M15/42

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Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
it_m15_42.png
GarageImage M15 42.jpg
ArtImage M15-42.png
M15/42
AB RB SB
2.7 2.7 2.7
Class:
Research:7 900 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:10 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
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Description

The Fiat-Ansaldo M15/42 is a rank II Italian medium tank with a battle rating of 2.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.85 "Supersonic". The M15/42 is the last tank before getting to the P40 and foreign medium tanks and is the final version of the Carro Armato, thus giving some notable improvements over the previous models.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull50 / 25 / 25
Turret45 / 25 / 25
Crew4 people
Visibility82 %

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret)
  • Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet, MG port)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 50 mm (12°) Upper plate
30 mm (12°) + 30 mm (spherical) MG port
25 mm (80°) Front glacis
30 mm (cylindrical) Lower plate
25 mm (8°) Top
25 mm Bottom
30 mm (9-12°) MG bulge
25 mm Upper part
25 mm (15°) Lower part
25 mm (10°) Front glacis
25 mm Crew compartment
8 mm (15°) Rear section - Engine
5-25 mm (8°) Rear section - Radiator vents
Turret 30 + 40 mm (cylindrical) Gun mantlet
45 mm (13°) Turret front
50 mm Turret ring
25 mm (20°)
50 mm Turret ring
15 mm (5°)

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick and bogies 10 mm thick.
  • The M15/42's belly is 14 mm thick.
  • Mudguards are 4 mm thick.
Turret

The turret is only 25 mm at the side, but due to the roundness and the slope of the armour at the front of the tank, it has an effective thickness of ~70 mm which can bounce poorly aimed shots. The mantlet has two layers of armour stacked on top of each other, giving an effective thickness of 75 mm, however, it has a shot trap on the left side which only has a thickness between 29 mm and 49 mm however due to the low battle rating, most new players won't know to shoot there. Despite the shot trap, the combination of good, sloped and rounded turret armour can make the M15/42 effective at hull-down positions.

Hull

The top of the hull has decent protection in the form of a 50 mm frontal plate and a ludicrously sloped (80°) 20 mm plate which has an effective thickness of ~75 mm. However, the lower glacis plate only has a thickness of 30 mm and is directly in front of the transmission, so shots there will cripple the tank's mobility and possible result in its destruction.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB43 / 4 km/h
RB and SB39 / 4 km/h
Number of gears5 forward
1 back
Weight15.0 t
Engine power
AB353 hp
RB and SB185 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB23.5 hp/t
RB and SB12.3 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 43 4 15 287 353 19.13 23.53
Realistic 39 4 164 185 10.93 12.33

The M15/42 is not a shining star on the battlefield, however, when it comes to mobility, this medium tank can get around. While being understandably significantly slower than most light tanks encountered at this battle rating, it can hold its own over most terrain as a medium tank, sacrificing armour for mobility.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB392 → 530 Sl icon.png
RB433 → 585 Sl icon.png
SB520 → 703 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications6 910 Rp icon.png
6 740 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost530 Ge icon.png
Crew training3 000 Sl icon.png
Experts10 000 Sl icon.png
Aces115 Ge icon.png
Research Aces160 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
30 / 40 / 40 % Sl icon.png
112 / 112 / 112 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
460 Rp icon.png
Cost:
450 Sl icon.png
80 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
390 Rp icon.png
Cost:
380 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
390 Rp icon.png
Cost:
380 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
430 Rp icon.png
Cost:
420 Sl icon.png
75 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
750 Rp icon.png
Cost:
730 Sl icon.png
130 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
750 Rp icon.png
Cost:
730 Sl icon.png
130 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
460 Rp icon.png
Cost:
450 Sl icon.png
80 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
390 Rp icon.png
Cost:
380 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement it.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
430 Rp icon.png
Cost:
420 Sl icon.png
75 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
460 Rp icon.png
Cost:
450 Sl icon.png
80 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
390 Rp icon.png
Cost:
380 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
430 Rp icon.png
Cost:
420 Sl icon.png
75 Ge icon.png
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Research:
430 Rp icon.png
Cost:
420 Sl icon.png
75 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
750 Rp icon.png
Cost:
730 Sl icon.png
130 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Main armament

