Semovente 75 / 18 The Semovente 75 / 18 was an Italian self - propelled gun of the Second World War . It was built by mounting the 75 mm Obice da 75 / 18 modello 34 mountain gun on the chassis of a M13 / 40 or M14 / 41 tank . The first 60 were built using the M13 / 40 chassis and a subsequent 162 were built on the M14 / 41 chassis from 1941 onwards . The Semovente 75 / 18 was intended to be an interim vehicle until the heavier P40 tank could be available . History . An Italian artillery Colonel named Sergio Berlese ( who designed the Obice da 75 / 18 modello 34 ) suggested that Italy should create an armoured fighting vehicle similar to the German StuG III , which had been successful in the French campaign . The first prototype was quickly assembled and delivered , on February 10 , 1941 , only 13 months after the first M13 / 40 tank upon which it was based . After that , 60 more examples were ordered . They were delivered in 1941 , and were then shipped to North Africa in January 1942 . This initial batch was based on the M13 chassis , with its weak 125 hp engine ( later to be replaced by one of 145 hp , with M14 chassis ) . Structurally , this self - propelled gun was built with riveted steel plates , which were thicker but also less sloped than in the original tank ( 50 mm as against 42 mm max ) . Frontal armour was almost vertical , but it consisted of two plates that strengthened it when compared to a simple homogeneous steel plate . Mechanics and technology . The vehicle had its crew compartment and drive section forward , in a large and low casemate . The engine was situated behind it , in a typical Italian design fashion . The engine compartment was not included in the same structure with the same width and height of the crew ' s space , but rather in a separate structure , which was sloped , somewhat smaller and had inspection panels on the roof . The mechanics were similar to those of M13 / 40 tanks , with eight small wheels in four trolleys which were joined in pairs by two arms . Suspensions were of the leaf spring type , which was reliable , but had low performance for speed . The transmission was located in the forward part of the vehicle , and the crew consisted of only three members : driver , gunner , and tank commander . The main gun was a derivative of a 75 / 18mm gun , itself a quite modern divisional artillery piece . It was 18 caliber s long , with 40° traverse and - 12 / + 22° elevation . The gun had a muzzle brake , and there were several observation and aiming systems ( binoculars , periscopes and others ) for the crew . The low muzzle velocity ( around 450 m / s ) meant a relative short range , 9 , 500 m at best elevation of 45 degrees , but the installation allowed only 22° and so the range was limited to around 7 – 8 km . The range in direct fire mode was also limited , especially against moving targets , for the same reason . Only one roof - mounted machine gun was fitted for close defense , though sometimes it was omitted . Initially this was a 6 . 5 mm Breda , later upgraded to an 8 mm model . Ammunition load was typically 44 75 mm shells and 1 , 108 8 mm cartridges . A model RF1 CA with interphone radio was usually fitted , with the gunner also serving as radio - operator . Service . Although these machines were not widely known , the vehicle performed well in its role . Though it was technically similar to the StuG III , it had a totally different role , serving as divisional artillery instead of a pure assault gun . The organic structure consisted of two artillery groups for every armoured division , with two batteries each ( four 75 / 18 each and a command vehicle ) . The total was of 18 75 / 18mm ( included two in reserve ) and 9 command vehicles , which were characterized by additional radio equipment and a 13 mm machine gun mounted instead of the main gun . The number originally ordered , 60 total , was enough for the three armoured divisions . The Semovente 75 / 18s were widely deployed in the North African campaign and during the Allied invasion of Sicily , alongside M13 / 40 units to provide additional firepower . In North Africa they were quite effective against the US built M3 Grant and M4 Sherman tank s used by the British Army . Originally , these Italian vehicles were meant as divisional artillery , but since they sported fully enclosed fighting compartments , they were well protected enough for front - line action . They could fire as indirect support , and if necessary , also act as an assault gun and anti - tank vehicle . It could be used with HE , AP and HEAT shells , and with these latter the vehicle was powerful enough to defeat Allied tanks such as the M4 Sherman . In fact , these machines were responsible for many of the successes by the Italian armoured troops during 1942 - 43 . In 1942 , more vehicles were built : 132 or 146 , but all with the M41 hull . They fought mainly in a defensive role , as their lack of turret and low profile made them ideal for this task . The SPG 75 / 18 was a successful design , and despite the modest quality of Italian armoured vehicles , it performed well in service . It was employed by Italian artillery in a very innovative fashion , because these were the first SPGs employed at a divisional level . However , the rest of Italian army was seriously lacking in mobility for its artillery and these few machines ( not debuting in combat until 1942 ) could not change the overall deficiency . The capabilities of the 75mm HEAT round were significant because this was the only weapon mounted in Italian AFVs that was able to defeat the heavier enemy vehicles , with the likely exception of the Churchill tank s . Without this shell , the 75 / 18 was not as impressive , due to the low AP velocity and range . For a self - propelled gun , its ammunition load was barely enough , as were the power and the range of the gun . The taller and open - topped later vehicles such as the M7 Priest , Sexton , and Wespe , had superior ammo loads and range . The rate of fire for the SPG 75 / 18 was quite slow , due to the limitations of the 3 man crew . The lack of a coaxial machine gun was also an important difference with respect to a ' real tank ' . Only in 1943 were tracked supply vehicles utilized , carrying 99 shells to quickly reload these SPGs . The quantity produced , although not low by Italian standards , was nonetheless insufficient for the dual role of tank - SPG . Starting in 1942 , these vehicles fought in all of the important desert battles , with the apex at the Second Battle of El Alamein until the retreat to Tunisia , serving mainly as direct fire anti - tank and fire support . The necessity for a longer and more powerful gun led to the development of the 75 / 34 , 75 / 46 and 105 / 25 SPGs . German use . After the Italian surrender in 1943 , 123 Semovente 75 / 18 were seized by the Germans and they continued production of another 55 . They were issued to six infantry divisions , two panzer divisions , three Panzergrenadier divisions , 22 SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Maria Theresa and one Gebirgsdivision intended for service in Italy and the Balkans .