Description

Produced by Fiat Ansaldo, the M13/40 was the main battle tank of the Italian army in World War II and served throughout the war following its introduction in 1940. Although designated as a medium tank it was more in line with the light tanks of other nations at the time.

With armour up to 42mm thick, and armed with a 47mm main gun backed up by up to four 8mm machine guns, it carried a four-man crew. Its diesel engine, whilst underpowered, giving a top speed of around 20mph, was less vulnerable to catching fire and had better range than petrol-fuelled vehicles.

The most widely produced Italian tank of the war, the M13/40 battled on in the Western Desert and Italy despite Allied tanks far eclipsing it in firepower, speed and protection.
This superb plastic kit can alternatively be assembled as a Semovente Platoon. The Semovente 75/18 self-propelled gun brings some much needed armoured reinforcements to Italian forces.
The Semovente was an Italian self-propelled gun, built by mounting the 75mm Obice da 75/18 modello 34 mountain gun on the chassis of a M13/40 or M14/41 tank. It had riveted steel plates, which were thicker but also less sloped than in the original tank. Frontal armour was almost vertical, but it consisted of two plates rather than a single layer, which improved stopping power.