Italian landing craft of WW2

[leyreynolds]

I'm looking for details, dimensions and ideally drawings of a landing craft type vessel called GM 240, which seems to have been converted to a floating artillery battery. GM 239 may have been similar.

[Giorgio N]

Now this is an obscure subject !

Best info I have is that this was a former Austro-Hungarian armed barge, captured in 1915, used by the Italians during WW1, withdrawn and later returned to service for coastal defence duties. There is some information here with a picture, that you may have already seen, all in Italian of course:

 

http://www.agenziabozzo.it/navi_da_guerra/C-Navi_da_Guerra_2/C-3828_RN_GM-240_pontone_armato_in_navigazione_fiancata_di_dritta.htm

 

The barge was not powered and was armed with 2 Skoda 149X17 guns and an Italian Mod.1916 76X40 gun. In addition they carried a single 20mm gun and 2 rifle caliber machine guns, don't have information on the specific type.

Dimensions were 40 X 10 X 1.3 m

GM239 is listed as having the same armament but different dimensions, 30 X 9.5 X 1.5 m

 

[leyreynolds]

G'day Giorgio,

 

Thank you very much for this info'. It answers all my questions as I only have a very poor photo' of GM 240

 

I'm looking around for a WW2 Italian vessel used in the Adriatic to scratchbuild in 1/72.

 

Ley