Italy
Italy first built a heavy tank called the Fiat 2000 at the start of World War I with a formable gun, a 65/17 howitzer (of 65mm caliber with a barrel 17 calibers long), but just two were built. It then imported the French Renault FT and produced a slightly improved version, the Fiat 3000, before beginning its own designs. While the Fiat 3000 was being developed, France sent 100 of these FT tanks to Italy in 1918 so that Italian troops could get acquainted with tracked combat vehicles. By 1918, FIAT and Ansaldo, were the only industrial complex large enough to deal with tank production. The first model produced for the Royal Army (Regio Esercito), was the FIAT 3000 (by 1935 renamed L5/21). They were ready by 1922, and served well to forge Italian interwar armoured tactics and was in use until 1943. Another model developed in 1930, was the gun-armed (Vickers-Termi 37mm) serie II or FIAT 3000B. Both formed the bulk of the Italian army corp until new models arrived in 1935. Soon after, the official designations incorporated "Carro Armato or "CA" meaning "armored carriage". Italy bought a number of Carden Loyd Mark VIs, built a few licence copies designated CV-29, and then developed this design further. Italy produced a large number of CV-33 and CV-35 tankettes based on this Vickers-Carden-Lloyd concept.
A native Italian design was the L6/40, a very small light tank with a 20 mm Breda cannon and rivetted construction. A medium tank, based on the Vickers Six-Tonner, was the M11-M13 series which had a very good 47 mm gun, but very thin armor.
The Carro Armato (armored vehicle) was the Italian Army's designation for tanks from 1938 onwards. This would be followed by a letter and a series of numbers. The letter would be either L, M or P meaning light, medium, and heavy tank respectively. The official Italian military tank classification differed from contemporary classifications in other countries. The numbers would follow the pattern of X/Y where X would be the weight in tonnes and Y the year of adoption (i.e. the L6/40 weighs 6 tonnes and was adopted in the year 1940).
Autocarro S-37 Protetto
Autoprotetto S.37 (Armored Car) Autocarro Protetto S37 was an armoured car based on the Fiat/Spa TL37 light artillery tractor. S37 did not have firing ports which would have allowed the crew to fight from inside the vehicle.
Autoblindo Fiat-Ansaldo 40, 41 and 43 armoured cars
The Autoblindo 40, 41 and 43 (abbreviated AB 40, 41 and 43) were Italian armoured cars produced by Fiat-Ansaldo and which saw service mainly during World War II. Most autoblinde were armed with a 20 mm Breda 35 autocannon and a coaxial 8 mm machine gun in a turret similar to the one fitted to the Fiat L6/40, and another hull mounted rear-facing 8 mm machine gun.
Autoblindo Fiat-Ansaldo AB611 armoured car
The Autoblinda AB611 was an Italian armoured car introduced in 1932, primarily intended for colonial duties and service with the Regio Esercito (Royal Army). Constructed on the Fiat 611C truck chassis, it featured a unique 6×4 wheel configuration with driving stations at both the front and rear, enabling swift changes in direction and enhanced manoeuvrability. Armed with a 37mm Vickers-Terni gun and two 6.5mm machine guns, the AB611 was well-equipped to handle infantry threats. Its armour provided reliable protection against small arms fire and shrapnel. However, the vehicle's considerable weight and limited speed reduced its overall effectiveness in active combat roles.
Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43 Reconnaissance Car
The Camionetta SPA-Viberti AS43, or SPA-Viberti AS43 Reconnaissance Car, was an Italian reconnaissance vehicle developed for the Regio Esercito (Royal Army) with a specific focus on long-range operations in the North African desert. Designed to conduct ambushes on Allied convoys, counter the British Long Range Desert Group (LRDG), and escort Axis convoys along desert routes, the AS43 was intended as a versatile asset in desert warfare. Unfortunately, it entered service too late to see action in North Africa. Instead, the vehicle was deployed within Italy and the Balkans, where it was used in various reconnaissance and escort roles throughout the remainder of the war.
cv33 (L3/33 serie I)
cv33 (L3/33 serie I) one mg, idler support plate, mg tripod on rear deck.
The L3/35 or Carro Veloce CV-35 was an Italian tankette that saw combat before and during World War II. Although designated a light tank by the Italian Army, its turretless configuration, weight and firepower make it closer to contemporary tankettes. It was the most numerous Italian armoured fighting vehicle and saw service almost everywhere the Italians fought in World War II but proved inadequate for modern warfare, having too thin armour and weak armament of only machine guns.
M42 Semovente (75 L18, 75 L34 and Carro Commando Variants)
The Semovente da 75/18 was an Italian self-propelled gun of the Second World War. It was built by mounting the 75 mm Obice da 75/18 modello 34 mountain gun on the chassis of a M13/40, M14/41 or M15/42 tank. The first 60 were built using the M13/40 chassis and a subsequent 162 were built on the M14/41 chassis from 1941 to 1943, when the M15/43 chassis were introduced. The Semovente da 75/18 was intended to be an interim vehicle until the heavier P40 tank could be available.
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