Italian military technological response to Operation Compass

[robmel7]

Were there any programs/development of new types of weapons, ammunition, equipment started by Italian military industry in response to experience from fighting against British during operation Compass?

[Dili]

I can only think of EP, EPS rounds developed for most medium artillery.

[Wargames]

In actual equipment - No. In programs - Yes. Italian troops received far more desert training after Compass than before. However, the Italians seemed to have developed new land mines that used a wooden case and rope carry handle to avoid metal detectors. In Compass, the British only encountered mines at Nibiewa and then a hundred miles further west the next time at Bardia in January, 1941. The 64th Catanzaro should have been laying mines all the back to Bardia but didn't lay a single one. So there was failure in the system somewhere. The ease with which the British went through Bardia's six minefields likely led to this design change.

Of course anytime the Italians got an idea to build anything not already in production the time from design, to contract, to production, to entering the field was at the speed of cement. These new mines mostly became a factor in 1942.

[LColombo]

The ease with which the British went through Bardia's six minefields likely led to this design change.

Wasn't this caused by the capture of General Romolo Lastrucci, with maps of those minefields, a few months earlier? I think I remember reading something like this.

[Wargames]

They did obtain the defense plans for Bardia. However, the Australians still had to clear the mines. They did it so quickly it was as if they were never there. They had to do this for both defensive perimeters. Both minefields they cleared had no effect on the Australians at all.

[Ironmachine]

I think the Carro Armato M Celere Sahariano project can be considered as such a response.