Category: WW2 Italian Armored Cars

Autoblinda Lancia Lince

Autoblinda Lancia Lince. Illustration done by Oussama Mohamed 'Godzilla', funded by our Patreon campaign.

Kingdom of Italy/German Reich/Italian Social Republic/Italian Partisans/Italian Republic (1944-1951)
Scout Car – 128~250 Built

When the Second World War broke out, the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) was not equipped with a fast and lightly armored scout car. After the experience gained in the North African Campaign, in which the Italian Army captured some Daimler Scout Cars, a vehicle with similar characteristics was developed by Italian industry to fulfill the Regio Esercito’s needs.

The Autoblinda Lancia Lince was developed between late 1940 to early 1941, but its production started only in mid-1943. After the Armistice of 1943, the vehicle was produced only for the Wehrmacht.

The Lancia Lince scout cars that survived the war were deployed during the next few years by the Italian Polizia di Stato (English: State Police), Arma dei Carabinieri (English: Arm of the Carabineers), and the new Esercito Italiano (English: Italian Army).

A freshly produced Autoblinda Lancia Lince outside the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente. Source: fondazioneansaldo.com

History of the Project

When, on 13th September 1940, the Regio Esercito officially started the North African Campaign by crossing the Egyptian borders, it was not equipped with a light and fast scout car.

In the first phases of the campaign, the Italian soldiers managed to capture various kinds of British equipment, such as trucks, artillery pieces, Universal Carriers, and Daimler Scout Cars (commonly known as Dingos). These last two vehicles impressed the Italians, who had nothing similar in their ranks. In the first months of war, some captured examples of Universal Carriers and Daimler Dingos were shipped to the Italian mainland, where they were evaluated.

A Daimler Dingo equipped with a Bren light machine gun of the 10th Company of the Royal New Zealand Army Service Corps during the Korean War in April 1952. Source: reddit.com u/Aethelredditor

The Universal Carrier was studied by FIAT, which would develop the CVP-4, also called FIAT 2800. The Daimler Scout Car, after a series of tests, was judged positively. The Italian High Command then asked Lancia & Company, an Italian automobile company which produced both cars and trucks, to develop the chassis of a vehicle with similar characteristics.

A Daimler Dingo Mark I scout car captured by the Italian forces in North Africa. Source: Veicoli Militari da Trasporto, Ricognizione e Combattimento, n.12

Lancia was not specialized in armored vehicles production, but had already cooperated with Ansaldo during the Great War in the development and production of the Lancia 1ZM armored car. In the 1910s, the companies divided their tasks. Lancia developed and produced chassis and powerpacks, while Ansaldo would develop and produce the armored superstructures.

A captured Daimler Dingo scout car in service with the Regio Esercito in North Africa. Source: pinterest.com

The Italian High Command requested a new sturdy 4×4 chassis on which to install an armored superstructure from Lancia. Other requests concerned the independent suspension system and a maximum speed of 80 km/h.

History of the Prototype

Lancia copied the Daimler Dingo chassis with some minor differences, mainly due to different machinery tools and production capabilities compared to the Daimler company. For the engine, Lancia took the engine of one of its passenger cars, the Lancia Astura, and modified it.

The Autoblinda Lancia Lince prototype at the Centro Studi ed Esperienze della Motorizzazione for trials. The absence of the main armament is clearly visible. Source: Gli Autoveicoli del Regio Esercito Italiano

Ansaldo also essentially copied the Daimler’s armored superstructure with some changes that concerned the engine compartment and the upper armored plate.

Rear view of the Autoblinda Lancia Lince prototype at the Centro Studi ed Esperienze della Motorizzazione. The two mufflers placed on the sides of the engine bay were left unmodified on the serial vehicles. The license plate had a triangular shape to identify it as an experimental vehicle. Source: Gli Autoveicoli del Regio Esercito Italiano

The final paper drawings of the Lancia Lince were ready on 27th January 1941, but the prototype was not tested until late 1942. Between January 1941 and November 1942, the prototype was assembled and some minor changes were made on it, all reported as done on 19th February 1942.

This delay in unveiling the prototype is certainly due to the fact that both Lancia and Ansaldo were busy producing vehicles for the Regio Esercito. In order to meet military order deadlines, they could not employ scarce and valuable workers and finances on the production of the prototype.

Another view of the prototype of the Autoblinda Lancia Lince during trials. Source: Gli Autoveicoli del Regio Esercito Italiano

Finally, the prototype of the Lancia Lince scout car was presented at the Centro Studi ed Esperienze della Motorizzazione (English: Vehicle Study and Experience Center), the Italian department which examined new vehicles, in Rome on 10th November 1942.

At that time, the Italian High Command was evaluating the unsatisfactory Vespa-Caproni scout car, compared to which the Lancia Lince was judged favorably.

After another series of modifications concerning the adoption of a radio apparatus, an armament and specific bulletproof tires, the vehicle was finally officially adopted by the Regio Esercito on 29th March 1943. This was just 26 months after the end of the development and two months before the end of the North African Campaign.

The Autoblinda Lancia Lince prototype (top) and a serial production vehicle (bottom). Sources: Gli Autoveicoli del Regio Esercito Italiano

The prototype was not intensively tested during the trials due to a lack of time and lack of spare parts. The prototype was made to travel only 2,000 km to prevent mechanical parts from breaking down or wearing out too much. Despite the short tests, the vehicle still proved to be an adequate one during operational service.

Rear view of the Autoblinda Lancia Lince prototype (top) and a serial production vehicle (bottom). The engine compartment differences are clearly visible. Sources: Gli Autoveicoli del Regio Esercito Italiano

The Name

There are various designations for the Lancia Lince. The Regio Esercito called it Autoblinda Lince (from the Italian name of the Eurasian Lynx or wild cat). Ansaldo called it Autoprotetta Lince (English: Protected Car) while its Lancia factory designation was ‘269’.

The German designation was Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(italienisch) (English: Captured Armored Car Lince [code] 202 [Italian]) abbreviated to Pz.Sp.Wg. Lince 202(i).

The name had nothing in common with the Ford Mark I scout car, nicknamed Lynx, produced by Ford Canada from 1942 to 1945. In fact, the Lince was in development months before the introduction of the Ford scout car.

The German forces deployed captured Daimler scout cars in their divisions, lacking a similar vehicle in their ranks, renaming them to Beute Panzerspähwagen Mk I 202(e). This particular vehicle had the ID plate ‘WM’, meaning it was in service with a Kriegsmarine unit during Operation Barbarossa. Source: svppbellum.blogspot.com

Nowadays, it is most commonly called Lancia Lince to avoid confusion both with the Ford Lynx, which served in the Esercito Italiano in small numbers after the war, and with the IVECO Lince light tactical vehicle, also known as IVECO Light Multirole Vehicle (LMV), developed in the 1990s and currently in service with many nations around the world.

Autoblinda (English: Armored Car) in Italian is both a female and male name Autoblindo male). While it is most common to use Autoblinda (Autoblinde plural) in the article, Autoblindo will also be used because some Italian units used the male name.

Design

Superstructure and Armor

The Lancia Lince’s superstructure was similar to the original Daimler scout car’s one.

Frontally, the armor was angled, covering the front axle and mechanical parts. Over it was a vertical armored plate in which a view slot and a circular slot were cut. The first one for the driver, while the latter was for the installation of the spherical support for the armament. All the front plates were 18 mm thick except the vertical one, which was 30 mm thick, like on the Daimler, a considerable thickness for a scout car.

On the front, it had two towing hooks, two headlights between the mudguards, usually covered, and a rectangular tool box for sapper tools and spare parts. On the right mudguard was the horn.

A restored Lancia Lince in running order. The headlights, towing hooks, tool box, and right mudguard’s horn are visible. The vehicle has a post-war license plate and lacks armament. Source: pinterest.com

The Lancia Lince’s fighting compartment was octagonal-shaped with 12 mm thick armored plates. It had a total of three slits (apart from the driver’s view port): two for the driver, on the right side and on rear, and one for the commander, above the access hatch. On the right side was the spare tire support.

The folding roof was made of 5 mm thick armored plates and had a bulge near the armament. This because the main armament was fed by top magazines and the roof would have interfered with the gun depression. The bulge was identical to the Autoblinde AB’s one.

An upper view of a serial production Autoblinda Lancia Lince at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant. Over the machine gun barrel is the bulge for the top-mounted magazine. Source: armedconflicts.com

When the roof was folded back, as on the Daimler scout car, it had a bracket on the rear on which it rested, permitting the driver to check the rear of the vehicle from his hatch. In fact, as on the Dingo, the driver’s seat was left slightly angled to permit the driver, in case of fast retreat during patrol, to easily drive in reverse to disengage from enemy forces.

Interior of a serial production Autoblinda Lancia Lince. On the right are the steering wheel and the fuel tank, which was also the backrest for the driver. Over the fuel tank was the radio box with Magneti Marelli’s logo over the metal sheet cover. The cable that connected the radio to the antenna is also clearly noticeable. On the floor were the radio batteries and, behind the commander’s seat, the 36-magazines wooden rack. Source: Gli Autoveicoli del Regio Esercito Italiano

The engine compartment was made of 12 mm thick plates, while the engine deck was 5 mm thick. There were two inspection hatches with the same thickness. The rear radiator grille was angled and had a different shape compared to the Daimler vehicle. The Autoblinda Lancia Lince was equipped with two mufflers fixed on the engine compartment’s sides, over the rear mudguards. This detail was not inherited from the Daimler Dingo. To lift the vehicle, four hooks were fixed, one on each mudguard.

Rear view of a Autoblinda Lancia Lince. Source: pinterest.com

Engine and Suspension

The Lancia Lince’s engine was a Lancia Tipo 91 variant called Modello 269, a 8-cylinder inline petrol, with a volume of 2,617 cm3 and a maximum output of 60 hp at 3,750 rpm.

The engine was derived from the Lancia Tipo 91, a car engine which equipped the Lancia Artena III^a Serie and IV^a Serie (English: 3rd and 4th Series) passenger cars produced between 1931 and 1942.

A Lancia Artena IV^a Serie in limousine configuration produced in 1939. Source: Archivio Storico FIAT

The maximum on-road speed of the Lancia Lince prototype during tests was 86 km/h and its off-road speed was 46 km/h. It is probable that the serial production vehicles had the same speeds. Thanks to a 110 liters fuel tank, placed behind the driver, the maximum range of the scout car was 350 km.

The 12 volt electrical system was composed of 60 Ah batteries which powered the engine starter and the headlights.

The Autoblinda Lancia Lince’s engine compartment seen from above. On the left, the radiator fan. Source: masterminiatures.it

The transmission was composed of a semi-automatic gearbox with preselector and reducer with four gears plus reverse gear. The single dry plate clutch was connected to hydraulic brakes. The Lancia Lince was a four wheel drive, all-steering vehicle.

The all-wheel drive Daimler Dingo gave some problems to inexperienced drivers and, from the Daimler Dingo Mark II, the all wheel steering system was removed. The Italian designer instead, maintained it while adding a unique feature, the rear axle wheels started to steer only when the front axle’s wheels were completely steered to the left or right side, sensibly reducing the turning circle to 3.9 m (compared to 7 m of the Daimler Dingo) and not causing problems to inexperienced drivers.

Top perspective of a Autoblinda Lancia Lince drawing showing off the all-wheel steering system. Source: Gli Autoveicoli del Regio Esercito Italiano

The suspension consisted of independent cross-arms connected to coil springs coupled with hydraulic shock absorbers on each wheel. This offered a certain degree of comfort even driving at high speed on rough terrain.

The tires were developed by Pirelli, an Italian tire manufacturer, with three types of 7.00-18” tires being available. The most common ones were the Pirelli Tipo Superflex Artiglio for continental soils and the synthetic rubber tires. These last ones were accepted by the Regio Esercito only four days before the Armistice with the Allied forces and tested on a captured Daimler Dingo.

Armament

The armament consisted of a 8 mm Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 (English: Breda Model 1938 Medium Machine Gun) mounted on a spherical support on the left of the vehicle. 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.

Breda had been working on a 7.92 mm machine gun derived from the Breda Modello 1931 heavy machine gun which had been adopted by the Italian Regia Marina (English: Royal Navy) in 1932, but with a horizontal magazine-feed.

The right side of a Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938. Source: mjlmilitaria.com

Between 1934 and 1935, the model was tested together with other prototypes. 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 and heavier barrel, pistol grip, and a new 24-round top-curved magazine instead of 20-round strip clips.

An example of Mitragliatrice Breda Modello 1938 in a spherical support on an Autoblinda AB43. Even if not identical to the Autoblinda Lancia Lince, some parts were in common. Over the machine gun is the metal bulge for the magazine. Source: Author

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’s 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 m.

The Autoblinda Lancia Lince’s spherical support with the six-magazine rack under it. On the right is the steering wheel, driving port and part of the dashboard. Source: masterminiatures.it

The ammunition reserve consisted of 42 magazines for a total of 1,008 rounds stored in a wooden rack behind the gunner in three rows of 12 magazines and a wooden rack with six magazines under the spherical support.

Radio Equipment

The Lancia Lince scout car was equipped with an Apparato Ricetrasmittente Radio Fonica 2 per Carro Armato or Apparato Ricevente RF2CA (English: Tank Phonic Radio Transceiver Apparatus 2) transceiver.

The radio was produced by Magneti Marelli and was mounted over the fuel tank, behind the driver, on the right side of the fighting compartment. The Apparato Ricetrasmittente RF2CA operated both in Morse and voice mode. Its production began in 1940 and had a maximum communication range of 28-30 km that diminished to 7-8 km when driving. It operated in the 3750 – 5300 Kc band on prefixed frequencies. To listen there were soundproof headphones. Telegraph transmissions were made by means of a retractable key or laryngophone. It had a total weight of 29 kg for the transceiver in a wooden box, with an openable metal shield to protect valves and buttons from shocks.

The Apparato Ricevente RF2CA produced by Magneti Marelli in 1941. Source: storiascienzatecnica.it

It was commonly used on command armored vehicles for communication among tank company commanders and with the regimental or divisional command, and in some cases, also with the Army’s commanders. Thanks to this, the commander of the scout car could send the radio messages of individual tank commanders to more senior command units.

Some scout cars, called Lancia Lince Centro Radio (English: Radio Center), were also equipped with a Stazione Ricetrasmittente RF3M (English: Transceiver Station RF3M) also produced by Magneti Marelli. This radio, with a total weight of 14.2 kg, worked on the frequencies from 1,690 to 2,790 kHz, with an antenna power of 35 watt in telegraph mode. It had a maximum communication range of 30 km in voice mode and 40 km in telegraph mode.

The receiver of the Stazione Ricetrasmittente RF3M produced by Magneti Marelli. Source: radiomuseum.org

The Apparato Ricevente RF2CA radio antenna was 1.8 m long, and was placed on the right side of the superstructure, behind the driver. The Stazione Ricetrasmittente RF3M radio antenna had the same length but was placed on the left side of the superstructure, in front of the commander.

The radio apparatus had their power supplies and accumulators on the vehicle’s floor, between the fuel tank and the ammunition rack.

Crew

The crew of the small Italian armored car was consisted of two: the driver placed on the right and the commander/machine gunner on the left. The commander had various tasks, including using the radio apparatus mounted on the vehicle. Due to the small space in the armored car, for self-defense, the crew could only rely on pistols.

Production

When speaking of production, it is needed to be very careful because, between books and web sources, there are several very conflicting numbers.

At an unknown date in 1943, the Regio Esercito ordered 300 Autoblinde Lince, of which none were delivered to the troops before the Armistice of 8th September 1943.

After the Armistice, the Germans started an analysis of the vehicles produced in the various Italian factories, made by the Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen (English: General Inspectorate of the Armored Forces) of the Wehrmacht. In this analysis, the Inspectorate quickly evaluated the Italian armored vehicles.

Five Lancia Lince scout cars lined up outside Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente, ready for their delivery. All the vehicles were equipped with a single radio antenna. On the superstructure are holes (near the front welding) to install the second radio antenna. Source: Gli Autoveicoli del Regio Esercito Italiano

On 1st October 1943, after the analysis of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht or OKW (English: Upper Command of the Armed Forces) and Heereswaffenamt Italien (English: Army Weapons Agency [of] Italy), the Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen took over previous Regio Esercito contracts, since components were available. The German authorities confirmed the Regio Esercito’s order of 300 armored cars.

Ansaldo, in its documents, claims the production of 100 Lancia Lince in 1944 plus 28 in 1945. Lancia claims 122 chassis produced between May and October 1944, with a total production of 250. A document of 27th February 1945 written by the German Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH) (English: High Command of the Army) instead claims a total delivery of 104 vehicles.

The Autoblinda Lancia Lince three tone camouflage adopted by Ansaldo-Fossati in late 1943 to paint the vehicles delivered to German forces. Source: fondazioneansaldo.com colorization made by Johannes Dorn

Unfortunately, which of these claims is correct is unknown. Probably, during the war, only a total of 128 vehicles were completed, of which 104 were delivered to the German forces. The remaining 146 vehicles were maybe produced and delivered after the war to the Esercito Italiano, Carabinieri, and Polizia di Stato.

The Repubblica Sociale Italiana (English: Italian Social Republic), the German puppet state created by Benito Mussolini after the fall of the Kingdom of Italy, received a small number of Lancia Linces. It is unknown if the vehicles were counted in the 104 delivered to the Germans.

Operational Use

German Service

Because deliveries did not take place before the Armistice, the first users of the Lancia Lince were the Germans, who deployed them for many tasks. The German commands planned to assign some of these vehicles to some Aufklärungs-Abteilungen (English: Reconnaissance Battalions) and as reconnaissance vehicles for some Panzerjäger-Abteilungen (English: Tank Destroyer Battalions) assigned to German divisions deployed in the Italian peninsula.

An Autoblinda Lancia Lince opening a column somewhere in Northern Italy. The scout car has a license plate with the Organization Todt acronym. Source: auction-factory.de

Other small batches of vehicles were assigned to Organization Todt, a civilian and military engineering organization responsible for engineering projects in all the occupied territories. The Lancia Linces were deployed by the Organization Todt to escort columns of vehicles loaded with building material or to patrol areas in which the engineering projects were under construction.

Together with Organization Todt, the Transportkorps Speer (English: Speer’s Transport Corps), a German paramilitary motor transportation corps which operated in the occupied territories, also received some. The few Lancia Linces of the Transportkorps Speer were deployed to escort convoys loaded with equipment.

Another image of the same Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i) in service with Organization Todt. Source: auction-factory.de

Various German infanterie-divisionen (English: Infantry Divisions) deployed Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i)s.

The 44. Infanterie-Division claimed to have captured six Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i)s in September, even if this claim seems doubtful, since no scout cars were delivered before the Armistice.

The Panzerjäger-Abteilung 165. of the 65. Infanterie-Division received a total of six Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i)s in late 1943, of which nothing is known unfortunately.

The Aufklärungs-Abteilung 171. of the 71. Infanterie-Division received eight Italian scout cars, while the 232. Infanterie-Division received, in April 1945, a total of six Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i)s for its Panzerjäger-Kompanie 232 (English: 232nd Tank Destroyer Company).

A Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i) covered with snow somewhere in Northern Italy in winter 1944. It was equipped with iron chains on the rear axle and belonged to the 14. (Verstärkte) Polizei-Panzer-Kompanie. Source: beutepanzer.ru

The Aufklärungs-Abteilung 305. of the 305. Infanterie-Division received a Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i) which was deployed in the Anzio area against the Allied forces in 1944. The 114. Jäger-Division had five Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i)s in its Aufklärungs-Abteilung 114.

The 5. Gebirgs-Division (English: 5th Mountain Division) had a total of 18 Italian captured armored cars in its Gebirgs-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 95. (English: 95th Mountain Reconnaissance Department), of which nine were Beute Panzerspähwagen AB41 201(i)s (Autoblinde AB41s) while the other nine vehicles were presumably Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i)s (photographic evidence confirms at least one of these vehicles).

The 8. Gebirgs-Division, created in February 1945, was the older 157. Gebirgs-Division. The division, when surrendering to the Allied forces near Lake Garda, had a total of two Beute Panzerspähwagen AB43 203(i)s (Autoblinde AB43s) and six Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i)s in its Aufklärungs-Bataillon 1057.

A Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i) deployed by the Italian volunteers of the 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division in Florence during the battle for the city in August 1944. Source: beutepanzer.ru

The 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division (English: 4th Paratrooper Division) had in its ranks the Raggruppamento Paracadutisti ‘Nembo’ (English: Paratrooper Group) composed of Italian paratrooper volunteers which operated some Italian vehicles for the German forces. During the Battle of Florence, fought between 4th August to 1st September 1944, an unknown numbers of Beute Panzerspähwagen AB41 201(i), Beute Panzerspähwagen AB43 203(i) and Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i) armored cars were deployed by the division against the Allied troops.

A Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i) behind a Beute Panzerspähwagen AB41 201(i) in the streets of Florence during the battle for the city. Source: beutepanzer.ru

For the Waffen-SS units, the only known to use Lancia Lince scout cars was the SS-Polizei-Regiment 15. (English: 15th SS Police Regiment). The unit had in service various Italian vehicles, including a Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i) deployed by the regiment’s command. It was deployed in many anti-partisan operations in which it was supported by Italian armored vehicles from Italian units.

An Italian Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i) in service with the SS-Polizei-Regiment 15. in Piedmont, Northern Italy. Source: beutepanzer.ru

The 3. Kompanie (English: 3rd Company) of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 236. assigned to the 162. (Turkistan)-Infanterie-Division, composed of former prisoners of war from Caucasus and Turkic lands, had six Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i)s and six other Italian armored cars in its ranks in January 1945.

A Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i) in service with the I. Abteilung of the Panzer-Regiment 4. deployed near Bologna. The unit’s coat of arms is visible on the right mudguard. Source: beutepanzer.ru

The I. Abteilung (English: 1st Department) of Panzer-Regiment 4. (English: 4th Tank Regiment) of the 13. Panzer-Division (English: 13th Tank Division) was the only German unit equipped with Panzer V Panther tanks in the Italian peninsula and had an unknown number of Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i)s as reconnaissance vehicles.

A Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i) of the 13. Panzer-Division in the streets of Bologna, with three captured Gurkha soldiers sat over the engine compartment. Source: beutepanzer.ru

The 13. Panzer-Division was not the only German Armored Division equipped with Italian scout cars. The 26. Panzer-Division had a pair of Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i)s in service for each of its Panzer VI Tiger I-equipped Schwere-Panzer-Abteilung, namely 504. (English: 504th Heavy Tank Department) and 508. (English: 508th Heavy Tank Department).

An Autoblinda Lancia Lince of the I. Abteilung of the Panzer-Regiment 4. of the 13. Panzer-Division deployed somewhere near Bologna. Source: beutepanzer.ru

The last known German unit that deployed the Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i)s was the Panzer-Ausbildungs-Abteilung Süd (English: Armored Training Department South) created in early October 1943 in Montorio Veronese, Italy, and part of the Ersatz Heer (English: Reserve Army). In May 1944, it moved to Lonigo, where the 13. Panzerspähwagen-Zug (English: 13th Armored Reconnaissance Platoon) was formed, equipped with scout cars.

Other Users

Repubblica Sociale Italiana

After 8th September 1943, the Germans freed Benito Mussolini and took him to Germany to discuss the continuation of the war alongside the Axis with Adolf Hitler himself. On 23rd September, he returned to Italy as ‘Duce’ and founded the Repubblica Sociale Italiana (RSI) (English: Italian Social Republic), a collaborationist state in the territories not yet freed by the Allies.

Some Italian prisoners who had remained loyal to Mussolini immediately joined the new Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano (ENR) (English: National Republican Army).

This new army was equipped with few armored vehicles, artillery pieces and any other types of military equipment because, after the Armistice, the German soldiers no longer trusted their Italian allies.

A good part of the units of the new army and of the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana (GNR) (English: Republican National Guard), had to arm themselves as best they could. They produced several homemade vehicles, recovered abandoned vehicles in very bad condition from former Regio Esercito depots, or asked the Germans for armored vehicles.

At least one Autoblinda Lancia Lince was assigned to the Gruppo Corazzato M ‘Leonessa’ (English: Armored Group). From a list made after the war by some veterans of the unit, the scout car was a Daimler Dingo captured by the Italians in North Africa, but this seems improbable. It was quite certainly a Lancia Lince that the veterans misconfused with the British vehicle. Nothing is known about the service of the vehicle. It was probably received from the Germans or delivered by Ansaldo in 1944.

Another Italian scout car was in service with the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani (RAP) (English: Anti-Partisan Group) created in August 1944. Its main task was to counter partisan actions and to patrol the areas where the partisans concentrated.

Unfortunately, due to an absence of documentation on the vehicles, it is also plausible that the Autoblinde Lancia Lince in service with the Gruppo Corazzato M ‘Leonessa’ and the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani were the same vehicle.

In fact, both Fascist units were stationed in Turin in 1944 and the Gruppo Corazzato M ‘Leonessa’, the biggest armored unit of the RSI, usually temporarily assigned its armored vehicles to other Fascist units in their anti-partisan operations. The Lancia Lince of the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani could have simply been the ‘Leonessa’ armored car loaned to them temporarily.

The Autoblinda Lancia Lince of the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani captured by the Italian Partisans in the area of Santo Stefano Roero after the battle with Fascist forces. The Partisans wear captured equipment. Source: …Come il Diamante, I Carristi Italiani 1943-’45

Only a part of the fate of the RAP’s scout car is known. It was deployed between 6th and 9th March 1945 against partisans units in the Asti area, about 50 km south of Turin. During the anti-partisan operation, the Fascist forces, which included some Gruppo Corazzato M ‘Leonessa’ soldiers and armored vehicles, were ambushed on the road in the vicinity of Santo Stefano Roero.

In the clashes that lasted about 24 hours, the Fascist forces lost various vehicles, including a Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 Autoprotetta, an Autocarro FIAT 666N, and the Autoblinda Lancia Lince, which was captured intact by the Italian Partisans after the battle. After that, the vehicle disappeared from history. It was probably deployed by the Partisans until it ran out of fuel or spare parts and then sabotaged.

Italian Partisans

The last Lancia Lince scout cars of which something is known were deployed during the Great Partisan Insurrection started on 25th April 1945 in all the Northern Italy territories not yet freed by the Allies.

During the last months of the war, Allied bombers were a serious threat for the Italian production plants. Before and during the war, the Italians usually had enormous production plants in which armored vehicles were assembled. The most important ones were in Turin, such as FIAT Mirafiori and FIAT Lingotto, and Genoa, with Ansaldo-Fossati and the Cornigliano Artillery plant.

In order to diminish the risk of a total production breakdown in case of bombardment and to avoid mass strikes of the workers, who increasingly requested better wages and shorter working shifts, the Germans divided the production of the Turin and Genoa production plants all over the Northern Italian regions. Secondary operations or assembly were usually delocalized from the main production plant.

Another Ansaldo-Fossati detachment which assembled armored cars from late 1944 to early 1945 was the Manifattura Rotondi of Novara, a textile company that stopped working due to its workers being enlisted.

When the Great Partisan Insurrection broke out, the workers of the Manifattura Rotondi contacted the Partisans. According to sources, five or six Autoblinde AB43 were in production for a German unit, together with a Lancia Lince.

On 26th April 1945, the 81ª Brigata Garibaldi Volante ‘Silvio Loss’ (English: 81st Fast Garibaldi Brigade) reached Novara. The task of this mechanized unit was to reach Milan through Novara and to liberate all the small cities on this road from Nazi-Fascist presence.

The 81ª Brigata Garibaldi Volante ‘Silvio Loss’, commanded by Corrado ‘Fulvio’ Moretti, was part of the Divisione Garibaldi ‘Fratelli Varalli’ (English: Garibaldi Division) commanded by Albino ‘Bruno’ Calletti. The Communist division was subordinated to the Comando Zona Militare ‘Valsesia’ (English: Military Zone Command), commanded by Eraldo ‘Ciro’ Gastone, Vincenzo ‘Cino’ Moscatelli, and Aldo Benoni, famous Italian Partisan commanders.

The 81ª Brigata Garibaldi Volante ‘Silvio Loss’ advanced to Veveri, about 3 km north of Novara, in a column with the seven armored cars and some trucks full of Partisans. In Veveri, there was a German garrison and a blocked column of vehicles. The German soldiers in Veveri were part of the garrison and part of the Stamm Column (from the name of its German commander) that was trying to reach Bergamo.

Thanks to a local priest, Leone Ossola, the Partisans and Germans began negotiations. After a series of meetings that lasted until late afternoon between Eraldo ‘Ciro’ Gastone, one of the Partisan commanders, Leone Ossola, and Colonel Hahn, commander of the local garrison, the Germans agreed to surrender.

After having overcome Veveri, the small column of armored cars of the ‘Silvio Loss’ crossed the Ticino River (the border between Piedmont and Lombardy) and joined another motorized column composed of a few trucks and cars requisitioned by the Comando Zona Militare ‘Valsesia’.

On 27th April 1945, the armored cars participated in the small clashes with Nazi-Fascist forces in Turbigo and in Lonate Pozzolo, north-east of Milan. These were no more than small gunfights, often without casualties, after which the Germans quickly surrendered.

On the morning of 28th April 1945, the motorized column of the Comando Zona Militare ‘Valsesia’ started to move south-east to enter Milan, which they reached at about 1:00 pm. In Milan, the armored cars paraded at low speed through the already freed city, reaching Piazza Duomo, the main square of Milan, which was full of cheering civilians and Partisans.

An Autoblinda Lancia Lince Centro Radio in Piazza Sicilia in Milan, captured by the Partisan forces in the days after the liberation. Source: Paolo Crippa via Carri Armati Partigiani

Milan was freed by the Partisans before the arrival of the 81ª Brigata Garibaldi Volante ‘Silvio Loss’ and some images confirm the presence of another Autoblinda Lancia Lince, this one a Centro Radio version which was taken by the Partisans probably from the Fiera Campionaria neighborhood depot. In that depot, in the weeks before the Partisan insurrection, the German forces had accumulated many dozens of armored vehicles that were abandoned there when the Partisans started the occupation of the city.

Post-War Service

After the Second World War, the Kingdom of Italy became a republic, the Repubblica Italiana (English: Italian Republic). The Regio Esercito was disbanded and the new Esercito Italiano was formed.

The new army was equipped both with Italian and former Allied equipment, with Italian self-propelled guns, tanks, and armored cars in service together with Shermans, Stuarts, and Greyhounds.

The Autoblinde Lancia Lince, the Daimler Dingo, and the Ford Lynx scout cars were deployed by the Esercito Italiano for two main tasks, reconnaissance, allocated to infantry and armored divisions, and as command vehicles for self-propelled artillery units.

The Lancia Lince and its Allied versions service was limited and these vehicles were withdrawn from service already in the early 1950s, substituted with modern and bigger vehicles, such as the M8 Greyhound and the T17E1 Staghound.

A post-war Autoblinda Lancia Lince in service with the Esercito Italiano. For unknown reasons, the radio antennas were missing. Source: eshop

The scout cars saw broader service with Italian police forces in the post-war period.

As with the Italian Army, the police corps were also renamed into Polizia di Stato and Arma dei Carabinieri, with the first one operating as a public security corps and the latter as a public security and military police corps.

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 armed Communist partisans would cause a coup that would overthrow the government, as had happened in Czechoslovakia. To prevent a situation like this, in the peace treaty of 1947, the Police and Carabinieri were not subject to war restrictions, and for all intents and purposes, the Police became a civilian police force organized and equipped as a military corps.

Some Reparti Celeri (English: Fast Departments) of the Polizia di Stato were created together with Reparti Mobili (English: Mobile Departments), which had the task of quickly intervening in cases of coup, revolts, and strikes.

Each reparto mobile and reparto celere had a compagnia autoblindo (English: armored car company) composed of one plotone motociclisti (English: motorcyclist platoon), and two or three plotoni autoblindo (English: armored car platoons) in its ranks, with a total of 8 or 12 armored cars of Italian, British, or US origin.

The rare photographic evidence of the Lancia Lince scout cars in service with the Italian police were assigned to the 2° Reparto Celere ‘Veneto’ (English: 2nd Fast Department).

A Autoblinda Lancia Lince of the 2° Reparto Celere of Padua during a parade in 1950. It was the command car of a platoon equipped with T17E1 Staghound heavy armored cars. Source: polizianellastoria.it

Usually, the command vehicles of the compagnie autoblindo and plotoni autoblindo were scout cars of Canadian, British, and Italian origin or camionette, such as was the case of the Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943, which was deployed as command car for the armored car company of the Police in Rome.

Another Autoblinda Lancia Lince of the 2° Reparto Celere during a parade in Padua, probably on the occasion of the Republic Day on 2nd June 1951. This vehicle was the command car of a platoon equipped with Humber Mark IV armored cars. Source: polizianellastoria.it

Conclusion

The Lancia Lince scout car was a light armored car developed too late and its production too delayed to be effectively deployed on the battlefield by the Kingdom of Italy due to the Armistice with Allied forces. The total production was too limited and was only used by the German forces in the Italian peninsula.

In general, as a reconnaissance vehicle and anti-partisan vehicle, the Lancia Lince was adequate, with a great range and protection. The total production of less than 300 vehicles was not enough to allow this interesting vehicle to make a broad operational impact on the theater of war.

Autoblinda Lancia Lince. Illustration done by Oussama Mohamed ‘Godzilla’.

Autoblinda Lancia Lince prototype. Illustration done by Oussama Mohamed ‘Godzilla’.

Beute Panzerspähwagen Lince 202(i). Illustration done by Oussama Mohamed ‘Godzilla’.

Autoblinda Lancia Lince of the 2° Reparto Celere. Illustration done by Oussama Mohamed ‘Godzilla’.

Autoblinda Lancia Lince Specification
Size (L-W-H)	3.24 x 1.75 x 1.65 m
Weight, battle ready	3.14 tonnes
Crew	2 (commander/machine gunner and driver)
Engine	Lancia Tipo 91 variant for Modello 269, 8-cylinder, 2,617 cm3, 60 hp at 3,750 rpm
Speed	86 km/h
Range	350 km
Armament	One Mitragliatrice Media Breda Modello 1938 with 1,008 rounds
Armor	from 4 mm to 30 mm
Production	from 128 to 250

Sources

Pignato N., Cappellano F., Gli Autoveicoli Da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano, Volume II Tomo I, Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Roma, 2002

Condolo M., Camion Lancia, Fondazione Negri, 2001

Jentz L. T., Regenberg W., Panzer tracts No. 19-2 Beute Panzerkampfwagen, British, American, Russian and Italian Tanks Captured from 1940 to 1945, Panzer Tracts, 2008

Crippa P. and Manes L., Carri Armati “Partigiani”, Witness to War, Volume 34, April 2022

Nava M., Corbatti S., …Come il Diamante, I Carristi Italiani 1943-1945, Bruxelles, Laran Edition, 2008

Crippa P., Storia dei Reparti Corazzati della Repubblica Sociale Italiana 1943-1945, Marvia Edizioni, 2023

Crippa P., I Mezzi Corazzati Italiani della Guerra Civile 1943-1945, Tank Master Special Italian and English Edition Volume 5, 2015

Crippa P., I Carristi di Mussolini: Il Gruppo Corazzato “Leonessa” dalla MSVN alla RSI, Witness to war Volume 3, 2019

polizianellastoria.it

Cold War Italian Armor WW2 Canadian Vehicles in Foreign Service WW2 Italian Armored Cars

GM Otter Light Reconnaissance Car Mk.I in Italian Service

Post author By Daniele Notaro
Post date October 16, 2023
5 Comments on GM Otter Light Reconnaissance Car Mk.I in Italian Service

GM Otter Mk.I as seen during a parade of the Esercito Italiano. Illustrations by the illustrious Godzilla funded by our Patreon Campaign.

Kingdom of Italy/Italian Republic (1944-1950)
Armored Car – Unknown Number Operated

The GM Otter Light Reconnaissance Car Mk.I, also known as the Car, Light Reconnaissance, GM, Mk.I, was a Canadian reconnaissance armored car that was utilized by the Esercito Cobelligerante Italiano (English: Italian Co-Belligerent Army) after 1944 and, subsequently, by the Esercito Italiano (English: Italian Army) in the post-war period.

The vehicle was not highly regarded by its crews, and despite the extensive use of surplus Allied vehicles by the Italian armed forces towards the end of the war, it had limited use within the Esercito Italiano and was retired from service within a few years.

GM Otter Mk.I during a parade of the Esercito Italiano.
Source: Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano

Birth and Use of the GM Otter Mk.I

The GM Otter Light Reconnaissance Car Mk.I was manufactured by the Hamilton Bridge Company in Hamilton, Ontario, in order to fulfill the requirement for a domestically produced reconnaissance vehicle for the Canadian Army.
The vehicle was developed on the chassis of the Chevrolet C15 Canadian Military Pattern truck, which featured a 106 hp General Motors of Canada (G.M.C.) Model 270 petrol engine. Equipped with either a .303 Bren machine gun or a .55 Boys anti-tank rifle in its turret, the vehicle had a crew of three.

A total of 1,761 GM Otter Mk.I were produced by the Hamilton Bridge Company. Of these, 877 were delivered to the First Canadian Army deployed in Europe, while over 100 remained in Canada and were utilized by the 24th Reconnaissance Battalion at Camp Borden and the 31st Reconnaissance Battalion based in British Columbia.
The vehicle did not enjoy a positive reputation, and in Europe, it was employed as a transport vehicle for artillery observation officers, an anti-aircraft escort for columns of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, and for airfield defense by the Royal Air Force Regiment.

Some of the vehicles deployed in Italy were handed over to the Esercito Cobelligerante Italiano, while in the post-war period, they were used by Belgian (to a very limited extent), Canadian, Dutch, Italian, and British troops stationed in Jordan. Canada continued to employ them until the mid-1950s.

