This little release is just something small to fill in a gap in our British range but also introduce something new. The 6 pdr was the most common anti-tank gun in the British army during WWI and was also produced by the US and used by the Soviet and US armies.
This model also marks another first for MarDav – increasing our stl file range beyond terrain and expanding into equipment.
This release expands our terrain range with an assortment of pieces suitable for European battlefields – a church, houses, ruins and more will add to any game.
As always, here’s a little info on the various new items…..
The centre of many rural communities, the church is often a sanctuary and place of reflection for the population during times of trouble and invasion. However, sometimes, such as at Oradour-sur-Glane, they are the site of bloodshed and massacre by invading forces.
Low, stucco rendered cottages with pantile roofs are a common feature in Southern Europe, particularly Italy, Sicily and Southern France. Spread out among the fields or grouped together in a small village, they were the site of many a firefight during WWII.
Stone cottages, either rendered or plain, with a variety of thatch, slate and shingle roofs are probably one of the most rural building types across Europe. From Normandy, to Italy, to Poland, small villages and settlements of buildings such as these are dotted across the landscape. Often comprising no more than a few houses, these were frequently important objectives as they may control access to a bridge, crossroads or even just because they made a good base of operations.
Timber buildings have long been a staple of rural life – quick and easy to erect, simple to repair and often not requiring additional materials compared to more sturdy structures, they are a staple of poorer communities. While present in Western Europe, they are more common in Eastern Europe and on the Eastern Front.
An ever present aspect of rural life is livestock. Unfortunately during conflict many of these are caught in the crossfire and add to general debris of war left behind.
This set consists of 4 cows – 1 standing, 1 lying down and 2 dead.
Further updates are also available via our Facebook page.
This release sees the introduction of some new models to expand our range of Soviets. Light, fast and packing a punch – the howitzer armed BT-7a is just the thing for flanking the enemy then shelling their position with HE. The 45mm light AT gun aand AT rifle team offer cheap and mobile anti-tank capabilities, while the Commissar and Medic teams both help your troops stay in the fight (but in very, very different ways!). The flamethrower team and SMG squads will quickly decimate any enemy unit at short range and excel at clearing out squads from cover and buildings.
Finally, we are always looking to improve the models we offer, so we are retiring the old T-20 model we have previously used, and replacing it with a newer, more detailed model instead.
As always, here’s a little background on the various new units…..
The BT-7a was a howitzer equipped variant of the BT-7; a Soviet cavalry tank of the 1930’s. Due to the Christie suspension and a decent engine, and a range of guns, the BT-7 was a mobile and well armed tank even if it was lightly armoured.
The last of the BT series, the BT-7 was replaced in 1940 by the T-34, though it saw use throughout the war with the Red Army, as well as others including Finland and Romania.
The M1937 45mm anti-gun gun (also known as 53-K or Sorokapyatka) was a small quick firing Soviet AT gun of the 1930s. While relatively successful initially, it quickly became obsolete when facing new German armour such as the improved PzIII and PzIV tanks.
Commissars (or Politruk) were officers that were members of the Communist Party and whose specific task was to educate the troops beneath them and ensure that their fellow officers were following the party line. Usually rigorous and fanatical in their application of Party doctrine, many men, both innocent and not, were summarily executed or sent to punishment battalions as a result of their work. Operating outside the normal military hierarchy, this commitment and zeal often worked against the soldiers to which they were attached, resulting in lack of initiative, bad leadership and other issues.
As with all armies, and despite the apparent disdain for the life of the common soldier, the Soviet Red Army had many medics who would often risk their lives to save fallen comrades. Many of the Soviet medics were young women, who were no less courageous than their male counterparts.
The flamethrower was a core weapon in Soviet doctrine. A lack of effective anti-tank weapons led to the use of flamethrowers in an anti-armour role as well as anti-personnel. One of the most common models was the ROKS. The ROKS-2 variant was specifically designed to appear as a backpack and rifle rather than fuel tank and flamethrower.
