The Autoblinda AB41 number '10' of the 1ª Compagnia of the Battaglione ‘Romolo Gessi’ of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana with Pirelli Tipo 'Libia' tires. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.
Kingdom of Italy (1941-1943)
Medium Armored Car – At Least 40 in Polizia dell’Africa Italiana Service
The AB41 medium armored car was an Italian reconnaissance vehicle developed from the AB40, an armored car developed by FIAT-SPA and Ansaldo in the request of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana or PAI (English: Police of Italian Africa) from 1937 to 1939.
The AB41s of the PAI were used mainly in North Africa by the Battaglione ‘Romolo Gessi’ and in Italy by the Colonna ‘Cheren’.
The AB41 plated ‘Polizia dell’Africa Italiana 508’ the seventh armored car of the AB41 model. It was probably taken in the early days of September 1941 in the Libyan desert. Source: pinterest.com
Context
In 1936 the Corpo di Polizia Coloniale (English: Colonial Police Corps) was created after a reorganization of the Police Corps operating in Libyan territory, to garrison the Italian governorship in Ethiopia and the colonies of Africa Orientale Italiana or AOI (English: Italian East Africa). The new corps was under the command of the Italian Ministry of Colonies, then renamed the Ministry of Italian Africa. That was the first case in Italy that an armed force was under a civil ministry.
Created by Regio Decreto n. 1211 (English: Royal Decree) of 10th June 1937, its ranks and its tasks were well defined. It was to be a civilian corps militarily organized, and forming part of the armed forces of the state, with functions of political police, judicial police, and administrative police.
Men of the motorized corps of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana lined up with Moto Guzzi motorcycles, Moto Guzzi TriAlce (armed with Breda Modello 1937 medium machine gun in anti-aircraft support), several Lancia 3Ro heavy-duty trucks, and some SPA light lorries. Benito Mussolini, General Cavallero, and senior officers of the Regio Esercito are inspecting them. Libya, 9th September 1941. Source: Istituto Luce
The Corpo di Polizia Coloniale (it changed name on 15th May 1939) had an organic strength of 6,344 soldiers consisting of 87 officers, 368 NCOs, 1,475 Italian police officers, 4,064 Eritrean police officers, and 350 Somali police officers. At the beginning of the war, there were also a total of 735 Libyan police officers present. The African soldiers were called Àscari della Polizia (English: Police Àscari). Àscari (singular Àscaro) is an Italian word from the Arab عسكري or ʿaskarī’ meaning “soldiers”.
The command of the unit was in Rome, the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana school was in Tivoli about 30 km from Rome, the Ispettorato per l’Africa Orientale (English: East Africa Inspectorate) was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the Ispettorato per la Libia was in Tripoli.
A total of 61 battalions were created in Caserma Pantanella in Via Degli Orti in Tivoli that were then assigned to 6 bases in Addis Ababa, Asmara, Benghazi, Gondar, Mogadishu and Tripoli and 5 special units, such as the Squadrone Azzurro (English: Blue Squadron) with 11 Italian police officers and 11 Somali police officers which were tasked with escorting the Governor of Somalia.
The Polizia dell’Africa Italiana school was inaugurated in Tivoli on 1st December 1937 and soon acquired great prestige in international military circles.
Future officers were required to know at least two foreign languages, with the options including Amharic (the most common Ethiopian language), Arabic, English, French, German, Somali and Tigrinya (spoken primarily in Eritrea and Ethiopia).
The first battalion to come out of the school was sent to Somalia and was renamed 1° Battaglione ‘Antonio Cecchi’ (English: 1st Battalion) in honor of Antonio Cecchi, a famous explorer killed on 26th November 1896 in Somalia by local tribesmen.
After the first battalion, six others were formed, all named after famous Italian pioneers in Africa: Luigi Amedeo di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi, Giuseppe Giulietti, Eugenio Ruspoli, Gaetano Casati, Vittorio Bòttego, and Romolo Gessi respectively.
Units of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana equipped with AB41s
1° Battaglione ‘Luigi Amedeo di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi’
2° Battaglione ‘Giuseppe Giulietti’
3° Battaglione ‘Eugenio Ruspoli’
4° Battaglione ‘Gaetano Casati’
5° Battaglione ‘Vittorio Bòttego’
6° Battaglione ‘Romolo Gessi’
The government of the German Reich, after receiving flattering reports from the German consular authorities in Italian East Africa about the high level of training of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana, sent the Chief of the Deutsche Polizei, General Ritter Von Epp, on a courtesy visit to Tivoli. He was so impressed by the visit that he urged Berlin to ask the Ministry of Italian Africa to allow a refresher course for 180 German police officers, which took place in the first half of 1939.
German officers pass Polizia dell’Africa Italiana’s troops lined up in Italy after a successful training. The AB40 plated ‘Polizia dell’Africa Italiana 501’ is clearly visible with a striped ‘Imperiale’ Camouflage scheme and prototypes features. Source: italianiinguerra.wordpress.com
The PAI was greatly appreciated by the foreign press in Argentina, the United States, and many European countries. Very praiseworthy were the articles published by the British newspapers Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph.
After the defeat of Italian troops in Africa Orientale Italiana, even after the British victory, in Eritrea, the police officers of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana forces were reformed with the Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali (English: Royal Carabinieri Corps) in the ‘Eritrea Police Force’ under British control.
The Police Headquarters in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, was entrusted to the Italian African Police, transformed into the Gruppo Autonomo Guardie di Pubblica Sicurezza dell’Eritrea (English: Eritrean Autonomous Group of Public Security Guards). Over one hundred officers, NCOs, and guards remained in place, including numerous Àscari della Polizia, who fought against the widespread banditry in the now former colony. It was only on 15th September 1952 that the Corps was dissolved.
Propaganda posters for the enlistment of the Corpo di Polizia dell’Africa Italiana with some AB41s. Source: Polizia dell’Africa Italiana
Design
In mid-1937 the Corpo di Polizia Coloniale issued a request for a new model of armored car. In the same period, the Regio Esercito also issued a similar request. In response, FIAT and Ansaldo, the two companies that started the project, decided to jointly do only a vehicle to meet all the demands.
The first prototypes of what would become the AutoBlindoMitragliatrice Modello 1940 (ABM40) and then AutoBlindo Modello 1940 (AB40) were ready in May 1939. One was for the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana and the second for the Regio Esercito.
In September 1939 it was tested in Africa by the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana police officers for 13,000 km in AOI. The PAI prototype, previously plateded ‘Polizia Coloniale – 501’, was then sented to Tivoli and was later replated ‘Polizia dell’Africa Italiana – 501’.
The evaluation was positive and Ansaldo only made small modifications on the production vehicles.
The AB40 prototype in Africa in 1939. In front of it, its crew. Well visible the ‘Polizia Coloniale -501’ registration number. Source: forumfree.it
Already in late 1939 it was clear that the three-machine guns of the AB40 were not an adequate armament for an armored car, so it was decided to produce a turret with improved firepower for use on the same chassis. The Torretta Modello 1941 (English: Turret Model 1941), the same used on the L6/40 light tank, was chosen. This vehicle with a new turret was the Autoblinda AB41.
The AB41 Medium Armored Car was the most produced armored car of the Italian industry during the Second World War, with a total of 667 produced from 1941 to 1945. It was armed with a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 20 mm L/65 automatic cannon that could deal even with light tanks. The engine was more powerful than the ones mounted on the AB40, the new FIAT-SPA ABM 2, 6-cylinder petrol engine developing 88 hp.
The AB41 prototype at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente, near Genoa. It was plated ‘Regio Esercito 126B’. Source: italie1935-45.com
Operational use
Polizia dell’Africa Italiana – North Africa
The first Italian unit to use AB armored cars in the North African Campaign was the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana, which used the first 9 AB41s which arrived in Libya in September 1941 in the 6° Battaglione ‘Romolo Gessi’, together with an AB40. The ten armored cars had registration plates between ‘Polizia dell’Africa Italiana 501’ (the AB40 prototype modified and put again in service) to ‘Polizia dell’Africa Italiana 510’ and were assigned to the 1ª Compagnia (English: 1st Company).
The AB41 of the 1ª Compagnia of the 6° Battaglione ‘Romolo Gessi’ of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana lined up in Nettunia before September 1941 when they were deployed to Libya. Source: pinterest.com
These ten armored cars were assigned, together with three AB41s and a Autoblindo TL37 (arrived on the same days) of an experimental armored car platoon of the Regio Esercito, to the Raggruppamento Esplorante del Corpo d’Armata di Manovra or RECAM (English: Scouting Group of the Mobile Army Corp). None of the 13 armored cars were equipped with radios.
The ninth AB41 of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana, the number ’10’ plated ‘Polizia dell’Africa Italiana 0510’. Photo taken during the armored car’s maintenance. It had a particular right-hand-fixed radio antenna and some combat damage. It had a white line painted on the front armor, between the towing hooks and the written ‘O va o la Spacca’ (English: We either win or we fall) painted over the driver’s hatch, characteristic of the first PAI’s armored cars. Source: Istituto Luce
During the first actions in Egypt against the British, the armored cars of the 6° Battaglione ‘Romolo Gessi’ were protagonists of a friendly fire incident on 13th September, when German aircraft mistook the armored cars for British vehicles. PAI’s Major Salvatore Diamante got out of his armored car and, under enemy fire and together with PAI medic Lieutenant Aldo Alberini, went to recover the wounded from the burning armored cars, managing to save some men.
The same armored car during the same maintenance. Apart from the engine parts on the armored car’ side, the fixed radio antenna and the number 10 with a white underline on the vehicle’ side are visible. Source: Istituto Luce
A part of the PAI Battalion was then sent to Tripolitania and was converted into a mixed company, while a part, commanded by Major Diamante, remained on Egyptian soil to fight the British troops. This PAI unit was not very lucky and, shortly after, Major Diamante was surrounded by British troops. With only two AB41 armored cars, those of Diamante and that of Brigadiere Timoteo Marini, and a few remaining motorcyclists, the Major fought until his ammunition ran out and he was captured.
The AB41 number ‘8’ plated ‘Polizia dell’Africa Italiana 508’ (on the superstructure’s side and on the 20 liters can the number ‘8’ is written) and is visible the same motto, ‘O la va o la Spacca’ as the first photo it has the first type of radio antenna mounted on the right side. Source: pinterest.com
For the rest of the campaign, the PAI employed the 4ª Compagnia (English: 4th Company) with 7 AB41s, probably with two platoons of 3 armored cars and a command AB41. This unit was created in October 1941, along with the 3ª Compagnia della Polizia dell’Africa Italiana, with a total of 10 armored cars. Another company was created in July 1942 with 14 AB41s, but was never shipped to Africa and remained on the Italian mainland, taking part in the defense of Rome in September 1943.
Three Àscari della Polizia, an Italian Polizia dell’Africa Italiana police officers, and a PAI AB’s crewmember posing with their personal Moschetto Automatico Beretta Modello 1938As and Beretta Modello 1934 pistol in front of the first Polizia dell’Africa Italiana’s AB41 plated ‘Polizia dell’Africa Italiana 502’. It had Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ for sandy soils and the radio antenna of the first type on the right side (in the photo is visible only the antenna support). Source: pinterest.com
Worthy of mention is also the activity of Brigadiere Vittorio Ciani of the Polizia Dell’Africa Italiana, Guardia Giulio Gambino, and Guardia Rosario Orlando, respectively radio operator, driver, and rear driver of the command armored car of one company (probably the 4ª Compagnia) of the 6° Battaglione ‘Romolo Gessi’. On 23rd November 1941, during a battle against British troops, their armored car captured 18 prisoners (including an officer) and three light lorries (or armed trucks) under intense enemy fire.
The Polizia dell’Africa Italiana’s armored car number ‘2’ in the North African desert together with PAI’s motorcyclists. Source: disciplinaedonore.it
Having been instructed by the armored car commander to disarm the prisoners, Brigadiere Ciani got out of the armored car and disarmed the enemy soldiers under intense fire, then remained out until two other armored cars of the company arrived. The armored cars towed the captured vehicles and transported the prisoners back to base. Meanwhile, Guardia Orlando supplied the vehicle commander with ammunition clips and, at the same time, handled the prisoners alongside Brigadiere Ciani.
The commander of the AB41 number ‘2’ scanned the battlefield with his binoculars. In this photo, the Italian flag is clearly visible on the side, it covers in part the black underline under the number ‘2’, this means that the photo was taken after 13th September 1941. The frontal homemade 20 liter can supports were visible as in the previous photo. Source: pinterest.com
Three days later, they participated, with the same armored car, in an intense fight against British troops and armored vehicles. Since their armored car was advancing with the front driver (Guardia Giulio Gambino), Brigadiere Ciani was unable to assist in the fight, so he dismounted the rear machine gun of the armored car, harnessed it and opened the upper part of the armored door and used it effectively against the British troops, while Guardia Orlando supplied him and the vehicle commander with ammunition clips.
The AB41 was subsequently hit by a round to the fuel tank and fuel sprayed into the crew compartment, soaking the soldiers inside. Orlando’s attempts to block the fuel spill were unsuccessful.
In spite of this serious problem, the crew held their position and continued to fire with all weapons. A second bullet penetrated the engine compartment and hit the engine, causing a fire in the armored car. Miraculously, Brigadier Ciani, Guardia Gambino, the commander, and Orlando escaped the flames. Orlando was the last one out, as he tried to put out the flames and save part of the equipment until the last moment. The three soldiers were awarded the Gold Medal for Military Valor.
The same AB41 number ‘10’ of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana, probably during a patrol in Via Balbia on the Libyan 1,800 km long coastal road that went from the Tunisian border to the Egyptian border. Source: pinterest.com
Some AB41s, some belonging to PAI Lieutenant Giovanni Onofri, PAI Vice-Brigadier Giuseppe Patelli, and Brigadiere Francesco Spagnoletti, attacked some tanks during the same fight. They suffered some losses, but knocked out some British tanks. Lieutenant Onofri’s AB41 was directly hit in the turret, wounding his head and jamming the 20 mm cannon. The armored car continued the battle and did not retreat until the rear machine gun also jammed.
The third Polizia dell’Africa Italiana’s AB41 numbered ‘4’ and plated ‘Polizia dell’Africa Italiana 504’, probably during the same maintenance of the AB41’s number ‘10’. Source: Istituto Luce
On 3rd December 1941, a British force composed of truck-mounted artillery attacked a column of the 6° Battaglione ‘Romolo Gessi’ during a break. The soldiers of the PAI, after a brief moment of chaos, resumed control of the situation, managing to counterattack, and forced the British troops to retreat. The Italian losses amounted to a few vehicles that were all recovered and most likely returned to service.
The Polizia Dell’Africa Italiana was employed in the North African campaign until 14th December 1942 in Tunisia. In total, 105 Italian personnel died during the fights while the foreign police officers who died were unknown. The total of AB41s lost in Africa by the PAI is unknown, though the number was probably fewer than 50.
AB41 of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana‘s 6° Battaglione ‘Romolo Gessi’ in Barce, Tunisia on 13th November 1942. Note the Italian flag painted on the side and the front together with a Savoia Cross painted white and partially covered by the front 20-liter cans. It was the number ‘14’ of an unknown company and had Pirelli Tipo ‘Artiglio’ tires for continental soils. Source: pinterest.com
Polizia dell’Africa Italiana – Italy
German and Italian troops in Tunisia surrendered in May 1943.
In spite of this, the School of Tivoli continued to train new recruits. In the spring, a new light armored unit, the Colonna ‘Cheren’ commanded by Colonel Nicola Toscano was initially destined to Tunisia with new vehicles, such as Camionette SPA-Viberti AS42.
The unit included the 1° Battaglione ‘Luigi Amedeo di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi’, 3° Battaglione ‘Eugenio Ruspoli’, and 5° Battaglione ‘Vittorio Bòttego’.
The unit, composed of about 1,300 soldiers, of which 444 vehicle crews, was equipped with 12 L6/40 reconnaissance light tanks, 14 AB41 medium armored cars, 2 Camionette SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariane’, and 12 guns consisting of small cannons and machine guns.
Police armored car crew, police officers, and Polizia dell’Africa Italiana motorcyclists posing in front of an AB41 near Rome. It was plated ‘Polizia dell’Africa Italiana 0886’. Source: pinterest.com
On 25th July 1943, with the fall of Mussolini after the Italian king’s coup d’état, the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana was relied upon because it was considered absolutely devoted to the monarchical institution and not to Fascism.
General Maraffa, supreme commander of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana ordered his units to return to active duty in Rome. There was a fear that there would be a reaction by fascist militias after the fall of Mussolini, but this reaction did not come. On 28th July, the Italian-African police force was regularly active in the capital.
After the fall of Mussolini, a new monarchical government was created. Marshal of Italy Pietro Badoglio led it and almost immediately tried to secretly reach a peace agreement with the Allied powers.
On 3rd September 1943, an armistice was signed in Cassibile, in Sicily, which was already under Allied control. This armistice was made public only five days after, on 8th September.
On 8th September there were 1,581 troops of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana in Rome, and at the time of Badoglio’s announcement, no communication had been sent to the command of the Italian African Police, which remained without orders, like most of the Italian armed forces.
Police officers of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana posing on an AB41 (the same as before, plated ‘Polizia dell’Africa Italiana 0886’) in Rome, before the Armistice. Source: disciplinaedonore.it
At 8:00 pm, the Rome Army Corps command asked the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana to urgently send a unit to Porta San Paolo. From there, they were again sent towards the fuel depot of Mezzocammino, on the Via Ostiense. However, the unit was stopped by a group of German paratroopers who tried under various pretexts to convince Lieutenant Barbieri’s unit to turn back when at some point gunfire was opened.
The company managed to break through the encirclement and return to the city with several casualties on the ground and abandoning some armed trucks, and maybe also some of its armored vehicles.
Their most important task of the night was to escort the King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele III di Savoia, the royal family, and the Prime Minister, Pietro Badoglio, who had to flee down the Via Tiburtina where they found US soldiers who welcomed them.
For some time, the unit did not enter the field. The German ambush had created much turmoil and some units were unable to make contact with the others.
Meanwhile, the 3. Panzergrenadier Division (English: 3rd Mechanized Infantry Division) and some units of the 26. Panzer Division (English: 26th Armored Division) overcame the fuel depot, destroyed the resistance of the Caserma della Cecchignola and advanced further north towards the Tiber River. On the Magliana bridge, however, the unit was confronted by some battalions of the 21ª Divisione di Fanteria ‘Granatieri di Sardegna’ (English: 21th Infantry Division) that put up a strenuous resistance. Towards midnight, however, the reserve battalion of the division was called to intervene to drive back the Germans.
The reserve battalion was the II Battaglione commanded by Major Costa. His unit left from the Tre Fontane area a few hundred meters from the frontline, went around the battlefield crossing the Tiber in another point, and went behind the V Caposaldo (English: 5th Stronghold) to provide support and to retake the lost positions.
When it reached the Magliana Station, Lieutenant Costa’s battalion encountered a unit of the Italian Africa Police that positioned themselves on the highway and joined the battle, probably with some armored cars, tanks, and camionette.
On the early morning of 9th September 1943, other police officers of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana joined the fight and with some Bersaglieri (Italian assault infantry), the students of the academy of the Arma dei Carabinieri Reali (English: Arm of Royal Carabiners), and the Italian Granatieris with the support of some armored cars, were able to attack and force the German forces in the Magliana area to retreat.
A few hours later, they themselves were forced to retreat some hundred meters north to create another line to block the German troops. During this other attack, the 1° Battaglione of the PAI was totally destroyed, some Italian armored cars were destroyed, and the other units also suffered heavy losses.
The PAI officers and the other soldiers were forced to retreat further north towards the Ostiense Fort, organizing defenses with about 500 soldiers of the 21ª Divisione di Fanteria ‘Granatieri di Sardegna’. The defenders managed to hold out firing with their rifles and some machine guns for over an hour until the Germans were able to bring a mortar and began to bomb the Italian defenses.
When the last armored car was destroyed by mortar grenades, the Germans attacked with flamethrowers, forcing the last soldiers to flee. Some nuns from a nearby orphanage provided the surviving police officers and soldiers with civilian clothes for the escape while a priest organized the surrender of the fort at 11.00 am. In 36 hours, the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana had lost 56 personnel.
With the constitution of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana or RSI (English: Italian Social Republic), the role of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana became increasingly difficult. The Commander, General Maraffa, a fervent monarchist, refused to swear allegiance to the new Fascist state, and was therefore arrested and deported to Germany to the Dachau concentration camp, where he died two months later, in 1944.
In 1944, in the SS prison at Via Tasso in Rome, Colonel Nicola Toscano, commander of the Colonna ‘Cheren’, and his colleague Colonel Elviro Scalerà, who were part of the Clandestine Military Front of the Resistance, were also arrested. Both were set to be shot on the morning of 4th June 1944, but they were saved during a mass escape from the prison where they were being held.
The Polizia dell’Africa Italiana continued to provide law and order services in Rome even under the Repubblica Sociale Italiana. The Repubblica Sociale Italiana‘s attempt to reform the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana finally failed when it was decided to incorporate it into the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana (English: Republican National Guard), the Military Police of the RSI. The Polizia dell’Africa Italiana was officially dissolved by the Fascist authorities in March 1944. At least 8 AB41 armored cars of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana survived to the clashes after the Armistice were reused by Repubblica Sociale Italiana forces but their exact destiny is unknown. Maybe they were recovered from the 1ª Divisione Corazzata Legionaria ‘M’ (English: 1st Legionary Armored Division) in the days after the Armistice (some of their units were deployed near the PAI barracks between 12th and 13th September 1943.
In the south, however, under Allied control, the remaining units of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana, served regularly as a service of order, until the final dissolution on 9th March 1945.
Conclusion
The AB41 was an adequate armored car even if it had some flaws. In its reports, the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana was very flattering over the AB41. In North Africa and Italy they were used in a similar way as the Regio Esercito‘s ABs, with similar results. During the war, it was the most numerous armored car in service with the Italian units in all the fronts of war. The Polizia dell’Africa Italiana operated them only in North Africa and Rome. The PAI was satisfied with the armored car that in the first stages of the war was also capable of knocking out light tanks.
The Autoblinda AB41 number ’10’ of the 1ª Compagnia of the 6° Battaglione ‘Romolo Gessi’ of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana with Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ tires. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.
AB41 specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)
5.20 x 1.92 x 2.48 m
Total Weight, Battle Ready
7.52 tons
Crew
4 (front driver, rear driver, machine gunner/loader, and vehicle commander/gunner)
Propulsion
FIAT-SPA 6-cylinder petrol, 88 hp with 195 liters tank
Speed
Road Speed: 80 km/h
Off-Road Speed: 50 km/h
Range
400 km
Armament
Cannone-Mitragliera Breda 20/65 Modello 1935 (456 rounds) and Two Breda Modello 1938 8 x 59 mm medium machine guns (1992 rounds)
An L6/40 of the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato 'Cavalleggeri Guide' with foliage. Illustrations modified by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.
Kingdom of Italy (1941-1943)
Light Reconnaissance Tank – 432 Built
The Carro Armato Leggero L6/40 was a light reconnaissance tank used by the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) from May 1941 until the Armistice with the Allied forces in September 1943.
It was the only turret-equipped light tank of the Italian Army and was used on all fronts with mediocre results. Its obsoleteness already when it entered service was not its only inadequacy. The L6/40 was developed as a light reconnaissance vehicle to be used on the mountainous roads of northern Italy, and instead, it was used, at least in North Africa, as a vehicle to support Italian infantry attacks across the wide desert spaces.
A Carro Armato L6/40 in the Eastern Front. Source: pinterest.com
History of the Project
During the First World War, the Italian Royal Army fought the Austro-Hungarian Empire on Italy’s north-eastern border. This territory is mountainous and brought the trench fighting typical of that conflict to heights of over 2,000 meters.
Following the experience of mountain combat, between the 1920s and 1930s, the Regio Esercito and the two companies involved in the production of tanks, Ansaldo and Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino or FIAT (English: Italian Automobile Company of Turin), each requested or designed only armored vehicles suitable for mountain combat. The L3 series of 3 tonnes light tanks, the L6/40 itself, and the M11/39 medium tank were small and lightweight vehicles suitable for this environment.
The L3/33 prototype during tests. In this photo, the narrow streets on which it was to operate, according to the High Command of the Royal Army, are clearly visible. Source: fondazioneansaldo.it
To give an idea, the Royal Army was so obsessed with combat in the high mountains that even the AB40 medium armored car was developed with similar characteristics. It had to be able to easily pass through the narrow and steep mountain roads and to pass over the characteristic wooden bridges, which could hold little weight.
The 3 tonnes light tanks and the medium tank were equipped with armament positioned in the casemate, not because the Italian industry was not able to produce and build rotating turrets, but because in the mountains, when operating on narrow dirt roads or in narrow high mountain villages, it was physically impossible to be outflanked by the enemy. Therefore, the main armament was necessary only to the front, and not having a turret saved weight.
Four Ansaldo and FIAT interwar tank projects. From left to right: L3/33 light tank, Carro Cannone Modello 1936 (L6/40 predecessor), the Carro di Rottura da 10t (M11/39 prototype), and the Carro Armato Ansaldo da 9t self-propelled gun. All these vehicles were developed for high mountain fighting. Source: reddit.com – @warspot
The L6/40 followed these mountain combat specifications, with a maximum width of 1.8 meters which allowed it to travel on all the mountain roads and mule trails that other vehicles would have a hard time passing through. Its weight was also very low, 6.84 tonnes battle-ready with crew on board. This made it possible to cross small bridges on mountain roads and to pass easily even on soft terrain.
During the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935, the High Command of the Italian Royal Army was not impressed with the performance of the L3 series light tanks, which were poorly armored and armed.
The Italian Regio Esercito issued a request for a new turret-equipped light tank armed with a cannon. FIAT of Turin and Ansaldo of Genoa started a joint project for the new tank utilizing the chassis of the L3/35, the latest evolution of the L3 tank series.
In November 1935, they unveiled the Carro d’Assalto Modello 1936 (English: Assault Tank Model 1936) with the same chassis and engine compartment as the L3/35 3 tonnes tank, but with new torsion bar suspension, a modified superstructure, and a one-man turret with a 37 mm gun.
The Carro d’Assalto Modello 1936 during tests at the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione in Rome. 12th November 1935. Source: Centro Tecnico della Motorizzazione
After tests at the Ansaldo testing ground, the prototype was sent to the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione or CSM (English: Center of Motorization Studies) in Rome. The CSM was the Italian department which was responsible for examining new vehicles for the Regio Esercito.
During these tests, the Carro d’Assalto Modello 1936 prototype performed with mixed results. The new suspension functioned very well, surprising the Italian generals, but the vehicle’s center of gravity during off-road driving and firing was a problem. Because of these unsatisfactory performances, the Regio Esercito asked for a new design.
In April 1936, the same two companies presented the Carro Cannone Modello 1936 (English: Cannon Tank Model 1936), a totally different modification of the L3/35. It had a 37 mm gun on the left side of the superstructure with limited traverse and a rotating turret armed with a couple of machine guns.
The Carro Cannone Modello 1936. Source: worldwarphotos.infos
The Carro Cannone Modello 1936 was not what the Army had requested. Ansaldo and FIAT had only tried to develop a support vehicle for L3 battalions, but with limited success. The vehicle was also tested without the turret, but was not accepted in service because it did not meet the Regio Esercito’s requirements.
The same Carro Cannone Modello 1936 without the turret in Nepi, near Viterbo, Lazio Region, during the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione tests. Source: italie1935-45.com
History of the Prototype
After the failure of the last prototype, FIAT and Ansaldo decided to start a new project, a totally new tank with torsion bars and a rotating turret. According to engineer Vittorio Valletta, who worked with the two companies, the project was born at the request of an unspecified foreign nation, but this can not be confirmed. It was financed by both companies’ own funds.
Development only began in late 1937 due to bureaucratic problems. Authorization for the project had been requested on 19th November 1937 and was only issued by the Ministero della Guerra (English: War Department) on 13th December 1937. This was because it was a private FIAT and Ansaldo project and not an Italian Army request. It was probably FIAT that paid the costs for most of the development. Part of the production and the whole assembly of the vehicle were centered in the SPA plant, a subsidiary of FIAT in Turin, according to Document Number 8 signed by the two companies.
The prototype, armed with two machine guns in the turret, was baptized M6 (M for Medio – Medium), then L6 (L for Leggero – Light) when Circular n°1400 of 13th June 1940 increased the category limit for medium tanks from 5 tonnes to 8 tonnes. On 1st December 1938, the Regio Esercito had issued a request (Circular Number 3446) for a new “medium” tank called M7 with a weight of 7 tonnes, a maximum speed of 35 km/h, an operational range of 12 hours, and an armament composed of a 20 mm automatic cannon with a coaxial machine gun or a couple of machine guns in a 360° traverse turret.
FIAT and Ansaldo did not hesitate and offered their M6 to the Regio Esercito High Command. However, it met only some of the M7 requests. For example, the M6 (and then the L6) had a range of only 5 hours instead of 12 hours.
The FIAT and Ansaldo prototype was presented to the highest authorities of the Army General Staff at Villa Glori on 26th October 1939.
The FIAT-Ansaldo M6 during tests. It had a Imperiale camouflage scheme often mistakenly called “Spaghetti” camouflage. Source: italie1935-45.com
The Italian High Command was not impressed with the M6. On the same day, General Cosma Manera of the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione, however, showed interest in the vehicle, proposing to accept it into service on the condition that the armament be changed to a 20 mm automatic cannon mounted in the turret. In the eyes of Gen. Manera, this solution, in addition to increasing the tank’s anti-armor performance, would also make it capable of engaging aircraft.
Same prototype during tests. Behind it, an L3/35 3 tonnes light tank is probably doing the same tests for comparison. San Polo dei Cavalieri, date unknown. Source: italie1935-45.com
Shortly afterward, Ansaldo presented a new prototype of the M6. The new M6 tank was proposed with two different armament combinations in the same taller single-seat turret:
A Cannone da 37/26 with a 8 mm coaxial machine gun
A Cannone-Mitragliera Breda 20/65 Modello 1935 automatic cannon also accompanied by an 8 mm machine gun
In spite of Gen. Manera’s wishes, the second option did not have high enough gun elevation to allow the main gun to engage aerial targets, not to mention the fact that, with the poor visibility the commander had from the turret, it was nearly impossible to spot a rapidly approaching aerial target.
The M6 prototype fresh off the assembly line, ready to be tested. Note the absence of the episcope support. Source: fondazioneansaldo.it
Despite the failure of this requirement, the prototype armed with the 20 mm automatic cannon was tested by the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione between 1939 and 1940. During one of these rough terrain tests, it caught fire after the tank overturned at San Polo dei Cavalieri, 50 km from Rome, due to the high center of gravity caused by poor arrangement of the gasoline tanks in the engine compartment.
Two images of the M6 prototype in San Polo dei Cavalieri after the incident. Sources: italie1935-45.com
After being recovered and having undergone the necessary modifications, the M6 prototype participated in new tests. The prototype was accepted in April 1940 as the Carro Armato L6/40, short for Carro Armato Leggero da 6 tonnellate Modello 1940 (English: 6 tonnes Light Tank Model 1940). It was then renamed Carro Armato L6 (Model – weight) and, from 14th August 1942, with Circular Number 14,350, the name was changed to Carro Armato L40 (Model – year of acceptance). Today, a common designation is L6/40, as is commonly given in video games such as War Thunder and World of Tanks.
One of the first L6/40s produced with Imperiale camouflage at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant of Sestri Ponente, near Genoa. The slogan was “Credere, Obbedire e Combattere” (English: Believe, Obey and Fight), one of the most popular fascist mottos during the Fascist era. Sources: italie1935-45.comColorization by Johannes Dorn
Production
The first production model differed from the prototype armed with the 20 mm automatic cannon by the installation of the jack on the right front fender and a steel bar and shovel support on the left front fender. The only toolbox, located on the left rear fender on the prototype, was replaced by two smaller toolboxes, leaving room for a spare wheel support on the left rear fender. The fuel tank caps were also moved. They were isolated from the engine compartment in order to lessen the risk of fire in case of overturning. On production examples, the gun shield was slightly modified and the turret roof was tilted forward slightly to accommodate the new gun shield.
The final shape of the L6/40 with the Imperiale camouflage at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant of Sestri Ponente. Sources: italie1935-45.com
The armored plates were forged by Terni Società per l’Industria e l’Elettricità (English: Terni Company for Industry and Electricity). The engines were designed by FIAT and produced by its subsidiary Società Piemontese Automobili or SPA (English: Piedmontese Automobiles Company) in Turin. San Giorgio of Sestri Ponente near Genoa produced all the optical devices of the tanks. Magneti Marelli of Corbetta, near Milan, produced the radio system, batteries, and engine starter. Breda of Brescia produced the automatic cannons and machine guns, while the final assembly was carried out in Turin by the SPA plant of Corso Ferrucci.
On 26th November 1939, Gen. Alberto Pariani wrote to Gen. Manara, informing him that, during Benito Mussolini’s visit to the Ansaldo-Fossati factory in Sestri Ponente, the assembly lines of some vehicles, such as the M13/40 and the L6/40, at that time still called M6, were ready and they only had to sign the production contract with the companies.
Apart from the prototypes, the L6/40s were only produced in Turin, so it is unclear what Pariani was referring to. During Mussolini’s visit to Sestri Ponente, FIAT technicians informed the dictator and the Italian general that the assembly line for the L6 was ready and Pariani confused the place in which they would be produced.
In the letter, Gen. Pariani urged to decide which armament would be chosen, as FIAT-Ansaldo had not yet received news of which model the Regio Esercito wanted, the 20 mm or the 37 mm gun.
On 18th March 1940, the Regio Esercito ordered 583 M6, 241 M13/40, and 176 AB armored cars. This order was formalized and signed by the Direzione Generale della Motorizzazione (English: General Directorate of Motor Vehicles). This was even before the approval of the M6 for Regio Esercito service.
In the contract, a production of 480 M6 per year was mentioned. This was a difficult goal to reach, in fact, even before the war. In September 1939, a FIAT-SPA analysis reported that, at maximum capacity, their plants could produce 20 armored cars, 20 light tanks (30 maximum), and 15 medium tanks per month. This was just an estimation, and Ansaldo’s production was not considered. Nevertheless, 480 tanks a year goal was never achieved, reaching only 83% of the per-year planned production, even with SPA converting the Corso Ferruccio’s plant to only for L6 light tank production.
The first deliveries did not take place until 22nd May 1941, three months later than planned. At the end of June 1941, the order was modified by the Ispettorato Superiore dei Servizi Tecnici (English: Superior Inspectorate of Technical Services). Of the 583 L6 ordered, 300 chassis would become Semoventi L40 da 47/32 light support self-propelled guns on the same L6 chassis, while the total number of L6/40 would be reduced to 283, maintaining the previous order of 583 L6-derived vehicles. After other orders, 414 L40s were built by the SPA plant in Turin.
One of the first produced L6/40s, license plate ‘Regio Esercito 3825’, in standard yellow sand monochrome camouflage at the SPA plant of Corso Ferrucci, Turin. Source: italie1935-45.com
An analysis was carried out by the Ministry of War, which reported the number of L6 tanks needed by the Royal Army was about 240 units. However, the Chief of Staff of the Royal Italian Army, General Mario Roatta, who was totally unimpressed by the vehicle, had sent FIAT a counter-order on 30th May 1941 reducing the total to only 100 L6/40s.
Despite Gen. Roatta’s counter-order, production continued and, on 18th May 1943, another order was made to formalize the continuation of production. A total of 444 L40s were set for production. FIAT and the Regio Esercito decided that production would be stopped on 1st December 1943.
By the end of 1942, about 400 L6/40 had been produced, though not all delivered, while in May 1943, there were 42 L6s left to produce to complete the order. Before the Armistice, 416 had been produced for the Regio Esercito. Another 17 L6s were produced under German occupation from November 1943 to late 1944, for a total of 432 L6/40 light tanks produced.
The first batch of L6/40s, ready to be delivered to the Regio Esercito, waiting in the depot of the SPA plant of Turin. Source: italie1935-45.com
There were many causes for these delays. The SPA plant of Turin had more than 5,000 workers employed in the production of trucks, armored cars, tractors, and tanks for the Army. On 18th and 20th November 1942, the plant was the target of Allied bombers, which dropped incendiary and high-explosive bombs which caused heavy damage on the SPA factory. This delayed the delivery of vehicles for the last two months of 1942 and for the first months of 1943. The same situation occurred during heavy bombardments on 13th and 17th August 1943.
Alongside the bombings, the factory was paralyzed by workers’ strikes which occurred in March and August 1943 against bad working conditions and lowered wages.
FIAT-SPA poster showing a SPA worker finishing an L6/40. Source: italie1935-45.com
In late 1942 and early 1943, the Regio Esercito began evaluating which vehicles to prioritize for production and which to give less attention to. The High Command of the Regio Esercito, well aware of the importance of the medium reconnaissance armored cars of the ‘AB’ series, prioritized the production of the AB41 at the expense of the L6/40 reconnaissance light tanks. This led to a drastic decrease in the production of this type of light tank, hence only 2 vehicles produced in 5 months.
An L6/40 fresh off the assembly line during testing at the proving ground of the SPA plant of Turin, with a small crowd of proud workers watching the tests. After production, all vehicles had to undergo quality testing. If they passed, they were ready for delivery. Source: beutepanzer.ru
When the L6/40s came out from the assembly line, there were not enough San Giorgio optics and Magneti Marelli radios for them, because these were delivered in priority to the AB41s. This left the SPA plant’s depots full of vehicles waiting to be completed. In some cases, L6/40s were delivered to units for training without armament. This was mounted at the last moment, before embarking for North Africa or another front, due to the lack of automatic-cannons, also used by the AB41s.
