Difference between revisions of "75/18 M41"
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− | {{Specs-Card|code=it_semovente_m41_75_18}} | + | {{Specs-Card |
+ | |code=it_semovente_m41_75_18 | ||
+ | |images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_75_18_M41.jpg|ArtImage_75_18_M41.png}} | ||
+ | }} | ||
== Description == | == Description == | ||
− | <!--''In the description, the first part | + | <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' --> |
− | The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a | + | The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Italian tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]]. |
== General info == | == General info == | ||
=== Survivability and armour === | === Survivability and armour === | ||
− | + | {{Specs-Tank-Armour}} | |
+ | <!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' --> | ||
− | + | '''Armour type:''' | |
+ | |||
+ | * Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, casemate) | ||
+ | * Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet) | ||
+ | |||
+ | {| class="wikitable" | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | ! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Hull || 25 mm (80°) ''Upper glacis'' <br> 30 mm (cylindrical) ''Lower plate'' || 25 mm || 25 mm ''Upper part'' <br> 27 mm (20°) ''Lower part'' || 25 mm (10°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 10 mm (16°) ''Rear - Engine hood'' <br> 5-25 mm (8°) ''Rear - Radiator vents'' | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Casemate || 50 mm (5°) ''Casemate front plate'' <br> 50 + 50 mm (spherical) ''Gun mantlet'' <br> 30 mm (65°) ''Plate connecting with hull'' || 25 mm (8-9°) || 25 mm || 15 mm ''Centre'' <br> 15 mm (20°) ''Sides'' | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | |} | ||
+ | '''Notes:''' | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Suspension wheels and bogies are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick. | ||
+ | * The belly is 15 mm thick. | ||
+ | * Mudguards are 4 mm thick. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Semovente 75/18 offers little in the way of effective protection, with its primary defence against enemy tanks being its small frontal profile. the 50 mm frontal plate struggles to keep out even rank 1 British and US guns at close range, while the extremely cramped interior means that penetrations will often knock out multiple crew members or modules in a single shot. Any shot to the sides will most likely be an instant knock out. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Unlike many of its low-rank open-top contemporaries, the {{PAGENAME}}'s fully-enclosed design offers protection against small-calibre machine gun fire and against artillery blast and HE shells. However, it still is very vulnerable to strafing aircraft and heavy calibre MG fire. | ||
=== Mobility === | === Mobility === | ||
− | The | + | {{Specs-Tank-Mobility}} |
+ | <!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' --> | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{tankMobility|abMinHp=227|rbMinHp=142}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | The {{PAGENAME}} is reasonably mobile for a low-rank tank destroyer, hitting around 30km/h on flat ground off-road with a fairly fast hull traverse and a poor reverse speed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Modifications and economy === | ||
+ | {{Specs-Economy}} | ||
== Armaments == | == Armaments == | ||
+ | {{Specs-Tank-Armaments}} | ||
=== Main armament === | === Main armament === | ||
− | <!--''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the | + | {{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}} |
+ | <!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' --> | ||
{{main|75/18 mod.34 (75 mm)}} | {{main|75/18 mod.34 (75 mm)}} | ||
− | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center | + | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%" |
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− | ! colspan=" | + | ! colspan="5" | [[75/18 mod.34 (75 mm)|75 mm 75/18 mod.34]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds) |
|- | |- | ||
− | ! | + | ! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer |
− | ! | + | ! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced |
− | ! | + | ! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced |
− | ! | ||
− | ! | ||
− | ! | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | + | ! ''Arcade'' | |
+ | | rowspan="2" | 43 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+22° || rowspan="2" | ±18° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 12.3 || 17.1 || 20.7 || 22.9 || 24.4 || rowspan="2" | 7.80 || rowspan="2" | 6.90 || rowspan="2" | 6.36 || rowspan="2" | 6.00 | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | + | ! ''Realistic'' | |
− | + | | 8.3 || 9.8 || 11.9 || 13.2 || 14.0 | |
− | |||
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|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
