Australian Forces

"Australian" armour (courtesy of Il Duce).

Italian-made Carro Armato M11/39 tanks, captured by the Australians at Bardia and used by them in the subsequent capture of Tobruk (the Kangaroo emblem is a bit of a giveaway). These tanks were pretty useless. They were reasonably mobile; and their hull-mounted main armament of a (British Vickers pattern) 37mm L/40 gun was no worse than many for 1940/'41 (though that was not saying much). On the other hand, the thin, rivetted armour was totally inadequate, making them something of a death-trap for their crews. These vehicles were, in consequence, little use by anybody (Australian or Italian) after the early part of 1941. Best regards, JR.