Tanks - Italy: Books - History, Types and Construction

Italian Light Tanks - 1919-45 (Osprey)

The Italian army, unlike those of the British and French, did not use tanks in combat during World War I and, by November 1918, only one training unit equipped with French Schneider and Renault tanks had been formed. Consequently, during the 1920s the Italian army had just one single tank type in its armoured inventory - the Fiat 3000. Only in 1927 was the first tank unit formed as a branch of the infantry and not as an independent organization, while the cavalry rejected the idea of both tanks and armoured cars and decided to stand by the use of horses for its mounted units.
Between 1933 and March 1939, a further 2,724 CV 33 / L 3 tanks were built, 1,216 of which were exported all over the world. By the time Italy entered the war in June 1940, the army had 1,284 light tanks, 855 of which were in combat units, including three armoured divisions. Variants of the CV 33 / L 3 tanks included flame-throwers, bridge-layers, recovery vehicles, and a radio command tank. Some L 3 tanks were still in use in 1945, by both the Germans and the German-allied Italian units of the Repubblica Sociale.

This book deals with this topic.

Contents: Introduction - Design & Development - Operational History - Bibliography - Index.

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Italian Medium Tanks - 1939-45 (Osprey)

The first prototype of an Italian medium tank - the M 11 - would only appear in 1937 and did not enter production until 1939. Although technically inferior to their German and Allied counterparts in 1941-43, the Italian M tanks proved to be quite effective when used by experienced crews with adequate combat tactics. In fact, their major shortcoming actually proved to be their limited production figures.
While production was limited, innovation was not and, between 1941 and 1943, several experiments were carried out on the Italian tanks that produced interesting prototypes such as the anti-aircraft semovente.

This book describes the development and use of the Italian medium tanks.

Contents: Introduction - Design & Development - Operational History - Bibliography - Index.

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Axis Tanks of the Second World War - Rare photographs from wartime archives (Images of War)

The German Army used tanks to devastating effect in their Blitzkrieg campaigns during the early years of the Second World War and in the intense defensive battles leading up to final defeat in 1945.

It may be a surprise to many that the Japanese Army had more tanks than Nazi Germany in 1938; these included the Type 95 light tank and the Type 89 and 97 medium tanks. Co-belligerents in the Axis Alliance that built their own tanks included Italy, Romania and Hungary.
The latter was responsible for the Toldi and Turan light tank series.

As can be seen from the descriptions and images in this classic Images of War series work, the Axis powers had drawn on British and, in some cases, French design for their tanks in the period leading up to the Second World War: the Carden-Loyd tankette suspension was used in the Panzer 1 series and the light Italian and Japanese tanks.
German engineering talent resulted in the original and ingenious designs of the Panzer II, III and IV series and, later in the War, the Panther Medium and Tiger heavy tanks.

This latest work by author and expert Mike Green will fascinate and inform historians, engineers and war gamers.

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I carri armati italiani - Leggeri, medi e pesanti (1919-1945)

This book describes the light, medium and heavy tanks used by the Italian army between 1919 and 1945. Text in Italian.

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Carro Fiat 3000 - Sviluppo, tecnica, impiego

This work presents the birth of the first Italian armored units, their vehicles and weapons, and the pioneering spirit of the men dedicated to them. The main focus is on the Fiat 3000 tank, which cannot be simply considered a derivative of the French FT.

Historical and technical aspects are presented in detail and with documentary rigor, including fifteen in-depth inserts to the text. Over one 110 vintage images, many unpublished, and 39 color plates display interesting camouflage schemes, including those from other nations, and numerous details useful to modelers.

Additionally, about fifteen black and white drawings illustrate the various configurations adopted by the Fiat 3000 during its long years of service. References to crew uniforms and equipment are also provided.

The authors are longstanding members and collaborators of the G.M.T., having produced several volumes and numerous historical-modeling articles. They are esteemed historians who collaborate with publishers and sector magazines, having authored various volumes and studies on armored vehicles.

Text in Italian.

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