During WWII, many countries stopped producing and using AT rifles, but the Soviet continued with them until 1945. The Red Army fielded two types principally – the single shot bolt action PTRD and the semi-automatic PTRS. Both were initially effective against light German armour, and also the Finnish tanks of the Winter War. However, in the latter half of the war, they could not penetrate the new, heavier German tanks and were relegated to the role of heavy sniper weapons and were used to harass lighter vehicles and exposed crewmen.
The Winter War against the Finns quickly showed the Soviets the benefits of the submachine in warfare, and they rapidly formed dedicated SMG armed companies to concentrate their firepower. In total, over ⅓ of all Soviet small arms production during the war was that of SMGs.
Further updates are also available via our Facebook page.
We hope that you found this little bit of background history and that soon our models will be reinforcing your Soviet armies – Ura!
This release sees the introduction of some new models to expand our range of Finnish big guns and to give them some much needed flak and AT support. The Finns tended not to have a native artillery industry and many of their heavier pieces were bought from other nations including France, Germany and Italy.
As always, here’s a little background on the various new units…..
The 20 ItK/35 was the Finnish designation for the Italian Breda Model 35 20mm light anti-aircraft gun. It was designed in the early 30s and adopted into service in 1935. A lightweight weapon, it could be towed by a vehicle or a single horse (or reindeer!).
Conceived as a dual purpose weapon, the Breda 35 was effective against both aircraft and ground targets. Though it did not have the fearsome reputation of the Flakvierling, it was deadly when used against infantry, and it could also damage light tanks.
The Finns purchased a total of 92 of the Breda 35 that were delivered from February 1940 onwards.
The 76 ItK/28 B was the Finnish designation for the Swedish Bofors 76mm M/28 heavy anti-aircraft gun. These were produced by Bofors during the late 1920s and into the 1930s. Supplied to a variety of countries, they were solid, reliable heavy AA guns and available as towed or fixed and could be mounted to vehicles, structures etc.
The Finns used a number of different types, in both a mobile and fixed role.
The “Canon de 75 modèle 1897” (variously also called the “French 75”, “Soixante-Quinze” or simply 275”) was a French field gun originally designed in the late 19th century. At the time of introduction, it was one of the most advanced pieces of artillery in the world, and is widely thought to be the first modern artillery piece. This is due to hydro-pneumatic recoil system, which allowed for sustained and accurate fire of between 12-15 rounds a minute at a time when other artillery had to be realigned after each shot and could fire 1-2 rounds a minute accurately.
Conceived as an anti-personnel weapon, it saw action in WWI as one of the primary guns for use with gas shells, as well as being the main armament of the Saint-Chamond. The US also purchased and used it during WWI.
It was already venerable by WWII, yet was still in use and was deployed against advancing Panzers during the Battle of France. A number had been sold to Poland and it was the most numerous artillery piece in the Polish Army. After the fall of France a number were also used by Germany, and the British purchased some from the US after Dunkirk and the loss of so much equipment.
Forty eight units were ordered by Finland in 1940, but only 12 arrived during the winter. Later on, they were used by Fortification Artillery Units during the Continuation War.
This model is supplied with a crew of 3 and one spotter (not shown).
A medium howitzer of WWI vintage, the “Canon de 105 mle 1913 Schneider” was a 105mm French artillery piece. At the end of the war, France moved a lot of their surplus 105 guns by giving them away or selling them at low cost. In this way, Belgium, Poland, Italy and Yugoslavia all acquired them.
In 1940, Finland purchased 12 from France which arrived during the Winter War, as well as a number from Germany.
This model is supplied with a crew of 4 and one spotter.
The “Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider” or “C17S”, was a WWI French heavy artillery piece. As with many other French artillery pieces, they were distributed by one means or another to various countries.