A Carro Armato L6/40 crossing a small river during crew training at the Scuola di Cavalleria (English: Cavalry School) of Pinerolo. It does not yet have the main gun mounted and also seems to be missing the radio antenna. Source: italie1935-45.com
Carro Armato L6/40 production
Year
First Registration Number of the batch
Last Registration Number of the batch
Total
1941
3,808
3,814
6
3,842
3,847
5
3,819
3,855
36
3,856
3,881
25
1942
3,881
4,040
209
5,121
5,189*
68
5,203
5,239
36
5,453
5,470
17
1943
5,481
5,489
8
5,502
5,508
6
Italian total production
415
1943-44
German Production
17
Total
415 + 17
432
Note
* L6 Registration Number 5,165 was taken and modified into a prototype. It is not to be considered in the total number
Another problem with the L6/40 was the transport of these light tanks. They were too heavy to be transported on trailers developed by Arsenale Regio Esercito di Torino or ARET (English: Royal Army Arsenal of Turin) in the 1920s. The ARET trailers were used to carry the light tanks of the L3 series and older FIAT 3000s.
The L6/40 had another problem. With a combat ready weight of 6.84 tonnes it was too heavy to be loaded on medium trucks of the Italian Army, which usually had a 3 tonne payload capacity. In order to transport them, the soldiers need to use the cargo bays of heavy duty trucks with 5 to 6 tonnes of maximum payload or on the two-axle Rimorchi Unificati da 15T trailers (English: 15 tonnes Unified Trailers) produced by Breda and Officine Viberti in few numbers and assigned with priority to Italian units equipped with medium tanks. In fact, on 11th March 1942, the Royal Army High Command issued a circular, in which it ordered some units equipped with L6/40s to deliver their 15 tonnes payload trailers to other units equipped with medium tanks.
An L6/40 of the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’ in Cascina Colla, small village in the province of Alessandria, probably during training. The vehicle was not yet equipped with its main armament due the lack of automatic cannons produced by Breda. Behind it is visible a 15 tonne payload two axle trailer developed by Officine Viberti to carry medium tanks. Source: Archivio Temperino
After a request for a new 6 tonne payload trailer, two companies started to develop it: Officine Viberti of Turin and Adige Rimorchi. The two trailers were equipped with four wheels fixed to a single axle. The Viberti trailer, which started to be tested in March 1942, had two jacks and a tilted rear section, allowing the loading and unloading of the L6 without ramps, while the Adige trailer also had a similar system. The trailer had two tiltable platforms fixed on it. When the L6/40 was to be loaded on board, the platforms were tilted and, with the help of the truck’s winch, the platforms were repositioned to the marching position.
The Officine Viberti trailer for L6/40 light tanks. The absence of ramps and four tires are clearly visible. The truck was a Lancia 3Ro, license plate ‘Regio Esercito 32582’, while the L6/40’s license plate was ‘Regio Esercito 4029’. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano
The Italian Royal Army never really solved the problem with the L6 trailers. On 16th August 1943, the Royal Army High Command, in one of its documents, mentions that the trailer issue for the L6 light tanks was still being addressed.
The Ditta Adige L6/40 trailer in marching position. The travel lock that blocked the L6 on the trailer during transport is clearly visible. The vehicle that towed the trailer was a FIAT-SPA TM40 medium tractor. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito ItalianoAnother Adige trailer. In this case, seen during the loading operation. The iron cable of the truck’s winch and the tilted platform are visible. The vehicle that towed the trailer was a Breda 41 heavy prime mover. Source: italie1935-45.com
Design
Turret
The L6/40 turret was developed by Ansaldo and assembled by SPA for the L6/40 light tank and also used on the AB41 medium armored car. The one-man turret had an octagonal shape with two hatches: one for the vehicle’s commander/gunner on the roof and the second one on the back of the turret, used to remove the main armament during maintenance operations. On the sides, the turret had two slits on the sides for commanders to check the battlefield and use the personal weapons, even if doing so in the turret’s cramped space was not practical.
On the roof, next to the hatch, there was a San Giorgio periscope with a 30° field of view, which allowed the commander a partial view of the battlefield because it was impossible, due to the limited space, to rotate it 360°.
The turret and gun shield scheme. Unlike the production models, this turret had no support for the episcope. Source: italie1935-45.com
The commander’s position did not have a turret basket and commanders were seated on a foldable seat. Commanders operated the cannon and the machine gun through the use of pedals. There were no electric generators in the turret, so the pedals were connected to the grips of the guns by means of flexible cables. These cables were of the ‘Bowden’ type, the same as on bike brakes and were used to to transmit the pulling force of the pedal to the triggers.
The L6/40 prototype’s turret. Although missing racks, radios, and other equipment, this was essentially the same as on the production versions. Source: fondazioneansaldo.com
Armor
The front plates of the superstructure were 30 mm thick, while those of the gun shield and driver’s port were 40 mm thick. The front plates of the transmission cover and the side plates were 15 mm thick, as was the rear. The engine deck was 6 mm thick and the floor had 10 mm armor plates.
The armor was produced with low-quality steel because of supply issues with ballistic steel, which were exacerbated from 1939 onward. The Italian industry was not able to supply very large quantities because the higher quality steel was sometimes reserved for the Italian Regia Marina (English: Royal Navy). This was further worsened because of the embargoes imposed on Italy in 1935-1936 due to the invasion of Ethiopia and those that started in 1939, which did not allow the Italian industry access to enough high-quality raw materials.
The armor of the L6/40s often cracked after being hit (but not penetrated) by enemy shells, even small-caliber ones, such as the Ordnance QF 2 Pounder 40 mm rounds or even the .55 Boys (14.3 mm) of the Boys Anti-Tank rifle. The armor plates were all bolted, a solution that made the vehicle dangerous because, in some cases, when a shell hit the armor, the bolts flew out at very high speed, potentially injuring the crew members. The bolts were, however, the best that the Italian assembly lines could offer, as welding would have slowed down the production rate. The bolts also had the advantage of keeping the vehicle simpler to manufacture than a vehicle with welded armor and offered the possibility of replacing damaged armor plates with new ones very quickly even in poorly equipped field workshops.
Hull and Interior
At the front side was the transmission cover, with a large inspection hatch that could be opened by the driver through an internal lever. This would often be kept open to cool the brakes during travel, particularly in North Africa. A shovel and crowbar were placed on the right fender, while a rounded jack support was on the left.
There were two adjustable headlights mounted on the superstructure’ sides for night driving. The driver was positioned on the right and had a hatch that could be opened by a lever mounted on the right and, on top, a 190 x 36 mm episcope that had a horizontal 30º field of view, a vertical 8º field of view, and had a vertical traverse of -1° to +18°. Some spare episcopes were carried in a small box on the rear wall of the superstructure.
On the left, the driver had the gear lever and the handbrake, while the dashboard was placed on the right. Under the driver’s seat, there were the two 12V batteries produced by Magneti Marelli, which were used to start the engine and to power the vehicle’s electrical systems.
In the middle of the fighting compartment was the transmission shaft that connected the engine to the transmission. Due to the small amount of space inside, the vehicle was not equipped with an intercom system.
A rectangular tank with the engine’s cooling water was at the rear of the fighting compartment. In the middle was a fire extinguisher. On the sides, there were two air intakes to permit air intake when all the hatches were closed. On the bulkhead, above the transmission shaft, there were two openable inspection doors for the engine compartment.
Driver’s position on the L6/40, with the dashboard on the right. Source: italie1935-45.comCentral part of the fighting compartment. The commander/gunner pedals are clearly visible in the center. In this photo, one can observe 28 20 mm clip racks (numbers 4) and a small locker (left) for some machine gun magazine racks. On the bottom side, the transmission shaft is visible. Source: italie1935-45.comThe rear section of the interior of the fighting compartment. Two machine gun magazine racks are visible, alongside the last 20 mm clips rack (number 6). In the photo, the openable inspection doors are also visible, together with the spare iposcopes box (number 2) and the cooling water tank (behind the iposcope box). Source: italie1935-45.com
The engine and crew compartments were separated by an armored bulkhead, which reduced the risk of fire spreading to the crew compartment. The engine was located in the middle of the rear compartment, with one 82.5 liter fuel tank on either side. Behind the engine were the radiator and the lubrication oil tank.
The engine deck had two large doors with two grilles for engine cooling and, behind, two air intakes for the radiator. It was not uncommon for the crew to travel with the two hatches open during North African operations in order to better ventilate the engine due to the high temperatures.
Engine deck and armored bulkhead of the L6/40 light tank. Source: Italeri, Carro Armato L6/40 Photographic Reference Manual
The muffler was on the rear parts of the mudguards, on the right. On the first vehicles produced, this was not equipped with an asbestos cover. The cover dissipated the heat and was protected by an iron plate to avoid damage. The rear of the engine compartment had a round-shape removable plate fixed with bolts and used for engine maintenance. A support for the pickaxe and the license plate with red brake light were on the left side.
Engine and Suspension
The L6/40 light tank’s engine was the FIAT-SPA Tipo 18VT gasoline, 4-cylinder in-line, liquid-cooled engine with a maximum power of 68 hp at 2,500 rpm. It had a volume of 4,053 cm³. The same engine was used on the Semovente L40 da 47/32, with which it shared many parts of the chassis and powerpack. This engine was also an enhanced version of the one used on the FIAT-SPA 38R, SPA Dovunque 35, and FIAT-SPA TL37 military cargo trucks, the 55 hp FIAT-SPA 18T.
FIAT-SPA Tipo 18VT engine, right side. Source: Carro Armato FIAT-Ansaldo Modello L6 ed L6 Semovente – Norme d’Uso e Manutenzione 2ª Edizione
The engine could be started either electrically or manually using a handle that had to be inserted at the rear. The Zenith Tipo 42 TTVP carburetor was the same one used on the AB series of medium armored cars and allowed ignition even when cold. Another great feature of this carburetor was that it ensured a regulated flow of fuel even on slopes of 45°.
Engine’s fuel scheme. Source: Carro Armato FIAT-Ansaldo Modello L6 ed L6 Semovente – Norme d’Uso e Manutenzione 2ª Edizione
The engine used three different types of oil, depending on the temperatures in which the vehicle operated. In Africa, where the outside temperature exceeded 30°, ‘ultra-thick’ oil was used. In Europe, where the temperatures were between 10° and 30°, ‘thick’ oil was used, while in winter, when the temperature fell below 10°, ‘semi-thick’ oil was used. The instruction manual recommended adding oil in the 8-liter oil tank every 100 hours of service or every 2,000 km. The cooling water tank had a capacity of 18-liters.
The 165 liter fuel tanks guaranteed a range of 200 km on road and about 5 hours off-road, with a top speed on-road of 42 km/h and 20-25 km/h on rough terrain, depending on the terrain on which the light reconnaissance tank was operating.
At least a vehicle, license plate ‘Regio Esercito 4029’, was tested with factory-built supports for 20 liter cans. A maximum of five cans for a total of 100 liters of fuel could be transported by the L6, three on the left superstructure side and one above each rear fender tool box. These cans extended the maximum range of the vehicle to about 320 km.
The transmission had a single dry plate clutch. The gearbox had 4 forward and 1 reverse gears with speed reducer.
The brakes and driving levers connected to the gearbox. Source: Carro Armato FIAT-Ansaldo Modello L6 ed L6 Semovente – Norme d’Uso e Manutenzione 2ª Edizione
The running gear consisted of a 16-tooth front sprocket, four paired road wheels, three upper rollers, and one rear idler wheel on each side. The swing arms were fixed to the sides of the chassis and were attached to torsion bars. The L6 and L40 were the first Royal Army vehicles entering service with torsion bars.
The frontal suspension bogie was probably equipped with pneumatic shock absorbers.
The tracks were derived from those of the L3 series light tanks and were composed of 88 260 mm wide track links on each side.
The L6/40’s engine suffered from starting at low temperatures, something especially noted by crews deployed in the Soviet Union. The Società Piemontese Automobili tried to solve the problem by developing a pre-warming system that connected to a maximum of 4 L6 tanks warming the engine compartment before the vehicle were due to move.
A mock-up of the pre-warming system that could be connected to a maximum of 4 L6/40s or Semoventi L40 da 47/32. Source: fpinterest.com @Lucky01
Radio Equipment
The radio station of the L6/40 was a Magneti Marelli RF1CA-TR7 transceiver with an operating frequency range between 27 to 33.4 MHz. It was powered by an AL-1 Dynamotor supplying 9-10 Watts mounted on the front of the superstructure, on the driver’s left. It was connected to the 12V batteries produced by Magneti Marelli.
The radio had two ranges, Vicino (Eng: near), with a maximum range of 5 km, and Lontano (Eng: Far), with a maximum range of 12 km.
The L6/40 radio equipment scheme. Source: italie1935-45.com
The radio had a weight of 13 kg and was placed on the left side of the superstructure. It was operated by the overburdened commander. On the radio’s right was a fire extinguisher produced by Telum and filled with carbon tetrachloride.
The lowerable antenna was placed on the right roof side and was lowerable 90° backwards with a crank operated by the driver. When lowered, it diminished the maximum depression of the main gun to a maximum of -9°.
Main Armament
The Carro Armato L6/40 was armed with a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 gas-operated air cooled automatic cannon developed by Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche of Brescia.
This was first presented in 1932 and, after a series of comparative tests with autocannons produced by Lübbe, Madsen, and Scotti. It was officially adopted by the Regio Esercito in 1935 as a dual use automatic cannon. It was a great anti-aircraft and anti-tank gun and, in Spain, during the Spanish Civil War, some German-producedPanzer Is were modified to accommodate this gun in their small turret to fight the Soviet light tanks deployed by the Republicans.
A Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 during an anti-aircraft action in Greece. Winter 1941. Source: Archivio Centrale dello Stato
From 1936 onward, the gun was produced in a vehicle mount variant and was installed in L6/40 light reconnaissance tanks and AB41 and AB43 medium armored cars.
It was produced in the Breda plants in Brescia and Rome and by the Terni gun factory, with a maximum average monthly production of 160 autocannons. More than 3,000 were used by the Regio Esercito in all the war theaters. Hundreds were captured and reused in North Africa by Commonwealth troops, which greatly appreciated their characteristics.
After the armistice of 8th September 1943, a total of over 2,600 Scotti-Isotta-Fraschini and Breda 20 mm automatic cannons were produced for the Germans, which renamed the latter Breda 2 cm FlaK-282(i).
The barrel of the Cannone-Mitragliera Breda mounted on the vehicles (upper) and the one mounted on the other supports used by the Italian armies (lower). Source: italie1935-45.com
The autocannon had a total weight of 307 kg with its field carriage, which gave it 360° traverse, a depression of -10° and an elevation of +80°. Its maximum range was 5,500 m. Against flying aircraft, it had a practical range of 1,500 m and against armored targets it had a maximum practical range between 600 and 1,000 m.
In all the gun variants, apart from the tank ones, the Breda was fed by 12-rounds clips loaded by the crew to the left side of the gun. In the tank version, the gun was fed by 8-rounds clips due the cramped space inside the vehicle’s turrets.
An Italian soldier loading a 12-round clip for a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda 20/65 Modello 1935 or a Scotti-Isotta-Fraschini 20/70 Modello 1939 automatic cannon. Libyan desert, Spring 1941. Source: Archivio Centrale dello Stato
The muzzle velocity was about 830 m/s, while its theoretical rate of fire was 500 rounds per minute, which dropped to 200-220 rounds per minute in practice in the field version, which had three loaders and 12-rounds clips. Inside the tank, the commander/gunner was alone and needed to open fire and reload the main gun, decreasing the rate of fire.
The maximum elevation was +20°, while the depression was -12°.
Secondary Armament
The secondary armament was composed of a 8 mm Breda Modello 1938 mounted coaxial to the cannon, on the left.
This gun was developed from the Breda Modello 1937 medium machine gun after specifications issued by the Ispettorato d’Artiglieria (English: Artillery Inspectorate) in May 1933.
Different Italian gun companies started working on the new machine gun. The requirements were a maximum weight of 20 kg, a theoretical rate of fire of 450 rounds per minute, and a barrel life of 1,000 rounds. The companies were Metallurgica Bresciana già Tempini, Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche, Ottico Meccanica Italiana, and Scotti.
Breda had been working on a 7.92 mm machine gun derived from the Breda Modello 1931, which had been adopted by the Italian Regia Marina (English: Royal Navy), since 1932, but with a horizontal magazine-feed. Between 1934 and 1935, the models developed by Breda, Scotti and Metallurgica Bresciana già Tempini were tested.
The Comitato Superiore Tecnico Armi e Munizioni (English: Superior Technical Committee for Weapons and Ammunition) in Turin issued its verdict in November 1935. The Breda project (now rechambered for the 8 mm cartridge) won. A first order for 2,500 units of the Breda medium machine gun was placed in 1936. After operational evaluation with the units, the weapon was adopted in 1937 as the Mitragliatrice Breda Modello 1937 (English: Breda Model 1937 Machine gun).
During the same year, Breda developed a vehicle version of the machine gun. This was a lightweight one, equipped with a shortened barrel, pistol grip, and a new 24-round top-curved magazine instead of 20-round strip clips.
A Breda Modello 1938 medium machine gun. It was developed for use on armored vehicles. Source: dandbmilitaria.com
The weapon was famous for its robustness and accuracy, despite its annoying tendency to jam if lubrication was insufficient. Its weight was considered too large compared to foreign machine guns of the time. It weighed 15.4 kg, 19.4 kg in the Modello 1937 variant, making this weapon the heaviest medium machine gun of the Second World War.
The theoretical rate of fire was 600 rounds per minute, while the practical rate of fire was about 350 rounds per minute. It was equipped with a cloth bag for the spent casings.
The machine gun 8 x 59 mm RB cartridges were developed by Breda exclusively for machine guns. The 8 mm Breda had a muzzle velocity between 790 m/s and 800 m/s, depending on the round. The armor piercing ones penetrated 11 mm of non-ballistic steel angled at 90° at 100 meters.
Ammunition
The automatic cannon fired the 20 x 138 mm B ‘Long Solothurn’ cartridge, the most common 20 mm round used by the Axis forces in Europe, such as the Finnish Lahti L-39 and Swiss Solothurn S-18/1000 anti-tank rifles and German FlaK 38, Italian Breda and Scotti-Isotta-Fraschini automatic cannons.
During the war, the L6/40 also probably used German rounds.
Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 ammunition
Name
Type
Muzzle Velocity (m/s)
Projectile Mass (g)
Penetration at 500 meters against an RHA plate angled at 90° (mm)
A total of 312 20 mm rounds were transported in the vehicle in 39 8-round clips. For the machine gun, 1,560 8 mm rounds were transported in 65 magazines. The ammunition was stored in wooden racks painted white and with a cloth tarpaulin to fix the magazines. Fifteen 8-round clips were positioned on the left wall of the superstructure, another 13 20 mm clips were placed on the frontal part of the floor, on the driver’s left, and the rest were placed on the rear part of the floor, on the right, behind the driver. The machine gun magazines were stored in similar wooden racks in the superstructure rear.
Ammunition racks on a L6/40. Source: Italeri, Carro Armato L6/40 Photographic Reference Manual
Crew
The L6/40 crew was composed of two soldiers. Drivers were placed on the vehicle’s right and commanders/gunners just behind, seated on a seat fixed to the turret ring. Commanders had to perform too many tasks and it was impossible for them to perform all at the same time.
During attacks, commanders had to check the battlefield, find targets, open fire against enemy positions, give orders to the driver, operate the radio station of the tank, and reload the automatic cannon and coaxial machine gun. This was essentially impossible to do by a single person. Similar vehicles, such as the German Panzer II, had a crew of three to make the vehicle commander’s job easier.
Crew members were usually from the cavalry training school or Bersaglieri (English: assault infantry) training school.
A Carro Armato L6/40 Centro Radio (distinguishable by the two rear antennas) license plate ‘Regio Esercito 4007’ with its crew posing in front of it. Photo taken at the Centro di Addestramento Carristi of Rome; date unknown. Source: Collezione Luca Massacci
Delivery and Organization
The vehicles from the first batches went to equip the training schools on the Italian mainland. When the L6/40 was accepted into service, the L6-equipped units were expected to be structured like the previous L3-equipped units. However, during training at the Pinerolo Cavalry School and during the testing of four L6s with a testing company deployed in North Africa, it was seen as preferable to create new formations: squadroni carri L6 (English: L6 tank squadrons) after October 1941. At the same time, it was decided to deploy two such light tanks in each Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato or RECo (English: Armored Reconnaissance Regroupement). The RECo was the reconnaissance unit assigned to each Italian armored and mechanized division.
The Nucleo Esplorante Corazzato or NECo (English: Armored Reconnaissance Nucleus), which were assigned after 1943 to each infantry division, was composed a battaglione misto (English: mixed battalion) with a command platoon, two armored car companies with 15 armored cars of the AB series each, and a compagnia carri da ricognizione (English: reconnaissance tanks company) with 15 L6/40s. The unit was completed with an anti-aircraft company with eight 20 mm automatic cannons and two batteries of Semoventi M42 da 75/18, with a total of 8 self-propelled guns.
An L6/40 with license plate ‘Regio Esercito 3942’ during crew training. The armament is not yet delivered. Source: Archivio dell’Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito
The L6/40 squadrons consisted of a plotone comando (English: command platoon), a plotone carri (English: tank platoon) in reserve, and another four plotoni carri, for a total of 7 officers, 26 NCOs, 135 soldiers, 28 L6/40 light tanks, 1 staff car, 1 light truck, 22 heavy duty trucks, 2 medium trucks, 1 recovery truck, 8 motorcycles, 11 trailers, and 6 loading ramps. The new L6 squadrons differed from the L3 squadrons in their structure. The new ones had 2 more platoons of tanks.
Like the AB41s units, the Italian Army distinguished between the different army branches, creating gruppi (English: groups) for the cavalry units and battaglioni (English: battalions) for the Bersaglieri assault infantry units. Many sources often do not pay attention to this detail.
In June 1942, the L6 battalions or groups were reorganized into a command platoon with 2 L6/40 command tanks and 2 L6/40 radio tanks and two or three tank companies (or squadrons), each one equipped with 27 L6 light tanks (54 or 81 tanks in total).
If the unit had two companies (or squadrons), it was equipped with: 58 L6/40 tanks (4 + 54), 20 officers, 60 NCOs, 206 soldiers, 3 staff cars, 21 heavy duty trucks, 2 light trucks, 2 recovery trucks, 20 two-seater motorcycles, 4 trailers, and 4 loading ramps. If the unit was equipped with three companies (or squadrons), it was equipped with 85 L6/40 tanks (4 + 81), 27 officers, 85 NCOs, 390 soldiers, 4 staff cars, 28 heavy duty trucks, 3 light trucks, 3 recovery trucks, 28 two-seater motorcycles, 6 trailers, and 6 loading ramps.
Training
On 14th December 1941 the Ispettorato delle Truppe Motorizzate e Corazzate (English: Inspectorate of Motorized and Armored Troops) wrote the rules for the training of the first three squadrons of L6/40 tanks.
Training lasted a few days and consisted of firing tests up to 700 m. Also included were driving over varied terrain and practical and theoretical instruction to personnel assigned to drive heavy trucks. Each L6 had 42 rounds of 20 mm ammunition, 250 rounds of 8 mm ammunition, 8 tonnes of gasoline while for the truck driver there was 1 tonne of diesel fuel for the training.
The Italian training on armored vehicles was very poor. Because of the lack of availability of equipment, Italian tank crews had few opportunities to train to shoot in addition to substandard mechanical training.
Operational Service
North Africa
The first L6/40s arrived in North Africa, when the campaign was already ongoing, in December 1941. They were assigned to a unit to trial them for the first time on the battlefield. The 4 L6s were assigned to a platoon of the III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’ Mixed Company, assigned to the Raggruppamento Esplorante of the Corpo d’Armata di Manovra or RECAM (English: Reconnaissance Group of the Maneuver Army Corps).
One of the four L6/40s of the Mixed Company of the III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’. Libyan desert, December 1941. Source: reddit.com u/_Art_Tank_
III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Novara’
The III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Novara’, also known as the III Gruppo Carri L6 ‘Lancieri di Novara’ (English: 3rd L6 Tank Group) was trained to operate the light tanks in Verona. It was composed of 3 squadrons and, on 27th January 1942, it received its first 52 L6/40 tanks. On 5th February 1942, it was assigned to the 132ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete’ (English: 132nd Armored Division), becoming operational on 4th March 1942.
A FIAT 634N transporting two L6/40s of the III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Novara’ to the battlefront. As mentioned before, the weight of the L6/40s was a problem for the Regio Esercito, which was forced to use heavy trucks and medium tank-trailers to transport them. Source: italie1935-45.com
The unit was transferred to North Africa. Some sources claim it arrived in Africa with only 52 tanks and the rest were assigned while in Africa, while others mention that it arrived in Africa with 85 L6/40s (full three squadrons). It was assigned to the 133ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Littorio’ (English: 133rd Armored Division) in June 1942.
A column of FIAT 634Ns loaded with L6/40s of the III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Novara’ during a break. It is possible to count a total of 9 L6/40s on heavy duty trucks and medium trailers and also a Ford light lorry truck captured from Commonwealth forces. Source: pinterest.com
The unit was deployed during the attacks to the city of Tobruk and in the decisive attack after which the Commonwealth troops in the city surrendered. On June 27th, along with Bersaglieri of the 12º Reggimento (English: 12th Regiment), the unit defended Field Marshal Rommel’s command post.
The III Gruppo corazzato ‘Lancieri di Novara’ then fought at El-Adem. On 3rd and 4th July, it was engaged in the First Battle of El Alamein. On 9th July 1942, it was engaged behind the depression of El Qattara, protecting the flank of the 132ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete’.
In October 1942, the unit was equipped with three AB41 medium armored cars, one for each squadron. This was done to provide better communications to the L6 units, as the armored cars had longer-range radio equipment, and to replace the loss of almost all the L6 tanks (78 lost out of 85). Because of the wear and tear of the L6/40 tanks, many could not be repaired at that time, as the field workshops were all destroyed or reallocated to other units.
An L6/40 of the III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Novara’ knocked out during North African fighting in 1942. Its license plate is ‘Regio Esercito 3826’. Source: Cavalleria Italiana
Reduced to only five operable tanks after the Third Battle of El Alamein, it followed the other units of the Italian-German army in the retreat, abandoning some serviceable tanks in a depot behind the frontline.
From Egypt, the unit started a retreat, arriving first in Cyrenaica and then in Tripolitania, on foot. It continued the war as a machine gun section aggregated to the Raggruppamento Sahariano ‘Mannerini’ (English: Saharan Group) during the campaign of Tunisia.
Despite this, the unit continued to operate, first assigned to the 131ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Centauro’ after 7th April 1943, then with Raggruppamento ‘Lequio’ (formed with the remains of the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’) after 22nd April 1943. The survivors participated in the operations of Capo Bon until the surrender of 11th May 1943.
An L6/40 of the III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Novara’ abandoned after the Third Battle of El Alamein, being inspected by Australian soldiers. Source: David Zambon
Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’
On 15th February 1942, at the Scuola di Cavalleria of Pinerolo, the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’ was founded under the command of Colonel Tommaso Lequio di Assaba. On the same day, it was equipped with the 1° Squadrone Carri L6 and 2° Squadrone Carri L6 (English: 1st and 2nd L6 Tank Squadrons) from the school.
L6/40 light tanks grouped up in a farmhouse in Bologna province, Italy, during training in late 1941. Source: Tatsuya Noda
The unit was divided as follows: a squadrone comando, I Gruppo with 1º Squadrone Autoblindo (English: 1st Armored Car Squadron), 2º Squadrone Motociclisti (English: 2nd Motorcycle Squadron), and 3º Squadrone Carri L6/40 (English: 3rd L6/40 Tank Squadron). The II Gruppo was equipped with a Squadrone Motociclisti, a Squadrone Carri L6/40, a Squadrone contraerei da 20 mm (English: 20 mm Anti-Aircraft Gun Squadron), and a Squadrone Semoventi Controcarro L40 da 47/32 (English: Semoventi L40 da 47/32 Anti-Tank Squadron).
On 15th April, a Gruppo Semoventi M41 da 75/18 (English: M41 Self-Propelled Gun Group) with 2 batteries was assigned to the RECo.
In the spring, the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’ was sent to the area of Pordenone, at the orders of the 8ª Armata Italiana (English: 8th Italian Army), waiting to leave for the Eastern Front. By order of the General Staff of the Regio Esercito, on 19th September, the destination was changed to North Africa, to the XX Corpo d’Armata di Manovra, for the defense of the Libyan Sahara.
Initially, however, only the equipment of the Squadrone Carri Armati L6/40 (English: L6/40 Tank Squadron) arrived in Africa, with personnel transferred by airplanes. They were meant for the Oasis of Giofra. The other convoys were attacked during the crossing from the Italian mainland to Africa, causing the loss of all the equipment of the Squadrone Semoventi L40 da 47/32 and the rest of the Tank Squadron could not leave until much later, after the tanks were replaced by AB41 armored cars. They reached the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’ in mid-November, while another ship was diverted to Corfu, then reaching Tripoli. The second Squadrone Carri L6, even if assigned to the RECo, never left the Italian peninsula, remaining in Pinerolo for training.
By the time the first units of the RECo reached Tripoli on 21st November 1942, the landing of Anglo-American troops in French North Africa had occurred. At that point, instead of the defense of the Libyan Sahara, the task of the RECo became the occupation and defense of Tunisia. Once gathered, the regiment left for Tunisia.
On 24th November, having left Tripoli, the units of the RECo reached Gabes in Tunisia. On 25th November 1942, they occupied Médenine, where the command of the I Gruppo was left with the 2º Squadrone Motociclisti, a platoon of which had remained in Tripoli to recover, and a platoon of anti-tank weapons. The 1º squadrone motociclisti, an armored car squadron and the anti-aircraft gun squadron continued their march to Gabes, suffering, during the march, some losses due to Allied air attacks. The regiment was thus divided as follows: elements in Gabes, with the commander, Colonel Lequio, then the bulk of the I Gruppo in the Tunisian south, all with the 131ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Centauro’ and the L6/40 tank squadron in the Libyan south, with the Raggruppamento sahariano ‘Mannerini’.
A bad quality image of a FIAT 666NM loaded with an L6/40 during transport in the desert, followed by a German Panzer III. Source: italie1935-45.com
On 9th December 1942, Kebili was occupied by a group made up of one platoon of the armored car squadron, one L6/40 light tank platoon, two 20 mm anti-aircraft platoons, the Sezione Mobile d’Artiglieria (English: Mobile Artillery Section), and two machine-gun companies. These were followed two days later by the 2º Squadrone Autoblindo in order to reinforce the garrison and to extend the occupation up to Douz, thus holding under control the whole territory of the Caidato of Nefzouna. The commander of the vanguard was Second Lieutenant Gianni Agnelli of the armored car platoon. From December 1942 to January 1943, the I Group, 50 kilometers away from the main Italian base, in a hostile area and in difficult terrain, continued intense operations in the whole area of Chott el Djerid and the southwest territories.
The tank squadron, composed of L6/40s, was stationed in the area of Giofra and then Hon. It received orders from the Comando del Sahara Libico (English: Libyan Sahara Command) on 18th December 1942 to move to Sebha, where it passed under its command, constituting the Nucleo Automobilistico del Sahara Libico (English: Automobile Nucleus of the Libyan Sahara), with 10 armored cars, and an unknown number of serviceable L6s.
On 4th January 1943, it began the retreat from Sebha, after having destroyed all the remaining L6/40 light tanks because of lack of fuel. It reached El Hamma on 1st February 1943, where the squadron rejoined its I Gruppo.
An L6/40 captured by the Commonwealth forces together with a pair of German Panzer IIIs. Source: worldwarphoto.com
In North Africa, due to losses suffered in 1941, the Italian Army made a number of reorganizing changes. This included forming the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato. The purpose of this change was to equip most armored and motorized formations with a better-armed reconnaissance element. This unit consisted of a command squadron and two Gruppo Esplorante Corazzato or GECo (English: Armored Reconnaissance Group). The newly developed L6 tanks and their self-propelled anti-tank cousins were to be supplied to these units. In the case of the L6 tanks, they were allocated to the 1° Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato, divided into two squadrons supported with a squadron of armored cars. Not many such units were formed, but included the 18° Reggimento Esplorante Corazzato Bersaglieri, Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’, and Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Montebello’. The last unit did not even have any L6 tanks in its inventory.
These armored reconnaissance groups were not used as a whole but, instead, their elements were attached to different armored formations. For example, elements from the RECo were attached to the 131ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Centauro’ (English: 131st Armored Division) and 101ª Divisione Motorizzata ‘Trieste’ (English: 101st Motorized Division), both of which were stationed in North Africa, and 3 celere divisions which served on the Eastern Front. A few mechanized Cavalry units were also supplied with the L6 tanks. For example, the III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’ (English: 3rd Armored Group), which supported the 132ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete’, had L6 tanks. The L6 saw service during the Battle for El Alamein in late 1942 as part of the III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Novara’. All available tanks of this unit would be lost, which led to its disbanding. By October 1942, there were some 42 L6 tanks stationed in North Africa. These were used by III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Novara’ and Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’. By May 1943, Italian units had some 77 L6 tanks in service. In September, there were some 70 available for service.
In North Africa, due to losses suffered in 1941, the Italian Army made a number of reorganizing changes. This included forming the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato. The purpose of this change was to equip most armored and motorized formations with a better-armed reconnaissance element. This unit consisted of a command squadron and two Gruppo Esplorante Corazzato or GECo (English: Armored Reconnaissance Group). The newly developed L6 tanks and their self-propelled anti-tank cousins were to be supplied to these units. In the case of the L6 tanks, they were allocated to the 1° Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato, divided into two squadrons supported with a squadron of armored cars. Not many such units were formed, but included the 18° Reggimento Esplorante Corazzato Bersaglieri, Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’, and Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Montebello’. The last unit did not even have any L6 tanks in its inventory.
These armored reconnaissance groups were not used as a whole but, instead, their elements were attached to different armored formations. For example, elements from the RECo were attached to the 131ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Centauro’ (English: 131st Armored Division) and 101ª Divisione Motorizzata ‘Trieste’ (English: 101st Motorized Division), both of which were stationed in North Africa, and 3 celere divisions which served on the Eastern Front. A few mechanized Cavalry units were also supplied with the L6 tanks. For example, the III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’ (English: 3rd Armored Group), which supported the 132ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete’, had L6 tanks. The L6 saw service during the Battle for El Alamein in late 1942 as part of the III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Novara’. All available tanks of this unit would be lost, which led to its disbanding. By October 1942, there were some 42 L6 tanks stationed in North Africa. These were used by III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Novara’ and Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’. By May 1943, Italian units had some 77 L6 tanks in service. In September, there were some 70 available for service.
Europe
1° Squadrone ‘Piemonte Reale’
Created in an unknown location on 5th August 1942, the 1° Squadrone ‘Piemonte Reale’ was assigned to the 2ª Divisione Celere ‘Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro’ (English: 2nd Fast Division), which had been recently reorganized.
It was deployed after 13th November 1942 to southern France, with police and coastal defense duties, first near Nice and then in the Mentone-Draguignan region, patrolling the Antibes-Saint Tropez coastal sector.
In December, it replaced the 58ª Divisione di Fanteria ‘Legnano’ (English: 58th Infantry Division) in the defense of the coastal strip along the Menton-Antibes stretch.
Some L6/40s pass on the streets of Nice, southern France, during Spring 1943. Source: italie1935-45.com
Until the first days of September 1943, it was used in coastal defense in the same sector. On 4th September, it began the movement for the return home with destination Turin. During the transfer, the unit was informed of the Armistice and the transfer was expedited.
On 9th September 1943, the division set up its units around the city of Turin in order to prevent the movement of German troops towards the city and, later, on 10th September, it moved towards the French border to barricade the Maira and Varaita valleys in order to facilitate the return of the Italian units from France to the Italian mainland.
The division then ceased to function on 12th September. The 2ª Divisione Celere ‘Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro’ was disbanded on 12th September 1943 following events determined by the Armistice, while it was in the area between Cuneo and the Italian-French border.
L6/40s on the waterfront of Nice during a break to rest and admire the view during spring 1943. Source: Istituto Luce
There is some disagreement in the sources about the unit’s name. In the book Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, written by the famous Italian writers and historians Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano, the unit was named ‘1° Squadrone’, but the nickname ‘Piemonte Reale’ is unsure.
The website regioesercito.it mentions the 2ª Divisione Celere ‘Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro’, saying that, on 1st August 1942, it was reorganized. In the following days, the Reggimento ‘Piemonte Reale Cavalleria’ was attached to the division, probably the same L6-equipped unit but with a different name.
An L6/40 in Nice during 1942. It had the markings painted vertically on the turret side. Source: worldwarphotos.com
18° Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato Bersaglieri of the 136ª Divisione Legionaria Corazzata ‘Centauro’
This unit was formed on 1st February 1942 in the depot of the 5º Reggimento Bersaglieri in Siena. It had in its composition the I Gruppo Esplorante (English: 1st Reconnaissance group), consisting of 1ª Compagnia Autoblindo (English: 1st Armored Car Company), 2ª Compagnia Carri L40 and 3ª Compagnia Carri L40 (English: 2nd and 3rd L40 Tank Companies), and 4ª Compagnia Motociclisti (English: 4th Motorcycle Company). The unit had also a II Gruppo Esplorante, with the 5ª Compagnia Cannoni Semoventi da 47/32 (English: 5th 47/32 Self-Propelled Gun Company) and 6ª Compagnia Cannoni da 20mm Contraerei (English: 6th 20 mm Anti-Aircraft Gun Company).
