- Yes
- Maybe
- No
History.
In 1937, during the ongoing Spanish Civil War, Republican Spanish ground attack aircraft caused significant casualties among the Italian ranks on more than one occasion due to the lack of adequate anti-aircraft equipment. The solution conceived was similar to that subsequently adopted by various other nations, that is, equipping some trucks with machine guns to defend the columns from air assaults. The first vehicle conceived, a Fiat 618 armed with a modernized old French machine gun, failed miserably. Logically, a more powerful weapon was tested, the powerful 20/65 Model 1935 Cannon-Machine Gun. It was decided to use as a basis a SPA 38R truck (an efficient FIAT-SPA truck that had entered service a few years ago), which was equipped with the cannon with the addition of an unusually shaped shield to give the gunner and crewman some protection during firefights. However, the vehicle was soon abandoned as it was not very powerful and inconvenient for the crew to use due to the protective shield, as well as being poorly protected despite the presence of the shield. The idea was shelved and the vehicle was disarmed, thus putting an end, for a certain period, to the self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (which however made an epic return to life in 1940, with Italy’s entry into the Second World War).
Armaments and propulsion.
The vehicle was armed with a Breda 20/65 Model 1935 cannon, placed on a 360° rotating anti-aircraft mount. The weapon was equipped with a shield with a thickness of 10 mm (uncertain data since no official data exists). The weapon carried a reserve of 384 rounds divided into 4 boxes.
The FIAT-SPA 38R was powered by a FIAT Tipo 18R petrol engine with four cylinders delivering up to 55 hp of power, which could push the vehicle up to a maximum speed of 50 km/h. The vehicle had a maximum range of 310 km and a reserve of 83 liters of fuel.
Specifications.
Spoiler
Specifications.
Lenght: 5,783 m
Width: 3,5 m
Height: 2,6 m
Maximum weight: 3,6 tons
Crew: 3-5
Propulsion: FIAT Tipo 18R , petrol, 4-cylinder, 4,053 cm³, 55 hp at 2,000 rpm
Maximum speed: 50 km/h
Range: 310 km
Armament: 1x Cannone-Mitragliera Breda 20/65 Modello 1935 with 44 crates of ammunition (384 ammo)
Armor: 10 (the shield)-0 mm
Weapon traverse: 0°/320°
Ammunition reserve: 384 rounds
Elevation: +80°/-20°
Pictures and drawnings.
Sources.
Spoiler
Panzergrenadiere: an Italian idea? - Online Defense
Autocannone da 20/65 su Fiat-SPA 38R | FirearmCentral Wiki | Fandom
https://alternathistory.ru/20-mm-avtomaticheskie-pushki-breda/
Aerei antisovietici di piccolo calibro tedesco antiaereo (parte di 5)
Fiat-SPA 38R - Wikipedia
Breda 20/65 Mod. 1935 - Wikipedia
Fiat & SPA Trucks
GLI AUTOVEICOLI TATTICI E LOGISTICI DELL’ESERCITO ITALIANO FINO AL 1943 TOMO I by Biblioteca Militare - Issuu
Breda 35 antiaerea da 20 mm