GM Otter Mk.I used by the 11th Field Company of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division in France.
Source: panzerserra.blogspot.com

GM Otter Mk.I used by the Canadians in Italy. Note the aerial identification symbol.
Source: silverhawkauthor.com

Use by Esercito Cobelligerante Italiano

After the Armistice of September 8th, 1943, signed between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allies, numerous Italian units, especially those stationed in Southern Italy, opted to align themselves with the Allied forces, forming the initial core of the Esercito Cobelligerante Italiano.
The first operational unit was the Primo Raggruppamento Motorizzato (English: First Motorized Grouping), established in November 1943.
It participated in the Battle of Montelungo and was later reorganized in March 1944 as the Corpo Italiano di Liberazione (English: Italian Liberation Corps), consisting of two infantry brigades.
In order to replace many Allied units bound for France, Gruppi di Combattimento (English: Combat Groups) were created in summer 1944.

Gruppi di Combattimento
Name	Date formed	Staff
Gruppo di Combattimento ‘Cremona’	25th September 1944	21° Reggimento di Fanteria ‘Cremona’ 22° Reggimento di Fanteria ‘Cremona’ 7° Reggimento d’Artiglieria ‘Cremona’
Gruppo di Combattimento ‘Friuli’	10th September 1944	87° Reggimento di Fanteria ‘Friuli’ 88° Reggimento di Fanteria ‘Friuli’ 35° Reggimento d’Artiglieria ‘Friuli’
Gruppo di Combattimento ‘Folgore’	24th September 1944	Reggimento Fanteria Paracadutista ‘Nembo’ Reggimento di Marina ‘San Marco’ Reggimento Artiglieria Paracadutista ‘Nembo’
Gruppo di Combattimento ‘Legnano’	24th September 1944	68° Reggimento di Fanteria ‘Legnano’ Reggimento Fanteria Speciale 11° Reggimento d’Artiglieria ‘Mantova’
Gruppo di Combattimento ‘Mantova’	1st October 1944	76° Reggimento di Fanteria ‘Napoli’ 114° Reggimento di Fanteria ‘Mantova’ 155° Reggimento d’Artiglieria ‘Emilia’
Gruppo di Combattimento ‘Piceno’	10th October 1944	235° Reggimento di Fanteria ‘Piceno’ 336° Reggimento di Fanteria ‘Piceno’ 152° Reggimento d’Artiglieria ‘Piceno’

The Gruppi di Combattimento did not possess armored vehicles apart from the GM Otter Mk.I, which were utilized as observation vehicles for artillery units or as escorts and command post guardians.

The Gruppo di Combattimento ‘Legnano’ was assigned around seven or eight of these vehicles.

GM Otter Mk.I of the Gruppo di Combattimento ‘Legnano’ enters Bologna on 21st April 1945. The Italian unit was one of the first to liberate the city.
Source: Luigi Manes

Additionally, one platoon of GM Otter Mk.I was utilized by the Brigata Maiella (English: Brigade), a partisan unit from Abruzzo that continued to fight alongside the Allied forces after the liberation of Abruzzo until May 1945.

In anticipation of deployment to the front, the Brigata Maiella was reinforced from November 1944. A Compagnia Armi Pesanti (English: Heavy Weapons Company) was formed, within which there was a Sezione Carri e Blindo (English: Tanks and Armored Vehicles Section) consisting of four GM Otter Mk.I armored cars and four Bren Carriers.

The 1st May 1945 the Sezione Carri e Blindo liberated Asiago.

The vehicles used by the Brigata Maiella were marked with the unit’s emblem, which consisted of two white mountains on a blue background, accompanied by the inscription ‘Maiella’.

Soldiers of the Brigata Maiella along with a GM Otter Mk.I. Visible behind is the brigade symbol on the vehicle
Source: Paolo Crippa – Luigi Manes

GM Otter Mk.I, along with Bren Carrier, of the Brigata Maiella photographed in Santa Maria Nuova on 13rd April 1945
Source: Paolo Crippa – Luigi Manes

Use in the Esercito Italiano

After the conclusion of the Second World War, the Esercito Italiano of the newly formed Repubblica Italiana (English: Italian Republic) faced significant challenges and relied on a substantial number of vehicles provided by the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other Commonwealth states.

Among these vehicles were the GM Otter Mk.I, although they were not highly regarded by their crews because the engine was underpowered and the driver’s visibility was very low, and consequently, only saw limited use within the Italian armed forces.

The GM Otter Mk.I was certainly employed by the Divisione di Fanteria ‘Legnano’ (English: Infantry Division ‘Legnano’), which was established in October 1945 from the Gruppo di Combattimento ‘Legnano’. By the end of 1945, this division had 9 GM Otter Mk.I armored cars in its inventory.

Additionally, at least two armored cars were used by the Reggimento Artiglieria a Cavallo (English: Horse Artillery Regiment), which was established in Milan in November 1946 and assigned to the Divisione di Fanteria ‘Legnano’, these two armored cars were modified in the rear with the addition of a stowage cage.

Furthermore, by the end of 1945, the Divisione di Fanteria ‘Cremona’ (English: Infantry Division ‘Cremona’) had 21 reconnaissance vehicles in its possession, likely including GM Otter Mk.I.

The last GM Otter Mk.I were decommissioned by the mid-1950s.

GM Otter Mk.I of the Reggimento Artiglieria a Cavallo.
Source: Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell’esercito italiano

Armored cars GM Otter Mk.I, preceded by a G.M.C. C15TA, of the Reggimento Artiglieria a Cavallo during the parade for the celebration of the Republic Day on 2nd June 1950, in Milan.
Source: Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell’esercito italiano

GM Otter Mk.I in Gorizia in 1947.
Source: Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell’esercito italiano

Conclusion

Like other Allied vehicles used by the Esercito Italiano in the post-war period, the GM Otter Mk.I was withdrawn after a few years of service. It only saw very limited use and were generally not appreciated. Elsewhere, the GM Otter Mk.I received a similar reputation due to its underpowered engine and a lack of visibility.

Thanks to Arturo Giusti for the help

GM Otter Mk.I as seen during a parade of the Esercito Italiano. Illustrations by Godzilla.

GM Otter Mk.I

GM Otter Mk.I technical specifications
Crew	3 (driver, commander, gunner)
Weight	4404 Kg
Dimensions	Length 4.4 m, Width 2.1 m, Height 2.4 m
Engine	G.M.C. 270 106 hp @ 3000 rpm
Speed	75 km/h
Range	418 km
Primary Armament	.303 Bren machine gun or .55 Boys anti-tank rifle
Armor	8-12 mm

Sources

Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano Volume III Roma 2007

http://panzerserra.blogspot.com/2016/10/otter-mark-i-light-reconnaissance-car.html

http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/vehicles/armouredcars/armouredcars.htm

Luigi Manes Il Gruppo di Combattimento Legnano Bergamo 2020

Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito I Gruppi di Combattimento: Cremona – Friuli – Folgore – Legnano – Mantova – Piceno (1944 – 1945) Roma 2010

Paolo Crippa and Luigi Manes I mezzi delle unità Cobelligeranti, Italia 43-45 Mattioli 2018

Paolo Crippa and Luigi Manes Carri Armati “Partigiani” Luca Cristini Editore 2022

WW2 Italian Armored Cars

Autoblinda AB41 in Polizia dell’Africa Italiana Service

Post author By Arturo Giusti
Post date July 3, 2022
No Comments on Autoblinda AB41 in Polizia dell’Africa Italiana Service

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

To replace the 6° Battaglione ‘Romolo Gessi’, RECAM later received two Autocannoni da 65/17 su Morris CS8 battalions.

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)
Armor	8.5 mm Hull
Turret	Front: 40 mm Sides: 30 mm Rear: 15 mm
In service with the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana	More than 40

Sources

PAI – Polizia dell’Africa Italiana – Raffaele Girlando
Italian Armored & Reconnaissance Cars 1911-45 – Filippo Castellano and Pier Paolo Battistelli
Le Autoblinde AB 40, 41 e 43 – Nicola Pignato e Fabio D’Inzéo

Has Own Video WW2 Italian Armored Cars

Autoblinda AB41 in Regio Esercito Service

Post author By Arturo Giusti
Post date March 12, 2022
2 Comments on Autoblinda AB41 in Regio Esercito Service

Kingdom of Italy (1941-1943)
Medium Armored Car – 667 Built

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In 1937, the Italian Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) realized that the Lancia 1ZM armored cars in service in the reconnaissance units since 1915, still employed in the Italian African Colonies and in the Spanish Civil War, even if still efficient, were obsolete because they were not fast, were weakly armored and had bad off-road driving capabilities. This led to the development of the Autoblindo FIAT-Ansaldo series, of which the most prominent was the AB41.

An AB41 of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana during a mechanical revision. The words “O LA VA O LA SPACCA” above the driver’s hatch mean “We either win or we fall”. Source: Istituto Luce

History of the AB Armored Car Series

The Italian Army, which was one of the first armies to use armored cars in 1912 with the FIAT Arsenale, held armored cars in high esteem for their role of long-range reconnaissance vehicles for armored divisions and support to infantry actions. The armored cars used in World War I received positive comments from the Army High Command who were impressed by the usefulness of the new vehicles. Between 1918 and 1932, there were a number of prototypes of various armored vehicles which, however, led to nothing other than the 46 FIAT 611s produced by Ansaldo with a maximum road speed of only 28 km/h and a range of 180 km. Italian officers were not satisfied with the new armored vehicle which during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, received more criticism than the older Lancia 1ZM. This led the Italian Army to give an order to all Italian companies for a new wheeled vehicle to replace the Lancia 1ZM which was being used in Spain and the FIAT 611.

The Lancia 1ZM employed by the Royal Italian Army in Ethiopia before the Second World War. Source: Istituto Luce

The FIAT 611 armored truck armed with the Vickers Terni 37 mm cannon. Source: pinterest.com

Around the same time, the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana or PAI (English: Italian Police of Africa) unilaterally requested the development of an armored car for reconnaissance duties from Ansaldo to be used in the Italian African colonies of Libya and Ethiopia, where anti-colonial resistance groups were still present and light tanks could not adequately perform the long-range reconnaissance role that armored cars provided. This request was also aimed to replace the old FIAT-Terni-Tripoli and Lancia 1ZM that arrived in Africa after 1918, which by that point, had experienced 20 years of continuous service and suffered from several problems due to a lack of spare parts.

History of the Prototype

The two orders were answered by the FIAT-SPA and Ansaldo consortium, which began to develop a wheeled vehicle that would meet the requirements of the Italian Army and the Colonial Police. The feature that was most taken into consideration was the off-road driving, in fact, the vehicle used as the basis was the TM40 (Trattore Medio Modello 1940 – Medium Tractor Model 1940), a vehicle used to tow artillery, in development since 1938 which only entered service in 1942.

The FIAT-SPA TM40 Medium Artillery Tractor. Source Wikipedia.it

One of the biggest issues that had been found in the previous armored cars was the time it took to disengage from a firefight and flee, which was made harder by the narrow streets in the villages of the colonies. The problem was solved by adding another driving position on the right side of the rear of the new armored car. The steering system was then modified, allowing the front and rear driver to steer with all four wheels.

The armament was composed of three 8 mm caliber Breda Modello 1938 machine guns and placed, as on the Lancia armored car, two in the turret and one on the rear, on the left side of the rear driver. The engine was a FIAT-SPA ABM 1 6-cylinder petrol engine 78 hp.

On May 15th, 1939, the two prototypes produced, at the time called AutoBlindoMitragliatrice Modello 1940 or ABM40 (English: Machine gun Armored Car Model 1940), were presented to Benito Mussolini and the Italian Army during the inauguration of the FIAT production plant in Mirafiori, Turin together with the FIAT 626 medium truck prototype and the FIAT 666N heavy duty truck prototype.

Two weeks later, one of the prototypes was sent by sea to Africa Orientale Italiana or AOI (English: Italian East Africa), modern-day Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia, where it covered 13,000 km during tests. After some modifications to speed up production, even if the tests revealed that the main armament was not powerful enough, the vehicle was accepted into service in March 1940 and ordered in the first batch of 176 units due to the imminent entry into the war, under the name of AutoBlinda Mod. 1940 (Eng. Armored Car Mod. 1940) or more simply AB40.

The prototype of the AB40 sent to Africa with its crew. Source: forumfree.it

The first 5 vehicles were sent to the Centro di Addestramento Autoblindo (English: Armored Car Training Centre) of Pinerolo in March 1941. Twenty-four examples of the new armored car were produced with the temporary Modello 1940 turret, while a prototype was created with the Modello 1941 turret of the L6/40 light tank.

The new version, called AB41, was armed with the Cannone-Mitragliera Breda 20/65 Modello 1935, overcoming the lack of firepower of the AB40, and a more powerful petrol engine, the FIAT SPA ABM 2 6-cylinder 88 hp. The modifications increased the weight, from 6.85 to 7.4 tonnes. After a few tests, it was judged favorably by the army, which authorized its production. After a short while, the new Mod. 1941 turrets, which were already being produced for the L6, arrived at the assembly lines. The new engines took longer, as the assembly lines had to be modified, so it was decided to modify the AB40 armored cars by mounting the Modello 1941 turret on a hull powered by the FIAT SPA ABM 1 engine. These “hybrid” armored cars are indistinguishable from the AB41 from the outside, and the total production number is 435, 65% of the whole AB41 production.

The AB41 was the standard reconnaissance armored car of the Royal Italian Army which used it with excellent results in the African Campaign, the Russian Front and the Balkans from mid-1941 to September 8th, 1943. After the September 1943 Armistice of Cassibile, all the AB41s were requisitioned by the Wehrmacht, which went on to reuse them in France and Germany. Some of them were given to the Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano or ENR (English: National Republican Army), the collaborationist army of the Benito Mussolini’s Repubblica Sociale Italiana (English: Italian Social Republic), which was founded on 23th September 1943 on Italian territories still under German control. In total, about 660 were produced even after the German occupation. After the war, they were still employed by the Polizia di Stato (English: State Police), Arma dei Carabinieri (English: Arm of the Carabinieri) and the Esercito Italiano or EI (English: Italian Army) until 1954.

The Royal Army considered the AB41 to be fundamental, so it ordered FIAT to give priority to the delivery of armored cars over light tanks. According to FIAT archives, a large number of L6 were parked in the warehouses of FIAT factories for months, practically finished, but without the radio system and the optics of the cannon, because the production of these parts common to the AB41 was insufficient and priority was given to the armored cars.

Design

Crew

The crew consisted of four: the front driver, who also operated the radio when not driving, placed in the front; the vehicle’s commander who was in the turret in the middle of the vehicle, who in addition to giving orders to the rest of the crew, had to operate the main gun and control the battlefield; the rear driver on the left of the rear; and the machine gunner/radio operator, to the rear driver’s right. Throughout the war, the lack of a loader for the main gun negatively affected the performance of the armored car.

A Polizia dell’Africa Italiana‘s AB41. The Italian flag on the left, the half-opened door, the motto ‘Col Cuore e Col Motore Oltre Ogni Meta’ (English: ‘With Heart and Engine Beyond Any Goal’) and the Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ tire are visible. Source: pinterest.com

AB40 with Modello 1941 turret or AB40/41

The Italian High Command immediately found that the two machine guns in the turret could not provide adequate support fire to the infantry and did not allow the AB40s to engage other armored cars.

Ansaldo proposed to install a new turret, tht in the article it’s called Modello 1941 (even if it was produced in 1940), developed for the L6/40 light reconnaissance tank, armed with a 20 mm automatic cannon, on the chassis of the AB40.

The modifications increased the weight, from 6.8 to 7.45 tonnes, and to avoid some stress problems for the armored car caused by the extra weight, a more powerful petrol engine, the 88 hp FIAT SPA ABM 2 6-cylinder, was mounted.
Following a few tests, it was judged favorably by the army, which authorized its production. After a short while, the new Modello 1941 turrets, which were already being produced for the L6/40, arrived at the assembly lines. The new engines took longer, as the assembly lines had to be modified at the SPA plant, so it was decided to modify the AB40 armored cars by mounting the Modello 41 turret on a hull powered by the FIAT SPA ABM 1 engine. These ‘hybrid’ armored cars are indistinguishable from the AB41 from the outside.

The registers of the Ufficio Autonomo Approvvigionamenti Automobilistici Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army Autonomous Automobile Procurement Office), which lists the vehicles produced with their registration, chassis and engine number, mention the AB40 version as a vehicle still produced in 1941 and early 1942. According to these registers, the armored cars registered from plate Regio Esercito 116B to Regio Esercito 551B would be AB40, i.e. 435 vehicles, 65% of the whole AB41 production. Those with registration Regio Esercito 552B onward would be AB41s. This means that a large number of the AB40s actually had the Modello 1941 turret mounted.

Engine and Suspension

The engine in the AB40 hull version armed with Modello 1941 turret was a 78 hp FIAT SPA ABM 1 6-cylinder water-cooled inline petrol engine, while in the standard AB41, it was a 88 hp FIAT-SPA ABM 2 6-cylinder inline petrol engine cooled by a water circuit driven by a centrifugal pump. The engine cooling water tank was placed under the rear driver’s hatch on the left of the fuel reserve tank. In both ABs, the engine was coupled with a Zenith type 42 TTVP carburetor housed in the back of the engine compartment.

An armored car of the PAI with the engine compartment opened and the engine taken out and placed near the vehicle. Italian East Africa, winter 1942. Sources: Istituto Luce

The two engines were designed by FIAT and produced by its subsidiary Società Piemontese Automobili or SPA (English: Piedmontese Automobiles Company) in Turin. The second engine was chosen because the new turret armed with the Breda gun increased the weight of the vehicle, from 6.85 tonnes in the AB40 with 3 machine guns to 7.4 tonnes in the AB41. Although increased by only 550 kg the performance of the first engine had decreased, decreasing the maximum speed and maximum range.

Increased engine power brought speeds to these levels:

‘AB’ armored car series velocity by gears
AB model	AB40	AB41	AB42	AB43
With engine	FIAT-SPA ABM 1	FIAT-SPA ABM 2	FIAT-SPA ABM 3	FIAT-SPA ABM 3
With gears
First gear	7.68 km/h	7.89 km/h	//	8.20 km/h
Second gear	12.88 km/h	13.22 km/h	//	14.00 km/h
Third gear	22.80 km/h	23.35 km/h	//	24.20 km/h
Forth gear	36.40 km/h	37.30 km/h	//	38.60 km/h
Fifth gear	55.60 km/h	57.06 km/h	//	59.10 km/h
Sixth gear	76.40 km/h	78.38 km/h	88.20 km/h	81.20 km/h
Note	The values of the AB40 equipped with Mod. 41 turret are not known

There were three fuel tanks with a capacity total of 195 liters. The main one, with 118 liters, was in the double bottom of the floor, the 57 liter secondary tank was mounted in front of the front driver in front of the steering wheel, while the 20 liters reserve tank was placed under the machine gun spherical support in the rear of the crew compartment.
The oil bath air filters were of satisfactory quality, giving great results even in the desert environment.

The fuel system of the AB armored car series. On the left, the rear 20-liters reserve tank, on the right the 57-liters frontal tank, and in the center, down the first floor, the main tank. Source: modellismopiù.it

The electrical system composed of a Magneti Marelli 3 MF15 battery with 4 accumulators was used to power the 4 external headlights, the three lamps for the internal lighting and the horn placed on the front right mudguard.

The engine could be started manually using a crank or electrically with an ignition key from either dashboards.

The single dry plate clutch transmitted the movement of the drive shaft to a gearbox. The differential from which the four drive shafts departed.

The AB frame of an unknown model armored car. In the foreground, the radiators, the oil tank, and the engine can be seen. The reserve fuel and the water tanks were side by side, with the rear driver position moved to the left. In the background, the steering wheel and the dashboard can be seen. The 57-liter secondary tank and the brake fluid tank are missing. The tires are of the ‘Artiglio a Sezione Maggiorata’ type. Source: Modellismopiù.com

The front driver had six gears at his disposal while the rear driver had only four gears at his disposal, meaning that 37 km/h was the maximum speed in this configuration.

AB41, probably from a Cavalry School in Italy, unarmed, demonstrates the usefulness of the spare wheels. Source: Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II

The suspension was a four-wheel drive and four steering wheels with independent shock absorbers on each wheel which, coupled with the large diameter tires gave excellent off-road mobility to the armored cars.

The ‘AB’ armored cars and Camionette AS42 series independent suspensions. Source: pinterest.com

Supports for extra jerry cans were mounted at the factory on the last production vehicles along with a new exhaust, being able to carry up to a maximum of 5 or 6 (three or four on the right sides of the vehicle and two on the front fenders), but there are photos of AB41 in Africa equipped with jerry cans attached to racks built and welded by the crews on the battlefield.

The engine compartment was well cooled with grilles on the engine deck, right behind the rear armored plate of the superstructure, grilles on maintenance hatches, and inclined grilles on the rear for the radiator’s water cooling. It should also be considered that the lack of a bulkhead allowed for easier cooling.

Two AB41s during training in Corsica. The vehicles had some jerry cans on the rear of the turret. Source: pinterest.com

Hull and Armor

The armor on the entire hull and superstructure consisted of bolted plates. This arrangement did not offer the same efficiency as a mechanically welded plate but facilitated the replacement of an armor element in case it had to be repaired. The hull was 9 mm thick, front, sides, and rear while on the turret, the bolted plates reached a maximum thickness of 40 mm on the front plate and 30 mm on the sides and back. The wheel fenders were also armored to prevent enemy fire from piercing the tires.

In general, for the tasks the armored car had to perform, the armor was more than adequate, protecting the crew from enemy infantry light weapons.

The hull of the armored car had an internal structure on which the plates were bolted. At the rear of the superstructure were the two armored access doors, divided into two parts that could be opened separately. The upper part had a slit so that the crew could use their personal weapons for close-quarters defense. On the left was the antenna, which rested on a support at the back of the superstructure. In fact, to open the upper part of the left door, it was necessary to raise the antenna a few degrees.

On the right, the horn was placed at the front, a pickaxe was placed on the right side and the exhaust pipe was placed on the rear wing. The two spare wheels were placed in two fairings on the sides of the superstructure. In the ‘Ferroviaria’ version, the support in the fairing allowed to attach two wheels on each side. Above the engine compartment, there were two air intakes and two hatches for engine maintenance. On the back were the cooling grille and the two rear lights.

Radio Equipment

The radio system mounted on vehicles built before March 1941 is unknown. The Transceiver Station model RF 3M, produced by Magneti Marelli, which was installed on all vehicles of the AB series from March 1941 onwards, was placed on the left wall of the superstructure, in the middle of the crew compartment.

The transmitter and receiver parts of the Magneti Marelli RF3M radio equipment. Source: ha5kdr.hu

The RF 3M consisted of a transmitter placed on a shelf on top of the receiver placed on another shelf on the spare wheel fairing. Underneath them, on the floor, the power supplies and accumulator were placed, while the batteries were placed in the double bottom of the floor. There were two pairs of headphones and microphones for the interphone, one which was used by the front driver and the second by the rear machine gunner. The mounted antenna could be lowered to 90°. When ‘hoisted’ up, it was 3 m high but could reach 7 m fully extended with a maximum range of 60 km and 25/35 km when 3 m high.
Some armored cars received an RF 2CA radio, also produced from Magneti Marelli, with the antenna mounted on the rear of the fighting compartment, but, apart from the antenna mount, there were no external differences between the normal AB41 and the command version. The RF 2CA was used for communications among tank squadron commanders, so it is logical to assume that the AB41 equipped with this type of radio were used by squadron/company commanders.

The radio equipment in a standard AB41. Source: pinterest.com

The Stazione Ricetrasmittente Magneti Marelli RF 3M operated in graphic (Morse Code) and voice mode on frequencies from 1,690 to 2,790 kHz. The transmitter was 350 x 250 x 250 mm with a weight of 14.2 kg while the receiver was 350 x 220 x 195 mm with a weight of 8.4 kg. It was produced from 1940 and was later updated in 1942, under the new name RF 3M2 Modello 1942 with some internal improvement and a different front panel. Maximum communication range increased to 70 km.

An AB41 command armored car with a radio antenna mounted on the rear of the superstructure. Source: Istituto Luce

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.

Some Autoblindo AB41s of the III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’ (first one plated Regio Esercito 528B) with 7 meters long antennas. Source: Archivio Lancia

Interior

Apart from the frontal slit and the episcope, the front driver had in front of him the steering wheel, the dashboard, the 57-liter tank, and brake fluid tank.

On his right was the gear lever with 6 gears, the hand brake, the intercom panel, and the directional control lever which, when lowered, allowed the rear driver to take control of the vehicle. On the left, at the top, there was a crank that facilitated the raising or lowering of the radio antenna.

The rear driver position of the AB41. Source: pinterest.com

On either side, above the wheel fairings, there was a headlight on armored hinges that were raised and lowered by the driver with two levers.

Behind the driver’s seat, with a foldable backrest, there was the position of the vehicle commander/gunner. The position did not have a turret basket and the commander/gunner operated the cannon and the machine gun by the use of pedals. There were no electric generators in the turret, so the cables that connected the pedals to the weapons in the turret were the ‘Bowden’ type cables, the same as on bike brakes. On the sides of the hull were the ammunition racks that occupied most of the free space on the interior sides of the superstructure.

On the right was a large container that was used to store the crew’s personal belongings and equipment, whilst fixed on the outside of the container was the support for the spare barrels for the machine guns.

Behind the racks, there was additional room for a couple of small containers for equipment and three fire extinguishers, two on the left side, and one on the right side.

Interior of an AB43. Although different in many ways, the interior remains almost identical to that of the AB41. The steering wheel, dashboard, and ammunition racks are clearly visible on the right side. On the right side, in front of the spare wheel fairing is also visible the large storage box with the two Bersaglieri tankers helmets. On the left, above the spare wheel fairing, you can see the radio transmitter and behind the ammunition racks. Source: pinterest.com

At the back were the rear driver’s position on the left and the machine gunner’s on the right. Their seats were foldable and the steering wheel was secured with a butterfly screw which was easily removable, to facilitate crew access and exit. Between the two seats were the dashboard, gear lever with 4 gears, hand brake, and the directional control. The intercom panel was between the slit and the machine gun ball support. Between the two crew members and the engine compartment, there were two tanks, on the right a 20-liters fuel tank and on the left, one for the engine cooling water. Under the machine gunner, there was the vehicle’s power battery and to the right of the machine gun, the headphones, and the radio microphone.

Behind them, there was the engine compartment which was not easy to access for maintenance because it had only two access doors. Behind the engine, there were the radiator and the oil tank.

A cutaway of an AB41 showing (1) the 20/65 Breda cannon Mod. 1935 (2) the headlight (3) the 57-liters reserve tank (4) the front driver’s seat (5) the pedals to open fire (6) the commander/gunner’s seat (7) the machine gunner’s seat (8) the battery compartment (9) the transmission shaft (10) the starter engine (11) the cooling fan (12) the radiator (13) the FIAT-SPA engine (14) the case bag (15) the Breda machine gun Mod. 38 (16) the radio transmitter (17) the commander’s panoramic periscope, and finally (18) the crank to rotate the turret Source: zonwar.ru

Turret

As aforementioned, the AB41 turret was the Mod. 1941 developed and produced by Ansaldo for the L6/40 light 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 during maintenance operations. On the sides, the turret then had, in addition to two slits, two air intakes as the vehicle did not have fans or smoke extractors. On the roof there was a periscope for the commander next to the hatch, which allowed him a partial view of the battlefield because it was impossible, due to the limited space, to rotate it 360°. After some time it was realized that the turret had some balance problems, so a counterweight was put on the back, under the rear hatch.

An AB41 turret with counterweight and the rear hatch opened for the cannon mounting. Source: pinterest.com

Support for the Breda 38 machine gun on the turret of an AB41 fitted by the Ansaldo factory after 1943. Source: Ansaldo archives

Primary Armament

The main armament was the Cannone da 20/65 Breda Mod. 1935 L/65 with a rate of fire of 220 rounds per minute with an x1 sight produced by the San Giorgio Optics Factory. The elevation was +18° while the depression was -9°. The Breda cannon could fire Armor Piercing (AP) and High-Explosive (HE) rounds of Italian production caliber 20 x 138 mm, but also those used by the German FlaK 38 cannon and the Solothurn S18-1000 anti-tank gun, increasing the anti-tank capacity of the cannon. With the Italian armor-piercing bullets, the Mod. 1935 cannon could penetrate a 38 mm armor plate inclined at 90° at 100 mmeters and a 30 mm armored plate at 500 meters. With German Pz.Gr. 40 ammunition, it could penetrate a 50 mm armor plate inclined at 90° at 100 m and a 40 mm armored plate at 500 m.

The Cannone 20/65 Breda Mod. 1935 on a Modello 1941 turret. Source: bundesarchiv.com

Secondary Armament

The secondary armament consisted of two Breda Modello 1938 8 mm caliber machine guns, the first coaxial to the cannon, on the left, and the second in a ball support on the rear of the vehicle. These machine guns were the vehicle version of the Breda Mododello 1937 medium machine gun and had a top-mounted curved box magazine with 24 rounds.

The machine gun at the rear had an x1 optics and could be disassembled and used in an anti-aircraft position. For the whole duration of the African Campaign, the AB41 crews used a variety of handcrafted supports for anti-aircraft machine guns. Often, machine guns captured from the Allies, such as the Browning M1919 or Bren gun, or other Breda Mod. 1938s taken from Italian vehicles destroyed in combat, were used in these mounts. From 1943 onward, an anti-aircraft support for the AB41 was produced by Ansaldo, but very few were produced and not much is known about their use.

Two AB41s of the R.E.Co. “Lodi” in Tunisia armed with a 7.62 x 63 mm Browning M1919 with two different anti-aircraft supports. The first vehicle had the support welded on the housing of the panoramic telescope. The second AB41 had the Browning mounted on a support that was fixed to the side of the turret. Source: Pinterest

From 1943 onwards, a smoke grenade launcher mounted on the side of the engine compartment and a box containing the smoke grenades were added on the back of the armored car. It is not clear if the last AB41s delivered to the Royal Army were equipped with them or if only the Germans used them.

Ammunition

The ammunition on the AB41 armored car consisted of 38 magazines of 12 rounds (for a total of 456 rounds) of 20 mm and 83 magazines of 24 rounds (for a total of 1,992 rounds) of 8 mm. As aforementioned, the magazines were placed in white painted wooden racks on the sides of the hull, 14 20 mm magazines and 40 8 mm magazines were placed on the left side together with the radio and intercom of the commander. The remaining 24 20 mm and 45 8 mm magazines were placed on the right side.

In the one-man turret, there was no space for a loader and it was the vehicle commander who had to load the cannon in addition to commanding and firing the cannon, even though it was not uncommon for one of the two drivers, when not driving, to pass the magazines to the commander to facilitate loading.

Tires

The tires used on the AB41 were produced by the Pirelli factory in Milan, as were almost all the tires on Italian vehicles. Pirelli produced several tires for the 60 cm (24″) rim used on the TM40 transport vehicles and also AB series armored cars.

Three types of tires were used for the African campaign, the most common being the Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ 9.75 x 24″ (25 x 60 cm). There was also the Tipo ‘Libia Rinforzato’ with the same dimensions but run-flat and the Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’ introduced in 1942 for the Camionetta FIAT-SPA AS42 and rarely fitted on armored cars.

Replacement of a ‘Artiglio’ tire from an AB41 of the IV Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’ stationed in Tirana, Albania. Photo taken before the Armistice. Source: piciuki.com

For the use on ‘continental’ soils, such as Italy, the Russian steppes, France, and Germany, AB41s instead used the Pirelli Tipo ‘Artiglio’ 9 x 24″ (22.8 x 60 cm), Tipo ‘Artiglio a Sezione Maggiorata’ 11.25 x 24″ (28.5 x 60 cm) and finally, from 1942 onwards, the Pirelli ‘Raiflex’ tires. There is photographic evidence that shows AB series armored cars fitted with the AS42’s specific tires and vice versa, as, due to the troublesome supply lines of the Royal Army and the Republican Army, the crews were not always supplied with spare wheels. Some photographs show armored cars with non-standard tires of German or Allied origin of a suitable size.

A pair of AB41s from the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 114. Jäger-Division in Dalmatia, modern-day Croatia, in September 1943. The first is equipped with Pirelli tipo ‘Libia’ type on the right side and a non-standard wheel on the left side. The one at the back also had a non-standard wheel on the right side. Source: pinterest.com

Flaws of the AB41

The AB41 was a well-designed vehicle but it was not without its flaws The steering system was very delicate and forced the crews to make continuous and long overhauls to make it continuously efficient. The mechanism which allowed the dual drive took up a lot of space inside the vehicle, thus making it very cramped.

The turret Mod. 1941 suffered from several problems too. It was very tall, therefore causing problems as it was easier to spot even at long distances and for balance. This latter issue was solved in the middle of 1942 with the addition of a counterweight on the back. Furthermore, it did not have a fume extractor but instead only two air intakes, often causing the gunner to become intoxicated. The turret was also very narrow, making loading very difficult.

The AB41 had a one-man turret, forcing the commander to perform too many tasks, including locating targets, firing, loading the cannon and giving orders. This obviously caused many problems for the commander, whose task was made even harder by the lack of a laryngophone and was forced to give orders through the intercom placed on the left side of the superstructure.

During the war, the Italian war industry failed to provide an adequate amount of high-quality ballistic steel armor for the Italian Army, in fact, the crews often complained about the armor on armored cars, which in some instances, during off-road marches, cracked whilst traversing rough terrain.

Although the armor was thick enough to defend the crew from light infantry weapons, making it adequate for a reconnaissance vehicle, due to the lack of suitable vehicles and the lack of organization, the Italian Army often employed the armored car as a vehicle to break the enemy’s defensive lines. This caused a lot of losses, as these long-range reconnaissance vehicles were an all too easy target even for anti-tank rifles that could penetrate the armor of the armored cars of the AB series over 100 meters away.

When having to attack enemy positions, the crews often advanced with their vehicles facing backward, as the rear-facing machine gun provided superior offensive capabilities and the presence of the engine at the rear increased the armor protection for the crews, even if making the vehicle as a whole more vulnerable.

A Breda 20/65 Mod. 1935 cannon supporting an infantry advance alongside a rear-facing AB41, using its engine for increased protection. Source: pinterest.com

The 20-liter reserve tank was not protected by an armored bulkhead, a problem which was never solved and the risk of fire was always very high. Even during the use in the desert, this problem worsened because the heat emitted by the engine forced the crews to keep the doors and the hatches open to allow the crews to properly breathe. In one occasion, on 21st November 1941, during a reconnaissance mission on board of a Polizia dell’Africa Italiana AB41 armored car, the radio operator, Guardia Mario Sforzini, was hit by grenade splinters because the crew kept the hatches opened due to the heat.

The problem of the heat generated by the engine certainly benefited crews in the Soviet Union and the Balkans during the rigid winters.

One interesting fact is that crews of the armored cars deployed in the North African deserts often did not fill the reserve tank and relied on externally transported 20 liters jerry cans of the same capacity to avoid the risk of fire.

A column of AB41 entering the Siwa oasis, 1942. All three had the upper part of the door opened to ventilate the interior. Source: pinterest.com

Production and Organization

Many companies competed in the production of the ‘AB’ series armored cars: Società Piemontese Automobili of Turin produced the chassis and the engines. Lancia of Turin produced a small percentage of chassis; San Giorgio of Sestri Ponente near Genoa produced all the optics devices of the armored car; Magneti Marelli of Corbetta, near Milan, produced the radio system, batteries, and engine starter; the armor plates were produced by Società Italiana Acciaierie Cornigliano or SIAC (English: Italian Steelworks Company of Cornigliano); Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche of Brescia produced the automatic cannons and machine guns; and Ansaldo-Fossati of Sestri-Ponente assembled the hull and produced the turrets.

Companies that participated in the production of the Autoblinda AB41
Name	Place	Production
Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino (FIAT)	Turin	Brakes
Società Piemontese Automobili (SPA)	Turin	Engines and frames
Lancia Veicoli Industriali	Turin	Frames
Zenith	Turin	Carburetors and fuel filters
Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche	Brescia	Machine guns
Magneti Marelli	Corbetta and Sestri Ponente	Engine starter, radio systems, and batteries
San Giorgio	Sestri Ponente	Optics devices
Società Italiana Acciaierie Cornigliano (SIAC)	Cornigliano	Armor plates
Pirelli & Company	Milan	Tires
Brevetti Ferra	Turin	Fire Estinguisher
Costruzioni Aeronautiche Officine Meccaniche e Fonderie	Somma Lombardo	Petrol pump
Industria Radiotecnica Italiana	Rome	Intercom
Ansaldo	Sestri Ponente	Final assembly
Duco	Milan	Paint

In the ten months of 1941 during which the AB41 was produced, only 250 were delivered to the army, with an average monthly production of 25 armored cars out of 30 planned. In total, 269 chassis were produced by Società Piemontese Automobili and 282 armored superstructures by the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in 1941. In 1942, 302 AB41 armored cars were delivered to the army, also with an average monthly production of 25 armored cars. In 1943, due to various problems, between January and July, only 72 were delivered to the army, an average production of only 10 armored cars per month.
Under German Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen (English: Inspector General of the Armed Forces) on 13th November 1943, production was resumed after German’s evaluations for the Wehrmacht and totalled 23 AB41s produced until December 1944.

AB41 production during the war
Year	1941	1942	1943	November 1943 to December 1944	Total
Average production per year	250	302	92	23	667
Average production per month	25	25.16	6	1.6	14.5

In late 1942 and early 1943, the Regio Esercito began evaluating which vehicles to prioritize for production and which others 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, ordered to give precedence to the production of the AB at the expense of the L6/40 reconnaissance light tanks.

