M13/40
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Abandoned M13/40 North Africa
Camouflaged M13/40
Camouflaged M13/40 1943
Captured M13/40 "Wally" of 6th Australian Division Cavalry Regiment
Captured M13/40 tanks
Carro Armato M13/40 of the Division Ariete
Carro Commando M40
Column of M13/40 tanks 1943 2
Destroyed M13/40 "3323"
Destroyed M13/40 2
Destroyed M13/40 3
Destroyed M13/40 4
Destroyed M13/40 5
Early M13/40
Early M13/40 2
Early M13/40 3
Early M13/40 factory 2
ex-australian M13/40 1941
Italian Army tank crew
Italian crew with M13/40 Africa 2
Italian officers at a presentation of M13/40
Late M13/40 III serie
Loading M13/40 onto truck
M13/40 "3123" of the IX Battaglione Carri
M13/40 "3373" of the 132nd Armoured Division Ariete
M13/40 1 serie Yugoslavia 1941/1942
M13/40 10
M13/40 11
M13/40 12
M13/40 132nd Armoured Division Ariete 2
M13/40 16
M13/40 19
M13/40 1941
M13/40 1942 2
M13/40 1942 3
M13/40 1942 5
M13/40 1943
M13/40 1943 5
M13/40 20
M13/40 21
M13/40 22
M13/40 23
M13/40 25
M13/40 27
M13/40 28
M13/40 29
M13/40 30
M13/40 3374 1942
M13/40 7
M13/40 9
M13/40 Ariete Division, North African Campaign
M13/40 Bengasi 1942
M13/40 crew
M13/40 Division Ariete January 1942
M13/40 Division Ariete Libia
M13/40 Division Littorio Libya
M13/40 Division Littorio Libya 2
M13/40 during maintenance 1942 Africa
M13/40 during trials
M13/40 during trials
M13/40 during trials 31
M13/40 Egipt
M13/40 fording
M13/40 from 132nd Armoured Division Ariete Bengasi 1942
M13/40 from 133° Divisione Corazzata Littorio
M13/40 from 133° Divisione Corazzata Littorio 1942 2
M13/40 frontal view
M13/40 II Serie Tripoli
M13/40 II Serie VII Battaglione carri 1942
M13/40 in factory 3
M13/40 in the North African desert
M13/40 left side 8
M13/40 Libia 1941
M13/40 Libia 1941 2
M13/40 Libia 2
M13/40 Libya 1942
M13/40 loaded in the bed of the truck
M13/40 mid of 132nd Armoured Division Ariete Bengasi
M13/40 Milan April 1945
M13/40 moving quickly over rough terrain
M13/40 North Africa, DAK 18
M13/40 North African Campaign 1942 4
M13/40 of 131st Armoured Division Centauro
M13/40 of Ariete Armoured Division6
M13/40 of the 133rd Armoured Division Littorio 1942
M13/40 of the G.N.R. RSI Milan 1944
M13/40 of the IV Battaglione carri 2
M13/40 of the LI Battaglione Carri Littorio 1942
M13/40 of the VII battaglione Africa
M13/40 of the VII Battaglione carri Africa 1942
M13/40 prototype 2
M13/40 prototype 3
M13/40 prototype during field tests
M13/40 RE 3359
M13/40 RE 3581 Tunisia 1943
M13/40 RE2819
M13/40 RE340 Division Littorio, VII battalion Libya 1942
M13/40 Rome 8 September 1943
M13/40 tank crew Libia 3
M13/40 tanks
M13/40 tanks 14
M13/40 tanks 1941
M13/40 tanks 1941/42
M13/40 tanks 2
M13/40 tanks 32
M13/40 tanks 4
M13/40 tanks 5
M13/40 tanks Africa 17
M13/40 tanks factory
M13/40 tanks from 132nd Armoured Division Ariete 4
M13/40 tanks from Division Littorio 1942 2
M13/40 tanks from IV Battaglione carri
M13/40 tanks lined up
M13/40 tanks North Africa
M13/40 tanks North Africa 3
M13/40 tanks of 133rd Armoured Division Littorio 1942
M13/40 tanks of the 133rd Armoured Division Littorio 2
M13/40 tanks of the 51 Battaglione carri
M13/40 top view
M13/40 Toretta Telemetrica - Artillery Observation Vehicle 2
M13/40 Toretta Telemetrica 3
M13/40 Toretta Telemetrica rear view
M13/40 trials 2
M13/40 trials 5
M13/40 trials 6
M13/40 Tripoli 1941
M13/40 Tripoli 23 March 1941
M13/40 Tunisia 1943 2
M13/40 wooden mockup
M13/40 workshop
M13/40 Yugoslavia 1941/42
M14/41 abandoned and captured by U.S. forces 1943
M14/41 Bizerte, Tunisia 1942
M14/41 Bizerte, Tunisia 1942 3
M40 commando
Sandbagged M13/40 Libia
Sandbagged M13/40 Tunisia 1943
US Ambulance Drivers Inspect KO M13/40 Tunisia 1943
US Crews salvage Fiat-Ansaldo M13/40 tanks Tunisia
The Carro Armato M13/40 was the primary medium tank of the Italian Regio Esercito during the early years of World War II, serving as the backbone of its armored divisions. Developed as a direct successor to the unsatisfactory M11/39, the M13/40 (where 'M' denotes Medio, '13' its approximate weight in metric tons, and '40' its year of adoption) addressed the critical design flaw of its predecessor by mounting the main armament in a fully rotating turret rather than a hull casemate.
