The Semovente M43 “Bassotto” was a self-propelled gun built on a lowered and widened chassis from the M15/52 tank with a 105mm howitzer. Only 30 were built before Italy’s armistice in 1943, with an additional 91 being built by Germany.
Italeri is known for covering unique World War II armor subjects, and the 1/35 scale Semovente M43 da 105/25 Bassotto plastic model kit leans into this reputation. Of the eight plastic sprues provided, two appear to be from a previous Italeri release, the M42 75/18, but the rest are all new. The reused parts trees are for running gear common among many Italian tracked vehicles and interior details.
Construction starts with the interior of the vehicle. There is limited documentation for this vehicle, but the parts provide a decent representation of what I could find. Of course, if you button up the hatches, you’ll see none of it.
The hull sides and engine deck fit nicely. No engine is provided, but the doors are molded separately, which makes it easy to add an aftermarket one. While letting the hull dry, I started on the running gear. The running gear subassemblies comprise four units composed of 12 pieces each. It’s a bit tedious, but they fit well and the assemblies look good when complete.
I struggled with the link-and-length tracks. My mistake was starting with the top run with the built-in sag. I followed the directions regarding the proper sequence of shorter runs and individual links, but still ended up with a track that was a half link too long. I ended up making modifications to the last link to make it fit without it being too noticeable. However, since the top run will not be seen on the finished model due to the side skirts, just leave it off and work from the bottom up to ensure easy track installation.
The fenders and side skirts go on, followed by the crew compartment. Additional interior items install on top of the fenders with the side and rear walls. Italeri provides both a plastic and metal barrel for the howitzer, and I went with the metal version.
When adding the gun mantlet, I ran into another issue. It’s made to pivot in multiple directions, but I must have gotten some glue on one of the pivot points. After sealing up the crew compartment, the gun was stuck tilted down. When I tried to lift it level, the two mantlet pieces separated. No matter how I tried to lift the barrel and keep the pieces together, they separated. I eventually glued the barrel in a level position and filled the gap with putty. It’s noticeable if you look for it.
After adding the gun and front wall of the crew compartment, it was time to add the roof to the complex shaped walls. I was pleasantly surprised that it fit, and well, too! There are two enormous hatches on the roof that will allow a good view of the interior if left open. However, I decided to leave them closed.
Finally, there are several details added to the exterior like tools, headlights, and jerry cans. Italeri gives you photo-etched metal straps if you want to use the cans, but I opted for a version that didn’t require that.
Painting this kit is not for the faint of heart. All four finishing options have complex camouflage that gave me pause. There is one for Italian forces before the armistice and three for Wehrmacht vehicles. I chose the Italian version, as it had the most interesting decals.
The Italeri 1/35 scale Semovente M43 da 105/25 Bassotto plastic model kit nicely replicates a vehicle that until now wasn’t represented in the modeling market. I enjoyed this build and would recommend it for modelers with a moderate level of building experience who aren’t afraid of complex camouflage finishes.