AB41 armored cars lined up for the final assembly phase at the Ansaldo-Fossati plant in Sestri Ponente, near Genoa. In the foreground are some Semoventi M41 da 75/18. Source: italie1935-45.com

This led to a drastic decrease in the production of this type of light tanks. 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 with priority to the AB41s. This left the Società Piemontese Automobili’s plant’s depots, where the L6s were produced, full of vehicles waiting to be completed.

The AB41 armored car units were composed, aside from rare exceptions, of coppia (English: couple) consisting of 2 armored cars, plotone (English: platoon) composed of 2 couples, compagnia (English: company) or squadrone (English: squadron) composed of one command platoon (one command car) and four platoons, for a total of 17 armored cars, and Gruppo (English: group) or Battaglione (English: battalion) composed of one command company or squadron and from two to four companies or squadrons, for a total of 35 or 69 armored cars.

Prospective armored car crew members were assigned to cavalry schools and to armored Bersaglieri schools (Bersaglieri were the Italian assault infantry). The cavalry used squadrone and gruppi nomenclature, while the Bersaglieri used battaglioni and compagnie nomenclature, even if the sources often do not pay attention to this detail.

During a march, a platoon had three different types of formations: the standard column, with one armored car behind each other; a line, with all lined up side-to-side; and the stormo (English: wing), in which the four armored cars formed a ‘V’ shape pointing backward.

Companies and battalions had other types of formations. These could be the 17 vehicles forming a long column or four lines composed of four AB41s in a column, with the command armored car in front. They could also form a bigger stormo or a rhombus.

The maximum distance between each armored car could not exceed 100 meters, but, in case of air strikes, this would be extended to 200 meters.

A group of AB41s under fire while approaching an enemy position. The vehicles maintain adequate distance between them and zigzag to avoid being easy targets. Source: pinterest.com

For vehicle repairs and recovery, each squadron or company had a Modello 1938 mobile workshop, composed of two heavy trucks, a heavy duty Lancia Ro NM or Lancia 3Ro recovery truck and a SPA 38R light recovery truck.

In late 1941, the Regio Esercito designated a list of units that needed to be equipped with the AB41 armored cars. Each Italian armored division’s reconnaissance group needed a group or battalion with 35 AB41s, totalling 175 armored cars. Each mechanized division’s reconnaissance group was given 26 AB41s, a total of 208. A company or a squadron plus another platoon (17 + 4 armored cars) were needed for each of the 8 different army corps, 168 armored cars in total. A platoon plus a command armored car (8 + 1 armored cars) were needed for each Italian infantry division’s reconnaissance group. A total of 650 armored cars were needed to be produced. At the theoretical rate of 30 armored cars per month, this would take 21 months, just under 2 years.

However, the Italian Army had not considered the Balkan theater, where some AB units were assigned to fight against the Yugoslavian partisans.

In very late 1942, the AB41 received some small upgrades, the most important ones were the new muffler and some 20 liters cans supports, one on each frontal mudguard and 3 or 4 on the right side of the superstructure. In general, the can’s supports were rarely used on the upgraded ABs, as when they entered service in early 1943, the North African Campaign, where the need to increase range was necessary, had concluded, and none of the upgraded AB41s was ever sent across the Mediterranean to Africa.

Service History

Regio Esercito – North Africa

In late 1941, the RECAM was equipped with an experimental armored car platoon from the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘Nizza’ (English: Armored Squadron Group). This unit was not destroyed by the German air strike, but, due to the very limited number of armored cars assigned to it, by January 1942, it was disbanded.

Two of the three AB41s and the Autoblindo TL37 assigned at the Raggruppamento Esplorante del Corpo d’Armata di Manovra in Sidi Rezegh in November 1941. The motto of the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘Nizza’, “Nicaea Fidelis” (English: Faithful Nice), is visible above the driver port. Source: Archivio Centrale dello Stato

On 26th April 1942, RECAM was disbanded, and, in its place, the Raggruppamento Celere Africa Settentrionale (English: North African Fast Group) was created.

It was composed of two Gruppi Celeri (English: Fast Group), each composed of an armored car squadron with 24 AB41s with FIAT-SPA ABM 1 and standard 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.

Strangely enough, there is some unclear information about where the armored cars of the Raggruppamento Celere Africa Settentrionale came from. A total of 48 armored cars are claimed to have come from the III Gruppo Esplorante corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Monferrato’ or GECo (English: 3rd Armored Exploration Group) which, however, was sent to Africa in July with 18 armored cars and arrived in August 1942, under the command of Major Riccardo Martinengo Marquet. The Raggruppamento Celere AS was disbanded in May 1942.

Some sources claim that the unit was equipped with an unknown number of armored cars from the III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’ (English: 3rd Armored Squadron Group) that was formed in Turin in July 1941 and sent to Africa “during 1942”. It is plausible that the unit was equipped with a few armored cars from this unit or from others.

In the book ‘La meccanizzazione dell’Esercito fino al 1943’ by Lucio Ceva and Andrea Curami, it is stated that 20 AB41s with FIAT-SPA ABM 1 and standard AB41 armored cars arrived in Africa in February 1942 and another 63 in April of the same year. The same book reports that, in May 1942, there were a total of 93 armored cars in North Africa, assigned to various units:
The III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’, with a theoretical organic strength of 47 armored cars, but equipped with 38 in service (serviceable or needing repairs).
VIII Reggimento Bersaglieri Corazzato, also with a theoretical organic strength of 47 armored cars, but equipped with 31 in service (serviceable or in need of repairs).
The 3ª Compagnia della Polizia dell’Africa Italiana, with a theoretical organic of 10, but the exact number of armored cars is unknown.

Considering that, of 93 armored cars, 69 were assigned to the first two units, this means that the remaining 24 armored cars in North Africa were assigned to the 3ª Compagnia della Polizia dell’Africa Italiana and to the Raggruppamento Celere AS. This number was less than half compared to the 48 armored cars theoretically assigned to them.

III Gruppo Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Monferrato’

The III Gruppo Esplorante Corazzato (GECo) ‘Cavalleggeri di Monferrato’ was created in April 1941 at the Deposito Reggimentale (English: Regimental Depot) of Voghera in Lombardia. The Group was composed of two armored car squadrons and was assigned to the 131ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Centauro’ (English: 131st Armored Division) as a reconnaissance unit. It was then assigned to the XXI Corpo d’Armata (English: 21th Army Corps) stationed at Agedabia, in the Sirte district.

In September 1942, the GECo took part in the occupation of the Jalo Oasis in Cyrenaica, Libya, and then the Siwa Oasis in Egypt, together with the 136ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Giovani Fascisti’ (English: 136th Armored Division). After the defeat of the Axis troops in the Second Battle of El Alamein (23rd October – 5th November 1942), the III Gruppo Esplorante corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Monferrato’ fought in southern Tunisia against Allied armored units.

Two AB41s of the III Gruppo Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Monferrato’ in North Africa. The two vehicles do not have coats of arms. The radio antennas were hosted to about 55° on the AB in the foreground and 75°. Source: pinterest.com

In late 1942, the group consisted of one armored car squadron, a batteria autocannoni (English: autocannon battery) with captured Morris CS8 light lorries, a motorized company with 47 mm anti-tank cannons, a Willys platoon with captured Jeeps, 20 officers, 16 NCOs, and 213 soldiers.

The equipment consisted of 14 AB41 with FIAT-SPA ABM 1 armored cars, 6 Willys Jeep, 4 Autocannoni da 65/17 su Morris CS8, 3 Lancia RO heavy duty trucks, 4 FIAT 666NM heavy duty trucks, 2 motorcycles, 1 ambulance, 2 FIAT 626NM medium trucks, 1 FIAT-SPA 38R light truck, 1 Morris CS8 light lorry (probably a 65 mm ammunition carrier), 1 staff car, 17 Cannoni Breda da 20/65 Mod. 1935 anti-aircraft autocannons, 18 Breda Mod. 37 medium machine guns, and 2 Cannoni da 47/32 Mod. 1935 anti-tank guns.

Although it was a reconnaissance unit, after late 1942, it was used to counter the attacks of the British Long Range Desert Group (LRDG). It managed to capture the LRDG commander, Lieutenant Colonel David Stirling, on 20th January 1943, near Al Ḥāmmah (now El Hamma), an oasis town in the south of Tunisia.

After this very lucky action that earned the unit the praise of their German comrades in arms, the GECo was employed in reconnaissance actions in southern Tunisia from 15th February to 17th April 1943, in the areas of Dour-Kébili and Bir Sultane, on the right wing of the Mareth defensive line. During the Battle of Al Ḥāmmah, in March 1943, it actively participated in the retreat from the area of Kebili, fighting against the Free French forces and the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards.

On 29th March, the 3rd Group, deployed in Kebili, was hit by two enemy units equipped with armored fighting vehicles. It was able to oppose their attacks, protecting the retreat of the Raggruppamento Sahariano ‘Mannerini’ (English: Saharan Group) and then carrying out considerable reconnaissance activities for the new defensive line, 24 km to the rear of Gabès, at Wadi Akarit.

On 8th April, with a company of the Raggruppamento Sahariano ‘Mannerini’ and the II Gruppo of the 21º Artiglieria (English: 21st Artillery), it formed a combat group that went to Garaet Fatuassa, where it fought against enemy reconnaissance and sabotage units.

On 13th April during one of these fights in the town of Djebibina, it captured prisoners and armored vehicles from an enemy unit, probably one of the LRDG.

On 22nd April, the commander of the 1ª Armata italiana (English: 1st Italian Army), General Giovanni Messe, decided to reinforce the ranks of the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato (R.E.Co.) ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’ (English: Armored Exploration Group) ,which had lost, in 5 months of fighting, 50% of its soldiers and 60% of its armored fighting vehicles. All the remaining armored units in Tunisia, including the III Gruppo Esplorante corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Monferrato’, fought in the Defense of Cape Bon until the surrender of the Axis troops in Tunisia, which took place on 13th May 1943.

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. The first unit that complete the training was the ‘I Gruppo A di Savoia Cavalleria’, which was deployed in the area of Pontinia, under the orders of Major Prince Vitaliano Borromeo Arese, employed in coastal defense with 4 squadrons and a command platoon.

This unit was accompanied by the ‘Gruppo Corazzato di Addestramento’ (English: Armored Training Group) of the Cavalry School, located in None, under the orders of Major Ettore Bocchini Padiglione.

The units were completed with tank drivers and soldiers taken from other regiments and from the School, with a prevalence of those who had attended training courses for armored cars. The Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘Nizza’ had already trained crews for 3 squadrons.

On 15th April, the General Staff of the Royal Army decided that a Gruppo Semoventi M41 da 75/18 (English: M41 Self-Propelled Guns Group) with 2 batteries was to be 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, waiting to leave for the Russian front. By order of the General Staff of the Royal Army, 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 air. This was 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.

Some AB41s on an Italian merchant ship ready to be disembarked in North Africa. Source: Istituto Luce

The remaining personnel, airlifted from the airports of Sciacca and Castelvetrano between 20th and 25th November, were attacked by US-made fighters that inflicted heavy losses.

When the first units of the R.E.Co. ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’ reached Tripoli on 21st November 1942, the Anglo-Americans had landed in French North Africa. At that point, the task of the R.E.Co. changed from the defense of the Libyan Sahara to the occupation and defense of Tunisia. Once gathered, the regiment left for Tunisia.

On 24th November, after leaving Tripoli, the units of the R.E.Co. ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’ reached Gabes, and then, on 25th November, occupied Médenine, where the command of the I Gruppo was then stationed, with the 2º Squadrone Motociclisti (English: 2nd Motorcycle Squadron) and a platoon of anti-tank guns. The 1° Squadrone Motociclisti, the armored car squadron and the anti-aircraft gun squadron instead went to Gabes, sustaining losses to Allied air attacks during the march.

The AB41s of the R.E.Co. ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’ passing through Gabes in Tunisia. Source: pinterest.com

The regiment was divided as follows: elements in Gabes, with the commander, Lequio, the main part of the I Gruppo in the Tunisian south, all with the 131ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Centauro’ (English: 131st Armored Division), the Squadrone Carri Armati L6/40 in the Libyan south, temporarily assigned to the Raggruppamento Sahariano ‘Mannerini’.
A part of the RECo ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’ was still in Italy.

The units assigned to the 131ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Centauro’ took part in the Battle of Tebourba. During the final phases, they were deployed, together with the 1ª Divisione di Fanteria ‘Superga’ (English: 1st Infantry Division) in the sector of Gafsa-el Guettar.

On 27th November, by order of German general Nehring, the whole sector of Gabes, with the detachments of Médenine and Fountatuine, were entrusted to Colonel Lequio, who had to go as far as Kébili to handle the communication lines.

In the area of Gabes, the units of the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’, with the command unit, a motorcycle squadron, armored car squadron, and anti-aircraft squadron, carried out reconnaissance in the area south and north of Chott El Fejej and escort duties to the columns between Gabes and Sfax, a road threatened by units of the LRDG. They then participated in the occupation of Oudref-Achichina-El Hafay to improve the situation in Gabes.

The I Gruppo Squadroni, reinforced by two companies of the LX Battaglione Mitraglieri Autocarrato and by the Sezione Mobile d’Artiglieria da 76/30, garrisoned Medenine and Foum Tatahouine. They also occupied the narrows of Ksar El Hallauf, scouted the mountains of Ksour and sent motorcycle patrols up to Kebili.

AB41s of the R.E.Co. ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’ in Tunisia. Source: Le autoblinde AB 40, 41 e 43

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 and two machine gun companies. These were followed two days later by the 2º Squadrone Autoblindo (English: 2nd Armored Car Squadron) 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 the great Chotts and the southwest territories.

The tank squadron, composed of L6/40s, stationed in the area of Giofra and then Hon, 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 Squad of the Libyan Sahara), with 10 armored cars.

On 4th January 1943, the retreat from Sebha began. The Squadrone Carri Armati L6/40, after having destroyed all the tanks for lack of fuel, reached El Hamma on 1st February, where the squadron rejoined its I Group.

A fundamental role that the Italian scouting units played in Tunisia was to monitor, find, and destroy the enemy scouting units, so as to interfere with enemy information gathering.

Another role played by the unit was anti-aircraft fire, which shot down a Lockheed P-38 Lightning, a Bristol Beaufighter and an American four-engine aircraft, probably B-17 or B-24, whose crew was entirely captured before they could destroy the aircraft. This last plane, originating from Algeria and bound for the Middle East, had a new type of optical device on board, which was found intact and sent to Army Headquarters. Two American fighters were also shot down at Mezzauna by a platoon of 20 mm automatic anti-aircraft guns and a platoon of armored cars fought against enemy armored vehicles near Krechen.

At the end of January 1943, the units of the RECo ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’ in the Gabes sector (RECo command, 1º Squadrone Motociclisti, an Armored Car Squadron, a half squadron of 20 mm anti-aircraft guns) were passed over to the 50ª Brigata Speciale di Fanteria (English: 50th Special Infantry Brigade). Together with the III Gruppo corazzato ‘Monferrato’ of the Raggruppamento Sahariano ‘Mannerini’, they moved further north, to the area of Triaga Fauconnerie. The units of the I Group remaining in the area of Kebili passed to the 131ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Centauro’.

An AB41 destroyed by its crew in Tunisia after the surrender. Photo taken while the vehicle was still burning. The antenna was raised and the door was opened. This was done to a number of Axis vehicles to avoid the Allies Forces the capture. Source: pinterest.com

On 23rd February 1943, the remains of the Italian-German Armored Army were included in the new 1ª Armata Italiana (English: 1st Italian Army), under the command of Italian General Giovanni Messe.

During the Battle of Kasserine Pass, all the units of the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’ were engaged, starting from the preliminary operations until the end of the offensive. In cooperation with the 21. Panzer Division, they occupied the passes of Kralif, Rabeau, and Faid, the starting point for the attack of Sidi Bou Zid. The garrison of Kebili, with a special division and a company of German Fallschirmjäger under the 131ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Centauro’, contributed to the occupation of the important command center. The 1º Squadrone Motociclisti, which had followed the 21. Panzer Division, was employed in the area of Raban and Kralif. Between 10th and 19th March 1943, the reconnaissance activity became even more intense.

The I Group, under the 131ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Centauro’, defended the city of Gafsa. Between 24th February and 17th March, the 2° Squadrone Motociclisti and one Armored Car Platoon attacked the enemy scout units in various locations on the road to Sidi Bou Said on a daily basis.

During the defensive and counter-offensive battle, which took place between 21st March and 7th April east and southeast of El Guettar, the 2° Plotone Autoblindo distinguished itself by capturing several enemy armed Jeeps in the Wadi Halfay area.

On 10th March, in order to prevent any enemy attack from the west and south, part of the 1st Group, which had occupied Douz on 6th March, moved to Kebili, then moved 26 km to El Hamma on 14th March, and was subjected to fierce aerial bombardment until 26th March. An offensive of the British 8th Army caused the capture or destruction of all the units of the group employed in this action.

The group was reconstituted with the Gruppi Corazzati ‘Nizza’ and ‘Monferrato’, with a Batteria Semoventi M41 da 75/18 and one with Autocannoni da 65/17 su FIAT 634N.

On 9th April 1943, the retreat of the German’s 5. Panzerarmee to the north resulted in the outflanking of the 1st Italian Army. The Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’ blocked the British attacks from Hammam Lif, on the road to Tunis, effectively delaying the enemy troops in order to cover the retreat of the 1st Army.

After the Battle of Mareth and the retreat of the front to the area of Enfidaville, the armored car patrols of the RECo continued their engagements with enemy reconnaissance units, also fighting a brief battle at the Bled Dicloula pit. They fell back between 9th and 12th April to Kairouan, then through Djebibina and Ben Saidana to Zaghouan.

In this action, the armored cars under the command of Lieutenant Masprone and the Plotone Semoventi L40 da 47/32 of Lieutenant Birzio Biroli claimed to have inflicted 22 tank and an unknown number of armored personnel carriers and other vehicle losses on the enemy.

On 13th April 1943, the 2º Squadrone Motociclisti, along with a 20 mm AA gun platoon, was assigned to the 16ª Divisione fanteria ‘Pistoia’ in order to reinforce the Gebel Gargi stronghold, west of Tarhuna. The III Gruppo corazzato ‘Lancieri di Novara’ was reduced to a machine gun section.

On 21st April, the remains of Gruppo I returned to the RECo. On 22nd April 1943, the command of the 1st Army decided to unite all the Italian mechanized elements in the RECo. In some sources, the unit is also designated as Raggruppamento Sahariano ‘Lequio’, from the name of its commander. The unit passed under the command of the Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) for the defense of Cape Bon.

Two tactical groups were constituted, one assigned to the 136ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Giovani Fascisti’, near Bouficha, and one to the 16ª Divisione fanteria ‘Pistoia’, near Saguaf. These were committed, from 24th to 30th April, to the extremities of the Italian-German defenses.

On 10th May 1943, Cape Bon was attacked by enemy armored units and the RECo resisted. The advance of the Anglo-American forces supported by French forces, superior in number and equipment, caused very heavy losses to the Italian-German units. On 11th May 1943, after fighting northwest of Boufichia, what remained of the RECo was annihilated in very bitter fighting that caused the destruction of the last armored artillery vehicles of the unit. War Bulletin n.1083 of 13th-14th May 1943 mentioned the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’ for its actions.

Stuart light tanks pass near destroyed AB41s in Tunisia, 20th May 1943. Source: reddit.com

III Gruppo corazzato ‘Lancieri di Novara’

On 15th April 1942, the III Gruppo corazzato ‘Lancieri di Novara’ was established at the Deposito Reggimentale di Novara. It was composed of 3 squadrons equipped with L6/40 light tanks (52 vehicles) and sent to Africa as a reconnaissance unit for the 133ª Divisione corazzata ‘Littorio’.

In July 1942, it received three armored cars to try to make up for the loss of L6 tanks (78 out of 85). Reduced then to only five vehicles after the Battle of El Alamein, the unit followed the other units of the Italian-German army in the retreat from Egypt, Cyrenaica, and Tripolitania, on foot, continuing the war as a machine gun section attached to the Raggruppamento Sahariano ‘Mannerini’ during the Tunisian campaign.

III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’

The III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’ had at its disposal a theoretical force of 47 armored cars, 13 assigned to the Command Company and other two companies with 17 armored cars each.

In July 1941, it was initially named the 132° Battaglione Autoblindo per R.E.Co., then became the CXXXII Battaglione Esplorante Corazzato in December 1941 and, finally, III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’. During 1942, it was assigned to the 132ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete’ becoming, with an attached medium tank unit, the Reparto Esplorante Corazzato (English: Armored Reconnaissance Unit) of the armored division. In March 1942, the unit was assigned the XIV° Gruppo of the autocannoni’s Batterie Volanti (English: Flying Batteries) equipped with four Autocannoni da 65/17 su FIAT 634N heavy duty trucks. Their service and destiny was unknown.

After a short period of time, it was renamed the III Gruppo Autoblindo ‘Nizza’ (English: 3rd Armored Car Group). In May 1942, it operated in Africa, with two squadrons within the 132ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete’ in the XX Corpo di armata. It participated in the offensive against the British 8th Army, especially in the fighting at Bir Hakeim on 27th May. The unit was successfully supported by the 132° Reggimento Carri Armati (English: 132th Tank Regiment) at Bir Harmat on 28th and 29th May. It had reconnaissance tasks at Ain El Gazala, in the preparatory battle for the reconquest of Tobruk, supported by the 132° Reggimento Carri Armati of the Ariete division. Afterwards, the III Gruppo Autoblindo ‘Nizza’ operated in the Siwa Oasis and in the Qattara depression. In June 1942, it had only 38 armored cars in its ranks, but not all were serviceable.

In August 1942, following the loss of other armored cars, a single squadron was formed by consolidating the remains of the two squadrons.

An AB41 of the III Gruppo Autoblindo ‘Nizza’ knocked out and abandoned in the desert. On the rear armored plate is readable “III° Gr. Corazzato Nizza Cav.”. The license plate was Regio Esercito 136B. Source: pinterest.com

In the months following the defeat of the Battle of El Alamein, the III Gruppo Autoblindo ‘Nizza’ also carried out, together with the surviving motorized units and with those that arrived from Italy in the meantime, the rearguard role for the retreat of the infantry towards Tunisia. It fought on 3rd February 1943 at Bir Soltane and at Ksane Rhilane, and again at Bir Soltane between 10th and 20th of March, facing the attack of a New Zealand column alone.

Due to heavy losses, it was forced to retreat, facing the reconnaissance units of the 6th English Armored Division, protecting the retreat through the Chotts up to Enfidaville. On 22nd April, it also joined the Raggruppamento Sahariano ‘Lequio’.

On 10th May 1943, when the surrender order came from Rome, the few armored cars still operational with the III Gruppo Autoblindo ‘Nizza’ were destroyed to keep them from falling into Allied hands.

Three AB41s of the III Gruppo Autoblindo ‘Nizza’ as they return to base after a desert patrol. The coat of arms were much larger paintings. Source: Le autoblinde AB 40, 41 e 43

VIII Battaglione Bersaglieri Blindato Autonomo

On 10th August 1941, at the Scuola di Cavalleria in Pinerolo, the 133° Battaglione Autoblindo per R.E.Co. was created, which should have been assigned to the 133ª Divisione corazzata ‘Littorio’.

In October, after training, the unit moved to Veneto and was restructured. It had a Compagnia Comando with 13 AB41s, 1ª and 2ª Compagnia Autoblindo with 34 AB41s in total, 3ª Compagnia Motociclisti, and 4ª Compagnia Anticarro.

For the needs of the North African Campaign, the 1ª Compagnia Autoblindo, 3ª Compagnia Motociclisti, and 4ª Compagnia Anticarro were assigned to the 132ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete’ to replace its losses. On 25th November of the same year, the 133° Battaglione Autoblindo per R.E.Co. was renamed CXXXIII Battaglione Esplorante Corazzato and meant to be assigned to the 133ª Divisione corazzata ‘Littorio’. However, the unit was composed of a single company and, in the end, the III Gruppo corazzato ‘Lancieri di Novara’ was assigned to the ‘Littorio’.

Two AB41s in Pinerolo, Italy, in February 1943. They had 20-liters can supports, obviously useful for the Italian territory and the 2st type muffler. Source: Quadrini

In February 1942, the 1ª Compagnia Autoblindo was recreated and the battalion was renamed VIII Battaglione Bersaglieri Blindato Autonomo (English: 8th Autonomous Armored Bersaglieri Battalion). It only had the 1ª Compagnia Autoblindo and 2ª Compagnia Autoblindo, for a total of 40 or 47 armored cars, as sources do not agree. On 11th May 1942, it was assigned to the 101ª Divisione Motorizzata ‘Trieste’ as its reconnaissance unit.

AB41s of the VIII Battaglione Bersaglieri Blindato Autonomo on a reconnaissance mission in the North African desert. The AB41 in the foreground has the Savoia Cross (white cross) on the front to avoid friendly fire incidents. Source: pinterest.com

The 101ª Divisione Motorizzata ‘Trieste’ fought in the Battle of Bir Hakeim, where the VIII Battaglione Bersaglieri Blindato Autonomo took part in the bloody fighting against Free French troops and British units.

On 26th May 1942,Second Lieutenant Cimino Luigi, the commander of an armored car platoon, was put in command of a reconnaissance mission. During the mission, having sighted some enemy armored reconnaissance vehicles, the unit launched itself at maximum speed against them. The attack allowed the capture of two vehicles with some prisoners, including an officer and ammunition.

AB41s of the VIII Battaglione Bersaglieri Blindato Autonomo while commanders discuss the mission (top) and ready to go into action (bottom). North African Desert 1942. Source: Museo Virtuale del Bersagliere – facebook.com

At 2100 hrs, from the north of Bir Hakeim, the unit attempted to reach positions in the north to northeast, behind the enemy infantry line in order to attack them from behind. Unfortunately, after midnight, the unit was stopped by minefields. The mine explosions attracted the enemy’s attention, which began to open fire against the unit.

The 2° Plotone and the 4° Plotone of the 1° Compagnia Autoblindo distinguished themselves, responding effectively against the enemy fire in the fighting on 27th May.

On 28th May 1942, the Battalion tried to conquer the Gott el Ualeb stronghold, as the situation was escalating into what was called the “Battle of the Cauldron” by the Italian troops, due to the disorganization of the troops employed in the clash. The commander of one of the battalions, Major Silvano Bernardis, was killed while fighting.

Infantry Corporal Aldo Scolari repaired four armored cars rendered immobile by mines or artillery shells near Bir Bellafarit. For this action, he earned the Gold Medal of Military Valor.

On 29th May, the situation did not improve. The chaotic fighting continued, and ammunition and gasoline were running out because the battalion was not in contact with the rear lines. High Command ordered the Bersaglieri to advance without waiting for the opening of gaps in the minefields by the sappers.

Three AB41s destroyed in the North African desert. Date and location unknown but it could be during the Battle of Bir Hakeim. Source: pinterest.com

The major gathered his men and communicated the order. Then, he led the unit and began the advance through the middle of the minefields under intense enemy fire. In a short time, the Plotone ‘Castelnuovo’ lost all the armored cars but managed to recover all the crews, passing on foot over the minefield. After the battle, the unit was deployed at first to the Oasis of Siwa and was then sent to the coast for anti-shipment reconnaissance.

The actions involving Lieutenant Fausto Cuzzeri, the commander of an armored car platoon,that took place on 29th June 1942 are noteworthy. In a single day, he attacked and captured two vehicles and then an entire British column, capturing many other vehicles and guns.

That same day, during a night reconnaissance mission, Second Lieutenant Giuseppe Cutrì, commander of an armored car platoon, spotted a patrol of enemy vehicles, including at least one tank. In spite of the intense enemy fire, Cutrì ordered an attack and was able to put the enemy unit on the run using only his armored car, freeing some German soldiers and their vehicles, and capturing some British soldiers and their weapons.

A Bersagliere crew member cleaning up a Breda Modello 1938 on the turret of its AB41. Note the rear turret hatch and the commander’s periscope. Source: italie1935-45.com

On another occasion, Sergeant Major Kruger Gavioli, from the battalion’s command company, identified and engaged with some enemy armored vehicles that were trying to infiltrate between the Axis lines during a night patrol on 18th July 1942. After running out of ammunition, he returned to the base. After a quick refueling and stocking up on ammunition, he went back to where he had encountered the enemy vehicles and, after a brief pursuit, attacked them again. His armored car was hit by an anti-tank shell. Hit a second time, the armored car was immobilized but continued to fire with all weapons until a third round hit it, destroying it.

On 1st September 1942, some armored cars clashed with British scouting units also equipped with armored cars. Sergeant Cademuro Giovanni, commander of a coppia of armored cars, and another car got around the enemy armored cars and made the British troops retreat, while the rest of the group engaged them from the front.

During the Battle of El Alamein, the VIII Battaglione Bersaglieri Blindato Autonomo was at the positions of the V° Battaglione of the Raggruppamento Tattico ‘Tantillo’, assigned to the 185ª Divisione paracadutisti ‘Folgore’.

An AB41 of the VIII Battaglione Bersaglieri Blindato Autonomo in the North African desert. Clearly visible the Croce di Savoia in front. Source: Museo Virtuale Bersaglieri – facebook.com

On 6th November, VIII Battaglione Bersaglieri Blindato Autonomo assigned to the 101ª Divisione Motorizzata ‘Trieste’ lost 12 armored cars out of the 30 left, which were abandoned in the attempt to retreat. The unit was then used in the rearguard defense of the Italian-German troops retreating towards Tunisia, succeeding on several occasions in stopping units of the LRDG or scouting units of the British 8th Army.

An AB41 of the VIII Battaglione Bersaglieri Blindato Autonomo with part of its crew. It had an improvised anti-aircraft support for a Breda Modello 1938 and a “B2” painted in dark paint on the superstructure side, above the two tone camouflage scheme. Its meaning is unknown. Source: italie1935-45.com

In January 1943, because of the losses suffered, the battalion was disbanded and the vehicles and the remaining soldiers joined the III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’.

Regio Esercito – Italy

18° Reggimento Esplorante Corazzato Bersaglieri and 10º R\\aggruppamento Celere Bersaglieri in Corsica

On 1st February 1942, at the depot of the 5º Reggimento Bersaglieri (English: 5th Bersaglieri Regiment) in Siena, the 18° Reggimento Esplorante Corazzato Bersaglieri was created.

The 18° RECo Bersaglieri had at its disposal the I Gruppo Esplorante (English: 1st Reconnaissance Group) consisting of the 1ª Compagnia Autoblindo (English: 1st Armored Car Company) with 17 AB41 armored cars, 2ª and 3ª Compagnia Carri Armati L6/40 and 4ª Compagnia Motociclisti. The II Gruppo Esplorante consisted of the 5ª Compagnia Semoventi L40 da 47/32 and 6ª Compagnia 20 mm anti-aircraft guns. After a few days, the two L6/40 tank companies were reassigned to form the LXVII Battaglione, officially formed in Siena on 25th February 1942.

On 3rd January 1943, the 18° RECo Bersaglieri was assigned to the 4ª Armata Italiana deployed in Provence, with garrison tasks in the vicinity of Toulon, in view of possible enemy landings.

On 25th July 1943, the regiment returned to Turin, but the 1ª Compagnia Blindata, renamed as the 7ª compagnia, went to reinforce the 10º Raggruppamento Celere Bersaglieri in Corsica (English: 10th Bersaglieri Fast Regiment in Corsica). There, it was used to patrol the coastal roads of Corsica to prevent partisan attacks and to monitor the Mediterranean Sea.

AB41 of the 7ª compagnia in Corsica in November 1942. The Tipo ‘Libia’ tires and the camouflage netting are well visible. Source: pinterest.com

After the Armistice of 8th September 1943, the company took part in the clashes against the 16. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Reichsführer-SS”.

Two AB41 armored cars in Corsica during a patrol. Source: pinterest.com

After 25th September 1943, Free French troops arrived on the island and sided with the Italians. On 29th September, the Franco-Italian offensive against the Germans began and was successful. The Germans were forced to hastily re-embark for the mainland from Bastia. By 5th October, all the Germans had fled or surrendered. The French confiscated the heavy weapons from the Italian units.

Same AB41s of the previous photo with crew. Source: pinterest.com @Paolo Marzioli

III Gruppo ‘Lancieri di Firenze’

The III Gruppo ‘Lancieri di Firenze’, with a Command Company, an Armored Car Company, and a Motorcyclist Company, had a total of 18 AB41s and an unknown number of motorcycles.

A gruppo squadroni of the Reggimento ‘Lancieri di Milano’, and 4 other groups of squadrons, were passed under the orders of the III Gruppo ‘Lancieri di Firenze’, under the command of Colonel Sardella. These were meant for training with a view of expanding them into mixed regiments to be sent to North Africa.

The ‘Lancieri di Firenze’ was created on 1st February 1942 and assigned to the 2ª Divisione celere ‘Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro’, where it remained for little more than a month. On March 10th 1942, the unit was sent to Albania without armored cars but equipped with horses. The armored cars were transferred in July 1942 to the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Montebello’.

V Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’

A V Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’ (English: 5th Armored Group) was also created, but its operational service is virtually unknown. Nicola Pignato and Filippo Cappellano’s book ‘Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell’esercito italiano’, mentions in the ‘L’Esercito e i suoi Corpi’ chapter that the Italian Army Archive has no references of the V Gruppo. ‘La meccanizzazione dell’esercito fino al 1943’, written by Lucio Ceva and Andrea Curami, concludes by saying that the authors believe that the V Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’ did exist and was originally planned for use in North Africa, but was then diverted to Sicily in 1943.

In order to support their hypothesis, the authors refer to a discussion with Ambassador Umberto Bozzini, a former cavalry lieutenant at the time and apparently an expert on these units. The fate of the unit and if it was equipped with AB41 armored cars is unknown. A short article by Nicola Pignato and Fabrizio d’Inzeo mentions that the V Gruppo was equipped with 36 armored cars.

XL Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato

The XL Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato was created on 15th February 1942 at the Scuola di Cavalleria in Pinerolo and was used as a training unit. It was equipped with an unknown number of AB40 and AB41 armored cars, probably enough to equip 2 or more companies.

AB41 armored cars, probably of a training unit in Italy in column to reach the training center. Source: italie1935-45.com

Reggimento Motorizzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lucca’

On 20th February 1943, the Army General Staff ordered the establishment of the Reggimento Motorizzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lucca’, which was created on 1st March 1943 at the Deposito Reggimentale of the Reggimento Corazzato ‘Vittorio Emanuele II’ in Bologna. This unit had a squadrone comando composed of 2 anti-aircraft platoons with 20 mm automatic guns and 1° Squadrone Motociclisti. The Motorcycle Squadron was also assigned an armored car platoon with 4 AB41 armored cars in total.

The unit also had a self-propelled squadron with Semoventi M42 da 75/18, two Auto-transported Mortar Squadrons, a Support Weapons, and an anti-aircraft Squadron. It was employed to keep public order in Bologna and in various localities of the Romagna region, at the disposal of the Comando della Difesa Territoriale di Bologna (English: Command of the Territorial Defense of Bologna).

On 1st April 1943, the 135ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete II’ (English: 135th Armored Division) was created at the Deposito Reggimentale of Ferrara. It incorporated the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Montebello’ as its reconnaissance group and the Reggimento Motorizzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lucca’ as a mechanized unit.

In July 1943, the 135ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete II’ was transferred from Ferrara to Rome by railway. The convoys that carried the RECo ‘Lancieri di Montebello’ and the ‘Cavalleggeri di Lucca’ stopped at Castelnuovo di Porto. The Motorized regiment received its armored cars, while the RECo ‘Lancieri di Montebello’ completed its ranks. Then the regiment and the RECo resumed their way to Rome, arriving in Isola Farnese, where the armored cars were unloaded and traveled by road to Olgiata, north of Rome.

Plotone Autonomo Autoblindo

In the Soviet Union, the 156ª Divisione di Fanteria ‘Vicenza’ was sent with two AB41 armored cars in the Plotone Autonomo Autoblindo (English: Autonomous Armored Car Platoon). These vehicles were used together with some L6/40 light tanks and L40 47/32 self-propelled guns, but were probably quickly abandoned due mechanical wear and tear.

A really bad quality photo of an AB41 of the Plotone Autonomo Autoblindo near Stalino (now Donec’k, Ukraine) in March 1942. Source: pinterest.com

Nuclei Esploranti Corazzati

In Naples, on 5th June 1943, the 9° Nucleo Esplorante Corazzato or NEC (English: 9th Armored Exploring Squad) of the 9ª Divisione di Fanteria ‘Pasubio’ was created. It had two platoons and a command car for a total of 9 AB41s.

In Palermo, on 5th June 1943, the 28° Nucleo Esplorante Corazzato of the 28ª Divisione fanteria ‘Aosta’ was created. It was probably composed of two platoons with a total of 8 AB41s, but there is no information on its service and it is uncertain if the armored cars were even delivered.

Other NECs included the 12° Nucleo Esplorante Corazzato of the 12ª Divisione fanteria ‘Sassari’, which took part in the Defense of Rome between 8th to 10th September 1943.

The 30° Nucleo Esplorante Corazzato of the 30ª Divisione fanteria ‘Sabauda’ was created on 1st August 1943. It received 8 AB41 armored cars. On 10th September 1943, the division was assigned to the defense of Sardinia and blocked the way of the Germans, which wanted to occupy Cagliari, the capital of the islandi. After the battle, the division joined the newly born Italian Co-Belligerent Army and moved to Sicily, in the areas of Enna and Caltanissetta. There, however, the Allies requisitioned all its armored vehicles due to the armistice clauses.

On 13th November 1942, at the Scuola Centrale Truppe Celeri (English: Central School for Fast Troops) in Civitavecchia, the Nucleo Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Milano’ was created. As with some of the other NECs, nothing is know about its service.