Finland bought 12 assorted Schneider heavy howitzers during the 1920s and later purchased another 166 captured howitzers from Germany in 1940. These were delivered and put into use between 1940-44.
This model is supplied with a crew of 5 and one spotter.
The 75 PstK/97-38 was the Finnish designation for the German 75mm 97/38 anti-tank gun. This was a hybrid gun created from the carriage PaK38 with a 75mm barrel from the 1897 75mm French howitzer. As the barrels of the howitzer became too worn to be accurate as artillery, Finland approached Germany to discuss modifying some into anti-tank guns instead. Ultimately, Germany manufactured 46 of these hybrids and delivered them from March 1943 onwards.
It performed acceptably, despite being based on a late 19th century gun, but suffered from a low effective range, violent recoil and difficulty in hitting small, mobile targets.
The 75 K/40 was the Finnish designation for the German 75mm Pak40 anti-tank gun. A scaled up and improved version of the earlier 50mm PaK38, this was a powerful weapon and capable of penetrating almost any Allied tank at long range.
The Finns ordered 210 of these, which were delivered from May 1943 onwards and saw action during the Continuation War.
This model is supplied with a crew of 4.
Further updates are also available via our Facebook page.
Hopefully you found this bit of background history interesting and our models will be reinforcing your Finnish armies.
This release sees the introduction of some new models to expand our range of German units and to offer them some much needed mobile flak support. Towards the end of the war, German forces were under pressure from Allied air superiority. Static and light mobile AA platforms were not always sufficient to guard against incoming air attacks, so a new range of armoured Flakpanzers based on the PzIV chassis were introduced.
As always, here’s a little background on the various new units…..
The Möbelwagon was a self-propelled AA platform consisting of a single 37mm AA gun rotating mount in an open topped superstructure mounted on a PzIV chassis. Originally intended as a stopgap measure, the Möbelwagon saw service with a number of Panzer Divisions on the Western front and 240 were made in total.
This model is available with the sideplates fully closed (travelling mode), partial open (AA mode) or fully open (ground attack/AA mode).
The Wirbelwind was a self-propelled AA platform consisting of a quad 20mm autocannon mount in an open topped turret mounted on a PzIV chassis. A successor to the earlier Möbelwagon, the Wirbelwind had a very high rate of fire, but lacked range and stopping power against the Allied aircraft of 1944, often requiring several hits to cause sufficient damage. This led to the development of the heavier Ostwind, with a 37mm cannon.
However, the high rate of fire, combined with a fully depressable gun and rotating turret made the Wirbelwind deadly against ground troops and light vehicles. Approximately 100 were made between 1944-45.
The Ostwind was a self-propelled AA platform consisting of a single 37mm AA gun mounted in an open topped turret mounted on a PzIV chassis. It was developed as a successor to the Wirbelwind once it was realised that the Wirbelwind lacked range and stopping power. As with the Wirbelwind, the Ostwind proved to be deadly against infantry and light vehicles and was an effective mobile gun platform.
The Kugelblitz was the ultimate development of the Flakpanzer and featured a pair of 30mm autocannon in a fully enclosed rotating turret fitted to a PzIV chassis. It was designed to address the issues of the Ostwind and Wirbelwind – chiefly that they were tall and the open turret made the crews vulnerable to attack.
Only 5 examples of the Kugelblitz were manufactured, and only one saw action.
Further updates are also available via our Facebook page.
Hopefully you found this bit of background history interesting and our models will be reinforcing your German armies.
This release sees the introduction of some new models to expand our range of Italians. Firstly, the Bersaglieri have arrived with an Officer and 11 strong squad of these elite marksman here to help save the day. Next, a short range (and very unwelcome in he desert!) burst of heat from the flamethrower team and finally the enemy will be pounded into submission from a distance by the Cannone 149/40 heavy howitzer, as the Cannone 75/46 heavy AA gun keeps the aircraft off the rest of the army.