On 3rd January 1943, the unit was assigned to the 4ª Armata Italiana deployed in the French region of Provence, with police and coastal defense duties in the Toulon area. After the creation of the unit, the 2ª Compagnia Carri L40 and 3ª Compagnia Carri L40 were reassigned to the 67° Reggimento Bersaglieri and two other companies, with the same names, were recreated on 8th January 1943.
L6/40s and crews lined up in France. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano
After Benito Mussolini was deposed as dictator of Italy on 25th July 1943, the 18° RECo Bersaglieri was recalled to the Italian mainland, arriving in Turin. During its time in Toulon, it also lost its 1ª Compagnia Autoblindo, which was renamed 7ª Compagnia and assigned to the 10º Raggruppamento Celere Bersaglieri in Corsica (English: 10th Fast Bersaglieri Regroupement of Corsica).
In the first days of September 1943, the unit started its railway transfer to the Lazio region, where it would be assigned to the Corpo d’Armata Motocorazzato (English: Armored and Motorized Army Corp) of the 136ª Divisione Corazzata Legionaria ‘Centauro’ (English: 136th Legionnaire Armored Division) assigned to Rome’s defense.
When the Armistice was signed on 8th September 1943, the 18º Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato Bersaglieri was still on flat cars on route to Rome. An entire battalion was blocked in Florence, along with half of the 3ª Compagnia Carri L40 and the 4ª Compagnia Motociclisti. The other units were half way between Florence and Rome or in Rome’s suburbs.
Some of these joined the 135ª Divisione corazzata ‘Ariete II’ (English: 135th Armored Division), which had been created after the destruction of the 132ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete’, in North Africa.
From one of the last trains on which the RECo vehicles and soldiers were traveling, the Bersaglieri landed at Bassano in Teverina near Orte. The train also carried the command company. On the afternoon of the 8th September, the dispersed units near Rome rejoined the main body at Settecamini.
When, in the evening, the news of the Armistice with the Allies came, the units stopped in Florence and participated in the first clashes against the Germans. In the afternoon of 9th September, they unloaded the vehicles from the flat cars and took part in the fighting against the Germans near the Futa pass.
The units that were in the surroundings of Rome on the night of 9th September blocked the access to Rome at Tivoli along with elements of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana (English: Police of Italian Africa) and clashed with the Germans in the following morning. The units of the 18° RECO Bersaglieri in Rome were assigned to the 135ª Divisione corazzata ‘Ariete II’ after the morning of 10th September, as the Division had suffered many losses of its R.E.Co., the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Montebello’. In the afternoon, the elements of the 18° RECo Bersaglieri attacked the Germans at Porta San Sebastiano and Porta San Paolo, supporting the Italian units there and the Italian civilians that had joined the fighting to defend their own city.
After suffering heavy casualties, the Italian units retreated to Settecamini. The 18° RECo Bersaglieri suffered an air attack by German Junkers Ju 87 ‘Stuka’ and, on the morning of 11th September, with the commander wounded during the clashes, the unit dispersed after sabotaging its surviving vehicles.
Yugoslavia
The precise date when the Italians introduced the L6 in Yugoslavia is not quite clear. The 1° Gruppo Carri L ‘San Giusto’ (English: 1st Light Tanks Group), which operated in Yugoslavia from 1941 with 61 L3s on 4 squadrons, may have received its firsts L6/40 tanks in 1942 together with some AB41 medium armored cars. In reality, these probably arrived sometime in early 1943. The first evidence of their use in Yugoslavia is May 1943 according to Partisan reports. In them, they referred to the Italian tank as “Large tanks”. The term “Small tanks”, which they also used at this point, likely referred to the smaller L3 tanks. Given the general Partisan lack of knowledge about the precise names of enemy armor, these and other names should not come as a surprise.
One of the Italian units that had L6s was the IV Gruppo Corazzato, part of the ‘Cavalleggeri di Monferrato’ regiment. This unit had 30 L6 tanks that operated from their headquarter in Berat in Albania. In occupied Slovenia, during August and September 1943, the XIII Gruppo Squadroni Semoventi ‘Cavalleggeri di Alessandria’ had some L6 tanks.
In Albania, the II Gruppo ‘Cavalleggeri Guide’ had 15 L3/35s and 13 L6/40s in Tirana countryside. The IV Gruppo ‘Cavalleggeri di Monferrato’ resisted the German attempts to disarm this unit, so the L6s may have seen some limited service against the Germans in September 1943.
3° Squadrone of the Gruppo Carri L ‘San Giusto’
During 1942, the 3° Squadrone of the 1° Gruppo Carri L ‘San Giusto’, which had already been deployed to the Eastern Front, was reorganized, abandoning the surviving L3 light tank series and was reequipped with Carri Armati L6/40 and deployed in Spalato, in the Balkans, to fight the Yugoslavian partisans.
An L6/40 during a rest in Croatia. Note the license plate, that seems to be ‘Regio Esercito 3743’, and the Mickey Mouse face painted on the superstructure. Source: comandosupremo.com
9° Plotone Autonomo Carri L40
Formed on 5th April 1943, this platoon was assigned to the 11ª Armata Italiana in Greece. Nothing is known about its service.
III° and IV° Gruppo Carri ‘Cavalleggeri di Alessandria’
On 5th May 1942, the III° Gruppo Carri ‘Cavalleggeri di Alessandria’ (English: 3rd Tank Group) deployed in Codroipo, near Udine, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, and the IV° Gruppo Carri ‘Cavalleggeri di Alessandria’ (English: 4th Tank Group), deployed in Tirana, the Albanian capital city, were equipped with 13 L6 tanks and 9 Semoventi L40 da 47/32. They were deployed in the Balkans in anti-partisan operations.
The crew of an L6/40 posing for a photo in the Balkans. It had a two tone camouflage, common for Italian units operating in the Balkans. It had the number ‘32’ painted on the access door. Unfortunately, the opened driver’s port blocks the identification of the unit’s coat of arms painted on the front plate. Source: reddit.com
The Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri Guide’ was deployed in Tirana, Albania. It had in its ranks the I Gruppo Carri L6 (English: 1st L6 Tank Group) created during 1942 with a total of 13 Carri Armati L6/40. The unit had also in its ranks 15 older L3/35.
Crews and L6/40s during a blessing by a military pastor. The vehicles belong to the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri Guide’. Tirana, Albania, during 1943. Source: italie1935-45.com
IV Gruppo Squadroni Corazzato ‘Nizza’
The IV Gruppo Squadroni Corazzato ‘Nizza’ (English: 4th Armored Squadron Group, also sometimes mentioned as IV Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’) formed together with the III Gruppo Squadroni Corazzato ‘Nizza’ in the Deposito Reggimentale (English: Regimental Depot) of the Reggimento ‘Nizza Cavalleria’ of Turin on 1st January 1942. It was created six months after the III Gruppo and was composed of two Squadroni Misti (English: Mixed Squadrons). One equipped with 15 L6/40 light tanks and the other with 21 AB41 medium armored cars.
Some sources do not mention the use of L6/40 light tanks, but mention 36 armored cars assigned to it. This could mean that the squadron was theoretically armed with tanks, but in fact, it was equipped only with armored cars.
In Albania, it was assigned to the Raggruppamento Celere (English: Fast Group). It was employed in counter-partisan operations and escorting Axis supply convoys, highly coveted prey by the Yugoslav Partisans who often attacked them almost undisturbed, capturing many weapons, ammunition, and other military material.
After the Armistice in September 1943, the 2º Squadrone Autoblindo, under the orders of Captain Medici Tornaquinci, joined the 41ª Divisione di Fanteria ‘Firenze’ (English: 41st Infantry Division) in Dibra, managing to open the way to the coast through fierce battles against the Germans during which Colonnello Luigi Goytre, the commander of the unit, lost his life. The most bloody fights against the Germans took place particularly in Burreli and Kruya. After the battles, the IV Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’ dispersed. Many officers and soldiers went back to Italy, reaching Apulia by makeshift means and concentrating at the Centro Raccolta di Cavalleria (English: Cavalry Gathering Center) in Artesano to join the Allied forces.
IV Gruppo Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Monferrato’
The IV Gruppo Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Monferrato’ was created in May 1942 and deployed in Yugoslavia. Not much is known about its service. It was equipped with a theoretical force of 30 L6/40 light tanks operating from the city of Berat in Albania.
Like the other units in the Balkan peninsula, it was deployed in anti-partisan and convoy escort duties until the Armistice of September 1943. From 9th September onward, the soldiers fought against the Germans, losing the majority of their serviceable tanks.
Even if the commander of the unit, Colonnello Luigi Lanzuolo, was captured and then shot by the Germans, the soldiers continued to fight the Germans in the Yugoslavian mountains until 21st September 1943. After that date, the remaining soldiers and vehicles were captured by the Germans or joined the Partisans.
Soviet Union
The L6 tanks were used by Italian armored formations that were engaged on the Eastern Front, supporting the Germans during 1942. A large contingent of some 62,000 men was dispatched by Mussolini to assist his German allies. Initially called Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia or CSIR (English: Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia), it was later renamed ARMata Italiana In Russia or ARMIR (English: Italian Army in Russia). At first, only some 61 older L3 tanks were used, which were mostly lost in 1941. In order to support the new German offensive toward the Stalingrad and the oil-rich Caucasus, the Italian armor strength was reinforced with L6 tanks and the self-propelled version based on it.
LXVII° Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato
The LXVII° Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato (English: 67th Armored Bersaglieri Battalion) was created on 22nd February 1942 with units from the 5° Reggimento Bersaglieri and 8° Reggimento Bersaglieri (English: 5th and 8th Bersaglieri Regiments). It was composed of 2 L6/40 companies, with 58 L6/40s in total. It was assigned after 12th July 1942 to the 3ª Divisione Celere ‘Principe Amedeo Duca d’Aosta’ (English: 3rd Fast Division), but officially arrived on the Eastern Front on 27th August 1942.
An L6/40 of the LXVII° Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato climbing on the cargo bay of a FIAT 666NM heavy duty truck on the Eastern Front. Source: italie1935-45.com
It was equipped with a command platoon with 4 tanks, and the 2ª Compagnia and 3ª Compagnia (English: 2nd and 3rd Companies). Each company was composed of a command platoon with 2 tanks and 5 platoons with 5 tanks each.
This Italian fast division also had the XIII Gruppo Squadroni Semoventi Controcarri (English: 13th Anti-Tank Self-propelled Gun Squadron Group) of the 14° Reggimento ‘Cavalleggeri di Alessandria’ (English: 14th Regiment), equipped with Semoventi L40 da 47/32.
Alpini, the Italian mountain troops, watching the march of some L6/40s of the LXVII° Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato to the battlefront. Source: Rassegna Militare
On 27th August 1942, the unit undertook its first combat in Russia. Two Platoons with 9 tanks contributed to the defensive maneuvers operated by the Battaglione ‘Valchiese’ and Battaglione ‘Vestone’ of the 3° Reggimento Alpini (English: 3rd Alpine Regiment), repelling a Russian attack in the Jagodny sector. Only a few days later, however, a company of the LXVII° Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato, with 13 L6/40s, lost all but one of its vehicles during a battle, knocked out by 14.5 x 114 mm Soviet anti-tank rifles.
A member of a Soviet anti-tank squad poses proudly with his PTRD-41 next to an L6/40 of the LXVII° Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato, which he probably helped knock out. The license plate is unfortunately only partially visible. Source: pinterest.com
On 16th December 1942, the Soviet Army launched Operation Little Saturn. On that day, the LXVII° Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato had in its ranks 45 L6/40s. In spite of the strenuous Italian resistance, between 16th and 21st December, the Soviets broke through the defensive line of Battalgione ‘Ravenna’, between Gadjucja and Foronovo, and on the 19th December 1942, the Italian units had to retreat.
The Bersaglieri and the Cavalry had to cover the retreat with the few armored vehicles that survived the fights of the previous days. About twenty vehicles of the XIII Gruppo Squadroni Semoventi Controcarri and the LXVII° Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato were available.
Two L6/40s of the LXVII° Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato and a Semovente L40 da 47/32 of the XIII Gruppo Squadroni Semoventi Controcarri abandoned in a Russian village south of Stalingrad. Source: pinterest.com
Most of these tanks and self-propelled guns were lost during the retreat, which ended on 28th December in Skassirskaja. The very few remaining tanks were then dispersed in the disastrous retreat of the ARMIR.
An L6/40 overturned for unknown reasons in a village south of Stalingrad. It was of the First Company of the LXVII° Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato. Source: socimage.com
Other Units
Some units received the L6/40 and its variants for training purposes or in small numbers for police duties. The 32° Reggimento di Fanteria Carrista (English: 32nd Tank Crew Infantry Regiment) in Montorio, near Verona, in north-eastern Italy, was equipped on 23rd December 1941 with six L6/40 Centro Radio that were assigned to its battalions.
Their fate is not clear. On 31st December 1941, the unit was disbanded and its soldiers and vehicles were transferred by ships to the 12° Autoraggruppamento Africa Settentrionale (English: 12nd North African Vehicle Group) of Tripoli after 16th January 1942, where they were used to create the Centro Addestramento Carristi (English: Tank Crew Training Center).
Another 5 L6/40s were assigned to the Scuola di Cavalleria (English: Cavalry School) of Pinerolo and used to train new tank crews to operate on the L6 light reconnaissance tanks.
A FIAT 666NM of the Scuola di Cavalleria of Pinerolo loaded with an L6/40 of the same school. The FIAT 666NM had a maximum payload of 6 tonnes and, from the photo, it is visible that the vehicle’s suspension was under strain. Source: worldwarphotos.com
On 17th August 1941, four L6/40 light reconnaissance tanks were assigned to the Compagnia Mista (English: Mixed Company) of the Battaglione Scuola (English: School Battalion) of one of the Centro Addestramento Carristi on the Italian mainland.
The 8° Reggimento Autieri (English: 8th Driver Regiment) of the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione was also equipped with some L6/40.
A total of three L6/40s were assigned to the Centro Addestramento Armi d’Accompagnamento Contro Carro e Contro Aeree (English: Support Anti-Tank and Anti-Aircraft Weapons Training Center) of Riva del Garda, near Trento, north-eastern Italian peninsula. Another three L6/40 were assigned to a similar center in Caserta, near Naples, southern Italy. All six tanks were assigned to the two centers on 30th January 1943.
Two unarmed L6/40 light reconnaissance tanks of the Scuola di Cavalleria loaded on a FIAT 666NM and its Rimorchio Unificato Viberti da 15T two axle trailer, developed for medium tanks. Source: Cavalleria Italiana
The last two L6/40s used by a Regio Esercito unit were assigned in late 1942 or early 1943 to the 4° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista (English: 4th Tank Crew Infantry Regiment) in Rome to train Italian tank crews to operate these light tanks before their departure for Africa.
Polizia dell’Africa Italiana
The Polizia dell’Africa Italiana or PAI was created after a reorganization of the Police Corps operating in Libyan territory and the colonies of Africa Orientale Italiana or AOI (English: Italian East Africa). The new corps was under the command of the Italian Ministry of Italian Africa.
During the first phases of the war, the corps operated side by side with the Regio Esercito troops like a standard army branch. It was equipped only with AB40 and AB41 medium armored cars so, during the North African campaign, the PAI command asked the Italian Army to better equip the police corp with tanks.
After bureaucratic delays, six (some sources claim 12) L6/40s were assigned to the 5° Battaglione ‘Vittorio Bòttego’ deployed in the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana training school and headquarter in Tivoli, 33 km from Rome.
At least six registration numbers are known for these tanks (which is why six seems the correct number of vehicles received). The numbers are 5454 to 5458 and were produced in November 1942.
The vehicles were deployed for training purposes until the Armistice in September 1943. The Polizia dell’Africa Italiana took active part in the defense of Rome, first blocking the road to Tivoli to the Germans and then fighting with the Regio Esercito units in the city.
Two Allied soldiers inspecting one of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana’s L6/40s. The other vehicles in the photo are all L6/40s. The license plates were not painted. Source: gbmodelli.blogspot.com
Nothing is know about the PAI L6/40’s service, but a photo taken on 9th September 1943 shows a column of L6/40 of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana on the road between Mentana and Monterotondo, north of Tivoli and north-east of Rome. At least 3 (but probably more) survived the fighting against the Germans and were deployed, after the surrender, by PAI agents in Rome for public order duties. Three of them survived the war.
Use by Other Nations
When the Italians capitulated in September 1943, what was left of their armored vehicles was seized by the Germans. This included over 100 L6 tanks. The Germans even managed to produce a limited amount of vehicles with the resources that were captured from the Italians. After late 1943, as it was a low priority, some 17 L6 tanks were built by the Germans. The use of L6s in Italy by the Germans was quite limited. This is mostly due to the vehicle’s general obsolescence and weak firepower. In Italy, the majority of the L6s were allocated to secondary roles, being used as towing tractors, or even as static defense points.
The L6 in German hands. Source: B. B. Dimitrijević and D. Savić Oklopne jedinice na Jugoslovenskom ratištu 1941-1945 Beograd.
In occupied Yugoslavia, the Italian forces were quickly disarmed in 1943 and their weapons and vehicles were seized by all warring parties. The majority went to the Germans, which used them extensively against the Yugoslav Partisans. The L6s saw use against the Partisans, where its weak armament was still effective. The problem for the Germans was the lack of spare parts and ammunition. Both Yugoslavian Partisans and the German puppet state of Croatia managed to capture and use L6 tanks. Both would use these up to the war’s end and, in the case of the Partisans, even after that.
An L6 in Yugoslav 1st Proletarian Brigade service in October 1943. Source: B. B. Dimitrijević and D. Savić Oklopne jedinice na Jugoslovenskom ratištu 1941-1945 Beograd.
Italian Soldiers in Yugoslav Partisan Ranks
Some Regio Esercito units in Yugoslavia joined the Yugoslav Partisans, since it was impossible to join the Allied forces.
Two L6/40 tanks of the 2ª Compagnia of the 1° Battaglione of the 31° Reggimento Fanteria Carrista joined the 13 Proleterska Brigada ‘Rade Končar’ (English: 13th Proletarian Brigade) near the village of Jastrebarsko on the day of the Armistice. They were assigned to an armored unit under the command of the I Korpus of the Yugoslavian People’s Liberation Army. Not much is known about their service, apart that they were operated by their previous Italian crews.
Also in Albania, entire Italian divisions that could not return to Italy after resisting the German forces even for entire months joined the Albanian Partisans.
The survivors of the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri Guide’, together with the survivors of some Italian infantry divisions such as ‘Arezzo’, ‘Brennero’, ‘Firenze’, ‘Perugia’, and other small units, joined the Battaglione ‘Gramsci’ assigned to the 1st Assault Brigade of the Albanian National Liberation Army.
Some of the L6/40s were used during the liberation of Albania and the soldiers of the RECo ‘Cavalleggeri Guide’ took part in the liberation of Tirana in mid-November 1944.
Commander Shehu, leader of the 1st Assault Brigade of the Albanian National Liberation Army, sits on an L6/40, probably of the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri Guide’. Source: I Mezzi delle Unità Cobelligeranti
After the War
After the war, the three L6/40s of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana were taken over by the newly formed Corpo delle Guardie di P.S. (English: Corps of Public Safety Officers), which was then renamed Polizia di Stato (English: State Police). The new Police, created after the fall of Fascism in Italy, used these surviving vehicles until 1952.
An L6/40 in front of the Viminale, Interior Ministry of Italy, in May 1946. It had a particular two tone camouflage and the license plate ‘Polizia 2632’. Source: italie1935-45.com
Due to wear and tear and few spare parts, the vehicles were rarely used in Rome. Other examples captured from the Germans and the Fascists loyal to Mussolini in April 1945 were also reused in Milan, assigned to the III° Reparto Celere ‘Lombardia’ (English: 3rd Fast Department). These vehicles were modified, probably by the Arsenale di Torino (English: Turin Arsenal), after the war. The primary armament was replaced and a second Breda Model 1938 machine gun was mounted to replace the 20 mm cannon.
The only known action of the Milanese L6/40s occurred on 27th November 1947, when the Italian Minister of the Interior, Mario Scelba, removed the prefect of Milan, Ettore Trailo, a former partisan of Socialist ideology. This act unleashed protests through the entire city and the government was forced to deploy the police departments, which at the time were not well seen by the population due to their violent actions during demonstrations, even peaceful ones.
Two L6/40s rearmed with twin Breda Modello 1938 machine guns in the streets of Milan in November 1947. On the left, above the sidewalk, there is a FlaK 30 covered by a waterproof sheet. A policeman is wearing an army tank uniform. Source: pinterest.com @lucky01
Minister Scelba was the promoter of a hard line approach against the people with leftist ideologies. After the first opening of the police ranks to former partisans, Scelba changed plans. He tried to identify all those who, in his opinion, were dangerous Communists. He forced leftist former partisans and police officers to resign through continuous harassment and non-stop transfers from one city to another.
On this occasion, the Corpo delle Guardie di P.S. was deployed in Milan together with the Army. Barbed wire was placed with heavy armament and even medium tanks in some streets, in order to prevent attacks from the protesters.
Not even a single shot was fired and there were no injuries during the demonstrations. Thanks to the political intervention of Prime Minister Alcide De Gasperi and Secretary of the Partito Comunista d’Italia or PCI (English: Communist Party of Italy) Palmiro Togliatti, the situation returned to normal within a few days.
The same vehicles in another photo. 27th November 1947, Milan. Source: polizianellastoria.it
Camouflage and Markings
As on all Italian vehicles of the Second World War, the standard camouflage applied in the factory on Carri Armati L6/40 was Kaki Sahariano (English: Light Saharan Khaki).
The prototypes used the standard, pre-war Imperiale (English: Imperial) camouflage composed of a standard sand yellow Kaki Sahariano (English: Saharan Khaki) base with dark brown and reddish-brown lines. This camouflage is popularly known as the “Spaghetti” camouflage, even if this is only a joke name that has appeared in modern times.
The vehicles used in the Soviet Union left for the Eastern Front in the classic khaki camouflage. At an unspecified point between summer and winter 1942, the vehicles were covered with mud, dirt, or earth, trying to camouflage them from air attacks. The vehicles were, in some cases, also covered with branches or straw for the same purpose.
The vehicles kept this camouflage even during winter, at which time the camouflage made them easier to observe even if, due to the low temperatures, during the colder months, snow and ice would stick to the mud or dirt sticking to the vehicle making it, unintentionally, better camouflaged.
L6/40 of the LXVII° Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato in the Soviet Union. The license plate is ‘Regio Esercito 3930’. Note the presence of dirt that covers part of the license plate and the frontal coat of arms, and the straw. Source: pinterest.com – Chris Coleman
The light reconnaissance tanks used in North Africa, the Balkans, France and Italy had the standard khaki camouflage pattern, often with the addition of foliage to better camouflage them from potential aerial attacks. Many Italian vehicles received new markings painted in the field by the crews. They had Italian flags to avoid friendly fire, mottos, or phrases, though no other camouflage patterns are known before German service.
An L6/40 of the III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Novara’ in the North African desert. Note the unit’s coat of arms on the vehicle’s side. gbmodelli.blogspot.com
In some photos, it is clearly visible that the barrel of the 20 mm gun was not painted in Saharan Kaki but retained the original metallic dark-gray color of the weapon. This was because the main armament was often mounted a few days or hours before being shipped to the front and the crew did not have time to repaint the barrel.
In the final months of the North African campaign, the Royal Air Force had complete control of the skies over North Africa, so it could act almost undisturbed at any time to support Allied ground troops on the battlefields. To avoid being spotted by Allied ground attack aircraft, the crews of the L6/40 light tanks began to cover their vehicles with foliage and camouflage netting.
An L6/40 of the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri Guide’ in Albania. It is camouflaged with foliage and a two tone camouflage with green spots. Near the driver’s port is the unit’s coat of arms. The plate was ‘Regio Esercito 4032’. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano
This practice was also used by the crews which fought in Italy even if, in that campaign, the Regia Aeronautica (English: Italian Royal Air Force) and the Luftwaffe were able to provide more efficient cover against Allied ground attack aircraft.
The markings that the L6/40s possessed identified the platoons and companies of the Regio Esercito to which they belonged. This system of cataloging vehicles was used from 1940 until 1943 and was composed of an Arabic numeral indicating the number of the vehicle within the platoon and a rectangle of different colors for the company. Red was used for the first company, blue for the second, and yellow for the third company, green for the fourth squadron, black for the command company of the group, and white with black platoon stripes for the regimental command squadron.
As the conflict went on, there was also a change in the structure of the armored squadrons, as a fourth, and sometimes a fifth platoon were added.
White vertical lines were then inserted inside the rectangle to indicate the platoon to which the vehicle belonged.
In 1941, the Italian High Command ordered the units to paint a 70 cm diameter circle to ease aerial identification, but this was rarely applied on the turrets of the light tanks.
An L6/40 during off road mobility tests in Castel Fusano during 1941. It had the white roundel for air identification and the gun barrel in its original dark-gray color. Behind the L6 was the T-34-76 that the Italian Army tested. Source: italie1935-45.com
Battalion command vehicles had the rectangle divided into two red and blue parts if the battalion had two companies or three red, blue and yellow parts if the battalion had three companies.
In the Soviet Union, during summer, before being camouflaged with dirt, the command vehicles received different markings for unknown reasons. These rectangles were monochrome (blue or red from photographic sources) with an oblique line running from the upper left corner to the lower right corner.
The Polizia dell’Africa Italiana’s L6/40s did not receive particular camouflages or coat of arms, remaining essentially identical to the Regio Esercito ones except for the license plate, which had the acronym P.A.I. instead R.E. on the left side.
At least four L6/40s of the 5° Battaglione ‘Vittorio Bòttego’ on the street between Mentana and Monterotondo, together with an AB41 of another Italian unit on 9th September 1943. Note the acronym P.A.I. on the left side of the transmission cover. The license plate was not painted. Source: instagram.com @Storia_Italiana
Post-war, L6/40s received two different camouflage schemes. The ones used in Rome received dark horizontal stripes, probably over the original Kaki Sahariano monochrome camouflage. The Milan vehicles were painted like all the Italian police vehicles after the war in Amaranth Red, a reddish-rose shade of red that was useful for two reasons. First of all, it was able to cover the previous military paintings and coat of arms applied on former military vehicles. Secondly, L6/40 tanks or Willys MB Jeeps (one of the most common vehicles used by the Italian Police after the war) had no sirens, so a garish red vehicle was more visible in the city traffic.
Variants
L6/40 Centro Radio
This L6/40 variant had a Magneti Marelli RF 2CA radio transceiver mounted on the left of the fighting compartment. The Stazione Ricetrasmittente Magneti Marelli RF 2CA operated in graphic and voice mode. Its production began in 1940 and had a maximum communication range of 20-25 km. It was used for communications among tank squadron commanders, so it is logical to assume that the L6/40 equipped with this type of radio were used by squadron/company commanders. Another difference between the standard L6/40 and the Centro Radio ones was the dynamotor power, which was increased from 90 watts in the standard L6 to 300 watts in the Centro Radio.
An L6/40 Centro Radio of the LXVII° Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato in the Soviet Union. The crew men, who wear the typical Bersaglieri fez, are having lunch on it with a bottle of wine. Source: images.com
Externally, there were no differences between standard L6/40 and L6/40 Centro Radio (English: Radio Center) apart from different antennas positions. Internally, the second dynamotor was placed on the left side, near the transmission.
The L6/40 Centro Radio had a reduced amount of ammunition transported due to the space occupied by the transmitter and receiver box. This main ammunition load was reduced from 312 rounds (39 8-round clips) to 216 rounds (27 8-round clips), placed only on the floor of the fighting compartment.
The L6/40 Centro Radio equipment position. As visible, the 20 mm clips rack on the left wall was reduced to hold only five clips. Source: italie1935-45.com
Semovente L40 da 47/32
The Semovente L40 da 47/32 was developed by Ansaldo and built by FIAT between 1942 and 1944. It was designed on the L6 chassis to allow the Bersaglieri regiments to provide direct fire support with a 47 mm gun during infantry assaults. The second reason behind these vehicles was to provide the Italian armored divisions with a light vehicle with anti-tank performance. In total, 402 vehicles, also in Centro Radio and Command Post variants, were built.
A Semovente L40 da 47/32 in Sicily during the Allied invasion of southern Italy, 1943. Source: pinterest.com
L6 Trasporto Munizioni
In late 1941, FIAT and Ansaldo started the development of a new tank destroyer on the chassis of its medium tank, the M14/41. After the tests, the prototype was accepted in service in late March – early April 1942 as the Semovente M41M da 90/53.
This heavy self-propelled gun was armed with the powerful Cannone da 90/53 Modello 1939 90 mm L/53 anti-aircraft/anti-tank gun. The small space onboard did not permit the transport of more than 8 rounds and two crew members, so FIAT and Ansaldo decided to modify the chassis of some L6/40s to transport an adequate supply of rounds. This was the L6 Trasporto Munizioni (English: L6 Ammunition Carrier).
Two more crew members, together with 26 90 mm rounds, were transported by each auxiliary vehicle. The vehicle was also equipped with a shielded Breda Modello 1938 machine gun on an anti-aircraft support and racks for the crew’s personal weapons. The vehicle usually towed an armored trailer with another 40 90 mm rounds, for a total of 66 rounds transported.
The L6/40 ammunition carrier prototype outside the Ansaldo-Fossati plant. Source: wikipedia.com
L6/40 Lanciafiamme
The L6/40 Lanciafiamme (English: Flamethrower) was equipped with a flamethrower. The main gun was removed, while a 200 liter flammable liquid tank was placed inside. The machine gun ammunition amount remained unchanged at 1,560 rounds, while the weight increased to 7 tonnes.
The prototype, with license plate ‘Regio Esercito 3812’, was officially accepted in service on 1st September 1942. This variant was produced in small numbers, but the exact number remains unknown.
The L6/40 Lanciafiamme at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente. Apart from the different main armament, the vehicle remained unchanged. Source: armedconflicts.com
Cingoletta L6/40
This was the Italian version of the British Bren Carrier re-engined with a FIAT-SPA ABM1 engine (the same engine of the AB40 armored car). Essentially, it had the same structure as the British APC/weapon carrier. However, the vehicle did not have a specific purpose. It could not carry soldiers (other than the two crew members and a couple of other soldiers) so it was not an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC). It had a payload of only 400 kg and could not tow anything beyond the 47 mm Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1939, so it was not a prime mover. Despite this, it was armed with a Mitragliera Breda Modello 1931 13.2 mm heavy machine gun in a frontal spherical support and a Breda Modello 1938 that could be mounted on one of two anti-aircraft mounts, one at the front and one at the rear. It was also equipped with a Magneti Marelli RF3M radio station, so perhaps Ansaldo developed it as a command post.
Upper view of the Cingoletta L40 prototype. Note the radio station with its antenna near the Breda Modello 1938 and the Mitragliera Breda Modello 1931 heavy machine gun on its spherical support. Source: Nicola Pignato
Surviving L6/40s
In total, nowadays, only three L6/40s remain. The first one is placed as a gate guardian at the Comando NATO Rapid Deployable Corps’ headquarter at Caserma ‘Mara’ in Solbiate Olona, near Varese. Another one is in bad condition at the Military Museum of the Albanese Army in Citadel-Gjirokäster.
The last and most important one is exhibited at the Armored Vehicles Museum in Kubinka, Russia.
The L6/40 exhibited in Kubinka before restoration, on 24th August 2017. Source: flikr.com @Nils Mosberg
During Summer and Fall 1942, the Red Army captured at least two L6/40s, (registration plates ‘Regio Esercito 3882’ and ‘3889’). Other vehicles in running condition were captured after Operation Little Saturn, but their fate is unknown.
The Soviets took at least three L6/40s to the NIBT Proving Grounds in different time periods. The Soviet technicians called it ‘SPA’ or ‘SPA light tank’ due the SPA factory logo on the engine and other mechanical parts.
The L6/40 license plate ‘Regio Esercito 3898’ photographed by Soviet technicians at the NIBT Proving Grounds in 1944. Source: warspot.net
The vehicle did not interest the Soviet technicians too much. They only noted on their documents some standard data, not even mentioning some important values, such as top speed.
One of these vehicles was the one that is now exhibited in Kubinka, the ‘Regio Esercito 3898’, which was the 4th tank assigned to the 1° Plotone of the 1ª Compagnia of the LXVII° Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato.
The same L6/40 from the front. From this angle, it is possible to read the license plate. Source: warspot.netColorization by Johannes Dorn
For many years, it remained exhibited in bad condition, with a broken suspension tilted on a side. Luckily, on 15th July 2018, a team led by Vladimir Filippov finished the restoration of this tank, taking it to running condition.
The restored L6/40 at Kubinka. Unfortunately, the license plate is not the original. Source: warspot.ru
Conclusion
The L6/40 light reconnaissance tank was probably one of the most unsuccessful vehicles used by the Regio Esercito during the Second World War. While it offered great improvement in armament and armor over the older L3 fast tank, by the time it was introduced into service, it was already obsolete in almost every regard. Its armor was too thin, while its 2 cm gun was only useful in a reconnaissance role and against lightly armored targets. Against other tanks of the time, it was useless. In addition, it was designed to operate in high mountains, but it ended up fighting in the vast deserts of North Africa, for which it was completely unsuited for. Despite its obsolescence, it saw relatively wide use given the lack of anything better. Surprisingly, it would see action on almost all fronts but with minimal success. Even when the Germans took over Italy, they regarded the L6 as an obsolete design, relegating it to secondary roles.
L6/40 prototype with ‘Imperiale’ camouflage scheme.An L6/40 from the LXVII° Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato on the Eastern Front.Carro Armato L6/40 Centro Radio always from the LXVII° Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato on the Eastern Front.L6 Trasporto Munizioni in Sicily.An L6/40 of the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri Guide’ with foliage. Illustration modified by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.
Carro Armato L6/40 specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)
3.820 x 1.800 x 1.175 m
Total Weight, Battle Ready
6.84 tonnes
Crew
2 (driver and commander/gunner)
Propulsion
FIAT-SPA Tipo 18 VT 4-cylinder 68 hp at 2500 rpm with 165 liters tank
Speed
Road Speed: 42 km/h
Off-Road Speed: 50 km/h
Range
200 km
Armament
Cannone-Mitragliera Breda 20/65 Modello 1935 and Breda Modello 1938 8 x 59 mm medium machine gun
Armor
from 40 mm to 6 mm
Production until the Armistice:
440 vehicles
Sources
F. Cappellano and P. P. Battistelli (2012) Italian Light Tank 1919-1945, Osprey Publishing
B. B. Dimitrijević and D. Savić (2011) Oklopne jedinice na Jugoslovenskom ratištu 1941-1945, Institut za savremenu istoriju, Beograd.
D. Predoević (2008) Oklopna vozila i oklopne postrojbe u drugom svjetskom ratu u Hrvatskoj, Digital Point Tiskara
S. J. Zaloga (2013) Tanks of Hitler’s Eastern Allies 1941-45, Osprey Publishing
A. T. Jones (2013) Armored Warfare and Hitler’s Allies 1941-1945, Pen and Sword
unitalianoinrussia.it
regioesercito.it
La meccanizzazione dell’Esercito Fino al 1943 Tomo I and II – Lucio Ceva and Andrea Curami
Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano Volume II Tomo I – Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano
An Autocannone da 100/17 su Lancia 3Ro with two tone camouflage. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.
Kingdom of Italy (1941-1942)
Truck-Mounted Artillery – 16 Converted
The Autocannone da 100/17 su Lancia 3Ro was an Italian truck-mounted artillery vehicle used by the Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army). It was produced in small numbers by converting some heavy duty trucks available in Italian military workshops in North Africa with some obsolete guns. It was used from late 1941, until the final destruction of all the vehicles in 1943. They were meant as support vehicles, but also saw use in the anti-tank role thanks to its shaped charge rounds.
An Autocannone da 100/17 su Lancia 3Ro in firing position in the Libyan desert. Source: o5m6.de
The Italian Army’s Situation in North Africa
On 13th September 1940, one of the most famous and bloody campaigns of the Second World War began. The start of the North African campaign saw Italian troops, commanded by General Rodolfo Graziani, cross the border between Libya, an Italian colony, and British Egypt, a British protectorate.
It was immediately clear to the Italian generals that the Regio Esercito needed reconnaissance armored cars and armed vehicles to support Italian units in the vast deserts of North Africa as soon as possible.
An armed vehicle with great mobility that could reach the battlefront quickly in order to counter enemy attacks and then move to another point of the battlefront to counterattack or for other defensive duties was urgently needed.
Despite the need for such vehicles, development in Italy was very slow. The soldiers in Africa were forced to create such vehicles themselves, in military and civilian workshops. This is where Autocannoni (singular Autocannone) originated from.
The first of a long series of modified autocannoni was the Autocannone da 65/17 su Morris CS8. A significant number of British Morris CS8 light lorries were captured during the first days of war. These were slightly modified and an Italian 65 mm mountain gun was mounted on a 360° rotating support in their cargo bay.
The modifications were done by the Autofficine del 12° Autoraggruppamento AS (English: Workshops of the 12th Motorized Group, AS standing for Africa Settentrionale – North Africa), located in the village of Giovanni Berta, near the city of El Gubba, north-east Libya.
An Autocannone da 20/65 su FIAT-SPA AS37 in North Africa. Source: zen.yandex.ru
This workshop and the FIAT ones in Tripoli were responsible for the conversion of more trucks into autocannoni. By 1942, autocannoni with howitzers, anti-aircraft autocannons, naval guns, and standard field artillery pieces were produced.
