Tankopedia
WW2MediumMedium TankItaly

Fiat M13/40

In service 1940 - 1943

Italy's standard medium tank in the desert - decent gun, riveted armour, poor reliability.

Built byFiat-Ansaldo

Photograph pending. No clearly licensed photograph of this vehicle was found.

Development history

The M13/40 gave Italian armoured divisions a real anti-tank capability with its 47/32 gun, effective against early British cruisers. Riveted construction sprayed the crew with rivet heads when hit, cooling and reliability were weak in desert heat, and by 1942 British 6-pounders made it obsolete.

Variants

One canonical record, 3 recorded variants.

  1. M13/40

    1940

    125 hp diesel, 47/32 gun, riveted construction.

  2. M14/41

    1941

    145 hp engine and improved air filters for desert use.

  3. M15/42

    1943

    Petrol engine, longer 47/40 gun and a lengthened hull.

Notable actions

  • Operation Crusader 1941
  • Gazala 1942
  • Second Battle of El Alamein 1942