L6/40 tank

Carro Armato L6/40
Restored L6/40 of Kubinka Tank Museum
TypeLight tank
Place of originItaly
Service history
In service1940–1944, postwar to the early 1950s
Used byItaly
Nazi Germany
Italian Social Republic
Independent State of Croatia
WarsWorld War II
Production history
DesignerAnsaldo
Designed1939
ManufacturerFiat
Produced1939–1944?
No. built419 (402 before the armistice and 17 afterwards) [1]
VariantsCommand tank, flame tank, ammunition carrier, Semovente 47/32
Specifications
Mass6.8 tonnes (7.5 short tons; 6.7 long tons)
Length3.78 m (12 ft 5 in)
Width1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Height2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)
CrewTwo (commander/gunner and driver)

Armour6–40 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
EngineSPA 180 4,053 cc four-cylinder
70 hp (52 kW)
SuspensionBogie
Operational
range
200 km (120 mi)
Maximum speed 42 km/h (26 mph) road

The L6/40 was a light tank used by the Italian army from 1940 through World War II.[2][3] 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.[3] 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.[3]

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).

  1. ^ Cappellano, Filippo; Battistelli, Pier Paolo. Italian Medium Tanks (New Vanguard) (p. 67). Bloomsbury Publishing.
  2. ^ "FIAT-Ansaldo Carro Armato L6/40". www.tanks-encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Carro Armato L6/40". www.militaryfactory.com. Retrieved 7 December 2021.