The Carro Armato M13/40 was an Italian World War II tank designed to replace the M11/39 in the Royal Italian Army at the start of World War II. It was the primary tank used by the Italians throughout the war. The design was influenced by the British Vickers 6-Ton and was based on the modified chassis of the earlier M11/39. Production of the M11/39 was cut short in order to get the M13/40 into production. The name refers to "M" for Medio (medium) according to the Italian tank weight standards at the time, 13 tonnes was the scheduled weight and 1940 the initial year of production.
50-549: The M13 was constructed of riveted steel plates as follows: 30 mm front (as the M11), 42 mm on turret front (30 mm for the M11), 25 mm on the sides (the M11 had only 15 mm), 6 mm bottom (making it very vulnerable to mines) and 15 mm on top. The crew of four were housed in a forward fighting compartment, with the engine at the rear and transmission at the front. The driver and machine-gunner/radio operator were in
100-492: A forging press. They were also supplying steel forgings for gun barrel manufacturers, including their future main competitor Armstrong, as early as 1870. After a decline in lucrative tool steel demand in the US during the first half of 1880s, the stockholders logically decided in spring 1887 to diversify into large-scale armaments production and approved £1.5 million (1887, equivalent to £172.83 million in 2023) capital increase. By
150-482: A controlling interest was acquired in torpedo manufacturer Whitehead & Company . In 1911 the company name was changed to Vickers Ltd and expanded its operations into aircraft manufacture by the formation of Vickers Ltd (Aviation Department) and a Vickers School of Flying was opened at Brooklands , Surrey on 20 January 1912. In 1919, the British Westinghouse electrical company was taken over as
200-497: A longer 47/40 gun. It also had thicker armour than the previous models. The Semovente 75/18 self-propelled gun was built by utilizing the M13/40 or M14/41 chassis. The Semovente Comando M40 was an M13/40 tank with the turret replaced by a large multi-piece hatch. The hull housed additional radios and other communication equipment. Vickers Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It
250-585: A marked gift for the selection of talented subordinates." In 1863 the company moved to a new site in Sheffield on the River Don in Brightside . The company went public in 1867 as Vickers, Sons & Company and gradually acquired more businesses, branching out into various sectors. In 1868 Vickers began to manufacture marine shafts, in 1872 they began casting marine propellers and in 1882 they set up
300-487: A month, before the fall of 1940. They were sent to North Africa to fight the British; however, most units were hastily formed (and thus lacked cohesion), the tanks had not been fitted with radios (giving them a serious tactical disadvantage even against inferior enemies) and their crews had almost no training (in 1940 the crews were given 25 days of actual tank training and then sent to the front). The baptism of fire came with
350-533: A new company, British Aerospace Plc, emerged. The rail business acquired by Vickers was sold to Alstom in 1989. 6th Royal Tank Regiment The 6th Royal Tank Regiment ( 6 RTR ) was a regiment of the Royal Tank Regiment , of the British Army , until 1959. It originally saw action as 6th Battalion Tank Corps in 1917. When tanks were first used in action in 1916, they were operated by
400-582: A single 2-pounder (40 mm) anti-tank gun . Many tanks were lost in this campaign to artillery fire rather than other tanks. A number of captured M11 and M13 tanks were re-used by the Australian 2/6th Cavalry Regiment and the British 6th Royal Tank Regiment , until the spring of 1941, when their fuel ran out and they were destroyed. The M13 also fought in Greece, in difficult terrain and in April 1941, M13s of
450-794: A special unit, the Babini Group . Arriving too late to fight in the September offensive , this unit was ready the next December, for Operation Compass , a British offensive. Tanks of III battalion were present at the Battle of Bardia , where in two days of fighting (January 3–4, 1941) the Australians suffered 456 casualties while the Italians lost 40,000 men (2,000 killed, 3,000 wounded and 36,000 captured). Further action took place in Derna, where
500-632: The 132nd Armoured Division Ariete took part in the Siege of Tobruk , with little success against British Matilda II tanks. Ariete had more success with the M13 in the action at Bir el Gubi against the Crusader tanks of the British 22nd Armoured Brigade . In April 1941, at the time of the arrival of the Afrika Korps , the Italians had around 240 M13 and M14 tanks in first-line service. In 1942, as
