Tank Chats #147 | M14/41 | The Tank Museum

I really enjoy these longer Tank Chats with David Willey - the context is fascinating and paints a clearer picture of why things were like they were. Of course I still also enjoy Davis Fletcher's shorter, more technical vignettes too. Great to have both.

First time in my life that I see a British tank expert discussing Italian tanks and employing the word 'respect'. Who is this gentleman?

Looking at the state of WW II tanks it makes you realise how large a set of balls every tank crewman had to go to war in those things.

Honesty, competence, reliable historical sources. Nothing more is asked and that's what I always find here. Thank you David.

I never doubted the bravery of the Italian army, just the Italian weaponry.

One correction. Italy did in fact have the skills and capabilities to weld armor vehicles, what they did not have was enough trained individual to weld both ships and tanks, so they chose ships.

Good to see you defend the Italian soldiers, the common soldier who often pays with his life deserves recognition for his valour and achievement regardless of their nationality.

The Italian mechanics worked wonders keeping these vehicles running in North Africa. “Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts” by Ian W. Walker gives examples, like at El Alamein that these mechanics actually increased the number of running vehicles before the defeat there. FIAT and its subsidiary companies had a near monopoly on equipment to all the military branches.

I am deeply grateful to David Willey for this very objective and balanced review. It serves well the thousands of Italian tankers that died in these machines. And it well balances the smear that the likes of Liddel-Hart have piled up on our armed forces. Grazie.

Read ‘Iron Hulls and Iron Hearts’ by Ian Walker. This gives a great insight into Italy’s armoured doctrine at the time. I Might add there was no lack of courage from the Italians in ww2.

I didn’t realize the economic situation in Italy before WW2. Its a good history lesson as well as a lesson about tanks. Thanks!

You have done a great service with this video, exposing facts and dispelling wartime myths!

Our tankers, considering all the limitations, really did wonders. And Italy as a whole country, considering the industrial base as shown here, did MIRACLES to fight from 1940 to 1943 and to have battleships like the Littorio class and excellent other ships as well, not to mention aircraft... Sadly the Army couldn't really keep up.. great video as always! I would love to go back there one day! Was there a few years ago... it's the Meccah for tankers lovers for sure!

I believe a museum recently built a working replica of a Fiat 2000. Another great video as always, thanks David.

Finally a documentary where a foreigner doesn't play Spiderman's theme Funniculì Funniculà while laughing at italy. Thank you

Thank you so much for this, a fair take on this issue. Italian soldiers did well and made the best of what they had to work with. They were not the "cowards" or slackers that common myth and propaganda has portrayed. A good man or a good crew takes what weapons or vehicles they are issued, and despite the faults carry on and do the best they can.

As an Italian, i thank you for bringing some justice to the Italian WWII Army by presenting a broader picture and putting things in perspective. Thank you for being respectful to those who, even though joining the wrong side, fought and sacrificed themselves for their country. Italians were not cowards, they fought how they could with what they had available, including abysmally bad leadership and poor equipment.

Read “Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts” by Ian W. Walker about the 3 Italian armor divisions which were small in size, equivalent to a British armored brigade. The Ariete Division was part of the Afrika Korps in fact and was basically the only fully mechanized unit in North Africa. Ariete was the only fully functional of the 3, getting replacement armor by taking from the other 2. The infantry units lacked organic transport which was why they surrendered once abandoned in a retreat, no food or water and hundred of miles to friendly lines.

thank you for dispelling these horrific misconceptions of Italy during the war

Basically everyone at the start of the war had fairly poor tanks by comparison to mid/late war designs. The issue is Italy didn't have the manufacturing capability to get rid of those designs quickly enough, where as everyone else did.