The (non) Italian tanks: the M11/39

(To Francesco Sisto)
28/10/24

THEM11 / 39 was an Italian medium tank (made by Ansaldo) used during the Second World War. The main users of the vehicle were the Royal Army, the National Republican Army and the Australian Army as war booty (opening photo).

The vehicle was conceived and designed at the end of the 1939s and began to be produced in XNUMX.

Overall, about a hundred units were built. It is also worth noting that – around 1939 – the vehicle's hull underwent modifications and from these adjustments the tank was created. M13 / 40The latter was the main tank used by the Italians in the Second World War.

THEM11 / 39 it was slow and weak in terms of armour, the armament, considered “passable” (a 37 mm cannon and two 8 mm Breda machine guns), contained – in essence – the use of the tank.

The gun was positioned in a casemate, while the machine guns were located in the 360° rotating turret. It can be said that the vehicle “it therefore operated like a self-propelled gun, since the aiming of the piece had to occur with lateral movements of the vehicle”.1 For these reasons and for the "lacking functionality" – to use a euphemism – theM11 / 39 it was rightly judged negatively by the military technicians of the period.

During the conflict, the Royal Army used the tank in North Africa and East Africa and the results were disastrous. In fact, the Italian tank was literally outclassed by the armoured vehicles of the British Army.

The tank M11 / 39 It was 4,7 m long, 2,3 m high, 2,2 m wide and weighed 11.175 kg.

The armor was 30 mm (front), 14 mm (side), 7 mm (rear) and 8 mm (top).

The armament consisted of a 40 mm Vickers-Terni L37 cannon and 8 mm Breda machine guns.

Engine: SPA 8T V-8 diesel, power 105 hp.

The maximum speed was 32,2 km/h.

The vessel could count on a crew of 3 men.

1 PF Cazzani, The M11/39 tank, in Illustrated History n°193, 1973, p.109

Photo: web