− | + | ==== Ammunition ==== | |
− | {| | + | {{:75/18 mod.34 (75 mm)/Ammunition|Granata Perforante da 75, Granata mod.32, Gr. Fumogena, Granata Perforante mod.32, EPS M42}} |
− | + | ||
− | + | ==== [[Ammo racks]] ==== | |
− | + | [[File:Ammoracks_75-18_M41.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]] | |
− | + | <!-- '''Last updated: 1.101.1.16''' --> | |
− | ! | + | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |
− | |- | ||
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|- | |- | ||
− | + | ! Full<br>ammo | |
+ | ! 1st<br>rack empty | ||
+ | ! 2nd<br>rack empty | ||
+ | ! Visual<br>discrepancy | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | + | | '''43''' || 19 ''(+24)'' || 1 ''(+42)'' || No | |
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− | '' | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
+ | '''Note''': | ||
− | + | * Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded. | |
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=== Machine guns === | === Machine guns === | ||
− | <!--''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft | + | {{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}} |
+ | <!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' --> | ||
{{main|Breda Mod. 38 (8 mm)}} | {{main|Breda Mod. 38 (8 mm)}} | ||
− | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | + | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%" |
|- | |- | ||
− | ! colspan=" | + | ! colspan="5" | [[Breda Mod. 38 (8 mm)|8 mm Breda Mod. 38]] |
|- | |- | ||
− | ! | + | ! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal |
|- | |- | ||
− | + | | Pintle || 504 (24) || 600 || ±10° || ±60° | |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
− | + | 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. Furthermore, its limited elevation and traverse does not allow to target low-flying aircraft or flanking enemies. The clip capacity of the machine gun is poor, as it relies on a magazine of 24 bullets instead of a belt like similar machine guns from other nations. | |
− | |||
− | + | == Usage in battles == | |
+ | <!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' --> | ||
− | + | ;Combat tactics | |
− | With the HEAT shell, the Semovente can make for an effective | + | The Semovente will struggle to be effective with the extremely poor penetration of its APCBC rounds. With a max penetration of barely 50 mm at point-blank range, the vehicle will have problems penetrating the angled front armour of many similar rank vehicles. Light tanks, armoured cars and SPAA are the easiest targets. In a full uptier, the Semovente will struggle to do any damage at all with stock shells. In this case, it is best for drivers to attempt to flank and shoot enemies from the side, where the powerful explosive capacity of the APCBC shells offer excellent single-shot knock-out capability. |
+ | |||
+ | The vehicle's effectiveness improves massively once the HEAT shell is unlocked, with 100 mm of penetration at all ranges. This allows for reliable penetration of practically all the {{PAGENAME}}'s potential adversaries. Your most dangerous opponents are fast and agile light tanks such as the M22 that can easily flank the Semovente undetected and disable you from close range. Their speed and small size make those light tanks difficult target for the Semovente's low-velocity howitzer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | With the HEAT shell, the Semovente can make for an effective tank destroyer, provided you stay at a distance guaranteeing your survivability. The one thing to remember about the HEAT shell is that it sacrifices the one-shot capability of APCBC, meaning that larger tanks will often take multiple hits to disable while the reload time is slow for the battle rating. Furthermore, its low velocity makes it difficult to hit reliably targets at long range. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ;Notable enemies: | ||
+ | |||
+ | Many tanks are capable of easily disabling you. By order of lethality: | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Tank destroyers with long guns | ||
+ | * Howitzers with powerful HE shells | ||
+ | * Tanks with HEAT shells | ||
+ | * Frontline tanks with APHE shells | ||
+ | * Light tanks or armoured cars with autocannons | ||
+ | |||
+ | ;How to defeat a {{PAGENAME}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | The {{PAGENAME}} has several weak spots: | ||
+ | |||
+ | * In a frontal encounter, the vertical front plate is the easiest to target. | ||
+ | * Shoot the lower front plate to damage the transmission and immobilize the tank if you lack penetration power. | ||
+ | * When flanking, aim for the weak sides of the casemate. | ||
=== Pros and cons === | === Pros and cons === | ||
+ | <!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' --> | ||
'''Pros:''' | '''Pros:''' | ||
* Good penetration with the HEAT shell | * Good penetration with the HEAT shell | ||
