P26 / 40
| Carro Armato Pesante P26 / 40 | |
|---|---|
P26 / 40 in the Fiat Ansaldo plant |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader) |
| length | 5.75 m |
| width | 2.75 m |
| height | 2.50 m |
| Dimensions | 26 t |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | 50-60 mm |
| Main armament | 1 × on-board cannon 75 mm L / 34 |
| Secondary armament | 1 × 8 mm MG Breda 38 |
| agility | |
| drive | V8 diesel Fiat 310 kW (420 hp) |
| Top speed | 42 km / h (road) |
| Power / weight | 11.9 kW / ton (16.2 hp / ton) |
| Range | 275 km |
The P26 / 40 (also Carro Armato P26 / 40 , Carro Pesante P26 / 40 , P40 or P75 ) was an Italian tank made by Fiat - Ansaldo . The vehicle built during World War II was a further development of the M13 / 40 . It differed from the previous model in that it had improved armament and armor . The vehicle was carrying a gun of caliber 75 mm and an MG . The maximum armor was 50 mm, the total weight 26 tons. The P26 / 40 is considered to be the best Italian tank of the Second World War.
development
Although the development of the P26 / 40 under the designation “P75” had already started in 1940, a first prototype could not be completed until 1942. The reason for this was the lack of sufficiently powerful engines. In contrast to American, British and Soviet tank manufacturers, Italy did not think of using old aircraft engines as tank propulsion. Of the 1,200 P26 / 40s ordered , only five pre-series models could be put into service in 1943, which were then taken over by German units. Until 1945 Ansaldo built around 120 tanks of this type, which were used by the Wehrmacht under the designation Panzerkampfwagen P40 737 (i) . Some were used at Anzio against the Allies , 79/150 were used as stationary fire units due to unavailable engines. The majority of the operational vehicles (55 units) were handed over to the Ordnungspolizei (1944), for example the 15th Police Tank Company.
The P26 / 40 could accommodate all medium tanks of the Allies, thanks to its 75 mm gun in the armor, however, he met at the time of its introduction no longer state of the art. Due to the delays in construction, the Italian military was forced to use its M13 / 40 standard battle tank and its slightly improved variants against the Allies' M3 Lee / Grants and M4 Shermans in 1942 .
Preserved copies
- There is a copy in the Museo Storico della Motorizzazione Militare (Rome, Cecchignola ).
- Another vehicle is parked outside of the cavalry school in Lecce .
- A Semovente 149/40 self-propelled gun based on the P26 / 40 is in the US Army Ordnance Museum (Aberdeen, Maryland).