▁Second ▁Battle ▁of ▁El ▁Al ame in ) ▁was ▁not ▁enough ▁to ▁turn ▁the ▁t ide ▁in ▁Italy ' s ▁favour . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁more ▁vehicles ▁were ▁built : ▁ 1 6 2 , ▁all ▁with ▁the ▁M 4 1 ▁h ull , ▁recogn izable ▁by ▁the ▁all - length ▁f enders ; ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁production ▁shift ed ▁to ▁the ▁M 4 2 ▁variant , ▁with ▁the ▁M 1 5 / 4 2 ▁tank ▁ch ass is ▁and ▁engine . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁decided ▁to ▁address ▁the ▁short com ings ▁of ▁the ▁M 1 4 / 4 1 ▁tank ▁by ▁bol ster ing ▁each ▁unit ▁with ▁some ▁Sem ov enti , ▁even ▁outside ▁the ▁three ▁arm oured ▁divisions ▁field ed , ▁even ▁though ▁very ▁few ▁Italian ▁divisions ▁actually ▁received ▁any . ▁ ▁The ▁necessity ▁for ▁a ▁longer ▁and ▁more ▁powerful ▁gun ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁ 7 5 / 3 4 , ▁ 7 5 / 4 6 ▁and ▁ 1 0 5 / 2 5 ▁self - prop elled ▁guns . ▁ ▁German ▁use ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Italian ▁surrender ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁some ▁ 1 3 1 ▁Sem ov ente ▁da ▁ 7 5 / 1 8 ▁were ▁seized ▁by ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁and ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁another ▁ 5 5 ▁was ▁author ized . ▁They ▁were , ▁in ▁combination ▁with ▁other ▁Sem ov ente ▁models , ▁issued ▁to ▁ 1 2 ▁divisions ▁( 9