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Carro Armato M14/41

1941 WORLD WAR 2

History

The Carro Armato M14/41 served as a medium tank for the Italian army (and some other notable ones) during WWII. Entered into service (hence the name) in 1941, the type was more of a humble tank armored vehicle with very limited tactical value in WWII tank battles. The Italian company FIAT produced more than 800 tanks of this type during the war, and the tank will soon enter service with the German, British and Australian armies. The M14/41 was originally used for combat in North Africa, although its light protection system coupled with Italian tank doctrine, limited armament and increasing casualties showed that the type was superior in what the Allies offered.

The M14/41 was born out of the previous M13/40 series, also produced by Fiat, although both tanks were lined up from the widely accepted British Vickers 6-ton light tank from 1928.

The designation "M14/41" is subdivided as follows: "M" for "Medium" (or "Medium"), "14" for the specified operating weight in tons, "41" for the first year of production . Compared with the Italian armor of WWII, it is worth noting the classification method used by Italian tanks. While the M14/41 is classified by the Italian Army as a "medium" tank due to its weight, in the rest of the world it is a "light" tank design in all respects, for example comparable to the American M3/M5 Stuart.

If the M14 /41 To fight heavy tanks, it will become a reality.

As the M13/40 series was already in production and in heavy service with the Italian Army (779 built), a more powerful engine was considered to improve the design. While the same chassis was retained in the design, a new armor configuration was ordered around the revised hull structure for improved crew protection.

After appropriate modifications, the tank was designated "M14/41" and entered service with the Royal Italian Army in 1941.

The design of the M14/41 was conventional by tank standards at the time. The vehicle features a side-mounted track system with four bogies and dual tire wheels suspended on a Vertical Volute Spring Suspension System (VVSS).

The drive sprocket is located at the front of the fuselage, the track idler is located at the rear of the fuselage, and three track idlers are used to guide the upper track. The tracks were narrow, which was common in many light/medium tanks of the time, especially those that emerged from accepted design principles in the 1930s. The hull has an almost flat forward sloping plate, but this provided ballistic protection is offset by the multi-surface hull construction.

The fighting compartment required a superstructure, the driver was located in front of the vehicle to the left, and the gunner was immediately to its right, these positions were separated by a drivetrain running on the cabin floor. The sides of the superstructure are almost vertical, which makes it an attractive target for anti-tank units, and also striking on the horizon in general. The engine is usually located in the rear of the fuselage.

A 360-degree swinging turret attaches to the top of the hull superstructure and manages the main gun armament. A two-piece hatch system along the top of the turret allows entry and exit of the tank as needed. The thickness of the armor protection on each side of the vehicle varies from 6mm to 42mm, although for obvious reasons the armor is usually more concentrated on the front panel.

The Carro Armato M14/41 tank is piloted by a driver, tank commander, machine gunner and gunner.

The M14/41 is primarily armed with a 47mm main gun, which is actually a very powerful weapon caliber in the history of tank warfare. However, as the war included more and more armored combat, the caliber of the artillery also grew rapidly. With this growth came new hulls with better armor than in the past, making the 47mm gun more or less obsolete as a main tank anti-personnel gun. However, through the use of high-explosive (HE) shells, old tank guns may still have some value on the battlefield when it comes to engaging enemy infantry positions and other notable "soft" targets.

The 47mm main gun is accompanied by a pair of 8mm Modello 38 series general purpose machine guns. Both were mounted on the right side of the bow in a limited sway gun position. Another 8mm machine gun was mounted in a coaxial position in the turret next to the main gun.

The fuel tank is powered by a 145 hp FIAT SPA 15-TM-40 series 8-cylinder diesel engine. This enables a top speed of 22 mph on ideal surfaces and an operating range of 124 miles.

In practice, the limitations of this medium tank design became very apparent in the body of a light tank, especially in combat. The armor is actually too thin to compete with modern battlefield artillery, and the engine makes the type extremely prone to fire when hit (an unfavorable stat for some other tanks in the war). Furthermore, the powertrain proved to be completely unreliable, especially in the desert conditions it had to fight. The crew also held a certain disdain for the rather cramped conditions they had to fight. It must be remembered that the conditions of a tanker are generally very relentless, no matter what tank it is - some countries offer some comfort, but most do not - especially in wartime conditions.

The tankers must have had a tough war.

After the Italians were driven out of North Africa, the M14/41 was restricted from then on. Perhaps the series' greatest claim to fame is the use of its chassis as the basis for the greater battlefield value of the Semovente 90/53 series of tank destroyers. The Semovente 90/53 did not have a working turret, had a shallow hull structure, and was equipped with a fixed 90mm Cannone da 90/53 series anti-tank gun.

However, from 1941, only 48 such examples have been completed and used.

The British and Australians only used the M14/41 in their own precarious situations. As the Italians fled, they left behind a great deal of equipment, including tanks like the M14/41. The Allies need all the armored vehicles they can muster and do everything in their power to support their depleted armored stocks until better replacements are found/obtained.

However, these Italian tanks were quickly replaced when possible, ending their rather tedious legacy of the war.