Italian Artillery Guns

Cannone da 47/32 modello 35 Italian Light & Medium Artillery Guns

By Michael G. DeSensi
(with additional information from Wayne Turner)


The Italians used a variety of artillery pieces during WWII, many of which were designs dating from WWI. Italian gun designation is determined by the calibre, barrel length in calibres and year of design. In our example, 47/32 modello 35, it is 47mm calibre, has a barrel 32 x 47mm Long (1504mm) and was accepted as an Italian gun in 1935.
Cannone da 47/32

One of the most versatile weapons was the 47mm Cannone da 47/32 Modello 35. This weighed 277 kg and fired a 2.4 kg shell to 4300 meters at a muzzle velocity of 250 m/sec. It was used in the anti-tank and field artillery role, as well as equipping the troops of the Alpine Division.

(IT560, IT562 & IT563)
IT560 47/32 gun
Cannone da 65/17 Cannone da 65/17

In addition, divisions had other light weapons available. These included the Cannone da 65/17, a 65mm gun initially designed as a light mountain gun from before World War One. Sometimes a large shield was mounted on the 65/17.

(IT561)
Obice da 75/13

The Alpini used the 75/13 as their main mountain gun, it was another outdated designed from World War One, and was to be replaced by the Obice da 75/18 modello 34 (Obice means howitzer), but only a few units recieved the excellent new guns because of production difficulties.

(can be modelled with IT561 with the addition of a flat sheild)
Obice da 75/13
Obice da 75/18 Obice de 75/18 modello 34 and modello 35

The Obice da 75/18 modello 34, an altogether more up-to-date mountain howitzer of 75mm which fired a 6.3 kg shell 9560 meters, weighed 780 kg and was capable of 65° elevation. It was to be introduced to replace the 75/13.

A field gun was produced by mounting an Obice da 75/18 on a split-trail carriage and this bore the Modello 35 designation. It was an effective and compact weapon.
Cannone da 75/27 modello 06

The Italians made use of several guns in the field artillery role. The oldest was a design of Krupps known as the Cannone da 75/27 Modello 06.

The original spoked-wheel versions were still in service in 1940 and the gun saw service throughout the war.
   
It weighed 1015 kg and fired a 6.3 kg shell.
Cannone da 75/27 modello 06
Cannone da 75/27 modello 06 in its original form Some modernised guns also had guards attached to the sheild like the 100/17 (see photograph above).

(IT570)
Cannone da 77/28 modello 05
Skoda model. 1905-1908

Another artillery piece gained from the Austro-Hungarians after the World War One, it was press into service and used in North Africa. This is the same gun as used by the Hungarians as the 80mm 05/08M.

Calibre: 76.2mm
Weight in action: 1020 kg
Elevation: -5° +23°
Traverse:
Projectile weight: 6.24 kg (Italian) 6.4 kg (Austro-Hungarian)
Muzzle velocity: 500 m/sec
Maximum Range: 7 km
Rate of fire: 10 rounds/min
Cannone da 77/28 modello 05 while still in Austro-hungarian service
This gun is visibly very similar to the 75/27 Modello 06 and the same model can be used to represent it. One difference is the wheel guards attached to the shield similar to those of the 100/17, these can be modelled with some thin plastic card.

Thanks to Franco on the Comando Supremo forum for the information on this gun.
Cannone da 75/27 modello 11 Cannone da 75/27 modello 11

The Cannone da 75/27 modello 11 was a French split-trail design with a performance similar to the Modello 06, but was somewhat heavier. Like the 06, some eventually had their wooden spoked wheels replaced with steel rims with tires.
Cannone da 75/32 modello 37

The previous field guns were really somewhat obsolete by the time Italy went to war, and the most up-to-date weapon in the inventory was the Cannone da 75/32 modello 37.  This was an Ansaldo designed gun, which didn’t see widespread use because of other manufacturing demands.  It weighed 1200 kg in action and fired a 6.3 kg shell to 12500 meters. With a 640m/sec muzzle velocity it was used as a successful anti-tank weapon.

Several of the above mentioned guns were mounted in self-propelled carriages as, for example, the 75/18 was mounted in the Semovente 75/18.  Taken overall, Italian artillery units were reasonably equipped and fought well.
Cannone da 75/32 modello 37
Obice da 100/17 modello 14

Obice da 100/17 modello 14

This gun started life in the Austro-Hungarian army of World War One; the Italians gained a great many of these howitzers in 1918 with the break-up of the Hapsburg Empire.

With the out break of war in 1940 the Italians still had huge numbers of the Obice da 100/17 modello 14 in service and were producing their own spare parts and ammunition for the weapons.

The 100/17 modello 14 also saw service with the Hungarians, Poles, and Romanians.

Later improved L24 100mm guns were produced by the Czechs and sold to Greece, Hungary, Poland and Yugoslavia and a few conversion kits were sold to the Italians. The converted Italian howitzers were designated Obice da 100/24.

The 100/17 modello 14 weighed 1505 kg in action and fired a 14kg shell to 9970 meters.

(IT580)

Obice da 100/17 modello 14
Obice da 100/17 modello 16 Obice da 100/17 modello 16

The Obice da 100/17 modello 16 was another Skoda design received as war reparations after World War One. It was designed as a mountain gun and was mounted on a lighter carriage.
Cannone da 105/28

The 105/28 was a World War One vintage gun of French design (Canon de 105 mle 1913 Schneider or L13 S) originally starting life as a design on the drafting board of the Russian Putilov Armaments factory.  It proved a popular design and was exported to various countries, Italy among them. It remained a common weapon during WWII and continued in Italian service until 1943 seeing action on both the African and Russian fronts.

The 105/28 weighed 2300 kg in action and fired a 16.24kg shell to 12000 meters
Cannone da 105/28
Cannone da 105/32 Cannone da 105/32

The Cannone da 105/32 was another Austrian Skoda (10,4cm M15) that found its way into Italian service after World War One. They saw action in Africa, Sicily and Russia.


Last Updated On Thursday, February 14, 2019 by Wayne at Battlefront