Fiat L6/40

The Fiat L6/40 was a light tank used by Italy from 1939 through World War II.

Description

The L6/40 was a conventional light tank design of riveted construction on a modified Carden-Lloyd chassis. A single man turret in the center mounted a single Breda Modelo 35 20 mm main gun and Breda Modelo 38 8 mm coaxial machine gun. The driver was located at the front right in the hull.

Development

A further development of the Fiat L3 light tank, the L6 went through a number of prototypes during the late 1930s. The first was armed with a sponson-mounted 37 mm main gun and a machine gun armed turret. A later version featured a turret-mounted 37 mm gun and yet another was attempted with only twin 8 mm machine guns. Ultimately, the production configuration, named Carro Armato L6/40, was put into production in 1939, with 283 finally produced.

A flamethrower variant was developed in which the main gun was replaced by a flamethrower with 200 l of fuel. A command tank variant carried extra radio gear but had an open-topped turret. Most successful of the variants was the Semovente L40 47/32, in which the turret was removed and a 47 mm antitank gun installed in the hull.

Specifications

• Type: Light tank
• Crew: 2 (Commander/Gunner and Driver)
• Dimensions:
  • Weight: 6.8 mt (7.5 t)
  • Length: 3.78 m (12'5")
  • Width: 1.92 m (6'4")
  • Height: 2.03 m (6'8")
• Performance:
  • Road Speed: 42 km/h (26 mph)
  • Range: 200 km (125 mi)
• Obstacle Clearance:
  • Water Fording: 0.8m (2'8")
  • Gradient: 60%
  • Vertical Obstacle: 0.7m (2'4")
  • Trench: 1.7m (5'7")
• Powerplant:
  • SPA 18D: four-cylinder engine
  • Power: 70 hp (52 kW)
• Armament:
  • Main Gun: 20mm Breda 35 in main turret
  • Coaxial Gun: 8mm Breda 38 machine gun
  • Ammunition: 296 rounds of 20 mm and 1,560 rounds of 8 mm
  • Elevation and Traverse: -12° to +20° through 360° of rotation
• Armor: 6 mm to 30 mm riveted steel