Development and Design
Principal designer Giuseppe Rosini at Ansaldo utilized the basic hull and suspension of the M11/39 as a starting point, but significantly revised the superstructure and armament. The first prototype was completed in October 1939 and officially adopted on February 15, 1940. The vehicle featured a riveted and bolted construction, as the Italian industry at the time lacked the advanced skills required for extensive welding.
The tank had a crew of four: a driver and a hull machine gunner (who often doubled as a radio operator) seated in the front, and a commander (who also served as the gunner) and a loader located in the turret. This two-man turret arrangement was a significant tactical drawback, as it overburdened the commander with the tasks of observing the battlefield, directing the crew, and aiming the main gun.
Armament and Protection
The primary weapon was an Ansaldo 47/32 semi-automatic gun, a modification of the standard Austrian-designed anti-tank piece. This gun had a muzzle velocity of 630 meters per second and was capable of penetrating 43mm of armor at 500 meters, which made it a respectable match for British Cruiser and light tanks during 1941. However, it became increasingly outclassed by late 1942 with the arrival of heavier Allied armor like the M3 Grant and M4 Sherman. The vehicle typically carried 87 rounds for the main gun.
Secondary armament consisted of four 8mm Breda Model 38 machine guns: two mounted in a twin gimbal mount in the front right of the hull, one coaxially with the 47mm gun, and a fourth mounted on top of the turret for anti-aircraft defense.
The armor protection ranged from a maximum of 42mm on the gun mantlet and 30mm on the turret and hull front, to 25mm on the sides and rear. While initially adequate against small arms and light anti-tank weapons, this armor was easily defeated by the standard British 2-pounder and 25-pounder guns. Italian crews often resorted to stacking sandbags on the front hull to provide a modicum of additional protection, though this added weight further strained the already underpowered engine.
Powerplant and Mobility
The M13/40 was powered by a 125 HP SPA 8T V-8 liquid-cooled diesel engine. The choice of a diesel engine was a positive feature as it reduced the risk of fires when hit and provided better fuel economy. However, the 125 HP output was insufficient for a 14-ton vehicle, resulting in a low power-to-weight ratio of approximately 9.12 HP/ton. The tank had a maximum road speed of approximately 32 km/h and an off-road speed of 15 km/h. Its operational range was 200–210 km on road and roughly 12 hours off-road.
The suspension system, which would remain standard for all subsequent Italian medium and heavy tanks, consisted of four bogie assemblies on each side, with each bogie carrying four pairs of wheels supported by semi-elliptical leaf springs. While generally reliable, the narrow tracks (260mm) resulted in high ground pressure, causing the tank to frequently sink in soft ground or sand.
Operational Service
Total production of the M13/40 reached 710 units before being succeeded by the improved M14/41 in late 1941. The tank saw its baptism of fire in North Africa in late 1940 with the III/32nd Tank Battalion. It served in every major engagement in the Western Desert, including the 1940 offensive into Egypt and the battles of Gazala and El Alamein.
In the harsh desert environment, the M13/40 suffered from severe mechanical reliability issues, particularly regarding its cooling system and air filters, which were not properly adapted for sand and extreme heat. By the end of 1941, many units had been lost or captured; the Australian 6th Cavalry and other Commonwealth forces frequently pressed captured M13/40s into service, often painting large white kangaroos on the turrets to prevent friendly fire.
Following the Italian armistice in September 1943, approximately 22 M13/40 tanks were seized by German forces, who designated them as Panzerkampfwagen M13/40 735 (i) for use in secondary roles and anti-partisan operations. The chassis of the M13/40 also provided the critical foundation for the development of the Semovente da 75/18, Italy's most successful self-propelled gun of the war.