Also released are two updated units to replace existing models – the forward observer and standard rifle squad are now available with updated models.
As always, here’s a little background on the various new units…..
The Bersaglieri of the Regio Esercito were highly trained elite Italian soldiers that saw action in all the theatres the Italian army was present in. Selected from the best recruits, the Bersaglieri tended above average height and stamina for soldiers, and all had to qualify as trained marksmen.
The unit consists of 1 NCO w/SMG, 7 riflemen and 2 LMG soldiers.
Armed with the Lanciafiamme Spalleggiabile 40, an Italian flamethrower team was a feared sight on any battlefield it appeared. Despite having a shorter range than some of its contemporaries, that is little comfort when one is advancing on your foxhole.
The “Cannone da 149/40 modello 35 was an Italian heavy artillery piece of WWII. Used between 1940-45, it was an unusual, but good, design that utilised the fixing of the trail spade plates to the ground in order to stabilise the gun when firing.
This model is supplied with a crew of 5 and one spotter.
A 1930s designed AA gun, the “Cannone da 75/46 C.A. modello 34” was a solid and serviceable AA gun that saw action across all Italian theatres of war and was also fitted to the Semovente da 75/46 SPG. As with the German Flak36, the barrel could be depressed enough that it would also function acceptably in an anti-tank role. However, it lacked a sufficient time-delay fuse that would allow for indirect fire capability.
This model is supplied with a crew of 4.
Further updates are also available via our Facebook page.
Hopefully you found this bit of background history interesting and our models will be reinforcing your Italian armies.
Happy New Year (belated!) and welcome to MarDav’s first release of 2023.
As you may have seen on our Facebook page, we have put together a roughly planned schedule for the rest of the year, but to begin with we are adding some of the models that have been worked on over the Christmas period. There will be another release of infantry and such at the end of the month, but for now, here is some new terrain.
The schedule for the rest of the year looks like –
February – assorted terrain & Italians
March – German Flak tanks
April – Soviet infantry & European rural village terrain
May – Light Vehicles (cars, tows etc)
June – Japanese infantry + artillery & landscaping terrain
July – Medium German + Soviet vehicles
August – Heavy German + Soviet vehicles
September – British armour & and Urban terrain
October – French armour & Winter War Soviets
November – Trucks….lots of trucks for everyone!
As always, here’s a little background on the new stuff
Across all theatres during WWII, engineers would clear the way and where necessary, quickly build improvised airfields for bringing supplies, moving fighter support closer to the front for many other reasons. Chief among the necessary buildings is the airfield control tower to allow for the coordination of incoming and outgoing flights whatever their mission.
This is a generic model suitable for use by most nations in most terrain types. It may just as easily be seen on an German improvised airfield in the desert, or an American airfield in the flattened jungles of the pacific. Unlike our other buildings, the control tower is printed as separate walls to be glued together, not as a one piece structure with a roof. This may vary with scale.
A coastal emplacement with a large calibre gun was a common sight in WWII; from the early war examples in Britain, preparing for Operation Sealion, to massed batteries of the Atlantic Wall, built to repel the Allied invasion of Europe. The Pacific Theatre was no different, and amongst the Japanese defences the attacking US armies had to face were massive concrete gun emplacements.
This example is based on an emplacement 8” gun located on Beito, part of the Tarawa atoll chain.
Many different games have scenarios or missions based on crashed aircraft or similar events that occur during the game. These down plane markers are supplied as an improvement on the usual “use a token or similar to mark the spot” suggestions made in rulebooks.
The models are a generic fighter plane and generic light unarmed plane. As a simple marker they can stand in for anything suitable that the mission requires. They also make good terrain pieces on their own, or can represent an unsuccessful strafing attempt or such.
Simply lengths of girder welded or bolted together, “Czech hedgehogs” are an incredibly simple static anti-tank defence that are very effective. Similar to an ancient caltrop, these can be tipped, rolled etc by explosions or such and are still functional as the shape means that there is no right way up for them.