X Battaglione Esplorante Corazzato

Another 17 AB41 armored cars were assigned to the X Battaglione Esplorante Corazzato (English: 10th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion) of the 10ª Divisione di Fanteria Motorizzata ‘Piave’ (English: 10th Motorized Infantry Division) on 15th July 1943. The battalion, together with the division, took part in the desperate defense of Rome in September 1943, defending the northern section of the city.

Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Montebello’

On 15 July 1942, in Ferrara, at the Deposito Reggimentale del III Gruppo ‘Lancieri di Firenze’, the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Montebello’ was created. It was composed of a command company and an armored car company, with a total of 18 AB41s previously belonging to the ‘Lancieri di Firenze’.

It had a theoretical force of 70 armored cars, but was never completely equipped. The unit was also equipped with four motorcycle squadrons, two self-propelled squadrons with Semoventi M41 da 75/18, and two self-propelled squadrons with Semoventi L40 da 47/32.

This unit was employed for about a year in public order tasks and was reorganized with a Squadrone Comando (4 AB41 armored cars), 1° Squadrone (17 AB41 armored cars), 2° Squadrone (17 AB41 armored cars) and 3° Squadrone Motociclisti.

In July 1943, the R.E.Co. was transferred by railway to Rome. The convoys that carried it stopped at Castelnuovo di Porto station, where the last armored cars were delivered to the R.E.Co., and then near Rome, in Isola Farnese, the armored cars were unloaded and traveled by road to Olgiata, north of Rome. During this period, the soldiers improved their training and the unit was reorganized with: Squadrone Comando with 4 AB41 and I Gruppo with a Squadrone Comando del Gruppo (English: Group’s Command Squadron) with 4 AB41 armored cars.

The I Gruppo had at their disposal 1° Squadrone Autoblindo (17 AB41 Armored cars), 2° Squadrone Autoblindo (17 AB41 Armored cars), and 3° Squadrone motociclisti (86 motorcycles, 10 Breda Modello 1930 light machine guns) for a total of 42 armored cars.
II Gruppo had at their disposal: the Squadrone Comando del Gruppo (4 semoventi L40 da 47/32), the 4° Squadrone Motomitraglieri (90 motorcycles, 10 Breda Mod. 30), the 5° Squadrone Semoventi da 75/18 (12 semoventi M42 da 75/18) and the 6° Squadrone Semoventi da 47/32 (12 semoventi L40 da 47/32). The III Gruppo was composed of: Squadrone Contraereo da 20 (12 Cannoni-Mitragliere da 20 mm) and Squadrone Zappatori Traghettatori (English: Sapper and Ferryman Battalion) with 12 assault boats and other equipment for crossing waterways.

On 8th September 1943, the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato received the news of the signing of the Armistice of Cassibile.

The Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Montebello’ and the 135ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete II’ received orders from Italian Prime Minister, Pietro Badoglio, to defend the city from the Germans. On the morning of 9th September 1943, the AB41s headed to Rome where the 21ª Divisione di fanteria ‘Granatieri di Sardegna’ has erected defensive positions. Between 9th and 10th September, they fought supported by the Italian infantry on the Tiber River against the Germans that were trying to capture the city.

During the night of 8th September, the 21ª Divisione di fanteria ‘Granatieri di Sardegna’ was deployed in the southern sector of Rome on a 28 kilometers long front, divided into two sectors with a total of 13 strongholds to which were added 14 internal checkpoints that barred the main roads. These defenses were initially erected by the Italians some days earlier to defend from an Allied attack, as the Italian Army High Command feared an Allied landing near Rome at any moment. However, they would soon be used to defend against Italy’s former ally.
The 1° Reggimento Granatieri was entrusted with the first seven strongholds: from the first to the fourth to the I Battaglione on the right bank of the Tiber, the other three to the III Battaglione, while the II Battaglione was placed in divisional reserve in the western sector in the area between Abbazia Tre Fontane and Forte Ostiense. The other six strongholds were entrusted to the 2° Reggimento Granatieri.

The first unit that suffered the first losses against the Germans was the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana which first encountered German forces in the fuel depot of Mezzocammino and, attacked by surprise, was forced to withdraw on 8th September, abandoning some equipment. These events took place to the south of the V Caposaldo (English: 5th Stronghold) in front of the Ponte della Magliana, the quicker way to reach Rome.

Around 11 pm, the V Caposaldo was attacked by the German attack from the 3. Panzergrenadier Division and some units of the 26. Panzer Division. The reserve battalion was called to intervene and slowed down the German attack, but shortly after the Germans began to advance again.

A German column equipped with armored cars tried to reach Rome across the Magliana Bridge but was hit by machine gun fire from Captain Pomares’ Machine Gun Company and was forced to turn back hastily, leaving dead and wounded behind. At about 2 am, the Regimental Command asked for reinforcements for the total reoccupation of the position that had lost some smaller strongholds.

The Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Montebello’, under the command of Colonel Umberto Giordani, then entered into action. It was ready to enter in action from 11:30 pm in its barracks in Isola Farnese, but only at 2:30 am was it called to intervene. It arrived from the north of Rome, crossed the streets of Rome at full speed during the night, crossed San Paolo, crossed the Via Ostiense, and at 5 am of 9th September it arrived with its AB41 armored cars and some Semoventi L40 da 47/32 self-propelled guns near the Magliana bridge, at the headquarters of the 1° Reggimento Granatieri.

The motorcyclist units were employed in diversionary and garrison actions to prevent German surprise attacks from other directions, while the 6° Squadrone Semoventi da 47/32 with ten self-propelled guns and the 2° Squadrone Autoblindo with an unknown number of armored cars were passed under the control of the I Battaglione, while the 1° Squadrone Autoblindo, with the commander of the I Gruppo, were maintained in second line defending the Granatieri’s headquarter.

After a night of intense fighting, the morning of 9th September saw the resumption of the action for the total reconquest of the 5th stronghold. At 7 am, the II Battalion of Major Costa’s Grenadiers, supported by ten Semoventi L40 da 47/32 and some armored cars, began the action to reconquer the position under attack. The Battaglione Allievi Carabinieri, Bersaglieri, and soldiers and perhaps some armored cars of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana (both the police and the ‘Lancieri di Montebello’ had AB41 armored cars in Rome and the sources do not specify if also the police vehicles that took part in the battle) also took part in this action. At 10:30 am, the 5th stronghold was entirely recaptured by Italian soldiers.

During an attack, the 2° Squadrone Autoblindo the German units to retreat and they recaptured and brought back to the Italian lines a FIAT 626NM medium truck, which had previously been abandoned by the PAI, armed with two machine guns and with 20 MAB 38A submachine guns and some ammunition crates.

A civilian version FIAT 626NL. The cargo bay and trailer were full of paint barrels. This gives an indication as to how many barrels of fuel were able to take back. Source: italie1935-45.com

After the V Caposaldo was reoccupied, the 1° Reggimento Granatieri ordered Lieutenant Silvano Gray de Cristoforis, probably a AB41’s platoon commander of the 1° Squadrone Autoblindo, to attempt an attack on the German rear positions.
This plan was to reach the Caserma della Cecchignola barrack, where some trucks and trailers loaded with barrels of fuel had been abandoned. This was a desperate action ordered by the commander of the ‘Lancieri di Montebello’, which immediately needed fuel for its armored vehicles.

Under enemy fire, Lieut. Gray de Cristoforis’s unit reached the Caserma della Cecchignola and managed to transport back to the Italian lines two trailers full of fuel barrels that were used to refuel all the Italian vehicles in the area for the rest of the day.

Lieutenant Silvano Gray de Cristoforis, of the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Montebello’ died on 10th September 1943 during the defense of Porta San Paolo. He was posthumously awarded with the Silver Medal for Military Valor. In this photo, he poses in front of his AB41 with Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ tires. Photo taken probably during the Defense of Rome or some days before. Source: pinterest.com @Lucky01

At 2:00 pm, the Germans launched a violent counterattack, with mortar fire inflicting serious lossed on the V Caposaldo. The grenadiers were about to surrender and the 4° Squadrone Motomitraglieri was sent to reinforce them and attempted a counterattack in which the commander, Captain Cipriani, was wounded and the unit was forced to retreat to new defensive positions.

The 6° Squadrone was no longer receiving ammunition and its self-propelled guns were running out of shells. However, the commander decided to remain in position, under the heavy enemy fire, to keep the troops’ morale.
The combat restarted at around 5 pm, with mortar fire, attacks from German paratroopers, and aircraft machine gunning at low altitudes, which caused many casualties.

The Italian grenadiers, supported by the units of armored cars and self-propelled vehicles, resisted on the positions of the V Caposaldo, while the motorcyclists of the 3° Squadrone on the Strada Ardeatina, supported the front line units.

An AB41 of the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Montebello’ during the defense of the Ponte della Magliana. The motorcycles were of the unit’s Bersaglieri. Source: italie1935-45.com

Subsequently, the Italian troops withdrew to the following positions:
Via Ostiense was barricaded by the 3° Squadrone Motociclisti, elements of the 1° Battaglione of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana, elements of the Battaglione Carabinieri that had recently arrived to replace the Battaglione Allievi Carabinieri, a platoon of the 5° Squadrone Semoventi da 75/18, and a platoon of armored cars.

Via Laurentina was barricaded by the 1° Squadrone Autoblindo, by about a platoon of paratroopers, put together during the free days in Rome before the attack and recently arrived on site.

The 6° Squadrone Semoventi da 47/32 was made to fall back to the command of the 2° Gruppo where, during the night, also the other units of the ‘Lancieri di Montebello’ would arrive.

The new defensive line stopped a German attack. Around 10 pm, a company of Italian paratroopers arrived and after this, the night passed quite quietly.

The new German attack took place at dawn, involving the stronghold on Via Laurentina. The Italians started to attack with the armored cars and some self-propelled guns of the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato to force the German forces to retreat. These attacks were easily repelled as the narrow streets forces the Italian vehicles to drive only in the middle of the road and were as a consequence more vulnerable to enemy mortar and to anti-tank fire from the 4,2 cm PaK 41 German Fallschirmjäger squeeze bore cannons.

Two AB41 of the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Montebello’ which were hit by German 4,2 cm anti-tank guns. Note that the Italian crews usually attacked enemies with the armored car backwards so the engine gave them more protection. Source: pinterest.com

At least three AB41 armored cars of the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato were destroyed during the attack by some German tanks and armored cars.

At dawn, the situation was desperate, and Colonel Giordani, commander of the line, tried to receive reinforcements from the 21ª Divisione di Fanteria ‘Granatieri di Sardegna’, on which he still depended. The situation became more critical when the Battaglione Carabinieri was called to intervene in another sector of the defensive line and the 1° Battaglione of the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana had almost completely been destroyed.

The vice-commander of the division, General de Rienzis, informed Colonel Giordani that an armistice with the Germans had already been agreed, and therefore, ordered the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato to retreat.

At 10:30 am the radio station of the 21ª Divisionedi Fanteria recalled them and ordered the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato to return to battle, to position itself at Porta San Paolo and to resist to the bitter end, waiting for the arrival of the rest of its armored corps, already on the move.

Three AB41 armored cars and some Bersaglieri’s motorcycles behind a SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Metropolitana’ of the Battaglione d’Assalto Motorizzato armed with a Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935 47 mm gun and a Breda Modello 1937. Porta San Paolo 10th September 1943. Source: pinterest.com

Once in position, the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Montebello’ realized that it was by itself, as all the other units either did not receive the order to return to action or ignored it. A unit of recruits of the 4° Carristi, and a battery of the 60° Gruppo Semoventi da 105/25, of the 135ª Divisione Corazzata ‘Ariete II’ helped to defend the defensive line while a group of recruits commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Nisco without armored cars of the Reggimento ‘Genova Cavalleria’, were sent to guard the Ostiense station and the adjacent streets.

After a morning of fighting, the German column joined some other German troops and approached Porta San Paolo, an ancient gate of the 4 meter thick Aurelian Walls, which dated back to Roman times, which was insurmountable even for German tanks.

The fight in the Porta San Paolo lasted until 5:00 pm and was really fierce. The Italian soldiers were also joined by civilians and police officers from the capital that fought the Germans with hunting weapons or by throwing stones.

The armored cars of the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Montebello’ were destroyed one by one by anti-tank fire. After these actions, the surviving armored cars were abandoned or returned to the base with the survivors.

During the defense of Rome, the Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Montebello’ lost 5 officers and 15 NCOs and soldiers with an additional 13 officers and 68 NCOs and soldiers wounded. Between 16th and 17th September 1943 the commander, Colonel Umberto Giornani, delivered the surviving vehicles and equipment (the number of AB41s in running order is unknown), and on 18th September 1943, disbanded the unit, allowing the soldiers to return to their homes.

9ª Compagnia Autoblindo Autonoma and other units

The last 12 AB41 armored cars were given to the 9ª Compagnia Autoblindo Autonoma that was assigned to the 11ª Armata Italiana in Greece, like the 8ª Compagnia Autoblindo Autonoma. On 31st August 1943, it was disbanded and the 12 armored cars with their crews were assigned to the Comando Generale Regi Carabinieri, which commanded the Gruppo Autonomo Carabinieri dell’Egeo (English: Aegean Sea Autonomous Carabinieri Group).

Other AB41s were delivered for a fee to some Italian units. Two AB41s with SPA ABM 1 engine (one had the number plate Regio Esercito 352B) were given to the Colonna Celere Confinaria ‘M’ (English: Fast Border Column) of the Rijeka Prefecture on 16th May 1942 and one AB41 to the Milizia Nazionale Portuaria (English: National Port Militia) on 4th October of the same year, for 410,313 Italian Liras.

Regio Esercito – Balkans

In the Yugoslavian theater, in the beginning, no AB41 armored cars were meant to be used. Due to the tenacious partisan resistance, the Italian High Command was forced to supply some armored cars to the Italian units of occupation in Yugoslavia.

Most AB41s deployed in this sector were placed within modest-sized units on the platoon or company scale. They were rarely mentioned in official documents and it is difficult to provide an adequate account of their operational service.

8ª Compagnia Autoblindo Autonoma

The 8ª Compagnia Autoblindo Autonoma (English: 8th Autonomous Armored Car Company), with 12 AB41 armored cars, was created in June 1943. It was meant to be shipped to Montenegro but, due to the need for armored vehicles to patrol and escort convoys in Greece, the unit was eventually delivered to the 11ª Armata Italiana in Greece.

AB41 in service with the Regio Esercito in Yugoslavia. Source: italie1935-45.com

One of the two AB41s delivered to the Colonna Celere Confinaria ‘M’ in 1942. Source: Istituto Luce

IV Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’

The IV Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’ (English: 4th Armored Group) had two mixed squadrons, one armed with L6/40 light tanks and the other with 18 AB41 armored cars. It was sent to Albania. Some sources do not mention the use of L6/40 light tanks, but mention 36 armored cars. This could mean that a squadron was theoretically armed with tanks, but in fact, it was equipped with armored cars.

Two AB41s of the IV Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’ during a parade in Tirana, Albania 1943. Note the interesting camouflage. Source: pinterest.com

The IV Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’ was the largest unit equipped with AB41s in the Yugoslavian front. It was part of the Raggruppamento Celere. It was employed in counter-partisan operations and as an escort to columns. After the Armistice in September 1943, the 2º Squadrone Autoblindo, under the orders of Captain Medici Tornaquinci, joined the 41ª Divisione di fanteria ‘Firenze’ in Dibra, managing to open the way to the coast through bloody battles against the Germans, particularly in Burreli and Kruya. After the battle, the IV Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’ dispersed. Many officers and soldiers went back to Italy, reaching Apulia by makeshift means and concentrating at the Cavalry Center in Artesano to join the Allied forces.

Another AB41 of the IV Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’ in Yugoslavia. Source: piciuki.com

Other units used in this teather were created on 13th January 1942: the 1° Plotone Autonomo, 2° Plotone Autonomo, 3° Plotone Autonomo, and the 4° Plotone Autonomo (English: 1st; 2nd; 3rd and 4th Autonomous Platoon), with a total of 10 AB41 armored cars that arrived in 1942 and 6 in 1943. These units were assigned to the 2ª Armata Italiana deployed in Slovenia and Dalmatia.

A total of 20 AB40 and AB41s in the ‘Ferroviaria’ (English: Railway) version were deployed in Yugoslavia to prevent partisan sabotage to the railway lines in the Balkans. They were assigned to the Compagnia Autoblindo Ferroviarie Autonoma (English: Autonomous Railway Armored Car Company).

The AB41 plated Regio Esercito 373B converted to the ‘Ferroviaria’ version. It had an unusual two-tone camouflage and the aerial identification marking on the turret roof. Source: italie1935-45.com

Given the increased activity of Partisan forces in occupied Yugoslavia, the Italians were forced to introduce more and more armored vehicles in order to secure vital communication and supply lines. While most of these were improvised armored trucks, a number of more modern AB41 armored cars were also sent.

An AB41 in service with the Italian units in Yugoslavia. This vehicle was probably intended to be shipped to North Africa but was sent to Yugoslavia. This can be deduced from the presence of Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ tires. Source: italie1935-45.com

The usage of AB41s during 1942 is generally poorly documented. For example, Partisan sources do not specify in much detail which Italian vehicles they faced. The AB41s were sometimes used as security vehicles for the forced deportation of Yugoslav civilians into concentration camps located in Italy. One well-documented engagement of the Italian AB41 happened in April 1943 in a village named Brlog. There, two partisan operated L3 light tanks were chasing retreating Italian and Croatian soldiers. At Brlog, one AB41 was waiting in ambush for the partisan tanks to arrive. Once spotted, the AB41 began engaging the enemy armor. The L3 tanks were armed with only two machine guns and lacked infantry support, and thus could do anything against the AB41. One L3 was hit by several 2 cm armor-piercing rounds, killing both crew members. The partisans were soon reinforced with two additional L3s and one Hotchkiss tank (either a Hotchkiss H-35 or H-39 captured from the Germans).

An AB41 with desert tires in Albania, 1942. The need to stem the threat of Tito’s Partisans was so pressing that many ABs were diverted to Yugoslavia instead of replacing losses in North Africa. Sources: instagram.com @Forza Italiana

While the AB41 2 cm rounds could do little against the Hotchkiss’ armor, its crew nevertheless engaged the partisan tank. The Italian crew managed to damage the tank’s optics and even wounded its crew. As it could not destroy the tank, the Italians retreated from the village. During the retreat, the armored car managed to damage two more L3 tanks. After the Italian capitulation, the remaining AB41s were mostly taken over by the Germans. Smaller numbers were captured by Croatian forces, but also by the Yugoslav Partisans.

Other Operators

Italian Partisans

The surviving Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano and Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana AB41s were captured or destroyed in the cities of Milan and Turin on 25th April 1945. During this time, some fought the more numerous and stronger partisan forces that descended from the mountains to free the cities of northern Italy from fascist and German occupation. In the days before the general insurrection, in Turin and Milan, some AB armored cars were captured and used by the partisans. There is evidence that one was destroyed on the Via XX Settembre by German-manned anti-tank weapons in Turin. After the German and Italian surrender, two or three of them took part in the partisan parade in Turin.

When the Gruppo Squadroni Corazzati ‘San Giusto’ was disbanded on 27th April 1945, the AB41 stored in the depot in Mairano was taken by the partisans and reused against the German garrison at Cividale del Friuli on 28th April 1945. It also participated in an attack against the city of Udine on 30th April.

Italian Co-Belligerent Army

After the Armistice, part of the Italian soldiers joined the Esercito Cobelligerante Italiano (English: Italian Co-Belligerent Army) under Allied command.

The IX Battaglione d’Assalto (English: 9th Assault Battalion) of the Corpo Italiano di Liberazione or CIL (English: Italian Liberation Corp) had 3 AB41 armored cars in service since July 1944. These were used to free some cities in the Italian region of Marche.

The Squadrone ‘F’, composed of Italian soldiers under the British 6th Armoured Division, was equipped after March 1944 with an AB41 Platoon (4 armored cars, according to sources). These probably belonged to the 7ª compagnia of the 10º Raggruppamento celere bersaglieri in Corsica, which was aggregated to the CIL in February 1944.

Three AB41s of the IX Battaglione d’Assalto. The AB41 on the left had Pirelli Tipo ‘Artiglio’ tires while the armored car in the center had Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’. This suggests that they were recovered from two different locations. Source: Nicola Pignato

AB41 with a PAI officer giving orders to four PAI soldiers. Notice the MAB 38A submachine gun of the soldiers. The PAI was the only Italian corps with a bayonet fitting for this gun. Source: Reddit

An AB41 in front of a FIAT 626NM medium truck in the Via Balbia during a rest. The Soldier on sitting on the turret was a Second Lieutenant of Cavalry Corp while the soldiers around (probably the rest of the crew) were Bersaglieri. On the front armor is clearly visible the Savoy Cross to avoid friendly fire incidents. Spring 1942. Source: Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II

An Italian column in Yugoslavia. In the foreground are visible an AB41 armored car of the IV Gruppo Squadroni Corazzato ‘Nizza’ and two civilian cars with Italian Royal Army plates. In the background are two trucks with armored shields on the cargo bay sides and what looks like another AB41 opening the column. These vehicles most likely form part of an escorting column for some important officers. Slovenia 1942-43. Source: Italian Armored and Reconnaissance Cars 1911-45

Two AB41 armored cars of the ‘Lancieri di Montebello’ on fire on Via Laurentina in Rome on 10 September 1943. source www.beutepanzer.ru

Commonwealth

Some AB41s were captured by Commonwealth troops and the British Army supplied some of these armored cars to the Australian and Polish forces. The most famous was perhaps the AB41 of the ‘Polish Carpathian Lancers’ captured from the Italians and used against its former owner and the Germans in Egypt between May and August 1942. After that, it was requisitioned by British High Command and transported by sea to the United Kingdom, more specifically, to the School of Tank Technology (STT) in Chobham. After about a year, in May 1943, the British information service created a report on the AB41.

The AB41 employed by the ‘Polish Carpathian Lancers’ showed at the School of Tank Technology in Chobham. The radio antenna was on the right side, the tyres are Tipo ‘Libia’ but the spare wheels were Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’. The name of the unit is visible on the hull side. Source: Pinterest.com

The British highly appreciated the armored car in the two versions encountered in Africa, AB40, and AB41. According to reports prepared by the British, in addition to the major criticisms regarding low-quality armor, the engine was considered reliable although difficult to maintain, the turret to be small and cramped, but the AB41 were deemed fast and well-armed, the vehicle was very effective in the task of long-range patrol and reconnaissance.

Germany

After September 8th, 1943, the Germans occupied all the assembly lines of the factories of central and northern Italy and captured the majority of the remaining Italian vehicles.

Around 200 AB41 armored cars were requisitioned, 20 were captured still in the factory and 23 were produced for the German Army, where they were renamed Panzerspähwagen AB41 201(i). A small number of the AB41s were supplied to the Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano, with the Germans preferring to keep the few AB43s which were much more popular with German crews. In German service, the AB41 was used by the Divisions of the Waffen-SS, Luftwaffe, Wehrmacht, and Todt Organization, seeing service in France, Germany, Italy, and the Balkans. In the Balkans, they were used in anti-partisan operations and for patrolling airfields or military bases. Some units that used them were: 41. Panzer Spah Zug, 71. Infantry Division (1943-1944) and 162. Infantry Division, SS Polizei Gebirgs Regiment 18 and Gendarmerie Reserve Kompanie Alpenland-3.

1st. SS Polizei Regiment in 1944 with “Artiglio a Sezione Maggiorata” tyres and the spare “Libia” type tire. Source: Oklopne jedinice na Jugoslovenskomratištu

In France and Germany, they were used against Allied troops. Photographic evidence shows what looks like a destroyed AB41 used by the Germans in the last-ditch attempt to defend Berlin from Soviet forces between 25th April and 2nd May 1945.

An AB41 abandoned in a street in Berlin, May 1945. Notice the absence of the rear steering wheel and of the radio antenna, but the presence of the Breda 38 with the sack for the cartridge casings. The sapper tools and the tail lights were removed and the tyres are of the Pirelli ‘Libia’ type (the spare wheel was an ‘Artiglio’ type). Source: Pinterest.com

France

During the Second World War, AB41 armored cars came under the control of French forces in two separate contexts.

With the fall of the last Axis possessions in Tunisia in May of 1943, along with more than 240,000 prisoners taken, considerable quantities of ground equipment were left, including a variety of Italian armored vehicles. While these were generally of little interest for the by this point fairly well-equipped British and American forces, the French Army of Africa, which had joined the allies just a couple of months prior in November of 1942, was still equipped with few armored vehicles, mostly obsolete pre-1940 tanks such as the Char D1, and did press into service several types of Italian vehicles, including the AB41. Two different photos of the AB41 in French service exist. One shows a column of these vehicles operating under an unknown branch in 1946. This photo shows a total of 10 vehicles, which shows that the number of vehicles captured and used by the French was not necessarily negligible. Another photo, dated from as late as 1949, shows a crew of the French Gendarmerie, a form of military police, in front of an AB41, near Bône, once again in Algeria. This suggests that the Italian armored cars remained in service for several years for security operations. The date of the vehicle’s retirement from service in French North Africa is unknown, though nothing has ever emerged that suggests the vehicles were still in service by the time of the Algerian War which began in 1954.

Ten AB41s used by an unknown branch of the French military, though the uniforms suggest it is still the army and not the gendarmerie, Algeria, 1946. The wheels of the first two armored cars are Pirelli ‘Libia’. Source: Delcampe.com

An AB41 of the French gendarmerie, with an identification symbol similar to those used in pre-1940 vehicles and a French flag, circa 1949, Bône, Algeria. Source: https://www.autotitre.com/forum/Vehicules-speciaux/Photos-de-voitures-de-Police-34001p516.htm

In the summer of 1944, after the breakthrough of Operation Cobra, Allied troops began to liberate vast areas of France, the FFI (Forces Françaises de l’Intérieur / French Forces of the Interior), organized vast uprisings which liberated considerable amounts of territory neglected by German troops attempting to contain the Normandy landings. Those resistance fighters captured a number of different vehicles that had been used by German troops engaged in anti-partisan duties in France. This included German-made vehicles, previously captured French ones, but also at least one Italian-made AB41 armored car that had presumably been captured by the Wehrmacht following the Italian armistice of September 1943 and then put back to use in anti-partisan operations in France.

The vehicle was used by an FFI company operating in Brittany at the same time German troops were being expelled from the region by a mixture of American troops and French resistance fighters. That armored car had been captured in the town of Guingamp. It was included into what was called the “Compagnie de choc Bretagne” (Eng. Bretagne shock company), which then took part in FFI operations further south, against the “forteresse du Médoc”, a fortified German-held pocket on the Southern bank of the estuary of the River Gironde, which held until it was taken by FFI fighters on 20th April 1945, after a week of fighting which resulted in around 1,300 dead soldiers of both sides.

The AB41 of the Compagnie de Choc Bretagne photographed in Versailles, after the end of the unit’s operations in Brittany, September of 1944. The vehicle prominently features Allied stars as well as French cocards, presumably to prevent friendly fire. Source: http://polejeanmoulin.com/page33/

Two photos of the Compagnie de Choc Bretagne’s AB41 preparing to leave the city of Pont-Croix in late August of 1944, possibly for Versailles, where it was photographed again in September. Source: http://polejeanmoulin.com/page33/

Another photo of an AB41 in use by French forces in metropolitan France exists, but its context is disputed. Showing an AB41 from the back along with FFI troops using a variety of equipment of both American and German origin, this photo has been taken to show FFI troops used to contain the pocket of Royan (a german pocket north of the Gironde’s estuary) or to have been taken post-war.

Photo of an AB41 taken in an unknown context. The rear of the turret at least suggests it is not the same vehicle as the Compagnie de Choc’s Bretagne, or that if it is, it received a new paint job. Source: http://www.warwheels.net/AB41INDEX.html

Yugoslavia

A column of Italian AB41s in Kaki Sahariano in Yugoslavia, they had Pirelli type ” Artiglio” tires and Italian flags on the fenders. Source: bundesarchiv.com

The Kingdom of Yugoslavia’s Army had tried to negotiate the purchase of the AB armored cars, but due to the Axis invasion in April 1941, this was never fulfilled.

During the war, the AB41 would see service with nearly all involved factions in Yugoslavia.

The Independent State of Croatia’s (NDH – Nezavisna Država Hrvatska) Army asked the Italians for a number of AB41s but only got 10 L/33 and L/35 light tanks. After the capitulation of Italy, they may have captured a few AB armored cars.

An AB41 “Ferroviaria” used by the Croatian ‘Poglavnikov tjelesni zdrug’ (an elite unit) in Varaždin 1944. The rear wheel was the “Sigillo Verde” type while the spare one was a Pirelli “Libia” type. Note the lack of the engine compartment hatches. Source: pinterest.com

The Italians operated some AB40s and AB41s from 1942 to 1943 until their surrender to the Allies in Yugoslavia.

Yugoslav Communist Partisans managed to capture a number of AB armored cars during September 1943. While they did see action against the Axis forces, all were either destroyed or were hidden by the Partisans to avoid being captured by the Germans. By late 1944, they managed to capture more with some surviving after 1945.

An AB41 captured by Yugoslavian partisans. The rear plate was of the Regio Esercito and the tires were of the “Artiglio” type on the front, the spare wheel was of the “Libia” type and a non-standard type on the rear. Source: Oklopne jedinice na Jugoslovenskom ratištu

After the war, some AB41 armored cars remained in service with the new Yugoslav People’s Army (YPA) under the name ‘SPA 7 t’ until they were replaced with more modern Soviet-made vehicles.

Greece

After September 8, 1943 6° Reggimento di cavalleria ‘Lancieri di Aosta’ (English: 6th Cavalry Regiment) began to enter into an agreement with Ellinikós Laïkós Apeleftherotikós Stratós or ELAS (English: Greek People’s Liberation Army) and the British Army to continue the war on their side against the Germans.

One year later, on October 14, 1944, ELAS disarmed the regiment that had been fighting alongside them for a whole year, killing some Italian soldiers who tried to resist.

The weapons they captured went to equip the ELAS troops, among the vehicles there was at least one AB41 armored car that was used during the final stages of the Liberation of Greece.

There is a photo of the armored car during its use with Greek partisans, date and location unknown, but probably after World War II, during the Greek Civil War.

The AB41 captured by the ELAS near a British Daimler Dingo Mark II armored car. Notice the original Regio Esercito license plate and the ‘FIAT’ painted white on the rear of the vehicle. Source: grvehicles.wordpress.com

Italian Republic

After the war, from 1945 to 1954, some AB41 and AB43 armored cars were used by the Polizia di Stato (English: Italian State Police) in the Reparti Celeri (English: Fast Departments) and used with certainty in Turin, Udine, and Rome. After 1954, they were withdrawn from service and almost all of them were scrapped, though a couple were sold to museums and private collectors.

A small number of AB41 armored cars were also used by the Arma dei Carabinieri (English: Arm of Carabiners) in their Reparti Mobili (English: Moving Departments).

In both cases, the operations in which the armored cars were used are unknown. The few times they were seen outside the barracks were for parades or training. In the 1950s there were many strikes by workers in Italy to demand better working conditions that 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. The Partito Comunista Italiano or 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 to the Italian state which feared a coup supported by the Soviet Union as had already happened in Czechoslovakia. 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, one of the leading figures in the Party at the time, was received by Stalin himself during a visit to the Soviet Union in 1946.

In order to dissuade workers from armed occupations of factories or worse the attempted coup d’état, the Italian state destroyed most of the military equipment it did not use to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands and ordered the Police and Carabinieri to keep the AB41s efficient to use them as a deterrent during demonstrations. In 1954, the arrival of new security vehicles allowed AB armored cars to be removed from service.

AB41s of the Reparti Celeri of the Italian Police in a Parade in Udine, 1951. Source: Udine’s Polizia di Stato archive.

Camouflage

The armored cars were painted in the factory in Kaki Sahariano Chiaro (English: Clear Khaki Saharan) color, which was lighter than that used on Italian tanks. In Africa, the vehicles always remained in basic camouflage with only few armored cars being modified by the crews. Usually were used camouflage nettings or tarpaulins to better hid the vehicles.

Initially, there was a theoretical maximum of four squadrons (or companies) for each group (or battalion), each identified by a different color 20 x 12 cm rectangle, on which one to three white vertical stripes were painted to indicate the platoon. The colors were: red for the first squadron, blue for the second squadron, yellow for the third squadron, 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 (or companies), as a fourth, and sometimes a fifth, platoon were added on the African and Balkan fronts.

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 or on the engine deck.

A pair of Polizia dell’Africa Italiana’s motorcyclists order holders waiting for a response from the vehicle’s commander. From this angle, the 70 cm white roundel painted on the maintenance hatches for air recognition is clearly visible. An engine ignition lever can also be seen laying on the hatches. Source: Istituto Luce

By the time the African Campaign was over and the first clashes in Sicily in July 1943 were underway, factories began to paint their armored cars with the ‘Continentale’ camouflage adopted by the Royal Army in the summer of 1943. Over the Kaki Sahariano Chiaro were added stains of Reddish Brown and Dark Green. This camouflage was also adopted on the FIAT-SPA AS42 and the Semoventi M42M da 75/34 and Semoventi M43 da 105/25 before the armistice of September 1943.

Some units independently painted some mottos on the armored cars, such as “A Colpo Sicuro” (English: Sure Shot), or symbols. The III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’, for example, painted the symbol of the unit, a stylized bomb with a flame, on some vehicles.

Some AB41s during a patrol, searching for some enemy targets. On the side of the first armored car was painted a man with a Bersagliere hat. Source: italie1935-45.com

During the North African Campaign, some armored cars of the Italian Army received the Croci di Savoia (English: Savoia’s Cross) painted in white to aid air identification.

The AB41s of the Reggimento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Montebello’ were painted in Kaki Sahariano Chiaro but, when they were sent to Rome for the defense of the city, during the trip, in Castelnuovo di Porto, they were painted with green and brown spots when they were still on the freight wagons.

AB41 of the Reggimento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Montebello’ in Rome before the Armistice. Source: pinterest.com

Of the armored cars of the Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano and the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana, there is not much information about their camouflage. The 18 AB41s of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’ had all been produced before the armistice and found in warehouses or had been repaired by soldiers loyal to Mussolini and were not all painted in the same way until December 1944 when they were repainted in the ‘Continentale’ camouflage scheme.

They received only the symbol of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’, the red ‘M’ with a beam, and the ‘GNR’ written in black underneath. The armored cars of the Gruppo Corazzato ‘San Giusto’ and the Raggruppamento Anti Partigiani, instead, were painted in ‘Continentale’ camouflage, the RAP ones received also a Repubblica Sociale Italiana‘s flag on the sides.

Vehicles captured by the Yugoslavs did not receive new camouflage but had new markings, usually the Free Yugoslavian flag or red stars painted on the sides of the superstructure and turret to avoid friendly fire.

After the war, the AB41s of the Polizia di Stato were painted in a reddish shade called Amaranth Red which was the color of all Italian police vehicles until 1954, while the Carabinieri and Esercito Italiano armored cars were painted in NATO Green.

Variants

Between 1941 and 1943, several vehicles based on the armored car chassis were designed, most of them were just prototypes due to the Armistice of 8th September 1943, while others were accepted in service before the Armistice or were produced only for the Germans.

Unnamed AB wooden training vehicle

To train drivers with dual driving, a vehicle was created on the same chassis as the AB. The vehicle had a wooden structure similar to that of the AB’s superstructure with two benches, one at the front for the frontal driver and an instructor, and a second at the back, for the rear driver and another instructor. This version was produced in an unknown quantity and supplied to the Training Center of Pinerolo.

Example of the wooden vehicles used to train drivers with the AB’s dual drive. Source: La Meccanizzazione dell’Esercito fino al 1943

AB41 Command Armored Car

The AB41 Command was developed as an artillery observation vehicle for armored units. The turret was removed and replaced with a large armored plate on the roof with a 4-piece door. This vehicle was unarmed, with 3 personal weapon slots and only had the forward driving position. The vehicle carried four officers and a map table. A second prototype of the Command AB42 armored car had different armor on the roof and two of the four armored doors were equipped with armored glass windows.

The AB42 command armored car. Instead of the rear machine gun, there was a slit for the use of personal weapons. Source: Wikipedia.it

In mid-1943, the first prototype was accepted by the Italian High Command and 50 vehicles were ordered. These were not produced because of the Armistice. When the factories were captured by the Germans, they did not consider this variant useful for their purposes and the project was abandoned.

Semovente da 47/32 su Scafo AB41

Another prototype was the Semovente da 47/32 su Scafo AB41, also known as ‘AB41 Cannone’, it was armed with a Cannone da 47/32 Mod. 1935. The turret, the rear machine gun, the rear driving position, the radio equipment, and the armored superstructure were removed. A 47/32 Mod. 1935 cannon with a shield to protect its operators were installed in the center of the superstructure together with various other modifications to the hull. The number of projectiles carried was 100 rounds while the thickness of the armor of the gun shield was 10 mm. The crew consisted of 4: the driver, the gunner, the loader, and the commander. The speed and range remained unchanged, as was the SPA ABM 2 8-cylinder, 88 HP petrol engine.
This was Ansaldo’s first proposal to arm the AB armored cars with a 47 mm cannon. Due to the limited use of the vehicle, the project was shelved, but Ansaldo continued to develop an AB armed with a 47 mm cannon.

The only prototype of the AB41 47/32 ever built. Source: Wikipedia.it

AB42

Another prototype based on the AB41 was the Autoblinda Alleggerita Mod. 1942 or AB42, a vehicle based on the AB41 hull but with many modifications to make it a more suitable combat vehicle in North Africa. The turret was replaced by a lower profile one armed with the same 20 mm cannon. This version was designed for infantry support and combat rather than reconnaissance. The rear machine gun and the second driving position were removed. Although it was lighter, weighing only 6 tons, the engine was replaced with a 108-hp FIAT-SPA ABM 3 and the armor was better angled which greatly increased crew protection.

