- 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. Over time, however, the vehicle was adapted to war needs in a different way. After a criticism of the autocannon on SPA 38R, on 9 April 1943 it was decided to test the placement of a 20 mm Scotti-Isotta Frascini machine gun on some SPA 38R at the Arsenal of Naples. Not much is known about this modification and how many examples were modified, but the use of this vehicle by the 1st Motorized Group of the Southern Kingdom is known thanks to a photo, a vehicle that was probably lost during the fighting near Monte Lungo.
Armaments and propulsion.
The vehicle was armed with a 20 mm Scotti-Isotta Fraschini 20/70 Model 1941 machine gun that can be swiveled 360°, an anti-aircraft weapon similar to the famous Breda 20/65. The weapon was powered by 12-round plates.
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
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 Scotti-Isotta Fraschini 20/70 Modello 1941
Armor: 0 mm
Weapon traverse: 0°/320°
Ammunition reserve: 384 rounds
Elevation: +80°/-20°
Pictures and drawnings.
Sources.
Spoiler
Scotti-Isotta-Fraschini 20/70 - Wikipedia
Fiat-SPA 38R - Wikipedia
Breda 20/65 Mod. 1935 - Wikipedia
GLI AUTOVEICOLI TATTICI E LOGISTICI DELL’ESERCITO ITALIANO FINO AL 1943 TOMO I by Biblioteca Militare - Issuu
SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM: La Scotti-Isotta Fraschini 20/70 mm era un cannone-mitragliera italiano.
1° Raggruppamento Motorizzato - Associazione Nazionale Combattenti Guerra di Liberazione inquadrati nei Reparti Regolari delle Forze Armate
I Raggruppamento Motorizzato - Wikipedia
https://web.archive.org/web/20070614181031/http://www.esercito.difesa.it/root/storia/1rgpt_reparti.
asp
Mitragliera da 20/70 Scotti-Isotta Fraschini
Scotti Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/77 - Comando Supremo
Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/77 (Scotti) - Wikipedia
Spa 38 w/ Scotti I.F. 20mm a/a gun [IKA72012]SECONDARY_SECTION57.16EURPRIMARY_SECTIONTracks & Troops On-line Shop
https://www.difesa.it/assets/allegati/39410/02_convegno1991_italia_in_guerra_secondo_anno1941.pdf
GLI AUTOVEICOLI DA COMBATTIMENTO DELL'ESERCITO ITALIANO VOL II TOMO I by Biblioteca Militare - Issuu
Regio Esercito - Materiale bellico - Mitragliatrice Scotti-Isotta Fraschini mod. 41