The Semovente da 90/53 was a heavy Italian self-propelled gun and tank destroyer, used by the Italian and German Armies during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Development

The Semovente da 90/53 was created by mounting a 90 mm

Cannone da 90/53 The Cannone da 90/53 was an Italian-designed cannon used both in an anti-aircraft role and as an anti-tank gun during World War II. It was one of the most successful anti-aircraft guns to see service during the conflict. The designation "90/53" ...

anti-aircraft gun on top of an enlarged chassis of a

M14/41 tank The M 14/41 was a four-crew medium tank that served from 1941 in the Royal Italian Army. The official Italian designation was Carro Armato M 14/41. The tank was first employed in the North African Campaign where its shortcomings quickly became ...

. Only 30 of these vehicles were produced, all in 1942.Pejcoch, Ivo. ''Obrněná technika 9 – Itálie, Španělsko 1919–1945''. 1st ed. Prague, 2009. This low production was due to Italy's limited industrial capability at the time, as well as high demand for the 90 mm gun for regular anti-aircraft duties. The Semovente da 90/53 was primarily developed in response to demands by Italian forces on the Eastern Front for a vehicle-mounted anti-tank weapon that could take on Soviet

T-34 The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank introduced in 1940. When introduced its 76.2 mm (3 in) tank gun was less powerful than its contemporaries while its 60-degree sloped armour provided good protection against anti-tank weapons. The C ...

and

KV tank The Kliment Voroshilov (KV) tanks are a series of Soviet heavy tanks named after the Soviet defence commissar and politician Kliment Voroshilov who operated with the Red Army during World War II. The KV tanks were known for their heavy armour pro ...

s. Italian armoured forces on the Eastern Front were equipped only with the L6/40 tank and Semovente 47/32 self-propelled gun; neither of these had the firepower to cope with the Soviet medium and heavy tanks. However, no Semovente da 90/53 were ever sent to the Eastern Front. The major drawback of the Semovente da 90/53, as with many self-propelled gun types of World War II, was the open top and rear of the gun compartment, which left the gun crew exposed to shrapnel and small arms fire. In addition, the Semovente da 90/53 had little or no armour in most areas. Because these vehicles were designed to operate far enough away from enemy vehicles to not be subject to incoming fire, this was initially not considered a problem. The small ammunition capacity of the vehicle—eight rounds—was also a problem, necessitating the creation of special ammunition carriers out of Fiat L6/40 tanks, one accompanying each Semovente da 90/53 in the field. The L6 ammunition carrier carried 26 rounds, plus an additional 40 rounds in a towed trailer.Bishop, Chris (general editor) (1998). ''The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II''. Metro Books p. 49, ur

/ref> Beside the standard Armour Penetrating rounds, it could fire ''Effetto Pronto'', or High explosive anti-tank warhead, HEAT rounds, which shaped charge could pierce 200mm armour plating at any range.

Combat use

None were ever sent to the Eastern Front. In the North African Campaign, the Semovente da 90/53 proved to be an effective weapon and its long range was well suited to the flat and open desert terrain. 24 Semovente 90/53s saw service with the 10th Self-propelled Anti-tank Grouping against the Allies in Sicily during the Allied invasion in 1943. Following the Armistice of Cassibile in September 1943, the few surviving Semoventi da 90/53 were seized by the German Army, but were of little value in the mountainous terrain of Northern Italy. As a result, most finished their careers as long-range artillery.

Surviving vehicle

Only one Semovente da 90/53 survived the war. Originally displayed at Aberdeen Proving Grounds (APG), as shown in the sidebar photo above, it was transferred the Fort Sill Field Artillery Museum in

Fort Sill, Oklahoma Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (136.8 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark ...

in 2012. It has since been restored by the Fort Sill Directorate of Logistics (DoL) paint shop and is awaiting display. This surviving example has, "A fairly good history. It was assigned to the 163rd Support Artillery Group, was captured in Sicily in 1943 and shipped back to Aberdeen for evaluation."Army FA museum adds WWII artillery pieces
/ref>

References

Sources

* *

External links

Semovente da 90/53
at wwiivehicles.com

{{DEFAULTSORT:Semovente 90 53 Armoured fighting vehicles of Italy World War II armoured fighting vehicles of Italy World War II self-propelled artillery World War II tank destroyers 90 mm artillery Military vehicles introduced from 1940 to 1944