The L6/40 was a light tank used by the Italian army from 1940 through World War II . It was designed by Ansaldo as an export product, and was adopted by the Italian Army when officials learned of the design and expressed interest. It was the main tank employed by the Italian forces fighting on the Eastern Front alongside the L6/40-based Semovente 47/32 self-propelled gun. L6/40s were also used in the North African campaign .
17-441: The official Italian designation was Carro Armato ("armored vehicle", i.e. "tank") L6/40. This designation means: "L" for Leggero ("light"), followed by the weight in tons (6) and the year of adoption (1940). The L6/40 was a conventional light tank design of riveted construction. A one-man turret in the centre mounted a single Breda Modello 35 20 mm main gun and a Breda 38 8 mm coaxial machine gun. The driver sat in
34-720: A two-man crew protected by 12 mm of welded armour and was armed with a single 6.5 mm machine gun . The L3/33 saw action in China, Spain, France, the Balkans, North Africa, Italian East Africa, Italy, and Russia. The L3/33 CC (Contro Carro, literally "Anti Tank") was based on the L3 tankette. A small number of L3/33s and 35s had their 6.5mm machine guns replaced by a Fucile Controcarri S Mod.39 (20 mm) anti-tank gun, creating an ad-hoc tank destroyer platform. Arriving too late to see action in Libya before
51-691: Is also a flame thrower variant on display at The Tank Museum in Bovington. There is also an example on a plinth at 305 Corps HQ at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan. A former Chinese Nationalist operated example, captured by the Communists in 1949, is on display at the Chinese People's Revolution Military Museum in Beijing. One example captured by the Yugoslav Partisans during World War II is on open display of
68-553: The "Ansaldo Light Tractor Prototype" (1931). In the video, the "Ansaldo Light Tank Prototype (1931)" also appears. These vehicles were the predecessors of the L3/33, as those were the "stepping stone" from the Carro Veloce 29 to the Carro Veloce 33. In the 1930s, the Kingdom of Romania intended to strengthen its armored forces and contacted multiple nations to attempt acquisitions. One of
85-503: The Axis retreat of the area, they saw only limited action in Tunisia in late 1942. Development of the "L3 Lf" ( Lancia fiamme , "flamethrower") flame tank, based on the L3 tankette, began in 1935. The flamethrower nozzle replaced one of the machine guns, and the flame fuel was carried in an armoured trailer towed by the vehicle. Later versions had the fuel carried in a box-shaped tank mounted above
102-415: The Balkans , Italian North Africa and Italian East Africa . Footage exists of an unarmed, open-topped, artillery tractor based on the L3. This could be used to tow a tracked trailer, as could the L3, as well as light artillery pieces, including a 100mm mountain howitzer. This vehicle does not appear to have entered production. Further analysis of the footage however revealed the open-topped vehicle as to
119-789: The German Army. In 1943, 26 Italian L6s were captured and used by the Hrvatsko domobranstvo of the Independent State of Croatia . The L6/40 was used postwar by the Polizia di Stato until it was phased out during the early 1950s. Three L6/40s survive: one is kept in Legnano near the "Cadorna" barracks, one is in the inventory of the Kubinka Tank Museum , and another is preserved in the Arms Museum in
136-454: The Italian army, it was already obsolete by the time of its introduction. The low silhouette of the vehicle (somewhat taller than the average man) made it useful for reconnaissance, and its armament was effective against any light vehicles it might encounter. However, due to a lack of a suitable medium tank , it was often employed in a combat role for which it was unsuited. The L6 was also used by
153-582: The L3's engine compartment. The vehicle weighed 3.2 tons, and the armoured trailer carried 500 L (110 imp gal; 130 US gal) of fuel. It had a range of 40 m (130 ft), though other sources report a 100 m (330 ft) range. They were fielded in North Africa, although there is no record of them being involved in combat there. The L3 Lf saw action in the Second Italo–Abyssinian War , Spain , France , Russia ,
170-802: The castle of Gjirokastër in Albania . The hull of an L/40 used in Operation Rösselsprung , is displayed as a war memorial in Drvar Bosnia Herzegovina. Carro Armato Carro Armato (armored vehicle) was the Italian Army's designation for tanks from 1938. 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
187-623: The countries contacted was Italy, who offered to present the CV 33 in 1935. However, the presentation never took place and Romania acquired vehicles from other countries (see Romanian armored fighting vehicle production during World War II ). One example of the L3/33 is on display in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra , Australia . It is believed this example was captured by British and Commonwealth troops in North Africa in 1940 or 1941. There
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#1733093500227204-581: The front right of the hull. The riveted armour was six to 40 mm in thickness, which was roughly equivalent to existing Allied light tanks. A further development of the L3/35 light tank, the L6 went through a number of prototypes during the late 1930s. The first was armed with a sponson -mounted 37 mm main gun and a machine-gun armed turret. A later version featured a turret mounted 37 mm gun and yet another version had only twin 8 mm machine guns. Ultimately,
221-565: 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). The following are some Carro Armatos that entered service: NOTE: The L3/33 and the L3/35 tankettes were designated "Fast Tank" ( Carro Veloce ) and were initially known as the CV-33 and the CV-35. L3/33 The Carro Veloce 33 (CV 33) or L3/33
238-475: The production configuration, named Carro Armato L6/40, was put into production in 1939, with 419 finally produced. The L6 Lf (Lancia fiamme) flame tank variant was developed in which the main gun was replaced by a flamethrower with 200 litres of fuel. A command-tank variant carried extra radio gear and had an open-topped turret. The most successful of the L6 variants was the Semovente 47/32 , which eliminated
255-571: The turret and substituted a 47 mm antitank gun in the open-topped hull. A final version late in the war was an ammunition carrier armed only with a single 8 mm Breda machine gun. It was used alongside the Semovente 90/53 , carrying 26 extra 90 mm rounds, as the Semovente 90/53 itself could only carry eight rounds. L6/40 light tanks were used by the Italians in the Balkans Campaign , in
272-639: The war against the Soviet Union , in the latter stages of the North African campaign , and in the defence of Sicily and Italy . The L6/40 was the main tank employed by the Italian forces fighting on the Eastern Front . The L6 fought alongside the L6/40-based Semovente 47/32 self-propelled gun. Although a good light tank for its size and an improvement over the tankettes that were common within
289-569: Was a tankette originally built in 1933 and used by the Italian Army before and during World War II . It was based on the imported British Carden Loyd tankette (license-built by Italy as the CV ;29). Many CV 33s were retrofitted to meet the specifications of the CV ;35 in 1935. In 1938, the CV 33 was renamed the "L3/33" while the CV 35 became the " L3/35s ." The original CV 33 carried
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