- Yes
- No
History.
When the Royal Army entered the Second World War in 1940, its ranks lacked anti-aircraft defense vehicles. During the North African Campaign this problem became very evident and in the Libyan workshops some anti-aircraft vehicles were built in a very spartan manner to defend Italian troops from air attacks. The 20 mm Breda gun, known for its excellent performance and its availability in large quantities, was mounted on various truck chassis, both Italian and English. The Italians, after the arrival of reinforcements from the Deutsches Afrikakorps in 1941, advanced many kilometers into Egyptian territory, causing the Commonwealth forces to withdraw, who often had to leave their weapons and vehicles behind in their haste. Among the various abandoned vehicles, there are various CMP Ford 15A, Anglo-Canadian trucks used as transport vehicles or towing artillery. Several of these were converted as anti-aircraft vehicles with the mounting of the aforementioned Breda 20/65 Mod.35 cannon. One of these, however, was armed in a different way. The body was shortened, and instead of the usual 20 mm piece, a single 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun was mounted on a 360° rotating carriage. Not much is known about this vehicle unfortunately because it is quite unknown, so most likely this vehicle was destroyed in battle against the Commonwealth forces. However, it remains an interesting vehicle, even if not very powerful.
Armaments and propulsion.
The truck was armed with a 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun placed on a 360° rotating anti-aircraft mount. Not much is known about the armament and ammunition storage, but the machine gun was probably supplied with the usual aircraft-type magazines holding 50 or more rounds and two of them were stowed between the driver’s cabin and the cargo bed.
In terms of engine, the truck was powered by a 95 hp Ford 239 V8 Flathead gasoline engine, which allowed the vehicle to reach a maximum speed of 80 km/h.
Specifications.
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Crew: 3-4
Lenght: 5 m
Width: 2.1 m
Height: 2 m
Weight: 2.7 t
Engine: 1x Ford 239 V8 Flathead 95 hp
Maximum speed: 80 km/h
Range: 200 km
Armament: 1x Breda-SAFAT 12.7 mm
Pictures and drawnings.
Sources.
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Autocannone da 20/65 su Ford, Chevrolet 15 CWT, and Ford F60 - Tank Encyclopedia
Camionetta Desertica Modello 1943 - Tank Encyclopedia
GLI AUTOVEICOLI TATTICI E LOGISTICI DELL’ESERCITO ITALIANO FINO AL 1943 TOMO II by Biblioteca Militare - Issuu
Canadian Military Pattern - Wikipedia
Canadian Military Pattern truck - Wikipedia
Breda-SAFAT - Wikipedia
SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM: Le mitragliatrici Breda-SAFAT da 7,7 mm e 12,7 mm
Canadian Military Pattern truck (CMP)
Diario Storico Artiglierie Volanti
Chevrolet CT15A Armored Truck (1943)