These have been used during and since WWII and remain in use today.
They are available either based or loose in groups of 4.
The Daihatsu landing craft is a Japanese motorised boat from the 1930s that was used throughout the Second Sino-Japanese War and WWII. 14m long and weighing 21 tons, it was a sturdy vessel capable of transporting 10 tons of cargo including howitzers, infantry, supplies and light vehicles and tanks.
It featured a bow ramp that could be lowered to allow embarkation and disembarkation of cargo, and this was later copied by the US in the design of the LCP(L), LCP(R) and LCVP. However, the construction of the Daihatsu meant it was more seaworthy that the US designs.
This model is supplied with both a folded ramp for travel and an unfolded ramp for loading/unloading.
Despite the rise in mechanisation throughout the 1920s and 1930s, many European countries began WWII without enough trucks, artillery tractors and similar to fulfill all their needs. The horse drawn limber, a common battlefield sight for hundreds of years, made another return, transporting food, ammunition and even towing heavy guns.
This generic limber can be used to represent a horse drawn transport from any nation. It is available as either two or four horse combination.
This release sees the introduction of a raft of models to bring Finland into the fray!
The completely new models are detailed below and as always for a new army, there is a platoon bundle as well. This features a range of infantry, mortar and anti-tank support, and a BA-6 armoured car! This is available at a very reasonable discounted price and free UK shipping. This is the seventh of our platoon bundles, in addition to the Japanese, Italian, British, German, Soviet and Eighth Army platoons already released.
As always, here’s a little background on the various new units…..
Officer team
As the Finnish Civil War of 1918 was barely 20 years before the start of WWII, many Finnish officers were veterans and brought this experience into the new conflict. The Winter War quickly brought new officers up to standard as learned from the veterans, and by the time of the Continuation War many officers had served in two wars and were more than competent.
Forward Observer team
Though not as large or numerous as those of other armies, the Finns could call in both artillery and air support. Finnish forward observers were adept at pinpointing the enemy in snow covered terrain and calling down thunderous artillery barrages and devastating airstrikes on enemy positions.
Medic team
As with all armies, the Finns made good use of medics, though due to the Soviets lack of distinction between medics and regular soldiers, Finnish medics were more likely to be armed than others!
The extensive snow encountered during the Winter War meant that often vehicles were unable to reach areas with injured troops and often medics would bring troops to aid stations by sledge, either pulled by fellow soldiers or drawn by reindeer or horses.
Infantry squad
The infantry squad was the backbone of the Finnish army, and as with the officers a number of soldiers had already served during the 1928 Finnish Civil War and were able to spread their experience to the newer recruits. Equipped with excellent rifles, the Finnish Lahti-Salorata M/26 was less well received as it was prone to jams, heavy and awkward to keep clean. However, it was exceptionally accurate and when maintained correctly, very reliable.
As they encountered Soviet vehicles, many Finnish soldiers were also equipped with improvised anti-tank measures in the form of Molotov cocktails.
By the time of the Continuation War, the equipment of the squads had improved, and in addition to German grenades, they were also equipped with Panzerfausts to deal with Soviet armour.
Jakaari squad
These specialist units were experienced and incredibly fit handpicked soldiers. Jakaari squads were exceptionally mobile due to the use of skis and bicycles, and often were used for scouting and counterstrike missions.
Flamethrower team
Though not developed natively, the Finns used a number of flamethrowers, usually the Italian Lanciafiamme Spalleggiabile 35 or captured Soviet ROKS-2 units.
AT rifle team
The Finns made use of both the imported Boys AT rifle and the native Lahti L-39. The Boys rifle was a 0.55” round capable of penetrating 23mm of armour at 100 yards, and the L-39 had a 20mm round capable of 30mm penetration at 100 yards.
