went down in history as a major Allied victory and marked the beginning of the end of the North African campaign.

Over time, the M13/40 proved its limitations at the forefront of the evolving war effort. Her 47mm main gun is now proving ineffective against the latest generation of Allied tanks including Matilda, Grant/Lee and M4 Sherman.

Her powertrain operates in harsh conditions, causing many mechanical failures, and her thin (riveted) armor protection is of little use against Allied armor-piercing rounds from anti-tank guns, main battle tanks, and artillery. A direct hit could turn the rivets into "bullets" flying inside the fighting compartment for the crew. Also, the M13/40 is known to be prone to catching fire when hit - a tanker's worst nightmare when it's burned alive on a mount.

Many M13/40s were lost due to enemy actions and abandonment, which did not help the Axis cause in the desert. Nonetheless, they were produced in quantities sufficient for them to enter service at the end of the war in 1945.

The M13/40 has been officially replaced in the Italian Army inventory by the improved M15/42 series. Although the production of this new type was rather limited, it was equipped with a more powerful 47mm main gun and a modular engine compartment.