- Yes
- Maybe
- No
History.
The L6/40 tank was an Italian vehicle used during the Second World War mainly by the Italian Royal Army. During the Spanish Civil War the small L3 tanks proved to be very underarmed compared to their Soviet counterparts, so work began on a new vehicle that was better armed but similar conceptually and physically to the L3 tank. The prototype (called M 6) came out of Ansaldo in 1938 equipped with a twin machine gun in the turret and a 37 mm automatic cannon in the casemate, but this was not accepted. After various redesigns, the final tank left the factories in 1939 with modified armament compared to the beginning. The vehicle was included in the Italian tank departments in 1940 and was used operationally for the first time in 1941 in North Africa.
With the establishment of the first L6 tank departments, the need arose for a vehicle to organize and coordinate the aforementioned vehicles. Therefore, the L6/40 Centro Radio wagon was born in a short time, i.e. an L6/40 equipped with the usual RF 1 CA radio station and another additional radio station of the RF 2 CA type (with greater range). This vehicle was used for communications between tank squadron commanders. Other than the additional radio antenna, the tank did not have many differences compared to a standard L6/40. Currently none of these vehicles have survived to the present day.
Armaments and propulsion.
The tank was equipped with a Breda 20/65 Model 1935 cannon and a Breda Model 1938 machine gun coaxial with the cannon. The 20 mm cannon was equipped with a smaller supply of 216 rounds (27 magazines of 8 rounds each) than that of a standard L6, while the supply of rounds for the machine gun was theoretically identical. The rounds for the 20 mm were laid only on the floor of the fighting compartment.
As for the engine, the tank was powered by a 4-cylinder Fiat-SPA engine of 68 hp of power, which allowed the tank to reach a maximum speed of 41 km/h.
Specifications.
Spoiler
Crew: 2
Length: 3.82 m
Width: 1.8m
Height: 2,175 m
Maximum weight: 6,880 kg
Engine: 1x FIAT-SPA Tipo 18 VT 4-cylinder (68 hp power)
Maximum speed: 41 km/h
Armament: 1x Breda 20/65 Model 1935 and 1x Breda Model 1938
Pictures and drawnings.
Sources.