550-627: The 1948 Arab–Israeli War , two or three M13/40s which were left behind in North Africa were incorporated into the Egyptian armed forces. These were used during the Battles of Negba , where one was knocked out and subsequently captured by Israeli troops. For a few years after the war, the tank remained in the Negba kibbutz as a monument to the battle. The M13/40 was a conventional light tank of
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#1732775485739600-653: The Bristol , English Electric and Hunting Aircraft to form the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). This was owned by Vickers, English Electric and Bristol (holding 40%, 40% and 20% respectively). BAC in turn owned 70% of Hunting. The Supermarine operation was closed in 1963 and the Vickers name for aircraft was dropped in 1965. Under the terms of the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act BAC
650-497: The Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Company at the same time, to become Vickers, Sons & Maxim. Ordnance and ammunition made during this period, including World War I , was stamped V.S.M. The yard at Barrow became the "Construction Yard". With these acquisitions, Vickers could now produce a complete selection of products, from ships and marine fittings to armour plate and a whole suite of ordnance. In 1901
700-865: The Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Company ; Metrovick. At the same time they came into Metropolitan's railway interests. A reorganisation during 1926 led to the retention of the rolling stock group: Metropolitan Carriage Wagon and Finance Company and The Metropolitan -Vickers Company and the disposal of: Vickers-Petters Limited, British Lighting and Ignition Company, the Plywood department at Crayford Creek, Canadian Vickers, William Beardmore and Co, and Wolseley Motors. In 1927, Vickers merged with Tyneside based engineering company Armstrong Whitworth to become Vickers-Armstrongs . Armstrong Whitworth had developed along similar lines to Vickers, expanding into various military sectors and
750-607: The Royal Navy 's first submarine, Holland 1 , was launched at the Naval Construction Yard. In 1902 Vickers took a half share in the famous Clyde shipyard John Brown & Company . Further diversification occurred in 1901 with the acquisition of a proposed business which was incorporated as The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company and in 1905 the goodwill and patent rights of the Siddeley car. In 1911
800-649: The Supermarine . Beginning in the 1960s, various parts of the company were nationalised, and in 1999 the rest of the company was acquired by Rolls-Royce plc , which sold the defence arm to Alvis plc . The Vickers name lived on in Alvis Vickers, until the latter was acquired by BAE Systems in 2004 to form BAE Systems Land Systems . Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor
850-433: The "Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd". In 1938, both companies were re-organised as Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd, although the former Supermarine and Vickers works continued to brand their products under their former names. 1929 saw the merger of the acquired railway business with those of Cammell Laird to form Metropolitan Cammell Carriage & Wagon . In 1960, the aircraft interests were merged with those of
900-493: The Allies began deploying M3 Lee/Grant medium tanks and Crusader Mk IIIs , along with towed 6-pounder (57 mm) anti-tank guns in their infantry units, the weaknesses of the M13 were exposed. In an attempt to improve protection, many crews piled sandbags or extra track links on the outside of their tanks, but this made the already-underpowered vehicles even slower and increased maintenance requirements; such practice, while popular,
950-470: The Aviation Department changed its name to Vickers (Aviation) Ltd and shortly afterwards acquired Supermarine, which became 'Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd'. In 1938, the two companies were reorganised as Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd, although the former Supermarine and Vickers works continued to brand their products under their former names. In 1929, the acquired railway business