− | * Top-mounted machine gun offers some utility not available to many low- | + | * Top-mounted machine gun offers some utility not available to many low-rank tank destroyers. |
− | * | + | * 75/18 M41's position in the tech tree can allow for a decent aircraft and tank lineup with vehicles like the [[AB43]] scout, [[M15/42]] medium tank, and [[Re.2001 CB]] fighter-bomber. |
− | |||
− | |||
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
* Poor armour and survivability | * Poor armour and survivability | ||
− | * Mediocre mobility | + | * Mediocre mobility. |
− | * Low-velocity gun with a slow reload makes long-range shots difficult | + | * Low-velocity gun with a slow reload makes long-range shots difficult. |
− | * Poor post-penetration damage with the HEAT shell, and terrible penetration with either | + | * Poor post-penetration damage with the HEAT shell, and terrible penetration with either APCBC shells. |
− | + | == History == | |
+ | <!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' --> | ||
+ | The Semovente 75/18 was originally intended to be a self-propelled gun rather than a tank destroyer, with the War Thunder version being the later-model improved variant built upon the M41 tank chassis with improved armour. | ||
+ | {{main|M14/41#History|l1=History of the M14/41}} | ||
− | + | In response to the poor effectiveness of existing Italian tank destroyer designs such as the 47/32 L40, the Semovente was pressed into service to combat US-built [[M3 Lee]] and [[M3 Stuart|Stuart]] tanks in service with the British Army in North Africa. Utilising a HEAT shell, the Semovente proved to be an effective counter to early-war British tanks, with its small size making it ideal for dug-in defensive positions where its lack of speed wasn't an issue. | |
− | |||
− | In | + | In one engagement in 1942, Semovente vehicles of the Ariete Division repelled an attack from 40 British light and medium tanks, destroying 20 with no losses of their own. While the Semovente's HEAT shell proved effective against early-war tank designs, tougher Allied tanks such as the [[M4|M4 Sherman]] represented a new challenge. This, as well as the Semovente's cramped interior, low-velocity gun and under-powered engine lead to the development of larger and faster dedicated tank destroyer designs with superior firepower. |
− | + | Approximately 60 were built on the M40 tank chassis in early 1941, with another 162 built after that date on the M41 chassis. Two self-propelled gun (Semovente) battalions were assigned to the artillery regiment of each armoured division, each containing 2-3 batteries of 4-6 AFV each. Approximately 250 more were built on the M42 chassis, also used by the M15/42 tank, starting in early 1943, which continued to use the 75/18 howitzer as the previous models because the planned gun for the M42 variant was not yet in service. At the time the plan was for the Italian medium tank battalions to change from three companies of tanks, to one of tanks and two of assault guns. In September, 1943, some 75/18s saw action against German forces. 178 were confiscated or built in occupied Italy by Germany after the Italian surrender, and used in Italy and the Balkans. | |
== Media == | == Media == | ||
− | '' | + | <!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' --> |
− | = | + | ;Skins |
− | + | * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=it_semovente_m41_75_18 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.] | |
+ | ;Videos | ||
+ | {{Youtube-gallery|xdyAb3-TXCo|'''Semovente da {{PAGENAME}}, Italian, Tier-2, Tank Destroyer''' - ''Angry Nerd Gaming''}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | == See also == | ||
+ | <!-- ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:'' | ||
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;'' | * ''reference to the series of the vehicles;'' | ||
− | * ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' | + | * ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' --> |
− | + | ;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis | |
+ | * [[M14/41]] | ||
+ | * [[75/32 M41]] | ||
− | + | ;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role | |
− | + | * [[75/34 M42]] | |
+ | == External links == | ||
+ | <!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:'' | ||
* ''topic on the official game forum;'' | * ''topic on the official game forum;'' | ||
− | * ''other literature.'' | + | * ''other literature.'' --> |
+ | |||
+ | * [[Wikipedia:Semovente_da_75/18|[Wikipedia<nowiki>]</nowiki> Semovente da 75/18]] | ||
+ | * [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/italy/semovente_da_75-18.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Semovente M40, M41 and M42 da 75/18] | ||
+ | {{TankManufacturer FIAT-Ansaldo}} | ||
{{Italy tank destroyers}} | {{Italy tank destroyers}} |
Latest revision as of 22:55, 24 January 2023
Contents
Description
The Semovente 75/18 M41 is a rank II Italian tank destroyer with a battle rating of 2.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.85 "Supersonic".
