Carro Armato P40

"This is our secret weapon! With this, Ooarai will be a piece of cake!"

The Carro Armato P40 (Italian official designation P26/40: 26-ton heavy tank developed in 1940) was an Italian heavy tank, although its specifications are more in the line of medium tanks during the period. It first appeared in the anime during Episode 7.

Background

The P40 project was started in 1940 to create a heavy tank for Italy. Initially similar to an enlarged and up-gunned M13/40, it was eventually improved by fitting thicker and sloped armor, and mounting a long-barreled 75 mm L/34 gun. Unfortunately its development was delayed because of the backwardness of the Italian automotive industry. When Italy surrendered on 8th September 1943, only one P40 had been delivered to the Italian Army; therefore, the P40 was built for Germany, with a total of 100 units produced.

The P40 had reasonably good specifications for a medium tank (comparable to the early production model of the M4 Sherman); Its 75 mm gun was effective for tank combat, and its armor was well sloped, while the mobility was adequate, although it lacked important features compared to the other tanks, such as welded armor, enhanced suspension and a three-man turret with a commander's cupola.

The performance of the P40 was remarkable; even with its flaws, the P40 could still be a match for the other medium tanks.

In Girls und Panzer

Anzio Girls High School has a Carro Armato P40, which is used by the Anzio Commander Anchovy as her main tank and the school's secret weapon.

Manga

The P40 was acknowledged by Miho Nishizumi as the only Anzio tank they should be aware of. It easily knocked out the M3 Lee by hitting its side armor from a distance, but it also proved unable to knock out the Char B1 bis at a long distance (although only barely not penetrating the armor), only managing to destroy its tracks and jam its turret, virtually disabling it. It was later taken out by Ooarai Girls' High School's Panzer IV with a shot to its side armor.

Anzio OVA

In the Anzio OVA, the P40 was revealed as Anzio's secret weapon, bought with very limited economies, but capable of posing a danger to the relatively unimpressive arsenal of tanks Ooarai could field (Miho herself admitted that the StuG III was the only tank that could take it out from a distance). Serving as the flag tank and Anchovy's tank, it made up the central main force, supported by a CV.33 and Carpaccio's Semovente da 75/18; when Anchovy ordered the force to move out after Plan Macaroni failed, they were spotted and pursued by Anglerfish Team and Turtle Team, while Carpaccio engaged Hippo Team's StuG III. After losing the supporting tankette, it was lured by Ooarai's Panzer 38(t) into a trap, right under a cliff from where Anglerfish Team's Panzer IV knocked it out with a shot from above, negating its advantage of sloped armor.

Trivia

The P40 used by Anzio Girls High School is painted green, in contrast the the rest of the school's tanks, which are coloured yellow.
Anzu Kadotani calls the P40 a 'Piyo-Piyo'(ぴよぴよ).

Gallery

References

Tanks ☰
Light Tanks and Tankettes	7TP • AMR-35 • BT-42 • Crusader • CV.33 • FT-17 • Harry Hopkins • M22 Locust • M24 Chaffee • Mark VI • Panzer II • Panzer 38(t) • R35 • T-60 • T-70 • Tetrarch • TK Tankette • Type 2 Ka-Mi • Type 94 Tankette • Type 95 Ha-Go • Type 97 Te-Ke
Medium Tanks	Centurion • M3 Lee • M4 Sherman • M13/40 • Matilda II • P26/40 • Panzer III • Panzer IV • Panzer V "Panther" • Sentinel • SOMUA S35 • T-34 • T-44 • Type 89B • Type 3 Chi-Nu • Type 97 Chi-Ha
Heavy Tanks	ARL 44 • B1 Bis • Black Prince • Churchill • IS-2 • KV-1 • KV-2 • M26 Pershing • Mark IV • Neubaufahrzeug • Panzer VI "Tiger" • Panzer VI Ausf. B "Tiger II" • Panzer VIII "Maus" • VK45.01 Porsche Tiger
Tank Destroyers	Elefant • Hetzer • ISU-152 • Jagdpanzer IV • Jagdpanther • Jagdtiger • Mareșal • Semovente da 75/18 • StuG III • T28 Super-Heavy Tank
Self-Propelled Artillery	Karl-Gerät 040
Main Battle Tank	Type 10