- Yes
- Yes, as premium/gift.
- Yes, as an event vehicle
- No
- Yes
- Yes, as premium/gift.
- Yes, as an event vehicle
- No
- Yes
- Yes, as premium/gift.
- Yes, as an event vehicle
- No
[poll name=poll4 type=regular results=always chartType=bar]
- I would like to see the Fiat-SPA AS43 with 20 mm FlaK38 main armament and MG 15 secondary armament, added to the German nation.
- I would like to see the Fiat-SPA AS43 with 20 mm FlaK38 main armament and MG 15 secondary armament, added to the Italian nation.
- Yes
- Yes, as premium/gift.
- Yes, as an event vehicle
- No
I would like to suggest a low-rank armoured reconnaissance car that, depending on its armament, could function as a SPAA or SPG, the Fiat-SPA AS43 or SPA-Viberti AS43.
The BR it could fit on is 1.7. due to the fact that I hope they give it a minimum crew of 4 so that it has some survivability, however the maximum crew of the AS43 is 6.
The Fiat-SPA AS43 was a reconnaissance/ patrol vehicle, and built like the Fiat-SPA AS42 “Sahariana”, to provide fire support to the motorised units of the Regio Esercito engaged in the North African theatre during the Second World War, but entered service when the North African campaign was drawing to a close with the defeat of the Italian-German forces, so it never fought in Africa, but fought directly on Italian territory.
The Fiat-SPA AS43 was developed by SPA and Viberti on the chassis of the Saharan AS37 truck, itself derived from the Fiat-SPA TL37 light artillery tractor, as a cheaper and easier to produce vehicle. The Fiat-SPA AS43 had four drive wheels of which only the front ones were steered, with independent hydraulic shock absorbers and hydraulic brakes. The front wheels had independent coil spring suspension coupled with hydraulic shock absorbers, which provided great comfort over rough terrain. The rear wheels had inverted leaf springs, but these were reinforced compared to those of the TL37 lightweight prime mover. The engine was a more powerful version of the one used on the FIAT-SPA AS37, the SPA 18VT 4-stroke, 4-cylinder, 73 hp (or 75 hp, depending on the source) petrol engine at 2,600 rpm.
The radiator was divided into 8 elements, if one of them was punctured it could be closed, and it was designed in such a way that it could also function with only 50% of the elements functioning, which meant that out of 8 elements, 4 functioning elements guaranteed perfect engine cooling. Explained from minute 9:06 to 9:32
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The defect was the particularly high silhouette, and therefore easily spotted in the flat desert environment, was solved by removing the rigid cab and the doors were completely removed. A section of folding armoured windscreen protected only the driver’s seat (on the right). In front of the passenger seat was the articulated ‘gooseneck’ attachment for a medium-sized machine gun for close-range defence, whose magazines were contained in a compartment between the two seats. The rear wooden box was eliminated and replaced by a platform, on which the primary armament was installed, which consisted of the Breda 20/65 Mod. 1935 or the 20/77 (Scotti) anti-aircraft and anti-personnel cannon, or the 47/32 Mod. 1935 anti-tank cannon, all installed on 360° swivel mounts.
It also had a total of 16 additional 20L fuel, oil or water tanks, and they were located in different positions: 6 were fixed on special racks on the front and rear mudguards, while 2 compartments were located on the side of the car, recessed between the mudguards and the two fairings that could each hold 5 tanks of 20L.
Another view of the SPA-Viberti AS43 prototype. The oil tanks are visible. Source: Italian tanks and fighting vehicles from World War II
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The Fiat-SPA AS43 entered service as the North African campaign drew to a close with the defeat of the Italian-German forces, and was mainly used, after the armistice of Cassibile, by the units of the National Republican Army, which constituted the regular army of the Italian Social Republic. It was also used by the Republican National Guard, which was an armed force established by the Italian Social Republic on 8 December 1943 « with internal police and military tasks » .
Some examples were also used by the Germans, who modified the main armament by installing a 20mm FlaK38 and for secondary armament installed an MG 15; they were put into service by the Luftwaffe and some were used by the Todt Organisation.