General info
Survivability and armour
Armour type:
- Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, casemate)
- Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet)
Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hull | 25 mm (80°) Upper glacis 30 mm (cylindrical) Lower plate |
25 mm | 25 mm Upper part 27 mm (20°) Lower part |
25 mm (10°) Front glacis 10 mm (16°) Rear - Engine hood 5-25 mm (8°) Rear - Radiator vents |
Casemate | 50 mm (5°) Casemate front plate 50 + 50 mm (spherical) Gun mantlet 30 mm (65°) Plate connecting with hull |
25 mm (8-9°) | 25 mm | 15 mm Centre 15 mm (20°) Sides |
Notes:
- Suspension wheels and bogies are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
- The belly is 15 mm thick.
- Mudguards are 4 mm thick.
The Semovente 75/18 offers little in the way of effective protection, with its primary defence against enemy tanks being its small frontal profile. the 50 mm frontal plate struggles to keep out even rank 1 British and US guns at close range, while the extremely cramped interior means that penetrations will often knock out multiple crew members or modules in a single shot. Any shot to the sides will most likely be an instant knock out.
Unlike many of its low-rank open-top contemporaries, the 75/18 M41's fully-enclosed design offers protection against small-calibre machine gun fire and against artillery blast and HE shells. However, it still is very vulnerable to strafing aircraft and heavy calibre MG fire.
Mobility
Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
Arcade | 37 | 6 | 13.1 | 227 | 305 | 17.33 | 23.28 |
Realistic | 34 | 6 | 142 | 160 | 10.84 | 12.21 |
The 75/18 M41 is reasonably mobile for a low-rank tank destroyer, hitting around 30km/h on flat ground off-road with a fairly fast hull traverse and a poor reverse speed.
Modifications and economy
Armaments
Main armament
75 mm 75/18 mod.34 | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
Arcade | 43 | -12°/+22° | ±18° | N/A | 12.3 | 17.1 | 20.7 | 22.9 | 24.4 | 7.80 | 6.90 | 6.36 | 6.00 |
Realistic | 8.3 | 9.8 | 11.9 | 13.2 | 14.0 |
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 Perforante da 75 | APCBC | 45 | 44 | 39 | 33 | 29 | 25 |
Granata mod.32 | HE | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Granata Perforante mod.32 | APCBC | 52 | 50 | 44 | 38 | 33 | 28 |
EPS M42 | HEAT | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
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 Perforante da 75 | APCBC | 425 | 6.42 | 1.2 | 14 | 270 | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
Granata mod.32 | HE | 450 | 6.35 | 0 | 0.1 | 610 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
Granata Perforante mod.32 | APCBC | 476 | 6.26 | 1.2 | 14 | 270 | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
EPS M42 | HEAT | 399 | 5.3 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 640 | 62° | 69° | 73° |
Smoke shell characteristics | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Screen radius (m) |
Screen deploy time (s) |
Screen hold time (s) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Gr. Fumogena | 450 | 6.4 | 13 | 5 | 20 | 50 |
Ammo racks
Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
---|---|---|---|
43 | 19 (+24) | 1 (+42) | No |
Note:
- Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
Machine guns
8 mm Breda Mod. 38 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
Pintle | 504 (24) | 600 | ±10° | ±60° |
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. Furthermore, its limited elevation and traverse does not allow to target low-flying aircraft or flanking enemies. The clip capacity of the machine gun is poor, as it relies on a magazine of 24 bullets instead of a belt like similar machine guns from other nations.
Usage in battles
- Combat tactics
The Semovente will struggle to be effective with the extremely poor penetration of its APCBC rounds. With a max penetration of barely 50 mm at point-blank range, the vehicle will have problems penetrating the angled front armour of many similar rank vehicles. Light tanks, armoured cars and SPAA are the easiest targets. In a full uptier, the Semovente will struggle to do any damage at all with stock shells. In this case, it is best for drivers to attempt to flank and shoot enemies from the side, where the powerful explosive capacity of the APCBC shells offer excellent single-shot knock-out capability.
