- Yes
- No
Description: The Semovente M7 da 105/34 was an Italian-modified version of the American M7 self-propelled gun. The M7 was made in 1942, and it entered service in the same year with the US Army. It was based on the M4 Sherman hull, and it featured a 105/22 mm cannon. It was used against the various axis nations on every front where the US army was deployed. It was also extensively used by nearly all allied nations, including the British, who gave him the surname "priest."During the conflict, a total of 3490 units were made in several different versions, with the last one being the M7A2. In the Italian army service, the first M7s with the 105/22 gun were delivered back in 1947. It entered service with a new artillery brigade in 1948, and by the end of 1951, the unit had received 18 M7s. Other 129 units were later donated by the United States as additional help to boost the Italian army SPG numbers. The Italian army also modified various M7s for different roles. The first modification was the Priest M7, a modified M7 without the gun but with additional radio to be used as a command vehicle. Around 60 units were configured in this version, and they were all replaced by the M113 in the early 1960s. The second version realized was fitted with the 105/34 cannon (the subject of this suggestion), an Italian-modified 155/22 with a longer barrel to increase the ranage and the speed of the round. The last one was a modification for the British version of the M7, the sexton with modified traks and a 105/22 cannon. They served until the late fifties, when they were gradually replaced with the M44 and with the M109 in the early sixties. Some units managed to survive to these days and are exposed inside some museums all over Italy. Regarding this version in particular, the M7 105/34, as said earlier, featured the 105/22 gun with a longer barrel. It was made in 1959 as an upgrade to increase the range from 10.700 m to 14.600 m. It had the same ammunitions of the normal Priest but with a better muzzle velocity of 622 m/s. Only one unit was modified with this cannon, and although it proved a very successful upgrade, it only remained on the prototype due to the complexity of the sistem and because the 105 mm cannon was no longer considered NATO standard howitzer.
Why it should be in game: It could be an interesting an unique veichle and could offer to the Italian tt a new anty tank spg at 5.3-5.7
Specifications
Riepilogo
|## M7 Priest specifications|
Dimensions: 14.3x 7.5x 8.8 ft (4.4x 2.3x 2.7 m)
Total weight: 25.3 tons (50,600 lbs)
Crew: 4 (driver, commander, gunner, loader)
Propulsion: Continental Radial R975 C1
Speed: 24 mph (39 km/h) road 15 mph and (24 km/h) off-road|
Range: 120 mi (193 km)
Armament: a single 105/34 mm cannon plus a Cal.50 (12.7 mm) M2 HMG
Armor: From 0.5 to 1.5 (final drive assembly 4.25) in (12 to 38 mm)
Sources
Riepilogo
GLI AUTOVEICOLI DA COMBATTIMENTO DELL'ESERCITO ITALIANO VOL III TOMO II by Biblioteca Militare - Issuu
US WW2 self propelled gun M7 Priest
Semoventi d’artiglieria Italiani anni 50: Sexton 88/27 ed M7 105/22 scala 1/35
M7 Priest pag.1
Длинноствол по-итальянски: yuripasholok — LiveJournal
Le artiglierie a traino meccanico dell’Esercito Italiano 1945-2018, Cappellano, Mosolo
Pictures