Description Fiat-SPA AS43, Dimensions and Weight, Propulsion, Technology and Performance
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Type: Saharan truck
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Crew: 2+4. To clarify, 1 pilot , 1 commander next to the pilot wielding the secondary weapon which was the standard 8 mm Breda Mod. 37 medium infantry machine gun, 4 crew members in the platform behind the vehicle wielding the main gun. To avoid body collisions between crew members I would suggest putting 1 Pilot, 1 Commander sitting next to the pilot, and in the platform wielding the main armament only 2 crew members, 1 Gunner and 1 Servant.
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Manufacturer: Società Piemontese Automobili, Viberti, Fiat
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Length: 4.82 m
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Width: 2.06 m
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Height: 2.175 m
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Total weight, ready for battle: 5 tons
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Engine: SPA 18VT petrol, 4 cylinders, 4053 cc.
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Power: 73 hp (or 75 hp depending on source) at 2,600 rpm
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Traction: 4×4
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Maximum speed: 68.5 km/h
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Range: 750 km 1,120 km with 6 additional 20L tanks
Photo of the SPA 18VT engine. Source: Le Camionette del Regio Esercito.
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Chassis of the Autocarro Sahariano “Fiat-SPA AS37” was used as a starting point for the chassis of the AS43, which remained virtually unchanged. The AS43 had a more powerful engine and only steered front wheels, while the Autocarro Sahariano “Fiat-SPA AS37” had a less powerful engine and all 4 steered wheels:
Armament and armour:
Primary armament: The primary armament installed on the platform was:
- Breda 20/65 mod. 193.
- Scotti-Isotta-Fraschini 20/70,
- 47/32 mod. 1935
- 20mm FlaK38 (This armament only existed in the version modified by the Germans).
Secondary armament:
- 8mm Breda mod. 37
- MG 15 (This armament only existed in the version modified by the Germans).
Fiat-SPA AS43 with Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/77 (Scotti):
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Fiat-SPA AS43 with Breda 20/65 mod. 1935:
Fiat-SPA AS43 with cannon 47/32 Mod. 1935:
Fiat-SPA AS43 with 20mm FlaK38 and MG 15. AS43 modified with ‘20mm FlaK38’ main armament and ‘MG 15’ secondary armament. It is a vehicle that I believe should belong to the German nation and I think German players will enjoy playing with it.
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Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43
There is also another version of the AS43 officially called “Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43”.
This version can also be positioned as a premium vehicle at BR of 1.0 or 1.3.
Image below:
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Special interior bodywork on “Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43”. The radiator and engine are visible at the front, while the ammunition carriers, 120-litre tank and spare wheel are visible at the rear.
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The “Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43”, not to be confused with any of the other numerous developments on this chassis that Italy experimented with in the 1940s, was produced by Officine Viberti in Turin in small quantities (around 3 to 6 built). Because of the scant information on it, it is often mistakenly called the AS43 Armored Car or Tipo Zerbino after Paolo Zerbino, head of the province of Turin and later Minister of the Interior of the Italian Social Republic. The “Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43” was used by the “Gruppo Corazzato ‘Leonessa’” of the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana from mid-1944 to the end of the war.
The “Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43” was equipped with a turret Model 1941, developed and produced by Ansaldo for the L6/40 light reconnaissance tank. The single-seat turret had an octagonal shape with two hatches, one for the vehicle commander/cannon on the roof and the second on the rear of the turret, used to facilitate disassembly of the main armament for maintenance. On the sides, the turret had two air intakes, as well as two slits through which personal weapons could be fired for close defence. The vehicle had no fans or smoke extractors. On the roof, next to the hatch, was a panoramic periscope with a 30º view for the commander. This allowed the commander a partial view of the battlefield. Due to the limited space inside the turret, it was impossible for the panoramic periscope to rotate 360°. In addition, it was possible to install an RF.3M radio station with a stylus antenna.
The ammunition load of the “Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43” consisted of 50 magazines of 8 rounds each, for a total of 400 20 mm rounds. There were also 48 magazines with 24 rounds, for a total of 1,152 8-mm rounds. This compared to the 456 of 20mm and 1,992 8 mm rounds stored in the AB41 and AB43 armoured cars. The bullets were stored in two different white-painted wooden racks at the rear of the vehicle.
