- Yes
- No
- Italy
- Germany
- Both
- Neither
Einheitsdiesel (Breda 37/54 modello RM39)
Background
The Einheitsdiesel was a German truck designed in the run up to World War 2, and it would be produced from 1937-1940, by 7 different German firms. The truck was intended to be a standardized, highly mobile off-road truck providing high performance, weighing only 2.5t and with three axles. Power came from the HWa 526 D engine, produced as a joint project between MAN, Henschel, and Humboldt-Deutz, producing 75hp at 2800rpm. It also featured a five-speed gearbox and all-wheel drive, and would prove to be highly popular in service.
The truck would end up being used throughout the war, on all fronts. A few of such trucks would be used on the Italian front, and an unknown amount were combined with the 37mm Breda anti-aircraft gun to form the vehicle seen here.
The Gun
Armament of this conversion was a single mount Breda Cannone-Mitraliegra da 37/54 modello RM39. This type was first introduced as the modello 32, but was disliked by crews. The modello 32 was a water-cooled twin mount, later mounts using air-cooling. Most of the twin mounts produced rather substantial vibrations that would not be corrected until the modello 39 and RM39, both being single mounts. It had selectable rates of fire, with either 60, 90, or 120rpm. The gun was fed by 6-round magazines, which could be loaded sequentially to maintain a high rate of fire. The 37mm cannon found on the FC.20bis, the 37/45 modello 39, was a variant of this Breda cannon.
In German service, post armistice, the Breda 37/54 was known as the “3.7cm Flak Breda (i)”.
Specifications
Armament - 37mm Cannone-Mitraliegra da 37/54 modello RM39
Ammunition - HE, APHE (unknown designations)
Note
(see FC.20bis’ 37/45 mod39 for an estimation of performance; note that the standard antiaircraft version is longer than the version found on the FC.20bis; resulting in a slight increase in penetration compared to the one on the FC.20bis, due to the longer barrel found on the anti-air version)
Engine - HWa 526 D, 75hp at 2800rpm
Transmission - 5 speed, all wheel drive
Mass - 4.5t (truck), ~2t (gun and mount)
Total Mass - ~6.5t
Power/Weight - 11.54hp/t
Max speed - 70kph
Conclusion
I think this would be a unique way to give low-tier Italy a gun larger than 20mm, at least before the 40M Nimrod is added (someday). The problem is that it’s a German truck with an Italian gun, making it questionable as to where it would belong. In my mind, I’d say it should go to Italy over Germany, because the more important part of the vehicle, the armament, is Italian. Italy also needs such a vehicle more than Germany, as Germany already has the (arguably better) Sd.Kfz. 6.
I would have rather been able to submit an addition on an Italian truck, but as far as I was able to find out, even post-armistice, the Breda 37/54 was not really truck mounted more than a few times. Another option would have been a Fiat 626 or similar with a mounted with a 2cm Flakvierling, or a 3.7cm Flak 44, but either of these would run into the same problem as this suggestion regarding implementation.
Italian Trucks with 2cm Flakvierlings
Another thing that might be good for Italian AA is to add some more ammo to the M42, the assistant driver’s position is fairly empty and can probably be used to store another four ammo boxes, allowing at least one reload.
