| Autoblindo 40, Autoblindo 41 and 43 | |
|---|---|
 An Autoblindo 41 | |
| Type | Armoured car |
| Place of origin | Kingdom of Italy |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1941–1945 |
| Used by | Kingdom of Italy Nazi Germany Italian Social Republic Italy |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1940 |
| Manufacturer | Fiat-Ansaldo |
| Produced | 1941–1944? |
| No. built | 600-700 (AB40: 24 units later partly modernized / AB41: about 600 units / AB43: about 70 units)[1] |
| Variants | AS 42 "Camionetta Sahariana",SPA-Viberti AS.42 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 7.518 tonnes |
| Length | 5.21 m (17 ft 1 in) |
| Width | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) |
| Height | 2.48 m (8 ft 2 in) |
| Crew | 4 (forward driver, rear driver, gunner and commander) |
| Armour | 18 mm maximum[2] |
Main armament |
|
Secondary armament | 2 × 8 mmBreda mod. 38machine guns (one in rear hull, one coaxial with main gun) 1,992 rounds |
| Engine | |
| Ground clearance | 40 cm (16 in)[3] |
Operational range | 400 km (250 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 78 km/h (48 mph) on road[2] |
TheAutoblindo 40,41 and43 (abbreviatedAB 40,41 and43) were Italianarmoured cars produced byFiat-Ansaldo and which saw service mainly duringWorld War II. Mostautoblinde were armed with a 20 mmBreda 35autocannon and a coaxial 8 mm machine gun in a turret similar to the one fitted to theFiat L6/40, and another hull mounted rear-facing 8 mm machine gun.[2]
During 1937 the Italian Ministry of War issued specifications for a new armoured car (autoblindomitragliatrice), to fulfil the requirements of both colonial police long range patrols and army reconnaissance units for the new armoured formations.[4] In May 1939 theFiat-SPA andAnsaldo-Fossati consortium unveiled its armoured car proposal, namedAbm 1,[5] at the inauguration of the new FiatMirafiori plant nearTurin; two prototypes had been built, one outfitted for military and one for police use.[4]
After trials by the Army, in May 1940 the armoured car was standardised, adopted with the official designationAutoblindo 40, and a first batch of 176 vehicles ordered.[4]At the request of the Army the prototype had undergone numerous changes before it was adopted: redesigned front hull, recessed headlamps under armoured covers, improved ventilation, new cast spoked wheels, and flat, shortened mudguards.[5] The first AB 40s were delivered in March 1941.[6]
The Autoblindo 40 was built in small numbers in 1940. Armament consisted of two 8 mmmachine guns in a turret. During production a need for heavier armament was envisioned and so the AB 40 was redesigned as the AB 41 which was the same vehicle except for a new turret with a 20 mmautocannon. Most of the 24 AB 40s that had been built were then converted to AB 41s.
The Autoblindo 41 (named after its first year of production, 1941) was a further development of the machine gun armed AB 40. Made with an all-riveted construction, the AB 41 hadfour-wheel drive and afour wheel steering system that proved troublesome.[2] The spare wheels fitted to its sides were free to rotate, thus helping the vehicle over rough terrain and allowing it to drive over higher obstacles. It could also be fitted with wheels that would allow it to run on railway tracks and some were modified further to better serve in this role, with the addition ofsand boxes andrail guards to deflect objects from the rails.[7] This version was designatedAB 41Ferroviaria.
It had six forward gears and four reverse gears, with a driving position at the front and one in the rear, so two crew members were drivers. Overall the AB 40/41 family was well thought out, with a top speed of over 70 km/h (45 mph), good armour (15 mm on the front plates) and good road and cross-country performance, but there were some examples of poor detail design like difficult access to the powerplant, an unprotected fuel tank, one-man turret, exposed traverse gear and lack of an interior bulkhead separating the engine and crew compartments. Nevertheless, the AB 41 was considered a good vehicle and one of the best armoured cars of its era.[8] Its chassis was later used as a basis for theSPA-Viberti AS.42. About 550 vehicles were built in all. The Italians planned to upgrade the AB 41 with a47 mm anti-tank gun as the AB 43, but those plans were disrupted by theArmistice of Cassibile in September 1943.
DuringWorld War II, the AB 41 operated inNorth Africa,Yugoslavia,Italy,Hungary, and on theEastern Front. Italy issued the AB 41 only to cavalry,Italian Africa Police (PAI) andBersaglieri units. The AB 41 was also organized into reconnaissance battalions (or cavalry groups) of three or four companies each. Each armoured car company consisted of three armoured car platoons of four armoured cars each, one armoured car for the company commander, and one armoured car for the company HQ (Headquarters) totalling 42 or 56 AB 41s in all. Each fully equipped independent armoured car company proved highly suitable for reconnaissance, escort and security duties.[8]
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The AB 41 could be quickly adapted for operation on any terrain. Sand tires could be fitted for desert work and it could run on railway tracks with specialbogies and extra lights. The rail-converted vehicles were primarily used inanti-partisan patrols in the Balkans. After the Armistice the Germans confiscated some 57 AB 41s and also built 120 more.[2] The German designation wasPanzerspähwagen AB41 201(i).[9]
The Autoblinde were used by the following countries and organisations:[10][11]
Australia
Croatia
Free France
France
Germany
Greece
Kingdom of Italy
Italian Social Republic
Italian partisans
Italy
Poland
Romania (seeRomanian armored cars during World War II)
United Kingdom (evaluation only)
Yugoslavian partisans
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
| Tanks | |
|---|---|
| Tank destroyers | |
| Assault guns | |
| Half-tracks | |
| Armored cars | |
| Armored carriers | |
| Prototypes | |
| Proposed designs | |
