Uploaded November 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Of all the major powers that participated in World War II, Italy is perhaps the one with the worst reputation when it comes to armored warfare. This reputation is by no means unjustified, as despite having a vast array of opportunities to develop tank doctrines and training regimes that were at least competitive with those of other powers, the Regio Esercito continually demonstrated a stubborn unwillingness to modernize. This video will explore both the reasons behind this regressive attitude, and look at the many practical issues faced by the few Italian commanders who tried to wrestle with the system and give their soldiers a chance against better equipped and motivated opponents.
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Article: tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/italy/italian-medium-tank-crew-training-during-the-second-world-war
Sources:
La Meccanizzazione dell'Esercito Italiano fino al 1943 Volume I Parte I - Lucio Ceva and Andrea Curami - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Ufficio Storico, 1994
La Meccanizzazione dell'Esercito Italiano fino al 1943 Volume I Parte II - Lucio Ceva and Andrea Curami - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Ufficio Storico, 1994
Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell'Esercito Italiano Volume II Tomo I - Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Ufficio Storico, 2002
Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell'Esercito Italiano Volume III Tomo I - Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Ufficio Storico, 2002
Italian Soldiers in North Africa 1941-1943 - Piero Crociani and Pier Paolo Battistelli - Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013
Carro M - Carri Medi M11/39, M13/40, M14/41, M15/42, Semoventi ed Altri Derivati Volume Primo and Secondo - Antonio Tallillo, Andrea Tallillo and Daniele Guglielmi - Gruppo Modellistico Trentino di Studio e Ricerca Storica, 2012
Andrea Viotti Uniformi e Distintivi dell’Esercito Italiano nella Seconda Guerra Mondiale 1940-1945 Roma 1988
Andrea Viotti Uniformi e Distintivi dell’Esercito Italiano fra le Due Guerre 1918-1935 Roma 2009
Andrea Viotti e Stefano Ales Le Uniformi e i Distintivi del Corpo Truppe Volontarie in Spagna 1936-1939 Roma 2004
Ruggero Belogi Regio Esercito Italiano. Uniformi 1919-1933 Pubblicazione dell’autore 1989
Sergio Coccia e Nicola Pignato Le Uniformi Metropolitane del Regio Esercito dalla Riforma Baistrocchi all’Inizio della Seconda Guerra Mondiale 1933-1940 Roma 2005
Uniformi e Armi magazine, number 163, Parma 2009 - Roberto Manno, Rudy A. D'Angelo e Marco Ghedini article title: Segni di distinzione. Medaglie e distintivi della seconda guerra mondiale - Page 132
Nicola Pignato e Filippo Cappellano Le Armi della Fanteria Italiana (1919-1945) Parma 2008
Ministero Forze Armate Istruzione provvisoria sull'uniforme dell'Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano(1944 - XXII)
Paolo Crippa Storia dei Reparti Corazzati della Repubblica Sociale Italiana 1943-1945 Marvia 2022
zimmerit.com/zimmeritpedia/italia_rsi/ITALIA_RSI_UNIFORMI.html
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An article by Arturo Giusti
A script by Jeran Korak
Narrated by Nellop
Edited by @Storie di Guerra
Sound edited by Nellop
Of all the major powers that participated in World War II, Italy is perhaps the one with the worst reputation when it comes to armored warfare. This reputation is by no means unjustified, as despite having a vast array of opportunities to develop tank doctrines and training regimes that were at least competitive with those of other powers, the Regio Esercito continually demonstrated a stubborn unwillingness to modernize. This video will explore both the reasons behind this regressive attitude, and look at the many practical issues faced by the few Italian commanders who tried to wrestle with the system and give their soldiers a chance against better equipped and motivated opponents.
Join this channel to get access to exclusive perks:
youtube.com/channel/UC2tZSN6WSAtzKLalKbflBLg/join
If you liked this video, please consider donating on Patreon or Paypal!