1000-685: The Heavy Branch of the Machine Gun Corps . This constituted six companies, A through F. With the rapid growth of the tank forces, these companies were used as the cadre of new battalions, which were quickly transferred to the newly formed Tank Corps , and then changed from letters to numbers. F Company thus became F Battalion of the Heavy Branch in November 1916, then F Battalion of the Tank Corps, then redesignated as 6th Battalion of
1050-559: The Italian tanks were able to fight for as long as they did. The M13/40 series was Italy's most-produced tank of the war with over 3,000 having been built, including later variants such as the M14/41 . It was equipped with a more powerful engine as well as better air filters for operations in North Africa. The last version was the M15/42 tank produced in 1943, with a better petrol engine and
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#17327754857391100-471: The M13 but carried 2pdr (40 mm) guns with shorter range and inferior ballistic performance. At that time, most German tanks were armed with 20 mm, 37 mm guns or 50 mm and 75 mm low velocity guns. Only after 1942 did the Germans start the widespread adoption of weapons of 50 mm and 75 mm calibre long barrelled guns with high enough velocity for adequate anti-tank use, which gave
1150-522: The M13/40s gun an advantage over comparable German tanks in the early war. The adoption of the 47 mm long gun was probably the best feature of the M13. Due to its relatively large calibre, the main gun's HE round was also very useful against towed guns and infantry, and eliminated or at least mitigated, for the first years of war, the need for a dedicated support vehicle such as the Wehrmacht had in
1200-630: The Tank Corps in January 1918. During this time, the unit saw heavy action; it fought at the Battle of Messines , Passchendaele , Cambrai , Amiens (using Whippet Mk A light tanks), Bapaume , 2nd Arras and Cambrai-St Quentin . During this time, a Victoria Cross was awarded to Captain Richard Annesley West of the North Irish Horse , at the time an acting Lieutenant-Colonel commanding 6th Battalion Tank Corps. This
1250-556: The V battalion had just arrived. On February 6–7, the British offensive penetrated so far that the Babini Group sought to open a breach in the British lines at the Battle of Beda Fomm in an effort to allow cut-off Italian troops to retreat along the Libyan coast. The attacks failed and all of their tanks were lost. The last six surviving tanks entered a field near the local British command post. They were destroyed one after another by
1300-629: The achievements of BAC, the Hawker Siddeley Group were also experiencing success with the likes of the Hawker Harrier 'Jump Jet' and Hawker Siddeley Trident passenger aircraft. The two companies competed side by side for contracts throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, until the British Government expressed a desire for the two entities to merge. Finally, on 29 April 1977, the two companies were finally nationalised and
1350-503: The business and their considerable talents – Tom Vickers as a metallurgist and Albert as a team-builder and salesman – were key to its subsequent rapid development. "Its great architects," the historian Clive Trebilcock writes, "Colonel T.E. (1833–1915) and Albert (1838–1919) Vickers... provided both inspired technical leadership... and equally astute commercial direction. Both men were autocrats by temperament, but neither shunned advice or avoided delegation; each, but particularly Albert, had
1400-421: The desert where most M13s were actually employed, mobility was less satisfactory. The tank was powered by a 125 hp (93 kW) diesel engine . This was an innovation that many countries had yet to introduce, as diesel engines were the future for tanks, with lower cost, greater range and reduced danger of fire compared to petrol engines. The tank's main armament was a 47 mm gun, a tank mounted version of
1450-491: The early Panzer IV and Stug III . The diesel engine was an advantage, and the simplicity of production suited the state of Italian industry. The tank also had many shortcomings which severely hampered its effectiveness on the battlefield: the engine provided good range, but not great power and reliability. The M13's engine was the same as the M11/39 but the newer tank was heavier, which resulted in lower speed and more strain on
1500-471: The early war period, similar in capability to other Vickers-derived designs such as the Polish 7TP and Soviet T-26 . While being virtually impotent against the heavily armoured British Matilda II, at a weight of 13 tons it carried armour comparable to most of its opponents of 1940–41 and its 47 mm long-barrelled gun was effective against many other British tanks of 1940–41, which were similarly armoured to