This model is depicted with a Boys rifle, which was the smaller and lighter of the two. Both were also used in a counter-sniper role, where a mannequin was posed as an officer and the once a Soviet sniper revealed themselves by taking a shot, the AT rifleman would attempt to shoot the sniper.
Sniper team
Finnish snipers were the terror of the Soviet army during the Winter War, with snipers such as Simo Hayha counting hundreds of kills. The purpose built M28-30 rifle was an excellent high quality rifle, though many snipers ignored the scope and would instead shoot over iron sights.
Panzerschreck team
Finnish troops were issued with the Panzerschreck in 1944, though it was given the Finnish name of “Pansserarikauhu” – a direct translation of “Tank Terror”. It was a reloadable shoulder fired anti-tank weapon and a development of the one-shot Panzerfausts. Within its most effective range (50-60m) the hollow charge warhead could penetrate up to 160mm of armour – higher than the frontal armour of a Churchill VII.
81mm mortar team
The 81mm mortar was an exceptionally common support weapon during WWII. As the Finns imported a lot of their equipment from other countries, their inventory listed French, Swedish, Polish, Finnish and even German and Soviet examples simply as “mortar, 81mm”.
Generally the range was around 2500-3000m, with an HE round weighing about 3-3.5kg. Medium mortars were popular with the Finnish army, and were the standard infantry support choice with nearly 1000 being available. They were even capable of knocking out Soviet tanks!
Medium machine gun team
The Finnish army made extensive use of medium machine guns, often captured Soviet Maxim and DP-27 models, sometimes dating back to the FInnish Civil War.
45mm Anti-tank gun
The M1937 45mm anti-gun gun (also known as 53-K or Sorokapyatka) was a small quick firing Soviet AT gun of the 1930s. While relatively successful initially, it quickly became obsolete when facing new German armour such as the improved PzIII and PzIV tanks.
A number of these were captured by the Finns and put back into action against their former owners.
BA-6 armoured car
The BA-6 was a Soviet heavy armoured car introduced in 1936. Built on a 6×4 chassis of the GAZ-AAA, the BA-6 was thinly armoured but well equipped with a 45mm AT gun capable of destroying many contemporary armoured vehicles.
BA-6s were used in the Spanish Civil War, on the Eastern Front and even in the Far East. Their use in the Winter War also saw them captured by the Finns and put back into service against the Red Army under a new designation of BAF B.
BT-7 tank
The BT-7 was a Soviet cavalry tank of the 1930’s. Due to the Christie suspension and a decent engine, and a range of guns, the BT-7 was a mobile and well armed tank even if it was lightly armoured.
The last of the BT series, it was replaced in 1940 by the T-34, though it saw use throughout the war with the Red Army, as well as others including Finland and Romania.
The Finns also converted 18 of these into the BT-42 assault gun in 1942.
Reindeer team
Due to the great expanses of snow covered country they had to cross, the Finnish army made extensive use of reindeer. They were used as pack animals, to tow guns and to move sledges and cars of supplies and wounded men.
While not quite as hardy as horses for these tasks, they were much better suited to the harsh winter terrain and conditions and so proved more than up to the job.
Further updates are also available via our Facebook page.
Hopefully you found this bit of background history interesting and our models will soon be defending the Karelian isthmus from Soviet advances!
This release sees the introduction of some new vehicles to expand our range of Japanese support. Firstly, there is the Nissan 180 truck armed with 20mm light auto cannon to provide defence against enemy aircraft. Following this are the Ke-Nu and Ho-Ni III bringing a little more firepower when fighting armour. Long range support is handled by the Ho-Ro self propelled gun, and finally those pesky infantry are kept at bay by the twin Vickers of the Crossley armoured car.
As always, here’s a little background on the various new units…..
The Nissan 180 was a standard truck of the Japanese military during WWII. Originally introduced in 1941, it fulfilled a number of roles including as a mobile AA platform when it was equipped with a Type 98 20mm automatic cannon.
