M15/42 tank
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| M15/42 | |
|---|---|
 M15/42 on display at the Musée des Blindés in Saumur |
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| Type | Medium tank |
| Place of origin | .svg/22px-Flag_of_Italy_(1861-1946).svg.png){kind=small} Italy |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1943 - 1945? |
| Used by | Italy Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 1943 - 1944 |
| Number built | 128 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 15.5 tonnes |
| Length | 4.92 m |
| Width | 2.2 m |
| Height | 2.4 m |
| Crew | 4 |
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| Armor | 14 to 45 mm |
| Primary armament |
47 mm L/40 gun 111 rounds |
| Secondary armament |
4 x 8 mm Breda 38 machine guns |
| Engine | petrol 192 hp |
| Suspension | Two 4 wheel bogies, semi-elliptic leaf spring |
| Operational range |
200 km |
| Speed | 40 km/h |
The M15/42 was an Italian World War II 15 tonne tank first built in January 1943. Some 90 vehicles were built before the Italian armistice in September 1943 and in connection to that event they were used in battle against the Germans by the Ariete armored division in Rome. After that point they were confiscated and used by the Germans who also built another 28 M15/42 tanks. Armament was one 47 mm main gun and four 8 mm Breda 38 machine guns.
It was developed from the M13/40 and the M14/41. It had a more powerful engine and air filters to cope with the harsh conditions of the desert. By the time it entered service, it was already obsolete.
The turret had an improved (compared to the M13) 47 mm / 40 caliber gun with an elevation of +20 degrees and a depression of –10 degrees. The turret could traverse 360 degrees and was electrically operated. An 8 mm Modello 38 machine gun was mounted co-axial with the main armament with a similar machine gun mounted on the roof for anti-aircraft defense.
[edit] External links
- M15/42 Medium Tanks at wwiivehicles.com
- Carro M.15/42 at comandosupremo.com
- M15/42 at onwar.com
| 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 |
| P40 |
| 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 |
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