The Italian Semovente M41M da 90/53 Tank Destroyer Part III – Combat

There was debate concerning where best to deploy the unit, designated the 10° Raggruppamento Artiglieria Controcarro da 90/53 Semovente. Experience on the Russian Front was the impetus for the design, but there were also those who wanted to see the Semovente used in North Africa where the open terrain would also favor the long range and penetrating power of the 90mm/53 gun. In the end the unit was deployed to help defend Sicily in the fall of 1942.

The unit was re-organized into three Gruppo of eight Semovente each, the remaining six Semovente would be left behind at Nettuno for crew training. Each gun was provided with its own Carri Armati L6/40. In addition, each pair of guns was assigned a Carro Comando Semovente M.41, seen here, as well as a variety of trucks and liaison vehicles. This Carro Comando is marked with the Semovente silhouette of the CLXIII Gruppo. Note the shell cases in the foreground.

A Semovente crew in action. The gun has just fired, while the loaders bring another round forward from the Carri Armati. Another crewman is bringing the Breda into service. This is likely a training exercise but it does give some idea of how the gun would be employed.

This Semovente was knocked out by American troops, note the starboard track has been shed and the shell casing on the port fender. The gun has been camouflaged and the shield wears the clover insignia of CLXI Gruppo.

The same vehicle from the opposite side. A round has impacted the hull just aft of the engine compartment. The thin armor and open fighting position left the gun vulnerable to almost any anti-tank weapon. Its optimum employment was to take advantage of the strengths of the 90mm/53 and ambush its opponents from a concealed position if possible.

A CLXIII Gruppo M41M with the engine compartment door open. The weight of the gun placed a strain on the vehicle’s engine and suspension, breakdowns were common and the crews learned to drive slowly to reduce wear and tear on their mounts.

A G.I. examines the barrel of this Semovente, likely destroyed by its crew. This was the fate of many of these vehicles as breakdowns occurred with some frequency.

This Semovente has seen better days. It is missing its tracks and several hatch covers, as well as panels from its gun shield. This was the ultimate fate of most of the guns on Sicily.

This CLXIII Gruppo vehicle was captured intact by the Americans. The left side of the gun shield has been painted over in a dark color but the unit emblem has been preserved. A close examination reveals that the writing says, “To Commanding General – Aberdeen Proving Grounds – Aberdeen, Maryland – Captured Enemy Material”. This vehicle is preserved at the Fort Sill Field Artillery Museum in Oklahoma today, the last of her kind.

A pair of Semovente seen abandoned at the end of the Sicilian Campaign on a riverbank near Messina, along with other Italian vehicles. With no way to transport their vehicles to the mainland, any armor which survived combat in Sicily was abandoned as their crews were evacuated.

All twenty-four Semovente sent to Sicily were lost, but the six vehicles left behind at Nettuno were taken over by the Wehrmacht after the Italian Armistice. In German service they were known as Gepanzerte Selbstfahrlafette 90/53 801(i). They were assigned to the 26th Panzer Division but it does not appear that they were ever used in combat.

Part I here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2025/12/03/the-italian-semovente-m41m-da-90-53-tank-destroyer-part-i-factory-photos/