Due to the end of the North African Campaign and due to the fact that too many changes had to be made to the assembly lines to produce the new version, the project was abandoned.

Comparison of the shorter AB42 and taller AB41. Source: Pinterest.com

AB43 ‘Cannone’

In the early months of 1943, Ansaldo proposed the new version of the AB armed with a 47 mm cannon called Autoblinda Mod. 1941 con cannone da 47/40 Mod. 1938 not officially known as AB43 ‘Cannone’. The AB41 superstructure was modified with 90° inclined sides and removing the rear machine gun. The larger and shorter turret was armed with a powerful 47/40 Mod. 38 cannon, the same as the M15/42 medium tank. The ammunition capacity was 63 rounds for the cannon and 744 rounds for the coaxial machine gun. Due to the weight increase to over 8 tons, the same 108 hp engine of the AB42 was installed in the engine compartment which allowed the armored car to reach a speed of 88 km/h. Approved in May 1943, the armistice blocked the plans of the Royal Army.

The ‘AB43 Cannone’ prototype while it was being tested during the last days of July 1943. Source: beutepanzer.ru

AB43

In 1943, it was also proposed to mount the Mod. 1942 turret of the AB42 on the AB41 hull with the new ABM 3 engine. The resulting vehicle was called AB43 and about 100 were produced and used exclusively during the war on all front by the Germans, who denominated it Beute Panzerspähwagen AB43 203(i). After the war, the Italian police used them until 1954, also in the ‘Ferroviaria’ version.

October 1944, Belgrade. German Panzerspähwagen AB43 203(i). Source Beutepanzer.ru

Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’

In 1942, a prototype of a Camionetta (Italian term for military big jeeps or unarored reconnaissance vehicle) on the chassis of the AB41 was presented to the Italian High Command, for a completely different task compared to those of the AB41. The SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’ was a large car with a central fighting compartment and the same engine as the AB41 at the back. This Camionetta was used for really long-range reconnaissance, ambush and to counter the British Long Range Desert Group (LRDG).

These vehicles could be armed with several weapons, including the Cannone-Mitragliera Breda 20/65 Modello 1935 automatic cannon, the Cannone da 47/32 Modello 1935 anti-tank gun, or the Solothurn S-18/1000 anti-tank rifle and a maximum of three Breda Mododello 37 or 38 medium machine guns. The vehicle had 9 mm of armor on the front and around the combat compartment, while the engine compartment had only 5 mm of armor. The AS42 usually had Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ tires, had a range of 535 km, and could carry up to twenty-four 20-liter Jerry cans (20 with petrol and 4 with water), giving it a total maximum range of over 1,200 km. Another difference when compared to the AB41 was the absence of the rear driver position and the steering, which was done using only the front wheels because the vehicle was designed also to participate in skirmishes against other similar vehicles, not only for reconnaissance.

The unarmed AS42 ‘Sahariana’ with the windshield and combat compartment covered by the tarpaulin. Source: pinterest.com

Another version of the vehicle, called SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Metropolitana’, used for ‘continental’ soil, differed only by the adoption of 11.5 x 24″ Pirelli Tipo ‘Artiglio’ tires and that two huge boxes of ammunition were used instead of ten petrol jerry cans.

In total, of the two versions, about 200 vehicles were produced. The sources are not very clear as production records were destroyed during the war. These vehicles fought in North Africa, Italy, and, after 8th September 1943, captured by German forces, they were used in France, Ukraine, and finally Germany. They too, after the war, were reused by the Italian police until 1954.

A Camionetta AS42 ‘Metropolitana’ without jerry cans, armed with a Cannone da 47/32 Mod. 1935 gun in Rome during a break in the days after the armistice. Behind it, two AB41 armored cars wait to get into action against the Germans. Source: Wikipedia.it

AB41 Ferroviaria

In 1941 the German Army, the Hungarian Army, and the Royal Italian Army attacked Yugoslavia and divided the occupied territories. Soldiers who escaped capture and civilians immediately organized a clandestine resistance that led to several sabotage and attacks. To defend the railways, fundamental to bring supplies to the various Italian and German strongholds, on 24 January 1942, the High Command of the Royal Italian Army ordered Ansaldo and FIAT to find a solution.

It was decided to produce armored trains, but in order to react promptly to the threat, 20 armored cars of the AB series were modified to also mount steel wheels to patrol the Yugoslav railways and roads. A total of 4 AB41s were modified and after the armistice, they were also used by the German Army to patrol Yugoslavian cities. After the war, another 8 AB43s and an unknown number of AB41s were used by the Italian Army to patrol the Italian railways.

The first AB41 ‘Ferroviaria’ converted for the railway patrol in the Ansaldo Factory. Source: Pignato

Surviving Vehicles

To date, 9 AB41 armored cars have survived, three have become monuments at Italian Army barracks, four are on display in museums, two in Italy, one in Egypt in the El Alamein War Museum, and the last in South Africa in the Museum of Military History in Johannesburg.

The AB41 exposed to La Wantzenau. Source: pinterest.com

There are also two vehicles still running, one in France in the city of La Wantzenau and the second in Italy, in Grosseto, at the Barracks of the 3° Reggimento ‘Savoia Cavalleria’.

The AB41 of the 3° Reggimento still in running conditions. The hole of the air intake and the absence of the radio antenna are visible. Source: masterminiatures.it

AB41 in Piazza Castello, Turin during the Cavalry National Meeting in 2011. This vehicle used as a monument in the “Litta Modigliani” barrack in Pinerolo was painted as the PAI’s armored cars used in North Africa. In the background a B1 Centauro. Source: flickr.com

Conclusion

The chassis of the AB series, from which several vehicles were produced, was well designed for the Italian standards of the period. The armament, speed, and armor were adequate for a reconnaissance vehicle. It was used on all fronts during the war with good results, from the arid African deserts to the harsh Russian winters. After the war, the AB41 was used for many more years by the Police and Carabinieri in Italy and by the French Gendarmerie in Africa.

Autoblinda AB41, February 1941, Libya. The Saharan kaki tone was the most common in Africa, but a variety of complex spotted patterns were also tried later.

Autoblinda AB41 of the long range reconnaissance patrols of the Bersaglieri, a cavalry unit attached to the Ariete Division, Libya, May 1941.

Autoblinda AB41, Italy, November 1942, 15° Reggimento Cavalleria of Brescia.

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)
Armor	8.5 mm Hull
Turret	Front: 40 mm Sides: 30 mm Rear: 15 mm
Total Production	667: 435 with ABM 1 Engine, 232 with ABM 2 Engine

PaK 36 guns on the Via Laurentina in Rome with an AB41 in flames. Source: Beutepanzer.ru

Sources

With the precious help of Marisa Belhote who shared photos and information on the AB41 employed by the French resistance and gendarmerie.
Thanks also to Marko Pantelić who shared information and photographs of the Yugoslavian AB41.
I Mezzi Blindo-Corazzati Italiani 1923-1943 – Nicola Pignato.
La Meccanizzazione dell’Esercito Italiano fino al 1943 Tomo 2 – Andrea Curami e Lucio Ceva
Gli Autoveicoli Da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano – Nicola Pignato e Filippo Cappellano.
Le Autoblinde AB 40, 41 e 43 – Nicola Pignato e Fabio D’Inzéo.
http://polejeanmoulin.com/page33/
Bojan B. Dumitrijević and Dragan Savić (2011) Oklopne jedinice na Jugoslovenskom ratištu,
Institut za savremenu istoriju, Beograd
Bojan B. Dumitrijević (2010), Modernizacija i intervencija, Jugoslovenske oklopne jedinice 1945-2006, Institut za savremenu istoriju
Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II – Ralph A. Riccio
Oklopne jedinice na Jugoslovenskom ratištu 1941-1945, Institut za savremenu istoriju, Beograd – B. B. Dimitrijević and D. Savić (2011)
Arsenal 42 – A. Radić (2011)
https://digilander.libero.it/lacorsainfinita/guerra2/43/corsica1943.htm
http://www.regioesercito.it/reparti/cavalleria/regcav9.htm
Aggredisci e vincerai – Salvatore Loi
Italia 43-45 I Mezzi delle Unità Cobelligeranti – Luigi Manes
Italian Armored & Reconnaissance Cars 1911-45 – Filippo Castellano and Pier Paolo Battistelli
Le autoblinde AB 40, 41 e 43 di Nicola Pignato e Fabio d’Inzéo
combattentiliberazione.it

WW1 Italian Armor WW2 Italian Armored Cars

Lancia 1ZM

A Lancia 1ZM Serie 1 with the Italian tricolor painted on the lower turret. All the illustrations were made by Andrei 'Octo10' Kirushkin, funded by our Patreon campaign.

Kingdom of Italy (1916)
Armored Car – 120 Built

First Series Lancia 1ZM with armored guards over the front and rear wheels. Source: Pinterest

The need for a new armored car

Italy was one of the pioneers of armored cars with several designs and vehicles made before the outbreak of the First World War, such as the L’A.MI.Co. armored car. With the war between the great European powers starting in 1914, it was obvious to Italian planners that a new armored car was going to be needed. The fact that Italy did not declare war immediately and remained non-belligerent gave the designers and the Army some precious time in which to develop a new vehicle. By the time they entered the war in May 1915, developments were well progressed.

Delivery and development

The firm of Ansaldo had already approached the Italian High Command with their idea for an armored car, and early work on development was started by Engineer Guido Corni in September 1914, right after the major powers started fighting. His design was finished, and a patent on the design files (number 147355) was obtained on 14th February 1915. In April 1915, they took this design to the Ministry of War, where it was met with approval, and an initial order for just 20 machines was granted. Only 20 could be ordered at this time due to a shortage of machine guns. With two machine guns in the lower turret and a third in the top turret, each machine required 3 guns, so 20 machines needed 60 machine guns.

Two views of the first prototype vehicle at the factory in 1915, both with and without the front and rear armored wheel covers fitted. Note the unusual arrangement of the cooling grilles on the bonnet. Source: Pignato

First series vehicles being assembled by Ansaldo in 1915. Source: Pinterest

The first 20 machines were to be finished and delivered to the 1st Artillery Regiment at the Genoa Fortress (1 Regimento Artiglieria da Fortezza di Genova) for evaluation between June and July 1915. Here, they were divided into 5 machine-gun squadrons (squadriglie mitragliatrici) comprising 36 officers and 399 other ranks. Delivery delays meant that by the end of 1915, only the first seven vehicles had been delivered, with the remaining 13 vehicles being delivered at the start of 1916.

Lancia 1Z 35hp truck chassis from which the 1ZM is derived. Source: Pignato

35 hp Lancia petrol engine. Pinterest

Design and Production

The basic vehicle on which the 1ZM was built was very similar to the already successful and robust Lancia 35 hp truck chassis but reinforced and strengthened to take the additional strain imposed by an armored body. This involved replacing the original rear axle and springs with improved ones capable of withstanding the additional load.

The original chassis and armor alone weighed 3 tonnes. The engine was the 4.94 liter model 1Z Lancia 4 cylinder inline petrol producing 35 hp and capable of taking an additional load of 30% (for a total of 40 hp) for up to 30 minutes. Even so, the vehicles were always somewhat underpowered and struggled to reach 60 km/h on a good road.

The arrangement was simple. The driver in the front was in the same position as he would have been in the truck, and then, in the back, the rest of the crew of up to 5 more men to crew the machine guns, etcetera. Due to the different types of machine guns chosen, mostly due to shortages of machine guns, the amount of ammunition would vary, but up to 450kg of ammunition was expected during the design phase. In the rear of the vehicle was a large cylindrical section with was topped with a very wide circular turret fitted with two machine guns. A third, smaller, one-man turret was placed on top of this bigger turret. With each machine gun requiring one man to fire it, the commander could take the top turret for observations and other duties, leaving the remaining crew to supply ammunition to the gunners or provide observation from the firing ports around the vehicle. The amount of ammunition and crew must have led to a very cramped interior.

The 1ZM prototype did have some flaws which resulted in minor modifications to the standard vehicle. Notably, during the examination in April 1915, the vehicle lacked armored covers over the rear wheels which were seen as being vulnerable. Also, those wheels did not provide sufficient off-road mobility or support, so were changed from a 120 mm wide tire (120/880) to a wider 135 mm type (135 x 935). Spare tires were usually carried on the right-hand side of the cab.

The sixty 6.5 mm Model 1911 Vickers-Maxim machine-guns needed for the first batch of 20 vehicles were not provided and, instead, in order to finish the vehicles, Ansaldo fitted the first seven vehicles with captured 6.85 mm Maxim-Dreyse machine-guns instead. Those machine guns had been removed from the 8006-tonne German freighter Bayern (Hamburg-America Line) which was interned by Italy at the outbreak of war. These first 20 vehicles were classed as ‘Serie 1’ production machines. Protection was provided by 6 mm thick high-quality chrome-nickel armor steel for the prototype and for all series 1 and 2 vehicles. By the time the third series was being ordered in November 1917, supplies of this armor were in short supply, so the bodies were clad instead in lower quality molybdenum steel armor instead. Six millimeters was not a lot of armor, but initially, the protection requirement was just to guard against perforation by rifle ammunition from a range of 300 m, but this had been improved for the 1ZM to specifically be sufficient to protect from the 6.5 mm Model 95 Rifle at a range of 100m. With a lower plate quality for the ‘Serie 3’ vehicles, it can be assumed that this requirement slipped slightly. With the Spitzgeschoss mit Kern (S.m.K) bullet (steel cored) becoming widely available later in the war, even the original 100 m specifications had become obsolete.

One of the first 7 of the ‘Serie 1’ of 1ZM production fitted with captured 6.85 mm Maxim-Dreyse machine guns. Source: Pignato

The second series of machines was ordered in March 1917 for a further 17 vehicles. The design had been slightly modified once more with the armored covers over the front wheels being abandoned in favor of a simple mudguard and a new layout of ventilation slots in the bonnet. Additionally, the radiator of the vehicle gained a redesigned layout, with bulletproof grilles to protect it. The final 5 vehicles of this second-order received a further modification in the form of an increase in the strength of the chassis.

Comparison between the front of a ‘Serie 1’ (left) and ‘Serie 2’ (right) showing the rearrangement of the protection of the tires and radiator. Source: Pignato

Interior of a ‘Serie 1’ or ‘2’ 1ZM looking forwards from the back of the fighting chamber. The large drum-like column in the center is the stand for the top turret crewman. Source: Pignato

Disaster spawns another version

The military disaster for the Italian Army at Caporetto in October and November 1917 led to large losses in men and material. Within a week, with perhaps a sense of panic at not having provided enough equipment, the Italian High Command placed another order for 1ZM armored cars straight away. It seems that this disaster altered the production plans, as the Ministry for Arms and Production in October 1917 had suggested 12 more vehicles based on the SPA chassis instead of the 1ZM, but this was canceled before it was even started in favor of the third series of production of the 1ZM. One hundred new vehicles were ordered in this third series and it was to stay in production until the armistice of November 1918. These new ‘Serie 3’ vehicles equipped the 3rd and 4th Squadrons (being rebuilt after heavy losses), and newly formed Squadrons 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17.

This third series was simplified in order to speed-up production. The first models of the 1ZM had featured the unusual extra turret on top of the main turret, and to crew this little one-man turret the soldier had to stand on a column underneath. These ‘Serie 3’ vehicles would dispense with this ungainly additional turret, which in the process, also reduced the crew by one man, making more space inside. This removal simplified the design, reduced the overall weight, and also, because the vehicle was shorter, improved the stability of the vehicle off-road. Of note is that despite removing the secondary turret, it did retain a very small circular hatch in the top of the turret, probably just for ventilation, as it is too small to be used for access. It was less likely now to topple over with a lower center of gravity. The vehicle was still underpowered though, even with the weight of the extra crew member and top turret and front armored wheel covers removed. On top of this, the vehicle was hard to steer in reverse as there were no mirrors and no visibility for the driver to the rear. These problems combined to make the 1ZM a difficult vehicle to drive.

New vehicles of the ‘Serie 3’ being assembled at the Ansaldo factory. Source: Pignato

These ‘Serie 3’ vehicles also abandoned the Vickers-Maxim 6.5 mm machine guns, replacing them with the more powerful St. Etienne Model 1907 8 mm machine gun. Sixteen ‘Serie 3’ vehicles were finished in January 1918, with a further 16 the following month and just 3 in March, for a total of 35 vehicles of the 100 vehicle order made in just 3 months.

In Combat in WW1

The disaster at Caporetto in 1917 was not the first time the 1ZM had seen combat. Straight after delivery in mid-1915, the vehicle had been deployed immediately to the combat zone on the North-Eastern front along the Isonzo for reconnaissance of enemy positions. Each Squadron (Squadriglia) was to be issued with 6 Lancia 1ZM armored cars and, as new vehicles arrived, new squadrons were formed, and by mid 1916 there were 5. Two more were formed (6th and 7th respectively) when the 2nd Series vehicles were delivered, and by the end of the war the Italian Army had 16 squadrons.

The largest single loss of 1ZM’s was during the retreat at Caporetto, October- November 1917, when 10 vehicles were either destroyed or captured, with a few others being damaged. These losses were the reason for the replacement ‘Serie 3’ being ordered straight after. By the end of the retreat from Caporetto to the Piave, just 28 of these vehicles were left in running condition for the Army to use. When the ‘Serie 3’ vehicles arrived, their initial issuing was to the 3rd and 4th Squadrons to replace their losses at Caporetto.

By 1918, the 1ZM’s were deployed everywhere Italian troops were either fighting or peacekeeping, from Dalmatia and the Balkans, to Rome and Milan, and as far as the colony of Libya. More 1ZM’s were lost at the Piave (June 1918 – 2 lost) and Vittorio Veneto (October 1918 – 4 lost).

Post-WW1 Use

The inter-war period started with Italy having to reassert control over its troubled colony of Libya, which was undergoing periodic revolts to such an extent that outside of the main cities, the Italian Government exercised little control of the country. Eight Lancia 1ZM’s were sent to Libya in 1919 to try and regain control over the province, with three more following in 1923, forming two Squadrons of armored cars stationed in Benghazi. In 1923, two 1ZM’s were destroyed in combat with rebels at Bir Bilal, and the two units were simply merged into one with a total strength of 9 vehicles. The only notable modification post-war was that most vehicles had their armament replaced with the FIAT Model 1924 6.5 mm machine-gun.

Other vehicles were sold or transferred to Czechoslovakia in 1919 (2 vehicles), Afghanistan and Hungary in 1928 (1 vehicle each), Albania (4 vehicles), and Austria in 1934 (4 vehicles). Four ‘Serie 3’ vehicles were also sent to the Italian concession in Tianjin, China in 1932 to ensure the safety of Italian nationals.

The single ‘Serie 3’ 1ZM which ended up in Afghanistan was given to the Sovereign of Afghanistan, Amanullah Khan in 1928 on his visit to Italy and shipped back. Amazingly, this vehicle survived until at least 2007, when it was pictured by NATO forces at a military base. This incredibly rare vehicle is currently stored in Dresden.

Lancia 1ZM ‘Serie 3’ armored car found in Afghanistan. Picture taken in 2007, signs of the original paint of the turret can still be seen. Source: Twitter

The Lancia currently stored in Dresden Museum. Source: Walter Schwabe

A 1ZM armored car at Ual Ual in Italian Somaliland after being hit repeatedly by enemy small arms fire on 23rd February 1934. Source: Pignato

East-African Campaign

Other than the deployment to Libya, the first major use post-World War One was to East Africa. Four Lancia 1ZM’s were sent to Italian Somaliland in about 1926 to conduct internal security duties, policing and convoy escort role. Ual Ual was in a disputed border area between Italian Somaliland and Ethiopia, and two of these vehicle took part in combat there on 5th December 1934, where they were ambushed by Ethiopian forces and received numerous hits although neither was destroyed. Three additional sections of Lancia 1ZM’s were sent to Italian Somaliland in March 1935 for the Ethiopian campaign.

On 1st February 1936, three platoons, belonging to two companies of the I btg. Automotoblindato Casali with a total of 13 vehicles (3 platoon of 4 vehicles plus 1 command vehicle) entered Eritrea at the Port of Massawa.

Lancia in East Africa 1935 – fitted with heavy-duty tires.

In Ethiopia, they played an important patrol and escort role and some vehicles can be seen in photographs to be using heavy-duty tires to assist on soft or sandy terrain. Combat continued on and off in the region for some time, and on 17th September 1936, two more 1ZM’s on patrol at Langhei were ambushed and damaged.

On 20th October, at Sade, four more Lancias were attacked with 37 mm anti-tank guns (3.7 cm Pak 36). They were part of the column of ‘S’ Division and accompanied by 8 tanks (CV.3). All four cars and 6 of the 8 CV.3’s were hit and were damaged. Nonetheless, despite this fire, the Italians attacked and captured the 4 guns they had been attacked with. Those 37 mm guns were later given to the 4th Motorized Artillery Group at Gallo and Sidamo, Ethiopia.

Continual action and suppression meant that by the end of the 1930s, the area was mostly pacified, after which, they were used mainly for convoy escorts and securing the roads rather than for reconnaissance. A section of Lancia armored cars was located at Harar, another at Amhara, and two at Galla and Sidamo where they worked in company with the FIAT 611 armored cars. After the end of the campaign in Ethiopia, the vehicles remained in use in the region until WW2. At least 10 of the vehicles were rearmed with the FIAT Model 35 8 mm machine gun.

Spanish Civil War

To support the Nationalist forces under General Franco in the Spanish Civil War, Italy sent a single squadron comprising two sections of 1ZM armored cars (8 vehicles) of a mix of series variants. They arrived on 5th January 1937 at Cadiz in southern Spain. Once in Spain, all 8 vehicles were put under an independent armored car company in the Corpo Truppe Volontarie (C.T.V.) under the overall command of Major Lohengrin Giraud.

A handsomely camouflaged Series 3 1ZM armored car pictured during the Spanish Civil War. Source: Pignato

These vehicles took part in the occupation of Malaga in February 1937 and would also take part in the Italian defeat at Guadalajara in March 1937. Later, under Colonel Babini, they were in combat at Santander (August 1937) and in the Aragon and Catalan Offensives from the end of 1937 to well into 1938. By this point, they were part of the mixed mechanized battalion, along with a Bersaglieri company.

In Spain, the Lancia 1ZM proved to have some value in combat despite its age, being used to clear away infantry resistance, but what successes it had were not without loss. In September 1937, their use was curtailed with a warning due to their age and fragility. Crews were being regularly wounded by splash from small arms fire coming through the vision slits or from the inside of the armor. In contrast to the modern Soviet-supplied BA-6 and FAI and Republican Spain Blindado modelo B.C. and Blindado tipo ZIS, the Lancia was classed as obsolete. The Nationalist forces and C.T.V. had captured a number of BA-6 armored cars and the Italians sent one to Rome for analysis. The report, published in September 1937, revealed the deficiencies of the Lancias and the advantageous features of the BA-6. The report summarised the BA-6 as having a turret similar to that of the T-26 with a 45 mm gun, good armor, airless sponge rubber tyres, and 2 machine-guns – 1 hull and 1 in turret.

Barcelona, late 1938, and an Italian-captured BA-6 armored car leads Lancia 1ZM. Both vehicles are in the distinctive Italian camouflage pattern. Source: Pere

The Italian armored car squadron the Lancias were in decided to incorporate captured Soviet and Republican Spanish equipment and at some point, probably as early as late 1937 or 1938, the squadron had six 1ZM’s, one BA-6, and two UNL-35’s. Likewise, at least one captured 1ZM appears to have ended up being used by Republican forces for a while.

Five were still operational in 1938, though photographic evidence suggests the at least two of the ‘Serie 3’ vehicles had some sort of mechanical problems. By the end of the conflict in March-April 1939, of the 8 vehicles sent over, 5 had been lost to combat, mechanical failure, or accidents. Just three (one twin turret and two single turret examples) were still operational by February 1939 when they were seen at a public parade in Barcelona.

Hopelessly outdated by the late 1930s, these vehicles were well past their useful life, and the remaining three vehicles (two ‘Serie 3’ and a single ‘Serie 2’) are reported by Italian sources to have been handed over to the Spanish authorities rather than repatriate them. Spanish researchers find no trace that these were ever used after the Italians left meaning they may simply have been scrapped or that the records were incorrect.

Three Lancia 1ZM’s seen on parade in Barcelona, February 1939. Source: Perez

The CV.3 tanks also sent over by the Italians were not suitable replacements to the use of armored cars which were still felt to be essential for the scouting role. With the Lancia outclassed and obsolete, there was a desire for a new armored car featuring many elements of the BA-6 they had captured. The new armored car was to have a dual drive, bulletproof tires, and a good degree of mobility; fast on road and good off-road. Just like in the BA-6, the Italians wanted a cannon in the armored car’s turret and also two machine guns, one in the front and one facing to the rear. The 1ZM was simply obsolete but had provided good service. The lessons generated from the use of the 1ZM and the Spanish Civil War in general would be put to good use in a replacement standard armored car for the army.

Another War

Despite being obsolete, there were still 34 Lancia 1ZM armored cars in service with the Italian Army at the outbreak of WW2 and the attack on France. Despite their obvious obsolescence, there was no replacement armored car. Of these 34 vehicles, 13 were sent to Libya in January 1941 and several more were sent to the Balkans. A platoon was also sent to the Italian-held island of Rhodes (312 Btg.). The last known use by Italian forces was in 1943 in China, where they served as the defense force in the Italian concession in Tianjin.

Two of the ‘Serie 3’ 1ZM’s sent to Rhodes seen after an action in September 1943. The vehicle nearest the camera has lost its front right wheel. Source: italie 39-45

Organized out

The 1ZM had provided good service in WW1 despite its problems and would continue to serve in some capacity for some time, but it can be considered officially obsolete for military purposes after 1928. During those 1928 reorganizations, the Tank Regiment which had including a four squadron armored car group, each with a single twin turret IZM and four single turreted IZMs, was converted to use the CV.29 light tanks instead. This change over was complete by 1931.

‘Serie 3’ 1ZM in German use in 1944 in Yugoslavia carrying additional troops. Source: Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-005-0006-17

Conclusion

The 1ZM was obsolete before WW2, but with a new war and limited armor available, the 1ZM actually survived in use with the Italian Army until the armistice in September 1943. Even then, they would not be phased out and the remaining examples stayed in use with German forces in the Balkans until the end of the War. The 1ZM was a well-armed armored car and based on a robust chassis, but was simply too slow and too thin to be of much military value by WW2. Nonetheless, the early vehicles with the second turret on top of the primary turret make the 1ZM one of the most recognizable armored vehicles ever made.

Lancia 1Z at the Museo de Henriquez, Trieste, Photo: Massimo Foti

Variant summary

Prototype – 1915 – armored body made from chrome-nickel steel
‘Serie 1’ # 1-7 fitted with 6.85 mm Maxim-Dreyse machine-guns
‘Serie 1’ # 8-20 fitted with 6.5 mm Vickers-Maxim machine-guns
‘Serie 2’ # 21-32 – modified bonnet, front-wheel guards, and radiator grilles
‘Serie 2’ # 33-37 reinforced chassis, new shaped mudguards, reduction in the number of vision ports which were of a new pattern, 2-piece sliding rear door
‘Serie 3’ # 38-138 removed top turret, Vickers-Maxim 6.5 mm machine-guns replaced with 8 mm St. Etienne, armored body made from molybdenum steel.

The Lancia 1Z prototype had different air slots on the side of the engine compartment and none of the wheels had covers. It also lacked headlights at the front of the vehicle. The odd arrangement at the front was meant to guide barbed wire over the front of the vehicle and then cut it, making a way for following infantry.

A first series Lancia 1Z with the normal type of air intakes on the side of the engine compartment, rear-wheel covers, and headlights.

Another first series Lancia 1Z, this type with protected front tires as well.

The second series differed from the first series by the addition of mudguards over the rear of the front wheels and the addition of armored cowls over the Maxim machine guns.

A third series vehicle, also called the Lancia 1ZM. This series got rid of the top machine-gun turret and added another machine-gun to the rear. This vehicle is armed with St.Etienne machine guns (which were replaced by FIAT Model 1914 MGs in the late 1920s). Also notice the different front mudguards.

A Lancia 1ZM Serie 1 with the Italian tricolor painted on the lower turret. All the illustrations were made by Andrei ‘Octo10’ Kirushkin, funded by our Patreon campaign.

Sources

Pignato, N. (1995). A Century of Italian Armored Cars. Mattioli
ShipList.com
Pignato, N. (2012). Automitragliatrici Blindate E Motomitragliatrici nella grande guerra. Paolo Gaspari Editore
Pignato, N. (2002). Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento Dell’Esercito Italiano. SME
Pérez, A. (2007). Los Medios Blindados de la Guerra Civil Española Teatro de Operaciones Norte, Alcañiz Fresno’s editores
Pérez, A. (2011). Los Medios Blindados de la Guerra Civil Española Teatro de Operaciones de Aragón, Cataluña Y Levante 36/39, Alcañiz Fresno’s editores
Pérez, A. (2007). Los Medios Blindados de la Guerra Civil Española Teatro de Operaciones de Andalucía y Centro 36/39, Alcañiz Fresno’s editores
Franco, L., García, J. (2009). Blindados Italianos en el Ejército de Franco (1936-1939). Galland Books

Ansaldo Lancia 1ZM specifications
Dimensions (L x W x H)	5.61 x 1.94 x 2.9 m (‘Serie 1’ and ‘2’) 2.48 m high (‘Serie 3’)
Total weight, battle-ready	4.2 tonnes (‘Serie 1’ and ‘2’), 3.95 tonnes (‘Serie 3’)
Crew	5 Commander, mechanic (driver), 3 machine gunners (reduced to 2 for the ‘Serie 3’)
Propulsion	Lancia 1Z inline 4 cylinder petrol producing 35hp petrol with provision to increase output by 30% (40hp) to for up to 30 minutes
Speed (road)	60 km/h
Range	320 km (200 mi)
Armament	variously 6.5 mm Vickers-Maxim, 6.85 mm Maxim-Dreyse, 8mm St. Etienne Model 1907, 6.5 mm FIAT Model 1914, 8 mm FIAT Model 1935 – machine-guns
Armor	2.5 mm to 6 mm
For information about abbreviations check the Lexical Index

WW2 Italian Armored Cars

Monti-FIAT

The Monti-FIAT heavy armored car

Kingdom of Italy (1941)
Heavy Armored Car – 1 Built

The Autoblindo Monti-FIAT armored car was a vehicle built in Africa Orientale Italiana or AOI (Eng: Italian East Africa). It was constructed by the Officine della Compagnia Monti (Eng: Workshops of the Monti Company) of Gondar in Ethiopia for the troops of the Regio Esercito (Eng: Royal Italian Army).

Its operational use is almost unknown, but its dimensions make it one of the most peculiar vehicles used by the Italians in the East African campaign that took place between June 10th, 1940 and November 27th, 1941.

The Autoblindo Monti-FIAT near a FIAT 500A. The comparison in size between the two vehicles demonstrates how big the Monti-FIAT was. Source: I Corazzati di Circostanza Italiani

Context

Italian colonialism of East Africa began in 1890 with the formal creation of Italian Eritrea, which included the Eritrean territories near the sea shores. In the same year, the Protectorate of Somalia was created, which grew in size in 1925, following the agreements that the Kingdom of Italy had signed with the Triple Entente to enter the First World War in 1915.

In December 1934, the Incident of Walwal (in Italian: Ual Ual) occurred, where Italian and Ethiopian troops clashed near the Walwal water wells in Ethiopia. This was the pretext with which, on October 3rd, 1935, the Kingdom of Italy invaded the Ethiopian Empire of Emperor Haile Selassie, born Ras Tafari Maconnen.
The war lasted 7 months, during which the Italians used every means at their disposal, even toxic gases, and were able to conquer the nation, forcing the emperor to flee into exile in London.

A column of FIAT 634N1 trucks of the IV Gruppo Battaglioni Camicie Nere on a road to Addis Ababa, June 1936. Source: pinterest.com

After the declaration of war on France and the United Kingdom by Benito Mussolini on June 10th, 1940, the United Kingdom took measures by closing the Suez Canal to Italian merchant ships and warships. This caused the Italian colonies of Italian East Africa, composed of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Italian Somalia, to be totally isolated and surrounded by the British colonies of Sudan, Kenya and British Somalia and the French colony of French Somalia (now Djibouti).

Civilian FIAT 634N2 used in Africa Orientale Italiana. Source: forumcommunity.net

As far as provisions were concerned, the civilians and the military had no problems. The serious shortages concerned armaments and logistics. In fact the Royal Army in the AOI had only 670,000 rifles, 5,300 light machine guns, 3,300 medium or heavy machine guns, 57 45 mm mortars, 70 81 mm mortars and 811 field guns available.

While these numbers may seem adequate, it must be considered that most of the weapons had been produced during World War I, if not earlier. All field artillery had been produced during 1915-1918, with some cannons produced in the 1800s. The medium machine guns were mostly Maschinengewehr Patent Schwarzlose M.07/12 captured from the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918 and FIAT-Revelli Mod. 1914, both produced during the First World War. The most modern machine guns were Breda 30, universally known for their inefficiency due to the necessary maintenance.

In the colonies of Italian East Africa, in addition to the Royal Army, there were the Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale (Eng. Voluntary Militia for National Security), a paramilitary corps of the Partito Fascista Italiano or PFI (Eng. Italian Fascist Party), the Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali (Eng. Royal Carabinieri Corps) with police duties at home and in the colonies, the Corpo della Regia Guardia di Finanza (Eng. Corps of the Royal Finance Guard) with duties of economic and financial control, the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana (Eng. Italian African Police), with police and security duties in the colonies, and, finally, the Compagnia Autocarrata Tedesca (Eng. German Motorized Company) composed of 144 German volunteers.

The colonial troops were commonly known by the word Àscari, which is the Italianization of the Arabic word ‘ʿaskarī’, meaning Soldier. This corresponded to the rank of simple soldier of the Royal Army. However, the units of the colonial troops were also composed of Zaptiè from Zaptiye ‘Police’ in Turkish, colonial policemen under Carabinieri and Guardia di Finanza command and Dubad in Arabic “White Turbans”, a paramilitary fascist militia used in second line duties.

The colonial troops formed 13 Colonial Divisions composed of 29 brigades, 17 Autonomous Colonial Battalions, 8 Colonial Cavalry Squadrons with camels and, finally, 22 poorly armed and trained groups or regular and irregular bands.

Corpo della Regia Guardia di FinanzaRegia MarinaRegia AeronauticaPolizia dell’Africa ItalianaCompagnia Autocarrata Tedesca381330

Unit	Officers	Non-Commissioned Officers	Italian Soldiers	Colonial Soldiers
Regio Esercito	5,131	5,228	37,054	181,895
ilizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale	858	1,439	24,345	0
Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali	1,062	3,268	12,818	18,078

According to the report of the commanders of the troops in AOI drawn up at the beginning of the campaign, the ammunition reserves were for “one year of war” for artillery and the ammunition reserves for small arms were only for “six or seven months of war”.

As for the vehicles, whether combat or transport, the situation was not good. The troops had at their disposal only 24 M11/39 medium tanks and 39 light tanks of the L3 series (L3/33 or L3/35), about 30 armored cars, 10 FIAT 611 and about 20 Lancia 1ZM dating back to the First World War, 96 armored trucks or trucks with handmade weapons and a total of 5,300 other trucks. To the detriment of the Italian Fascist policy of Autarchy, or rather the self-sufficiency economic system, in the colonies of Italian East Africa, the trucks used were, in addition to nationally produced models, mostly Ford V8, Chevrolet, Bussing, or GMC trucks. These had been purchased in 1935 to participate in the conquest of Ethiopia.

Ceirano 47 CM Blindato used by the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana in the AOI. Source: pinterest.com

The behavior of Benito Mussolini and the High Command of the Royal Army was very ambiguous. In fact, up until the day before the Kingdom of Italy entered the war, Italian merchant ships could pass through the Suez Canal undisturbed, but there was never an order to send war material or fuel to the colonies of the Italian East Africa.

On June 10th, 1940, for all these military vehicles in the AOI, there was a small reserve of fuel equivalent to only “six or seven months of war”, while the reserve of tires was significantly smaller, “only 2 months of war”. The roads of the colonies were in very bad condition and, for example, in a round trip from Asmara (capital of Eritrea) to Addis Ababa (capital of Ethiopia), 700 km as the crow flies, an average of 10 tires burst per truck.

Prince Amedeo’s request for reinforcements or equipment was rejected by the Royal Army because the merchant ships would have had to circumnavigate Africa, becoming easy targets and costing Italy a great deal of money.

However, the request to receive logistical supplies, such as truck wheels and fuel, from Japan was authorized. Japan agreed by illegally sending merchant ships that would unload the equipment in great secrecy.

Ironically, whoever gave the order to the Japanese from Rome probably got the measurements wrong and the merchant ships unloaded in Italian East Africa hundreds of tires of different sizes from those used by Italian trucks.

Between June 13th and August 19th, 1940, the Regio Esercito, with the limited supplies of ammunition and supplies, despite the order from Rome to maintain their positions, attacked the British troops in Sudan, Kenya, and British Somalia. They defeated the British troops, penetrating several tens of kilometers into the territories of Sudan and Kenya and conquering British Somalia in only 16 days of fighting, between August 3rd and 19th, 1940.

This advance was not a waste of precious resources. In fact, Prince Amedeo of Savoy launched targeted attacks to conquer the major British ports in the region, decreasing the risk of British landings and taking possession of the few resources available in their warehouses.

