im ▁vehicle ▁until ▁the ▁heav ier ▁P 4 0 ▁tank ▁could ▁be ▁available . ▁ ▁History ▁Italian ▁art illery ▁Colonel ▁Ser gio ▁Ber les e , ▁who ▁also ▁designed ▁the ▁Ob ice ▁da ▁ 7 5 / 1 8 ▁model lo ▁ 3 4 , ▁suggested ▁that ▁Italy ▁create ▁an ▁arm oured ▁fighting ▁vehicle ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁German ▁Stu G ▁III , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁successful ▁in ▁the ▁French ▁campaign . ▁The ▁first ▁prototype ▁was ▁quickly ▁assemble d ▁and ▁delivered , ▁on ▁February ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁only ▁ 1 3 ▁months ▁after ▁the ▁first ▁M 1 3 / 4 0 ▁tank ▁upon ▁which ▁it ▁was ▁based . ▁After ▁that , ▁ 6 0 ▁more ▁examples ▁were ▁ordered . ▁They ▁were ▁delivered ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁and ▁were ▁then ▁sh ipped ▁to ▁North ▁Africa ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁This ▁initial ▁batch ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁M 1 3 ▁ch ass is , ▁with ▁its ▁weak ▁ 1 2 5   hp ▁engine ▁( l ater ▁to ▁be ▁replaced ▁by ▁one ▁of ▁ 1 4 5   hp , ▁with ▁the ▁M 1 4 ▁ch ass is ). ▁ ▁Design ▁▁ ▁This ▁self - prop elled ▁gun ▁was ▁built ▁with ▁riv et ed ▁steel ▁pl ates , ▁which ▁were ▁th icker ▁but ▁also ▁less ▁s loped ▁than ▁in ▁the ▁original ▁tank ▁( 5 0   mm ▁as ▁against ▁ 4 2   mm ▁max ). ▁Front al ▁arm our ▁was ▁almost