Design
Lancia 3Ro
In the mid 1930s, Vincenzo Lancia, founder of the homonymous car factory, felt the need to develop his own range of trucks in order to respond to the changes in the Italian civilian and military market and also in the European civilian market. This is how Lancia Veicoli Industriali (English: Lancia Industrial Vehicles) was born and started the production of trucks. Due to the lack of knowledge about diesel engines, the Italian company initially purchased patents for German engines.
Reliable Junkers engines were chosen. The first project had a copy of the Junkers 2-cylinder 3,181 cm³ engine. It was produced under license as the Lancia Tipo 89. It gave a power of 64 hp at 1,500 rpm. It was used on the Lancia Ro, of which 5,196 were produced between 1933 and 1939. However, the Lancia Ro had power problems. In order to cope with the increased payload, a new vehicle was introduced in 1935, the Lancia Ro-Ro. Only 301 were built for the civilian market, with a new engine under German license, the Junker 3-cylinder 6 opposed pistons version with a displacement of 4,771 cm³. It was produced under license as Lancia Tipo 90 and gave out 95 hp at 1,500 rpm. This, however, suffered from unreliability.
Vincenzo Lancia then decided to develop his own four-stroke five-cylinder diesel engine in order to decrease the production costs, as the Junkers engines were expensive, and to become more self-reliant.
The Lancia 3Ro prototype at the 10th Milan Motor Show. It had a modern superstructure and a Viberti trailer. Source: Archivio Lancia
The prototype of the new 3Ro heavy-duty truck was presented at the 10th Milan Motor Show on 28th October 1937. Officine Viberti of Turin, a leader in the sector and a valuable partner of Lancia, provided the bodywork for the new truck. The prototype had an innovative drop-shaped radiator grille, inspired by that of the Lancia Augusta car. However, this would not be used on the first series of vehicles.
Production started in the same year, replacing the Lancia Ro-Ro on the production line and accompanying the Lancia Ro. Initially, two models were offered: a civilian one with factory number Serie 464 and a military one designated Serie 564. These codes were rarely used even if some sources, for the sake of clarity, define the models as “Lancia 3Ro 464” or “Lancia 3Ro 564”.
A Lancia 3Ro poster. Source: Archivio Lancia
The first version of the civilian model retained a fairly rustic bodywork in order to lower the cost of the truck and speed up production. Officine Viberti of Corso Peschiera 249 in Turin was the main provider of bodyworks for the Lancia trucks, which was less than 800 meters from the Lancia plant in the Borgo San Paolo district in Via Monginevro 99.
The first version of the bodywork featured a vertical front grille with an exposed radiator, vertical one-piece hood sides, and single-line vertical air intakes. Customers could privately choose between a short cab with three seats and a long cab with three seats and a berth. The Lancia 3Ro was the third European truck to have the provision for a berth after the FIAT 634N, its main rival on the Italian civilian market, and the French three-axle Renault AFKD produced after 1936. The berth was often made of wood between two sheets of molded steel, although some customers opted for a simpler solution by having the entire berth made of wood.
Early Lancia 3Ro Serie 464 with Esperia company bodywork and 1 tonnes Orlandi company trailer. Source: pinterest.com
In 1939, Officine Viberti introduced a new, more modern and elegant bodywork to increase aerodynamic performance, along with a drop-shaped radiator grille, angled windscreen, and more rounded shapes, exactly as would happen with the FIAT 634N.
Given the difficulties encountered by Officine Viberti in keeping pace with the production of Lancia, many customers purchased chassis from Lancia and had the bodywork added privately by Orlandi, Cab, Zagato or even Caproni and Zorzi.
Lancia 3Ro Serie 464 (produced after 1939) with an Officine Viberti long cab and a 10 tonnes trailer also produced by Officine Viberti. Source: pinterest.com
The bodywork for the military model was made by Officine Viberti. This model differed from the civilian version by having 2 horizontal bars, the license plate was on the upper one, to protect the exposed radiator, an inertia starter motor under the radiator grille, doors with fixed windows, acetylene headlights on the sides of the windshield, a wooden floor, and only the rear side of the cargo bay was openable.
The Lancia 3Ro Serie 564 in an old colorized photo. Source: Manuale di Uso e Manutenzione Lancia 3 Ro
Deliveries of the Lancia 3Ro Serie 564 began in 1938, one year after the Serie 464 went into production. A prototype was produced and presented to the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione (English: Motorization Studies Center), the military department which examined new vehicles, in early 1938. After testing, it was accepted into service in the Italian Regio Esercito as the Lancia 3Ro MNP (for Militare; Nafta; Pneumatici – Military, Diesel, Tires) version with standard tires and the Lancia 3Ro NMSP (for Militare; Nafta; SemiPneumatici – Military, Diesel, Solid Tires). Apart from the difference in the type of tires, the vehicles were identical.
According to Lancia sources, a total of 177 Lancia 3Ro Serie 564 were delivered to the Regio Esercito in 1938, 657 in 1939, 2,646 in 1940, 3,162 in 1941(the maximum production rate of 260 3Ro each month was reached this year), 1,643 in 1942, 1,205 in 1943, 51 in 1944 and 1 in 1945. This gave a total of 9,542 heavy-duty trucks. At the same time, 1,307 civilian Serie 464 were built, most of them requisitioned by the Italian Regio Esercito.
After three different bombings of the Lancia plant in Turin, in October 1942, production of the Lancia 3Ro was entrusted to the Lancia Veicoli Industriali plant in Bolzano, in the Trentino Alto Adige region.
In 1939, Lancia Veicoli Industriali proposed the lowered chassis Lancia 3Ro P (P for Passo – Wheelbase, factory code Serie 266) and Lancia 3Ro PL (Passo Lungo, English: Longer Wheelbase) for the civilian market. This was 7.86 m long compared to the 7.30 m of the standard series. These vehicles were to be fitted out as buses by companies such as Garavini, Macchi, Orlandi, or even Officine Viberti.
A Lancia 3Ro P with Officine Viberti bodywork, towing a Viberti bus trailer in 1941. Source: Officine Viberti
These versions of the Lancia 3Ro were designed to tow a trailer in order to increase the passenger capacity. The Lancia 3Ro P, with Officine Viberti bodywork, carried 32 passengers plus the driver, with the trailer taking the capacity to over 50 people. In 1940, 78 Lancia 3Ro P chassis rolled off the assembly lines, almost all bodied by Officine Viberti.
In 1942, Lancia Veicoli Industriali proposed a cab-over chassis version of the Lancia 3Ro called P3 (and P3L for the Long Wheelbase version), code Serie 466, of which 142 were produced. In parallel, a conventional forward cabin chassis called Lancia 3Ro P2 (and P2L) was introduced. In total, 611 Lancia 3Ro were produced of the three Passo Lungo variants between 1939 and 1950.
A Lancia 3Ro 3PL with Officine Viberti bodywork with a Viberti bus trailer. This was probably a post-war vehicle. Source: Officine Viberti
During the war, a gasoline version was developed. This version had a Lancia Tipo 102B engine (B for Benzina – Gasoline). This engine was modified to work with cheaper and more available gasoline and delivered 91 hp. The Lancia Esaro medium truck, a ‘light’ version of the Lancia 3Ro developed in 1941, received an identical engine but with lower power, the Tipo 102B, delivering 80 hp, coupled to the same transmission as the Lancia 3Ro. In 1946, the Lancia Esaro received the same Tipo 102 diesel engine, but giving out only 81 hp.
Like the Lancia Ro, the Lancia 3Ro was available in many special versions for the needs of the army. For transporting quadrupeds, any Lancia 3Ro could be slightly modified with higher cargo bay sides and a two-part loading ramp. The loading bay was divided into multiple boxes by wooden planks to prevent animals from injuring each other.
The Officina Mobile Modello 1938 (English: Mobile Workshop Model 1938) was composed of two vehicles. These were identical to the ones on the Lancia Ro chassis. Apart from the prototype based on a Serie 564 MNSP, it seems that very few were produced.
The civilian version with a water or fuel tank was also adopted for the Serie 546, produced by Officine Viberti, with a capacity of 5,000 liters. It was mainly used in North Africa to transport fuel or water. A trailer with the same capacity produced by Officine Viberti could be attached to it for a total of 10,000 liters.
For the transport of water or fuel, the Serie 546 could be equipped with two removable 2000-liter tanks loaded on the loading bay. This tank did not require any modification to be fitted to the vehicle and was easy to remove, allowing the transport version to be even more versatile.
Lancia 3Ro Serie 564 modified by Officine Viberti with a 5,000-liter water tank and a Viberti 5,000-liter tank trailer. Source: Officine Viberti
Employed on all fronts of the Second World War, the Lancia 3Ro was the heavy truck par excellence of the Regio Esercito. It was used to transport troops, animals, or equipment, but was also used as a prime mover for heavy artillery pieces, such as 90 mm cannons and 149 mm howitzers. Officine Viberti or Bartoletti trailers were also designed specifically to be towed by the Lancia and vehicles with similar characteristics for the transport of Italian medium tanks and self-propelled guns.
Lancia 3Ro Serie 564s on the Via Balbia. They are towing Rimorchi Unificati Viberti da 15t with Carri Armati M13/40s medium tanks. Source: Ufficio Storico SME
In North Africa, its good off-road capabilities earned it the nickname ‘Re del Deserto’ (English: King of the Desert). The Allies, particularly the British, reused it in this theater of operations due to its robustness, power, and load capacity. There were trucks captured and reused by the Soviets in the Soviet Union as well.
On the Eastern Front, the Lancia 3Ro was mainly used for the transport of mules and materials of the Alpine divisions of the ARMata Italiana in Russia or ARMIR (English: Italian Army in Russia). In this campaign, it proved to be a reliable vehicle. Even during the harsh Russian winters, the engine was reliable and performed well in very low temperatures that did not allow other Italian and German vehicles to move.
Some Italian veterans claim that the Soviet soldiers usually destroyed all the logistical vehicles that they captured from the Axis troops by rolling over them with tanks during the Don Offensive and the subsequent retreat from the USSR. Eventually, though, they allegedly began to appreciate the qualities of some vehicles, putting the Lancia 3Ro and FIAT 626 that they were able to capture back into service while abandoning the Opel Blitz and FIAT 634N, which they considered performed worse.
After 8th September 1943 and the armistice with the Allies, the Lancia 3Ro were built for the Germans and kept the same bodywork until order 7967/8153. This order, dated 5th April 1944, provided for the delivery of 100 trucks with Einheits cab. This cab, designed by the Germans, was made of plywood planks on a parallelepiped wooden frame. It was very easy to mass produce and adaptable to many Italian trucks, such as the FIAT 628, the SPA TL40, and the Lancia 3Ro.
According to German sources, the Wehrmacht received a total of 772 Lancia 3Ro between January 1944 and February 1945, far more than the production declared by Lancia (52 produced between 1944 and 1945) for the same period. It can be assumed that the German sources were in error, and 772 did not represent the vehicles that were newly delivered by Lancia Veicoli Industriali, but trucks that had previously belonged to the Italian Regio Esercito or private companies and were requisitioned or captured by the Germans. All Lancia 3Ro were assigned to units under the command of the Oberkommando Sud-Est, commanding the Balkans, and Oberkommando Sud-Ouest, commanding Italy.
Some units of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana (English: Italian Social Republic), the Italian Fascist Republic from 1943 to 1945, and some Partisan brigades also used the Lancia 3Ro during the bloody civil war that broke out in northern Italy between 1943 and 1945. In fact, in Turin, in April 1944, the workers allied with the Partisans made an agreement with the factory managers to supply the Partisans with transport vehicles, lubricants, fuel, spare parts, and financial assistance. The number of vehicles delivered is not known. There were no Lancia 3Ro being produced in Bolzano, but spare parts for such vehicles may have been delivered.
A Lancia 3Ro Serie 564 used by the Partisans and citizens in April 1945 to liberate the city of Turin. A 7.7 mm Breda-SAFAT medium machine gun was placed on the cab’s roof. The car near the truck was a FIAT 1100 armed with a Breda Modello 1930 light machine gun. Source: Archivio della Città di Torino
During the German occupation, a dozen gas-powered Lancia 3Ro GT (GT for Gassificatore Tedesco – German Gasifier) were also produced.
In late 1945, the Bolzano plant and probably also the Turin ones resumed the production of the Lancia 3Ro, both for the civilian market and for the military.
Initially, very different models grouped under the name Serie 564 NT came off the assembly line. These vehicles were hybrids between the Serie 464 and German production 564. After the war, the warehouses of Bolzano contained dozens of incomplete trucks or raw materials for the military versions. These were diverted for the production of civilian versions. These odd vehicles had military chassis, gasoline engines replacing the diesels, and elongated axle shafts, since the civilian version was wider than the military version.
In 1946, a new model came out: the Lancia 3Ro C (C for Conformità – Conformity) or Serie 564C. It had an electric starter, the width increased to 2,500 mm (2,350 mm for military ones), a new braking system and a ‘full floating’ rear axle instead of the load-bearing axle shafts. It was followed after a year by the Lancia 3Ro C2 (factory code Serie 564C/2) with reinforced tires.
The Lancia 3Ro C versions remained in production until 1948, with mainly Officine Viberti bodywork along with occasionally Orlandi and Caproni. The Military versions were bodied by Officine Viberti. In 1947, the Lancia Esatau 846 or 1 Series came into production. This was equipped with a 122 hp Lancia engine, later increased to 132 hp, and had a top speed of 58 km/h, later increased to 75 km/h.
This vehicle did not receive the attention that was hoped for due to poor power, range, and overall costs. Many truckers preferred the old Lancia 3Ro and Lancia was forced to produce them for another year and a half. The Lancia Esatau 846 and its military version, called Lancia 6Ro, were quickly replaced by other models with a more modern style.
The last 3P and 3PL buses based on the Lancia 3Ro came off the assembly line of the Lancia plants in Bolzano and Turin in 1950. The Lancia 3Ro remained in service with the new Esercito Italiano (English: Italian Army) until 1964 as a medium truck, maintaining high mobility and load capacity, outclassing even modern vehicles produced in the 1950s.
The Lancia 3RO C2 with Officine Viberti’s long cab and with new tires. The cargo bay was modified for the transport of sheep. It had only one tire on the rear axle. Behind it is a Viberti trailer also modified for the same purpose. Source: pinterest.com
Engine and Suspension
Designed in 1938 on the basis of the previous Lancia Ro and Lancia Ro-Ro, the Lancia 3Ro stood out with its new diesel engine, designed and produced by the Turin company. The Lancia Tipo 102 diesel, 4-stroke, direct ignition, 4 valves, 5-cylinder in-line water cooled engine, with a capacity of 6,875 cm³, delivered 93 hp at 1,860 rpm, leading to a speed on road of 45 km/h. It had a 135 liters tank behind the cab. The tank was connected to a Bosch pump that injected the fuel in the chamber thanks to Bosch injectors.
It had a range of 530 km on-road, with an approximate consumption of 1 liter of fuel each 3.9 km on-road. The off-road range was 450 km with an approximate consumption of 1 liter of fuel each 3.3 km.
The Lancia Tipo 102 5-cylinder in-line diesel engine. Source: Archivio Lancia
Initially, the engine had an inertial starter connected to a crank. The post-war Lancia 3Ro were equipped with electric starters. On some Lancia 3Ro produced before 1946, the inertial starter was replaced by electric ones later.
Semi-elliptical steel leaf springs were used on all four wheels. A trick Soviet soldiers used to stop Axis vehicles during the retreat from the USSR was to dig holes in the roads. With temperatures of below -30 degrees Celsius, the leaf spring suspensions of the trucks would break when they hit such a hole, stopping the vehicle in place. The Lancia 3Ro and a few other models of vehicles did not have this problem, probably due to the quality of the steel with which they were manufactured.
The rear wheel drive was connected to a gearbox with 4 forward and 1 reverse gear and a two-stage reductor, for a total of 8 forward and 2 reverse speeds, with a single dry plate clutch, as on the Lancia Ro and Ro-Ro. It was built under license after a German Maybach model and was located behind the cab for ease of maintenance.
The Lancia 3Ro had expansion shoe type brakes. The brakes were composed of tie rods that acted on the brake shoes and moved two servo conical pulleys. These used force from the transmission when the brake pedal was pressed. This meant that, in the event of a brake system failure whether the vehicle was moving or stationary, the brakes would be locked in place by the brake shoes. This system would be abandoned in favor of a hydraulic system after the war.
The brake system of the trailer was pneumatic, served by a compressor connected to an air tank of the ‘Triplex’ type. After the war, the 3Ro received new arrangements for the towing of 12 tonnes instead of 10 tonnes authorized for the civilian variant.
Aided by the power of the engine, fully loaded trailers could be towed by fully loaded Lancia 3Ros even on steep roads (where other heavy-duty trucks, such as the FIAT 634N, were forced to stop). The pulley brake system worked very well on downhill slopes, braking the enormous mass of the fully loaded truck.
One problem of the Lancia 3Ro was the rear axle, which was composed of two load-bearing axle shafts. This means that, in case the axle shafts broke, the Lancia would get stuck and it was very difficult to move it. Fortunately, this problem was rarely encountered and, after the war, this was replaced with a better performing system. Civilian models produced with this axle were sometimes modified by replacing the axle shafts with stronger ones from other heavy trucks, such as FIAT 666s or Isotta Fraschini D80s.
The electrical system was a 6 volt one in the first 1,611 Lancia 3Ro Serie 564 vehicles, then replaced by a 12-volt system in the following models. It was linked to the Magneti Marelli D90R3 12/1100 dynamo produced by Magneti Marelli of Sesto San Giovanni, which was used to power the two front lights, the license plate and dashboard lighting, the windscreen wipers, and the horn.
Lancia 3Ro MNSP Serie 564 near Santhià, Piemonte, on 9th August 1941. It has Pirelli Tipo ‘Celerflex’ solid tires. Source: Aymeric Lopez
Artillery-type forged steel rim wheels could mount various types of tires produced by the Pirelli company of Milan, compatible with the 270 x 20” tires on the 564 MNP and Pirelli Tipo ‘Celerflex’ solid tires with a diameter of 285×88” on the 564 MNSP.
Chassis
Some military trucks were equipped with a winch with a capacity of 9.5 tonnes, with a 31.5-meter long cable. This hydraulic winch was operated by the truck’s engine through a Power Take-Off (PTO) system. When necessary, the driver stopped the vehicle, would shift out of gear on the gearbox, engage the handbrake, and, via a manual override, connected the engine’s flywheel to a second driveshaft that operated the winch’s gearbox, which regulated the speed of the cable.
The Lancia 3Ro chassis. The 135 liters tank is behind the cab. Source: Manuale di Uso e Manutenzione Lancia 3 Ro
The 4.8 m long, 2.3 m, and 0.65 m high loading bay was built in wood, with 2.5 cm thick planks, for an internal volume of 66.8 m³. The Lancia 3Ro, weighing 5.61 tonnes, was approved by law to carry 6.39 tonnes of cargo, for a total weight of truck and cargo of 12 tonnes. However, the maximum transportable cargo came to almost 10 tonnes. It could carry 32 fully equipped soldiers on two side benches or almost 50 sitting on the floor, a light reconnaissance tank L6/40 (6.84 tonnes), a Semovente L40 da 47/32 (6.82 tonnes), or even 7 horses.
On the military model, it was not uncommon to see vehicles carrying material for a total of almost 10 tonnes in the loading bay, as well as towing a Rimorchio Unificato Viberti da 15t weighing 3.75 tonnes, with a capacity of 15 tonnes, carrying any tank of the ‘M’ series (M13/40, M14/41 or M15/42) and any self-propelled gun on their chassis for a total weight of truck,trailer, and cargo of almost 30 tonnes.
A Lancia 3Ro Serie 564 with camouflage netting towing a Rimorchio Unificato Viberti da 15t with a Semovente M40 da 75/18 on the Via Balbia. Source: pinterest.com
Main Armament
At the end of World War I, the Kingdom of Italy received or captured or received 1,339 Škoda 10 cm vz. 1914 and 95 Škoda 10 cm vz. 1916 howitzers. These howitzers were joined by 557 cannons and 56 horse-drawn front wagons for the Škoda 10 cm vz. 1916 and 915 guns and 735 horse-drawn front wagons for the Škoda 10 cm vz. 1914 provided by Austria-Hungary as war reparations. These weapons were later incorporated into the Royal Italian Army. In fact, the Italian Army suffered from a lack of light howitzers to accompany the Cannoni da 75/27 Mod. 1906 and the 75/27 Mod. 1911 in the field artillery regiments.
The Cannone da 105/14 Modello 1917 howitzer, which was produced by Ansaldo under license, arrived too late to take part in the conflict. Moreover, its range was inferior to the Škoda howitzers and was quickly decommissioned from active service and stored.
After World War I, other nations adopted these Škoda howitzers, entering service with the Austrian, Czechoslovakian, German, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Turkish, and Yugoslav armies. In Italian service, the Obice Škoda da 100/17 Modello 1914 was renamed Škoda 10 cm vz. 1914 and the Obice Škoda da 100/17 Modello 1916 as Škoda 10 cm vz. 1916.
The Obice da 100/17 Mod. 14 was towed by a horse-drawn front wagon. It weighed 1,417 kg in battery position. Designed for use in the mountains, it could be divided into 3 parts, allowing it to be transported on narrow paths on the back of mules.
The Obice da 100/17 Mod. 16 was intended exclusively for mountain use and was lighter than the previous model, at 1,235 kg. The new model retained the ballistic performance of the Mod. 1914. The main differences were the reduction in size, the reduction of the wheel diameter to facilitate movement on narrow paths, the increase of the maximum elevation, and the adoption of a new two-part flat shield.
The main weaknesses of the Škoda 10 cm howitzer was its range of 8,180 m and a low horizontal traverse of only 5° due to the single central trail. After 1918, the Royal Italian Army captured and received a small stock of ammunition. Therefore, the Italian industry had to start almost the production of the 100 mm ammunition.
In 1932, a new projectile was produced. It had 2.3 kg of TNT equivalent explosive filler and better ballistics, giving it an increased range by about 500 m, bringing it to almost 9 km.
Obice Škoda da 100/17 Modello 1914 TM opening fire in North Africa in the summer of 1942. Source: Archivio dell’Ufficio Storico di Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito
As with most artillery pieces after the First World War, the 100 mm Mod. 14 and Mod. 16 howitzers had problems with mechanized transport. In fact, since they were designed to be towed by 6 horses at very low speed, they had no suspension, which caused problems when being towed by trucks and caused damage to the barrel due to vibrations.
In order to solve this problem, in the 1920s, two different solutions were adopted. The first was a trolley with rubber wheels positioned under the howitzer, which was then hooked to the truck. The second option was having the original 12-spoke wooden wheels replaced by metal wheels with solid rubber tires. These modifications received the acronym TM or Traino Meccanizato (English: Mechanized Towing).
The Obice da 100/17 Mod. 14 had a depression of -8° and an elevation of +48°, while the traverse was 5°21′. The Obice da 100/17 Mod. 16 had a depression of -8° and an elevation of +70°, while the traverse was 5°5′. The maximum rate of fire was 10 rounds per minute, but in order to lessen the stress on the mechanical parts and to keep the barrel from overheating, the usual rate of fire on the autocannoni was 5-6 rounds per minute. The muzzle velocity was 430 m/s with High-Explosive rounds.
On 1st October 1939, the Italian Regio Esercito had 1,325 Obici da 100/17 Mod. 14, which were horse-drawn or used in fixed positions, 199 Obici da 100/17 Mod. 14 TM, and 181 Mod. 16 howitzers.
The weapon thus constituted, along with the 75/27 gun, the backbone of the Italian divisional artillery regiments. In North Africa, in October 1941, there were 137 100 mm TM howitzers, which were reduced to 56 by February 1943. In this theater of operations, Škoda howitzers had problems on off-road transport because of the soft sand, in which they sank. They were also criticized for their insufficient range.
The Obice Škoda da 100/17 Modello 1914 mounted on a Lancia 3Ro cargo bay. The loader has an High-Explosive Granata Mod. 32 in his hands. Source: wikipedia.org
In April 1942, the Regio Esercito could still count on 173 Obici da 100/17 Mod. 16, 194 Mod. 14TM, and 1,583 Obici da 100/17 Mod. 14 horse-drawn howitzers. Many of the losses incurred were offset by the supply of guns captured from the Polish by the Germans and pieces captured from Yugoslavia.
In June 1943, there were still 37 divisional artillery groups equipped with Škoda howitzers Mod. 14, of which 11 were motorized, and 10 groups equipped with the Mod. 16. As such, the 100 mm remained the standard light howitzer of the Italian Regio Esercito throughout the war.
After the armistice of 8th September 1943, the Germans captured several hundred of these howitzers and reused them under the name of 10 cm FH 315(i). After the war, the surviving howitzers received a ring mount identical to that of the British 25-pounder howitzer, giving it 360° traverse. The barrels were rebored from 100 mm to 105 mm and the breeches replaced. The resulting howitzers were capable of firing standard NATO ammunition and remained in service until the mid-1980s for training purposes.
Ammunition
The Obice da 100/17 Mod. 14 and Mod. 16 could fire different types of rounds with the 100 x 132 mmR cartridge.
Granata Dirompente da 100High-Explosive (HE)12.73
Obice da 100/17 ammunition
Name
Type
Weight (kg)
Granata Perforante da 100
Armor Percing (AP)
//
Granata a Doppio Effetto da 100
High-Explosive (HE)
12.93
Granata Shrapnel
Shrapnel
11.45
Granata da 100 Modello 1932
High-Explosive (HE)
13.80
Granata a Doppio Effetto da 100 Modello 1932
High-Explosive (HE)
13.33
Granata a Doppio Effetto da 100 Modello 1936
High-Explosive (HE)
13
Effetto Pronto
High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT)
//
Effetto Pronto Speciale
High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT)
//
Granata Incendiaria da 100
Incendiary
//
Granata Fumogena da 100
Smoke
//
Granata Lacrimogena da 100
Tear Gas
//
Despite the short-range and low muzzle velocity of the projectile, the 10 cm howitzer was often used in the anti-tank role. The hollow-charge armor-piercing Effetto Pronto projectiles were designed for this weapon and were delivered in very small numbers to the units in mid-1942. This new projectile was tested in Germany in November 1942 against captured Soviet tanks and demonstrated its capabilities against T-34-76 medium tanks and KV-1 heavy tanks. Italian 100 mm EP ammunition proved at least as effective as German 105 mm HL ammunition, suggesting that it could penetrate a 100 mm ballistic steel plate angled at 90°. In May 1943 a more powerful projectile, dubbed the Effetto Pronto Speciale, was adopted.
The Autocannone da 100/17 su Lancia 3Ro could transport 100 rounds on board. The ammunition was carried in two 50-rounds wooden racks in the cargo bay, right behind the cabin. Other projectiles were transported on truck ammunition carriers assigned to each battery.
Secondary Armament
The secondary armament on the Autocannone was a single Breda Modello 1938 medium machine gun. This gas-operated machine gun was developed by Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche in 1938 and accepted into service in the same year.
This was the vehicle version of the powerful machine gun adopted as the company or battalion support heavy machine gun by the Regio Esercito, the Breda Modello 1937. The Mod. 37 was the heaviest rifle-caliber machine gun of the Second World War, with a weight of 19.4 kg, while the Mod. 38 was smaller, with a weight of 15.4 kg, thanks to the shortened barrel of 575 mm compared to the 740 mm long-barrel of the Mod. 37. The machine guns were probably taken from some knocked out Italian medium tanks, like some other parts of the autocannoni.
The Breda Modello 1938 on the autocannone. It did not have the top-curved magazine but the anti-aircraft sight is visible. Source: forum.warthunder.com
The machine gun had a theoretical rate of fire of 600 rounds per minute, over 100 rounds per minute more than the Mod. 37. Due to the 24-round top-mounted curved-magazine, the practical rate of fire dropped to around 350 rounds per minute.
The machine gun fired 8 x 59 mm RB cartridges developed by Breda exclusively for machine guns. The 8 mm Breda had a muzzle velocity between 790 m/s and 900 m/s, depending on the round type. The armor piercing ones penetrated 11 mm of non-ballistic steel angled to 90° at 100 meters. Unfortunately, where the ammunition was stowed and the precise number of magazines carried on board the Autocannone is unknown. Some vehicles had anti-aircraft support mounted on the cabin’s left.
Crew
The crew was composed of 6 soldiers: commander, driver, gunner, two loaders, and another gun operator. The driver sat on the right side of the open-topped cab while the vehicle’s commander/gun commander sat on the left side. Between the two, there was enough space for an additional gun crew member. The gunner and two loaders were placed on the cargo bay.
When firing the gun, the driver helped to reload the gun or operated the anti-aircraft machine gun. The drivers of the supply trucks assigned to the batteries also helped to fire the gun to speed up the gun’s rate of fire.
For close defense, crews stored their personal weapons in the spacious Lancia 3Ro’s cargo bay. Usually, the crews were only armed with Carcano Modello 1891 in carbine or rifle versions.
Modifications
The Autofficine del 12° Autoraggruppamento Africa Settentrionale modified Lancia 3Ro heavy duty trucks, cutting out the cabin roof and sides under the windshield level, giving 360° of traverse for the howitzer. On the cargo bay, two box-shaped wooden ammunition racks and a bench for the gun loaders were added.
Some 20 liters can supports were placed under the cargo bay. From the photographic sources, these held 6 cans and were welded to the frame of the truck on the left side, in front of the rear wheel. However, since this was a mostly improvised vehicle, the supports changed sometimes. Other photos show vehicles with a 3 can support. With the six 20 liters cans filled with fuel, the vehicle could have a theoretical range of 1,000 km on-road and 850 km off-road. With 3 cans, it could have a theoretical range of 750 km on-road and 650 km off-road. Apart from these modifications the vehicle was left unchanged.
An Autocannone da 100/17 su Lancia 3Ro battery opening fire against British troops. The 20 liters cans support is visible. The howitzer is a Mod. 1914. Soure: forum.warthunder.com
A turret rotation ring, taken from destroyed medium tanks of the ‘M’ series, such as the M13/40, was placed on the cargo bay. The ring held a platform on which the Obice da 100/17 Mod. 14 or Mod. 16 howitzer mount was welded.
The howitzer carriage was modified, removing the wheels, the spade, shortening the trail, and removing the armored shield. This ingenious system allowed for 360° of traverse. At the front, over an arc of 33° to the right and 33° to the left, the howitzer could only fire at a minimum elevation of +5° due to the cabin and ammunition boxes. Over the remaining 294°, the gun could fire with a depression of -8°.
The vehicle did not have jacks to lift it off the ground, as on other autocannoni. The recoil of the gun was quite low and did not cause any damage to the chassis.
However, with each shot, the vehicle moved some centimeters even with the handbrake on, a problem that was solved by putting wooden wedges under the wheels. This forced the gunner to re-aim the howitzer after each shot. The necessity of re-aim the main gun after each shot slowed down the rate of fire while the presence of the wedges forced the crew to remove them when the vehicle needed to be transferred in another place did not permit them to quickly relocate to avoid British counter-batteries fire.
Italian writer Nico Sgarlato, in his book ‘I Corazzati di Circostanza Italiani’, claims that around 20 other autocannoni equipped with 100 mm howitzers on Lancia 3Ro hulls were produced in 1942, but there is no evidence for this.
Operational Use
The first vehicle was ready in late September 1941. The tests began on 29th September 1941 and included six days of driving on asphalt, dirt, and off-road, with an average length of 170 km. After each mobility test, firing tests were carried out to assess whether the stress of the howitzer’s recoil caused damage to the vehicle’s chassis.
A total of 1,019 km were covered by each vehicle and 1,782 rounds of 100 mm were fired. The maximum speed reached was 40 km/h on asphalt and 30 km/h on dirt roads. Off-road, the maximum speed was between 15 and 30 km/h. On soft sand, the bulk of the vehicle made it sink, slowing it down, but on stony terrain the great mobility of the Lancia 3Ro allowed it to overcome most obstacles.
An example of the great off-road performance of the Lancia 3Ro heavy duty truck. It is towing a Rimorchio Unificato Viberti da 15t. Photo taken near Sollum, June 1942. Source: David Zambon
Fire exercises were carried out with direct and indirect fire at short, medium and long distances. Even when the weapon was aimed to the sides, no balance problems were encountered.
An Autocannone da 100/17 su Lancia 3Ro. This photo was probably taken during the September-October tests. The gun is covered by a tarpaulin to protect it from sand. Source: Archivio Centrale dello Stato
By the fall of 1941, the first battery composed of the four autocannoni, along with ammunition carriers and other logistic vehicles based on captured Morris 30-CWT medium trucks and Italian Lancia 3Ro heavy trucks, was formed. This was the 14ª Batteria Autonoma (English: 14th Autonomous Battery), one of the 16 batteries equipped with autocannoni. On 23rd November 1941, during Operation Crusader, the unit clashed with British tank formations, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy. Unfortunately, nothing is known about its position on the battlefield and if the battery was assigned to an Italian or a German unit.
On 1st December, the 14ª Batteria Autonoma attacked a British supply depot in the desert, probably with the support of units of the 132ª Divisione corazzata ‘Ariete’ (English: 132th Armored Division) units. However, during the attack, German Junker Ju. 87 “Stuka” ground attack aircraft attacked the battery, mistaking it for British trucks.
Some sources claim that all the four autocannoni with 100 mm howitzers and some autocannoni da 65/17 were destroyed, while others claim that one autocannone da 100/17 survived and was destroyed some time after during Crusader Operation during a fight against British tanks. A total of 6 soldiers and a NCO were killed in the airstrike.
Three more batteries, equipped with 4 Autocannoni da 100/17 su Lancia 3Ros each, were created in 1942. They were part of the XVII Gruppo (English: 17th Group) that was assigned to the Raggruppamento Celere Africa Settentrionale (English: North Africa Fast Grouping).
The Raggruppamento Celere Africa Settentrionale was composed of two Gruppi Celeri (English: Fast Groups), each containing an armored car squadron with 48 AB40 and AB41 armored cars, one Gruppo Batterie da 65/17 Autoportate (English: Truck-mounted 65/17 Battery Group), one Gruppo Batterie da 75/27 Mod. 11 Autoportate, one Gruppo Batterie da 100/17 Autoportate, and one Batteria Antiaerea da 20/65 (English: 20 mm Anti-Aircraft Battery). These units were supported by 2 infantry battalions and a logistic unit.
The autocannoni and their crews lined up for an inspection. Source: Istituto Luce
In January 1943, the XVII Gruppo was passed to the 136º Reggimento artiglieria (English: 136th Artillery Regiment) of the 136ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Giovani Fascisti’ (English: 136th Armored Division).
The ‘Giovani Fascisti’ artillery regiment was composed only of autocannoni batteries: the XIV Gruppo and XV Gruppo were equipped with Autocannoni da 65/17 su Morris CS8, the XVI Gruppo equipped with Autocannoni da 75/27 su FIAT-SPA TL37, the XVII Gruppo with Autocannoni da 100/17 su Lancia 3Ro and, finally, the 88ª Batteria Artiglieria Contraerea (English: 88th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery) was equipped with Cannoni-Mitragliere da 20/65 Modello 1935 loaded on Ford and Chevrolet trucks.
An autocannone with its crew happily posing for a photo. It is a second batch vehicle with a Modello 1916 howitzer. Note the cut engine hood, meant to improve the engine’s ventilation. Almost all the crew members have their Carcano carbines to protect themselves from infantry attacks. Source: wikipedia.org
Unfortunately, sources very rarely mention the use of the autocannoni armed with the 100 mm howitzers. It is plausible that, due to the small number of Autocannoni da 100/17 su Lancia 3Ro produced, most of them were lost during 1942, during the desert battles against British troops.
It is, therefore, logical to assume that, when the XVII Gruppo was assigned to the 136º Reggimento artiglieria, it had half, or perhaps even less of the initial vehicles. The XVII Gruppo probably had other autocannoni or even field artillery pieces in its ranks to replace losses.
Conclusion
The Autocannoni da 100/17 were have been effective in the African Campaign, where their timely intervention could turn the fortunes of some battles. However, few were built and there is little information about their use. They were also unarmored and vulnerable to enemy small arms fire or air attacks and lacked protection for the crew, who were vulnerable to shrapnel and small bullets.
An Autocannone da 100/17 su Lancia 3Ro with two tone camouflage. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.
Autocannone da 100/17 su Lancia specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)
7.25 x 2.35 x 2.3 m
Total weight, battle-ready
6.5 tonnes
Crew
6 (commander, driver, gunner, and 3 loaders)
Propulsion
Lancia Tipo 102 diesel, 5-cylinder, 6,875 cm³, 93 hp at 1,860 rpm with a 135 liter tank
Speed
40 km/h
Range
530 km
Armament
One Obice Škoda da 100/17 Modello 1914 or Modello 1916 and a 8 mm Breda Modello 1938 medium machine gun
The SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata of the Battaglione 'Fulmine' in 1944. Illustration by Godzilla.
Italian Social Republic (1944-1945)
Light Armored Car – 1 Converted
The SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata (English: Armored) was an improvised light armored car produced on the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 chassis and used by the Battaglione ‘Fulmine’ (English: Battalion) of the Xª Divisione MAS (English: 10th MAS Division) in late-1944 and early-1945.
This unit of the Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano or ENR (English: National Republican Army) was active in anti-partisan operations, mainly in Piemonte and Veneto, two regions in northern Italy. Little is known about its service and there were lots of doubts about its chassis.
The SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata during the 29th October 1944 parade in Via Roma, Turin. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito
The Repubblica Sociale Italiana after the Armistice
After the Italian Armistice was announced on 8th September 1943, the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) was disbanded, with some soldiers deciding to join the Esercito Cobelligerante Italiano (English: Co-belligerent Army) under Allied control. Others created Italian partisan units, while others swore allegiance to the Germans. Over a million fought against and were captured by the Germans.
Benito Mussolini, Duce of Italy, had been deposed from power on 25th June 1943 and spent some time in an Italian prison. On 12th September 1943, he was freed by a daring mission by a group of German Fallschirmjäger (English: Paratroopers).
Benito Mussolini was then taken to Germany, where he met Adolf Hitler to decide Italy’s destiny. Returning to Italy on 23rd September 1943, he created the Repubblica Sociale Italiana or RSI (English: Italian Social Republic) in northern and central Italy, which had been controlled by the Germans until that moment.
Of the thousands of Italian vehicles captured by the Germans (tanks, armored cars, supply vehicles, artillery pieces, etc.), only a few were returned to the new Italian units loyal to Mussolini. This meant that the units needed to equip themselves with vehicles abandoned by the Regio Esercito troops after the Armistice, that had been damaged before the Armistice, abandoned in military depots, or with civilian trucks requisitioned for military necessities.
The Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano, the heir of the Regio Esercito, received the majority of these vehicles, but there were not enough. In fact, it probably received or retrieved less than 20% of the vehicles necessary to fight and logistics duties.
The Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana or GNR (English: National Repubblica Police), used as a military police and for anti-partisan duties, was equipped with even fewer vehicles. Some units were able to equip themselves with many armored fighting vehicles and trucks, such as the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ (English: Armored Group), which managed to get around 60 tanks, around 20 armored cars, and more than an hundred trucks, cars and motorcycles.
The Corpo Ausiliario delle Squadre d’Azione delle Camicie Nere (English: Auxiliary Corps of the Action Squads of the Black Shirts), an auxiliary corp used almost exclusively to counter partisan actions, was practically not equipped with any armor at all. Of the 56 Black Brigades created, only two received armored vehicles, while the other brigades had to armor some civilian or military trucks in an improvised way in civilian workshops.
The majority of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana’s units were equipped only with military or civilian trucks that they used as transport vehicles or that they armored themselves.
The Xª Flottiglia MAS (English: 10th MAS Flotilla) was a Motor Torpedo Boat (MAS – Motoscafi Armati Siluranti – Armed Torpedo Motorboats) and nautical saboteurs unit, which had some of the most resounding successes of the Italian Army against the British Navy in the Mediterranean.
Before the Armistice, Frigate Captain Junio Valerio Borghese took command of the unit and, after September 1943, reorganized it into a naval assault infantry corps, equivalent in part to the US Marine Corps. The unit abandoned the saboteurs missions and become a naval infantry division.
The Xª Divisione MAS was equipped with a few vehicles during its service with the Repubblica Sociale Italiana. These were mostly FIAT 626 medium trucks and FIAT 666 heavy trucks, one Carro Armato Leggero L6/40 light tank, one Autocannone da 90/53 su SPA Dovunque 41, and some 75 mm, 100 mm and 105 mm artillery pieces.
Design
SPA-Viberti AS43
The Camionetta Desertica FIAT-SPA AS43 or SPA-Viberti AS43 was an Italian light reconnaissance unarmored vehicle developed for North African service as a cheaper, lighter, and easier to produce variant of the SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’.
In Italian, the term ‘Camionetta’ (plural Camionette) designated unarmored cars, jeeps, or light trucks used in reconnaissance and infantry support roles.
A column of FIAT-SPA AS37 in North Africa. Source: flickr.com
It was developed by Società Piemontese Automobili or SPA, a FIAT subsidiary, and by Officine Viberti, both based in Turin. The project began using the chassis of the FIAT-SPA AS37 (AS for Autocarro Sahariano – Saharian truck) light lorry, itself derived from the FIAT-SPA Trattore Leggero Modello 1937 ‘Libia’ (English: Light Tractor model 1937 ‘Lybia’).
The SPA-Viberti AS43 prototype with Pirelli Tipo ‘Raiflex’ tires. Source: Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II
The AS43 was produced from mid-1943 until the 8th September 1943 Armistice. After the German occupation of northern Italy, production was restarted for the German Army, which used the vehicles with some modifications until the end of the war.
Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 ready for delivery at the SPA Plant. The first one is equipped with Pirelli Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’ tires, the second one with Tipo ‘Artiglio’. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito
Engine and Suspensions
The configuration was all-wheel drive, as on the AS37, but on this new vehicle only the frontal wheels steered, reducing the mechanical complexity and the need for complex maintenance of the four-wheels steering system.
The front wheels had independent coil spring suspension coupled with hydraulic shock absorbers which guaranteed great comfort on rough terrains. The rear wheels had inverse leaf springs, reinforced compared to those of TL37 light prime mover due to increased weight and the need to withstand the stress of recoil from the main gun.
There are doubts about the brakes. Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II, written by Ralph Riccio, mentions that the Camionetta had hydraulic brakes, while the Le Camionette del Regio Esercito, written by Enrico Finazzer and Luigi Carretta, makes no mention of modifications to the original AS37 desert light truck, which had mechanical brakes with the brake pedal acting on pairs of brake jaws for each wheel.
The engine was a more powerful version of the one used on FIAT-SPA AS37, the SPA 18VT 4-stroke, 4-cylinder, petrol engine delivering 73 hp (or 75 hp, depending on the sources) at 2,000 rpm. This gave a maximum fully-loaded on-road speed of 68.5 km/h.
The fuel tank had a capacity of 120 liters, giving a range of 300 km, while the gearbox was the same as on the AS37, with 5 forward and one reverse gears.
Structure
Officine Viberti in Turin, a company with 1,780 workers, specialized, before the war, in producing bodyworks for Lancia and FIAT trucks. During the war, it also produced some autocannoni for Ansaldo and produced the frames of the Camionette that were produced jointly with SPA.
The SPA-Viberti AS42 proved adequate, but the Regio Esercito needed something lighter and cheaper. The Technical Department of the Officine Viberti took the experiences gained from the North African Campaign with the Autocarro Sahariano 37 light lorry, the Camionetta AS37 and the Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943 (English: Desert Camionetta Model 1943) in order to design something new.
A Camionetta Desertica Mod. 43 on the FIAT-SPA AS37 chassis. The tires were Pirelli Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito
The AS37 frame was taken, lowered from a ground clearance of 390 mm to 345 mm. The cab was totally modified, apart from the hood and the radiator grille. The side doors, the windshield, the roof, and the third seat were removed.
The cargo bay was completely modified, the spare wheel was moved from behind the cab, to the cargo bay’s rear, on a tiltable support that the crew could lower to permit 360° traverse to the main gun. The cargo bay’s sides were fixed and could not be lowered.
Developed as a desert vehicle, there were two lockers on the sides, between the rear mudguard and the commander and driver’s seats. Each locker could store five 20 liter jerry cans, with another six that could be positioned on the mudguards, for a total of 16 20 liter jerry cans for drinkable water, engine lubricant oil, and fuel. Obviously, given its use mainly in the Italian peninsula, the jerry cans were rarely used and the crew transported ammunition for the main gun in the side lockers instead.
The main gun could be a Cannone da 47/32 Mod. 1935 or Mod. 1939 support gun or an anti-aircraft Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935. The vehicle commander was also armed with a Breda Modello 1937 or Modello 1938 medium machine gun on a support mounted on the left side of the cab, with its ammunition placed in a small rack between the driver’s and commander’s seats.
Another view of the SPA-Viberti AS43 prototype. The jerry cans on the side racks are visible. Source: Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II
The SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata
From right to left: an OM Taurus medium truck, the SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata, and a FIAT 508CM of the 2ª Compagnia of the Battaglione ‘Fulmine’ of the 2° Reggimento of the Xª Divisione MAS plus two Solothurn S-18/1000 anti-tank rifles at the front all lined up in Piazza Castello in Turin. Source: I corazzati di circostanza italiani
It is unclear if the SPA-Viberti AS43 truck on which the SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata was based was a new production model recently delivered from the Officine Viberti plant in Turin (where the finished camionette were ready for delivery) or whether the Battaglione ‘Fulmine’ took possession of an AS43 somewhere in Liguria or Piemonte.
The Camionetta was probably modified by workers in one of the FIAT plants or workshops in Turin in mid-1944. The armored plates used on the vehicle were most likely donated to the battalion by the Turin Arsenal which, at that time, was responsible for the production of other improvised armored vehicles.
The original bodywork produced by Officine Viberti was removed and an armored superstructure, part welded, part bolted, was fixed to the chassis. It had an angled hood and an armored radiator grille, while the sides were vertical, apart from the upper part.
On the roof there was a structure for the frontal and rear machine guns, which were mounted in spherical supports, with some loopholes on the sides, probably to permit the crew to see the battlefield and to defend themselves with personal weapons. The structure had a single large hatch or two small hatches on the roof.
The upper hatch was probably used to observe the battlefield or to open fire in anti-aircraft roles. An armored door was probably placed on the rear side to permit the four crew members to easily access and escape from the vehicle.
The driver was placed on the right and had a large hatch in front of him, but not on the sides, meaning he did not have a clear view of the battlefield.
The vehicle’s commander sat on the left and had at his disposal a machine gun on a spherical support in front of him. He had a square hatch on his top. The rest of the crew was positioned behind them, operating the machine guns placed on the structure. For night operations, the two machine gunners had at their disposal a searchlight placed on the center of the structure’s roof. This could be operated manually, exposing the soldier through the upper hatch.
The wheel mudguards were removed and replaced with armored, longer, and different shaped ones. These also covered the sides to better protect the tires from small-arms fire. Inside the frontal mudguards were the unarmored headlights. On the left front mudguard was a rod used by the driver to help drive through narrow mountain streets or to park.
The few photos of this vehicle show that the engine compartment had some hinged maintenance hatches on the hood and that the mudguard’s lateral plates could be opened upwards to change a tire or for suspension maintenance.
The new armored structure increased the weight of the vehicle at the expense of mobility. The engine, due to the increase in weight, was probably under stress, likely creating a series of problems, such as higher fuel consumption, increased wear of mechanical parts, and the need for more maintenance.
According to Paolo Crippa, who interviewed a veteran of the battalion, the armored car’s armor was very light, so much so that the veteran was very critical of its effectiveness in combat.
This could mean that the thickness was very limited, maybe between 4 mm and 6 mm, or that the plates were made of non-ballistic steel and consequently, less resistant, even to the weapons of the Partisans, who were armed with nothing but rifles, a few submachine guns, and the odd machine gun.
The camouflage on the AS43 Blindata was a three-tone ‘Continentale’ camouflage typical of Italian vehicles used on the mainland, composed of a ‘Kaki Sahariano’ (English: Saharian Khaki) background with reddish-brown and dark green spots.
Only a few images of the vehicle exist, but it is clear that it was not based on an AB41 armored car or SPA-Viberti AS42 chassis, as claimed by some sources.
The AB41 and SPA-Viberti AS42 chassis were derived from the same frame, the FIAT-SPA TM40 (Trattore Medio – Medium Tractor), and are too big to be the vehicle seen, with a wheelbase of 3.2 meters compared to the 2.5 meters of the SPA-Viberti AS43 and the AS37.
Another counter to this theory is the engine compartment, positioned at the front on the ‘Fulmine’ armored car. The AB41 and the AS42 had the engine on the rear.
Finally, an armored car like the one seen could only have very limited use because of how the armament was arranged and the shape of its superstructure. It would be logical that, if the ‘Fulmine’ Battalion had recovered an AB41 armored car or a Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS42, it would have immediately put it back into service without this unnecessary modification.
Some sources also hypothesize that the armored body may have been mounted on the SPA-Viberti AS37 chassis, but the AS37 was no longer in production and there is no data on the use of an AS37s by the Xª Divisione MAS or other units of the Italian Social Republic. However, if this were true, it would be impossible to prove.
Armament
The SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata’s main armament was made up of three Breda Modello 1937 medium machine guns. This gas-operated machine gun was developed by Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche in 1937, the same year it was accepted into service.
It was a powerful machine gun adopted by the Regio Esercito as a company or battalion support heavy machine gun. It was the heaviest rifle-caliber machine gun of the Second World War, with a weight of 19.4 kg.
A Breda Modello 1937 with its 18.8 kg tripod. Source: associazionenazionalefantiarresto.it
It had a theoretical rate of fire of 460 rounds per minute, but due to the 20-round feed strip, the loader needed to put in one ammunition feed strip after another. This dropped the practical rate of fire to around 200 rounds per minute when used on a tripod and operated by a machine gun squad. Inside the narrow AS43 Blindata and operated by only one soldier, the effective rate of fire of the machine gun would certainly fall, probably to less than 100 rounds per minute. This however meant that the weapons hardly overheated.
The machine gun shot 8 x 59 mm RB cartridges developed by Breda exclusively for machine guns. The 8 mm Breda had a muzzle velocity between 790 m/s and 800 m/s, depending on the round type. The armor piercing ones penetrated 11 mm of non-ballistic steel angled to 90° at 100 meters. Unfortunately, the quantity of ammunition transported in the vehicle is unknown and would have largely depended on availability.
Operational Use
The vehicle was first spotted during a parade in Turin on 29th October 1944, on the occasion of the delivery of the unit flags. It passed through Via Roma, Turin’s main boulevard, and was then placed in Piazza Castello (former Royal Palace Square), where the Battaglione ‘Fulmine’ was reviewed by some fascist higher-ups and generals who delivered the unit flags.
It was used in Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta, the two Italian regions of the northwest where the Battaglione ‘Fulmine’ and other units of the Xª Divisione MAS were active, patrolling the roads that went from Italy to France and Switzerland. These would have been the only escape routes for German and Italian troops fleeing Italy. The Italian Partisans also knew this and tried to sabotage the supply lines, destroying bridges and occupying cities where there were Fascist headquarters.
Some sailors of the 3° Plotone of an unknown company of the Battaglione ‘Fulmine’ in Locana, Piemonte, on 29th November 1944. Behind them is the SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata. Source: Italia 43-45. Source: I blindati di circostanza della guerra civile
Some days before, on 10th October 1944, some Partisan units liberated the city of Alba, 50 km south of Turin. The Repubblica Partigiana di Alba (English: Partisan Republic of Alba) remained free and autonomous for 23 days. On 2nd November 1944, units of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana, such as the Black Brigades of Turin and Cuneo, the I° Reparto Arditi Ufficiali and a platoon of the II° Reparto Arditi Ufficiali, the X Battaglione Speciale, and some units of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ attacked Alba. Most importantly, the Battaglione ‘Lupo’ and Battaglione ‘Fulmine’, Gruppi d’artiglieria da Campagna ‘Da Guissano’ and Gruppi d’artiglieria da Campagna ‘San Giorgio’ of the Xª Divisione MAS also participated, with a total of over 1,000 soldiers and auxiliaries. The Partisan units that defended the city were the IIª divisione ‘Langhe’, the 48ª Brigata Garibaldi ‘Dante Di Nanni’, the 78ª Brigata Garibaldi, Brigata ‘Castellino’, and the Brigata ‘Canale’. After some hours of fighting the city was reoccupied by the fascist troops.
The SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata was almost surely transported to Alba, even if it was probably not used in action due to the impossibility of ferrying armored vehicles across the Tanaro river.
Neither Partisan nor Fascist sources report the use of armored vehicles, which had remained on the hills and on the north bank of the Tanaro, providing, if possible, fire support to the Fascist troops.
After a valiant defense, Alba was recaptured by fascist forces on 2nd November 1944.
The SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata of the Battaglione ‘Fulmine’, along with a civilian FIAT 1100 car used by the same Xª Divisione MAS unit. Locana, Piemonte, 29th November 1944. Source: I blindati di circostanza della guerra civile
After the actions in Alba, the Xª Divisione MAS was transferred to Veneto and then to Friuli Venezia Giulia to counter the fierce resistance of Tito’s Yugoslav Partisans. The Battaglione ‘Fulmine’ was positioned as a garrison in Sleppe d’Istria, where it fought against the Slovenian IX° Corpus partisans.
According to veteran testimonies, the AS43 Blindata was transferred to Sleppe too, but due to the karst terrain, it saw limited use, if any.
After this point, all traces of this vehicle are lost. The most probable hypothesis about the fate of the vehicle is that it was destroyed during an anti-partisan patrol or that it was destroyed or captured in the last days of clashes between the Xª Divisione MAS and the Yugoslav Partisans in April 1945.
Conclusion
The SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata was one of the dozen improvised vehicles produced by the units of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana during the 17 months of its existence and used to fight against the Partisan brigades and the Allied forces.
The AS43 Blindata was a vehicle that was only suitable for anti-partisan actions, against an enemy with few anti-armor armament, but which would have easily succumbed to any better armed opposition.
The SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata of the Battaglione ‘Fulmine’ in 1944. Illustration by Godzilla.
SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata Specification
Size (L-W-H):
~5 x ~2 x ~2.5 m
Weight, battle-ready:
~6 tonnes
Crew:
3-4 (driver, commander/machine gunner and one or two machine gunners)
Engine:
FIAT-SPA 18VT, patrol, 4-cylinder 4,053 cm³ delivering 73 hp
PTH 130-K225B 130 mm Self-Propelled Gun. Illustration by Brian Gaydos.
Socialist Republic of Vietnam (2021)
Wheeled Self-Propelled Gun – 1 Prototype Built
On October 28th, 2021, the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAV) published Military Engineering Academy – Opportunity and Inspiration, a documentary broadcast nationwide through the Vietnam National Defense TV channel.
In the documentary, the prototype of a new Self-Propelled Gun (SPG) could be seen performing mobility and firing tests. The official name of this new vehicle is Pháo Tự Hành 130 ly – Khung Gầm KrAZ-255B, abbreviated to PTH 130-K255B. This can be translated into English as: KrAZ-255B-mounted 130 mm self-propelled field gun.
The PTH 130-K255B during tests of maximum slope. Screenshot captured from the documentary of the Vietnam National Defense TV channel.Source: militaryleak.com
Genesis of Vietnamese Self-Propelled Guns
The People’s Army of Vietnam is equipped with several outdated artillery pieces of Soviet and Chinese production, but also US-produced artillery pieces . These were captured from the Army of the Republic of Viet Nam (ARVN) in 1975 and put back into service afterwards because of the stocks of ammunition captured.
Small quantities of 105 mm M2A1 and M101 howitzers and 155 mm M114 are still in service today, used almost exclusively for training. Soviet 152 mm M-30 howitzers, 122 mm D-20, D-30, D-74, and 130 mm M-46 howitzers are also still in use. The M101 were extensively used also in self-propelled guns while of the M114 is mainly used for training due the presence of only few exemplars.
These outdated artillery howitzers need to be replaced or upgraded, but the limited finances of the PAV do not allow the replacement of large quantities of artillery pieces with modern Russian artillery pieces. Thus, at the end of the 2000s, the engineers of the People’s Army of Vietnam took steps to increase the mobility of some artillery pieces by mounting them on the chassis of heavy duty trucks.
Until 2014, the PAV did not possess any self-propelled artillery pieces, apart from 30 2S3 ‘Akatsiya’ Soviet-built tracked self-propelled guns received prior to the 2000s. Other than these, the Vietnamese Army also have in its ranks 100-150 2S1 ‘Gvozdika’ in service.
The PTH105-VN15 wheeled self-propelled gun during firing training at a military range in 2019. The PTH105-VN15 is on a 4.5-ton Ural-375D 6×6 Russian truck with a 105 mm M101 howitzer mounted on the cargo bay.Source: kienthuc.net.vn
On January 15th, 2014, a wheeled self-propelled gun based on the heavy duty 4.5-ton Ural-375D 6×6 truck chassis, sporting the 105 mm M101 howitzer, was successfully tested. The vehicle, called PTH105-VN15 (Pháo Tự Hành 105 mm Việt Nam Model 15) was produced in small numbers in three different variants, M1 to M3. Shortly after, Vietnamese engineers also tested another self-propelled gun on the same Ural-43206 hull, armed with an 85 mm D-44 gun, the PTH85-VN18 (Pháo Tự Hành 85 mm Việt Nam Model 18).
The Vietnamese Army greatly appreciated the qualities of these wheeled self-propelled guns based on truck chassis and planned to develop a new self-propelled gun armed with a 130 mm howitzer. In 2017, the development of the new self-propelled gun was announced based on the experiences gained with the PTH105-VN15.
In March 2021, website source VietDefense leaked news of the development of a larger caliber self-propelled gun, but no photos or other information were released.
The PTH85-VN18 in the Z751 Factory during the last factory tests before military testing.Source: pinterest.com
Design
The KrAZ-255B Chassis
For the new self-propelled gun, the chassis of the Ural-375D truck was not enough, because the weight of the gun and the stress of the recoil are much greater. The chassis chosen is that of the heavy duty 10-ton 6×6 KrAZ-255B off-road truck produced by the Soviet Kremenchuk Automobile Plant from the 1960s, present day Ukraine. It was heavily modified by the Vietnamese Union Enterprise Z751 – General Department of Engineering Research and Development plant. The truck has a maximum load capacity of 10 tonnes.
The engine is the standard YaMZ-238 V8 turbocharged diesel, delivering 240 hp at 2,100 rpm. It has a capacity of 14.86 liters and was produced by the Yaroslavl Motor Plant. It is connected to a 5-speed YaMZ-236N manual transmission. The new SPG probably retains the KrAZ-255B’s Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS), with the ability to change tire pressure to increase grip on different terrains. The original dimensions of the truck were 8.64 m in length and 2.16 m wide. The modifications made mean the SPG is certainly dozens of centimeters longer.
A KrAZ-255B of the Vietnamese People’s Army towing a 130 mm M-46 Field Gun during a firing exercise in Northern Vietnam.Source: zhdate.com
The KrAZ-255B truck has a range of 600 km with a load of 7.5 tonnes, with two diesel fuel tanks for a total of 330 liters. The maximum speed on the road is 70 km/h, with a maximum gradient of +60°. The new self-propelled gun version will probably have a lower maximum speed and a maximum gradient but will retain the excellent off-road qualities of the original chassis, which was, for many years, the backbone of Soviet artillery units, being able to carry heavy loads or tow heavy artillery pieces without too much difficulty even on rough terrains. The Cuban Jupiter V, a similar vehicle on the same frame, for example, has a weight of 20 tonnes and maintained a speed of 70 km/h, but with a reduced range of 450 km due to its weight.
Instead of the classic position of the engine compartment, in front of the cab, the vehicle has the engine at the front, with two small cabins on the sides. The one on the left is for the driver, being wider, with a better field of vision and better comfort during driving. In the right cabin is the seat of the vehicle’s commander, who has a slightly narrower cab.
Aerial photo of the self-propelled gun during firing tests. The modifications done to the KrAZ chassis are clearly visible.Source: zhdate.com
Behind the new cabin is the cargo bay, with a spare wheel in the center, the travel lock and two large ammunition boxes. One stores 130 mm projectiles, while the other has casings with separate charges. On the sides of the two ammunition boxes are two steps that are opened downwards when the vehicle is in firing position in order to facilitate the work of the gun operators.
Behind the ammunition boxes, there is a basket, probably for the transport of the spent casings, and a couple of tool boxes that are probably used for spare optics and railings for the gun operators.
Finally, there is the gun mounting and two rear hydraulic jacks. These slightly lift the two rear axles of wheels of the vehicle when in firing position, decreasing the stress of recoil on the structure of the truck. On the back, there is also a platform with two railings and two side steps to facilitate access for the gun crew. When the vehicle is in motion, this platform is recessed inside the frame.
Analyzing the tactics of the People’s Army of Vietnam, it can be hypothesized that this vehicle, if it ever enters service, would be used in shoot-and-scoot artillery tactics. Exploiting its speed, its off-road characteristics, and the rapidity with which it can be deployed, Vietnamese units could use the dense forests to position the vehicle, well sheltered, open fire with a few rounds from a safe distance, thanks to the long range of the cannon, and then after raised the rear legs, move to another position, so as to confuse the enemy and avoid counter-battery fire.
The PTH 130-K255B 130 mm Self-Propelled Gun after the first shot, surrounded by gun crew and technicians.Source: militaryleak.com
The thickness of the armor of the vehicle’s cabin is not known, but it can be assumed that the vehicle has bulletproof armor and glass, at least frontally. It should be able to withstand the small arms and artillery shrapnel, in order to have a minimum of protection in the event of an enemy attack or counter-battery fire. The vehicle should also be able to protect the crew from anti-personnel mines and small Improvised Explosive Devices thanks to the armored cab and to its ground clearance of 360 mm.
Similarities with Cuban Projects
The Cubans were able to gain experience with Soviet artillery in some of the wars they participated in Africa, especially the Angolan Civil War (1966-1990). Due to the US embargo, the nation of Fidel Castro had to make do with what it had and, based on the experience gained in African conflicts, developed what is now known as the Jupiter series of wheeled self-propelled guns.
As soon as the Vietnamese PTH appeared, some sites that deal with news from the international military world could not help but underline the similarity of this self-propelled gun with the Cuban Jupiter V 130 mm Self-Propelled Gun.
The Cuban Jupiter V during a public display near Havana, Cuba.Source: military-today.com
The Jupiter was also produced on the KrAZ-255B 6×6 hull and appeared in Cuba before the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was also armed with the powerful 130 mm M-46 and is only the latest in a series of Cuban wheeled self-propelled guns, including the Jupiter IV, also on the KrAZ-255B 6×6 hull and armed with a 122 mm M1932/37 L/45, better known as A-19, and the Jupiter III, also on the same chassis but less heavily modified and armed with a 122 mm D-30.
In April 2012, Nguyễn Phú Trọng, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, visited Havana. Also present in the Vietnamese commission that arrived in the Republic of Cuba was the Chief of General Staff of the People’s Army of Vietnam, Phan Văn Giang, who had the opportunity to see some of the products of the Cuban war industry, including their Jupiter series self-propelled artillery vehicles and T-34-based vehicles, such as the 122 mm AAAP-T-122 D-30 and the 130 mm AAP-T-130 versions.
A poor quality photo of the Chief of General Staff of the People’s Army of Vietnam, Phan Văn Giang, during his visit to Cuba. A Cuban officer is showing him a 122 mm AAAP-T-122 D-30 self-propelled gun poster and behind them there is a Jupiter V and a 122 mm D-30 barrel, probably from a Jupiter III. Source: zhdate.com
Given the similarities between the Jupiter V and the PTH 130, it is fair to assume that Vietnam took its cue or had the help of Cuban engineers in developing the new SPG. This thesis is supported by a statement by Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces Deputy Minister Joaquin Quintas Sola, who emphasized the need for the two Socialist countries to share military technology when he visited Hanoi on September 18th, 2012, meeting with Nguyễn Tấn Dũng, the Prime Minister of Vietnam.
The Jupiter models were first discovered by Western media in a parade in 2006. At that time, Vietnam was looking for a solution to make their US-made howitzers more mobile, and the Cuban Jupiter III and the Vietnamese Ural-375D 105 mm self-propelled gun are also very similar.
Armament
The armament is a 130 mm M-46 L/55 towed field gun, with a horizontal sliding-wedge breech and hydro-pneumatic recoil. The gun is of Soviet origin, developed between 1946 and 1950 on the basis of the 130 mm M-36 naval gun and produced from 1951 until 1971. Vietnam received 519 units during the Vietnam War, split between the M-46 and Type 59 (the Chinese copy of the gun) version.
Keeping the original mounting, the gun has an elevation of +45°, while the original depression of -2.5° is no longer possible due to the vehicle’s cab. Despite losing the wheeled carriage, the artillery piece probably maintains a limited traverse of 25° to the left and 25° to the right. Firing at higher traverse angles would probably cause the vehicle to become unstable and potentially overturn.
A 130 mm M-46 field gun during live fire exercises in Vietnam.Source: thaibinhtv.vn
In the documentary released by the Vietnam National Defense TV, the crew are not seen loading the howitzer. In one scene, 11 people are seen operating around the vehicle, including soldiers and men in civilian clothes, probably technicians and journalists. If the number of gun crew is limited to six, as on the similar Jupiter V, this means that the vehicle is not able to carry all of them, as the cabin has a maximum capacity of just 2 or 3 people. This means that the remaining gun crew have to be transported in a separate vehicle, probably with a reserve of ammunition or take seats on the rear part of the vehicle.
Weighing 3,880 kg (of which 80.5 kg of muzzle brake) without the wheeled carriage, the howitzer has a very long range, up to 27.5 km with the standard High-Explosive – Fragmentation (HE-Frag) ammunition and 38 km with the Rocket Assisted Projectile (RAP). Its rate of fire is probably similar to that of the standard M-46 field gun, ranging from 6 to 8 rounds per minute.
The moment when the 130 mm gun opened fire during the PTH firing test.Source: militaryleak.com
Fire Control System
For now, no Fire Control System (FCS) is seen onboard the vehicle in the released video. However, it cannot be ruled out that Vietnam has mounted (or plans to mount) an FCS on the self-propelled gun to increase the accuracy of the gun.
During its recently concluded 10th Military Congress, Vietnam unveiled its national upgrade for the Soviet-built, truck-mounted 122 mm multiple rocket launcher BM-21 ‘Grad’, 350 of which are in service with the PAV.
The new version, called BM-21M-1, will be automated with a new FCS that automatically calculates launcher elevation, wind speed, and other data for a much more accurate shot. The time to fire is also reduced from 14 minutes to 1.5 minutes. The crew of the upgraded BM-21M-1 is reduced compared to the original BM-21 ones.
If the PTH-130-K255B is also equipped with a Fire Control System in the future, this self-propelled gun could become much deadlier than it already is, remaining in service for several years, just like the T-54M3 & T-55M3.
The truck-mounted 122 mm multiple rocket launcher BM-21M-1 Fire Control System panel.Source: zhdate.com
Ammunition
The M-46 can fire different types of projectiles developed during the decades, not only by the Soviet Union, and now the Russian Federation, but also by Israel, China, and Iran. These are mainly High-Explosive (HE), High-Explosive Fragmentation (HE-Frag), Armor Piercing (AP), Rocket Assisted Projectile, Illumination, and Smoke rounds.
However, Vietnam produces its own line of 130 mm ammunition. However, few details are known due to the few sources available. However, it can be assumed that the ammunition produced by Vietnamese companies has similar or comparable characteristics to the Soviet 130 x 845 mm R rounds.
A photo of the exhibition of the Army Game 2021, where the row of artillery rounds is visible. The second one from left, with M46 written on it, is a 130 mm High-Explosive shell produced in Vietnam.Source: twitter.com
The explosive projectiles have a full weight (projectile plus separate charge) of 59.10 kg, of which 33.40 kg of the projectile and 3.64 kg of explosive. These projectiles have a muzzle velocity of 930 m/s and a range of 27.5 km.
Armor-piercing projectiles with a similar weight and muzzle velocity can penetrate a 245 mm thick 90° inclined steel armor at 1,000 m, 210 mm at 2,000 m, and 150 mm at 4,000 m. The maximum effective range of the armor-piercing projectiles is 4 km.
The Rocket Assisted Projectile, more precisely Extended Range Full Bore – Base Bleed (ERFB-BB) rounds, weigh 32 kg with a muzzle velocity of 970 m/s and a range of 38 km.
The existence of such a vehicle in Syria underlines the necessity, for some nations, to possess a self-propelled gun with the same characteristics as the PTH 130. Therefore, the Vietnamese SPG could also be quite successful if proposed for export to African or Asian nations which cannot afford to buy expensive wheeled self-propelled guns, such as the French Caesar, the Israeli ATMOS, or the Serbian Nora B-52. However, this is only a hypothesis because Vietnamese military vehicles usually are not exported.
The IVECO TRAKKER 8×8 heavy duty truck with the M-46 130 mm field gun in Syrian service.Source: twitter.com
Conclusion
The PTH is an inexpensive and easy-to-produce solution for a nation like the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which has a limited defense budget.
Trials have reportedly been positive and mass production of this self-propelled gun could begin in the future to equip People’s Army of Vietnam units with a powerful, mobile, high range artillery piece.
This self-propelled gun is also probably developed with the help of the Cubans, perhaps starting a new series of joint developments between the two Socialist nations. Sharing designs and technologies in the military could lead to a modernization of the armored components of the two nations.
PTH 130-K255B 130 mm Self-Propelled Gun. Illustration by Brian Gaydos.PTH 130-K255B 130 mm Self-Propelled Gun, gun elevated. Illustration by Brian Gaydos.
PTH130-K255B 130 mm Specification
Engine: YaMZ-238 V8 diesel supercharged, 210 hp at 2,100 rpm
Fuel:Diesel in two 330 liter tanks
Armament:130 mm M-46 L/55
Production:1 prototype
AB41s of the I° Reparto Celere. Illustration by Godzilla.
Italian Republic (1945-1954)
Medium Armored Car – Unknown Number Operated
After the Second World War, the surviving AB41 armored cars, formerly of the Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army), were put in service with the new Esercito Italiano (English: Italian Army), the Polizia di Stato (English: State Police), and the Arma dei Carabinieri (English: Arm of Carabinieri).
Their presence and operational service was greatly reduced with the entry into service of British and US production armored cars, despite the fact that they still performed their work very well.
Some AB41 of the 1° Reparto Celere in Rome during a parade for the Police Corp’s foundation anniversary on 18th October. Rome 1951.Source: pinterest.com
Italian Units Situation after the War
After the Second World War, Italy was largely abandoned by Allied troops which only left a small amount of troops on the peninsular territories, but they abandoned thousands of trucks, armored cars, tanks, and guns all around Italy.
The vehicles stored in depots were: Allied destroyed vehicles abandoned, Axis destroyed or damaged vehicles or intact vehicles donated by Allied forces to Italy before leaving the Peninsula. Many British and US were abandoned because it was more expensive to bring the vehicles back than build new ones.
Thousands of GMC, Dodge, and Bedford trucks, T17 Staghound and Humber Mark IV armored cars, and other vehicles were put in service with the Esercito Italiano, Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali (English: Royal Carabinieri Corps) and the Corpo degli Agenti di Pubblica Sicurezza (English: Public Safety Agents Corps).
Former Axis vehicles were found in the Captured Enemy Materials (CEM) Camps placed all over the Italian peninsula. These camps were full of damaged or intact Italian and German vehicles, captured in Italy and abandoned by the Allies after cataloging them and in the case of the armed vehicles, destroying gun barrels or cannon breeches to render them unoperational. Here, the new Italian Army and police corps found hundreds of trucks that were put in service in their ranks.
Italian Political Situation after the War
The Kingdom of Italy was one of the nation’s worst off in the post-war period. Five years of war, including two within its borders, had destroyed 40% of buildings with about 500,000 civilian and military losses during the war out of about 43 million inhabitants before the war.
The Italians no longer trusted the Italian Government after dozens of years of Fascist rule and the bloody civil war of the last two years of war that, especially in northern Italy, had created great ideological rifts in the population.
The royal family of Savoia which had ruled over the nation since 1861, and had for longer in the preceding Kingdom of Sardinia, had become associated by the majority of Italians to the hardships and sufferings of Fascism and war. On 2nd June 1946, in the first votes using universal suffrage in Italy, the population had to decide the future of the nation, monarchy or republic. The republic option won with a small majority, but peace was far from arriving.
The industrial situation in the years after the Second World War was tense, with many strikes, riots, and even some armed factory occupations by the workers who demanded more rights and increased wages.
Peasants also went on strike for similar reasons with many striking and violent reprisals. Even the partisans, the true liberators of the nation together with the Allied troops, on several occasions, after the war, protested with arms against some actions of the Italian government that went against them.
Another serious problem that often involved the use of violence was the Italian police force. Due to the clauses of the 1947 Peace of Paris, the Esercito Italiano was greatly limited, with a maximum of 185,000 men and 200 tanks. The Allied powers, however, feared that the proximity to the Warsaw Pact nations to the east and the presence of still armed partisans of communist ideology would cause a coup that would overthrow the government, as had happened in Czechoslovakia in 1948. To prevent a situation like this, in the peace treaty of 1947, the Police and Carabinieri were not subject to war restrictions, and to all intents and purposes, the Police became a civilian police force organized and equipped as a military corps.
Design
The Medium Armored Car AutoBlindo Modello 1941 (English: Armored Car Model 1941) or more simply AB41, was an Italian armored car developed by FIAT and Ansaldo of which 667 were produced during the Second World War. Scores were captured and reused by many nations that participated in the conflict.
The AB41 was armed with a 20 mm L/65 Mod. 1935 automatic cannon produced by Breda and two 8 mm Breda Modello 1938 medium machine guns, one coaxial and one in a spherical support on the rear of the vehicle. It was developed as a long-range reconnaissance vehicle for the Regio Esercito and the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana (English: Police of Italian Africa), the Italian colonial police.
It had an operational range of 400 km thanks to the 195 liters of petrol and a maximum velocity on road of 80 km/h. It had a number of particular characteristics, including a double driving position, one at the front and one at the rear, allowing the armored car to be driven by two different drivers who could take over driving by simply lowering a lever. This permitted this fast armored car to disengage from an enemy skirmish only by lowering a lever in the narrow mountain roads or African villages in which it fought.
It had all-drive and all-steering wheels systems giving excellent off-road performances to the vehicle. It was also equipped with a powerful 60 km range radio with a 7 meters full-extended antenna on the left side.
During the war, many AB41s were abandoned by the Germans or Italian Fascist troops and were captured by Italian Partisans or Allied troops that rarely reused them and more often abandoned them in some depots where the enemy captured material was stocked.
