M3 Half-track 20mm Breda modello 1935, Israeli modification

CaID · May 4, 2024, 5:23am

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caid’s suggestion #26

I would like to suggest an interesting vehicle for the rank 1 Israeli Ground force, the M3 Half-track with Breda Mod 35

This heavily modified M3 half-track was one of many improvisations of the Israeli militia in 1948. The concept was more complicated than it looked as fitting a turret to an M3 half-track proved to be harder than expected. The open rear compartment intended for carrying a passenger(s) was closed and the extra space was used to fit a turret with a 20mm breda autocannon. This vehicle’s history is unclear, but it appears to have been used during the Arab-Israeli War of 1948. This modification of the M3 half-track brings it somewhere near the level of a lightly armed light tank. Few pictures exist and they all seem to show the same vehicle which implies that there was probably only 1 built. The vehicle itself disappeared in 1948 and no record of it has surfaced from after that time.

Firepower

mounting a WW2 Italian 20mm Breda Modello 1935 , the firepower of this vehicle will be based on the fire rate rather than the penetration. while the penetration itself is not bad, it would still allow the vehicles to fight ground targets with a fair chance of success. the 20mm cannon have a rate of fire of 250 rpm and could fire AP round at the speed of 830 m/sec . that is enough to penetrate 36mm at 100m . the vertical slip of the turret allows a full elevation of the gun which could reach -10°/+85° which allows it extremely good flexibility in its use. so good that the vehicle could be an anti-aircraft vehicle.

additionally, like most of the Israeli M3 Half-track, a LMG was installed in the hull .

Mobility

the vehicle is an M3 Half-track which is already well known from the game by the use in many versions on many vehicles. the weight has been estimated to be around 9 tonnes would make it a rather light vehicle. the engine power providing 147 hp will allow the vehicles to reach 72 km/h on the road . the power weight reaching 16.3 hp/ton allows it to be pretty good in acceleration but the half-track configuration makes it lose a lot of its speed when turning.

Protection

the protection of this vehicle is not at all his best asset. the vehicles could easily be qualified as “glass cannon”. with 6mm of armor about EVERYWHERE except the driver port which is 15mm , the armor would barely protect from the LMG fire. the rear compartment received a roof and a turret. the turret seems to be more armored at the front which could be estimated to be 12mm there and possibly 12mm all around the turret. the turret remains open-top. The crew appears to be of 3 men** despite the up to 5 men, 2 of them seem to be infantry soldiers hanging around with the crew of the M3. The vehicles have at least a driver, a gunner, and a hull gunner.

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