1550-628: The end of 1888 Vickers produced and tested both their first artillery piece and first armour plate . The time could have never been more fortunate, with the Naval Defence Act 1889 significantly increasing the domestic demand and the invention of nickel steel armour rendering obsolete and worthless the investments of established producers into compound armour . Vickers bought out the Barrow-in-Furness shipbuilder The Barrow Shipbuilding Company in 1897, acquiring its subsidiary
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1600-409: The hull, with the commander/gunner and the loader in the turret. The Vickers -derived running gear had two bogie trucks with eight pairs of small wheels on each side, using leaf-spring suspension. The tracks were conventional skeleton steel plate links, and were relatively narrow. Together, this system was thought to allow good mobility in the mountainous areas in which future combat was expected. In
1650-532: The main gun and two in the forward, frontal ball mount. A fourth machine gun was sometimes carried in a flexible mount on the turret roof for anti-aircraft use. Two periscopes were available for the gunner and commander, and a Magneti Marelli RF1CA radio was also fitted as standard equipment. The M13/40 was used in the Greek campaign in 1940 and 1941 and in the North African Campaign . The M13/40
1700-539: The powerplant. The suspension and tracks were reliable, but resulted in relatively low speeds, not much better than infantry tanks such as the Matilda. Armament was sufficient for 1940–41 but did not keep up with the increased armour and firepower on Allied or German tanks. The method of construction, using rivets, was outdated. Most tanks of the era were switching to the use of welding for construction, since rivets can shear off when hit, becoming additional projectiles inside
1750-452: The regimental title in 1923). Two Royal Tank Corps armoured car companies in Egypt, the 3rd and 5th, were brought together and reformed as 6th Battalion, Royal Tank Corps. However, this unit was understrength - it only consisted of two companies - and was not brought up to full strength with a third company until early 1939, by which time it had been renamed the 6th Royal Tank Regiment. When
1800-537: The sale of Rolls-Royce Motors and Cosworth to Volkswagen Group for £430 million, beating out BMW 's offer of £340 million. In 1927, Vickers merged with the Tyneside-based engineering firm Armstrong Whitworth to form Vickers-Armstrongs. Armstrong Whitworth developed in a similar way to Vickers, expanding into various military fields and became famous for its artillery construction at Elswick and shipbuilding at its yard at High Walker upon Tyne. In 1928,
1850-444: The successful Cannone da 47/32 M35 anti-tank gun. It could pierce about 45 mm (1.8 in) of armour at 500 m (550 yd); this was sufficient to penetrate the British light and cruiser tanks it faced in combat, though not the heavier infantry tanks . One hundred and four rounds of mixed armour-piercing and high explosive ammunition were carried. The M13 was also armed with three or four machine-guns: one coaxially with
1900-450: The tank. The two-man turret was less efficient in combat than the three-man turrets used in many other tanks of the era. Radios were not fitted to many tanks. Italian historians Filippo Cappellano and Pier Paolo Battistelli have pointed out that the disappointing performance of the tank early in the war, where its armament was by no means inadequate, can be ascribed to its crews' almost complete lack of training (the first tank training centre
1950-673: The war broke out in 1939, 6 RTR was based in Egypt with the Heavy Armoured Brigade (Egypt) , part of the Armoured Division (Egypt) . It was equipped with a mixture of Mk VIb light tanks , Mark II medium tanks , and Mk I Cruiser tanks . It provided a squadron of tanks for Malta in 1942, which made up an armoured force called Malta Tanks . 6 RTR saw action during the Suez crisis in 1956, where HQ, B and C Squadrons were landed to support Operation Musketeer . In 1948,
2000-479: Was a partner in the foundry Naylor & Sanderson and Vickers' brother William owned a steel rolling operation. Edward's investments in the railway industry allowed him to gain control of the company, based at Millsands and known as Naylor Vickers and Company. It began by making steel castings and quickly became famous for casting church bells . In 1854 Vickers' sons Thomas (a militia officer known familiarly as 'Colonel Tom') and Albert [ la ] joined
