L6/40 tank
The L6/40 was a light tank used by the Italian army from 1940 through World War II. It was designed by Ansaldo as an export product, and was adopted by the Italian Army when officials learned of the design and expressed interest. It was the main tank employed by the Italian forces fighting on the Eastern Front alongside the L6/40-based Semovente 47/32 self-propelled gun. L6/40s were also used in the North African campaign.
| Carro Armato L6/40 | |
|---|---|
Restored L6/40 of Kubinka Tank Museum | |
| Type | Light tank |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1940–1944, postwar to the early 1950s |
| Used by | Italy Nazi Germany Italian Social Republic Independent State of Croatia |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Ansaldo |
| Designed | 1939 |
| Manufacturer | Fiat |
| Produced | 1939–1944? |
| No. built | 419 (402 before the armistice and 17 afterwards) |
| Variants | Command tank, flame tank, ammunition carrier, Semovente 47/32 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 6.8 tonnes (7.5 short tons; 6.7 long tons) |
| Length | 3.78 m (12 ft 5 in) |
| Width | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) |
| Height | 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) |
| Crew | Two (commander/gunner and driver) |
| Armour | 6–40 mm (0.24–1.57 in) |
Main armament | 20 mm Breda 35 with 296 rounds |
Secondary armament | 8 mm Breda 38 machine gun with 1,560 rounds |
| Engine | SPA 180 4,053 cc four-cylinder 70 hp (52 kW) |
| Suspension | Bogie |
Operational range | 200 km (120 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 42 km/h (26 mph) road |
The official Italian designation was Carro Armato ("armored vehicle", i.e. "tank") L6/40. This designation means: "L" for Leggero ("light"), followed by the weight in tons (6) and the year of adoption (1940).
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