Italian Forces

M 15 antiereo

The semovente M 15/42 antiaereo quadrinato was an original Italian project and the first multiple AA gun mounted over a tank chassis. The German Wiberlwinds were largely inspired by the M15 AA, following it of about a year. In fact the project of this AA tank started at the beginning of 1943, when the complete air superiority by the Allies required a faster and closer AA support for the Italian armored forces. It was a M 15/42 tank armed with a torretta quadrinata (multiple gun turret) of 4 AA 20 mm Scotti - Isotta Fraschini mguns. But as usual in Italian military equipment during WW2, the program took time and a few prototipes had been built before the armistice. Captured by the Germans, their formula largely inspired the famous Wiberlwind German AA tank. DVX