Italian Tanks - the M13/40 in particular

I don't know why but I find the less-than brilliant tanks of ww2 more interesting than the more famous successful machines. Most of the tanks I like were pretty obsolete by the time war got going properly. The above website is an interesting history of the Italian tank corps.


I have recently become interested in the Italians after playing Call of Duty 2 online - where you get to drive a M13/40 and fight as Italians in a few battles. Sites worth looking at include this one about Italian tanks in North Africa and this one about the M13/40 and 41 and this one about tanks in Italian service. Here is a review of the Tamiya 1/35 scale model and a review of the Zvezda version. Here is a review of the Esci 1/72 model which is being rereleased by Italeri in November 2006. The above image is of an Italian tank helmet which went on ebay for 36 pounds. Bargain...wish I'd bidded now