Fiat M13/40

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Fiat M13/40 at the Bovington Tank Museum

Fiat M13/40
General characteristics
Crew 4
Length 4.9 m
Width 2.2 m
Height 2.39 m
Weight 14 tonnes
Armour and armament
Armour 42 mm
Main armament 47 mm Cannone da 47/32 M35
104 rounds
Secondary armament 4 x 6.5 mm Breda 30 machine guns
Mobility
Power plant Fiat V8 diesel
125 hp
Suspension Vertical volute spring
Road speed 32 km/h
Power/weight
Range 200 km
Fiat M13/40.
Enlarge
Fiat M13/40.

The Fiat M13/40 light tank ("M" for medium according to the Italian tank weight standards at the time: 13 tons was the scheduled weight and 1940 the initial year of production) was designed to replace the Fiat L3, the Fiat L6/40 and the Fiat M11/39 in the Italian Army at the start of World War II. It was armed with a 47mm gun in a rotating turret and 4 Breda 30 machine guns.

The Fiat M14/41 was a variant of the same tank with a more powerful engine and better air filters for operations in North Africa. The Semovente Commando M40 was basically an M13/40 tank with the turret removed and replaced by a fixed superstructure, which housed an additional radio and other communication devices. The M13/40 was Italy's most produced tank type of the war along with the M14/41, with over 3000 built. The last version was the M15/42 tank produced in 1943, with a better petrol engine and a longer 47/40 cannon. The Semovente 75/18 self-propelled gun was built by utilizing M13/40 or M14/41 chassis.

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Italian armoured fighting vehicles of World War II
Light Tanks and Tankettes
L3/35 | Fiat L6/40
Medium Tanks
Fiat M11/39 | Fiat M13/40 | Fiat M14/41 | M15/42
Heavy Tanks
P 40
Armoured Cars
AB 40 | AB 41 | Lince scout car
Self propelled guns
Semovente 47/32 | Semovente 75/18 | Semovente 75/34 | Semovente 90/53 | Semovente 105/25 | Semovente 149/40
Italian armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II