In November, after a considerable influx of British men and equipment, not only from Great Britain, but also from colonies such as South Africa, India, Australia, and New Zealand, the Commonwealth troops counterattacked but were unable to defeat the Italian troops which, worn out, were forced to fall back nonetheless.

By January 1941, the Italian troops had increased their numbers to approximately 340,000 Italian soldiers and Àscare troops. In fact, due to the isolation, many Italian citizens and natives had lost their jobs and there was nothing left for them to do but enlist. In the same month, the Commonwealth troops could count on 230,000 soldiers.

The second British counterattack of January 1941 was decisive. In Eritrea, in the north, they faced a lot of resistance that slowed down the progress. However, in the south, because of the long front of 600 km, the British easily defeated the Italian troops and indigenous troops, which were poorly armed and worn out by months of isolation.

Mogadishu was conquered by the British on February 25, while in March, they were already in Ethiopia.

On April 17th, 1941, the Viceroy of Ethiopia, Prince Amedeo di Savoia, commander of the Italian forces, barricaded himself together with 7,000 soldiers, 3,000 of whom were Ascaris, on the mountain of Amba Alagi. There, the British troops of General Alan Cunningham, 39,000 strong, besieged them for a month, until May 17th, when the Italian troops surrendered due to lack of ammunition.

The British gave the honor of arms to the Italian troops and to Prince Amedeo. On April 6th, Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, was captured and on May 5th, after 5 years of forced exile, the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie returned to the capital.

Despite the surrender of Prince Amedeo in the Gondar region, 40,000 well-organized Italian and Acehnese soldiers resisted the British assaults that began on May 28th, 1941, and ended on November 27th with the surrender of Italian forces in Italian East Africa.

Design

The FIAT 634N Truck

In 1930, FIAT developed two heavy trucks, the 632N, and the 634N. The letter N stood for ‘Nafta’ or diesel in Italian. These were the first two heavy-duty diesel trucks made in Italy.

The 634N truck was officially presented to the public in April 1931, during the Milan trade fair. The 634N was then the largest truck produced in Italy, with a maximum weight allowed by law of 12.5 tonnes. It was nicknamed ‘Elefante’ (Eng: Elephant) for its robustness, power, and load capacity. Its production, in three versions, ran from 1931 to 1939.

The FIAT 634N was presented for the first time to the public in April 1931 in Milan. Source: pinterest.com

After model number 1614, the wheel rims were replaced with ones with six spokes made of cast steel. After strengthening the rear axle, the chassis, and the leaf springs, the vehicle could carry more weight, from 6,140 kg to 7,640 kg, thus reaching a maximum total weight of 14 tonnes, with an empty weight of 6,360 kg. These modifications gave birth to the FIAT 634N1, which also had the front fenders connected to the bumper. The FIAT 634N1 was produced from 1933 to 1939.

Factory fresh FIAT 634N1. Source: pinterest.com

In 1933, the FIAT 634N2 version was born with a modified cab to increase aerodynamics, a drop-shaped radiator grille, angled windscreen, and more rounded shapes. Load capacity and speed remained unchanged compared to the N1 version. The FIAT 634N2 was produced from 1933 to 1939.

FIAT 634N2 showing off the modifications. Source: FIAT archives

This was the first truck in Europe to be equipped with bunks for the crew. The back of the seat could be raised to form two bunks and, on request, there was a modification available to provide a third bunk.

As an example, the second company to provide a berth in the cabin was Renault with its three-axle Renault AFKD with a load capacity of 10 tonnes, which entered service only in 1936. The third was Lancia with the Lancia 3Ro in 1938.

The wooden platform was 4.435 meters long and 2.28 meters wide. The foldable sides were 0.65 meters high, with a maximum load allowed by law of 7.640 kg, while the maximum transportable did not exceed 10 tonnes. The lateral and rear sides were foldable.
In the N1 and N2 versions, it was possible to tow a two-axle trailer for the transport of materials, reaching a maximum weight allowed by law of the truck + trailer of 24 tonnes.

During the war, the FIAT 634N successfully towed tanks of the ‘M’ series and self-propelled vehicles on their chassis in the Rimorchi Unificati Viberti da 15t (Eng. 15 tonnes Viberti Unified Trailer).

FIAT 634N1 towing an M13/40 on a Rimorchio Unificato Viberti da 15t. Source: pinterest.com

Most of the trucks received a cab from FIAT, but Officine Viberti of Turin and Orlandi of Brescia also built bodies for some chassis. The military version was called FIAT 634NM (Nafta, Militare – Diesel, Military), but its characteristics were almost identical to the civilian versions.

During the Second World War, due to the Royal Army’s need for logistic transport vehicles, a total of 45,000 civilian vehicles in Italy were requisitioned, overhauled, repainted, re-plated, and put back into service as military vehicles.

The big difference between the civilian and military versions was the windows; in the military versions, the truck had fixed windows, different headlights and lacked of the triangular placard on the roof of the cab used in the civilian models to indicate the presence of a towing trailer.

FIAT 634N2 modified by Officine Viberti with a 5000-liter diesel tank. Source: Officine Viberti archives

Several versions were produced on this truck chassis. There were at least 4 tanker versions for fuel or water produced by Officine Viberti and SIAV, a mobile workshop composed of three different FIAT 634Ns which carried the necessary equipment to set up a fully equipped field workshop, at least two versions for the firefighters, a horse carrier version for the army, a sand truck with tipping platform, a gas version and three different Autocannoni. These were the 102/35 su FIAT 634N, with 7 produced, the 76/30 su FIAT 634N, with 6 produced by the FIAT workshops in Libya during the North Africa Campaign, while in the AOI, some Autocannoni 65/17 su FIAT 634N were produced in an unknown number of units by Officine Monti in Gondar.

FIAT 634N1 modified by Orlandi with a tiltable cargo bay. Source: pinterest.com

The military version could carry up to 7,640 kg of equipment per law, although the maximum transportable came to almost 10 tonnes of ammunition, provisions, or almost 40 fully equipped men.

The cargo bay could comfortably carry an Italian light tank, such as the L3 or L6/40, or the 47/32 L40 self-propelled gun. The Rimorchio Unificato Viberti da 15t could tow any tank of the ‘M’ series (M13/40, M14/41 or M15/42) and all self-propelled guns on their chassis.

Autocannone da 102/35 su FIAT 634N1 heading a column of Italian vehicles in the desert. Source: pinterest.com

Turrets

The turrets mounted on the armored cars were those of a Lancia 1Z armored car. This old vehicle was produced from August 1915 until the end of World War I in 137 units.

It was produced in two models. The Lancia 1Z was equipped with two superposed turrets, one armed with two machine guns and the second armed with a single machine gun of the same model.

Lancia 1Z. The two turrets armed with water-cooled machine guns are visible. Source: zonwar.ru

The other version, produced between 1917 and 1918 in 83 examples, had a single turret armed with two machine guns and a third machine gun of the same model in the hull, at the rear.

The Lancia 1Z was armed with three Vickers-Maxim Mod. 1911 6.5 mm machine guns in the turrets and four Fusil Mitrailleur Modèle 1915 CSRG Chauchat 8 mm caliber guns to be used through the slits positioned around the hull. The Lancia 1ZM was armed with three Saint Etienne Mod. 1907 8 mm machine guns and four Carcano Mod. 1891 6.5 mm caliber guns, as the Chauchats had reliability problems.

In both models, the ammunition reserves were 15,000 machine gun rounds plus 4,800 rounds for the rifles.

Lancia 1ZM used in Somalia for police duties. Notice the crew composed of Italian soldiers and Àscari. Source: pinterest.com

The machine guns in the turrets were independent of each other and were placed on articulated mounts. This allowed the vehicle to fire in two directions simultaneously.

Interior of a Lancia 1Z. The racks for the machine-gun belts can be seen behind the gunner. At the top of the photo, the machine gun of the secondary turret can also be gleaned. Source: Ansaldo archives

Hull

The FIAT frame was left intact, but the cargo bay and cabin were removed. An armor with an estimated thickness between 8 and 10 mm was mounted. This was produced not with ballistic steel, but with leaf spring suspensions taken from scrapped trucks. These were disassembled and used for spare parts due to the reduced fuel reserves. These springs were quite elastic (Carbon Steel 5160 or Steel 1050), which allowed greater resistance within 200 meters.

Above the engine compartment, which was equipped with front slits for the radiator, there were slits for the driver and the vehicle commander, as well as two other slits for machine guns.

To the side, there were two slits on each side and, above them, two crew entrances. The turrets and rotation mechanisms were welded to the roof of the armored superstructure, increasing the height of the vehicle by quite a bit.

The Lancia 1Z had a serious problem: the two turrets raised the center of gravity, causing the vehicle to tip over. On the new vehicle, the problem was probably less pronounced. The Lancia 1Z was 1.49 meters wide, while the FIAT 634N was almost one meter wider, at 2.4 meters.

The crew consisted of 15 men, a driver, a commander, 11 gunners, and 3 servants in charge of reloading weapons. Given that 15 people had to operate inside a vehicle of this size, in a narrow space and in the desert, the conditions inside were probably atrocious.

There was also a radio station of an unknown model, 3 days of food for the 15 crewmen, ammunition for 11 machine guns, fuel, and water.

The FIAT 634 frame. Note the 150-liter main fuel tank. Source: pinterest.com

The total height of the vehicle is not certain, but it was around 3.5 meters. In one of the few existing photos of the vehicle, the workers of the Officine Monti of Gondar are in front of the vehicle. They are standing and it can be seen that the armored car is about twice as tall.

In another photo, a FIAT 500A car can be seen next to the Monti-FIAT armored car. The FIAT 500A is about half the height of the hull of the armored car. The FIAT 500A was 1.37 meters high, so the hull of the Monti-FIAT was around 2.6-2.7 meters high. The two turrets were 92 centimeters high, bringing the total height of the armored car to 3.5 meters.

Using the same principle with the FIAT 500A’s length of 3.21 meters, the Monti-FIAT should be about 8.2 meters long, 80 centimeters more than the FIAT 634N.

The Monti-FIAT outside the Monti Workshop, with the workers that built it. Source: I Corazzati di Circostanza Italiani

Engine and suspensions

The FIAT 634N was powered by a FIAT Type 355 diesel engine with six cylinders in line. It had a capacity of 8312 cm³, delivering 75 hp at 1700 rpm, developed independently by the company thanks to the experience gained with marine engines.

From the 1086 model onward, the engine was replaced by the FIAT Tipo 355C with a capacity of 8355 cm³. The power was increased to 80 hp@1700 rpm thanks to an increased bore and stroke.

FIAT Tipo 355C and gearbox. Source: FIAT archives

All three truck versions had a total of 170 liters of diesel in two tanks. One reserve tank was located behind the dashboard with gravity feed, while a pump brought the fuel from the main 150-liter tank which housed on the right side of the chassis. These gave a range of about 400 km. In order to start the engine, two electric motors were used on the right side of the vehicle, operated by an external crank.

The clutch was a multi-disc dry clutch connected to a four-speed plus reverse gearbox with a “Libyan” type reduction. It was equipped with four-leaf spring suspension units. The drum brakes were activated by a pedal through three servo pressure brakes.

Armament

The mastodonic Monti-FIAT was equipped with 11 loopholes, three in the two turrets, two in the front, two in the rear, and two on each side. All the loopholes were equipped with water-cooled FIAT-Revelli Mod. 1914 machine guns or 6.5 × 52 mm Mannlicher-Carcano rifles fed by strip-fed boxes of 50 or 100 rounds.

The FIAT-Revelli Mod. 1914 was developed between 1910 and 1914 by FIAT and designer Abiel Revelli. It fired the same ammunition as the standard rifle of the Regio Esercito, the Carcano Mod. 1891. It had a rate of fire of about 500 rounds per minute, a muzzle velocity of 800 m/s, and a maximum range of 3,000 meters (practical 700 meters).

47,500 were produced between 1914 and 1920, 10,000 by FIAT of Turin and 37,500 by Società Metallurgica Bresciana (Eng: Brescian Metallurgical Society) of Brescia. The weight of the machine gun was 21.5 kg with 4.5 liters of water in the sleeve.

In Italy, the machine gun had been largely replaced in infantry units by more modern medium machine guns, such as Breda Mod. 1937, FIAT-Revelli Mod. 14/35, and Breda Mod. 1930 light machine gun. In the colonies, where the adversaries were mostly poorly organized troops of indigenous guerrillas, machine guns such as the FIAT-Revelli Mod. 1914 or the Maschinengewehr Patent Schwarzlose M.07 /12, of which tens of thousands were captured during and after the First World War, were more than sufficient.

If necessary, the portholes were used to fire the crew’s personal weapons. Some FIAT machine guns were possibly replaced by Maschinengewehr Patent Schwarzlose M.07/12 8 × 50 mm R Mannlicher. The ammunition quantity carried is unknown, but it can be assumed, since some parts of the vehicle were taken from a Lancia 1Z, that the wooden ammunition racks were also taken from that vehicle.

It is not known if there were other weapons on board, such as rifles for the crew, Breda mod.1930 light machine guns or hand grenades.

Operational use

Only a single Monti-FIAT was built in late June to early July 1941 in the Monti Company Workshop, at about the same time as two other armored tractors. The vehicles were produced at night because of the frequent British aerial reconnaissance during the day.

Like the two armored tractors called Culqualber and Uolchefit, very little is known about the Monti-FIAT armored car. As soon as it was finished, “OFFICINE MONTI GONDAR” (Eng. Monti Workshops in Gondar) was painted behind the frontal wheel. The two known photos of the vehicle were taken shortly after, one with the team of workers who worked on the project and the owner of the workshop and the other in which they compared the huge armored car with the small FIAT 500A car of the owner of the Workshop.

From then onwards, nothing more is known about the armored car. It was probably used to escort columns of supply trucks that were continuously attacked by Arbegnoch (Eng. Patriots). These were Ethiopian partisans loyal to Emperor Haile Selassie and allied to the British troops, who had been sabotaging the Italians since 1936, weakening them and waiting for the moment to take back their homeland.

The armored car was probably lost due to a lack of fuel or a mechanical failure before the arrival of the British troops in the Gondar region. No British source mentions the Monti-FIAT armored car.

Conclusion

The Monti-FIAT was an armored car of circumstance, not dissimilar to the smaller but famous Lancia 3Ro Blindato used a few years later in Italy for almost identical purposes.
Nothing is known about it apart from some technical data.

It was probably useful as a deterrent against attacks by Ethiopian patriots, as its size and armament would have intimidated even the most organized British troops. Speed, however, would have been an Achilles’ heel, making this vehicle like a turtle, relatively well protected, but slow on the terrible Ethiopian roads.

The Monti-FIAT heavy armored car

Monti-FIAT Specifications
Crew	15, driver, commander, 11 machine gunners and 3 servants
Propulsion	FIAT Tipo 355 or 355C, 75 or 80 hp at 1,700 rpm
Speed	45 km/h
Range	500 km
Armament	11 FIAT-Revelli Mod. 1914 da 6,5 mm
Armor	10 mm all sides
Total Production	1 built

Sources

Potevamo vincere! Se solo l’avessimo voluto – Gianfranco Giulivi
I Corazzati di Circostanza Italiani – Nico Sgarlato
Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’esercito Italiano Volume II, Tomo II – Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito Italiano

WW2 Italian Armored Cars

Autoblinda AB43 ‘Cannone’

Kingdom of Italy (1943-1945)
Heavy Armored Car – 1 Prototype Built

The AB43 ‘Cannone’ (Eng: Cannon) was a prototype version of the AB armored car series armed with an anti-tank variant of the standard 47 mm support gun of the Italian infantry. It was meant to improve the anti-tank and support features of the ‘AB’ armored car series.

The single prototype was developed and produced by Ansaldo and FIAT for the Regio Esercito (Eng: Italian Royal Army). The AB43 ‘Cannone’ prototype was only able to take part in trials before September 8, 1943, when the Cassibile Armistice was signed, effectively putting Italy out of the war.

In the weeks after the Armistice, German troops captured the prototype. Considered of little use by the Germans, the vehicle was then stored in the Ansaldo factory warehouse.

The “Panzerspähwagen FIAT/SPA Typ AB43(I) mit 4,7cm kanone im Drehturm” or “Autoblinda Mod. 1941 con cannone da 47/40 Mod. 1938” prototype while it was being tested during the last days of July 1943. Source: beutepanzer.ru

Why an armored car armed with a 47 mm gun?

At the beginning of World War II, most armored cars were armed only with machine guns, and only in some cases with 20 mm or larger cannons (most notably the Soviet 45 mm equipped heavy armored cars). Their armor ranged from 7 to 15 mm depending on the model and the nations that used them.

During the Spanish Civil War, Italian volunteer soldiers, who fought for General Francisco Franco’s Nationalist forces, captured several examples of heavy Soviet-made BA-6 armored cars and Republican Blindados B.C., both armed with 45 mm guns. Many were reused by Italian or Nationalist Spanish soldiers, while one was sent to Rome to be studied by Royal Army engineers, together with a BT-5 tank.

During the drafting of the report on the efficiency of the vehicle, the Italian engineers understood that the AB40, the progenitor of the ‘AB’ series, armed with three medium machine guns and protected by 8.5 mm of armor on all sides, was not able to face heavy armored cars of potential enemies. It would be necessary to arm the Italian armored cars with more powerful weapons.

An AB40 of the Pinerolo Training School. Source: pinterest.com

The AB41 was an excellent initial solution. It was armed with a 20 mm cannon developed for an anti-aircraft role, but also efficient against light armored vehicles. It could penetrate 38 mm of armor at 100 m, more than enough to face the British armored cars and also some light tanks of the time.

Standard AB41 armored car. Source: pinterest.com

With the continuation of the war, however, the British developed wheeled vehicles armed with 40 mm guns that could not only perform reconnaissance tasks, but also support the infantry and do limited anti-tank duties.

The Regio Esercito decided to adopt a vehicle with similar characteristics but using the same chassis of the AB40 and AB41 armored cars in order to optimize production times and, above all, save time and money on the preparation of new assembly lines.

History of the project

At that time, FIAT and Ansaldo, which had collaborated on the design of the AB armored cars, were trying to solve the various problems encountered on the AB41. They accepted the new request and started to develop a new vehicle.

As usual, FIAT and its subsidiary SPA (Società Piemontese Automobili) worked on the mechanical and propulsion parts, while Ansaldo engineers worked on the armament and the armor of the vehicle.

The idea was born to arm the AB41 with the same gun as the ‘M’ tanks, the Cannone da 47/32 Mod. 1935. This weapon could deal effectively with light and reconnaissance vehicles.

History of the prototype

The first attempt by FIAT and Ansaldo

The 20 mm cannon, in addition to not being able to deal with better-armored threats, had explosive ammunition that was not effective against fortifications or machine-gun nests. Therefore, Ansaldo developed, by order of the Ispettorato delle Truppe Motorizzate e Corazzate (Eng. Armored and Motorized Troops Inspectorate), a vehicle on the chassis of the AB42, with the superstructure of the AB41 and with a more powerful armament.

The turret and the roof of the superstructure of the vehicle were removed and the sides of the superstructure were vertical in order to increase the space inside the combat compartment. The front of the vehicle and the frontal driving position were not changed but, behind the driver, a 47 mm 47/32 Mod. 1932 cannon was mounted. It was fitted with a large shield that protected the gun servants from enemy small arms fire from the front.

Frontal view of the AB41 Cannone. Source: pinterest.com

The ammunition supply consisted of 100 rounds of 47 mm caliber. The vehicle was not equipped with any secondary armament.

Presented in December 1942 and first completed in early 1943, this prototype was never accepted into service due to the poor crew protection, its height and the limited traverse angles of only 30° to each side.

AB41 47/32, the only prototype built. Source: Wikipedia.it

After the failure of this project, in 1943, Ansaldo and FIAT tried to modify a standard AB41, powering it with the engine of the AB42, with a new superstructure with vertical sides and arming it with a larger and wider turret armed with a more powerful 47 mm cannon. This was the ‘AutoBlinda Modello 43 Cannone’ or, more commonly, AB43 ‘Cannone’ or ‘Anticarro’ (Eng: Anti-tank).

Design

Turret

The new riveted enneagonal (nine sided) turret of the AB43 ‘Cannone’ was very low and wide enough for two crewmen. The loader sat on the left side and the commander/gunner on the right side.

The access hatch was mounted in the middle, behind the cannon breech. In front of it was a protuberance that allowed the cannon to depress more.

On the right side, there was a periscope for the vehicle commander, which allowed a 360° view of the battlefield.
The armor was the same as on the Mod. 1942 turret, 22 mm on the frontal side and 8.5 mm on the sides and rear. The roof was 6 mm thick.

Frontal view of the AB43 ‘Cannone’. Source: Ansaldo archives

Hull

Externally, the hull was similar to that of the standard AB41. The sides of the superstructure were modified, becoming vertical in order to increase the internal space necessary for the new larger turret. The armor was the same on the previous AB41, with 8.5 mm on all sides of the superstructure and 6 mm on the roof and bottom. This was enough to protect the crew from small arms fire and grenade splinters.

The machine gun in the rear of the superstructure was removed to facilitate crew entry and to increase interior space.

The machine gun was replaced with a slot from which, in case of need, the crew could defend themselves with their personal weapons.

The side doors were similar, made in two parts and with one pistol port for defense. On the sides of the hull were hooked two spare wheels and sapper tools, exactly as on the other armored cars of the ‘AB’ series.

An important note is that Ansaldo developed this version of the AB43 for the North African theater. However, when it was presented to the Italian Army, the African campaign was drawing to a finish. During testing, the vehicle was equipped with ‘Libia’ tires developed by the Milanese company Pirelli for the desert theater.

The left side of the AB43 ‘Anticarro’. Source: pinterest.com

On the left side, the 3 m radio antenna connected to the RF3M radio system produced by Magneti Marelli was mounted. The radio was mounted on the left side of the superstructure wall. The antenna could be raised by a crank mounted inside the vehicle and could reach 7 m fully extended, with a maximum radio range of 60 km and 25-35 km when only 3 m high.

Engine and suspensions

The engine mounted on the AB43 ‘Anticarro’ was the same as that of the AB42 and AB43, a FIAT-SPA ABM 3 6-cylinder water-cooled petrol engine with a displacement of 4,995 cm³. This developed a maximum power of 108 hp at 2,800 rpm and was an improved version of the previous ABM 1 of the AB40 and ABM 2 of the AB41, with the same capacity of 4,995 cm³.

The FIAT SPA ABM 2 6-cylinder engine mounted on the AB41. Unfortunately there are no ABM 3 photos, but the differences are minor. Source: Pignato

Performance was not bad. In fact, the 8-tonne AB43 ‘Cannone’ reached a top speed of 81.4 km/h, compared to the 90 km/h of the 6-tonne AB42 and the 88 km/h of the 7.6-tonne AB43.

The suspension for each wheel was independent. The wheels were all driven and all steered, allowing the vehicle to have good off-road performance even on sandy or rough terrain.

Thanks to a complex steering mechanism, the armored cars of the series ‘AB’ could change direction by pulling a lever. They had two drivers, one at the front and one at the rear. This allowed the crew to retreat quickly without having to make complicated maneuvers to change direction.

The engine was paired with a Zenith type 42 TTVP carburetor housed in the back of the engine compartment, the same as on the previous armored cars of the ‘AB’ series, the L6/40 light tank, and the Semovente L40 da 47/32. The muffler was positioned on the rear right sponson.

The fuel was stored in three different tanks, totaling 495 liters, with a range of about 400 km. Five 20 liter jerry cans were carried, two on the front fenders, two on the right side, and one on the left side. These increased the range to 480 km.

The problem of the ‘AB’ series armored cars that was not solved in this model was the absence of a firewall between the engine compartment and the crew compartment.

Main armament

The main armament of the AB43 ‘Cannone’ was the Cannone da 47/40 Mod. 1938. This was also mounted on the Italian M15/42 medium tank. It was a significantly more powerful cannon than the 47/32 Mod. 1935 cannon used on the Semovente L40 da 47/32 and the M13/40 and M14/41 medium tanks.

An officer takes a photo near the AB43 ‘Cannone’ during the prototype testing. The cannon is clearly visible. Source: pinterest.com

The cannon was developed in 1938 and produced only for vehicles. It was made by the Ansaldo-Fossati factory of Genoa. The elevation in the AB43 was +18° and the depression was -9°. The firing rate was about 8-10 rounds per minute due to the reduced space inside the vehicle. Thanks to the semi-automatic breech, the 47/40 cannon could, with trained loaders, fire up to 28 rounds per minute.

The cannon had a maximum range of about 9,000 m, but its effective anti-tank range was only between 1,200 and 1,500 m.

The Cannone da 47/40 Mod. 1938. Source: Ansaldo Archives

Secondary armament

The secondary armament consisted of an 8 mm Breda Mod. 38 machine gun mounted coaxially on the left side of the gun. This machine gun was a vehicle version of the Breda Mod. 37 medium machine gun used by the Italian infantry and had a top curved 24-round magazine.

It was planned for mass production vehicles to mount a support on the turret roof for an anti-aircraft mount for the Breda MG. It is unclear if a second machine gun would have been carried in the vehicle or if the crew would have to disassemble the coaxial machine gun when under air attack.

The Breda Mod. 38 with its 24-round top curved magazine. Source: wikipedia.com

Ammunition

The 47 mm cannon used the same ammunition as the previous 47 mm L.32 gun. The ammunition types consisted of:

Cartoccio Granata da 47 mod. 35. High Explosive (HE) with percussion fuze mod. 35 or mod. 39.

Proietto Perforante mod. 35. Armor-Piercing – Tracer (AP-T) with percussion fuze mod. 09 and tracer.

Proietto Perforante mod. 39. Armor-Piercing Ballistic Capped – Tracer (APBC-T) with percussion fuze mod. 1909 and tracer.

Proietto Controcarri Effetto Pronto. High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) round with internal fuze mod. 41, distributed after 1942.

Proietto Controcarri Effetto Pronto Speciale. High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) with IPEM front fuze, distributed in early 1943.

The advantage was that the new gun had a larger breech that allowed the use of 328 mm long shell casings instead of 227 mm on the previous gun. This meant the muzzle velocity was about 43% higher. For example, the Proietto Perforante mod. 35. fired from the 47/32 Mod. 1935 had a muzzle velocity of 630 m/s, while the same ammunition fired from the 47/40 Mod. 1938 gun had a muzzle velocity of 900 m/s.

That round could penetrate 112 mm at 100 m and 43 mm at 1000 m instead of the 30 mm at 1000 m of the 47/32 Mod. 1935 round.
The 47 mm rounds were carried in two large box racks on the floor of the crew compartment.

It is not clear what material the two racks were made of, but it can be assumed that they were made of wood (like the other racks of the ‘AB’ series armored cars). This did not provide much protection in case of fire or penetration by enemy bullets.
The Breda machine gun had 27 magazines of 24 rounds each, for a total of 648 rounds. The 8×59 mm RB Breda cartridge had two types of bullets. These were standard ammunition and the M.39 AP (Armor Piercing) that weighed 12 grams and, with a muzzle velocity of 780 m/s, could penetrate a 16 mm RHA (Rolled Homogeneous Armor) plate at 90° at a distance of 100 m. The standard ammunition with the same muzzle velocity penetrated 11 mm at 100 m.

The Breda magazine racks were mounted on the sides of the superstructure.

Operational use

The prototype was presented to the High Command of the Royal Army on May 21, 1943, and satisfied the officers involved. 380 vehicles of the AB43 ‘Cannone’ and AB43 armed with 20 mm cannons were ordered.

Unfortunately, the Royal Army did not order the AB43s until August 16, 1943, less than a month before the Armistice of September 8, 1943.

The AB43 ‘Cannone’ during the tests. Source: pinterest.com

When the Germans occupied the Ansaldo-Fossati factory in Genoa after the Armistice, they captured the prototype and gave it the designation “Panzerspähwagen FIAT/SPA Typ AB43(I) mit 4,7 cm kanone im Drehturm” (Eng: Armored Reconnaissance Car FIAT/SPA Type AB43 Italian with 47 mm cannon in turret).

The German Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen (Eng. Inspector General of the Armed Forces) considered the AB43 ‘Anticarro’ not suitable for their purposes because the gun was not of anti-tank quality compared to the guns mounted on similar German vehicles, such as the Sd.Kfz. 234/2 ‘Puma’. They preferred the standard AB43, which were called Beute Panzerspähwagen AB43 203(i) (Eng. Captured Armored Reconnaissance Car AB43 203 Italian) in German service. The Cannone prototype was kept for over a year in some factory warehouse to rust.

German AB43 used somewhere in Northern Italy. Source Beutepanzer.ru

It is not clear under what circumstances but, in June 1944, the 90. Panzergrenadier-Division was sent to Genoa to reorganize itself after the losses suffered during the defense of Rome. On this occasion, it was assigned 16 AB43s, of which one was the prototype of the AB43 ‘Anticarro’.

Unfortunately, there is no information on the use of the AB43 ‘Cannone’, but the operational history of the 90. Panzergrenadier-Division can be traced.

On October 15, 1944, the division was ordered to move further south to defend the retreat of the German divisions towards Bologna.

An Sd.Kfz. 251 of the 90. Panzergrenadier-Division somewhere in Italy. Source: pinterest.com

In the following weeks and months, the division fought furiously against the Allied divisions that were trying to advance with the final objective of conquering Bologna. During these battles, the battalions of the division suffered very high losses, being reduced to little more than 200 men per battalion.

In March 1945, the division was assigned to the reserve and was able to reorganize itself until the first days of April. In fact, the division participated in the Battle of Bologna, fought between April 9 and 21.

The AB43 ‘Anticarro’ was probably lost in one of the battles fought between January and March 1945, as, on May 28, 1945, when the division surrendered to the Allies, it had no more vehicles available. The use of the AB43 ‘Cannone’ was not reported during the defense of Bologna.

Versions

The only version of the AB43 ‘Cannone’ was the AB43, an AB41 chassis with a new Mod. 1942 turret (the same from the AB42) and a new ABM 3 engine which allowed a top speed of 88 km/h, compared to the 80 km/h of the AB41.

102 AB43s armed with a 20 mm cannon were produced and assigned exclusively to German units. Some vehicles were captured by the partisans during the war and some were reused after the war by the police of the Italian Republic until 1954.

The AB43 prototype, without the radio antenna, parked outside the Ansaldo factory. Source: Army Motors

Conclusion

The AB43 ‘Anticarro’ was a project developed to face the more armored Allied reconnaissance vehicles, mainly in the vast deserts of North Africa. There, it would have probably been quite effective thanks to the adequate anti-tank gun and with sufficient speed that would have allowed it to engage the enemy and retreat quickly.

AB43 ‘Cannone’ during testing. Early 1943.

AB43 specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)	5,20 x 1,92 x 2,28 m
Total Weight, Battle Ready	8 tons
Crew	4 (driver, gunner/vehicle commander, loader and rear driver)
Propulsion	FIAT-SPA 6 cyl, 108 hp with 195 liters tank
Speed	81 km/h
Range	460 km
Armament	Cannone da 47/40 Mod. 1938 with 63 rounds and one 8 mm Breda 38 with 648 rounds
Armor	8,5 mm all hull sides, 22 mm turret front and 8,5 mm sides and rear, 6 mm roof and bottom
Total Production	1 prototype

Sources

Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano – Nicola Pignato e Filippo Cappellano.
Le autoblinde AB 40, 41 e 43 – Nicola Pignato e Fabio D’Inzéo.
Italian Armoured & Reconnaissance Cars 1911-45 – Filippo Cappellano & Pier Paolo Battistelli
Panzer Tracts No. 19-2: Beute-Panzerkampfwagen – Thomas Jentz, Werner Regenberg
Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell’esercito italiano: Dalle origini fino al 1939. Volume II – Filippo Cappellano e Nicola Pignato

WW2 Italian Armored Cars

Autoblinda AB43

AB43 in service with the Wehrmacht in northern Italy

Kingdom of Italy (1943-1954)
Medium Armored Car – 102 Built

By late 1941, the crews of the AB41 armored cars had reported many problems and issues with the vehicle. In order to solve these and to provide the Regio Esercito (Eng: Italian Royal Army) with a long-range reconnaissance armored car suitable for use in the desert, in early 1942, the lighter and faster AB42 was designed by FIAT-SPA and Ansaldo.

The cancellation of the AB42 project due to the Axis defeats in the North African Campaign in late 1942 did not discourage the Italian designers. In a few months, they designed a new vehicle, the AB43, on the same chassis as the AB41 but with a new turret and a new and more powerful engine.

The AB43 was immediately tested but the Royal Italian Army did not have time to start production due to the Armistice of Cassibile signed on September 8, 1943. In late November of the same year, production started, though this time for the German Army, who really appreciated the new armored car and produced a total of just over 100 until 1945.

The AB43 prototype, without the radio antenna, parked outside the Ansaldo factory. Source: Army Motors

History of AB40 and AB41 armored cars

During the First World War, the Royal Italian Army was impressed by the performance of its armored cars and, after the war, it kept them in service alongside the cavalry and the companies of Bersaglieri motorcyclists. The only model of an armored car developed and produced until 1937 was the FIAT 611, 46 of which were made for the Corpo Guardie di Pubblica Sicurezza (Eng: Public Security Corps) and requisitioned by the Army in 1935 for the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.

To replace the old Lancia 1ZM and FIAT-Terni-Tripoli armored cars produced during the First World War and the unsuccessful FIAT 611, in 1937,the Italian companies FIAT and Ansaldo began the design a new armored car for use in Africa by the Royal Army and the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana or PAI (Eng: Italian African Police).

The first pre-series AB40 produced, unarmed. Source: biturgus.com

The first project presented in May 1939 was the AB40, an armored car of a modern design, weighing 6.8 tonnes, with a double steering system, with a Mod. 1940 turret armed with twin 8 mm machine guns and a third 8 mm in the hull, 9 mm armor on all sides and on the turret and a FIAT-SPA ABM 1 6-cylinder petrol engine that provided a top speed of 78 km/h and a range of 400 km. 5 pre-series and 24 standard vehicles of this first version, which went into production in January 1941, were produced. Due to its light armament, it was replaced by the 7.4 tonnes AB41 with the new Mod. 1941 turret armed with a 20 mm Breda cannon and two 8 mm machine guns. Total AB41 production was 435 units with the ABM 1 engine and 232 with the new 88 hp FIAT-SPA ABM 2 engine, which increased the speed to 80 km/h.

The AB43 prototype on the left and the AB41 on the right. Source: Gli Autoveicoli dell’Esercito Italiano

History of the Prototype

At the beginning of 1942, the High Command of the Royal Italian Army requested FIAT and Ansaldo to better adapt the AB41 armored car for service in the North African Theatre. A new version of the AB armored car produced in a single prototype in 1942 was the AB42, developed exclusively for use in the North African environment. The superstructure was completely redesigned with more inclined 8.5 mm armor and more space for the crew. The 8 mm rear machine gun was removed, as was the dual steering system, reducing the crew to 3 men and the weight to 6 tonnes.

The AB42 at the Ansaldo-Fossati factory in Genoa late 1942. Source: La Meccanizzazione dell’Esercito Fino al 1943

FIAT-SPA developed a more powerful engine, the FIAT-SPA ABM 3 6-cylinder, while Ansaldo developed a new superstructure and the new Mod. 1942 turret which was wider and lower than the Mod. 1941, armed with the same 20 mm cannon as the AB41. The new vehicle had a speed of about 90 km/h and a range of 460 km.

The prototype was presented at the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione (Eng. Centre for Motorisation Studies) in September 1942 and tests were immediately started to evaluate its effectiveness.

After the defeat during the Battle of El Alamein on November 11, 1942, the AB42 project was no longer considered a priority and was shelved.

Ansaldo then came up with a brilliant solution that saved the factory a lot of money, but at the same time allowed the Regio Esercito to have a vehicle to replace the AB41. To avoid financing the design and construction of new prototypes, Ansaldo’s technicians, together with FIAT, took the turret and the engine from the AB42 prototype and mounted them on the chassis of one of the last series AB41 hulls produced. After miraculously escaping an Allied bombardment at Ansaldo’s factory in Genoa, the vehicle and another prototype on the chassis of the AB armored car were presented at the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione in August 1943. The vehicle with the Mod. 1942 turret was accepted in service by the Royal Army under the name of AutoBlinda Mod. 1943 (Armored Car Mod. 1943) or more simply AB43 while the second vehicle, developed on the chassis of the AB41 but equipped with a two-seater turret armed with a powerful 47 mm anti-tank gun was renamed AB43 ‘Cannone’. The AB43 and the AB43 ‘Cannone’ were ordered in 360 units each, but the Cassibile Armistice of September 8, 1943 did not allow Ansaldo to deliver even one unit to the Royal Army. After a few months, on November 13 of the same year, production was resumed under the control of the Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen (Eng. Inspector General of the Armed Forces) for the German Army, which considered the AB43 suitable for use, ordering 100 exemplars and canceling the order for the AB43 ‘Cannone’. In total, due to bombardments, scarcity of raw materials, delays in the supply of engines and other parts, and strikes of the workers who worked at the Ansaldo factory in Genoa, production was about 6 AB43 per month with a total of 60 armored cars produced in 1944 and 42 others completed by March 1945.

An AB43 parked in the Ansaldo factory. Source: FIAT Archives

Production

After the Italian surrender and the German capture of the north of the country, the Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen immediately evaluated the armored cars suitable for use in the Wehrmacht and ordered 100 AB43s. Production began in November 1943, but the first vehicles were delivered in the first months of 1944. Due to the lack of raw materials, coal, energy, delays in the delivery of engines, radios and guns and, finally the strikes of the workers, in the whole of 1944, only 60 AB43s were produced, i.e. only 5 per month. In 1945, production increased and, by the last days of March, the last 42 AB43 armored cars were delivered as per contract.

