Hello commander!
We hope you are doing well. In today’s post, we circle back to our upcoming expansion, Tribute to the Liberation of Italy. As we speak, the team is hard at work getting everything in tip-top shape, including the 3D models of several new units.
Let’s preview some of those models, with the Axis division showing off in today’s batch. But keep in mind that they are fresh out of the oven, and may require some polishing ...
Semovente assault guns
One of the most widely used armored vehicles deployed by the Axis in Italy was the Semovente series of assault guns. Not particularly renowned for the quality of its military equipment during World War II (that’s right, we are looking at you, Breda 30 LMG), Italy did manage a few times to produce something superior to its direct counterparts. This included the Beretta SMG, the Breda 20mm AA gun, and a few other designs. The Semovente series of assault guns ranks quite high on this list.
The Semovente (meaning self-propelled in Italian) was inspired by the German StuG, with Italian arms manufacturers quickly creating their own version based on the M13/40 tank. The first variant, the Semovente M42 75/18, was armed with a short-barreled 75mm gun, serving as an infantry fire-support unit. Shipped to North Africa and later deployed in Sicily, it proved very successful in its intended role. And in a nasty surprise for the Allies, it was also used as a makeshift tank destroyer thanks to its HEAT rounds.
More, more, more Semoventi
Seeing the potential of their design, the Italian engineers continued to work on several Semovente variants with improved armor and firepower. The Semovente 75/34 introduced a long-barreled 75mm gun, closer in role to the StuG III F or G, and a Semovente 105/25 featured a 105mm snub-nosed gun, similar to the StuH 42. A command variant also existed: the Semovente M41 Comando with the gun replaced with a heavy HMG.
Two other Semoventi variants were developed: encountered most often was the Semovente 47/32, a light tank destroyer featuring a 47mm “Elefantino” AT gun mounted in an open-top position on an L6/40 light tank’s chassis. Obsolete against Allied medium tanks by 1944, its small size, mobility, and accuracy still made it a threat to soft-skinned vehicles and opposing light armor. This variant was also developed into a command tank, the Semovente L6 Comando, replacing the gun with an HMG.
The other version was rarer, only built in a handful of numbers: the heavy Semovente 90/53 tank destroyer - featuring the excellent Italian 90mm AA gun rear-mounted on an open-top chassis. Most were destroyed while attempting to evacuate from Rome during the Allied liberation. In the Steel Division 2’s timeframe, at least one of the heavy Semovente 90/53 remained in active duty with the 26. Panzerdivision.
New ownership
In Tribute to the Liberation of Italy, most of the Semovente variants are under “new management” - having been commandeered by the Germans and distributed among their divisions. Mussolini’s Repubblica Sociale Italiana 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa” also retains a number of Semovente 47/32. They will appear under their Beute name. See below for each variant, their role, their German designation, and the division that contains them:
- Semovente M42 75/18 - Support - named as the StuG M42 75/18(i). Featured with the 4. Fallschirmjäger and 5. Gebirgs-Division.
- Semovente M42 75/34 - Tank - named as the StuG M42 75/34(i). Featured with the 26. Panzerdivision, 4. Fallschirmjäger, and 5. Gebirgs-Division.
- Semovente M43 105/25 - Support - named as the StuG M43 105/25(i). Featured with 26. Panzerdivision and 4. Fallschirmjäger.
- Semovente M41 90/53 - Anti-tank - named as the StuG M41 90/53(i). Featured with the 26. Panzerdivision.
- Semovente M41 Comando - Tank - named as the Panzer M41(i) Führer. Featured with the 26. Panzerdivision, 4. Fallschirmjäger, 5. Gebirgs-Division, and 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa”.
- Semovente 47/32 - Anti-tank - named as the StuG L6 47/32(i). Featured with the 4. Fallschirmjäger, 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa”, and… the Croatians in our upcoming Nemesis: Raid on Drvar.
- Semovente L6 Comando - Support - named as the Bef. StuG L6 47/32(i). Featured with the 4. Fallschirmjäger.
The Spa-Viberti AS.42
Another area the Italian engineers proved their worth - if not ahead of their direct counterparts - was armored cars. While the Autoblinda 41 and its successor the Autoblinda 43 were well known, the cool-looking Spa-Viberti AS.42 isn’t nearly as famous as it should be. This heavy off-road armored jeep was built on the same chassis as the Autoblinda 41 but without a turret. An excellent vehicle, it was very mobile, well armored, and could carry either a small squad or a light gun.
During desert warfare in North Africa, Italian Sahariana companies were equipped with a dozen vehicles, armed with 20mm ATR or AA guns, 75mm support guns, HMGs, etc. They proved to be more than a match for their SAS counterparts in open battle. The AS.42’s production ceased after the Axis defeat in North Africa. The remaining vehicles in Europe were used against the Allies in Sicily and later occasionally by the Germans and RSI in a reconnaissance role.
In Tribute to the Liberation of Italy, the AS-42 can be deployed in two recon versions: the light AS.42 (armed with one MMG and one HMG) as a recon transport, or the heavier AS.42 20mm sporting a 20mm Breda AA gun. The former can be only found with the4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa”; the latter in both the 4. 4. Fallschirmjäger and 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa”.
A unique German unit
A unique unit on the Italian front, and even for the Axis, was the 8.8cm Flak 37 Selbstfahrlafette auf 18 ton Zugkraftwagen - shortened for everyone’s sanity to the FAMO 88mm. This rare vehicle combined an armored SdKfz. 9 half-track with a 88mm Flak gun, with only twelve models built. They were initially tasked with protecting Hitler’s personal train, but the abandonment of the Fuhrer’s means of rail transportation saw these self-propelled AA units sent to the Italian front instead. They were used to great effect by the 26. Panzerdivision for the duration of the war.
Want to know more?
In case you have missed it, we detailed all the new divisions of Tribute to the Liberation of Italy expansion in several Versus posts.
- In our first Versus post, we put the spotlight on two new Armored battlegroups: the 26. Panzerdivision with its special AA support and the supersized 6th South African Armoured Division. Check out the Versus blogpost here.
- In our second Versus, we looked at two Mountain formations: the German 5. Gebirgs-Division and the specialised 8th (Indian) Infantry Division. Read all about it in this Versus blogpost here.
- Our third Versus, we shone a light on two Infantry battlegroups: the Axis 4. Fallschirmjäger and the US-led international Task Force 45. Read all about it in this Versus post here.
- In the fourth Versus, we saved the best for last with our look at the two Italian divisions… mama mia!. A nation divided on the battlefield: for the Axis, we have the RSI 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa”, and the under the Allied banner, we feature the Corpo Italiano di Liberazione. Read all about these battlegroups in this Versus here.
See you around
At ease, commander. That’s all. Let us know what you think. Do this through our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.
Until next week!