In the 1950’s this tank was set up as a monument inside an Army barracks in Vercelli. To facilitate these crew positions you will notice that the tank turret is positioned on the left side of the tank rather than being in the middle. The Commander/Gunner sat on the left side of the tank. The tank driver sat in the front right of the hull.

This small light tank meant that conditions for the two man crew were very cramped. However due to the lack of medium tanks it was often employed in a front line combat role against heavier enemy tanks like the M3 Grant, Crusader and M4 Sherman, for which it was unsuited. The low silhouette of the vehicle made it useful for reconnaissance, and its main gun was effective against any light vehicles it might encounter. The L6/40 was a good light tank for its size and a big improvement over the tankettes that were common within the Italian army at the beginning of the war. The maximum thickness 40mm armour was only found on the gun Although by modern standards this seems very thin, at the beginning of WW2 it was very similarly constructed to manyĮquivalent Allied light tanks.

The tank crew were protected by riveted armour that ranged between 6 mm to 40 mm in thickness. The number 40 indicates the year of adoption by the Italian Army 1940. The number 6 represents the weight of the tank in tonnes i.e. The letter L stands for Leggero which is Italian for light. The Italian designation Carro Armato means armored tank. Surrendered the German Army used surviving L6/40 in the Italian campaign. They also saw action against British andĬommonwealth troops during the North African campaign as well as in the defence of Sicily and Italy. They were deployed by Italian Army units on the eastern front alongside the Semovente 47/32 self-propelled gun. It was produced between 19 by Fiat-Ansaldo. It had a maximum road speed of 42 km/h (26 mph). The tank only weighed 6.8 tonnes and was powered by a SPA 180 four cylinder 70hp engine. It was also armed with a 8mm Breda 38 coaxial machine gun. The Italian Army WW2 L6/40 Light Tank was armed with a 20 mm Breda Modello 35 gun. Preserved Carro Armato L6/40 Italian WW2 light tank in Italy Surviving Italian WW2 Tanks

Italian modern tanks