The Semovente da 90/53 was created by mounting a 90 mm
Cannone da 90/53 anti-aircraft gun on top of an enlarged chassis of a
M14/41 tank. Only 30 of these vehicles were produced, all in 1942. The Semovente da 90/53 was primarily developed in response to demands by
Italian forces on the
Eastern Front for a vehicle-mounted anti-tank weapon that could take on Soviet
T-34 and
KV tanks. Italian armoured forces on the Eastern Front were equipped only with the
L6/40 tank and
Semovente 47/32 self-propelled gun; neither of these had the firepower to cope with the Soviet medium and heavy tanks. However, no Semovente da 90/53 were ever sent to the Eastern Front. The major drawback of the Semovente da 90/53, as with many self-propelled gun types of World War II, was the open top and rear of the gun compartment, which left the gun crew exposed to shrapnel. The small ammunition capacity of the vehicle—eight rounds—was also a problem, necessitating the creation of special ammunition carriers out of
Fiat L6/40 tanks, one accompanying each Semovente da 90/53 in the field. The L6 ammunition carrier carried 26 rounds, plus an additional 40 rounds in a towed trailer. Beside the standard Armour Penetrating rounds, it could fire
Effetto Pronto, or
HEAT rounds, which shaped charge could pierce 200mm armour plating at any range. ==Combat use==