Thread: spob34
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Old February 23rd, 2010, 04:02 PM
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Default Re: spob34

I'm not entirely sure which gun this is supposed to be ... I don't have any literature, so I have to rely on what I find on the net:

I found mentioned

- Breda 75/46, Main armament of the Semovente M43 da 75/46, a German variant combining confiscated Italian guns und vehicles. ... The 75/46 M.34 appears to have been based on an obsolete anti-aircraft gun of WW1 vintage, possibly the French 75 mm Puteaux anti-aircraft gun.
and
fireandfury.com - Semovente M43 da 75/46

- Ansaldo 75/46 Ultime réalisation de l'ingénieur Giuseppe Rosini, le semovente da 75/46 était une évolution du semovente da 105/25, basé sur le même châssis M43. Les différences principales entre les deux blindés étaient la substitution du canon de 105/25 par celui de 75/46, particulièrement adapté pour le tir antichar, et l'ajout d'un blindage supplémentaire sur la partie frontale de la casemate dont l'épaisseur variait de 70 �* 100 mm.
Note also the link to http://www.italie1935-45.com/RE/phot...none75-46.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannone....A._modello_34

My french is non-existant, but I think those 2 sources a slightly contradicting.

Judging from the pics on that french website, the unit/equipment list on http://www.comandosupremo.com/forum/...hp?f=20&t=2527, which lists
ANTI-AIRCRAFT
20mm L/65 + Ford or Spa
37mm L/54 + ?
75mm L/46 + ?
...

and
Comando Supremo: GGFF (Giovani Fascisti) 1941-1943, which lists
136th INFANTRY DIVISION GGFF - Giovani Fascisti (Mareth Line 15 March 1943)
48th AA/ATk ARTILLERY BATTALION (Italian 75/46 AA Guns)

I would say that
- the Ansaldo AA gun was used in dual role
- it may, or may not have been used mounted on trucks
- it may, or may not have been used in a SVM

Great

I would guess in fact that the gun on the truck was the Ansaldo 75/46, considering the fact that the german 8.8 must have been of similar size, and was screwed onto everything that could drive ... .
From the pics provided, it seems to me that the SVM is not of sufficient size to house the big AA gun without extensive redesign - doesn't matter that much, as only 11 seems to have been produced. Btw., the successor, the 90/53 gun was mounted on a tank chassis (Semovente 90/53) and was so big that half of the crew had to stand behind the TD in combat.
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