La trama si è addensata....
I was finally able to spend more than a few moments with the Guglielmi book.
P.228-229 has a chart with a breakdown of type/number of vehicles in each German unit as of 31 Dec 1944. Two issues. All the 75mm type semoventi are lumped together as one number of each German unit. For example, the twelve 75mm M SPG could be 75/18s, 75/34s, 75/46s, or a mix. The second issue is the 71st Inf Division is not in the list (this is important).
P.280-284 is a list by unit of their vehicle strength at various times in 43-45. I am sure the data is based on the existing reports. Again the 71st isn't included in this list.
Both of these lists are missing at least one unit that is included in
Part Three Employment in the Field. I don't know if more units are missing from the list, but this indicates I can't fully trust the these two lists to be complete.
Okay, now the tricky bit. Where are the M43 da 75/46? From various places in the book:
Panzer Ausbildung-Abteilung Süd - This was a training/maintenance unit. It had one vehicle.
71st Inf Div - It had three vehicles.
305th Inf Div - It had two vehicles.
356 Inf Div - It had one vehicle.
Total: Seven vehicles.
What is more interesting. The three vehicles in the 71st were returned to Italy in Jan 45 for repairs as they were unserviceable (p.202). This now possibly changes the two vehicles reported in
Panzer Tracts in March from being newly built to repaired (but see below).
From the document section of the book (Part Five). These are translations (only in Italian) of the actual German reports:
What is more, more interesting. The 20 February report with the data for 1 Jan-15 Feb 1945 states that there are two M43 da 75/46 being delivered (p.274).
Si trovano in questo momento in via consegna
It doesn't say that two M43 da 75/46 had been completed as stated by
Panzer Tracts (p.103).
What is even more, more interesting. A footnote to the 20 March 1945 German report states that the two vehicles delivered in this report were likely the same two vehicles reported the previous month.
Si trattava con tutta probabiltà degli stessi due mezzi già contabilizzati nel mesr precedente e poi, per qualche ragione, non distribuiti.
Going back the
Panzer Tracts:
Another point is whether the the M43 75/46 and the M43 in the
Panzer Tracts reports on p.106 are the same type of vehicle? In two different paragraphs we read both M43 da 75/46 and M43 vehicles being completed or rearmed. But are they both meaning 75/46 vehicles? Why use two different nomenclatures in the same paragraph unless there is a difference? It could be that the 'normal' M43 is the M43 da 75/34 and the M43 75/46 is identified separately. So the two M43 that had guns fitted in Feb-Mar could be M43 da 75/34 and not 75/46.