An anti-tank version of the CV-33.
Carro Veloce 33 was one of the most numerous armored fighting vehicles in Italy's arsenal. Not that it meant much, as tankettes proved to be notoriously unreliable in the opening stages of World War II.
Background[]
The most numerous armored vehicle in Italian service, the Carro Veloce 33 was based on the spectacularly successful British Carden-Loyd tankette. Inexpensive to build and maintain and reasonably effective in its role, the license to produce the tankette was acquired by FIAT in 1929. After a prototype run (designated CV-29) and adjustments to the design, the mass produced CV-33 entered service in 1933. The tankette was slightly larger than the original and fitted with a superior Italian engine, the FIAT-SPA CV3, delivering 43 HP, and improved armor. Just two years later, a superior model, CV 35, was created, with bolted, rather than riveted armor, and a standard twin Breda 13mm machine gun.
The two tankettes were otherwise virtually identical, and both formed the backbone of Italian armored formations from 1935 onwards. Though light, they performed exceptionally well in Ethiopia against infantry, in one of the first fascist wars of aggression. Designated L3/33 and L3/35 by 1938, It found some success as an export vehicle in Colombia, China, fascist Spain, Bulgaria, and and Austria, however, after the beginning of World War II it soon became clear that it was not a line vehicle. By 1943, the surviving units were principally used as specialized vehicles: Flamethrowers, command vehicles, and rear area security. By 1945, the L3/33 and L3/35 fell completely out of use, with 2500 vehicles of both types produced and a terrible track record for survivability.
Models[]
- L35/L35 (RSI): The basic, surviving variant of the Carro Veloce.
- L35 C/C: C/C or Contro Carro (lit. Anti-Vehicle) was an L3/33 or L3/35 whose primary armament was replaced with a Fucile Controcarri S Mod.39 (20 mm), a licensed version of the Solothurn S-18 anti-tank rifle.
- L35 Cmdo: A tankette equipped with a long-range antenna for platoon commanders.
- L35 Lanciafiamme: First developed in 1935, the Lf (Lanciafiamme, lit. Flamethrower) replaced one of the machine guns, creating for an agile, lightly armored infantryman's nightmare. Originally created with a tractor, late models carried fuel in a canister on top of the chassis.