Ammunition111 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
3.8 → 2.9 s
Vertical guidance-10° / 20°
Main article: 47/40 mod.38 (47 mm)
47 mm 47/40 mod.38 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 111 -10°/+20° ±180° N/A 13.3 18.5 22.4 24.8 26.4 3.77 3.33 3.07 2.90
Realistic 8.3 9.8 11.9 13.2 14.0

The 47/40 mod.38 cannon is quite the powerhouse at this rank, especially due to the effective shells at its disposal. The mod.39 shell has a decent muzzle velocity of 755 m/s, good post-penetration damage and adequate penetration at close ranges. However, it quickly loses effectiveness at longer ranges. This encourages the player to fight in the mid-range area, almost always in a hull-down position.

Ammunition

The shells available for the M15/42 are limited:

  • Granata mod.35: HE; a high-explosive useful for destroying open and lightly armoured vehicles. It however is a very slow shell travelling (twice slower than the other projectile). You can pack a few of those as you lack a heavy machine gun.
  • Granata Perforante mod.39: APBC; a solid shot with an average penetration and good explosive filler. Make sure to target modules and crew positions to maximise the damage. A single shot may be effective against armoured cars and smaller or cramped vehicles but disabling the enemy gunner on your first shot will be critical to win engagements against bigger opponents as you'll most likely need several shots. This shell should be your default ammunition.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
Granata mod.35 HE 5 5 5 5 5 5
Granata Perforante mod.39 APBC 62 61 53 46 39 33
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Granata mod.35 HE 364 2.37 0.1 0.1 150 79° 80° 81°
Granata Perforante mod.39 APBC 755 1.44 1.2 9 30 47° 60° 65°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M15/42
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
111 104 (+7) 95 (+16) (+110) Yes

Notes:

  • The visual discrepancy concerns rack 1, which is modeled as 9 shells each but will disappear after you've fired 8 shells from it.
  • As they are modeled by sets of 2 to 5 shells, sets disappear from the rack only after you fire all shells in the set.
  • The massive rack 3 depletes from the centre outwards.

Machine guns

Ammunition288 rounds
Belt capacity24 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate600 shots/min
Ammunition1 536 rounds
Belt capacity24 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate600 shots/min
Main article: Breda Mod. 38 (8 mm)
8 mm Breda Mod. 38
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 288 (24) 600 N/A N/A
Pintle 1,536 (24) 600 -10°/+20° N/A

The small calibre of the Breda Mod. 38 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight. The pintle-mounted MG can not pivot independently from the turret. Two additional hull-mounted Breda machine guns are modeled but not usable.

Usage in battles

Combat tactics

The M15/42 is basically a M14/41 tank boasting a better gun, a more powerful engine and thus sitting at a higher battle rating. With the BR increase, the competition gets also tougher. That's why the M15/42 features henceforth average armour for its rank, especially the sides and around the turret. Frontally, the massive 50 mm front plate is the biggest weak spot: flat, hard to miss and a penetrating shot through this plate will kill the driver and the gunner that sits behind him. To avoid this, you can angle your tank about 30 degrees to the left to hide your flat plate and present instead the MG bulge that could absorb some shots. This however is not a durable strategy, any expert tanker won't fall for that trick.

The M15/42's top speed of 38 km/h limits its opportunities as a flanker. Its flat armour also limits its capacity to advance exposed in the open and its rather slow turret rotation prevents it from reacting quickly to 360° threats as a frontline tank. Its solid 47 mm gun on the other hand coupled with 15 degrees of gun depression makes the M15/42 a good support tank. Stay behind cover at a distance (500 to 700 m) from the frontline to support spearheading tanks, this will also increase your armour advantage. On top of that, the M15/42 sports with a crew of 4 (and 1 spare) a longer durability than most tanks at its BR. When being focused on the action, it is imperative to always check for 2 main threats: flanking enemies who could reach you quickly from the frontline and tank destroyers with a high penetration power lurking at a safe distance. If you're flanked, your turret doesn't turn all too fast: rotate your hull instead. Pivot turning in the M15/42 will always be faster than turning your turret. If you spot a tank destroyer aligned on your position, retreat or get behind cover.

