L3/35

Carro Armato L3/35
L3/35 displayed at the South African National Museum of Military History (without machine guns).
Type	Tankette
Place of origin	Kingdom of Italy
Service history
In service	1 October 1935 – Unknown (Afghanistan)
Used by	Kingdom of Italy and others
Wars	Austrian Civil War Second Italo-Abyssinian War Spanish Civil War Second Sino-Japanese War Slovak–Hungarian War Invasion of Albania Second World War Greco-Italian War Anglo-Iraqi War Chinese Civil War War in Afghanistan (2001-2021)
Production history
Produced	1935–1938
No. built	1,200 L3/33; 1,300 L3/35
Variants	L3/33, L3/38, L3 cc, L3 Lf,
Specifications
Mass	3.2 tonnes (3.1 long tons; 3.5 short tons)
Length	3.17 m (10 ft 4+3⁄4 in)
Width	1.4 m (4 ft 7+1⁄8 in)
Height	1.3 m (4 ft 3+1⁄8 in)
Crew	2 (commander and driver)
Armour	6–14 mm (0.24–0.55 in)
Main armament	2 × 8 mm (0.31 in) machine guns
Engine	FIAT-SPA CV3 water cooled 43 hp (32 kW)
Suspension	bogie
Operational range	125 km (78 mi)
Maximum speed	42 km/h (26 mph) on road

The L3/35, also known as the Carro Veloce CV-35, was an Italian tankette that saw combat before and during World War II.^[1] It was one of the smallest tanks that faced combat.^{[citation needed]} Although designated a light tank by the Italian Army, its turretless configuration, weight and firepower make it closer to contemporary tankettes. It was the most numerous Italian armoured fighting vehicle and saw service almost everywhere the Italians fought in the Second World War but proved inadequate for modern warfare, having too thin armour and weak armament of only machine guns. It was cheaply produced but because of its light armaments and armour it was reserved to mostly colonial, policing, reconnaissance, and supply duties. However, given its low production costs, proved to be efficient in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, Spanish Civil War and the Greco-Italian War where it provided reliable support to Italian infantry and disrupted enemy lines.^[1][2]