In a message dated April 9, 1945 sent from the headquarters of the Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen in Milan to the Reichsministerium für Rüstung und Kriegsproduktion of Berlin, the Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen proposed, following the completion of several contracts for the production of Italian vehicles, the conclusion of new contracts for three vehicles which the Wehrmacht considered suitable for the war: Panzerspähwagen AB43, >Sturmgeschütz M43 mit 75/46 and Panzerspähwagen Lince. According to this document, the Ansaldo factory in Genoa stated that it could produce 10 AB43s per month until August 1945, when it would increase production to 50 per month. It is obviously not certain that these figures were possible because the Ansaldo-Fossati factory in Genoa had been hit by heavy bombardments in early 1945.

AB43 captured by the Allies and parked in a warehouse along with other Italian-German military equipment. It is noted, in addition to the obvious absence of the wheels, the absence of the tank cap and the presence of a box for the tools on the back of the turret. Source: beutepanzer.ru

Design

Hull and armor

In general, for the tasks the armored car had to perform, the armor was more than adequate, protecting the crew from enemy infantry light weapons fire. The armor on the entire hull and superstructure consisted of bolted plates on an internal structure. This arrangement did not offer the same efficiency as a mechanically welded plate but facilitated the replacement of armor elements in case they had to be repaired. The hull was 9 mm thick at the front, sides, and rear while, on the Mod. 1942 turret, the bolted plates reached a maximum thickness of 22 mm on the front plate and 8.5 mm on the sides and back. The wheel fenders were also armored to prevent enemy fire from piercing the tires.

On the sides of the superstructure were the two armored access doors, divided into two parts that could be opened separately, first the upper one and then the bottom. The upper part had a slit so that the crew could use their personal weapons for close defense. On the left was mounted the antenna, which rested on a support at the back of the superstructure. In fact, to open the upper part of the left door, it was necessary to raise the antenna a few degrees.

On the right, two horns were placed at the front, a pickaxe was placed on the right side and the exhaust pipe, of the same model used on the last built AB41, was placed on the rear fender. The two spare wheels were placed in two fairings on the sides of the superstructure. In the “Ferroviaria” (Eng. Railway) version, the support in the fairing was modified to allow to attach two wheels on each side. Above the engine compartment, there was the engine deck with two air intakes on two hatches for engine maintenance. On the back, were the cooling grille and the two rear lights.

The second version exhaust pipe. The Pirelli “Artiglio” tyres, the fake machine gun barrel and the light are visible. Source: masterminiatures.it

Turret

The Mod. 1941 turret mounted on the AB41, the same as mounted on the L6/40 light reconnaissance tank , was too narrow to easily load the 20 mm cannon. Its silhouette was very high, over 50 cm, and made it easier to locate the armored car even at a long distance. On the new AB43 armored car, the new lower and wider Mod. 1942 turret developed for the AB42 armored car was mounted.

The one-man turret had an octagonal shape with two hatches: one for the vehicle’s commander/gunner on the roof, divided in two separated doors, and the second one on the back of the turret, used to facilitate the disassembly of the main armament during maintenance operations. On the sides, the turret had two slits and on the roof there was an anti-aircraft machine gun support, the same used on the P26/40 heavy tank, and a periscope for the commander next to the hatch, which allowed him a 360° view of the battlefield. Due to the size of the turret, only 35 cm high, a protuberance was bolted on the turret roof, which contained the top-mounted curved box magazine of the coaxial Breda Mod 38 machine gun, allowing the cannon to reach a depression of -9°.

Detail of the turret of an AB43. The anti-aircraft machine gun support, the commander’s hatch behind it, the periscope, and the upper machine gun’s magazine protuberance are visible. Source: masterminiatures.it

Primary armament

The main armament was the same as on the AB41 and on the AB42, the Cannone da 20/65 Breda Mod. 1935 developed as an anti-aircraft cannon, but also used with great success in an anti-tank role. It had a theoretical rate of fire of 500 rounds per minute but, due to the reduced space inside the turret, the practical rate of fire decreased to about 200 rounds per minute. The cannon and the coaxial machine gun were installed with a x1 sight produced by the San Giorgio optics factory of Genoa. The elevation was +18° while the depression was -9°. The Breda cannon could fire a variety of different shells mostly developed for anti-aircraft use. The ammunition used for anti-tank and support tasks were the Armor Piercing (AP) and High Explosive (HE) rounds of Italian production, with a 20 x 138 mm B caliber, but also those used by the German FlaK 38 cannon and the Solothurn S18-1000 anti-tank gun, which increased the anti-tank capacity of the cannon. With the Italian armor-piercing shells, the Mod. 1935 cannon could penetrate a 38 mm Rolled Homogeneous Armor (RHA) plate inclined at 90° at 100 m and a 30 mm armored plate at 500 m with the AP rounds. With German Pz.Gr. 40 ammunition, it could penetrate a 50 mm armor plate RHA inclined at 90° at 100 m and a 40 mm armored plate at 500 m.

A Cannone da 20/65 Breda Mod. 1935. Note the 12-round magazine in the soldier’s hands. Source: Archivio documentale Esercito Italiano

Secondary Armament

The secondary armament consisted, as on the AB41, of two Breda Mod. 38 8 mm caliber machine guns. The first one was coaxial to the cannon, on the left, and the second in a ball support on the rear of the vehicle. These machine guns were the vehicle version of the Breda Mod. 37 medium machine gun used by Italian infantry and had a top-mounted curved box magazine with 24 rounds and a fire rate of 350 rounds per minute due to the space of the turret.

The machine gun at the rear had a x1 San Giorgio optics on the right and could be disassembled from its spherical support and used in an anti-aircraft position mounted on the roof support.

A smoke grenade launcher was fitted to all vehicles on the right side of the engine compartment and a box containing the smoke grenades was added to the rear of the armored car, extending the shape of the vehicle by 20 cm. There are no photos of the grenade launcher or its ammunition, and it is not clear whether the last AB41s delivered to the Royal Army were also equipped with it or whether only the vehicles produced for the Germans after September 1943 had them mounted.

Ammunition

The ammunition on the AB43 consisted of 57 magazines with 8 rounds each, for a total of 456 20 mm rounds and 83 magazines of 24 rounds, for a total of 1,992 8 mm rounds. In the book “Italian Armoured & Reconnaissance Cars 1911-45”, however, Filippo Cappellano and Pier Paolo Battistelli state that the ammunition transported by the AB43 was reduced to 408 20 mm rounds, which meant 51 magazines, and 1,704 8 mm rounds, which meant 71 24-rounds magazines. This source has neither been denied or confirmed by other evidence. The magazines were placed in wooden racks, increasing the risk of fire. They were painted white on the sides of the hull. 24 20 mm magazines and 40 8 mm magazines were placed on the left side together with the commander’s intercom panel. The remaining 33 20 mm magazines and 45 8 mm magazines were placed on the right side. Many sources and videogames 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 in the battlefields by the crews to facilitate loading into the narrow turrets of the AB series armored cars. Almost all AB43s were equipped with German-made 20 mm shells which increased the anti-tank performance and, in some cases, the guns were modified by German crews to load the 24-round magazines of the FlaK 38 anti-aircraft cannon.

The interior of the AB43 of the Museo storico dell’Arma di Cavalleria di Pinerolo. The ammunition racks, the driver seat and the steering wheel are visible. Source: Author

Although more spacious, there was no space for a loader in the single-seater turret and it was the commander of the vehicle who had to load the cannon in addition to commanding and firing. It was not rare, however, that one of the two drivers, when not driving and not using the radio, passed the magazines to the commander to speed up the loading.

Interior

The interior of the armored car remained unchanged between the AB41 and AB43. On the front was the 57-liter secondary tank, the steering wheel, with the dashboard on the right side. The front driver had a large front hatch and a periscope. On the right side, he had the gear lever with 6 forward gears, the hand brake, the intercom panel, and the directional control lever. On the left, at the top, there was a crank for the raising or lowering of the radio antenna. On the sides, the driver had two light fairings with armored hatches that could be raised or lowered by two handles.

Behind the driver, who had a seat with a backrest that could be lowered to facilitate entry, there were racks on the sides with ammunition for the cannon and machine guns. In the left wheel fairing was mounted the radio system, while on the right wheel fairing, at the bottom, there was a large box inside which generally carried the jack, tools for repair and maintenance of the vehicle, and personal belongings of the crew. However, it was not uncommon for crews to carry extra ammunition for the cannon inside the box. On the outside of the box were secured with straps one or two spare barrels for machine guns.

In the middle of the crew compartment was placed the single-seater turret with a folding seat and a support for the two firing pedals.

On the back, on the sides of the two ammunition racks, there were storage boxes on the left and two fire extinguishers on the right. On the back were placed the rear driver’s seat on the left and the rear gunner on the right.

Both sat on reclining seats to facilitate entry and exit from the vehicle. In the middle, between the two, was the transmission with the four-speed lever gear. The directional control lever was above the dashboard.

The steering wheel was secured with a butterfly screw that allowed for easy access to the interior of the vehicle. Behind the steering wheel, there was an engine cooling water tank and, on the right, the 20-liter reserve tank.

In front of the pilot there was a slit. On his right, in the middle, was mounted the panel of the intercom and finally, in front of the rear gunner was mounted the rear machine gun in a ball mount.
In the engine compartment, the engine was placed in the center, on the right was fixed the exhaust system and the fuel filter and finally, behind the engine were mounted two fans and the radiator.

Interior of an AB43. The steering wheel, dashboard and ammunition racks are clearly visible on the right side. On the right side, in front of the spare wheel fairing, the large storage box with two Bersaglieri tankers helmets is also visible. On the left, above the spare wheel fairing, you can see the radio transmitter and, behind, the ammunition racks. Source: pinterest.com

Crew

The crew consisted of four: the front driver, who also operated the radio when not driving, placed in the front; the vehicle’s commander, who was in the turret in the middle of the vehicle, who was overburdened with giving orders to the rest of the crew, operate the guns in the turret, turn the turret, and control the battlefield; the rear driver was on the left of the rear; and the machine gunner/radio operator to the rear driver’s right. These two crew members, due to the limited space available to them while driving off-road, bumped into each other continuously as well as bumping into the roof of the combat chamber. Throughout the war, the lack of a loader for the main gun negatively affected the performance of the armored car, significantly reducing the rate of fire of the 20 mm cannon.

Engine

The engine of the Autoblinda Mod. 1943 was the powerful FIAT-SPA ABM 3 6-cylinder water-cooled inline petrol engine giving 108 hp produced by the Società Piemontese Automobili (SPA), a subsidiary of FIAT.

Its volume was 4,995 cm³, the same as the ABM 2, but the maximum power was 108 hp (other sources round this number to 110 hp, others mention a maximum power of 115 hp) at 2,800 rpm.
The engine was paired with a Zenith type 42 TTVP carburetor housed in the back of the engine compartment.

The weight of the vehicle increased to 7.6 tonnes, bringing the maximum speed to 88 km/h on the road and about 35/40 km/h off-road. The range was increased from the AB41 ones, from 400 to 460 km.

On the AB43, as on the other armored cars of the AB series, there were three fuel tanks for a total of 195 liters. The main one, with 118 liters capacity, was placed between the crew compartment floor and the armored bottom of the armored car. The 57-liter secondary tank was mounted in front of the front driver above the steering wheel, while the 20-liters reserve tank was placed under the machine gun position in the rear.

Scheme of the fuel system on an armored car of the AB series. Source: pinterest.com

The crew compartment and engine compartment were not separated by an armored bulkhead, a very serious shortcoming because the reserve tank was placed right in front of the engine, and in the event of a fire in the engine compartment, the 20-liter tank immediately caused major fires inside the vehicle. To reduce the risk of fire, the crews began, during the North African Campaign, to not fill the rear 20 liter tank, preferring to carry a 20 liter jerry can outside the vehicle. Another problem found in the desert was the heat emitted by the engine forced the crews to keep the doors and the hatches open to allow them to properly breathe.

Radio system and electrical system

On the inside left fairing wall of the superstructure was the model RF3M radio system produced by the Magneti Marelli factory in Sesto San Giovanni near Milan, which was installed on all vehicles of the AB series from March 1941 onwards. It consisted of the transmitter and receiver placed one on top of the other. Underneath them, on the floor, were placed the power supplies. There were two pairs of headphones and microphones, one which was used by the front driver and the second by the rear machine gunner. A folding radio antenna with 6 beams was used. It could reach at most 7 meters high and had a radius of 60 km. When partially raised, however, it was 3 meters high and had a radius of 30 km. When the vehicle was moving with the antenna raised to 3 m the radius was about 20/25 km. This antenna could be lowered to 90°.

Detail of the antenna of the AB43. Source: pinterest.com

It is not clear whether during production or after delivery to the units, some AB43s received German Funkgerät or FuG radio equipment. It is unclear how many armored cars received the German radio equipment and whether the AB41s they captured received them as well.

RF3M radio equipment mounted on the AB series armored cars. Source: Pignato

To operate the starter system, the four armored car headlights and the radio system, between the floor of the crew compartment and the armored bottom of the AB43 were a Magneti Marelli 3MF15 battery and four accumulators produced by the company in Sesto San Giovanni. Two were on the left side, under the gunner’s seat, connected to the starter system and headlights, while the other two accumulators were connected to the radio power supplies and mounted under the rear driver’s seat.

Mention should be made of the fact that there were no electric cables in the turret, so the triggers of the guns were connected to the commander’s fire pedals via ‘Bowden’ type cables, the same as on bike brakes. The only version of the AB that received an electrical cable inside the turret was the “Ferroviaria” version that had a headlight located on the right side of the turret that could be controlled from the inside.

The electrical system scheme of an AB41. This remained identical on the new AB43. Source: Pignato

Tires

The tires used on the AB43 were the same used on the other vehicles of the AB series. They were produced by the Pirelli factory in Milan, as were almost all the tyres on Italian military vehicles. Pirelli produced several tires for the 60 cm (24″) rim used on the TM40, AB series armored cars, SPA-Viberti AS reconnaissance vehicles, and other transport vehicles.

A German AB43 with Pirelli “Artiglio” tyres. Source: beutepanzer.ru

A whole range of tyres was produced for use on sandy soils but was never used on the Autoblinda Mod. 1943 since, by the time the AB43s came into service, the North African Campaign had been finished for several months.

For use on European terrains, such as Italy and the Balkans, the AB43s instead used the Pirelli “Artiglio” (Eng: Claw) 9 x 24″ (22.8 x 60 cm), “Artiglio a Sezione Maggiorata” (Eng: Claw With Increased Section) 11.25 x 24″ (28.5 x 60 cm) with larger treads for better grip and finally, from 1942 onwards, the Pirelli “Sigillo Verde” (Eng: Green Seal) tires. Due to the troublesome supply lines of the Wehrmacht, the crews were not always supplied with spare wheels and the AB series armored cars were sometimes fitted with the AS42’s tires and vice versa. Some photographs show armored cars with non-standard tires of a suitable size.

Service history

Wehrmacht

The Germans began production of the vehicle in November 1943, renaming it Beute Panzerspähwagen AB43 203(i) (Eng. Captured Armored Reconnaissance Car AB43 203 Italian) and used it in Italy and the Balkans, mainly for anti-partisan duties.

In the days of the Armistice of September 1943, the 65. Infanterie-Division captured or received 10 AB41 armored cars and, in the following months, received two AB43 and 6 Lancia Lince. These 18 armored cars were used in the Battle of Anzio until May 1944 and then in Rome. After June 1944, the division was employed in anti-partisan actions in Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, where the division committed several war crimes against the Italian civilian population. In April 1945, it participated in the Battle of Bologna with its last armored cars, including an AB43. On April 22, it surrendered to the Allies on the banks of the River Po. The 334. Infanterie-Division received nine AB41 and AB43 armored cars which were used for the defense of the Gothic Line and later in the Battle of Bologna, when the division surrendered to the Allies.

German AB43 with the 20 mm Breda cannon and the anti-aircraft support. Source Beutepanzer.ru

The 356. Infanterie-Division used five AB41 and AB43 armored cars on the Gustav Line and on the Gothic Line. The 362. Infanterie-Division employed a total of six AB41 and AB43 at Anzio. One was employed in Piedmont where, in April 1944, it took part in a massacre of Italian civilians. After the retreat from Anzio, it was used on the Gothic Line and then in Florence and Bologna, where it surrendered on April 23rd to the Allies. The MG-Bataillon “Feldmarschall Kesselring” used 16 AB43s. The 90. Panzergranadier Division used many AB series armored cars and, in January 1945, it still had 15 AB43s available and also the prototype of the AB43 ‘Cannone’. The division was completely annihilated while covering the retreat of the other German forces in Bologna before the battle of April 1945. The 162. ‘Turkistan’ Infanterie-Division received six AB43s and six Lancia Lince, the last ones in April 1945 before surrendering in Padova after the signing of the Resa di Caserta surrender on April 29, 1945. The 8. Gebirgs Division employed two AB43s in the defence of the mountain passes in the Apennines until it surrendered to the Allies on May 8, 1945. The 42. Jäger-Division received at least three AB43s in July 1944 and used them during the Ronchidoso Massacre in October 1944, when 66 Italian civilians were executed.

The 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division received some AB41, AB43 and Lancia Lince and was sent in January 1944 to fight the Allies in the Battle of Anzio. It withdrew in June 1944, first to Rome, then to Siena and then to Florence, where we know that two vehicles of the 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division fought on August 18, 1944.

An AB41 and a Lancia lince of the 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division in Florence. Source: beutepanzer.ru

After this battle, the division fought against the British 8th Army in Rimini in August, but was forced to retreat to Bologna in December of the same year. In April 1945, it began its retreat again, fighting in Ferrara, Verona and Bolzano, until it surrendered on May 2, while trying a desperate escape from Bolzano to the city of Vicenza. The Fallschirmjäger-Division had its Italian armored cars driven by members of the Raggruppamento paracadutisti “Nembo” (Eng. “Nembo” Paratroopers Group), Italian paratroopers loyal to Benito Mussolini who fought alongside the Germans until September 1944, when the group was disbanded because of the losses suffered.

August 18, 1944, Florence. A paratrooper of the 4. Fallschirmjäger Division with a Lancia Lince and an AB43 near the Ponte del Pino. Source: beutepanzer.ru

The SS-Polizeiregiment “Bozen” which, since February 1944, was stationed in the province of Belluno, made eighty-five anti-partisan operations between the Biois Valley and Mount Grappa between March and December. Between August 20 and 21, the men of this battalion under the command of Marshal Erwin Fritz were involved, together with some units of the Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1 “Hermann Göring” and of the SS-Gebirgs-Kampfschule, in the Massacre of the Biois Valley. In that operation, they used at least eight armored cars, one Sd.Kfz. 232 and seven armored cars of the AB series, of which at least a pair were AB43.

The 12. Panzer Abteilung Besondere Zwecke Verordnung (Eng. Tank Battalion for Special Purpose) of the Panzergrenadier-Division ‘Brandenburg’ received some AB43 which were used in the Balkans for anti-partisan duties.

October 1944, Belgrade. German Panzerspähwagen AB43 203(i) of the 12. Panzer Abteilung Besondere Zwecke Verordnung. Source Beutepanzer.ru

The last German unit known to have used AB43s was the SS-Karstwehr-Bataillon, composed of Italians of German origin and Croatian, Ukrainian, and Serb soldiers, which received some AB41 and AB43. The division was later renamed the 24. Waffen-Gebirgs ‘Karstjäger’ Division der SS and employed in anti-partisan actions in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Italian Partisans

The armed resistance of the Italian partisans began on September 8, 1943, when Roman citizens took to the streets to defend their city from German soldiers. Many of them were badly armed and in some cases their only weapons were the stones with which the streets of Rome were paved.

The Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale or CLN (Eng. National Liberation Committee) was founded on September 9, 1943 in Rome and, in the following months, the first cores of resistance were formed in the part of Italy under Nazi-Fascist control.
The partisan units were commanded by the CLN but were affiliated to several clandestine political parties.

The Brigate Garibaldi, the most numerous, was affiliated to the Partito Comunista Italiano or PCI (Eng. Italian Communist Party) and numbered 575 throughout the north of the Italian peninsula. The Brigate Autonome (Eng. Autonomous Brigades) were the only ones not affiliated to any party or political ideology, often founded by former soldiers of the Royal Italian Army who escaped capture, however, they followed the directions of the CLN. They numbered a total of 255 units. The Brigate Giustizia e Libertà (Eng. Justice and Freedom Brigades) were affiliated to the Partito d’Azione (Eng. Action Party), a liberal-socialist political party and numbered 198 units. The Brigate Matteotti belonging to the Partito Socialista Italiano or PSI (Eng. Italian Socialist Party) numbered 70 in total. Finally, the Brigate del Popolo (Eng. People’s Brigades), that were affiliated to Democrazia Cristiana (Eng. Christian Democracy) political party, numbered 54. There were also many other minor partisan brigades such as the Brigate Bruzzi of anarchist ideology, the Brigate Badogliane (named after Prime Minister Pietro Badoglio) of monarchist ideology and the Brigata ‘Bandiera Rossa’ (End. ‘Red Flag’ Brigade) following the Trotskyist ideology.

The Partisan Brigades were structured in a scheme very similar to that of an army: partisan groups of 10 to 20 men formed a squadra (Eng. team), three teams formed a compagnia (Eng. company), and three companies formed a battaglione (Eng. battalion). Three battalions formed a brigata that could have between 270 to 540 partisans, and finally three brigades formed a divisione (Eng. division) that could reach 1,600 partisans. Their equipment varied greatly. At the beginning of the resistance, the only weapons that civilians who joined the resistance possessed were hunting rifles or pistols, while the former soldiers of the Royal Army had their personal weapons. During the almost 20 months of resistance, the partisans captured many weapons and vehicles from the Nazi-Fascists. The Allies also provided the partisans with weapons and ammunition. A general insurrection was organized by the CLN for April 25, preceded by a huge strike of the workers in the factories that produced military equipment. About 100,000 partisans took an active part in the insurrection, half of them in Piedmont. In Lombardy, about 9,000 partisans took part in the liberation of the main cities, the most important of all being Milan, where the partisan troops, commanded by the future President of the Italian Republic Sandro Pertini, fought fiercely against the last Italian soldiers loyal to Mussolini and the few German soldiers still in the city.

The battle was fought by the partisans of the 81ª Brigata Garibaldi Volante “Silvio Loss” (Eng. 81st Flying Garibaldi Brigade), a division with about 1,400 partisans who, before the insurrection, had participated in the foundation on June 11, 1944, and in the defense of the Partisan Republic of Valsesia, one of the twenty-four autonomous republics founded by the partisans on the territories torn from the Repubblica Sociale Italiana or RSI (Eng. Italian Social Republic), the republic founded by Benito Mussolini after the armistice of September 8, 1943. The Republic was dependent on the CLN and was situated between the Piedmont region and the Lombardy region. The partisans of the division, at an unspecified moment, probably a few days before the battle, took possession of an AB43 which they used after having painted on the sides with white paint the name of the division and on the front the inscription ‘W LA LOSS’. It was used to free the city and, the next day, it was used together with other vehicles in the partisan parade in the streets of the city.

The AB43 of the 81ª Brigata Garibaldi volante “Silvio Loss” in Milan during the Great Partisan Parade after the battle. Source: pinterest.com

The 6ª Brigata d’Assalto Garibaldi ‘Nello’ (Eng: 6th Garibaldi Assault Brigade), so called in honor of the partisan officer Nello Olivieri (1914-1944) who was active in the region of Alagna Valsesia between the provinces of Vercelli and Novara in Piedmont was able to take possession, in the last days of the war, of six AB43 armored cars of which three without turret.
It seems that the vehicles were requisitioned from the Ansaldo factory in Novara where they had not yet been completed and lacked, among other things, a camouflage scheme and were covered with simple anti-rust primer. Together with the armored cars of the ‘Loss’ were used to liberate the cities of northern Italy.

The six AB43 of the 6ª Brigata d’assalto Garibaldi ‘Nello’ at Veveri near Novara on April 26th 1945. Source: I Mezzi Corazzati Italiani della Guerra Civile 1943-1945

After the War

After the war, the AB43, together with other Italian vehicles of the Second World War, went to arm some units of the Polizia di Stato (Eng. State Police) and the Arma dei Carabinieri (Eng. Arm of Carabiners) in an unknown number of vehicles.

An AB43 and, in the background, two AB41s of the Polizia di Stato during the Italian Republic Day, Rome, June 2, 1951. Source: Pignato e d’Izéo

The use of armored vehicles was required in the period immediately after the war because of the potential violence that could develop in any intervention, on the occasion of strikes, demonstrations or factory seizures by workers or the fight against anti-Republican movements, and this without counting the continuous threat of an insurrection by the thousands of members of the Partito Comunista Italiano. Since the Carabinieri were not sufficient for the needs and the Italian state wanted to avoid as much as possible the use of the new Esercito Italiano (Eng. Italian Army) to quell these demonstrations, it was indispensable that the Police had the suitable instruments to face any eventuality. For this reason, many Italian cities (especially where there were factories with many workers), first of all Turin, Milan and then Rome, Bologna, Udine and Genoa, many armored vehicles, even tracked ones, were supplied to the police.

The few surviving armed and armored vehicles of the former Regio Esercito, of the Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano (Eng. Republican National Army) and the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana (Eng. Republican National Guard) of the Italian Social Republic, even if by now obsolete for wartime use, could still be used for public security roles. In this way, with the consent of the USA, the clauses of the Peace Treaty which forbade the Italian Army from owning many tanks were circumvented. If necessary, these armored vehicles, although obsolete, would still be an aid at the time of the dreaded Communist coup d’état. After these first years, the need for armored vehicles disappeared. Even in the most turbulent years of the protests of 1968, demonstrators lined up in front of the forces of law and order and, however fierce they were, they could be faced with riot gear.

The turret of an AB43 used after the war by the Italian Police. Note the siren mounted on the roof of the turret for public safety service. Source: pinterest.com

In the early 1950s, the L3 and L6/40 tanks were withdrawn from the police service, as were the few M13/40s. Between 1954 and 1956, the Italian production armored cars, such as the AB41, AB43, Lancia Lince and SPA-Viberti AS42 were withdrawn. British and American production vehicles, such as the Humber Mk II, Bren Carrier and Staghound T17E1 were still used for anti-terrorism and airport patrols until the first half of the 1970s. The Allied vehicles were replaced by the FIAT 6614 armored cars, which are still used today for counter-terrorism tasks but whose use, by law, is subject to very strict constraints.

Not much is known about the service of the AB43s. After the war, they were overhauled in the FIAT factories in Turin that also managed to repair some damaged vehicles.

Together with the AB41s, they formed a Reparto Celere (Eng. Fast Department) in Turin and the Nucleo Celere di Pubblica Sicurezza (Eng. Cast Core of Public Security) in Rome until 1954 or 1955. No other police units are known to have used AB43s. Some others were put in service with Reparti Mobili (Eng. Moving Departments) of the Carabinieri, repainted in NATO green. Those ABs were still in service until 1953. For some years after the war, the Italian Army used some AB43 for training and eight AB43 were built after the war by the FIAT factory in Turin as AB43 ‘Ferroviaria’ and used until 1955 in the Railway Engineering units.

The AB43s in service with the State Police were all withdrawn from service in 1955 after many years of inactivity, interspersed only with rare exercises or exits to temporarily guard some sensitive targets.

Another picture of an AB43 of the Polizia di Stato during a parade. Source: Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II

Versions – AB43 ‘Cannone’

In the early months of 1943, Ansaldo proposed a new version of the AB armored car series armed with a 47 mm cannon called AB43 (also known as the AB43 ‘Cannone’). The AB41 superstructure was modified with straight sides and removing the rear machine gun. The larger and shorter turret was armed with a powerful 47/40 Mod. 38 cannon, the same as on the M15/42 medium tank. The ammunition capacity was 63 rounds for the cannon. Due to the weight increase to over 8 tonnes, the same 108 hp engine on the AB42 was installed, which allowed the armored car to reach a speed of 88 km/h. Approved in May 1943, the armistice blocked the plans of the Royal Army, which had ordered 360.

The AB43 ‘Cannone’ prototype while it is being tested during the last days of July 1943. Source: beutepanzer.ru

Surviving vehicles

The only running conditions AB43 near an M15/42, also in running condition. Source: pinterest.com

Six AB43s survive to this day, one at the Museo Storico della Motorizzazione Militare in Cecchignola near Rome, one in poor condition at the Museo Storico dell’Arma di Cavalleria in Pinerolo, one at the Museo di Guerra per la Pace Diego de Henriquez in Trieste and the last AB43 at a museum is an armored car used by the State Police, now under renovation and which will be exhibited at the Museo Memoriale della Libertà di Bologna. An AB43 is on display as a monument at the Grosseto Barracks “Beraudo di Pralorno”, headquarters of the 3º Reggimento “Savoia Cavalleria”. Only one AB43 is in running condition, often presiding over many exhibitions and historical reenactments throughout Italy. It is owned by Fabio Temeroli and exhibited in his private collection in the Republic of San Marino.

The AB43 at the Museo Storico dell’Arma di Cavalleria di Pinerolo. Source: Author

There is an AB43 ‘Ferroviaria’, the only ‘Ferroviaria’ armored car of the surviving AB series, on display at the Museo Storico della Motorizzazione Militare in Cecchignola.

The only surviving AB in the “Ferroviaria” version. This AB43 was used after the war by the Italian Army. The iron wheels were substituted by normal road tires. The skids were removed and the sand tubes were cut. Source: modellismogenova.com

Conclusion

The final version of the AB armored car family was mounted on the chassis of the AB41, but many defects were eliminated thanks to the new engine and turret inherited from the AB42. It was a very successful vehicle, appreciated by German crews during the war and by Italian policemen after the war. Unfortunately, the few examples produced were not able to satisfy the number of armored cars needed by the German Army to form autonomous reconnaissance companies. In fact, these effective armored cars were always forced to cooperate with Lancia Lince and AB41 armored cars that were not able to fill the gap.

AB43 in service with the Wehrmacht in northern Italy

AB43 during the parade for the Italian Republic Day in Rome, 2nd June 1951

AB43 specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)	5,20 x 1,92 x 2,30 m
Total Weight, Battle Ready	7.6 tons
Crew	4 (driver, gunner/vehicle commander, loader and rear driver)
Propulsion	FIAT-SPA 6 cyl, 108 hp with 195 liters tank
Speed	88 km/h
Range	460 km
Armament	Breda 20/65 Mod.1935 with 456 rounds, two Breda 38 by 8x59mm machine-guns with 744 rounds 2040 rounds
Armor	hull 9 mm front, sides and rear. Turret 22 mm front, 8.5 mm sides and rear mm
Total Production	102 with 20 mm cannon

Source

Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano – Nicola Pignato e Filippo Cappellano.
Le autoblinde AB 40, 41 e 43 – Nicola Pignato e Fabio D’Inzéo.
Italian Armoured & Reconnaissance Cars 1911-45 – Filippo Cappellano & Pier Paolo Battistelli
Panzer Tracts No. 19-2: Beute-Panzerkampfwagen – Thomas Jentz, Werner Regenberg
I Mezzi Corazzati Italiani della Guerra Civile 1943-1945 – Paolo Crippa
Italian Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War II – Ralph A. Riccio

WW2 Italian Armored Cars

Autoblinda ‘Ferroviaria’

An AB40 Ferroviaria version, with the road tires changed with the ones used for railways. Illustration by David Bocquelet.

Kingdom of Italy (1942-1945)
Railway Armored Car – 20 Converted

The AB series armored cars were the main reconnaissance vehicles of the Italian Royal Army during the Second World War, with over 700 being produced between 1940 and 1945. Used on all the fronts of the war, after 1943, 120 were also used by the Germans and, after the war, by the Italian Army until 1954.

A total of 20 AB40 and AB41 armored cars were modified in 1942 to patrol the Yugoslav railways. This special version was called ‘Ferroviaria’ (English: Railway). After the war, another group of AB41 and AB43 vehicles were modified to be used to patrol the Italian railways.

AB40 “Ferroviaria” in the Balkans showing all the details specific to the railway armored cars. Source: wikipedia.com

History of the project

In an attempt to emulate the rapid German territorial expansion, Italy declared war on Greece in late October 1940. Due to unexpected Greek resistance, the Italian offensive was stopped and even reversed. The Italian situation in North Africa was also dire, and for these reasons, Mussolini had no choice but to seek help from his German ally. Hitler was not initially interested in the Mediterranean theater, being more preoccupied with the plans for the invasion of the Soviet Union. But, worried by the possibility of a second front being opened to the south in Greece by the British while the German forces were assaulting the Soviet Union, he reluctantly decided to send German military aid to help the Italians. The Germans quickly made combat plans for the occupation of Greece, which counted on the neutrality of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

The government of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia wanted to preserve neutrality and signed the Tripartite Treaty on 25th March 1941. Two days later, Air Force General Dušan Simović, with the support of other military officers staged a coup d’etat and overthrew the government. Hitler was furious about this event and ordered that Yugoslavia should also be occupied. This event would lead to the short so-called April War, during which Yugoslavia was defeated by a coalition of Axis forces which also included Italy. After this short war, the Yugoslavian territory was divided between different Axis forces. The Italians got part of Slovenia, Kosovo, part of Macedonia, Montenegro, and parts of the Adriatic coast.

While the war was over, the Axis withdrew most forces from this area, as it was thought to be pacified. However, two resistance movements, the Royalist Chetniks and the communist Partisans, would start a general uprising against the occupying forces only a few months later. In order to suppress these two resistance movements, the Germans and Italians began once again increasing their presence in Yugoslavia, which included armored vehicles.

The territories of Yugoslavia were divided between the Axis nations in 1941. Source wikipedia.com

The introduction of the AB40

After the occupation, the initial Italian armored force in Yugoslavia consisted of two groups of light tanks: the 1° Gruppo Carri ‘L’ ‘San Giusto’ (English: 1st Light Tank Group) station in Karlovac and the 2° Gruppo Carri ‘L’ ‘San Marco’ (English: 2nd Light Tank Group) stationed in Trebinje and Dubrovnik. These groups were each equipped with 4 squadrons, with a total of 61 L3 light tanks. In order to better protect their positions in Yugoslavia, in July 1941, the 31° Reggimento di Fanteria Carrista (English: Tank man Infantry Regiment), which also was equipped with the L3, was also sent to Yugoslavia. These units were mostly deployed to protect the Adriatic coast territories. Meanwhile, in Slovenia, the Italians initially did not expect any serious opposition. But, in June 1941, the communist movement began to be active even in Slovenia, which forced the Italians to pay attention to this part of the front as well. The Italian high command in Yugoslavia issued orders for the troops to arm and armor their trucks and to arm nearly all personnel.

In 1942, new armored equipment was brought to Yugoslavia by the Italians. This included the flamethrower version of the L3, the L3/38, and new types of armored cars, like the SPA-Viberti AS37, FIAT 626NM, FIAT 665NM Scudato, and AB41 armored cars.

The Italians employed a tactic of forming a large number of well-defended strong points. Their defenses often discouraged Partisans from attacking them. At the same time, they were left isolated and unable to efficiently coordinate attacks or defenses against the Partisans. This tactic led to an overextension of the supply lines. These strong points were also highly dependent on well-defended supply lines (like roads or rails), which were often prone to Partisan attacks. The rail tracks and trains were favorite targets of the resistance fighters. For the protection of these strong points, it was proposed to use armored trains and armored draisines to be used in the occupied territories of Yugoslavia. Interestingly, the rare AB40 was also operated there by the Italians.

The sabotage carried out by Yugoslav partisans, which increasingly hit sensitive targets such as bridges, communication points, and railways considerably slowed down the convoys and supply columns directed to the strong points controlled by Italian soldiers. The Regio Esercito (English: Italian Royal Army) was forced to find a solution quickly. It was first proposed to use armored trains and armored draisines to protect convoys heading for the Italian strong points, It was immediately clear that, although it was a good idea, building entire armored trains would take too long, and the army did not have the time necessary.

The order to build armored trains was given to Ansaldo, which began the development of new railway vehicles, while FIAT proposed to use the AB series armored cars, which were very useful for Italian soldiers to patrol the occupied territories.

In order to design this railway version, FIAT engineers asked for help from the experts of FIAT Ferroviaria, a subsidiary of FIAT which produced trains. After a very short time, it was decided to replace the tires of an AB40 with slightly modified steel wheels used by the Italian locomotives. Other minor modifications were made and, in January 1942, the AB40 ‘Ferroviaria’ was presented to the High Command of the Italian Royal Army. A few days later, some vehicles were taken from the Centro di Addestramento Autoblindo (Eng: Armored Car Training Centre) of Pinerolo and modified in the nearby FIAT factory of Turin. In total, in less than a month, 12 armored cars of the AB series were converted. These were eight AB40s that the Regio Esercito considered unsuitable for the reconnaissance role and were, in fact, used for training, and four AB41s that were used in armored car companies and command platoons.

In the months before the Armistice of September 1943, another order was placed for the conversion of 8 more AB41s.

Design

In the mid-30s, the Royal Italian Army realized that the Lancia 1ZM armored cars produced during the First World War were by now poorly armed, poorly protected, and performed poorly off-road. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, some Lancia 1ZMs were sent to Spain to support General Francisco Franco’s army. After their use in battle, it was clear to the Italian High Command that, although still efficient as support vehicles, they could no longer carry out reconnaissance activities. In late 1937, the Royal Army decided to issue an order for the development of a new armored car for long-range reconnaissance.

In the 1930s, the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana or PAI (English: Italian Police in Africa), the police corps in charge of the security of the Italian colonies, still used the old Lancia 1ZMs, which were not very suitable for desert use, and also handcrafted armored cargo trucks to face the anti-imperialist resistance in Libya and Ethiopia. After testing light tanks with little success, in 1937, the PAI command autonomously requested the development of an armored car prototype for long-range reconnaissance.

