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The L 6-40 Light Tank was the first Italian light tank to be equipped with a fully traversing turret. Although it was a great improvement on the earlier turretless light tanks of the L 3 series it wasn't produced in very large numbers and thus had little impact on the fighting.
Fiat began work on an improved light tank in 1936-37 when they produced prototypes of a 5 ton tank. The first prototype appeared early in 1936 and was armed with a 37mm anti-tank gun carried in the superstructure, but with no turret. This machine was used as the basis of the second prototype, having a turret armed with twin 8mm machine guns added. The third prototype carried the 37mm gun in a faceted turret which was offset to the left. The 5 tonner used torsion arm suspension. It was only used for trails and training, but was the basis of the L 6-40.
The Italian Army soon became interested in the L 6, and in 1939 placed an order for 583 of the new tank, to be armed with a 20mm cannon and coaxial machine gun. The new tank was to be delivered in 1940-41. Design work on the L 6 took place in 1939. The prototype was tested in 1940 and production actually began in 1941. Production of the L 6 tank was completed in 1942 after the order was reduced to only 283. The rest of the order was converted to one for Semovente da 47 light tank destroyers.
The L 6-40 had two two-wheel road wheel bogies on each side, a rear idler that also served as a road wheel, and a raised drive wheel at the front. There were three return rollers. The turret was mounted just about half way along the fuselage (offset to the left), and the front of the superstructure was level with the front of the turret, giving it a rather peculiar appearance from the side. The tank was powered by a 68hp SPA 18 VT four cylinder liquid cooled inline engine, mounted at the rear of the tank. Normal tanks were equipped with a single RF 1 CA radio set while a command tank version got a RF 2 CA radio as well.
The L 6-40 entered service as a reconnaissance tank, replacing the earlier L 3-33 and L 3-35 (the L 3-38 arrived too late to see front line service). The L 6 was used by cavalry and Bersaglieri units, and saw combat in North Africa, with the Italian 8th Army in Russia and in the Balkans. It was also used in the Axis occupation of Vichy France late in 1942.
A small number of L 6 tanks were built after the Italian Armistice of September 1943 and were used by the Germans and the Fascist state in northern Italy on anti-partisan duties. Some of these tanks were given a shielded 8mm Breda Model 38 machine gun for extra protection in short-range fighting.
The L 6-40 was also produced as a command tank, with two radios and prominent aerials. Some of these vehicles had the turret removed or an enlarged superstructure with a dummy gun.
Weight: 6.8 tons
Crew: 2
Armament: 20mm gun plus one machine gun
Armour: 6-40mm
Engine: 68hp SPA 18 VT four cylinder liquid cooled inline engine
Top Speed: 26mph
Length: 12.6ft
Width: 6.1ft
Height: 6.15ft