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The P.43 Bis was a proposed
A photograph of the P43 as a wooden mockup exists along with other models of P40 and P43 bis, 30 tons with cannon that looks like it could be a lighter version of the 90/53 piece. In the same picture, there is a model of a German Panther version slightly smaller equipped with what appears to be a 90/53 cannon. It is possible that the German part stigmatized the P43 as a plagiarism of the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
heavy tank
A heavy tank is a tank classification produced from World War I to the end of the Cold War. These tanks generally sacrificed mobility and maneuverability for better armour protection and equal or greater firepower than tanks of lighter classes.
...
designed in April 1943. It was created as a direct continuation and replacement to the P26/40 tank; however only a prototype was manufactured at the end of the summer of 1943. The official Italian designation was carro armato ("armoured vehicle") P.43 Bis. The designation "P" means pesante ("heavy").
Features
The P43 or P 30/43 was developed byFIAT
Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., commonly known as simply Fiat ( , ; ), is an Italian automobile manufacturer. It became a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014 and, in 2021, became a subsidiary of Stellantis through its Italian division, Stellant ...
and Ansaldo
Ansaldo Energia S.p.A. is an Italian power engineering company based in Genoa, Italy. The original parent company, Gio. Ansaldo & C., was founded in 1853, and merged with Finmeccanica in 1993 (now Leonardo S.p.A.).
In 2024, the company's share ...
simultaneously with the P26/40, of which it was supposed to be a heavier version. The vehicle was planned to have weighed at least 30 tons and would have mounted an engine of 420 hp. The gun was the same as the P.26 - the 75/34 mm cannon. While it was still in the design phase, it was proposed to use the 90/42 gun derived from anti-aircraft Cannone da 90/53, or the 105/25 mm cannon mounted on the Semovente da 105/25 instead.Cesare Falessi, Benedetto Parfi, ''Veicoli da combattimento dell'Esercito Italiano dal 1939 al 1945''Intyrama books, 1976, pagg. 83-84
''P43 bis''
A photograph of the P43 as a wooden mockup exists along with other models of P40 and P43 bis, 30 tons with cannon that looks like it could be a lighter version of the 90/53 piece. In the same picture, there is a model of a German Panther version slightly smaller equipped with what appears to be a 90/53 cannon. It is possible that the German part stigmatized the P43 as a plagiarism of the Panther tank
The Panther tank, officially ''Panzerkampfwagen V Panther'' (abbreviated Pz.Kpfw. V) with Sonderkraftfahrzeug, ordnance inventory designation: ''Sd.Kfz.'' 171, is a German medium tank of World War II. It was used in most European theatre of ...
(that Italy had received blueprints for the production in license). It seems that this model has received the abbreviation P43 bis (perhaps for the observed inability to quickly get to the production of the P43 with a piece of 90 mm cannon).
This overlap of studies can be originated either by news from the Russian front on the new Soviet medium tank T-34/85 of 32 tons and with 85 mm cannon (derived from the anti-aircraft gun) or by the availability of data and drawings of the German Panther.
According to various publications the engines were listed as:
* P26/40 diesel engine of 330 HP then replaced in production for one to 420 HP gasoline.
* P30/43 or P43 420/430 HP V12 diesel engine.
* P.43 bis (gun 90/42 mm) the same engine 420/430 HP.
* P.35/43 or second P43 bis (Panther reduction) of 35 tons with gun 90/53 or 90/42 mm and 470/480 HP engine copied from the engine of the Soviet T-34.
Frontal protection of 80/100 mm would guarantee equal performance with the vehicles designed by other nations, such as the Soviet IS-2
The IS-2 (, sometimes romanization of Russian, romanized as JS-2The series name is an abbreviation of the name Joseph Stalin (); IS-2 is a direct transliteration of the Russian abbreviation, while JS-2 is an abbreviation of the English or Germa ...
of 46 tons (which was 122 mm), the Tiger I
The Tiger I () was a Nazi Germany, German heavy tank of World War II that began operational duty in 1942 in North African Campaign, Africa and in the Soviet Union, usually in independent German heavy tank battalion, heavy tank battalions. It g ...
of 57 tons and higher than the Panther of 45 tons, which was 80 mm.
However the P43 saw only a prototype stage in 1943.
See also
* German Panther medium/heavy tank * GermanTiger I
The Tiger I () was a Nazi Germany, German heavy tank of World War II that began operational duty in 1942 in North African Campaign, Africa and in the Soviet Union, usually in independent German heavy tank battalion, heavy tank battalions. It g ...
heavy tank
* Hungarian 44M Tas
The 44M Tas was a Hungarian heavy tank/ medium tank design of World War II. It was developed to combat heavily armored Soviet tanks encountered on the Eastern Front and to replace the older Turán I and Turán II tanks which Hungary operate ...
medium/heavy tank
* Italian P26/40 medium/heavy tank
* United States M26 Pershing
The M26 Pershing is a heavy tank, later designated as a medium tank, formerly used by the United States Army. It was used in the last months of World War II during the Western Allied invasion of Germany, Invasion of Germany and extensively dur ...
medium/heavy tank
Notes
Bibliography
* Filippo Cappellano & Pier Paolo Battistelli, ''Italian Medium Tanks 1939–45'', Osprey Publishing, 1998 * Cesare Falessi, Benedetto Pafi, ''Veicoli da combattimento dell'Esercito Italiano dal 1939 al 1945'', Intyrama books, 1976. * Ralph A. Riccio, Nicola Pignato, Marcello Calzolari; Carri Armati e Veicoli da Combattimento Italiani della Seconda Guerra Mondiale, 2010External links
* http://www.soldatinionline.it/Articoli/Eserciti-Uniformi/Un-carro-moderno-per-il-Regio-Esercito-il-P.40.html {{WWIIItalianAFVs World War II tanks of Italy Fiat armored vehicles Gio. Ansaldo & C. armored vehicles World War II heavy tanks