This model is available as either a stowed version (as photo) or deployed with the bed sides dropped.
A variant of the Ha-Go, the Ke-Nu was a hybrid manufactured from a Ha-Go chassis and running gear, with a Chi-Ha turret. Originally a light tank, the addition of a medium tank turret did improve some aspects of the Ha-Go such as firepower, crew space and increased armour (on the turret). However, it did nothing to address the weak hull armour, and the additional weight put additional strain on the engine and gearbox.
Around 100 of these were converted, but most were retained for the defence of the Home Islands.
The Ho-Ni III was developed in 1944 as a successor to the Ho-Ni I & II. Unlike its predecessors, it featured a fully enclosed casemate for crew protection, and an improved gun – the Type 3 75mm (the same gun fitted to the Chi-Nu tank).
Material shortages meant that the original order of 57 was never completed, with only 31 having been built by the end of the war. A few of these were deployed to combat units, but most were retained for the defence of the Home Islands.
The Ho-Ro was a Japanese self propelled gun of WWII that had been inspired by the German Grille. Based on the chassis of a Chi-Ha, it mounted a Type 3 150mm howitzer in an open casemate.
The combination of open casemate, thin armour (max. 25mm) and a lack of secondary armament, meant it was vulnerable in close combat.
Only 12 Ho-Ro SPGs were completed, but they saw action in the Philippines Campaign and on Okinawa.
The Vickers Crossley armoured car was a British vehicle developed in the 1920s and primarily used in India. Used under license by other countries, the Vickers Crossley also saw service with the Japanese SNLF against China , under the Japanese designation of a Type 87. The Crossley had a distinctive hemispherical turret armed with twin Vickers machine guns.
This model is supplied as the Japanese Type 87, without a cupola mounted searchlight.
Further updates are also available via our Facebook page.
Hopefully you found this bit of background history interesting and our models will be reinforcing your Italian armies.
This release sees the introduction of some new vehicles to expand our range of Italians. Firstly, there Semonvente 90/53 SPG with a monstrous 90mm anti tank gun, capable to knocking out virtually anything. Next up is the Pavesi P4 artillery tractor that can tow anything from a light howitzer right up to …… what will be released next month ;), then there is the Carro Commando, a command tank for SPG batteries, and finally the nippy little L3/38 tankette with its assortment of MG options.
As always, here’s a little background on the various new units…..
Despite the high demand for heavy AA for air defense, in 1942 a number of the Cannone da 90/53 AA guns were mounted on the chassis of M14/41 tanks to produce the Semonvente da 90/53.
Comparable in performance to the German Flak 88, it had an excellent AP round that could penetrate any Allied tank in the Western Desert. The 90/53 was even sufficient to deal with the KV tanks faced on the Eastern Front, though ultimately it never saw service there.
As with many WWII self propelled guns, its major downside was the open crew compartment. Additionally, the relative light armour of the M14/41 chassis meant that both the vehicle and crew were very vulnerable.
30 were made in total and they were in service from 1942-43.
The Pavesi P4 was an articulated tractor originally developed in Italy after the First World War. A truly innovative design, it featured 4×4 capabilities and a double articulated body that allowed it to actually keep all 4 wheels in contact with the ground. It could climb a 75 degree slope and had a top speed of 22kph on roads.
Although designed as an agricultural tractor, its relatively complexity (and therefore cost) generally priced it out of the civilian market. However, it was popular with various European armies between the wars, and the design had to be licensed to various manufacturers to keep up with demand.
During WWII it was the prime heavy artillery tractor for the Italian army and saw extensive use in artillery and AA batteries until its replacement in 1942 by the SPA TM40.
This model is fitted with the semi-pneumatic tires, and has a driver (NOTE: driver not supplied with 15mm/1:87 model).
The Carro Comando was a variant of the M14/41 Italian tank, used in a command role for self propelled gun batteries. The turret was removed and a single Breda MG armament was left in the hull.
