"Italian Armor in German Service during WW2" Topic

"Following the armistice of 8 September 1943, German military forces captured a significant amount of Italian vehicles. These vehicles would play a new role in German-occupied Italy. Here are some examples of Italian armor in German service during World War Two.

Although Italian vehicles were considered inferior, they could provide German forces a much-needed reinforcement to counter-guerrilla units and static defenses. The German intent was to use the Italian vehicles for occupation duties and anti-partisan warfare, thus freeing German units for the war effort…"
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Amicalement
Armand

The Germans used a lot foreign weapons etc., because they needed all they could get to fight the Allies on both fronts.

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Both? That means two….

All three fronts (NWE, Italy, Eastern) soon became even more after the landings in Southern France (OK I admit they soon joined the Normandy front) or the fighting in Finland.

You could almost feel sympathy for German tank crews forced to fight in very second rate, captured, and obsolete vehicles against enemy armour. Classic is Paris 44 against M4A2s, or anywhere against T34s. OK up against Balkan, Byelorussian or Free French Guerilla fighters maybe.

I stress almost feel sympathy…..

Two fronts – the Western and the Eastern Fronts, in the ETO. Italy was part of the Western Front, as was Southern France, in the big picture.

Feel sympathy?
Naaaah.

I have seen a large number of photos of the Italian sector where concrete emplacement bunker had been built with a tank turret placed on it. A very had target to hit.