Description:

The Progetto S180/50 (or Semovente C2-S-1) was a concept self-propelled gun developed by Italy in the early 1950s, equipped with the naval gun Cannone da 180/50. The project ultimately failed at the prototype stage due to its excessive length, extremely slow reload times caused by the heavy shell weight, and other issues.

History:

At the beginning of the Cold War, Italy realized that it still operated outdated SPGs (Self-Propelled Guns) such as the M7 Priest. Although the M7 was effective, its technology was already considered “outdated.” Additionally, the presence of powerful heavy tanks like the IS-3 prompted Italy to conceptualize a vehicle capable of destroying the IS-3 easily from long distances. Thus, the concept of a self-propelled gun based on the C2 Leone tank chassis began.

Why use the C2 Leone chassis? Because the C2 Leone had a chassis capable of supporting up to 50 tons of weight (according to Italian claims). Moreover, the C2 Leone chassis was easy to modify. This project was planned to utilize the Cannone da 180/50 naval gun — a World War II Italian naval gun that used bagged charges and was discontinued due to the Allied invasion of Italy. Only the breech and counter-recoil components were completed at that time.

The project was later continued by Italy with upgrades to the breech and the construction of the gun barrel and other necessary components for use on the Progetto S180/50. Uniquely, after the HESH projectile was developed by the United Kingdom, the Cannone da 180/50 was planned to be made compatible with HESH shells. Three prototypes were built but unfortunately, the project ultimately failed.

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