After the production of some armoured cars and light tanks, it became apparent that the turret had balance problems, so a counterweight was added at the rear, under the tailgate. The turret did not have a turret basket and the commander/miter operated the cannon and machine gun through the use of foot pedals. There were no electric generators in the turret, so the commander had to control the translation and elevation of the cannon with handwheels. The steel cables used to operate the cannons were of the ‘Bowden’ type, protected by a plastic sheath, the same principle as bicycle brakes. The elevation was +18°, the depression was -9°, and the manual traverse was 360°.
The reason why the “Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43” did not have the same elevation and depression grades as the L6/40, since they used the same turret, is because of this: Sources state that the post-Armistice vehicles were mostly equipped with German-made ammunition. In some cases the guns were modified by German crews to load the 24-round magazines of the FlaK 38 anti-aircraft gun on the Brenda 20/65 Mod. 35, which was installed in the ‘Special Bodywork on SPA-Viberti AS43’ vehicle.
The Brenda 20/65 Mod. 35 used the same 20 x 138 mmB ‘Long Solothurn’ calibre cartridges as the German FlaK 38 gun.
So, in exchange for more ammunition to fire at the adversary, it lost some of the elevation and depression of the main gun mounted on the turret.
Gun cape. From the left: the Breda Model 1938 coaxial machine gun, the Breda Model 1935 20/65 Breda cannon-miter gun and the San Giorgio 1x optic. Source: Ansaldo Archives
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The hull armouring was probably the same as that of the “AB” series armoured cars, with a thickness of no more than: 8.5 mm sides, front and rear (0.33 in), for the engine compartment and crew compartment.
While the turret of the"Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43" was the Model 1941 developed and produced by Ansaldo for the L6/40 light reconnaissance tank, so the turret thickness was the same as that of the L6/40 tank we already have in the game.
The tyres were developed by Pirelli specifically for continental terrain, the Pirelli Tipo ‘Artiglio’ 9 x 24″ (22.8 x 60 cm). Obviously, the rims were not modified and the vehicle could have been fitted with all the tyres produced by Pirelli for the 24″ rims, which were also fitted on the AB series armoured cars, the SPA-Viberti AS42 and the SPA TM40 prime movers.
The fuel tank had a capacity of 120 litres, for a range of 250 km, while the gearbox was the same as the AS37, with five gears plus reverse.
Technical Specifications of “Carrozzeria Speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43”:
Total weight, ready for battle: 6.5 tonnes
Dimensions (L-W-H): 5 x 1.9 x 2.5 m (16’5’‘x6’3’‘x8’2’')
Crew: 3 (driver, loader and commander/gunner)
Propulsion: Type 18 VT 4-cylinder petrol engine, 4,053 cm³, 73 hp at 2,600 rpm and 120-litre fuel tank
Speed: 52 km/h fully loaded. It was slower because of its weight.
Primary armament: Breda 20/65 Mod. 1935
Secondary armament: 8mm Breda Mod. 38
Hull Armour: 8.5 mm sides, front and rear (0.33 in)
Turret Armour: Same turret as the L6/40 that is already in play, so use the same thickness as the L6/40 turret.
Communication media: RF.3M radio station with rod antenna (non-standard)
Be careful, because I remind you that the problem with the “Fiat-SPA AS43” is that it is easy to confuse it with its predecessors such as:
“Camionetta Desertica AS37”
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“Camionetta Desertica Mod. 1943”
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As for the “Carrozzeria speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43” it is important not to confuse it with its predecessor, named: “Autoblindo Africa Settentrionale Italiana” also known by the abbreviated name of “ABS 37”.
Below I put a video to shed some light on this, from the beginning of the video explains the history of the “ABS 37”, while the end of the video is dedicated to the “Carrozzeria speciale su SPA-Viberti AS43”, at minute 5:56.
Source:
http://www.modellismosalento.it/oldsite/modelli/mezzi_militari/AS43/AS43.html
https://aviarmor.net/tww2/armored_cars/italy/fiat_as43.htm
https://wikideck.com/it/Fiat-SPA_AS43
Source taken from illustrative historical books:
At minute 10:24, the AS43 is mentioned:
EDIT:
I have corrected some writing errors.