| Carro armato M. 14/41 | |
|---|---|
 M 14/41 in the Bovington Tank Museum | |
| Type | Medium tank |
| Place of origin | Kingdom of Italy |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Kingdom of Italy Nazi Germany Australia United Kingdom |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Ansaldo |
| Manufacturer | Ansaldo |
| Produced | 1941–42 |
| No. built | 744 |
| Variants | Carro Comando Semovente M41, M14/41 Centro Radio (M14/41CR), Semovente Controcarro M41M |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 14.5 t (32,000 lb) |
| Length | 4.915 m (193.5 in) |
| Width | 2.280 m (89.8 in) |
| Height | 2.370 m (93.3 in) |
| Crew | 4 (commander/gunner, radio operator/machine gunner, loader, driver) |
| Armour |
|
| Main armament | 1 × 47 mm cannone da 47/32 AT gun 87 rounds |
| Secondary armament | 4 × 8 mm Breda mod. 38 machine guns (1 × coaxial, 1 × AA, 2 × in hull) 2,664 rounds |
| Engine | SPA 8 TB M41 11,980 cc V8 diesel 145 hp (108 kW) at 1,900 rpm |
| Suspension | Semi-elliptic leaf springs |
| Ground clearance | 41 cm (16 in) |
| Operational range | 200 km (120 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 33 km/h (21 mph) on road |
The M 14/41 was a four-crew medium tank that served from 1941 in the Royal Italian Army. The official Italian designation was Carro Armato M 14/41. The tank was first employed in the North African Campaign where its shortcomings quickly became apparent.
History
Development
The M 14/41 was a slightly improved version of the earlier M 13/40 with a more powerful diesel engine. The M 14/41 was manufactured in 1941 and 1942.
In combat
Units
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The first unit to receive the M14/41 was the X Tank Battalion "M" of the 133rd Tank Infantry Regiment. The other units assigned the tank were the following:
- IV Tank Battalion "M", 31st Tank Infantry Regiment (later transferred to the 133rd Tank Infantry Regiment)
- X Tank Battalion "M", 133rd Tank Infantry Regiment (later transferred to the 132nd Tank Infantry Regiment)
- XII Tank Battalion "M", 31st Tank Infantry Regiment (later transferred to the 133rd Tank Infantry Regiment)
- XIV Tank Battalion "M", 31st Tank Infantry Regiment
- XV Tank Battalion "M", 1st Infantry Division "Superga"
- XVI Mixed Tank Battalion, in Sardinia
- XVII Tank Battalion "M", 31st Tank Infantry Regiment
- XVIII Tank Battalion "M", reserve unit based in Italy, disbanded 8 September 1943
- LI Tank Battalion "M", 31st Tank Infantry Regiment (later transferred to the 133rd Tank Infantry Regiment)
Variants
The M 14/41 chassis served as the basis for the far more successful Semovente da 90/53 tank destroyer.
The prototype Carro Armato Celere Sahariano was developed on the M 14/41 chassis in 1943.
References
- Notes
- Cappellano, Filippo; Battistelli, Pier Paolo. Italian Medium Tanks (New Vanguard) (p. 67). Bloomsbury Publishing.
- ^ Falessi & Pafi 1976, p. 67.
- ^ Cappellano & Battistelli 2012, p. 46.
- David, B. "Carro Armato M14/41". tanks-encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ Pignato 2004, p. 41.
- ^ Falessi & Pafi 1976, p. 74.
- Bibliography
- Falessi, Cesare; Pafi, Benedetto (1976). Veicoli da Combattimento dell'Esercito Italiano dal 1939 al 1945. Intyrama books.
- Cappellano, F.; Battistelli, P. P. (2012). Italian medium tanks, 1939–45. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781849087759.
- Pignato, Nicola (2004). Italian Armored Vehicles of World War Two. Squadron/Signal publications. ISBN 0-89747-475-9.
External links
- M13/40, M14/41 Medium Tanks at wwiivehicles.com
- Polish site about Fiat M14/41 with many pictures
- Tanks encyclopedia: Carro Armato M14/41
| World War II armoured fighting vehicles of Italy | |
|---|---|
| Tankettes | |
| Light tanks | |
| Medium tanks | |
| Heavy tanks | |
| Self-propelled guns | |
| Armoured cars | |
| Armoured trucks | |
| Half-tracks | |
| Experimental | |