Patreon: patreon.com/tankartfund
Paypal: paypal.com/paypalme/tankencyclopedia
Article: tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/italy/italian-medium-tank-crew-training-during-the-second-world-war
Sources:
La Meccanizzazione dell'Esercito Italiano fino al 1943 Volume I Parte I - Lucio Ceva and Andrea Curami - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Ufficio Storico, 1994
La Meccanizzazione dell'Esercito Italiano fino al 1943 Volume I Parte II - Lucio Ceva and Andrea Curami - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Ufficio Storico, 1994
Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell'Esercito Italiano Volume II Tomo I - Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Ufficio Storico, 2002
Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell'Esercito Italiano Volume III Tomo I - Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano - Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Ufficio Storico, 2002
Italian Soldiers in North Africa 1941-1943 - Piero Crociani and Pier Paolo Battistelli - Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013
Carro M - Carri Medi M11/39, M13/40, M14/41, M15/42, Semoventi ed Altri Derivati Volume Primo and Secondo - Antonio Tallillo, Andrea Tallillo and Daniele Guglielmi - Gruppo Modellistico Trentino di Studio e Ricerca Storica, 2012
Andrea Viotti Uniformi e Distintivi dell’Esercito Italiano nella Seconda Guerra Mondiale 1940-1945 Roma 1988
Andrea Viotti Uniformi e Distintivi dell’Esercito Italiano fra le Due Guerre 1918-1935 Roma 2009
Andrea Viotti e Stefano Ales Le Uniformi e i Distintivi del Corpo Truppe Volontarie in Spagna 1936-1939 Roma 2004
Ruggero Belogi Regio Esercito Italiano. Uniformi 1919-1933 Pubblicazione dell’autore 1989
Sergio Coccia e Nicola Pignato Le Uniformi Metropolitane del Regio Esercito dalla Riforma Baistrocchi all’Inizio della Seconda Guerra Mondiale 1933-1940 Roma 2005
Uniformi e Armi magazine, number 163, Parma 2009 - Roberto Manno, Rudy A. D'Angelo e Marco Ghedini article title: Segni di distinzione. Medaglie e distintivi della seconda guerra mondiale - Page 132
Nicola Pignato e Filippo Cappellano Le Armi della Fanteria Italiana (1919-1945) Parma 2008
Ministero Forze Armate Istruzione provvisoria sull'uniforme dell'Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano(1944 - XXII)
Paolo Crippa Storia dei Reparti Corazzati della Repubblica Sociale Italiana 1943-1945 Marvia 2022
zimmerit.com/zimmeritpedia/italia_rsi/ITALIA_RSI_UNIFORMI.html
Reddit: reddit.com/r/TankEncyclopedia
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Email: tanks.encyclopedia@gmail.com
An article by Arturo Giusti
A script by Jeran Korak
Narrated by Nellop
Edited by @Storie di Guerra
Sound edited by Nellop

![Kit Bashing Down Under | Matilda Frog, Matilda Dozer and Matilda Hedgehog in Australian Service
In a recent video, we covered the history of the British-built Matilda II infantry tank in Australian service. Arriving in mid-1942, the 200 tanks imported straight from the British Empire made up the core of the Australian armored forces until the end of World War II, and were praised for their compact size and extraordinary durability in the face of enemy fire. But fighting in the Pacific theater was anything but conventional, and required both new tactics and new equipment to be rapidly developed and rushed to the front lines. Today, we’ll be discussing the three major variants of the Matilda II design that emerged from this environment; the Matilda Frog, the Matilda Hedgehog, and finally the Matilda Dozer.
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Article: https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/australia/matilda-frog-and-murray-ft-flame-tank/
Sources:
Infantry Tank Mark IIA* Specifications, The Vulcan Foundary Ltd by designer Sir John Dodd August 1940
Infantry Tank Mark II manual, War Department
Osprey Publishing, New Vanguard #8, Matilda Infantry Tank 1938-45
Hopkins, Ronald Nicholas Lamond and Australian War Memorial
Australian armour : a history of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, 1927-1972 D Fletcher
Matilda infantry tank 1939-1945 Bingham, James
Australian Sentinel and Matildas AWM54, 347/4/1, [Flame Projectors – Inventions:] Flame throwers, Submission of designs. Narratives of the development, design and production of flame thrower transportable No 2, Aust “Frog” and flame thrower Cordite operated, designed by Major A E Miller, 21 April 1945
Infantry Tank Mark II Specifications, by J.S. DODD The Vulcan Foundry Ltd, Locomotive Works, August 1940
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An article by Thomas Anderson
Narrated by Jeran Korak
Edited by @battlehammerwot
Sound edited by Jeran Korak Kit Bashing Down Under | Matilda Frog, Matilda Dozer and Matilda Hedgehog in Australian Service](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hnMVbsJRBA8/mqdefault.jpg)








