Carro Armato Celere Sahariano

Carro Armato M Celere Sahariano (M16/43)
TypeMedium tank
Place of originItaly
Service history
Used byKingdom of Italy
Production history
DesignerAnsaldo
Produced1943
No. built1 (complete spring 1942)
Specifications
Mass16 tonnes
Length5.8 m (19 ft)
Width2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
Height2.0 m (6 ft 7 in)
Crew4

Armour30 mm (1.2 in) front, 25 mm (0.98 in) sides
Main
armament
1 × 47 mm 47/40 L40 then Cannone da 75/34
Secondary
armament
2 × 8 mm Breda 38 machine guns
EngineSPA gasoline
275 hp (205 kW)
Power/weight17.19 hp (12.82 kW)/tonne
SuspensionTorsion bar[1]
Operational
range
300 km (190 mi)
Maximum speed 55 km/h (34 mph)

The Carro Armato M Celere Sahariano (Italian for "Saharian Fast Medium Tank") or M16/43 was a prototype medium tank developed by the Kingdom of Italy during World War II to match the speed and firepower of contemporary British cruiser tanks encountered by Italian forces during the Western Desert Campaign.[citation needed] The project was cancelled following the expulsion of Axis forces from North Africa in May 1943. Had it entered service, the tank's designation would likely have been M16/43: "M" for Medio, "16" representing the vehicle's weight in metric tons and "43" being the planned year of introduction.[2]