FIAT and Ansaldo cooperated to produce two prototypes with many compatible parts that could meet the requirements of the Italian Royal Army and the Italian African Police. After almost two years of development, the two prototypes were presented in Turin on May 15, 1939. One of them was tested in East Africa, while the other one remained in Italy. For mass production, it was decided to unify the two vehicles, which later became the AutoBlinda Modello 1940 (English: Armored Car Mod. 1940), more commonly known as the AB40.

Standard AB40 in service at the Centro di Addestramento Autoblindo. Source: pinterest.com

From the beginning, the AB40 was evaluated as being poorly armed. When production began, it was decided to develop a version armed with a 20 mm cannon. 24 AB40s were produced until March/April 1941 plus 5 pre-series vehicles and two prototypes. The next version was the AB41 which had the same hull and the turret of the light tank L6/40. About 600 of this new version were produced for the rest of the war, until 1945.

The AB40 was designed for reconnaissance and not combat, so it had 9 mm armor all over the structure and turret. Another interesting feature were the dual driving controls, with one driver at the back and one at the front. This allowed the vehicle, in case of involvement in a firefight, to withdraw from combat without complicated maneuvers.

The crew consisted of four soldiers: front driver, vehicle commander/gunner, rear driver on the left and rear gunner on the right.

For the AB40, the armament was composed of two Breda Mod. 1938 machine guns in the turret and another Breda Mod. 1938 mounted in a ball bearing on the rear plate. This latter gun was removable and usable on an anti-aircraft support which was not always supplied to the crews. The ammunition stack was 2,040 rounds in 85 magazines of 24 rounds each, kept in the racks on the sides of the hull.

The radio equipment of the first vehicles produced was unknown. In March 1941, the RF3M radio produced by Magneti Marelli began to be installed. The vehicles with the radio apparatus of the first type are recognizable because they had the radio antenna on the right side.

The suspension was quite advanced. The vehicle had four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering, with independent shock absorbers on each wheel which gave excellent off-road mobility. The engine was a FIAT-SPA ABM 1 6-cylinder water-cooled inline petrol engine developing 78 hp. This engine was designed by FIAT and produced by its subsidiary SPA in Turin. The AB40 had a speed of 80 km/h on road, while the range was about 400 km.

The AB41s received the new Mod. 1941 turret, armed with a 20/65 Breda Cannon Mod. 1935 caliber 20 mm and a Breda Mod. 38 coaxial machine gun and new racks that allowed the transport of 456 20 mm bullets. The last modification was the introduction, due to the weight increase from 6.8 to 7.4 tons, of a more powerful version of the SPA ABM 1 called ABM 2, which was able to deliver 88 hp of power.

Due to production problems of the new engine, many armored cars were equipped with ABM 1 engines and Mod. 1941 turrets, giving birth to AB40/41 hybrids. These armored cars, impossible to distinguish externally from the normal AB41, had a slightly lower top speed and range than the AB41 due to the lower engine power.

Standard AB41 armored car. Source: wikipedia.com

FIAT chose to keep the AB’s dual driving arrangement for the railway version, which allowed for a change of direction without turning the vehicle. Another vehicle of the type was the Autocarretta Ferroviaria Blindata Modello 1942 (English: Armored Railway Light Lorry Model 1942), based on the chassis of the Autocarretta OM36DM, a small truck suitable for the transport of about 900 kg of material, of which 20 were produced in late 1942. This particular vehicle did not have a double drive and, in order to drive at normal speeds backward, it needed to be lifted by a hydraulic jack and turned manually by the crew members. This was dangerous during possible ambushes by partisans.

The Littorina FS ALn 556 produced by FIAT. Source: worldpress.com

In the ‘Ferroviaria’ version, the armored car was only modified externally. First of all, the steel wheels of the FS ALn 556, an Italian locomotive produced by FIAT Ferroviaria that entered service in 1938, were adapted to the armored car. On each fender, a box full of sand connected to the armored car’s braking system by a ‘Bowden’ cable (the same used on bicycle brakes) was mounted. When the braking system was in operation, some sand was released through a tube coming out from under the box’s floor and flowed on the rails increasing the grip of the steel wheels on the rails.

AB40 of the Regio Esercito. The sandboxes, as well as the “Bowden” cables which come out of the headlights fairings and connect to the two boxes passing in front of the two tow hooks, are visible. Below, near the rails, the two skids meant to remove obstacles can be seen. Finally, the spare wheels supported by the cable fixed to the superstructure are also clearly visible. Source: tortellinux.it

Four slightly raised skids were mounted in front of the wheels to prevent small objects, such as stones and branches, from slipping between the wheels and derailing the vehicle.

Much importance was given to the possibility of patrolling both railways and roads. On the hubs that supported the two spare wheels on either side, three fixing pins were added to mount a second spare wheel on each side. A steel cable was mounted on the superstructure to prevent the wheels from freeing themselves from the supports due to strong jolts. The steel cable was hooked to the superstructure when not needed. In order to prevent the cable from cutting the tires due to the tension, a wooden wedge was put on the wheels.

Two drawings showing an AB40 with steel wheels on a rail and the same AB40 with road tires. Bowden cables and skates are not fitted. The drawing is probably of a prototype version of the AB Ferroviaria from the FIAT factory. The spare wheels, in addition to the fixing pins, were supported by a steel cable that was hooked to the superstructure when not needed. Source: web photos

Operational use

The modified AB40 and AB41 armored cars were used to form platoons consisting of 5 vehicles. These were used by the 2° Raggruppamento Genio Ferrovieri Mobilitato (English: 2nd Group of Mobilized Railway Engineers) stationed at Sušak, east from the Croatian city of Rijeka. By mid-1942, the AB40s were operating in the area of Western Slovenia, Gorskog Kotara, Like, Krajine Primorske, and Dalmatia. These were used to protect the vital rail supply system. They were usually acting as train escort and support vehicles or for close proximity reconnaissance.

In July 1942, during the anti-partisan Operazione ‘Aurea’ (English: Operation ‘Golden’) near Biokov, the Italians also operated at least six AB armored cars (possibly the rail version).

The first AB41 “Ferroviaria” converted with an unusual camouflage pattern. Source: Pignato

In 1943, the Italians increased their presence in the area with more armored trains and by increasing the number of rail armored cars to 20 (which precise types were used is not clear). During the first half of 1943, the Litorina Blindata railway locomotive, with a diesel engine produced by Ansaldo and equipped with two M13/40 medium tank turrets armed with two 47 mm cannons, 6 machine guns, two 45 mm Brixia mortars and two flamethrowers Mod. 1940, was introduced. These were meant to support the units operating the AB rail armored cars stationed in Sušak. These were used to patrol areas in Slovenia and Croatia.

In the foreground, a Libli in front of an AB. In the background, another Libli derailed by a partisans mine near Ogulin in Croatia on February 12th, 1943. Source: pinterest.com

During 1943, the Partisans made over 120 attacks on the Sušak-Karlovci area. Of these, six attacks were aimed at the Italian armored trains. Interestingly, due to poor knowledge of the precise name of the AB40/41 rail armored cars, in Partisans documents these were simply called small railroad armored cars. In late February 1943, one railroad armored car was reported to have struck a Partisan mine near Ogulin.

During the night of 22nd August 1943, due to a Partisan mine, No.3 armored train and an armored car (most likely an AB) were heavily damaged. The explosion was so powerful that the shockwave knocked off the rail track, the locomotive, several wagons, and the supporting armored car. The last use of the Italian armored formation (including 4 armored cars) in Slovenia was in early September 1943 against the Partisans in the area of Krvava Peč and Mačkovec. If the Germans operated the modified AB40/41 in its rail protection role after 1943 is not clear. The German forces stationed in Slovenia in 1944 and 1945, due to increased Partisan activity, relied more and more on armored trains for troop and supply movements. It is possible that some ABs were still operational and used by the Germans at that time. In a Partisan attack on the German trains, one ‘rail tank’, which may have been an AB, was destroyed on 8th January 1945.

AB41 ‘Ferroviaria’ captured by German troops after September 8th, 1943. Source: beutepanzer.ru

After the capitulation of Italy, their units still located in Yugoslavia found themselves in a state of chaos, as all fighting sides were racing to capture their territories and weapons. The Germans were anticipating the Italian capitulation and launched Fall ‘Achse’ (English: Operation Axis) to seize the Italian Balkan held territories as fast as possible. They managed to disarm 15 Italian divisions in Albania and Greece and 10 more in Yugoslavia. The Germans captured many Italian AB armored cars, which were usually given to reconnaissance units, like the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 171 (English: Reconnaissance Battalion) and some police units.

AB40 ‘Ferroviaria’ captured by German troops in Yugoslavia, used to patrol a Yugoslav town. All details of the railway version have been removed. Source: beutepanzer.ru

The Yugoslav Communist Partisans were also quick to take advantage of the situation and captured a large number of Italian prisoners and weapons. During the period of 8th to 25th September 1943, the Partisans managed to capture at least over 7 armored cars. Sadly, it is difficult to determine the precise type of these cars, as the Partisans had trouble naming them properly in the sources, but we can assume that some were of the AB series. These armored cars were used against the Germans with some success until October, by which time most were either destroyed or hidden due to lack of fuel, spare parts, and ammunition. They also captured some Litorine Blindate, which were used to assault some Italians strongpoints before being destroyed by partisans to avoid being captured by the Germans.

Standard AB41 in service with the German Army after the Italian surrender, somewhere in Yugoslavia. Source: beutepanzer.ru

Even the forces of the German puppet state of the Independent State Croatia managed to capture some weapons from the Italians, which included 10 armored cars. Partisan reports stated that the Croatian capital Zagreb was defended, from late 1943, by units equipped with ‘special’ armored cars (with some 7 to 10). These were described as being able to be driven in either direction (backward or forward) and had a turret. By this description, it is highly likely that at least some were of the AB series. In addition, at least one AB41 was operated by the Croat forces around the city of Varaždin.

An AB41 ‘Ferroviaria’ used by the Croatian ‘Poglavnikov Tjelesni Zdrug’ (an elite unit) in Varaždin in 1944. The wheels are not the usual ‘Artiglio’ used by Regio Esercito vehicles. Note the lack of the engine compartment hatches and the rear sandboxes. Source: pinterest.com

After the end of the Second World War, the new Esercito Italiano (English: Italian Army) employed some AB ‘Ferroviaria’ in its Railway Engineering units called Reggimenti Genio Ferroviario. These were an unknown number of AB41s survivors of the war converted into ‘Ferroviaria’ and at least eight standard AB43s that were built after the war. These later vehicles had been taken from the army and modified in 1946 at the Arsenale di Torino (English: Turin Arsenal) that four year early had produced the ABs that went to fight in Yugoslavia.

An AB41 ‘Ferroviaria’ outside the Arsenale di Torino ready to be delivered to the Reggimento Genio Ferrovieri. Turin 1950. Source: Gli Autoveicoli da Combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano

These railway armored cars remained in service with the Italian Army until late 1960s and, like all the vehicles of the time, they were repainted in NATO Green and received new plates. In October 1961 the Arsenale di Piacenza (English: Piacenza Arsenal) rearmed three AB43s with 12.7 mm Browning M2HB removing the 20 mm autocannon.
One AB43 ‘Ferroviaria’ survives and is preserved at the Museo della Motorizzazione in Cecchignola near Rome.

At least one AB rail armored car was operated after the war by the new Yugoslav People’s Army. The precise use and fate of this vehicle is unknown, but, by 1955, nearly all available captured armored vehicles were earmarked for scrapping. It is possible that the single AB was also scrapped at that time due to insufficient firepower and lack of spare parts.

The only surviving AB in the “Railway” version. This AB43 was used after the war by the Italian Army. The iron wheels were substituted by normal road tires. The skids were removed and the sand tube was cut. Source: docplayer.net

Conclusion

The AB ‘Ferroviaria’ vehicles were produced to make up for the lack of armored trains in service in the Italian Royal Army. Fundamental for the patrols of railroads, preventing sabotage, and avoiding ambushes on the Italian supply trains, these special armored cars were used extensively even after the armistice of September 1943 by the Germans, who also reused them as normal armored cars. They also saw service post-war with the new Italian Army.

An AB40 Ferroviaria version, with the road tires changed with the ones used for railways. Illustration by David Bocquelet.

AB40 ‘Ferroviaria’ specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)	5,20 x 1,92 x 2,29 m
Total Weight, Battle Ready	7 tons
Crew	4 (driver, gunner, second driver and rear machine gunner)
Propulsion	FIAT-SPA ABM1 6 cyl, 78 hp with 145 l tanks
Speed	80 km/h
Range	400 km
Armament	three Breda 38 by 8 x 59mm machine guns with 2040 rounds
Armor	9 mm front, sides, and rear
Total Production	8 AB40, (surely) 4 AB41 and 8 AB43

Sources

Bojan B. D. and Dragan S.(2011) Oklopne jedinice na Jugoslovenskom ratištu 1941-1945, Institut za savremenu istoriju.
D. Predoević (2008) Oklopna vozila i oklopne postrojbe u drugom svjetskom ratu u Hrvatskoj, Digital Point Tiskara
Bojan B. Dumitrijević (2010), Modernizacija i intervencija, Jugoslovenske oklopne jedinice 1945-2006, Institut za savremenu istoriju
Le autoblinde AB 40, 41 e 43. Nicola Pignato e Fabio D’Inzéo
Italian Armored & Reconnaissance Cars 1911-1945. Filippo Cappellano e Pier Paolo Battistelli
Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell’esercito italiano Volume II Tomo I – Filippo Cappellano e Nicola Pignato
Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell’esercito italiano Volume III Tomo I – Filippo Cappellano e Nicola Pignato
The article was written by Arturo Giusti, who wrote the parts concerning the design and operational service, and by Marko Pantelić, who wrote the parts concerning the introduction of the AB40, history of the project and operational service.

WW2 Italian Armored Cars

Autoblinda AB42

Kingdom of Italy (1942)
Armored Car – 1 Prototype Built

In 1941, the Regio Esercito (Eng. Italian Royal Army) realized that the performance of its modern AB41 armored cars was not able to meet the operational demands of the African Campaign. It was therefore decided to modify the AB41 to better adapt it for use in North Africa. Thus was born the lighter and faster AB42, a single prototype of which was produced in 1942. It was not accepted in service due to the changing war situation at the end of 1942 when the North African Campaign turned to the disadvantage of the Axis forces and a long-range reconnaissance vehicle with the characteristics of the AB42 was no longer necessary.

The AB42 at the Ansaldo factory. Source: pinterest.com

Development of the project

Between the end of the First World War and 1937, in the Kingdom of Italy, projects for new armored cars were shelved in favor of light tank projects. The Royal Army considered the Lancia 1ZM and the FIAT-Terni-Tripoli produced between 1915 and 1918 still effective until 1937, when it sent 10 Lancia armored cars together with the Corpo Truppe Volontarie (Eng: Corps of Volunteer Troops) to support General Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War.
After the first clashes it was clear that, although the Lancias were still able to provide support to the infantry, its low speed, light armor and, finally, the poor off-road driving characteristics did not allow it to still provide the long-range reconnaissance capabilities that the Royal Italian Army High Command demanded.

The Italian Army and the Italian African Police, the police corps of the African colonies, which employed the FIAT-Terni-Tripoli, issued two separate orders for new vehicles meant for reconnaissance. FIAT and Ansaldo responded by producing two prototypes of an armored car, then called ABM, one for the Army and the other for the Police. After numerous tests and some modifications, the two vehicles were consolidated into one to speed up production. Thus was born the AB40, the first modern Italian armored car armed with two machine guns in the turret, one on the back of the hull, an all-wheel steering system, maximum armor of 17 mm, and a FIAT-SPA ABM 1 6-cylinder 78 hp petrol engine that gave the vehicle a maximum speed of 80 km/h and a range of 400 km.

An AB40 armored car at the Training Center of Pinerolo, Northern Italy date unknown. Source: pinterest.com

From the very first tests, it was clear that the primary armament was not powerful enough for its long-range reconnaissance and infantry support tasks. As soon as production began in early 1941, Ansaldo began developing a prototype with a new turret.

In the end, in order to save time and money, a new, slightly larger and more powerful engine, the FIAT-SPA ABM 2, a 6-cylinder 88 hp petrol engine, was mounted on the armored car, along with the same turret as that of the L6/40 light tank, armed with the Cannone da 20/65 Mod. 1935. With the new engine, it could reach a top speed of 80 km/h and had an unchanged range at 400 km.

The new version, called AB41, replaced the AB40s on the assembly lines and, between 1941 and 1945, more than 667 units were produced. 12 AB40 and AB41 armored cars were also converted into AB Ferroviaria for patrolling the Yugoslav railways with various external modifications to adapt them to the rails.

AB41 of the Gruppo Corazzato “San Giusto”, September 1944. The differences with the AB42 are visible. Source: Di Fazio

Even the AB41 was not exempt from defects. The problem of the armament was solved, but the chassis had other problems. The steering system was very delicate and forced the crews to constantly overhaul it to keep it operable, especially in a desert environment where dust and sand damaged the gears. In addition, the mechanism that allowed dual steering took up a lot of space inside the crew compartment of the vehicle.

The armor, thick enough to defend the crew from light infantry weapons, was adequate for a reconnaissance vehicle. However, due to the lack of adequate vehicles and the lack of organization of the Italian Army, the AB41 was often used as a breakthrough vehicle.
Obviously, this caused a lot of losses, in fact, these long-range reconnaissance vehicles were an easy target even for the British Boys anti-tank rifles, which could penetrate the armor of the AB series armored cars at a distance of more than 100 m.

When having to attack enemy positions, the crews often advanced with their vehicles facing backward. The rear-facing machine gun could provide increased firepower and the presence of the engine at the rear increased the protection for the crew. However, this made the vehicle more vulnerable, increasing the fire risk.

The vehicle was equipped with dual steering to allow it to retreat quickly from a firefight. The narrow streets of the Italian mountains or those of the villages in the African colonies meant that normal vehicles had to make complicated and time-consuming maneuvers to be able to withdraw. This system, which also became very useful even when the vehicle was in the middle of a minefield, was practically useless in North Africa, where the vast expanses of sand did not hinder any retreat. Another problem encountered was the lack of space for the four-man crew inside the vehicle, also due to the four-wheel steering system. The rear machine gun, inherited from the old Lancia 1ZM (which had the same armament configuration as the AB40) in North Africa was almost never used in its original arrangement, but was often taken out by the crews and hooked up to anti-aircraft supports built by the crews to defend themselves from the raids of the RAF’s aircraft. The weight of 7.52 tonnes in combat order often caused the vehicle to be silted up on the sandy ground, forcing the vehicles to travel on the few dirt roads in the desert. Realizing the necessary modifications to be made to the AB41 in desert environments, the Italian Army looked for an economical and fast solution.

History of the prototype

At the beginning of 1942, the High Command of the Royal Italian Army requested that FIAT and Ansaldo design a new radical modification of the armored car to better adapt it to the service in the North African Theatre.

The Royal Army’s specifications were: removal of the double steering, which had proved to be of little use in the desert, the rear machine gun, and its rear ball bearing. They also required the installation of a more powerful engine to increase the speed of the vehicle on roads and the development of a new turret. Finally, it was required to increase the armor but, at the same time, lighten the vehicle.

As in the previous vehicles, FIAT-SPA was responsible for developing a more powerful engine and removing the dual steering system, while Ansaldo was responsible for developing a new superstructure and a new turret with the same 20 mm cannon as the AB41.

At first, it was attempted to modify the AB41’s superstructure by increasing the hull size, but the weight would have been too high and the Ansaldo technicians preferred to start developing a new superstructure from scratch.

In order to meet the Royal Italian Army’s requests to reduce the weight of the armored car, on the project dated 3rd June 1942, it was decided to slope the armor of the vehicle much more. The space inside the vehicle was redesigned, reducing the crew to three and keeping the ammunition capacity unchanged. The design work was very fast and, after the production of a wooden model of the vehicle, a prototype of the new armored car called Autoblinda Alleggerita Mod. 1942 (Eng. Lightweight Armored Car Mod. 1942) or, more simply, Autoblinda Mod. 1942, abbreviated to AB42, was immediately produced.

The High Command of the Royal Italian Army made an order on 19th July 1942 for between 200 and 300 examples of the new armored car to be produced after the tests at the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione Militare (Eng. Centre for Military Motorisation Studies), which were scheduled for late November 1942.

The AB42 wooden model. Source: Museo Storico della Guerra di Rovereto

The prototype was ready by 7th November 1942 and it was planned to send it to the Centro Studi della Motorizzazione Militare a few weeks later. However, due to the defeat of the Italian forces at El Alamein on 11th November 1942, and the costs associated with modifying the assembly lines, the project was no longer considered a priority by the Italian High Command and the prototype was shelved.

In the following months, Ansaldo recovered the engine and the turret from the prototype, which went to be mounted on the chassis of an AB41, giving birth to the more powerful Autoblinda Mod. 1943 or, more commonly, AB43. After this recovery, the rest of the prototype was probably scrapped because the chassis was now useless. At the date of the Armistice of Cassibile, 8th September 1943, the AB42 prototype was not in any register.

The AB42 on the left and an AB41 on the right. In this photo, taken in the Ansaldo factory after the construction of the prototype, the differences between the two vehicles are clearly visible. Source: pinterest.com

Design

The crew consisted of three, one less than on the AB40 and AB41. The driver was seated in front and had a steering wheel, an episcope, a slit, and a seat with a folding backrest to allow access to the vehicle to other crew members. Behind the driver, in the single-seater turret, was seated the vehicle commander, who also acted as the gunner, and finally, behind him was the loader. Due to the limited space on board, he could not reload the cannon and could only deliver the ammunition to the vehicle commander. In addition to the loader function, the third man in the crew was also the radio operator. The reduction of the crew and the redesign of the interior space increased the space available to the crew, who could thus operate more comfortably inside the vehicle.

Engine and suspensions

FIAT and its subsidiary, SPA, designed the new engine by upgrading the engine of the AB41, the FIAT-SPA ABM 2 6-cylinder petrol water-cooled engine with a displacement of 4,995 cm³. This developed a maximum power of 88 hp at 2,700 rpm and was itself derived from the FIAT-SPA ABM 1 with less displacement and a maximum power of 78 hp, which was mounted on the AB40. The new engine for the AB42 was improved. The displacement remained unchanged at 4,995 cm³, but the maximum power recorded was 108 hp (other sources round this figure to 100 hp or 110 hp, whilst others mention a maximum power of 115 hp) at 2,800 rpm. This significantly increased the speed on roads to about 90 km/h, compared to 80 km/h of the AB41 and 78 km/h of the AB40.

Apart from the removal of the dual-drive system and rear controls, the chassis, also used on the SPA-Viberti AS42 “Sahariana”, was no longer modified by FIAT-SPA. Though few, the modifications lightened the chassis, which nevertheless maintained the 4×4 configuration, the possibility of steering with all four wheels, and independent suspension for each wheel.

There is no clear information about the fuel and other liquids tanks of the vehicle. It is clear that the 57-liters tank in front of the driver was moved and replaced by another larger tank. The 118-liters tank between the floor of the combat compartment and the bottom of the vehicles was not changed. On the AB41, a serious problem was the lack of a bulkhead between the crew compartment and the engine compartment and the presence in front of the engine of the 20-liters reserve tank which often caused violent fires inside the vehicle. It is not clear if a bulkhead was installed on the AB42, but surely the reserve tank was moved.

The armored car had a range of 460 km thanks to the new fuel tank and the lighter total weight. To further increase the range, five jerry cans mounts were added externally on the left side of the prototype of the new armored car, which contained a total of 100 liters of fuel and increased the range to over 500 km.

The enormous fairings for the spare wheels were removed to increase the interior space of the vehicle and, on the right side of the vehicle, a support for only one spare wheel was fixed.

The prototype was fitted with the tires developed by Pirelli specifically for desert terrain, the Pirelli “Libya” type (Eng: Libya) 9.75 x 24″ (25 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 other AB series armored cars and the Camionette SPA-Viberti AS42.

Photo of the right side of the AB42. The spare wheel and the radio antenna are visible. Source: La Meccanizzazione dell’Esercito Fino al 1943

Turret

The Mod. 1941 turret mounted on the L6/40 light tank and on the AB41 was narrow, making loading operations very uncomfortable and did not allow the commander to rotate the panoramic hyposcope 360° due to the limited space inside. Another problem was the height of the armored car, 2.48 m, of which about 50 cm were the turret. Ansaldo designed a new turret, called Mod. 1942, which was lower (35 cm) and wider than the Mod. 1941.

The Mod. 1942 turret mounted on an AB43 hull. On the roof are visible the anti-aircraft mount, the protuberance for the Breda magazine, and the episcope. Source: masterminiatures.it

On the sides of the turret, the two air intakes were removed (it is not clear, however, whether a smoke extractor was added). The two slits on the sides remained, as well as the rear hatch used to facilitate the removal of the 20 mm Breda cannon during overhauls. On the roof of the turret was mounted a two-piece hatch, the usual panoramic hyposcope with 360° field of view, a new anti-aircraft support and, finally, a protuberance that contained the top-mounted curved box magazine of the Breda Mod 38 machine gun, allowing the cannon to reach a depression of -9°.

The rear hatch of the Mod. 1942 turret. Source: masterminiatures.it

This turret, although lower, had more interior space than the Mod. 1941, making it easier for the commander to load the weapons on board.

In addition to the considerable advantage of the increased interior space, the new turret was also more balanced than Mod. 1941, which in fact needed a rear counterweight. It is interesting to note that, on the mock-up of the Lightened Armored Car Mod. 1942, the air intakes mounted on the sides of the Mod. 1941 turret were also mounted.

Hull and armor

The hull was completely redesigned by increasing the sloping of the armor in order to increase protection. Previously, the slit, the driver’s episcope, and, lower down, an unprotected headlight for night driving were placed on the front armor plate. The front mudguards were slightly modified to a more angular shape. On the two well-inclined sides, just behind the front wheels, there were the same armored doors mounted on the AB40 and 41 armored cars, divided into two parts. The upper part had a central slit for close defense with the use of personal weapons. On the left side, behind the door, there were five jerry cans, two on the upper row and three on the lower row. On the right side, there was the horn and, behind the armored access door, the spare wheel of the armored car and the radio antenna which was mounted at the rear. The antenna could be lowered to horizontal during movement. When raised, it was 3 m high but could reach 7 m fully extended, with a maximum range of 60 km and 25/35 km when it was 3 m high. The rear of the armored car was sloped and had two large hatches.

The engine compartment was completely redesigned, with two large square inspection hatches with air intakes and the tank cap. On the back, in addition to the large radiator fan grille, two large air intakes were present. On the two rear mudguards, there were two storage boxes. The one on the left was smaller because of the muffler, which was fixed to the mudguard.

The tools were probably transported inside a big box inside the armored car, like on the AB41, except the shovel and the pickaxe. The pickaxe was placed between the jerry cans and the rear fender while the shovel, in the wooden mock-up of the vehicle, was placed transversely on the left side and was probably not mounted on the prototype in order to make room for the jerry can supports.

The radio equipment of the armored car was probably a Magneti Marelli RF3M, already present on the AB40, AB41, and later on the AB43. It consisted of a transmitter, a receiver, two power supplies, and two batteries.

The armor of the vehicle was bolted to an internal structure. This made the vehicle dangerous because, when the armor was hit, the bolts shot away, becoming dangerous for the crew, but it made it easier to replace only one part of the armor in case of damage.

The hull armor was 8.5 mm on the front, sides, and back. The new Mod. 1942 turret had a front armor of 22 mm, while the sides and back were 8.5 mm thick. The roof and floor were 8.5 mm thick, while the engine deck was 6 mm thick.

The left side of the Autoblinda Alleggerita Mod. 1942. The five jerry cans, the rear mudguard box and the new door position are visible. Source: La Meccanizzazione dell’Esercito Fino al 1943

Main armament

The main armament was the Breda Mod. 1935 20/65 Breda Cannon, developed as an anti-aircraft gun. Due to the smaller space inside the armored car, it had a rate of fire of about 200 rounds per minute. It had a depression of -9° and an elevation of +18°. This cannon was more than suitable for the roles that Italian armored cars had to play. It was effective, easy to replace, and with excellent anti-tank characteristics. It fired 20 x 138 mm B caliber ammunition, i.e. the same caliber as the German FlaK 38 anti-aircraft guns and the Swiss Solothurn S-18/1000 anti-tank rifles.

The ammunition produced in Italy was of different types, but most had been developed for anti-aircraft use and therefore High Explosive (HE) and the Armor Piercing (AP) were used on the AB. The AP Mod. 1935 had a muzzle velocity of 840 m/s which could penetrate 38 mm of armor at 100 m and 30 mm at 500 m. With German production shells, such as the Pz.Gr. 40, with a muzzle velocity of 900 m/s, the gun could penetrate 50 mm of armor plate at 100 m and 40 mm at 500 m.

A 20 mm Breda Mod. 1935 used by Italian soldiers in Africa. Source: pinterest.com

Secondary armament

The secondary armament consisted of a Mod. 38 caliber 8 x 59 mm RB Breda machine gun with a top-mounted curved 24 rounds magazine. This machine gun was the vehicle version of the Breda Mod. 37 infantry machine gun with a theoretical firing rate of 600 rounds per minute but, due to the reduced space inside the turret, the firing rate dropped to about 350 rounds per minute.

In case of an air attack, the machine gun could be dismounted and used on the anti-aircraft support on the roof of the turret. The machine gun could fire different types of bullets, such as the M.39 AP bullets, with a muzzle velocity of 780 m/s. These weighed 12 grams and could penetrate a 16 mm armor plate at a distance of 100 m. Standard ammunition with the same muzzle velocity penetrated 11 mm at 100 m.

Ammunition

In total, the vehicle carried, as on the AB41, 57 magazines with 8 rounds for the main cannon, for a total of 456 rounds, probably transported in wooden racks on the sides of the vehicle and at the back. Unfortunately, the amount of 8 mm ammunition transported by the AB42 is unknown, although it can be assumed that they were, as on the AB41 and the subsequent AB43, around 1,992 rounds, i.e. 83 magazines with 24 rounds.

Versions

Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’

In 1942, a prototype of a Camionetta (in Italian, the word “Camionetta” describes a four-wheeled vehicle, with particular characteristics of robustness, capable of traveling over rough terrain, and generally equipped with protective elements) on the hull of the AB42 was presented to the Italian High Command, for a similar task as the AB42. The SPA-Viberti AS42 ‘Sahariana’ was a large vehicle with a central fighting compartment and the same engine as the AB41 at the back. This Camionetta was used for long-range reconnaissance, ambushes and to counter the British Long Range Desert Group (LRDG).

These vehicles could be armed with several weapons, including the Breda 20/65 Mod. 1935 automatic cannon, the 47/32 Mod. 1935 anti-tank gun or the Solothurn S-18/1000 anti-tank rifle and a maximum of three Breda Mod. 37 or 38 medium machine guns. The vehicle had 9 mm of armor on the front and around the combat compartment, while the engine compartment had only 5 mm of armor. The AS42 had a range of 535 km and could carry up to twenty-four 20-liter jerry cans (20 with petrol and 4 with water), giving it a total maximum range of over 1,200 km. Another difference was the absence of the rear driver position and double steering, which was done using only the front wheels because the vehicle was designed also to participate in skirmishes against other similar vehicles, not only for reconnaissance.

An unarmed AS42 ‘Sahariana’. Source: pinterest.com

Another version of the vehicle, called AS42 ‘Metropolitana’, used for ‘continental’ soil, differing only by the adoption of two huge boxes of ammunition instead of the rows of ten petrol jerry cans. These vehicles were used in Italy, the Ukrainian steppes, France and Germany.

In total, of the two versions, about 200 vehicles were produced. The sources are not very clear, as production records were destroyed during the war. These vehicles fought in North Africa, Italy and, after 8th September 1943, were captured by German forces and were used by Italian soldiers under German command until the end of the war. After the war, these were produced in small numbers and used by the Italian police until 1954.

A Camionetta AS42 ‘Metropolitana’ without jerry cans, armed with a 47/32 Mod. 1935 gun in Rome, during a break in the days after the armistice. Behind it, two AB41 armored cars wait to get into action against the Germans. Source: Wikipedia.it

Autoblinda AB43

Shortly before the Armistice, the last project, called AB43, was proposed by the Ansaldo to the Wehrmacht. This vehicle was based on the normal chassis and superstructure of the AB41, but with the new turret of the AB42 and the more powerful FIAT-SPA ABM 3 engine. The amount of ammunition transported was the same, the maximum speed was increased compared to the AB41, and the range was reduced to about 400 km. It was immediately tested and accepted for service but, due to the Armistice, FIAT and Ansaldo did not have time to build even a single one. In November 1943, after being judged suitable by German technicians, production began for the German Army. About 100 vehicles were produced for the Wehrmacht and used in anti-partisan duties in northern Italy and the Balkans. After the war, some surviving AB43s were employed by the Italian State Police until 1954, and eight vehicles were also used by the Italian Army Railway Engineers in the ‘Ferroviaria’ version.

The only AB43 in running condition. Source: reddit.com

Conclusion

The AB42 was a version of the AB series armored car developed for use in the North African Campaign, lighter and faster than the AB41. Due to the defeats in Africa and the cost of retooling the assembly lines, it was decided to continue to produce the AB41, which remained the main reconnaissance and infantry support vehicle until 1943 with the Royal Army. Fortunately, some of the systems developed for the AB42 were reused on the AB43, which kept the chassis and superstructure of the AB41 but had the new and more powerful engine and the turret of the Lightened Armored Car Mod. 1942.

The AB42 prototype illustrated by Yuvnashva Sharma, funded by our Patreon campaign

AB42 specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)	5.2 m x 1.93 m x 2.24 m
Total Weight, Battle Ready	6 tonnes
Crew	3, driver, gunner and commander
Propulsion	FIAT-SPA ABM 3, 6-cylinders 110 hp engine
Road Speed	90 km/h
Off-Road Speed	50 km/h
Range	460 km
Armament	1x 20/65 Breda Mod. 1935 1x 8 mm Breda Mod. 38
Hull Armor	8.5 mm front, sides and rear
Turret Armor	22 mm front, 8.5 mm sides and rear
Total Production	1 Prototype

Sources

I mezzi blindo-corazzati Italiani 1923-1943 – Nicola Pignato
Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano – Nicola Pignato e Filippo Cappellano
Le autoblinde AB 40, 41 e 43 – Nicola Pignato e Fabio D’Inzéo
La Meccanizzazione dell’ Esercito fino al 1943 – Lucio Ceva e Andrea Cerami

Kingdom of Italy/German Reich/Italian Social Republic/Italian Partisans/Italian Republic (1944-1951) Scout Car – 128~250 Built

History of the Project

History of the Prototype

The Name

Design

Superstructure and Armor

Engine and Suspension

Armament

Radio Equipment

Crew

Production

Operational Use

German Service

Other Users

Repubblica Sociale Italiana

Italian Partisans

Post-War Service

Conclusion

Autoblinda Lancia Lince Specification

Sources

Kingdom of Italy/Italian Republic (1944-1950) Armored Car – Unknown Number Operated

Birth and Use of the GM Otter Mk.I

Use by Esercito Cobelligerante Italiano

Use in the Esercito Italiano

Conclusion

GM Otter Mk.I technical specifications

Sources

Kingdom of Italy (1941-1943) Medium Armored Car – At Least 40 in Polizia dell’Africa Italiana Service

Context

Design

Operational use

Polizia dell’Africa Italiana – North Africa

Polizia dell’Africa Italiana – Italy

Conclusion

AB41 specifications

Sources

Kingdom of Italy (1941-1943) Medium Armored Car – 667 Built

History of the AB Armored Car Series

History of the Prototype

Design

Crew

AB40 with Modello 1941 turret or AB40/41

Engine and Suspension

Hull and Armor

Radio Equipment

Interior

Turret

Primary Armament

Secondary Armament

Ammunition

Tires

Flaws of the AB41

Production and Organization

Service History

Regio Esercito – North Africa

III Gruppo Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Monferrato’

Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lodi’

III Gruppo corazzato ‘Lancieri di Novara’

III Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’

VIII Battaglione Bersaglieri Blindato Autonomo

Regio Esercito – Italy

18° Reggimento Esplorante Corazzato Bersaglieri and 10º R\\aggruppamento Celere Bersaglieri in Corsica

III Gruppo ‘Lancieri di Firenze’

V Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’

XL Battaglione Bersaglieri Corazzato

Reggimento Motorizzato ‘Cavalleggeri di Lucca’

Plotone Autonomo Autoblindo

Nuclei Esploranti Corazzati

X Battaglione Esplorante Corazzato

Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato ‘Lancieri di Montebello’

9ª Compagnia Autoblindo Autonoma and other units

Regio Esercito – Balkans

8ª Compagnia Autoblindo Autonoma

IV Gruppo Corazzato ‘Nizza’

Other Operators

Italian Partisans

Italian Co-Belligerent Army

Commonwealth

Germany

France

Kingdom of Italy/German Reich/Italian Social Republic/Italian Partisans/Italian Republic (1944-1951)
Scout Car – 128~250 Built

Kingdom of Italy/Italian Republic (1944-1950)
Armored Car – Unknown Number Operated

Kingdom of Italy (1941-1943)
Medium Armored Car – At Least 40 in Polizia dell’Africa Italiana Service

Kingdom of Italy (1941-1943)
Medium Armored Car – 667 Built

Kingdom of Italy (1916)
Armored Car – 120 Built

Kingdom of Italy (1941)
Heavy Armored Car – 1 Built

Kingdom of Italy (1943-1945)
Heavy Armored Car – 1 Prototype Built