During World War 2 (1939-1945), the Italian Army joined its Axis counterpart in Germany in appreciating the battlefield value of the "assault gun" when attempting to dislodge a determined foe. As such, a myriad of tracked vehicles emerged through design and development that attempted to mate the chassis of an existing combat tank with an effective howitzer. Often times, these creations utilized a short profile armored hull superstructure which fixed the armament within, providing limited traversal and elevation reaches. Other times, the guns were simply mounted atop the tank chassis (its turret having been removed) with the crew operating in an open-air environment while being exposed to all sorts of battlefield dangers - though this method eased production and reduced the material commitment.
As Italian industry struggled to keep up with the Army demand for such weapons, the Ansaldo concern attempted a low-cost solution in the "Semovente da 149/40". This design mated the chassis of the Carro Armato M15/42 Medium Tank with the potent 150mm Cannone da 149/40 modello 35 howitzer to produce an open-air, tracked assault gun system. The vehicle was powered by an SPA gasoline-fueled engine of 250 horsepower and provided a maximum road speed of 22 miles per hour. Armor protection (for only the driver and vehicle components) reached 14mm thick. The hull was suspended atop a leaf spring suspension for some inherent cross-country capabilities. Overall weight of the vehicle was 24,000 kg with a length reaching 22 feet, a width of 9.8 feet, and a height of 6.6 feet. Eight double-tired road wheels were fitted to four individual bogies at each hull side. The drive sprocket sat at front along with the engine compartment and driver's position. The gun and mounting hardware was concentrated over the rear of the vehicle.
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FIRE SUPPORT / ASSAULT / BREACHING
Support allied forces through direct / in-direct fire, assault forward positions, and / or breach fortified areas of the battlefield.
21.7 ft (6.6 meters) Length
9.8 ft (3 meters) Width
6.6 ft (2 meters) Height
52,911 lb (24,000 kg) Weight
26.5 tons (Medium-class) Tonnage
1 x SPA gasoline engine delivering 250 horsepower. Drive System
22 mph (35 kph) Road Speed
1 x 150mm Cannone da 149/40 modello 35
AMMUNITION
Dependent on ammunition carrier.
da 149/40 - Base series designation; single prototype example completed.
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