Operational Use with the Italian Republic
After the war, the MLI Battaglione Carristi Autieri (English: 1051st Tank Driver Regiment) in Padova, a detachment of the Centro Addestramento Carristi (English: Tanker Training Center), under British command in Rieti, the Arsenale Regio Esercito di Torino (English: Royal Army Arsenal of Turin), and the Parco Veicoli Efficienti ed Inefficienti per Officina Riparazioni Mezzi Corazzati (English: Efficient and Inefficient Vehicle Fleet for Armored Vehicle Repair Shop) in Bologna received some AB41s from the CEM camps and from other origins that were then restored, rearmed, and delivered to new units.
AB41 of one of the three Reparti Celeri of the Polizia di Stato in 1947. It was not equipped with the radio antenna, and unfortunately, the plate is unreadable.Source. polizianellastoria.itColorization by Johannes Dorn
AB41 and AB43 armored cars, light tanks of the L3 series, L6/40 light reconnaissance tanks, and even M13/40 medium tanks were recovered and given with priority to the Public Order units of the Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali and Corpo degli Agenti di Pubblica Sicurezza. In October 1945, the only armored vehicles of the Italian Army units were Bren and Loyd carriers used only as prime movers. After the proclamation of the Italian Republic in 1947, these were renamed into Arma dei Carabinieri (English: Carabinieri Wing) and Polizia di Stato (English: State Police) respectively.
The Polizia di Stato officers all came from the Regio Esercito, Polizia dell’Africa Italiana, Italian paramilitary militias (such as border guards, port and railroad militias, etc.), former Italian soldiers that had fought in the Allied ranks, and former Partisans, all of which were already trained to a certain degree.
The Arma dei Carabinieri officers all came from the Regio Esercito or previous police corps, while the Esercito Italiano was composed of former Regio Esercito or Co-Belligerent Army or new recruits.
Polizia di Stato
In 1946 and 1947, the I° Reparto Celere in Rome, II° Reparto Celere in Padova, and III° Reparto Celere in Milan (English: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Fast Departments) were created.
In 1948, the Reparti mobili (English: Mobile Departments) from the I° Reparto Mobile of Turin to the XX° Reparto Mobile of Cesena were also created. In February 1948, the Polizia di Stato had in service 200 armored cars plus another 100 bought in 1950. The majority were Humber Mark IV, T17E1 Stanground, and other British or US produced vehicles, but some were also AB41 and AB43 armored cars.
These 300 armored cars were assigned in 45 compagnie mobili (English: mobile companies), 11 nuclei celeri (English: fast companies), 16 sottonuclei celeri (English: fast platoons), 14 compagnie autoblindo (English: armored car companies), and 27 sezioni autoblindo (English: armored car sections) of the 20 reparti mobili and the 3 reparti celeri or of independent units.
Two AB41s of the Polizia di Stato, license plates: ‘POLIZIA 2563’ and ‘POLIZIA 7026’ without markings but with a cop sleeping during a turn guard. The two armored cars seem to be in adequate condition. The radio antennas were removed.Source: polizianellastoria.com
Each reparto mobile and reparto celere had in its ranks a compagnia autoblindo (English: armored car company) composed of one plotone motociclisti (English: motorcyclist platoon), and 2 or 3 plotoni autoblindo (English: armored car platoons) with a total of 8 or 12 armored cars.
In the late 1940s and in the early 1950s, there were many strikes by workers in Italy, demanding better working conditions. They often ended up occupying entire factories for days, slowing down the country’s economy and creating quite a few inconveniences for the political establishment and factory owners.
Some AB41s of the I° Reparto Celere of Rome waiting to start their engines for a parade in Rome in 1950. Note the presence of half-lowered antennas painted white and the painted width-limit indicator. The first vehicle (plated ‘Polizia 8237’) also had a headlight, new horn and siren, and all the crew members were wearing Italian tank crew uniforms.Source: polizianellastoria.it
The Partito Comunista Italiano (PCI) (English: Italian Communist Party) supported workers’ strikes and trade union struggles and gained more and more support among the population. The situation caused concern in the Italian state, which feared a coup. In fact, many leaders of the PCI had been partisans during the war and some of them were on good terms with members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). For example, Enrico Berlinguer and Palmiro Togliatti, two of the leading figures in the Party at the time, were received by Stalin himself during a visit to the Soviet Union in the late 1940s. This was the reason why priority was given to equipping the public security forces with armored cars and even tanks, even at the expense of the new Esercito Italiano (English: Italian Army).
The AB41s plated ‘Polizia 8237’ and ‘Polizia 7301’ of the I° Reparto Celere during a parade on 18th October 1953 in Rome for the anniversary of the Police Corp’s foundation. The AB41 plated 7301 was of the last production batch and retained the hooks for 20 liters can support on the fenders. They had new sirens on the left side, new horns on the right side, and a headlight placed where there was the commander periscope. Antennas and width-limit indicators were painted white and are present on the frontal armor alongside the Police’s coat of arms.Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano
In June 1945, the Squadrone ‘F’ of the Corpo di Liberazione Nazionale (CIL) (English: National Liberation Corps) allied with the US forces, now renamed Squadrone Speciale da Ricognizione ‘F’ (English: Special Reconnaissance Squadron) in which some AB41s were deployed was disbanded together with the Reconnaissance Squadron of the Brigata Partigiana ‘Maiella’. The armored cars were probably donated to the Esercito Italiano or the police units.
The Polizia di Stato units equipped with AB41s were deployed in Padova, Rome Turin, and Udine. The city of Trieste, historically belonged to Italy, after the war was disputed between Italy and Yugoslavia. It was considered a contested area and was garrisoned by British and Yugoslav troops until 1953 when riots between the Italian and Yugoslav populations led to several dozen deaths.
Italy could not intervene but sent army and police troops to the border while diplomacy was running its course. On 5th October 1954, an agreement was signed and Trieste became Italian again.
In 1953-54, during the Trieste Crisis, the Italian Government deployed its forces along the border with Yugoslavia. Among these were the AB41s of the 2° Raggruppamento Celere from Padova’s II° Reparto Celere. These were the first that reached Trieste on 26th October 1954, when Trieste returned to Italian control.
At least three armored cars AB41 of an unknown Reparto Celere in 1950, during a break. These were not equipped with radio antennas and were probably in service with the 2° Reparto Celere of Padova.Source: polizianellastoria.it
The unit was used to escort vehicles and buses from Trieste to the other Italian cities to protect them from any type of threat until a police corp was created in the city.
After 1954, the AB41s were withdrawn from service, and almost all of them were scrapped, though a couple were sold to museums and private collectors.
Arma dei Carabinieri
In Autumn 1945, the Battaglione Mobile dei Carabinieri (English: Mobile Battalion of the Carabinieri) was created with an armored car company, a motorcyclist company, and 3 motorized companies. In April 1946, thanks to the newly repaired vehicles, the Battaglione Mobile dei Carabinieri was reorganized with a command company, a compagnia motocorazzata (English: armored/mechanized company) composed of a command platoon, 3 armored cars platoons and a motorcyclist platoon, and 3 mechanized companies.
In 1948 the Battaglione Mobile dei Carabinieri was reorganized again with three compagnie autotrasportate (English: motorized transported companies) and a compagnia motocorazzata with a total of 12 armored cars, probably the majority of the AB series, and 3 British troop carriers.
At the time, there were 13 battaglioni mobili (English: mobile battalions) and 29 nuclei autocarrati (English: motorized companies) deployed in the Italian peninsula.
There is little information about the Carabinieri service of these armored cars. The Carabinieri units were badly equipped after the war because after the Second World War. Even though the units were deployed all over Italy, but because of the losses suffered in the war and the few replacements received, the Carabinieri played only a secondary role in the security of Italy in the immediate aftermath of the war, and were mainly employed in operations against brigandage in southern Italy. A good example of this is the Legione Carabinieri in Palermo in 1947 which was still operating with an armored car of German origin abandoned in 1943 and restored to running condition.
Esercito Italiano
The AB41s in the new Esercito Italiano were completely replaced by Allied-built armored cars, mainly 3-axles M8 Greyhound heavy armored cars and T17 and T17E1 Stanground of US origin and Humber medium armored cars of British origin.
An AB41 after restoration outside the Arsenale di Torino in the late 1940s. It had non-original tires of British or US production.Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano
In summer 1946, the Italian infantry division ranks were organized and each division was equipped with 60 British Bren and Loyd carriers, 11 medium armored cars, and an imprecise number of scout cars for the artillery units.
In 1947,the cavalry units assigned to the Italian infantry divisions were also reincorporated. The 1° Reggimento ‘Nizza Cavalleria’ was created in Pinerolo in February 1947, and in July 1948 was equipped with 50 Bren and Loyd carriers and 17 armored cars of unspecified models. The Scuola di Cavalleria (English: Cavalry School) that trained the drivers of the AB series during the war was in Pinerolo, so it is logical to suppose that at least among some of these 17 armored cars present in 1948 were some old AB41s.
It would have been a similar situation with a number of other regiments, including:
2° Reggimento ‘Piemonte Reale Cavalleria’ founded in Merano but transferred to Florence with 11 armored cars and 60 British carriers
3° Reggimento ‘Savoia Cavalleria’ of Milan with 36 British carriers and 10 armored cars in July 1947 and 51 British carriers, 14 armored cars, 4 scout cars, and even 2 Stuart light tanks in 1949.
4° Reggimento ‘Genova Cavalleria’ of Albenga, then transferred to Albanuova with 19 armored cars of unspecified model in 1948.
5° Reggimento ‘Novara Cavalleria’ was the only regiment of which the exact model of armored car has been recorded and was equipped with 11 T17 and T17E1 in December 1947.
Another AB41 restored by the Arsenale di Torino in 1950. It was a ‘Ferroviaria’ with steel wheels for railway patrols. Besides the armament, which was not present, and the antenna, which was not the original, the rest it is identical to a Second World War ‘Ferroviaria’. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano
By late 1949, not a single AB41 or AB43 had survived in the ranks of the Italian infantry. Only the motorized and armored divisions had some few in their ranks. The only units that maintained the AB41s were some infantry regiments deployed as public order units. These armored cars were in service with the mixed armored platoons or company of these second-line units until 1954, when they were reorganized into three squadroni di cavalleria blindata (English: armored cavalry squadrons) assigned to Bologna, Florence, and Genoa with 2 plotoni carri armati, one with M5 and M5A1 Stuart light tanks and another with Italian-produced tanks, and 2 plotoni autoblindo with eight M8 Greyhounds.
At least eight AB43s and an unknown number of AB41s were converted after the war into the ‘Ferroviaria’ (English: Railway) version. This version, developed to patrol the Yugoslavian railways against the Yugoslav Partisan sabotages during the war, was readapted for the Reggimenti Genio Ferroviario (English: Railway Engineering Regiments) of the new Esercito Italiano. The adaptations were performed by the Arsenale di Torino which was one of the companies that examined and re-commissioned hundreds of light and heavy vehicles and artillery for the Italian Army.
While the AB41 and AB43 armored cars were withdrawn from the Police, Carabinieri, and Italian Army service in 1954-55, the Reggimenti Genio Ferroviario’s ABs were withdrawn only in the mid-1960s. The last ones were rearmed in 1961 with 12,7 mm Browning M2 Heavy Barrel heavy machine guns instead of the 20 mm automatic cannon. It had less penetration capabilities, but its rate of fire and muzzle velocity was superior. The armored car could also transport more 12,7 mm ammunition boxes.
An AB41 of the last production batch (recognizable by the new muffler) converted to ‘Ferroviaria’ after the war. It was restored by the Arsenale di Torino.Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano
Camouflage and Markings
The AB41s of the Italian Polizia di Stato were painted entirely in amaranth, a reddish-rose shade of red. This coating was chosen after the war for all the Corpo degli Agenti di Pubblica Sicurezza vehicles because at the time sirens were hardly ever used and a red vehicle was more visible in the city traffic. Another reason for this particular color was because this particular shade of red covered all the camouflage schemes previously used on the vehicles now in the police ranks.
In the first few years, each unit applied the coat of arms independently, for example, without mentioning which unit it belonged to or which company. From 1949, the coat of arms were modified, and all the vehicles had “Reparto Celere di P.S.” (P.S. for Polizia di Stato) painted in white on the side, and a small number painted white in a circle indicating to which compagnia autoblindo it belonged to. On the front fenders, two rectangles, one with “Celere” written, meaning it belonged to a reparto celere, and on the other, the city where it was used, were painted.
An AB43 used by the Nucleo Celere of the Rome capitol police. Even if it differs in unit, the markings were the same. Note that for parade purposes the wheel rims and the mud guard sides were painted white.Source: polizianellastoria.it
The Polizia di Stato coat of arms, an eagle with open wings, and a crown were painted on the front armored plate. It was adopted in 1919 by the Corpo della Regia Guardia per la Pubblica Sicurezza, basically the Italian Police. The latin motto ‘Sub Lege Libertas’ (English: Under Legality, Freedom”) was written alongside the eagle. The registration plates were painted directly on the armor, on a white painted line.
Italy 1950, three police officers of a Compagnia Autoblindo of a Reparto Celere, probably the Rome ones, are posing with their vehicle after a training exercise. The symbol painted on the armor is the Polizia di Stato coat of arms and the Latin motto is “Sub Lege Libertas” (English: Under Legality, Freedom).Source: polizianellastoria.itColorization by Johannes Dorn
The Arma dei Carabinieri AB41s were probably painted in olive drab as the US vehicles. This was probably done because there was a lot of paint leftover in Italy by US troops. The vehicles also receive a small Italian flag on the left front fender and right rear fender and a military identification code on the other two fenders. The Arma dei Carabinieri was a paramilitary corps under Esercito Italiano so they received the military plates registered with EI (Esercito Italiano).
The Esercito Italiano’s AB41 were painted in olive drab or other dark green shades. Their coat of arms differs from unit to unit. Not all the vehicles received military plates painted in white or military identification code.
Conclusion
The AB41 had performed excellently during the Second World War, but with the advent of the post-war era, and available and cheap Allied-built armored cars, it was quickly withdrawn from frontline service and used by the Police Corps for public order and by the Italian Army as a railway vehicle.
The few AB41s barely survived the ‘monopoly’ of allied vehicles until the early 1950s. Although surpassed in armament and performance, the AB41s remained to represent the elegance of the Italian vehicles until the early 1960s as vehicles for the railway engineers.
AB41s of the I° Reparto Celere. Illustration by Godzilla.
AB41 Specification
Size (L-W-H): 5.20 x 1.92 x 2.48 m
Weight, battle-ready: 7.52 tonnes
Crew: 4 (front driver, rear driver, radio operator/machine gunner, and commander/gunner)
Engine: FIAT-SPA 6-cylinder petrol, 88 hp with 195 liters tank
Speed: 80 km/h
Range: 400 km
Armament: Cannone-Mitragliera Breda 20/65 Modello 1935 (456 rounds) and Two Breda Modello 1938 8 x 59 mm machine guns (1,992 rounds)
Armor: 9 mm Hull Turret: Front: 40 mm Sides: 30 mm Rear: 15 mm
Production: 667 in total, unknown in Italian Republic service
Sources
Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano Volume III, Tomi I and II – Nicola Pignato
FIAT 665NM Blindato con Riparo Ruote. Illustration by Godzilla
Kingdom of Italy (1943)
Armored Personnel Carrier – None Built
The FIAT 665NM Blindato con Riparo Ruote was an Italian Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) project developed by the FIAT company of Turin for the needs of the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army).
Designed on the basis of the FIAT 665NM all-wheel drive truck, it would have a similar weight and characteristics to the older FIAT 665NM Scudato. The new design would have more armor, be a bit lower, and with more internal space for an additional four soldiers.
The project was similar to the Carro Protetto Trasporto Truppa su Autotelaio FIAT 626 developed in 1941. When, on 8th September 1943, the armistice was signed with the Allied forces, the project was probably proposed to the Wehrmacht and the Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano (English: National Republican Army) but without success and was then canceled.
‘FIAT 665NM Blindato con Riparo Ruote’ means Armored FIAT 665NM with Protected Wheels in English. This designation is also meant to distinguish it from the FIAT 665NM Scudato (English: Shielded), which did not have protection for the wheels.
Context and previous APCs
During the first Italian actions against enemy troops in Europe, East Africa, and North Africa, the Italian High Command felt the necessity of an armored personnel carrier to transport the Italian assault troops to the battlefield and to support tank actions.
The first vehicles used, especially in East Africa and in the Balkans, were rudimentary improvised armored trucks produced by the troops or in civilian workshops. These added scrap armored plates or trench shields to the vehicle in order to protect it from small arms fire.
An Autocarro Unificato OM Taurus Blindato with armored plates on the cab’s windows and cargo bay, used in the Balkans by Italian troops before the Armistice.Source: Gli Autoveicoli tattici e logistici del Regio Esercito Italiano fino al 1943
In late 1941, the S37 Autoprotetto entered service. This was an APC produced by FIAT and SPA on the FIAT-SPA TL37 (TL for Trattore Leggero – Light Prime Mover) ‘Libia’ chassis. It could carry up to 10 soldiers, including the driver and the vehicle commander.
This APC, of which more or less 300 vehicles were made in total, was meant to be used in North Africa. However, all were actually employed in the Balkans. There, due to the narrow mountain roads and the many isolated Italian and German garrisons, they were not used offensively, but to escort supply columns to the isolated garrisons and to defend these in case of a partisan attack.
The prototype of the S37 Autoprotetto during tests. The machine gun support and the Pirelli Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’ sand tires are visible.Source: Gli Autoveicoli tattici e logistici del Regio Esercito Italiano fino al 1943
FIAT 665NM Scudato
The FIAT 665NM Scudato or Protetto was the heaviest and biggest armored personnel carrier of the Second World War. It was essentially a FIAT 665NM that, after coming off the production line, was immediately equipped with armored plates between 7.5 mm and 4.5 mm thick. This was not an adequate thickness against heavy machine guns or similar caliber guns, but adequate for the tasks it performed throughout the war.
More than 110 vehicles were produced until 8th September 1943, when production stopped. The vehicles that survived were used by the Wehrmacht and by the new Repubblica Sociale Italiana (English: Italian Social Republic), the Republic founded by Benito Mussolini on 23rd September 1943 in the Italian territories not yet occupied by the Allied forces.
FIAT 665NM Protetto at the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione in Rome.Source: tumblr.com
Design
FIAT 666NM and FIAT 665NM
The FIAT 665NM was developed after March 1941 as a 4×4 variant of the FIAT 666NM (NM stands for Nafta; Militare – Diesel; Military) produced by Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino or FIAT (English: Italian Automobiles Factory, Turin) in the FIAT Mirafiori plant in Turin.
FIAT 666N propaganda poster.Source: Archivio FIAT
In 1937, the Kingdom of Italy passed a law that outlined the main characteristics required of each truck, civilian or military, that was produced. This was done for three main reasons: Italy was a rapidly growing nation with numerous companies producing dozens of different models of trucks. A standardization would lead to the production of vehicles that were similar and with common parts, increasing the production capacity, lowering costs, and easing maintenance. Linked to this purpose was the problem of the embargoes Italy was placed under, and the policy of Autarchy, or the aspiration of Italy to be economically independent of foreign countries. Standardized trucks would certainly have helped to avoid the wastage of resources. Thirdly, and probably most importantly, the unification of civilian and military trucks meant that, in case of war, civilian trucks could be requisitioned for war needs, as they had the same characteristics and spare parts as military ones.
A civilian FIAT 666N equipped with higher cargo bay sides and bodywork produced and installed by the Officine Viberti company. It was equipped with Pirelli Tipo ‘Raiflex’ tires.Source: Archivio Pasquale Caccavale
With Regio Decreto (English: Royal Decree) N° 1809 issued on 14th July 1937, the so-called Autocarri Unificati (English: Unified Trucks) were born. For heavy trucks, the maximum weight was not to exceed 12,000 kg, of which at least 6,000 kg of payload, with a minimum road speed of 45 km/h. For light trucks, the ground clearance was to be at least 200 mm, the maximum truck weight was to be 4,000 kg, and the payload was 3,000 kg.
Autocarro Unificato FIAT 665NM 4×4 coming out of the FIAT Mirafiori plant. It is interesting to notice that it is in Kaki Sahariano desert camouflage and that it has Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ tires for desert soils. Source: Archivio FIAT
The FIAT 666N was a heavy-duty truck. The civil version was developed in 1938 under the Regio Decreto N° 1809 rules. Its military version, the FIAT 666NM, was presented to the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione on 19th September 1940 for evaluation. In total, about 8,000 FIAT 666s left the assembly lines of the Mirafiori plant, including the direct-injection post-war 666N7 and FIAT 665NM versions.
After the armistice of 8th September 1943, between November 1943 and December 1944, 79 FIAT 666NM and 2 FIAT 665NM were delivered to the Wehrmacht.
A FIAT 666NM in Luftwaffe hands. Unfortunately, due to the bad quality of the photo, the exact number painted on the license plate cannot be discerned.Source: o5m6.de
The FIAT 666 was produced in a wide range of fittings, such as standard trucks and fuel tankers for civil service. For military service, recovery trucks, fuel, and water tankers, mobile workshops, petrol engine variants, and many others were produced.
FIAT 666N with a fully loaded medium trailer.Source: italie1935-45.com
Engine
Propulsion was provided by the FIAT Tipo 366 6-cylinder in-line diesel engine. It had overhead valves, with a displacement of 9,365 cm³ and FIAT-produced injectors. The maximum output power was 110 hp at 2,000 rpm on the civil FIAT 666N, FIAT 666NM for the Regia Aeronautica, and on the FIAT 665NM. The maximum output power on the FIAT 666NM for the Regio Esercito was limited to 95 hp at 1,700 rpm. The direct-injection Ricardo-type chamber created lots of problems in the cold Russian steppes, which forced the crew to mix the diesel with gasoline to allow the engine to start.
FIAT Tipo 366 with oil bath filters (right).Source: Archivio FIAT
The maximum speed on-road was 57 km/h for the FIAT 665NM, 48.3 km/h for the power-limited FIAT 666NM, and 56.8 km/h for the FIAT 666N and FIAT 666NM without the power governor.
The fuel was kept in a 255-liter tank (135 liters for the FIAT 666N) located on the right side of the chassis and guaranteed a 750 km range on-road (465 km for the FIAT 666N). A FIAT 6-75-2510 diaphragm pump sent the fuel to a 5.5-liter tank located behind the cab’s dashboard. This ensured trouble-free feeding thanks to a gravity injection pump.
The lubricant oil tank had a capacity of 12 liters, while the water-cooling tank had a capacity of 50 liters. Air was drawn through two oil bath filters mounted on the back of the engine.
Brakes and electric systems
The single dry plate clutch was connected to the gearbox via a cardan shaft. This could be removed independently of the gearbox and engine simply by removing the rear casing. This meant that maintenance and disassembly were easier.
The transmission, thanks to the reductor, had eight gears and two reverse gears. The drum brakes were hydraulic and had a pedal-operated air brake booster. The compressed air tank, with a capacity of 55 liters, was located on the left of the frame and had a pressure of 5.5 bar. On the NM version, the rear axle was equipped with a differential lock system.
The battery box of the FIAT 666NM. Also visible are the air tank on the left and the fuel tank on the other side.Source: Archivio FIAT
There was a 12 Volt electrical circuit to power the headlights and dashboard, and a 24 Volt circuit for starting the engine. The two 12 V Magneti Marelli batteries were housed in a box on the left side of the chassis, behind the air tank.
Structure
The cargo bay measured 4.75 m long by 2.20 m wide, with a height of 600 mm on the civilian version and 650 mm on the military version. It was authorized to carry up to 6 tonnes of cargo but could carry, without difficulty, and L6/40 light tank (weighing 6.84 tonnes).
The cab had the steering wheel and the driver on the right, while the vehicle commander sat on the left. The cab’s doors opened backward. Due to the slow production rates, some early FIAT 666NM were equipped with civilian FIAT 666N cabs.
FIAT 665NM (above) and FIAT 666NM-RE with the civilian cab (under). The different placements of the toolboxes under the cargo bay and the different tire dimensions are clear. Sources: Archivio FIAT
In spite of its respectable dimensions and its large load capacity, the FIAT 666 heavy-duty truck, with a weight of 6 tonnes for the FIAT 666NM variant and 7.2 tonnes for the FIAT 665NM variant, could travel at more than 56 km/h with a 12-tonne trailer attached. Fully loaded, it could climb slopes of 26°. Thanks to its short wheelbase and cab layout, it was comfortable traveling on mountain roads.
The FIAT 666NM had a rim size of 20 x 8” (50.8 x 20.32 cm), while the FIAT 665NM had a rim size of 24 x 9” (61 x 23 cm). This allowed the latter to mount 11.25 x 24” (28.5 cm x 61 cm) tires, the same as the armored cars and camionette of the Regio Esercito. Like the armored cars and Camionette, it could use a wide variety of tires, such as the Tipo ‘Libia’ and Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’. These, thanks to their wide profile, afforded good flotation on loose sandy soils. The Tipo ‘Artiglio’ and Tipo ‘Artiglio a Sezione Maggiorata’ were used for continental terrain and Russian steppes, roughly equivalent to the Non-Directional Tread (NDT) tires used by the US Army. The Tipo ‘Raiflex’ was meant for sandy ground and produced with Rayon (Raion in Italian) synthetic fiber (RAI-flex for Raion). All were developed and produced by the Pirelli company in Milan.
Strangely enough, most of the images of the FIAT 665NM Scudati show that most of the vehicles were equipped with Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ tires, a very strange decision if we consider that none of the vehicles were used in Africa, but only in Northern Italy and the Balkans.
FIAT 665NM front and rear. Photos were taken shortly after production, and it is parked outside the FIAT Mirafiori production line.Sources: Archivio FIAT
FIAT 665NM Blindato con Riparo Ruote
The FIAT 665NM Blindato con Riparo Ruote was never finished. The project was started on 15th April 1943, a bit less than five months before the Armistice and it apparently did not have time to be accepted by the High Command of the Royal Army.
The vehicle chassis would be left intact, removing the standard cab and the wooden cargo bay. Unlike the FIAT 665NM Scudato, the armor would be mounted directly on the chassis and not around the cab and the cargo bay. A new armored structure with an open roof would be welded to protect the crew and personnel carried on board. This reduced the total weight by some tonnes, permitting the use of thicker armored plates on the vehicle.
The driver and vehicle commander’s seats were left intact, together with the driving position, the radiator, engine compartment, and the various fuel, air, and cooling water tanks and battery box.
FIAT 665NM frame. Visible between the wheels, on the left, are the air tank and the battery box. On the right is the fuel tank. Source: Archivio FIAT
The welded armored structure would be made of angled 8 mm armored plates in order to better deflect the small-caliber rounds. Frontally, the armored plates would have two vision slits, one for the driver, on the right, and one for the vehicle commander, on the left. Centrally, on the lower armored plate, an armored grille protected the radiator. This grille could be removed to extract the engine. As on the FIAT 626 medium truck and FIAT 666 heavy-duty truck, the engine could be extracted from the cab’s front after the removal of the grille thanks to rollers mounted on the two supports of the engine.
The engine extraction from a FIAT 626’s cab.Source: Archivio FIAT
Also mounted on the front were two headlights which were shielded to cover them when not in use. The frontal bumper was left intact from the FIAT 665NM chassis. The driver and vehicle commander also had at their disposal two armored doors to quickly enter the vehicle. They could also access their positions through the rear door.
The side doors were divided in two parts due to the angled armored plates. They were equipped with slits on the upper part to permit the driver and the vehicle commander to check the sides of the road or of the battlefield.
As on the original FIAT 666N and FIAT 665NM, the doors opened backward, and thus would not provide adequate frontal protection to crew members if they exited the vehicle in an emergency situation.
FIAT 665NM Blindato con Riparo Ruote left side and upper views, original blueprint.Source: Gli Autoveicoli tattici e logistici del Regio Esercito Italiano fino al 1943
Behind the driver’s and commander’s seats were two rows of wooden benches with backrests for 12 soldiers. These were placed longitudinally with a central corridor.
On the rear left side was the spare wheel support. In order to accommodate the wheel, the rear left wooden bench section was shifted forward some centimeters, partially obstructing the rear access door. The section’s backrest was foldable to help the crew extract the spare wheel from behind the bench.
There was enough space under the benches to store the soldier’s personal equipment, in addition to the crew equipment, ammunition, and the spare parts which were also stored here. The soldier’s rifles and other weapons could be stowed between the angled armored plates and the benches.
The rear armored door was placed in the center and was also divided into two parts due to the angled armored plates, but did not have a vision slit. Under the armored rear door, there was a foldable step to help the personnel to enter the vehicle.
On the rear, the license plate would be placed on the left side. The trailer hitch was left intact, while the rear lights were placed on the armored fenders, which had a thickness between 10 mm to 15 mm. The armor plates that protected the wheels were 8 mm thick, as on the structure, while the front part of the fender was also from 10 mm to 15 mm thick.
The big problem of the vehicle seems to have been the open roof that would make the vehicle vulnerable to hand grenades, artillery splinters and shrapnel, and air attacks. This would be a common problem of Italian armored personnel carriers of the Second World War. However, this also had advantages, such as the fact that each carried soldier could open fire or throw hand grenades at enemy targets.
FIAT 665NM Blindato con Riparo Ruote front and rear views, original blueprint. This is the only blueprint of the vehicle, along with the previous ones.Source: Gli Autoveicoli tattici e logistici del Regio Esercito Italiano fino al 1943
The vehicle had a ground clearance of 325 mm, not enough to protect it from mines. Its belly armor would only be 28 mm of wood on the personnel compartment’s floor. This meant that the vehicle could not ford water over 325 mm deep and that, in the event of an explosion under the vehicle, the wooden floorboards would create dozens of splinters that would increase the effectiveness of the mine, killing or injuring the soldiers carried on board.
It was perhaps for this reason that the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione (Eng: Center for Motorisation Studies), the department which examined new vehicles, had not yet authorized the production of a prototype even after five months.
Part
Weight (kg)
Armor Plates, 8 mm thick
1,590
Wooden floor, 28 mm thick
200
Front Armored Fenders from 10 mm to 15 mm thick
40
Armored shield for the rear wheels, 8 mm thick
280
Rear Armored Fenders, from 10 mm to 15 mm thick
30
Wooden benches with backrest
140
Foldable rear step
20
Bolts and rivets
100
Total weight armored structure
2,440
Persons, 26 x 100 kg
2,600
Total weight structure and persons
5,040
FIAT 665NM Chassis
~ 1,300
Total weight
~ 6,340
Total Battle ready
~ 11,000
Had it entered service, the vehicle would have served as an armored personnel carrier to transport infantry squads and support Italian tank assaults, primarily in the desert.
As seen with the previous S37 Autoprotetti and the FIAT 665NM Scudati, its destiny would probably have been quite different and it would have acted as an armed escort for convoys loaded with supplies in places where partisan presence was a constant threat to unprotected military vehicles.
Armament
The FIAT 665NM Blindato con Riparo Ruote did not have armament in its blueprints, but it is logical to suppose that it would have a pintle mount or some supports for machine guns, as used on the Carro Protetto Trasporto Truppa su Autotelaio FIAT 626 or the previous FIAT 665NM Scudato, and German and Japanese armored personnel carriers.
As on the other armored personnel carriers of its era, the FIAT 665NM Blindato con Riparo Ruote could probably have a frontal support or, most common on Italian vehicles, a 360° traverse pintle mount with a shielded medium gun or a Solothurn S-18/1000 anti-tank rifle, as on the APC based on FIAT 626NLM chassis, and two supports for other light or medium machine guns on the sides like the German Sd.Kfz. 251 or the Japanese Type 1 Ho-Ha.
The most likely armament would have been a FIAT-Revelli Modello 1914/1935 or a Breda Modello 1937 8 x 59 mm RB medium machine gun mounted frontally.
The first one was an Italian First World War era machine gun produced by FIAT under Revelli development, modified and recalibrated from 1935 and was fed by 50-rounds magazines. The second one was a modern machine gun, developed by Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche and fed from 20-rounds clips.
Probably the frontal machine gun mount or the central pintle mount would have featured a shield to protect the machine gunner.
Some side supports for Breda Modello 1930 6.5 x 52 mm Mannlicher-Carcano light machine guns could also have been added.
A Breda Modello 37 with its 18.8 kg tripod.Source: associazionenazionalefantiarresto.it
The infantry squad of the Regio Esercito was composed of 18 men, consisting of a Commander Sergeant, a Deputy-Commander Sergeant armed with a rifle or Moschetto Automatico Beretta (MAB) Modello 1938 submachine gun, two corporals armed with a Breda Modello 1930 light machine gun, and 14 riflemen.
The vehicle could have comfortably carried an entire infantry squad with room for 4 more soldiers, sappers, medics or extra ammunition. In case of need, the two corporals of the squad could probably have mounted their Breda Modello 30 on the side supports and increased the firepower of the vehicle.
The Breda Mod. 1930 light machine gun.Source: guns.fandom.com
Less likely would have been the use of a Solothurn S-18/1000 20 x 138 mm B anti-tank gun or a Breda-SAFAT belt-feed medium machine gun chambered for the 7.7 × 56 mm R (Italian designation of the .303 British) in order to increase the volume of fire or suppressive capacity from the vehicle.
Conclusion
The FIAT 665NM Blindato con Riparo Ruote was one of the dozens of Italian paper projects that never came to light because of the Armistice of 1943. Like all other projects, it is very difficult to say whether it would have made a valuable contribution to the Italian troops or whether it would have become, like the previous Italian armored personnel carriers, a simple vehicle for escorting columns of supplies.
FIAT 665NM Blindato con Riparo Ruote. Illustration by Godzilla
Specification
Size (L-W-H)
7.4 x 2.7 x 2.48 m
Weight
11 tonnes
Crew
2 (commander and driver) + 24 soldiers
Engine
FIAT 366 9,365 cm³, 110 hp with 255 liters tank
Speed
~50 km/h
Range
~700 km
Armament
1 machine gun
Armor
from 8 mm to 15 mm
Production
paper project
Sources
Gli Autoveicoli tattici e logistici del Regio Esercito Italiano fino al 1943, Tomo I Volume II – Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano
Carrozzeria Spegiale su SPA-Viberti AS43. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.
Italian Social Republic (1944-1945)
Light Armored Car – 2 or 6 Built
The Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43, not to be confused with any of the other many developments on this chassis that Italy experimented with in the 1940s, was produced by the Officine Viberti of Turin in small numbers.
Because of the scarce information about it, it is often mistakenly called Autoblinda AS43 (English: AS43 Armored Car) or Tipo Zerbino after Paolo Zerbino, Chief of the Province of Turin and then Minister of the Interior of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana (English: Italian Social Republic).
The Carrozzeria Speciale su AS43 was used by the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ (English: Armored Group) of the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana (English: National Republican Guard) from mid-1944 to the end of the war.
A Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 with a three-tone camouflage scheme and Pirelli Tipo ‘Artiglio’ tires. The vehicle was unarmed because the photo was taken at the Officine Viberti plant. Source: Archivio Viberti
History of the Project
After the first engagements between Italian and Commonwealth troops in North Africa, it was clear to the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) High Command that it was necessary to field a light armored car for fast reconnaissance as soon as possible. Starting work from the FIAT-SPA TL37 ‘Libia’ (TL for Trattore Leggero – Light tractor) light prime mover, which had good mobility thanks to the powerful gasoline engine and oversized tires, a new armored car was designed.
The new Autoblinda TL37 or Autoblinda AS37 (AS for Africa Settentrionale – North Africa) had an open-topped turret armed with a powerful Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 20 mm L/65 automatic cannon and a coaxial machine gun. Only one was built by the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente, near Genoa. It was shipped to North Africa, where it formed part of an experimental armored car platoon of the Regio Esercito, the Raggruppamento Esplorante del Corpo d’Armata di Manovra or RECAM (English: Reconnaissance Grouping of the Mobile Army Corp), alongside 3 AB41s of the Army, and 9 AB41s and an AB40 from the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana or PAI (English: Police of the Italian Africa) which arrived at a similar time.
Unfortunately, not much is known about its service. It was abandoned at Sidi Rezegh, south of the main road between Tobruk and Bardia, east of El Adem, probably due to a mechanical failure. The project was abandoned in favor of the ‘AB’ series of armored cars, the most produced during the war and the most modified Italian armored car during the war.
The Autoblinda TL37 in the desert. The front mudguard is damaged. An AB41 is in the background. Source: Archivio Centrale dello Stato
In North Africa, there was a development of ‘special’ vehicles by Italian frontline troops, which desperately needed vehicles to support their offensives. This is how some camionette (Italian word for reconnaissance military cars) were born, based on the chassis of the FIAT-SPA AS37, a light lorry developed on the chassis of the FIAT-SPA TL37 ‘Libia’.
These easy-to-modify vehicles were appreciated for their off-road characteristics and sturdiness. In late 1942, the Royal Army started to mass-produce vehicles with similar characteristics and for the same purposes. The first one was the Camionetta Desertica Mod. 1943 (English: Desert Reconnaissance Car Model 1943), of which a dozen were produced and used mainly in the Defense of Rome between 8th and 10th September 1943.
Another vehicle developed was the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43, produced in 1943 on the AS37 light truck chassis as a cheaper and easier-to-produce vehicle to accompany the bigger and more expensive Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’. Even this vehicle, despite being developed for use in North Africa, was never used in that operational theater. It saw use in Italy with the troops of the Royal Army to prevent attacks by paratroopers and Allied landings on the Italian coast.
After the Armistice of 8th September 1943, which led to the occupation of central and northern Italy by the Germans, the few vehicles captured and those produced between 1944 and 1945 were used almost exclusively by the Wehrmacht.
A Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 in Luftwaffe hands after the Armistice. It has Pirelli Tipo ‘Artiglio’ tires and is armed with a Cannone Scotti-Isotta-Fraschini 20/70 Mod. 1941. Behind it is a FIAT-SPA 38R light lorry. Source: pinterest.com
Of the dozens of Italian units loyal to Mussolini after the armistice, only a couple used the SPA-Viberti. The 2ª Compagnia of the Battaglione ‘Fulmine’ of the 2° Reggimento of the Xª Flottiglia MAS used a single modified vehicle, known as the SPA-Viberti AS43 Blindata. The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ modified a certain number of vehicles at the Officine Viberti of Turin.
Design
Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43
The Camionetta Desertica FIAT-SPA AS43 or SPA-Viberti AS43 was an Italian light reconnaissance unarmored vehicle developed for North African service as a cheaper, lighter and easier to produce variant of the SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’.
In Italian, the term ‘Camionetta’ (plural Camionette) designates unarmored cars, jeeps or light trucks used in reconnaissance and infantry support roles.
Another view of the SPA-Viberti AS43 prototype. The jerry cans are visible. Source: Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II
The AS43 was developed by Società Piemontese Automobili or SPA, a FIAT subsidiary, and by Officine Viberti, both based in Turin. The project was started using the chassis of the FIAT-SPA AS37 (AS for Autocarro Sahariano – Saharian truck) light lorry, itself derived from the FIAT-SPA Trattore Leggero 37 ‘Libia’ (English: Light Tractor).
The AS43 was produced from mid-1943 until the 8th September 1943 armistice. After the German occupation of northern Italy, production was restarted for the German Army, which used the vehicles, with some modifications, until the end of the war.
The AS37 chassis was lowered from a ground clearance of 390 mm to 345 mm. The cab was completely modified, apart from the hood and the radiator grille. The side doors, the windshield, the roof, and the third seat were removed. The cargo bay was completely modified. The spare wheel was moved from behind the cab to the cargo bay’s rear, on tiltable support that the crew could lower to allow a full 360° traverse to the main gun. The loading bay’s sides were fixed and could not be lowered.
Developed as a desert vehicle, there were two lockers on the sides, between the rear mudguard and the commander and driver’s seats. Each locker could store five 20-liter jerry cans. Another six could be placed on the mudguards, two for each rear mudguard, and one for each frontal mudguard. This gave a total of 16 20-liter jerry cans for drinkable water, engine lubricant oil, and fuel. Obviously, given its use mainly in the Italian peninsula, the jerry cans were rarely transported and the side lockers transported ammunition for the main gun instead.
The main gun of the Camionetta AS43 could be a Cannone da 47/32 Mod. 1935 or Mod. 1939 47 mm L/32 support gun or a Cannone Breda da 20/65 Mod. 1935 anti-aircraft gun. The vehicle’s commander also fired a Breda Mod. 37 or Mod. 38 medium machine gun on a support mounted on the left side of the cab. The ammunition was placed in a small rack between the driver’s and commander’s seats.
Turret
The AS43 armored car’s turret was the Modello 1941 (English: Model 1941) developed and produced by Ansaldo for the L6/40 light reconnaissance tank. The one-man turret had an octagonal shape with two hatches, one for the vehicle’s commander/gunner on the roof and the second one on the back of the turret, used to facilitate the disassembly of the main armament for maintenance. On the sides, the turret had two air intakes, in addition to two slits through which personal weapons could be fired for close defense. The vehicle did not have fans or smoke extractors.
Armor plate scheme of the Modello 1941 turret. Source: pinterest.com
On the roof, next to the hatch, there was a 30º vision panoramic periscope for the commander. This allowed the commander a partial view of the battlefield. Due to the limited space inside the turret, it was impossible for it to rotate 360°.
After the production of some armored cars and light tanks, it became apparent that the turret had some balance problems, so a counterweight was added on the back, under the rear hatch. The turret did not have a turret basket and the commander/gunner operated the cannon and the machine gun through the use of pedals. There were no electric generators in the turret, so the commander needed to control the traverse and gun elevation with handwheels. The steel cables used to operate the guns were of the ‘Bowden’ type, protected by a plastic sheath, the same principle as on bike brakes.
The AB41 turret, showing off the counterweight and the rear hatch, which is open to permit the extraction of the Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/65 Breda Modello 1935. Source: pinterest.com
Armored Superstructure
In January 1944, the Turin Officine Viberti, a company specialized in bodyworks for Lancia Veicoli Industriali and FIAT Veicoli Commerciali trucks (mainly) and in the production (jointly with SPA) of armored cars and Camionette, resumed the project of the Autoblindo TL37, this time based on the chassis of the Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43, in order to obtain a vehicle that was cheaper and easier to produce than the armored cars of the ‘AB’ series.
The first design of this project of the Technical Department of the Officine Viberti dates from 18th January 1944. The last modification is dated 3rd April 1944, while the first photos of operational vehicles are from May of the same year. This vehicle was officially designated Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 by Officine Viberti and offered a certain degree of protection to the crew.
As on most Italian armored vehicles of the war, the armor was made of steel plates riveted to an internal structure. The armored superstructure had a mass of 911 kg, excluding connecting elements such as bolts and rivets.
The engine compartment was in the front and it had an armored radiator grille divided into four. On the engine deck, there were two inspection hatches. In order to remove the engine, the bolts of the engine deck had to be unscrewed and the plate lifted with a winch. The driver to the right and the loader to the left had slits to view the battlefield.
An armored door was present on each of the crew compartment’s sides, divided into two parts due to the angled armored plates. These were new models. In order to speed up production, the slits for close defense were removed.
On the rear were the cap for the 120-liter gasoline tank (right side) and sapper tools. The water tank cap was placed on the engine compartment, on the front, while the unprotected headlights were mounted in front of the mudguards. The vehicle had four armored fenders to prevent small arms rounds from piercing the tires. On the front fenders were width-limit indicators, used by the driver to help drive on narrow mountain roads or to park.
Photo taken by Officine Viberti technicians at the Officine Viberti plant. The rear sapper tools are not present, but the fuel tank cap is visible. Source: Archivio Viberti
The armor was probably the same as on the armored cars of the ‘AB’ series, no more than 8 mm thick for the engine compartment and crew compartment. The turret had an armor of 18 mm on the frontal plate and gun shield, 10 mm on the sides and rear, and 6 mm on the roof. The lower rear angled armor plate was openable and protected the spare wheel from enemy fire.
The tires had the usual dimensions for Italian armored cars. These armored cars had the tires developed by Pirelli specifically for continental terrain, the Pirelli Tipo “Artiglio” 9 x 24″ (22.8 x 60 cm). Obviously, the rims were not modified and the vehicle could have mounted all the tires produced by Pirelli for the 24″ rims, also mounted on the AB series armored cars, the Camionette SPA-Viberti AS42 and the SPA TM40 prime mover.
Engine and Suspension
The SPA-Viberti AS43 was all-wheel drive, as on the AS37. On this new vehicle, only the front wheels steered, reducing the mechanical complexity and the need for complex maintenance of the steering system.
The front wheels had independent coil spring suspension coupled with hydraulic shock absorbers, which guaranteed great comfort on rough terrain. The rear wheels had inverse leaf springs, but these were reinforced compared to those of the TL37 light prime mover.
There are doubts about the brakes. ‘Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II’, written by Ralph Riccio, mentions that the Camionetta had hydraulic brakes, while ‘Le Camionette del Regio Esercito’, written by Enrico Finazzer and Luigi Carretta, makes no mention of modifications to the original AS37 desert light truck, which had mechanical brakes with the brake pedal acting on pairs of brake jaws for each wheel.
Poor quality photo of the SPA 18VT engine. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito
The engine was a more powerful version of the one used on FIAT-SPA AS37, the SPA 18VT 4-stroke, 4-cylinder, petrol engine delivering 73 hp (or 75 hp, depending on the sources) at 2,000 rpm. This gave a maximum fully-loaded on-road speed of about 50 km/h due to the weight.
The fuel tank had a capacity of 120 liters, giving a range of 250 km, while the gearbox was the same as on the AS37, with 5 gears plus reverse.
Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 internal scheme. In front, the radiator and the engine are visible, while at the rear, the ammunition racks, the 120 liter tank and the spare tire are visible. Source: pinterest.com
Main Armament
The main armament was the Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/65 Breda Modello 1935. This 20 mm L/65 gun was developed as an anti-aircraft cannon but also used with great success in an anti-light armor role, with a theoretical rate of fire of 500 rounds per minute, while the practical one was about 220 due to the cramped space in the turret. It was equipped with an x1 sight produced by the San Giorgio Optics Factory. The elevation was +18°, the depression was -9°, while the manual traverse was 360°.
The Breda cannon could fire Italian-produced Armor Piercing-Incendiary – Tracer (API – T) and High-Explosive-Fragmentation – Incendiary – Tracer (HEFI – T) rounds of Italian production. These had a caliber of 20 x 138 mmB ‘Long Solothurn’, the same used by the German FlaK 38 cannon and the Solothurn S18-1000 anti-tank gun. With Italian armor-piercing rounds, the Mod. 1935 cannon could penetrate a 38 mm armor plate angled at 90° at 100 meters and a 30 mm armored plate at 500 meters. With German Pz.Gr. 40 ammunition, it could penetrate a 50 mm armor plate angled at 90° at 100 meters and a 40 mm armored plate at 500 meters. This made it a fairly fearsome weapon even against light tanks.
The Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/65 Breda Modello 1935 used by Italian troops in the Soviet Union. Source: pinterest.com
Secondary Armament
The secondary armament consisted of two Breda Modello 1938 8 x 59 mmRB Breda caliber machine guns. The first was coaxial to the cannon, on the left, while the second was in a ball support at the rear of the vehicle. These machine guns were the vehicle version of the Breda Modello 1937 medium machine gun and had a top-mounted curved box magazine with 24 rounds. The machine gun at the rear had x1 optics, identical to the main gun one.
From 1943 onward, anti-aircraft supports for the AB41 were produced by Ansaldo-Fossati, but very few were produced and not much is known about their use. No Carrozzeria Speciale su AS43 used them.
Gun mantlet. From the left: the Breda Modello 1938 coaxial machine gun, the Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/65 Breda Modello 1935 and the San Giorgio 1x optic. Source: Archivio Ansaldo
Ammunition
The ammunition load on the Carrozzeria Speciale su AS43 consisted of 50 magazines with 8 rounds each, for a total of 400 20 mm rounds. There were also 48 magazines of 24 rounds, for a total of 1,152 8 mm rounds. This compared well to the 456 20 mm rounds and 1,992 8 mm rounds stored in the AB41 and AB43 armored cars. The rounds were stored in two different wooden racks painted white, placed at the vehicle’s rear.
Many sources and videogames, such as War Thunder, mention the use of 8-round magazines instead of the common 12-round magazines. It is unclear whether these magazines were actually produced or whether they were modified on the battlefield by the crews to facilitate loading in the narrow turrets of the AB series armored cars.
The same sources claim that post-Armistice vehicles were mostly equipped with German-made ammunition. In some cases, the guns were modified by German crews to load the 24-round magazines of the FlaK 38 anti-aircraft cannon.
Operational Use
The Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 was probably modified at the Officine Viberti plant in Peschiera Boulevard 249, where the Camionette SPA-Viberti AS43 were produced.
Many Italian sources claim that Paolo Zerbino, Chief of the Province of Turin from 21st October 1943 to 7th May 1944 and then Minister of the Interior of the Italian Social Republic, “participated” in the development. It is not clear how he participated, whether economically, by providing money for the development and production, or if he only acted as an intermediary between Officine Viberti and another Turin factory that supplied the steel plates for the production of the vehicles.
Although the production dates are not known, it is likely that the first two were produced between 3rd April and mid-May 1944. They were spotted on 23rd May 1944 in a parade of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ in Turin.
The two Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 during the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ parade in Turin on 23rd May 1944. The two AS43s and the AB41 on the right are painted in Kaki Sahariano. The unit’s coat of arms on the far left is clearly visible. Piazza Carlo Felice near Porta Nuova Train Station. Source: mab.forumfree.itThe column of vehicles composed, from the closest one, of an AB41 armored car, two AS43 armored cars, an L6/40 light tank, and two M13/40 medium tanks. They are on parade along Via Roma, from Porta Nuova train station to Piazza Castello. Source: I Carristi di Mussolini, Il Gruppo Corazzato “Leonessa” dalla MVSN alla RSI
The two vehicles were assigned to the 1ª Compagnia (English: 1st Company) or the 2ª Compagnia (English: 2nd Company) of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’, created in Montichiari, near Brescia in Lombardia.
In late February or early March 1944, the unit was transferred to Turin, in Piemonte and used almost exclusively in anti-partisan roles for the rest of the war. The two companies were located in the Caserma Dabormida and Caserma La Marmora barracks in Turin.
The same parade on 23rd May 1944. The first Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 is seen behind a L6/40 and two M13/40s. Partially legible, the license plate is GNR 0151. Piazza Castello, Turin. Source: forum.warthunder.com
Between 27th May and 4th July 1944, the unit was employed in hunting partisans between the provinces of Ivrea and Biella in northern Piemonte. On these occasions, the Autoblindo AS43 was probably used. Official sources claim the use of “two armored cars”, which would probably be the Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 on their first operational mission. A total of 33 partisans were captured, as well 3 Australian soldiers that had escaped from a prison camp, and some military equipment.
In June 1944, the continuous arrival of volunteer soldiers and the recovery of armored vehicles allowed the reorganization of the two companies. The Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ was now composed of: 1ª Compagnia Carri (English: 1st Tanks Company), 2ª Compagnia Autoblindo (English: 2nd Armored Cars Company) and 3ª Compagnia Arditi (English: 3rd Arditi Company).
A Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 at the Caserma Lamarmora barracks during maintenance. The militiaman on the vehicle’s engine deck has the barrel cleaning rod in his hands. On the turret’s top is what looks like a Breda Mod. 38 dismounted from its support and ready to be cleaned. Behind the armored car is an OM Taurus medium truck on maintenance. Source: wikipedia.org
In late 1944, one of the AS43 armored cars may have been destroyed or abandoned. On 23rd March 1945, at the last official parade of the unit in Turin, there was only one Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43.
The hypothesis of the destroyed armored car is unproven. On 22nd March 1945, a detachment of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ took part in an anti-partisan war in Valsesia, in the province of Vercelli, with a tank and an armored car of unknown model. It could very well have been a Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 which would not have reached Turin, about 150 km away, in time for the parade.
The only Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 present at the 23rd March 1945 parade in Turin, with the new three-tone camouflage scheme, on the Via Roma. Behind it is a SPA-Viberti AS43 Autoprotetta and a FIAT 626NM. Source: pinterest.com
In late April 1945, a detachment of the group, composed of an L6/40 light reconnaissance tank and two armored cars, of which one was surely a Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43, was sent to Val Tellina, near Tirano in Lombardia, with the task of keeping the area clear of partisans.
This was the area chosen by the Secretary of the Italian Fascist Party, Alessandro Pavolini, for the “Ridotto Alpino Repubblicano” (English: Republican Alpine Redoubt), an area cleared of partisans where to amass the fascist units loyal to Mussolini fleeing from the cities of northern Italy and where to resist the Allied troops while Benito Mussolini fled to Switzerland.
One of the two armored cars dislocated at Val Tellina in late April 1945. Unfortunately, the license plate is unreadable because the author of the photo, Giorgio Pisanò, a former Italian politician and journalist, had to hide the camera roll with the photos and could only develop them a long time after. Source: Giorgio Pisanò
The second armored car was of an unknown model, either an AB41 or AS43. Apart from the improvised armored cars, the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ had in its ranks a total of 18 AB41s and AB43s during its time in Piemonte, Lombardia and Emilia Romagna.
If some Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 remained in Turin, they followed the same fate as the Fascist troops in the city. After 24th April 1945, some tanks were deployed to protect strategic points of the city, while the armored cars were used to patrol the streets and as a reserve to launch counterattacks.
On 26th April 1945, the partisans attacked the city, occupying the town hall, the railway stations, and some manufacturing plants. Tanks and armored cars in the city were used to counterattack the partisan forces.
Around 1800 hrs of the same day, 4 tanks, 3 armored cars (model unknown), a platoon of Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’, and a platoon of the Black Brigade of Turin Iª Brigata Nera ‘Ather Capelli’ attacked and reconquered the barracks on Cernaia Street, the headquarters of the Black Brigade. The attack succeeded but, for the rest of the night, two armored cars (again, the models are unknown) and 5 tanks continued to patrol the parts of the city still in Fascist hands.
It was clear that it was impossible to repel the partisans, so the Fascist command of Turin decided to resist to the bitter end, hoping for the arrival of Anglo-American troops in order to surrender to them.
On 27th April 1945, an armored car escorted a truck of the Iª Brigata Nera ‘Ather Capelli’ to the Casa Littoria, the headquarters of the Italian Fascist Party of Turin in Carlo Alberto Street number 10. There, a group of Avanguardisti of the ‘Fiamme Bianche’ (English: White Flames) had barricaded themselves in for unknown reasons. The Avanguardisti were young people between 14 and 18 years old who voluntarily joined the RSI troops but, being too young, were not yet assigned to frontline units.
The armored car (of unknown model) managed to provide adequate supporting fire, evacuating all the young men from the building and escorting them to safety at the Caserma Cernaia barracks.
The situation was worsening by the minute. At 0140 hrs on 28th April 1945, all the surviving Fascist forces in the city, about 5,000 soldiers, gathered in Piazza Castello and fled towards Lombardia to gather at “Ridotto Alpino Repubblicano”. The protection of the column of trucks was entrusted to the tanks and armored cars of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’. The column reached Val Tellina and waited, with about 10,000 more men, until 5th May 1945, when they surrendered to the Anglo-American troops.
The detachment sent to Val Tellina had a different fate. Until 26th April 1945, all was quiet at Tirano, near Sondrio, a few kilometers from Switzerland. On the morning of 27th April, a column made up of the detachment from the ‘Leonessa’, 2° Battaglione of the III Legione Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana di Frontiera ‘Vetta d’Italia’, XXXVIII Brigata Nera ‘Ruy Blas Biagi’, and some soldiers of the French Vichy Republic, a total of about 1,000 men, set out for Sondrio in order to reach Benito Mussolini. The column was immediately blocked at the exit of the city by partisan troops, starting the Battle of Tirano.
On the night of 27th April, the Brigata Partigiana ‘Gufi’ (English: Partisan Brigade) encircled the city of Tirano. In the following hours, groups of partisans from Val Grosina and from the Sondalo area also arrived.
A photo showing part of the Fascist column under partisan fire. Source: Giorgio Pisanò
The total number of partisans is difficult to determine, partly because their lines were strengthened by citizens who arrived in the early hours to join them. The writer William Marconi, who took part in the battle as a partisan of the Brigata Partigiana ‘Gufi’, states in his book ‘L’Aprile 1945 fra Tirano e Grosio’ that there were no more than 300 or 350 partisans, with no heavy weapons apart from some mortars. They faced 1 L6/40 light reconnaissance tank, two armored cars (one AS43 and the other of an unknown model), and several trucks armed with Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/65 Breda Modello 1935, including at least one civilian FIAT 634N 2nd Series requisitioned weeks or days earlier by the Army.
Civilian FIAT 634N 2nd Series with a Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/65 Breda Modello 1935 on the loading bay, used by the Fascist forces against the partisans at Tirano on 27th April 1945. Source: Giorgio Pisanò
The fight lasted from dawn until 1630 hrs. Among the partisans, there were two deceased, Ermanno Balgera and Nello Braccaioli, and some others were wounded. The Vichy French troops suffered 5 casualties and several wounded. The Fascists lost nine men and two auxiliaries (women assigned to units as nurses, cooks, etc.). In the reports, three Germans are also marked as fallen, of whom nothing else is known.
The armored car ended up in partisan hands after the clash, along with other vehicles of the Fascist column. These were used in the following days, until 2nd May 1945, in the area of the Mortirolo Pass, at 1,852 meters above sea level, where an attack by the I Legione d’Assalto ‘M’ ‘Tagliamento’ was feared.
The Autoblinda AS43 captured by the partisans at Tirano waiting in a street in Sondrio together with two Peugeot pick-ups captured from Vichy troops. Source: Italia 43-45. I blindati di circostanza della guerra civile
Camouflage and Markings
The known vehicles had two different types of camouflage schemes, the Kaki Sahariano (English: Saharan Khaki), standard monochrome camouflage of the Italian Regio Esercito until mid-1943. However, as they were delivered to the unit in May 1944, this scheme was probably used because Officine Viberti had no other paint. The other scheme was the Continentale (English: Continental) three-tone camouflage scheme. It was the standard camouflage scheme for the vehicles produced after the end of the North African Campaign, when it became obvious that the peninsula had to be defended from Allied attacks and a desert camouflage was no longer suitable for the purpose.
The Kaki Sahariano base vehicles were covered with reddish brown and dark green spots. It was adopted from December 1944. The vehicles spotted from 23rd March until April 1945 had this camouflage pattern.
The only license plate known is ‘GNR 0151’, spotted on 23rd May 1944. When the vehicles had Kaki Sahariano camouflage they received the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ coat of arms on the turret sides and rear hatch. This was a red ‘m’, for Mussolini, with a lictorian beam (symbol of the Italian Fascist Party), and the acronym ‘GNR’ painted in red.
The vehicle captured in Tirano by the partisans received some patriotic slogans painted in white on the superstructure. Due to the framing of the only known photo of the vehicle and the low quality, only the word “ESERCITO” (English: Army) is legible.
It was common practice for the partisans to paint slogans or the names of fallen comrades on vehicles captured from the Fascists, both for superstition and in order to avoid friendly fire. It is possible that the phrase on the armored car was “ESERCITO DI LIBERAZIONE” (English: Liberation Army).
The captured vehicle in Tirano. The writing “ESERCITO …” is visible on the front. The men in front of the armored cars look like partisans. There is also a man dressed in a suit, maybe the city’s mayor or a citizen that joined the partisans that day. Source: Italia 43-45. I blindati di circostanza della guerra civile
Conclusion
In the desperate situation in which the Italian Social Republic found itself in 1944, the Carrozzeria Speciale on AS43 was all the Fascist Italian troops could get.
Even if it was not a vehicle with extraordinary characteristics, it was employed in secondary tasks and against adversaries equipped with weak weapons that could not destroy it. The few examples produced were used successfully until the end of the war.
Carrozzeria Spegiale su SPA-Viberti AS43. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.
Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43 Specifications
Total weight, battle ready
5 or 6 tonnes
Crew
3 (driver, loader and commander/gunner)
Propulsion
Tipo 18 VT 4-cylinder petrol, 4,053 cm³, 73 hp at 2,600 rpm and 120 liter tank
Speed
~50 km/h
Range
~ 250 km
Armament
One Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Mod. 1935 and a 8 mm Breda Mod. 38
Kingdom of Italy (1941-1943)
Truck-Mounted Artillery – 24 Converted
The Autocannone da 65/17 su Morris CS8 was a wheeled self-propelled gun built during the Second World War by the workshops of the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) in Libyan territory. This vehicle was created by installing a 65 mm infantry cannon on the cargo bay of British Morris CS8 trucks captured during the first actions in North Africa in 1940. This Autocannone was used by the Batterie Volanti (English: Flying Batteries) artillery group that fought against the Commonwealth forces in the Libyan desert during the North African Campaign.
The Autocannone da 65/17 su Morris CS8 with a two tone camouflage, unit coat of arms on the fender, and a Savoia Cross for air recognition on the hood. Source: pinterest.com
Context
The word ‘Autocannone’ (Autocannoni plural) designated any truck equipped with a field, anti-tank or support gun permanently mounted on the cargo bay. It differs from the British term ‘Portée’ in that the Portée cannon was transported in the cargo bay on its wheeled carriage and, if necessary, could be unloaded and used as a normal field gun.
After the initial military success in the North African Campaign, such as the Italian Invasion of Egypt between 9th and 16th September 1940 and Operation Sonnenblume between 6th February and 25th May 1941, the Regio Esercito captured lots of British light trucks, such as the Morris CS8, Ford and Chevrolet 15 CWT, and some Canadian Military Pattern or CMPs. In that period, the Italian Army in Africa had serious motorization problems because the Italian industry could not provide enough trucks for the necessity of the Italian Army, Air Force, and Navy.
To replace losses and provide needed vehicles for supplying the units, the Army High Command was forced to requisition civilian trucks and French trucks captured during the French Campaign. Despite this, the number of trucks was still insufficient.
To fill the gap, newly captured British trucks were immediately put into service alongside Italian vehicles, some as normal light transport trucks, while others received some modifications. Some were transformed into reconnaissance vehicles, ammunition carriers, and command vehicles for motorized artillery groups.
A column of Morris CS8 trucks used by the Regio Esercito as ammunition vehicles during a break in the Libyan desert. Source: Italian truck-mounted artillery in action
The inadequacy of the Italian tanks, such as the L3 series light tanks and the medium M11/39 and M13/40 tanks, apparent in the fighting against the British tanks, and the reduced mobility of the infantry support artillery in the desert territory, pushed the High Command to appeal to the Italian workshops in Libyan territory to create vehicles for the role. These had to be light and fast and be able to support the Italian infantry or armored units from short-to-medium ranges with guns that would normally be towed. Such vehicles would be able to move quickly from one point to another on the North African battlefields to engage the enemy forces that broke through the Axis defensive lines.
This was seen by the Italian commanders in Africa as only a temporary solution before the production of better armed vehicles with adequate characteristics. The vehicles, like other autocannoni, were built at the Libyan workshops of the 12° Autoraggruppamento AS (‘AS’ stands for Africa Settentrionale – North Africa) situated in the Village of Giovanni Berta, near the city of El Gubba in north-east Libya.
The Trucks
The Morris CS8 was the standard light truck of the Commonwealth Armed Forces in North Africa. Dozens of different variants were built, including a command post, radio center, water and fuel tanker, compressor and, most noticeably, French Hotchkiss 25 mm Mle. 1934, Bofors 37 mm and 2 pounder portée versions.
A Morris CS8 with Bofors 37 mm anti-tank gun used by Polish troops in the Commonwealth Army in the North African Desert. Source: acemodel.com.ua
It was a compact and reliable 15 CWT (Centum WeighT, a multiple of the British pound equivalent to 750 kg of loadable weight in the metric system) 4×2 truck. The rear-wheel drive vehicle was equipped with a civil-derived 6-cylinder gasoline engine with a volume of 3.5 liters, delivering 60 hp. It had a 100 liter tank that offered a range of 600 km.
Morris CS8 captured by Italian troops during the first stages of the African Campaign. Source: modellismopiù.com
Captured in large numbers by the Italians in Cyrenaica during the first phases of the war, the CS8 was appreciated for its characteristics by the Axis troops. It was widely used by the Italians as a desert reconnaissance truck, ammunition carrier, command post, or used to transport artillery pieces for Autocannoni da 65/17 field artillery guns and da 20/65 anti-aircraft guns for motorized artillery groups.
Modifications
First of all, the modifications involved the removal of the windshield, which was replaced with a small lowerable windshield for the driver, the removal of the waterproof tarpaulin and the tarpaulin rods, and the front bumper. The standard Morris truck’s cargo bay was lengthened from 460 mm to 510 mm. A rotating trunnion and a manual rotation system taken from knocked out or destroyed M13/40 Italian medium tanks was fixed on the cargo bay. The modified gun carriage, without the spade and the wheels, was mounted on it.
The Autocannone prototype during trials. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano
The fixed sides of the cargo bay were replaced with lowerable sides to allow 360° of rotation for the cannon and clear the recoil of 95 cm when the gun was pointed to the truck’s sides. On the rear part were the sappers’ tools, while on the side, were two perforated metal plates used for unditching the vehicles.
General Gastone Gambara and other officers inspecting the Autocannone prototype. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano
The weight of the truck increased from the standard Morris’ 1,969 kg to 2,846 kg, a weight not too much higher than a Morris CS8 at full load, which was around 2,700 kg.
Each vehicle was equipped with eight 20 liter jerry cans, usually 6 for fuel, with3 per side in two racks under the cargo bay, one for lubricant, and one for drinkable water, hooked on both sides of the cabin. In this way, the range from 600 km more than doubled to 1,325 km. Each Autocannone carried a reserve of 36 rounds for the cannon, increased later to 60 rounds stored in a rack on the cargo bay’s rear.
The Morris CS8 in British Army service and the Autocannone da 65/17 su Morris CS8 in Italian hands. Source: panzerserra.blogspot.com & wikipedia.org
For close and anti-aircraft defense, a 360° support for a Breda Mod. 38 caliber 8 mm machine gun was mounted on the left side of the cabin for use by the vehicle’s commander. The ammunition for the machine gun was probably stored under the commander’s seat or wherever there was space. There were 5 crew members: a driver on the right of the cabin; a commander on the left; a gunner and two loaders on the cargo bay. They carried their personal weapons on board which were, from photographic evidence, Carcano Mod. 91/38 carabines, one of the shortest variants of the Carcano Mod. 1891 rifle family.
The Cannon
The Cannone da 65/17 Mod. 1908, and its successor, the Mod. 1913, were the standard mountain cannons of the Regio Esercito during the First World War. They were produced by the Arsenale Regio Esercito di Torino or ARET (English: Royal Army Arsenal of Turin) and afterwards, in the 1920s, the Arsenale Regio Esercito di Napoli or AREP.
In 1920, the Cannone da 75/13 produced by Škoda, of which hundred were captured during the war and thousands more were obtained after the war from Austria as war reparations, became the standard mountain gun in the Italian Army. As a consequence, the Cannone da 65/17s were assigned to all infantry divisions as a support cannon to replace the 3.7 cm Infanteriegeschütz M.15, which were produced in Italy as the Cannone da 37/10 Fanteria Mod. 1915.
Each Italian regiment was equipped with four 65/17 Mod. 1908 or Mod. 1913 cannons. The cannon was used in great quantities in the Ethiopian War and the Spanish Civil War, being used, due to the lack of guns specifically designed for the anti-tank role, as an anti-tank gun, succeeding in penetrating the armor of armored vehicles in service with the Spanish Republican troops, such as the Soviet BA-6 armored cars and T-26 and BT-7 light tanks, proving equivalent to the 47/32 Mod. 1935 gun in the anti-tank role.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, the 65/17 was assigned primarily to the Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia (English: Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia) and to the troops in North Africa.
The Cannone da 65/17 Mod. 1913 in North Africa. Source: pinterest.com
Although it was a light and practical cannon to move, as it could be towed by the Moto Guzzi 500 TriAlce motorized tricycle, in the North African terrain, on the sand, it had mobility and stability problems. The main factor that characterized the war in the wide desert spaces was the need to have excellent mobility and rapid response to enemy attacks.
These factors prompted the Italian Royal Army leadership to install the cannons on truck beds.
There were four types of ammunition available for this cannon:
Cannone da 65/17 Mod. 1908 ammunition
Name
Type
Fuze
Weight (kg)
Muzzle velocity (m/s)
Penetration
Cartoccio Granata Dirompente
High-Explosive (HE)
Mod. 1912
4.22
355
//
Cartoccio Granata a Shrapnel
Shrapnel grenade
Mod. 1912
4.5
320
//
Cartoccio Granata Perforante
Armor-Piercing (AP)
I-90-909-R.M.
4.23
348
Not specified
Granata Effetto Pronto
High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT)
//
//
~300
120 mm
Unfortunately, there is not much information about the rounds of the Cannone da 65/17 Mod. 1908/13. The High-Explosive Anti-Tank shells were distributed to first line units on the North African front after spring 1942. They were quite effective given the low muzzle velocity of the cannon and could penetrate 120 mm of armor at 90° at any distance. The maximum range of the gun was 6,000 meters, but the practical anti-tank effective distance dropped to 500 to 1,000 meters.
The original cannon was modified, removing the wheels and tail. It was mounted on a system taken from the traverse system of damaged or destroyed Italian tanks, of which the workshops were full. The elevation was limited from 0° to +20°, while the traverse was a full 360°.
An Autocannone da 65/17 su Morris CS8 from the rear. The gun and its support are visible on the cargo bay. Source: pinterest.com
Operational Service
The first batch consisted of 24 Morris trucks armed with the Italian 65/17 field gun. These were presented for the first time on August 8th, 1941, by Italian Royal Army General Gastone Gambara, the commander of the Corpo d’Armata di Manovra (English: Mobile Army Corp) during a meeting with other generals in Cyrenaica. There, he said they had 24 all-terrain anti-tank vehicles based on captured trucks under construction and that they would be ready shortly.
General Gastone Gambara and Colonel Tullio Nicolardi inspecting the prototype of the SPG. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano
The first batch went to equip the Italian Raggruppamento Esplorante or RE (English: Exploration Grouping) of the Corpo d’Armata di Manovra. The first two armed Morris trucks were ready on September 8th, 1941, while the first Batteria Volante was ready on September 22nd of the same year.
During the last days of September 1941, the Batteries equipped with armed Morris CS8 trucks participated in the battles of the African Campaign. These proved to be useful, so the Italian Royal Army immediately began to modify other British vehicles, equipping its batteries with a total of 71 captured vehicles and managing to create a total of 16 Batterie Volanti equipped with Autocannoni armed with anti-tank, anti-aircraft, or field guns based on Italian or captured trucks. Of these 16 Batterie Volanti, the Autocannone da 65/17 su Morris CS8 equipped seven.
The batteries equipped with this type of autocannoni were also often used in the anti-tank role, even if the Cannone da 65/17 Mod. 1913 was certainly not suitable for that role. However, they managed, on more than one occasion, to slow down or stop the attacks of British armored forces.
Another important role was intercepting and engaging the patrols of the Long Range Desert Groups (LRDGs) or the Special Air Service (SAS) that attacked Axis airfields and fuel and ammunition storage centers located at the rear of the Axis line, and the columns loaded with supplies going to the frontline.
After the Invasion of Egypt, the British reorganized and launched several surprise attacks in the rear of the Axis lines, trying to weaken the Italian Army. An attack force, presumably composed of the LRDG, perhaps supported by a small nucleus of armored vehicles, attacked the workshop of the 12° Autoraggruppamento AS on December 4th, 1941. This was one of the first clashes in which the Autocannoni da 65/17 participated.
A defense was organized which, thanks to the brave work of Umberto Galli Da Bino, the Italian NCO in charge of the workshop, was effective and was able to stop the enemy attack, capturing some enemy vehicles and losing a few men. The NCO was later awarded the Gold Medal for Military Valor for this action.
The 1ª to the 3ª Batteria Volante equipped the I° Gruppo (English: 1st Group), while the 4ª to the 6ª Batteria Volante equipped the lll° Gruppo. On May 24th, 1942, all six Batteries were renamed Batterie Autocannoni and the two groups were renamed XIV° Gruppo and XV° Gruppo, respectively. The last battery created was the 11ª Batteria Volante Indipendente (English: 11th Independent Flying Battery).
In 1941, the equipment provided to each battery consisted of four Autocannoni da 65/17 su Morris CS8 with 36 rounds on board and two ammunition carriers, often modified Morris CS8, with 250 rounds each. Other batteries were equipped with three Autocannoni da 65/17 su Morris CS8 and two anti-aircraft vehicles, 20/65 su Ford 15 CWT, or Chevrolet 15 CWT trucks.
During the campaign, some batteries were equipped with three 65/17 su Morris CS8 and two captured Ford F15 truck armed with the Breda 20/65 Mod. 1935 anti-aircraft gun or with another 16 Morris CS8 trucks that were modified by the Italians and armed with a 20/65 Breda Mod. 1935, used to defend the autocannoni batteries from air attacks.
In November 1941, a friendly fire incident destroyed half of the autocannoni su Morris CS8 of a Batterie Volante and an entire battery, 4 vehicles, of Autocannoni da 100/17 on Lancia 3Ro. A German Junker Ju. 87 ‘Stuka’ ground attack aircraft hit the vehicles, mistaking them for British trucks, despite the flags of the Kingdom of Italy painted on the fenders and attached to the hoods of the vehicles. This killed 6 crew members and the lieutenant colonel of the battlegroup.
On March 23rd, 1942, the XIV° Gruppo was completely destroyed by the British during an aerial bombardment against their positions. Between March 24th and 25th, British troops also hit their positions with artillery fire. The few surviving vehicles of the XIV° Gruppo fought against the 8th Army and almost all surviving personnel of the group were taken prisoners.
During the following weeks, the XIV° Gruppo was rebuilt from the III° Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’ (English: 3rd Armored Group), equipped with AB41 armored cars and four Autocannoni da 65/17 su FIAT 634N, based on an Italian heavy duty truck.
In the spring 1942, the first Autocannoni da 90/53, developed and produced in Italy for the African Campaign, arrived. These armed trucks did not have great mobility, but their 90 mm cannons were really powerful. As a consequence, in June 1942 the production of new autocannoni da 65/17 was stopped.
Because of the losses, the Autocannoni da 65/17 Batteries were reorganized into: command unit, 3 batteries with 12 autocannoni da 65/17 in total, four autocannoni da 20/65 su Ford, Chevrolet or Morris CS8 chassis, a staff car, 4 armored trucks, 10 light trucks, 13 motorcycles, 4 machine guns, four 20 mm wheeled anti-aircraft guns and two RF2 radio station with a staff of 13 officers, 7 NCOs, 137 artillery crew, and 56 drivers.
General Ugo Cavallero delivering a speech, along with General Gastone Gambara and General Ettore Bastico, sitting on an Autocannone da 65/17 su Morris CS8. On the right is visible a flag of the Kingdom of Italy in order to avoid friendly fire. Al-Kararim village near Misratah, Libya, June 1942. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano
The three renamed batteries were assigned from January 1943 to the 136º Reggimento Artiglieria (English: 136th Artillery Regiment) of the 136ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Giovani Fascisti’ (English: 136th Armored Division) and remained in the division for the rest of the African Campaign, fighting with tenacity during the battles in Tunisia.
