M14/41 tank
| 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 |  Italy Germany Australia United Kingdom |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Fiat-Ansaldo |
| Produced | 1941–42 |
| No. built | 800 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 14.5 t (32,000 lb) |
| Length | 4.915 m (193.5 in)[1] |
| Width | 2.280 m (89.8 in)[2] |
| Height | 2.370 m (93.3 in)[2] |
| Crew | 4 (commander/radio operator, gunner, driver) |
| Armour | |
Main armament | 1 × 47 mm cannone da 47/32 AT gun 87 rounds[3] |
Secondary armament | 4 × 8 mm Breda mod. 38 machine guns (1 × coaxial, 1 × AA, 2 × in hull) 2,664 rounds[3] |
| Engine | SPA 15 T M41 11,140 cc V8 diesel 145 hp (108 kW) at 1,900 rpm[4] |
| Suspension | Semi-elliptic leaf springs |
| Ground clearance | 41 cm (16 in)[1] |
Operational range | 200 km (120 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 33 km/h (21 mph) on road[4] |
The Fiat M 14/41 was a four-person 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. It was produced in limited numbers as it was considered already obsolete by the time of its introduction. The M 14/41 used the same chassis as the M13/40 but with a redesigned hull with better armour. The M 14/41 was manufactured in 1941 and 1942. Nearly 800 were produced by the time production ended.
In combat
The tank was first employed in the North African Campaign where its shortcomings quickly became apparent. The vehicle was unreliable and cramped, and caught fire easily when hit. Following the withdrawal of Italian forces from North Africa the M14/41 was rarely encountered, though many captured vehicles were pressed into service by British and Australian forces to fill the serious shortage of Allied tanks in 1941. These vehicles did not remain in Allied service for long.
Variants
The M 14/41chassis served as the for the far more successful Semovente da 90/53 tank destroyer.
References
- Notes
- ^ a b c d e Falessi and Pafi 1976, p. 67.
- ^ a b Cappellano and Battistelli 2012, p. 46.
- ^ a b Pignato 2004, p. 41.
- ^ a b Falessi and 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.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - Trewhitt, Philip (1999). Armored Fighting Vehicles. New York, NY: Amber Books. p. 29. ISBN 0-7607-1260-3.
External links
- M13/40, M14/41 Medium Tanks at wwiivehicles.com
- Polish site about Fiat M14/41 with many pictures