The Soldati has two extra nodes for throwers which the Ariete lacks, that was difference I spotted. Exactly why it did not work with the code you had tried previously I am not sure, it may have been something to do with the weapon numbers you had chosen but could just as easily be something else as this process is still a black art.
I use 'word' to examine the jrf by searching for a string such as DC1 or DCT1 and so on until I stop finding new strings so then I know how many nodes the model contains. Like others have mentioned, hex editing is for the whiz kids, it is total gibberish to me.