Notable enemies
  • Heavy tanks like B1 bis or B1 ter whose armour is too strong for your gun,
  • Tank destroyers with powerful guns like the Marder III, ZiS-30, Ho-Ni I, Ho-Ni III, Chi-Ha LG or the LVT(A)(4) (ZiS-2) (China),
  • Tanks with HEAT shells like the Pz. IV E, F1, the StuG III A or the StuH 42 G,
  • Tanks with APDS shells like the Strv m/40L, the Strv m/41 S-II or the Lago I,
  • Tanks with many crew members like the M3 Lee, the Grant I, the T-28 or the T-28E whose durability is high.
How to defeat a M15/42

Rule of thumb is to get as close as possible as you can to maximise your penetration power as its armour is flat.

  • In a frontal encounter, shoot right in the middle of the front plate if the M15/42 did not angle its hull. This will knock out the gunner and the driver.
  • If it is hull down, aim at the turret cheeks.
  • If its hull is angled, aim at the flat corners of the hull.
  • If you manage to flank the M15/42, aim for the hull spot right under the center of the turret or the turret itself.
  • From the rear, target the turret first and then the crew compartment right under the turret (avoid shooting in the engine compartment: it will absorb shots with little damage to the crew).

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Decent frontal armour, especially when angled or in a hull-down position
  • Decent mobility
  • The Mod.39 shell has effective penetration for the BR and quite good post-penetration damage
  • Best shell is unlocked by standard
  • Decent gun depression of 10°
  • Adequate turret traverse
  • Due to the 80° angle the upper glacis is angled at, it can be a very good shot-bouncer
  • Decent muzzle velocity

Cons:

  • Crew is cramped
  • Mod.39 shell rapidly loses effectiveness at range
  • Although better than previous italian medium tanks, giant flat plate on the hull front provides a massive weakspot
  • Rest of the armour is mediocre at best
  • Shots to the lower glacis almost always result in the transmission breaking

History

The last version of the M13 series. The M15/42 was slightly longer than the preceding models and had a higher-velocity 47mm gun, a more powerful engine, and improved armour. In total 112 were built, before production was switched to the tank destroyer version (the Semovente M42 da 75/18). By September 1943 when Italy surrendered, 82 of those had been issued to army units, in five-tank platoons. Their only use in combat by an Italian Army unit was actually against the Germans that month, in particular by the 135th "Ariete II" Division in the defence of Rome.

Germany confiscated 92 on Italy's surrender and produced another 28 themselves. Some were turned over to Italian forces. While most remained in Italy, some were also employed by the German forces in Hungary.

Media

Skins
Videos

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

External links


FIAT-Ansaldo
Autoblindo  AB 41 · AB 43
Light Tanks  L6/40 · L6/40 (31 Rgt.)
Medium Tanks  Celere Sahariano
M11/39  M11/39
M13/40  M13/40 (I) · M13/40 (II) · M13/40 (III)
M14/41  M14/41 · M14/41 (47/40)
M15/42  M15/42
P40  P40 · P40 "G.C. Leoncello"
Tank Destroyers 
L3/33  L3/33 CC
Semovente L40  47/32 L40
Semovente M41  75/18 M41 · 75/32 M41 · 90/53 M41M
Semovente M42  75/34 M42
Semovente M43  105/25 M43 · M43 "G.C.Leoncello" · 75/34 M43 · 75/46 M43
SPAAs  M42 Contraereo

Italy medium tanks
  Italy
M13/40  M13/40 (I) · M13/40 (II) · M13/40 (III)
M14/41  M14/41 · M14/41 (47/40)
M15/42  M15/42
M16/43  Celere Sahariano
P26/40  P40 · P40 "G.C. Leoncello"
OF-40  OF-40 · OF-40 Mk.2A · OF-40 (MTCA)
Ariete  Ariete (P) · Ariete · Ariete PSO · Ariete AMV
Germany  ▄Pz.III N · ▄Pz.IV G · ▄Leopard 1A5
Allied powers  ▄Sherman I Composito · Sherman Ic · ▄Sherman Vc · ▄Sherman V · M26 "D.C.Ariete" · M26A1 · M47 (105/55) · M60A1 "D.C.Ariete"
  Hungary
Turán  Turan I · Turan II · Turan III
Germany  ◔Leopard 2A4 · Leopard 2A7HU
USSR  ◔T-72M1