In practice, the light nature of the Carro Armato M13/40 shown through. At the time of her inception, she was a solid offering, owning much to her British-inspired track system and use of a diesel engine over that of conventional gasoline-fueled types. Ammunition for the 47mm gun was ample and capable of dealing with light armored targets (up to 45mm in armor thickness) at ranges out to 500 meters. All was not perfect, however, for inherent mechanical issues were ever apparent during the life of the tank and the interior fighting compartment was cramped at best. Regardless, the tank was a new fixture and could prove valuable in a fight, particularly in the style of the Italian Army to this point.
The M13/40 saw combat actions in both the Balkans and in the Western Desert campaigns of the North African in World War 2. In the early phases of the North African Campaign, they seemingly held their ground against the enemy tanks where her 47mm main gun was capable of dealing with all manner of light armor and troop concentrations. The early British "cruiser" tanks were her contemporaries and the 47mm main gun proved useful. However, as experience and equipment improved for the Allies, these Italian "medium" tanks proved much less effective for many were lost in ensuing actions to more powerful enemy guns. While other global military powers had adapted their fighting styles and technologies to the changing battlefield, the Italians did not, suffering the consequences as a result. Enough M13/40 tanks were abandoned by the Italians and subsequently captured by British and Commonwealth forces that they stocked the ranks of the British 6th Royal Tank Regiment and the Australian 6th Cavalry Regiment only to be used against their former masters. These tanks were accordingly marked to help avoid incidences of "friendly fire" in the vast desert campaign. As the Allies were desperately short of capable armor at the time, the use of enemy equipment was almost a requirement for future successes until Allied production of tanks ramped up. M13/40s participated in the famed Second Battle of El Alamein which went down in history as a major Allied victory and would signal the beginning of the end of the North African Campaign.
As time wore on, the M13/40 showcased her limitations in the forefront of the ever evolving war effort. Her 47mm main gun now proved ineffective against the latest generation of Allied tanks including the Matilda, Grant/Lee and M4 Sherman. Her powertrain was put through its paces in unforgiving conditions resulting in many mechanical break downs while her thin armor protection (utilizing riveting) did little against Allied armor-piercing shells from anti-tank gun crews, battle tanks and artillery barrages. When directly hit, rivets could become flying "bullets" within the fighting compartment for the crew. Additionally, M13/40s were known to be fire-prone when hit - a tanker's worst nightmare in being burned alive within his mount. Many M13/40s were lost to both enemy action and abandonment which did not help the Axis cause in the desert. Despite this, her production numbers were sufficient enough that she saw active service up until the end of the war in 1945.
The M13/40 was formally replaced in the Italian Army inventory by the improved M15/42 series. Though production of this new type was rather limited, it featured a more powerful 47mm main gun and a modular engine compartment.
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