The vehicle's effectiveness improves massively once the HEAT shell is unlocked, with 100 mm of penetration at all ranges. This allows for reliable penetration of practically all the 75/18 M41's potential adversaries. Your most dangerous opponents are fast and agile light tanks such as the M22 that can easily flank the Semovente undetected and disable you from close range. Their speed and small size make those light tanks difficult target for the Semovente's low-velocity howitzer.
With the HEAT shell, the Semovente can make for an effective tank destroyer, provided you stay at a distance guaranteeing your survivability. The one thing to remember about the HEAT shell is that it sacrifices the one-shot capability of APCBC, meaning that larger tanks will often take multiple hits to disable while the reload time is slow for the battle rating. Furthermore, its low velocity makes it difficult to hit reliably targets at long range.
- Notable enemies
Many tanks are capable of easily disabling you. By order of lethality:
- Tank destroyers with long guns
- Howitzers with powerful HE shells
- Tanks with HEAT shells
- Frontline tanks with APHE shells
- Light tanks or armoured cars with autocannons
- How to defeat a 75/18 M41
The 75/18 M41 has several weak spots:
- In a frontal encounter, the vertical front plate is the easiest to target.
- Shoot the lower front plate to damage the transmission and immobilize the tank if you lack penetration power.
- When flanking, aim for the weak sides of the casemate.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good penetration with the HEAT shell
- Top-mounted machine gun offers some utility not available to many low-rank tank destroyers.
- 75/18 M41's position in the tech tree can allow for a decent aircraft and tank lineup with vehicles like the AB43 scout, M15/42 medium tank, and Re.2001 CB fighter-bomber.
Cons:
- Poor armour and survivability
- Mediocre mobility.
- Low-velocity gun with a slow reload makes long-range shots difficult.
- Poor post-penetration damage with the HEAT shell, and terrible penetration with either APCBC shells.
History
The Semovente 75/18 was originally intended to be a self-propelled gun rather than a tank destroyer, with the War Thunder version being the later-model improved variant built upon the M41 tank chassis with improved armour.
In response to the poor effectiveness of existing Italian tank destroyer designs such as the 47/32 L40, the Semovente was pressed into service to combat US-built M3 Lee and Stuart tanks in service with the British Army in North Africa. Utilising a HEAT shell, the Semovente proved to be an effective counter to early-war British tanks, with its small size making it ideal for dug-in defensive positions where its lack of speed wasn't an issue.
In one engagement in 1942, Semovente vehicles of the Ariete Division repelled an attack from 40 British light and medium tanks, destroying 20 with no losses of their own. While the Semovente's HEAT shell proved effective against early-war tank designs, tougher Allied tanks such as the M4 Sherman represented a new challenge. This, as well as the Semovente's cramped interior, low-velocity gun and under-powered engine lead to the development of larger and faster dedicated tank destroyer designs with superior firepower.
Approximately 60 were built on the M40 tank chassis in early 1941, with another 162 built after that date on the M41 chassis. Two self-propelled gun (Semovente) battalions were assigned to the artillery regiment of each armoured division, each containing 2-3 batteries of 4-6 AFV each. Approximately 250 more were built on the M42 chassis, also used by the M15/42 tank, starting in early 1943, which continued to use the 75/18 howitzer as the previous models because the planned gun for the M42 variant was not yet in service. At the time the plan was for the Italian medium tank battalions to change from three companies of tanks, to one of tanks and two of assault guns. In September, 1943, some 75/18s saw action against German forces. 178 were confiscated or built in occupied Italy by Germany after the Italian surrender, and used in Italy and the Balkans.
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See also
- Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
- Other vehicles of similar configuration and role
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FIAT-Ansaldo | |
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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 tank destroyers | |
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Italy | |
M41 | 75/18 M41 · 75/32 M41 · 90/53 M41M |
M42 | 75/34 M42 |
M43 | 105/25 M43 · M43 "G.C.Leoncello" · 75/34 M43 · 75/46 M43 |
Wheeled | Lancia 3Ro (100/17) · AS 42/47 · Breda 90/53 · Breda 501 |
Other | L3/33 CC · 47/32 L40 |
Germany | ▄StuG III G |
USA | M36B1 · ▄M109G · M113A1 (TOW) |
Hungary | |
Zrínyi | Zrinyi I · Zrinyi II |
USSR | ◔2S1 |