Autocannone da 65/17 su Morris CS8 of the 1st Batteria Autocannoni, 136° Reggimento d’Artiglieria Celere of the 136ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Giovani Fascisti’ in Tunisia, 1943. Source: reddit.com
The first battle in which the Autocannoni da 65/17 participated under the insignia of the ‘Giovani Fascisti’ division was the Battle of Médenine on March 6th, 1943. There, they supported the failed offensive of the Axis that led to the loss of 52 tanks.
During the Battle of the Mareth Line, March 16th to 31st, and the Battle of Wadi Akarit (in Italian called Uadi) on April 6th to 7th, 1943, the Axis units were supported by the autocannoni. However, their use in anti-tank actions was almost completely fruitless because the Allies were armed with modern tanks with thicker armor than the tanks used at the beginning of the campaign.
The last autocannoni were still used between April 19th and 30th, during the First Battle of Enfidaville (now the Tunisian city of Enfidha) and in the Second Battle of Enfidaville. During these, the last forces of the 136ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Giovani Fascisti’ fought even after the declaration of surrender of the Axis forces in the region.
An autocannone da 65/17 su Morris CS8 of the 1st Group lies abandoned in the African desert. In this photo is clearly visible the 360° rotating support derived from the Italian ‘M’ tanks and the modified cannon carriage. Source: pinterest.com
Conclusion
The autocannoni da 65/17 were very effective in the African Campaign, where their timely intervention succeeded on more than one occasion in turning the fortunes of some battles. However, like any military vehicle, they were not free from flaws.
They were unarmored and vulnerable to enemy small arms fire and lacked protection for the crew, who were vulnerable to shrapnel and small bullets. The crew was then exposed to sunlight and sandstorms and the cargo bay, although widened, was narrow, making it difficult for the three gun crew to work around the gun.
In order to protect themselves from enemy infantry attacks, the crew was forced to transport their personal weapons and ammunition for them, but there were no gun racks available on the cargo bay.
Autocannone da 65/17 su Morris CS8. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.
Autocannone da 65/17 su Morris CS8 specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)
4.69 – 4.74 x 1.98 x 1.98 m
Total weight, battle-ready
2.846 tonnes
Crew
4 (vehicle commander, driver, gunner and loader)
Propulsion
6 cylinder, 3.5 l, gasoline
Speed
65 km/h
Range
600 km or 1325 km (with additional jerry cans)
Armament
cannone d’accompagnamento 65/17 Mod. 1908/1913 and a Breda Mod. 38 machine-gun
Armor
//
Total production
24 65/17 su Morris CS8 and around 30 others in the other variants.
Sources
I corazzati di circostanza italiani – Nico Sgarlato
FIAT 665NM Scudato of the Regio Esercito. On the top a Breda Modello 1930 machine gun. Yugoslavia 1943. Illustration done by the exellent Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.
Kingdom of Italy (1942-1945)
Armored Personnel Carrier – 110+ Built
The FIAT 665NM Protetto (English: Protected) was an Italian Second World War Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) developed on the 4×4 FIAT 665NM chassis. A total of 110 were produced before the Armistice on 8th September 1943 and were used by the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army). Some were then captured by the Germans, who reused the majority of those vehicles.
The Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano (English: National Republican Army) had a few vehicles too, which were mainly used in anti-partisan operations, with great success.
Special thanks to Marko Pantelić and Daniele Notaro, who helped with information on the service of the vehicle in the Balkans and units that operated it.
FIAT 665NM Protetto at the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione in Rome. Source: tumblr.com
Context
The Regio Esercito entered the Second World War without armored personnel carriers, which were desperately needed. In the vast deserts of North Africa, Italian troops were transported on trucks that could not follow the troops into the battlefields because of their vulnerability.
In order to solve the lack of APCs, the Italian troops in the various war theaters, Yugoslavia, North Africa, and East Africa, created a few improvised solutions.
The Italian occupation forces in Yugoslavia were often widely distributed across many smaller garrisons, with the purpose of protecting them against any possible Partisan attacks and to keep the cities out of Partisan hands. This worked in theory, but in practice, it made them easy targets for the Yugoslavian Partisans. They would simply surround and then eliminate these small Italian garrisons, which lacked the means to properly fight back. In order to respond to these major issues, in 1941, the Italians began developing a series of new armored vehicles. However, in order to respond faster to the threat, the Italian occupation force in Yugoslavia started to produce many improvised armored trucks on civilian or military trucks.
A Renault ADR Blindato of the Regio Esercito used in the Balkans. Source: pinterest.com
In East Africa, the Italians had a total of 5,300 civilian and military trucks, of which 96 were fully or partially armored to fight the British troops and Ethiopian partisans.
In North Africa, where the necessity for specialized vehicles was greater, improvised APCs were few in number, as priority was given to Autocannoni, trucks armed with cannons used for infantry support. Despite this, some FIAT 626 trucks were armored with lightweight steel plates.
Ceirano 47 CM Blindato used by the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana in the Italian East African Colonies. Source: pinterest.com
Development
The development of this armored personnel carrier, initially called Autocarro Scudato (English: Shielded Truck) and then Autocarro da Trasporto a 4 Ruote Motrici (English: 4 wheel drive transport truck), began in mid-1942 by the Arsenale Regio Esercito di Torino (English: Royal Army Arsenal of Turin) in collaboration with FIAT Veicoli Industriali (English: FIAT Industrial Vehicle), which provided the trucks and some suggestion to the arsenal, and the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione (English: Centre for Motorisation Studies).
The Arsenale Regio Esercito di Torino, which had around 1,377 workers, mostly produced artillery pieces and armored plates during the Second World War, but also armored some vehicles, especially after the Armistice, in a semi-improvised manner. After the war, the arsenal refurbished dozens of armored vehicles that had survived the war in order to be put back in service with the new Italian armored forces.
Production and Name
The FIAT 665NM Protetto was accepted into service without testing because one of its developers was the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione. They were responsible for testing vehicles and then deciding whether to produce or reject them. The exact day that production began is unclear.
The FIAT 665NM heavy duty truck was probably tested between October and November 1942 and was accepted into service along with the FIAT 665NM Protetto or Scudato armored personnel carrier version in early November 1942. On 24th November 1942, the first request for 300 FIAT 665NM Scudati APCs was made, while the exact number of FIAT 665NM trucks ordered is not certain. Unfortunately, four days later, on 28th November, the Arsenale Regio Esercito di Torino was hit by an Allied bombardment that heavily damaged the building, destroying some ready-to-deliver equipment, and slowing the production of armor plates produced in the arsenal. Despite this, the next day, on 29th November 1942, the General Staff of the Royal Italian Army received a dispatch from the FIAT Mirafiori plant in Turin in which it was asked to whom to deliver the 44 FIAT 665NM Protetti already produced and stored in the plant’s depot.
The FIAT Mirafiori plant was damaged on 20th November and 8th December 1942 by two Allied bombing raids with a total of 4,000 lbs (~2 tons) of bombs. These damaged or destroyed 110,000 m2 of the plant, damaged or destroyed vehicle production tool machineries, and set fire to the office building, where important documents relating to the production programs were lost.
FIAT 626 Furgone Radio (English: Radio Van) on the left and a FIAT 666NM (on the right) at the FIAT Mirafiori Plant that was hit by Allied bombs. Source: Satiz Foto
The exact number of vehicles produced is not clear, but the majority of sources claim that 110 FIAT 665NM were produced, but this seems to be incorrect. The Italian Royal Army ordered 300 vehicles to be produced until 8th September 1943. According to a report compiled by the FIAT Mirafiori Plant Services Office, 110 FIAT 665NM Scudati were produced until 30th April 1943, four months before the Armistice.
During these four months, production did not cease, but rather resumed at full capacity. In March 1943, in fact, there was a drop in production due to strikes. The workers from FIAT Mirafiori plant not only participated, but were the first to strike and set an example for the dozens of other factories in Turin, Genoa, and Milan, resulting in a national strike. Other strikes took place on 27th and 28th July and 19th August 1943, but they only minimally slowed down the production of vehicles and tanks.
During these four months, there was no bombing of the factory, so it is logical to assume that several FIAT 665NM Scudati came off the assembly lines, supplementing the 110 units produced by April.
Therefore, it is plausible to assume that the number of vehicles produced was higher than 110, even if the Armistice and the destruction caused by Allied bombings on 8th November and 1st December 1943 probably destroyed the documents relating to the FIAT 665NM Scudati production. Because of the same problems, it is not clear if the production was restarted for the Germans or the Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano (English: National Republican Army), the new Italian Army formed in the Repubblica Sociale Italiana (English: Italian Social Republic), in October 1943.
The name of the vehicle creates more problems. Some sources mention it as FIAT 665NM ‘Protetto’ (English: Protected), others as FIAT 665NM ‘Blindato’ (English: Armored), and others as FIAT 665NM ‘Scudato’ (English: Shielded).
In Italian, these words are synonyms for an armored vehicle. Consequently, all three designations are correct. In this article, the ‘Protetto’ or ‘Scudato’ terms, which are the most common, will be used. This also avoids confusion with the Autoprotetto FIAT 666NM per la Regia Marina, developed before the armistice or with the FIAT 666N Blindato, which was an improvised armored car used by an RSI unit in Piacenza province.
Planned Replacement
The FIAT 665NM Scudato was not without flaws, notably its production. The majority of vehicles produced were standard FIAT 665NM fresh off the assembly line that were requisitioned by the workers and armored. This was a drawn out process which slowed down the production of the FIAT heavy duty trucks and of the armored personnel carrier, and the armor turned out to be too light, vulnerable to even small arms fire.
This led FIAT to develop a new vehicle with the same chassis and engine but with a new redesigned superstructure directly fixed to the chassis, and not on the truck’s bodywork.
The development of a new vehicle, the FIAT 665NM Blindato con Riparo Ruote, began in April 1943 but never materialized. It had a new well-inclined, rectangular-shaped superstructure with 8 mm thick armored plates that would have greatly increased the protection of the vehicle. Unfortunately, after the Armistice was signed, neither the Germans nor RSI were interested in pursuing with it.
FIAT 665NM Blindato con Riparo Ruote. Source: Gli Autoveicoli tattici e logistici del Regio Esercito Italiano fino al 1943
Design
FIAT 666NM and FIAT 665NM
The FIAT 665NM was developed after March 1941 as the 4×4 variant of the FIAT 666NM (NM stands for Nafta Militare – Diesel Military) produced by Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino or FIAT (English: Italian Automobiles Factory, Turin).
FIAT 666N propaganda poster. Source: Centro Storico FIAT
The Kingdom of Italy was forced in 1937 to pass a law that outlined the main characteristics required for all civilian or military trucks that were produced. This was done for three main reasons:
Firstly, Italy was a rapidly growing nation with numerous companies producing dozens of different models of trucks, a standardization would have led companies to produce vehicles very similar to each other and with common parts, increasing the production capacity.
Secondly, there was also the problem of embargoes placed on Italy and the policy of autarky, or the aspiration of Italian leaders to be economically independent from foreign countries. Unified truck standards would certainly have helped to avoid wasting resources.
Thirdly, and probably the most important reason, was the unification of civilian and military truck standards, which meant that, in case of war, civilian trucks could be requisitioned for war needs.
FIAT 666N with an Officine Viberti trailer with the Giovanni Ambrozich transport group. Source: pinterest.com
With Regio Decreto (English: Royal Decree) N° 1809 of 14th July 1937, the so-called Autocarri Unificati (English: Unified Trucks) were born. For heavy trucks, the maximum weight was not to exceed 12,000 kg, of which at least 6,000 kg had to be of payload, with a minimum road speed of 45 km/h.
As for light trucks, the ground clearance was to be at least 200 mm, the maximum truck weight was to be 4,000 kg, and the payload 3,000 kg.
FIAT 666N prototype at the FIAT Mirafiori plant. Source: FIAT Archives
The FIAT 666N was a heavy duty truck. The civilian version was developed in 1938 under the Regio Decreto N° 1809 rules. Its prototype was ready at the end of 1938 and was presented to Benito Mussolini on 15th May 1939, on the occasion of the inauguration of the FIAT Mirafiori plant in Turin. This factory building covered 300,000 m2 on an area of over one million m2, with a total of 22,000 workers on several shifts. All 50,000 FIAT workers of Turin were present for Mirafiori’s inauguration. The AB40 prototypes were also presented then. The military version, the FIAT 666NM, was presented to the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione for evaluation on 19th September 1940.
The FIAT Mirafiori plant in Turin, photo taken in early 1940s by a Regia Aeronautica pilot. Source: panorama.com
It differed from the civilian version through the addition of acetylene headlights, a bulb horn, and manually operated turn signals on the sides of the windscreen. The first military order for 1,000 FIAT 666NM trucks was issued on 10th January 1941. Another 1,500 were ordered on 23rd July 1941, 1,000 on 5th March 1942, and 700 on 16th June 1943. In total, about 8,000 FIAT 666s left the assembly lines of the Mirafiori plant, including the post-war direct-injection 666N7 and FIAT 665NM versions.
The Italian Regia Aeronautica (English: Royal Air Force) ordered 796 trucks on 23rd October 1941. This truck was used on the Eastern Front, in North Africa, in Italy, and in the Balkans.
After the Armistice of 8th September 1943, between November 1943 and December 1944, 79 FIAT 666NM and 2 FIAT 665NM were delivered to the Wehrmacht.
FIAT 666NM of the Luftwaffe. This vehicle was equipped with Pirelli Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’ tires. The license plate, WL (Luftwaffe) – 583495, helps to indicate that it was in service with Luftgau-Kommando V in France. Source: kfzderwehrmacht.de
The FIAT 666 was produced in a wide range of variants, such as standard truck and fuel carrier for civilian service, while for military service, recovery trucks, fuel and water carriers, mobile workshops, petrol engine variants, and many others were produced.
FIAT 665NM 4×4 outside of the FIAT Mirafiori plant. It is interesting to notice that it is in Kaki Sahariano desert camouflage and that it has Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ tires for desert soils. Source: Archivio FIAT
Engine and Suspension
Propulsion was provided by FIAT Tipo 366 6-cylinder in-line diesel engine. It had overhead valves, with a displacement of 9,365 cm³ and FIAT-produced injectors. The maximum output power was 110 hp at 2,000 rpm on the civil FIAT 666N, the FIAT 666NM for the Regia Aeronautica, and on the FIAT 665NM. The maximum output power on the Regio Esercito’s FIAT 666NM was limited to delivering 95 hp at 1,700 rpm. The Ricardo type direct-injection chamber created lots of problems in the cold Russian steppes, which forced the crews to fix the diesel fuel with gasoline in order to allow the engine to start.
FIAT Tipo 366 with oil bath filters (right). Source: Archivio FIAT
The maximum speed on-road was 57 km/h for the FIAT 665NM, 48.3 km/h for the power-limited FIAT 666NM, and 56.8 km/h for the FIAT 666N and FIAT 666NM. The fuel was kept in a 255 liter tank (135 liters for the FIAT 666N) located on the right side of the chassis, which offered a 750 km on-road range (465 km for the FIAT 666N).
A FIAT 6-75-2510 diaphragm pump then pumped the fuel into a 5.5-liter tank located behind the cab’s dashboard. This ensured trouble-free feeding thanks to a gravity injection pump. The lubricant oil tank had a capacity of 12 liters, while the water-cooling tank had a capacity of 50 liters.
Air was drawn through two filters mounted at the back of the engine. Up until engine number 000530, they used cartridge filters, after which it was replaced with oil bath filters.
As on the FIAT 626 medium truck, the engine could be extracted through the cab’s front after the removal of the grille thanks to rollers mounted on the two supports of the engine, rolling on guides fixed to the frame.
FIAT 665NM frame. Between the wheels, on the left, the air tank and the batteries box are visible. On the right is the fuel tank. Source: Archivio FIAT
Brakes and Electric Systems
The single dry plate clutch was connected to the gearbox via a cardan shaft. This could be removed independently of the gearbox and engine simply by removing the rear casing. This meant that maintenance and disassembly were easier.
The transmission, thanks to the reductor, had eight gears and two reverse gears. The drum brakes were hydraulic and had a pedal-operated air brake booster. The compressed air tank with a capacity of 55 liters and was located on the left of the frame. It had a pressure of 5.5 bar. On the NM version, the rear axle was equipped with a differential.
There was a 12-volt electrical circuit used to power the headlights and dashboard, and a 24-volt circuit for starting the engine. The two 12V Magneti Marelli batteries were housed in a box on the left side of the chassis, behind the air tank.
Structure
The cargo bay measured 4.75 meters long by 2.20 meters wide, with a height of 600 mm on the civilian version and 650 mm on the military version. It was homologated to carry up to 6 tonnes of cargo, but could carry, without much difficulty, an L6/40 light tank (weighing 6.84 tonnes).
Two unarmed L6/40 light reconnaissance tanks loaded on a FIAT 666NM and its 15 tonnes payload trailer. Source: Cavalleria Italiana
The cab had the steering wheel and the driver on the right, while the vehicle’s commander was placed on the left. The cab’s doors opened backwards. Due to the slow production rates, some early FIAT 666NMs were equipped with civilian FIAT 666N cabs.
FIAT 665NM (above) and FIAT 666NM-RE with civilian cab (below). The different placements of the tool boxes under the cargo bay and the different tire dimensions are clearly visible. Sources: Archivio FIAT
In spite of its respectable dimensions and its large load capacity, the FIAT 666 heavy duty truck, with a chassis weight of 1 tonne and about 5 tonnes of additional structure weight, for a total weight of 6 tonnes in the FIAT 666NM variant and 7.2 tonnes in the FIAT 665NM version, could travel at more than 56 km/h with a 12 tonne trailer attached. Fully loaded, it could climb 26º slopes. Thanks to its short wheelbase and cab layout, it was comfortable traveling on mountain roads.
The FIAT 666NM had a wheel rim size of 20 x 8” (50.8 x 20.32 cm), while the FIAT 665NM wheels had a rim size of 24 x 9” (61 x 23 cm). This allowed the latter to mount 11.25 x 24” (28.5 cm x 61 cm) tires, the same as the armored cars and camionette of the Regio Esercito, in order to offer smoother cross-country driving. Like the armored cars and Camionette, it could use a wide variety of tires, such as the Tipo ‘Libia’ and Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’, which, because of their wide profile, afforded flotation on loose sandy soils, Tipo ‘Artiglio’ and Tipo ‘Artiglio a Sezione Maggiorata’ for continental soils and Russian steppes, roughly equivalent to the Non-Directional Tread (NDT) tires used by the US Army, and Tipo ‘Raiflex’ for sandy grounds and produced with Rayon (Raion in Italian) synthetic fibers (RAI-flex for Raion), all developed and produced by the Pirelli company in Milan.
Strangely enough, most of the images of the FIAT 665NM Scudati show that most of the vehicles were equipped with Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ tires, a very strange decision if we consider that none of the vehicles were used in Africa, but only in northern Italy and the Balkans.
FIAT 665NM front and rear, photos taken shortly after production. The vehicle is parked outside the FIAT Mirafiori production line. Sources: Archivio FIAT
The FIAT 665NM Protetto Modifications
The vehicles were produced by the FIAT Veicoli Industriali section in the FIAT Mirafiori plant in Turin. They were then armored by the Tank Production section with armored plates produced by the Arsenale Regio Esercito di Torino and also some FIAT owned steel mills and foundries in Turin.
The FIAT 665NM was fully armored to protect the crew and the personnel placed in the rear. The cab was armored with 7.5 mm thick armored plates in the front, placed 3 cm in front of the original cab that was left intact under the armor, and 5 mm thick on the cab’s side. The roof was not armored and some vehicles had the original cab removed. This meant that the crew could also enter through the rear and that the vehicle had no roof.
The original doors were kept under the armor and had two hatches each to permit the two crew members to check the battlefield and to defend themselves from enemy attacks with their personal weapons.
To view the front arch of the vehicle in order to drive and give orders, the driver and the vehicle’s commander had at their disposal two frontal upward-hinged hatches. Two tiltable armored doors were at the front, used to improve airflow to the radiator cooling and for maintenance of the engine.
FIAT 665NM Scudato with opened door. The presence of the original cab with the 5 mm armored plate fixed on is clear. The rear wall of the cab, with its inspection window, is also visible. The vehicle has a two tone camouflage and some bushes to camouflage it from aircraft attacks. Source: beutepanzer.ru
The cargo bay was partially armored. The first vehicles built had the 65 cm high cargo bay sides and the roof unarmored, but the production line was modified to add armor plates on the sides.
The side armor plates were 4.5 mm thick, but the upper part was angled, while the lower part also had the wooden planks of the cargo bay’s sides to reinforce it. There were eight loopholes for each side of the personnel compartment, plus another three on the rear, for a total of 19 loopholes that gave the vehicle great firepower coverage. The fuel tank of the vehicle was also armored to protect it.
FIAT 665NM Scudato. Source: wikipedia.com
To enter into the personnel compartment, there was a removable ladder on the rear, which was not a great solution to quickly enter and exit from an armored personnel carrier on a battlefield. The twenty fully equipped soldiers could sit on two wooden benches placed on the sides of the compartment. Under the benches, there was enough space to store personal stuff, tools, a machine gun, and probably some ammunition crates and fuel cans.
Armament
The serial production vehicle was not equipped with gun supports but had 19 loopholes in the personnel compartment and more openings in the armored cab. On the prototype, a Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1937 or Modello 1938 (English: Breda Medium Machine Gun Model 1937 and 1938) support was added to the cab roof.
The FIAT 665NM Scudato prototype. The Breda machine gun’s support is visible on the cab’s roof. Source: wikipedia.com
In the rear compartment, there was space for 20 soldiers, but this meant that one did not have a loophole to use. This could have meant that the twentieth soldier was an officer who only gave orders, or that the twentieth soldier had the task of operating the Breda Mod. 30 light machine gun that was carried on board. Given the absence of a mount for the gun, the soldier had to fire by resting the Breda’s bipod on the roof of the cabin or on the sides of the personnel compartment.
Italian units were largely equipped with rifles and carbines, so only rarely could MAB 38 submachine guns be employed from this vehicle. There could also be more than one Fucile Mitragliatore Breda Modello 1930 light machine gun.
FIAT 665NM Scudato rear. Source: Archivio FIAT
At least two vehicles of the Compagnia Comando Reggimentale ‘Mazza di Ferro’ (English: Regimental Command Company) of the 2° Reggimento Milizia Difesa Territoriale ‘Istria’ (English: 2nd Territorial Defense Militia Regiment) were equipped with an internal structure behind the cab to mount an improvised open-top octagonal turret produced by the unit to increase the vehicle’s fire and to protect the machine gunner.
In the few photos of those vehicles, it is clearly visible that the armor plates were scrap rusty metal recovered by the unit from an unknown location. The machine guns were probably Mitragliatrici Medie Breda Modello 1938.
The FIAT 665NM Scudati armed with shields and machine guns of the Compagnia ‘Mazza di Ferro’. Source: pinterest.com
The XIV Battaglione Difesa Costiera (English: 14th Coastal Defense Battalion) armed a FIAT 665NM Scudato with a 8 mm machine gun in a cylindrical open-topped turret, while the Reggimento Volontari Friulani ‘Tagliamento’ (English: Friulian Volunteer Regiment) armed the only vehicle it had with an 8 mm machine gun without armor. It was probably a 8 x 59 mm RB caliber FIAT-Revelli Modello 1914/1935 medium machine gun.
Operational Use
The first FIAT 665NM Scudati were assigned to the 154ª Divisione di Fanteria d’Occupazione ‘Murge’ (English: 154th Occupation Infantry Division) and to the 13ª Divisione di Fanteria ‘Re’ (English: 13th Infantry Division). Unfortunately, nothing is known about the service of the FIATs in these units.
At the beginning of 1943, the 154ª Divisione di Fanteria d’Occupazione ‘Murge’ participated in the Battle of the Neretva, probably with some of these armored trucks.
In general, the FIAT 665NM Scudati were used by the units to escort supply convoys to its isolated garrisons in Mostar, Jablanica, Konjic, Cacko, and Nevesinje in Herzegovina.
FIAT 665NM Scudati on flatcars arriving in the Balkans from the FIAT Mirafiori plant in Turin. The original photo was auctioned online a few years ago. Source: beutepanzers.ru
After the Battle of the Neretva, Murge’s vehicles took part in patrols, raids, and clashes in the anti-partisan struggle in the region of Lika. It was then transferred to Trebinje in May 1943, with the role of coastal defense. It remained there until September 1943, when the Armistice of Cassibile took place. On 8th September, it was located between Signo and Buccari in Slovenia and managed to reach the city of Fiume on 14th September 1943. There, the 154ª Divisione di Fanteria d’Occupazione ‘Murge’ disbanded. The vehicles at its disposal were abandoned for various reasons, partly in Signo and Buccari and partly in Rijeka, where they were captured by the Yugoslav Partisans and the Germans.
In late 1942, the 13ª Divisione di Fanteria ‘Re’ was used to garrison Gospic, Otocac, and Bihac in Croatia. Increasingly, the unit had to repel Partisan attacks that became more violent as the war intensified.
Its garrisons often remained isolated and the armored trucks were used to support the troops breaking through the Partisan roadblocks to reach the units that remained isolated.
In 1943, the 13ª Divisione di Fanteria ‘Re’ fought hard in Dalmatia, first in Korenica and Kapela in January, then in Lapac, Jelovi, and Pavlovacka in February and March. It then continued to supply the isolated garrisons and conduct anti-partisan patrols in the same region until late August 1943, when it was repatriated to Italy, arriving in Ladispoli, near Rome.
Some autieri (English: drivers) of an unknown unit in the Balkans with their new FIAT 665NM Scudati, ready to be used against the Partisans. The original photo was auctioned online a few years ago. The vehicles have Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ desert tires. Source: beutepanzers.ru
With the announcement of the Armistice, the Division Command was disbanded and the division was left without orders. Many soldiers escaped, joining the Allied troops or returning home. The few remaining took part in the defense of Rome until 10th September. Those who survived were captured or joined the Italian Partisans. It is not known what happened to its FIAT 665NM Scudati. It is possible not all of them had arrived in Rome, perhaps even none, being captured in Dalmatia by the Germans while they were waiting to return to Italy.
At least two FIAT 665NM Protetti were taken by the 2° Reggimento Milizia Difesa Territoriale ‘Istria’, which was created shortly after the Armistice with veterans of the 60ª Legione Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale ‘Istria’. The unit was composed of two companies and the Compagnia Comando Reggimentale ‘Mazza di Ferro’, plus six companies for territorial security. It was stationed in Pola on the Istria peninsula, present day Croatia.
The unit had in its ranks 2 L3 light tanks and, as claimed by some sources, 6 armored trucks. These were 2 FIAT 665NM Protetti, a Lancia 3Ro Blindato, and a curious vehicle, a FIAT 626 with the armored cab of a FIAT 665NM Protetto, while the other two armored cars are unknown. Some of these vehicles were armed with twin 13.5 mm Breda Modello 1931 heavy machine guns and at least one with a Cannone-Mitragliera Breda da 20/65 Modello 1935 taken from the Arsenale della Marina (English: Navy Arsenal) in Pola.
The hybrid FIAT 626NM chassis and FIAT 665NM Scudato armored cab was already in service on 12th November 1943 in the Compagnia ‘Mazza di Ferro’. This suggests that it was modified before the Armistice by a unit of the Royal Army.
In the Istria regions, Tito’s Partisans were present in large numbers and very active, attacking isolated Italian or German garrisons and conducting ambushes against weekly convoys loaded with supplies.
The FIAT 626NM with the FIAT 665NM Scudato armored cab of the Compagnia Comando Reggimentale ‘Mazza di Ferro’ with other trucks in the Capodistria main square. Another FIAT 626NM, a pair of SPA 38R and a pair of OM Taurus trucks are also visible. Source: beutepanzer.ru
The Compagnia ‘Mazza di Ferro’ used its armored and armed trucks to escort the supply convoys, which the Partisans soon learned to avoid. The columns of vehicles were sometimes joined by vehicles of other Italian or German units, and even civilian cars or trucks, given the security that the armored vehicles of the regiment offered.
Even the SS- und Polizeiführer Oberabschnitt Alpenland (English: SS and Police Leader in the Upper Alpine Region) in the Operationszone Adriatisches Küstenland or OZAK (English: Operational Zone of the Adriatic Littoral), Erwin Rösener, often requested that the armored trucks of the regiment escorted him together with his German vehicles for greater safety. Nothing is known about the final fate of these vehicles.
Three FIAT 665NM Scudato were used by the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzato ‘San Giusto’ (English: Armored Squadrons Group), together with two S37 Autoprotetti and at least a Renault ADR Blindato. The Gruppo was created in Spalato by Captain Agostino Tonegutti, the former commander of the 1° Squadrone carri L (English: 1st Tank Squadron L) of the 1ª Divisione Celere ‘Eugenio di Savoia’ (English: 1st Celere Division), stationed in Spalato, in September 1943, after the Armistice. Refusing to abide by the terms of the Armistice with the Allied forces, Toneguzzi began to move towards the northern part of Istria with other soldiers loyal to Mussolini and 11 tanks. In Fiume, the unit supported the local Italian garrison, moving then to Gorizia and finally moving to Mariano del Friuli.
In Mariano, several armored vehicles were recovered and refitted, until reaching such a strength that the Squadron became Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’ with three squadrons in early 1944. It was also known under the German designation Italienische Panzer Schwadron “Tonegutti” (English: Italian Panzer Squadron).
Two FIAT 665NM Scudati were lost during one of the heaviest fighting the group saw, against the Yugoslavian Partisans in Dobraule di Santa Croce on 31st May 1944. During this fight, 3 Italian soldiers perished and another 3 armored vehicles were lost.
One FIAT 665NM Scudato of the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’ destroyed and captured by the Yugoslav Partisans in Dobraule di Santa Croce. The Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ tires and the strange three-tone camouflage are visible. Source: Italia 43-45. I blindati di circostanza della guerra civile
The last FIAT 665NM Protetto armored personnel carrier of the unit was lost on 6th December 1944, during a Yugoslav Partisan attack.
The Reggimento Volontari Friulani ‘Tagliamento’ had a FIAT 665NM Protetto in its Command Company. This arrived in December 1943, probably requisitioned from the Autocentro di Udine (English: Udine’s Car Center), where it was probably in storage. It was initially used to defend the Tarcento garrison and, after May 1944, used for anti-partisan patrols and to escort convoys in the Vipacco and Isonzo valleys.
This vehicle was attacked by partisans more than once, trying to destroy it without success. During one such attack, on 26th August 1944, Tito’s Partisans used at least one anti-tank rifle at short range against it, probably a Soviet PTRS-41 or PTRD-41. Chambered for the 14.5 x 114 mm cartridge, this anti-tank rifle, obsolete against tanks, was still able to penetrate more than 30 mm of armored plate at 90° at a distance of 500 meters, easily piercing the FIAT 665NM Scudato’s armor from side to side. The vehicle was penetrated in several places, killing all the soldiers inside except for two. It was abandoned on the road and then set on fire by the Slovenian Partisans.
One vehicle was used by the XIV Battaglione Difesa Costiera now known with German designation: Italienisches Küsten-Festung-Bataillon 14. (English: 14th Italian Coast Fortress Battalion) in Rijeka. This was an Italian unit under German Wehrmacht and then SS-Polizei command, which defended the city from Partisan attacks. It received a FIAT 665NM Scudato with an 8 mm medium machine gun in early 1945 (probably February). It was used until the war’s end to escort convoys.
The last known vehicle delivered to the XIV Battaglione Difesa Costiera was another FIAT 665NM Scudato in January or February 1945. Like the other vehicles used by the Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano, it escorted columns of supplies and patrolled the main roads to deter partisan attacks.
The Germans managed to capture the majority of the FIAT 665NM Scudati after the 8th September 1943 Armistice, renaming them Beute Gepanzerte Mannschaftstransportwagen 665(i) (English: Captured Armored Personnel Carrier 665 – Italian).
The 1. Infanterie-Regiment of the Polizei-Regiment “Bozen” received some of these trucks, while other German units requisitioned or received some. Some were given to Luftwaffe units that used the vehicles for escorting fuel trucks and airport perimeter patrols.
A FIAT 665NM Scudato in Northern Italy with an unknown German unit. The license plate numbers are not legible, but “WL – ” is visible, standing for Luftwaffe. The tires are the ‘Libia’ ones. Source: beutepanzer.ru
During a Yugoslav Partisan ambush against an Italo-German convoy between Comeno and Rifembergo (today Komen and Branik, Slovenia) on 2nd February 1944, a FIAT 665NM Scudato armored personnel carrier was destroyed and set on fire. Two German police officers, 20 German policemen, and 38 Italian soldiers belonging to the Milizia were killed. The origin of this armored truck is not sure. It could have belonged to the Italian Militia’s Compagnia ‘Mazza di Ferro’ or Polizei-Regiment “Bozen”.
The 1. Infanterie-Regiment of the Polizei-Regiment “Bozen” had in its ranks at least an AB41 reconnaissance armored car, a Lancia 1ZM First World War-era armored car, one Carro Armato L3/33 or Carro Armato L3/35 light tank, an improvised armored truck and some FIAT 665NM Scudati.
FIAT 665NM Scudato destroyed in the Yugoslav Partisan attack on 2nd February 1944. The door has fallen off and the original door is visible under the armored plate. The tires were Tipo ‘Libia’. Source: beutepanzer.ru
One of the FIAT 665NM Scudato of the 1. Infanterie-Regiment of the Polizei-Regiment “Bozen” was equipped with an armored roof to protect it from hand grenades and to protect the front machine gunner. The gunner had a hole through which he could fire.
The workshop or depot where it was modified is unknown, but it is very likely it was one in Italy, since the photo was taken between February and March at a checkpoint in Castelnovo del Friuli in the northeast of Italy.
The FIAT 665NM Scudato with an armored roof of the Polizei-Regiment “Bozen” at a German checkpoint. Two Panzer III Ausf. N and a French Renault truck of the AD series are also visible. Sources: beutepanzer.ru
Other interesting modifications were made on a FIAT 665NM Scudato in German hands. A 2 cm FlaK 38 automatic anti-aircraft cannon was mounted on the top of the personnel compartment to provide heavy support fire and to discourage even the bravest Partisan units from attacking the supply columns.
There are only three photos of this vehicle that do not show exactly how the cannon was mounted in the personnel compartment, although it can be assumed it was mounted on an internal support. The photos were auctioned online a few years ago and no other information is given about the German unit that used it or the period.
The vehicle was also armed with a medium machine gun, probably of Italian origin, with a shield. In two photos, an Italian cavalryman armed with a MAB38 is clearly visible. Maybe the Germans kept an Italian driver or the vehicle belonged to a mixed unit in which Italian units were also present. The license plate is not visible in the photos, making it impossible to identify the unit. The FIAT had Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ tires.
The FIAT 665NM Scudato armed with the 2 cm FlaK 38. From this angle, the machine gun is not visible, but the Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ tires and the Italian cavalryman are clearly visible. Source: beutepanzer.ru
Another vehicle, probably of the Polizei-Regiment “Bozen”, was equipped with rods, probably recovered from a destroyed FIAT 666NM, for the water-proof tarpaulin mounted on the non-armored version of the FIAT 665NM. This tarpaulin probably had a double function, protecting the personnel compartment from the rain and from hand grenades.
The FIAT 665NM Protetto with rods for the water-proof tarpaulin. It has the Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ tires. The license plate is not visible. Source: beutepanzer.ru
Some FIAT 665NM Scudato were captured and used by the Yugoslavian Partisans, but their service is unknown. None survived the war.
The camouflage scheme was the standard Kaki Sahariano (English: Saharan Khaki) for the Regio Esercito. The FIAT Mirafiori plant in Turin already painted them in that scheme before delivery.
Some FIAT 665NM Protetti captured by the Germans were maintained in the original camouflage scheme, while others were painted in a two tone scheme with some dark green stripes.
The Compagnia Comando Reggimentale ‘Mazza di Ferro’ vehicles were painted in two ways. One received an interesting three-tone camouflage scheme with polygonal dark green and reddish-brown spots, while the second received a normal three-tone camouflage scheme with standard spots in the same colors.
The Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’ vehicles received a curious ‘tree’ camouflage. Some trees were airbrushed on the Saharan Khaki in order to better camouflage them in the Balkans woods.
Conclusion
The FIAT 665NM was one of the largest and most spacious armored personnel carriers of the Second World War. Unfortunately, its light armor and production of fewer than 200 vehicles did not allow for adequate employment.
It was developed as an armored personnel carrier but was used most of the time as a vehicle for patrolling roads and escorting supply convoys, roles for which it was not designed. However, it was able to perform these without too many problems, especially since the adversaries were hardly ever armed with anti-tank weapons. It should have been replaced by the FIAT 665NM Blindato con Riparo Ruote but the Armistice canceled the project leaving the FIAT 665NM Scudato as the only Italian heavy APC.
FIAT 665NM Scudato of the Regio Esercito. On the top is a Breda Modello 1930 machine gun. Yugoslavia 1943. Illustration by David Bocquelet, modified by Godzilla, funded by our Patreon Campaign.
FIAT 665NM Scudato Specifications
Size (L-W-H)
7.345 x 2.67 x 2.73 m
Total weight, battle ready
11 tonnes
Crew
2 (driver and commander) + 20 soldiers
Propulsion
FIAT Tipo 366 9,365 cm³, 110 hp with 255 liter tank
Speed
57 km/h
Range
~ 700 km
Armament
One machine gun
Armor
Cab: 7.5 mm front and 5 mm sides. Crew compartment: 4.5 mm
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Kingdom of Italy (1941-1943)