2050-417: Was created only in 1941) and experience, coupled with poor tactical doctrine, the lack of radios, and the fact that many units were hastily created and sent to the battlefield, and also to the lack of armoured recovery vehicles ; they state that, while the training and experience of the Italian crews improved during the conflict, their tanks' technical disadvantage worsened. In such a condition, they marvel that
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2100-598: Was discouraged by the commanders for the same reason. The Italians equipped at least one company in each tank battalion with more heavily armed Semovente 75/18 assault guns. The Second Battle of El Alamein saw the first appearance of the M4 Sherman , while some 230 M13s were still in front line service. In several days of battle, the Ariete and Littorio divisions were used to cover the Axis retreat. The Centauro Division
2150-459: Was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells . The company went public in 1867, acquired more businesses, and began branching out into military hardware and shipbuilding. In 1911, the company expanded into aircraft manufacture and opened a flying school. They expanded even further into electrical and railway manufacturing, and in 1928 acquired an interest in
2200-652: Was merged with that of Cammell Laird to form Metropolitan Cammell Carriage & Wagon. 1.6 Fifth change of the company After the Second World War Vickers-Armstrongs manufactured commercial aircraft. In 1959 it introduced the VC10 jet aircraft and in the same year the government forced a merger with Bristol Aeroplane Company, English Electric and Hunting Aircraft to form the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Alongside
2250-400: Was nationalised in 1977 to become part of British Aerospace , which exists today in the guise of BAE Systems . The Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act also led to the nationalisation of Vickers' shipbuilding division as part of British Shipbuilders . These had been renamed Vickers Armstrong Shipbuilders in 1955, changing again to Vickers Limited Shipbuilding Group in 1968. This division
2300-578: Was not used on the Eastern Front ; Italian forces there were equipped only with L6/40s and Semovente 47/32s . Beginning in 1942, the Italian Army recognised the firepower weakness of the M13/40 series and employed the Semovente 75/18 self-propelled gun alongside the tanks in their armoured units. The first of over 700 M13/40s were delivered following a rate of production of about 60–70
2350-489: Was notable for their artillery manufacture at Elswick and shipbuilding at a yard at High Walker on the River Tyne . Armstrongs shipbuilding interests became the "Naval Yard", those of Vickers on the west coast the "Naval Construction Yard". Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft was not absorbed by the new company. In 1928, the Aviation Department became Vickers (Aviation) Ltd and soon after acquired Supermarine , which became
2400-655: Was one of only four VCs awarded to the Corps during the Great War. After the Armistice, the Tank Corps was severely cut down; from twenty-six battalions in 1919 to four by the early 1920s. The 6th Battalion was one of those disbanded, with its remaining personnel being transferred to the 3rd Battalion in November 1919. In the 1930s, the decision was taken to expand the Royal Tank Corps ("Royal" had been added to
2450-629: Was privatised as Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering in 1986, later part of GEC's Marconi Marine. It remains in operation to this day as BAE Systems Submarines . With their steelworking operations also nationalised into British Steel Corporation the remnants of Vickers became Vickers plc . In 1986, Vickers acquired the armaments manufacturer Royal Ordnance Factory , Leeds , which became Vickers Defence Systems. Other acquisitions included automotive engineers Cosworth in 1990, waterjet manufacturer Kamewa in 1986 and Norwegian marine propulsion and engineering company Ulstein in 1998. 1998 also saw
2500-582: Was virtually destroyed fighting in Tunisia. By then, the M13/40 and the M14/41 were completely surpassed, and their armament was all but useless against the enemy's M3 Lee and M4 Sherman medium tanks at all but point-blank range, while both could easily destroy an M13/40 from a distance; they resorted to firing at the suspensions and the tracks, and to rely on fire support by the Semoventi and artillery. During
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