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Semovente L.40 da 47/32

1942 SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY WORLD WAR 2

History of Semovente L. 40 da 47/32

Semovente L. 40 da 47/32 Served with Italian and German armies during World War II. Although their armored vehicle designs in the conflict were never known, the Italians were actually forward-thinking when they pioneered the concept of a dedicated tank kill platform to support their armored propulsion.

The L. 40 began production in 1942 as a budget-friendly modification of the L. 6 light main battle tank, and served in several famous fights in North Africa and the Eastern Front between 1942 and 1945. After the armistice between Italy and the Allies, the Germans took over the remaining L. 40.

A total of about 280 to 300 L. 40s were delivered before the end of the war.

The Italians began to dabble in the development of a powerful tank destroyer by mounting their proven and efficient 47mm main gun on an L.3 tank (light tank) chassis. The new system - officially named Semovente L. 3 da 47/32 - will be operated by two people and used to support advancing army units in specific attacks.

The main gun was mounted on the front hull of the L. 3 chassis, interestingly left on an open-air mount. However, it was inevitable that this new arrangement would do little to protect the crew.

The tank severely lacked any type of crew armor at key side, rear and top angles, leaving the gunner and driver defenses with a simple forward shield mounted on the main gun itself. Therefore, while keeping the L.3 conversion concept for testing and further evaluation, a new solution was implemented.

When Italy officially entered the war in 1940, it was confident in its lightly armored, fast-moving tank fleet, including the L. 6/40 light tank. These vehicles quickly proved to be underarmoured and underpowered (equipped with 37mm guns) in early engagements.

Following the action against the Allies in North Africa, the shortcomings of the L.6 were exposed and led to its use as the basis for a "fire" tank killer conversion program, serving the Italian army in support of their tanks. Fiat-SPA and Ansaldo have joined forces to make the new system a reality.

The new solution became L. 40 da 47/32 ("47" for main gun caliber, "32" for main gun length). The L. 40's 47mm main gun was a licensed production version of the Austrian 47mm Borer (1.8") anti-tank gun, which was also used as an infantry support weapon. At the time, the Borer gun was one of the best dual-role-at-the-time Weapon system.

The primary weapon has a muzzle velocity of 2,100 feet per second when firing a 3.25 pound armor-piercing round.

The crew of the L. 40 was increased from two in the L. 3 conversion to three - now consisting of the driver, loader and commander. The system uses a traditional track scheme along the sides of the hull.

Rubber tire wheels (four on each side of the track) are mounted in pairs, each set supported by a curved cantilever and torsion bar system. The rear wheels serve as track deflection and load carriers. Three idlers are mounted on one side of the track, while a front-mounted drive sprocket gives the L. 40 its distinctive "hull" look. The front hull features a slat front and sloping sloping panels, the latter forming a solid, open-topped "box-like" structure with slat side armor. The limited crosshead weapon was moved to the front left of the superstructure.

The offensive main battery is complemented by a defensive 8mm infantry machine gun. The L. 40 superstructure can hold up to 70 47mm shells. Armor thickness includes 1.5" (30mm) front and 0.63" (14mm) side panels. Front turret turret supports armor thickness up to 2 inches.

The power unit is a rear-mounted, liquid-cooled, 4-cylinder petrol engine (SPA 18D, Fiat 18D or 18 VT), which can deliver up to 70 hp at 2,500 rpm. Fuel is limited to 44 gallons and stored in two internal tanks, delivering a fuel-efficiency figure of 2.8 mpg on-road while downgrading to 1.1 mpg off-road. The engine is linked to a drivetrain that offers 4 forward modes and 1 reverse mode. The reduction gears provide four lower speeds.

Steering is via a clutch brake, while the starter is an electric system linked to a magneto ignition.

Performance specs give the L.40 a top speed of 26.3 mph. The on-road range radius is limited to 125 miles and the off-road limit radius is 50 miles. The wading depth must not exceed 2 feet 7.5 inches, which is the same limit as for crossing vertical obstacles.

The L. 40 can handle slopes up to 40 degrees.

The L. 40 first operated in the Western Desert during the 1942 campaign. The system initially performed well against Allied light and medium armor systems. However, despite the L. 40's armored superstructure, occupant protection remained a prominent issue.

Only later did the L.40 occupants get light overhead protection in the form of a retractable canvas canopy.

As the war favored the Allies, the L. 1940s seemed to be numbered, especially with the increase in Allied armour and the ubiquity of Allied air support. Despite its inherent limitations, the L. 40 is one of the better tank kill systems available to the Italian Army.

It's also a relatively easy and cheap modification project for the decrypted and firepower L. 6 tank series.

The Italian Army also used their L.40s in battles with the Red Army on the Eastern Front as part of German Army Group South, and had some limited success there. The signing of an armistice between the Italians and the Allies marked the local end of the L. 40. Germany kept all the L. 40 parts it could use and tried to keep them in battle throughout Italy.

However, the harsh terrain of the Italian theater made armored countermeasures difficult. As a result, the L.40 was relegated to the mobile armored command post of the Third Reich. The 47mm main gun of the L. 40 in commando form was replaced by a "camouflaged" 8mm machine gun (the machine gun was designed to look like a 47mm main gun). In addition, whenever possible, these L. 40s were equipped with appropriate radio equipment on board.

Lack of airborne projectiles made for the required space. There were other L. 40s that were converted into ammunition carriers.

Some L. 40s were delivered to Croatia allied with the Axis powers.