L3/35
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| Carro Armato L3/35 | |
|---|---|
| General characteristics | |
| Crew | 2 (commander and driver) |
| Length | 3.17 m (10 ft 5 in) |
| Width | 1.4 m (4 ft 8 in) |
| Height | 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) |
| Weight | 3.2 tonnes |
| Armour and armament | |
| Armour | 6 mm to 14 mm |
| Main armament | 2 x 8 mm machine guns |
| Secondary armament | |
| Mobility | |
| Power plant | FIAT-SPA CV3 water cooled 43 hp (? kW) |
| Suspension | |
| Road speed | 42 km/h (26 mph) |
| Power/weight | |
| Range | 125 km (78 mi) |
 External images |
|
|---|---|
| Modell of the tank with modell soldier in comparison[1] Museum display of this tank[2] |
The L3/35 was an Italian tankette that was developed along the lines of the British Carden-Loyd Mark VI and first appeared as the CV 29 (CV stod for Carro Veloce, "fast tank") later built as the CV33 in 1933, but was retrofitted as the CV35 in 1935 and renamed the L3/35 in 1938. The official Italian classification of this vehicle was as a light tank, however it this type of vehicle is classified as a tankette by Anglo-American militaries.
[edit] History
In addition to seeing action in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War and the Spanish Civil War, the L3 was used everywhere Italians fought in World War II. In June 1940, when Italy entered World War II, this tankette was found in all three Italian armored divisions (except for two tank battalions), the tank battalions in the motorized divisions, the light tank squadron group in each Celere ("Fast" or "Rapid") division, and numerous independent tank battalions.
Some 2000-2500 were built in different models and variants. 20 L3/33 tanks were sold to China. Other L3s were sold to Afghanistan, Albania, Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, and Nationalist Spain. Some were given to the Axis state of Croatia. Captured L3 tanks were also used by the Greeks.
[edit] Variants
The L3 cc (controcarro, "anti-tank") was a basic L3 with a Solothurn 20 mm anti-tank rifle mounted in place of its normal machine gun armament. Only a few were so modified, and they saw action only in North Africa.
The L3 Lf (Lancia fiamme, "flamethrower") was another variant of the L3. Development began in 1935. The flamethrower nozzle replaced one of the machineguns, and the flame fuel was carried in an armored trailer towed by the vehicle. Later versions had the fuel carried in a box-shaped tank mounted above the L3's engine compartment. The L3 Lf saw action in Spain, France, the Balkans, North Africa and Italian East Africa and weighed 5 tonnes.
[edit] External links
- L3/33 (CV 33), L3/35 (CV 35) Tankettes at wwiivehicles.com
- Pictures of a Fiat/Ansaldo L3/35 Tankette at the Goloso Museum in Spain
| Italian armoured fighting vehicles of World War II |
|---|
| Light Tanks and Tankettes |
| L3/35 | Fiat L6/40 |
| Medium Tanks |
| Fiat M11/39 | Fiat M13/40 | Fiat M14/41 | M15/42 |
| Heavy Tanks |
| P 40 |
| Armoured Cars |
| AB 40 | AB 41 | Lince scout car |
| Self propelled guns |
| Semovente 47/32 | Semovente 75/18 | Semovente 75/34 | Semovente 90/53 | Semovente 105/25 | Semovente 149/40 |
| Italian armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II |
