- Yes
- Maybe
- No
History.
When it entered the war alongside the Germans in 1940, the Royal Italian Army was mainly equipped with small tanks of the CV (or L) series. Although cheap and relatively easy to produce, these tanks were poorly armed and protected and were virtually obsolete by the Spanish Civil War. The development of more powerful vehicles, namely the M series of medium tanks, was underway, but limited production capabilities and some poor decisions ultimately led to a rather slow production and introduction of armored vehicles into the ranks of tank divisions. After observing the German allies’ StuG III, the Royal Army and Fiat-Ansaldo had the idea of developing a similar vehicle using Italian armament and hull. This led to the creation of a series of vehicles which, the Semoventi da 75/18 and all the other derivatives always armed with a 75 mm, offered Italian tankmen a means to fight enemy tanks more effectively. While the 75mm gun could fulfill this role, something with more firepower, such as a 90mm or something even bigger, was preferable. Meanwhile Ansaldo, Italy’s largest cannon manufacturer, was working to make one of its most powerful artillery pieces quicker to use. Like all towed guns, the 149/40 Model 1935 needed some time to be properly batteryed before it could attack effectively. Mounting this gun on a tracked chassis would have greatly solved the mobility problem. So between 1942 and 1943 Ansaldo engineers began to develop such a vehicle. The prototype was completed in mid-1943 and was presented and tested at the Royal Italian Army. It is not known what impression the vehicle made among the high command, but it is known that Ansaldo began work to produce two dozen examples. Unfortunately, with the events of the armistice, only the prototype was actually built, and it was later captured first by the Germans and then by the Americans, who took it to an armored vehicles museum in Oklahoma.
Armaments and propulsion.
The tank was armed with a 149 mm caliber Ansaldo 149/40 Model 1935 cannon. Normally the cannon could fire one round per minute at a maximum range of 22 km away. The tank’s engine was a SPA 228 petrol engine with 250 hp power. Unfortunately there is little information on the engine, but this power allows the tank to reach a maximum speed of about 32 km/h.
Specifications.
Spoiler
Crew: 4-5
Mass: 24 tons
Length: 6.6 m
Width: 3 m
Height: 2.01 m
Armor: 30-0 mm
Armament: 1x 149/40 Cannon Model 1935
Ammo reserve: 8 rounds
Engine: SPA 228 petrol engine with 250 hp power
Power/weight: 10.25 hp/t
Suspension: leaf spring type P.40 strengthened
Maximum speed: 35 km/h
Pictures and drawnings.
Sources.
Spoiler
149/40 (semovente) - Wikipedia
WWW.CORAZZATI.IT
SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM: Il cannone pesante Ansaldo 149/40 Mod. 1935 ed il Il Semovente da 149/40 propulso da un motore SPA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw3MeM2yZEo
Semovente M43 da 149/40 - Tank Encyclopedia
Semovente da 105/25 su M43 e 149/40 - Esercito - Aerei Militari Forum
Semovente da 149/40 History and Specifications - Comando Supremo
Semovente da 149/40 - Wikipedia
GLI AUTOVEICOLI DA COMBATTIMENTO DELL'ESERCITO ITALIANO VOL II TOMO II by Biblioteca Militare - Issuu
GLI AUTOVEICOLI DA COMBATTIMENTO DELL'ESERCITO ITALIANO VOL II TOMO I by Biblioteca Militare - Issuu
LA MECCANIZZAZIONE DELL'ESERCITO FINO AL 1943 tomo I -parte 2 by Biblioteca Militare - Issuu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQB0m9Bh4r4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_qz0ki4Ctg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4EGva5zYYA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKKq8ZLIDF0