The Autoblindo AB-41 model is here

History :

In the 1920s and 1930s, the Italian army was armed with Lancia 1Z and ZM (in numbers but from an obsolete design developed during WWI) or FiatTerni/Tripoli (only 14 copies). Heavier armored vehicles Fiat 611 (only 10 copies) built in the mid-30s were not very suitable for the African colonies where they served, due to a weak engine (28 km / h even on the highway) and, in general, an outdated design (four-wheel drive with twin rear axles, a gun from the times of the First world war and / or machine guns made according to an outdated concept with lubrication of cartridges before firing and with an integral low-capacity (20 rounds) magazine, equipped with clips or one cartridge each). The lessons learned from the 1936 campaign in East Africa where these vehicles had been used (Fiat 611) led the italian army to demand more efficient equipment. Work on it began in 1937 by using the chassis with independent suspension and four-wheel drive steering that had been developed for the Fiat-SPA TM40 artillery tractor. In the spring of 1939, two prototypes were built: one for the army and one for the colonial police (PAI) with slight differences. Aftre various tests in various conditions, all modifications lead to a single model called AB40 and accepted into service in March 1940. A first order was placed for 176 copies for the Army, 9 for the PAI, to which were added 54 copies intended for export to Yugoslavia (and which were never delivered). Production started in in January 1941 only, but in February 1942, 320 copies had already been delivered. In November 1940, even before the first examples of the AB 40 entered service, a new turret enhanced was adapted with a more powerful armament, consisting of a Breda 20mm/65 gun (456 rounds) paired with a Breda 38 8 mm machine gun, instead of the two Breda 38s arming the prototypes and the first AB 40s. The armament of the armored car was supplemented by another Breda mod.38 machine gun mounted on a spherical support placed at the rear of the passenger compartment (1992 rounds were available for the twomachine guns). Only a few examples with the old turret were used for training and for some AB40 railroad cars. At the time of the cease-fire of September 8, 1943, 644 AB 40/41 had been built, of which 20 were still in the factory awaiting delivery. Under German occupation, an additional 23 AB 41s would have been produced.

Description:

The body of the autoblinda AB 40/41 was made of steel sheets bolted to a frame structure with lower protection than a welded case. The riveted armor was 9 mm thick on the vertical parts of the hull and 18 mm for the turret; the horizontal parts were 6 mm. This armor provided the crew with protection against small arms and shrapnel only. The rather high silhouette of the vehicle was also a disadvantage especially in large desert areas. The two cockpits of the armored car, one at the front and the other at the rear, allowed it to be driven in one direction or the other. This characteristic had been desired by the Italian command to allow the vehicle to disengage on small mountain roads without having to turn around. The four wheels were driving but also steering. The two spare wheels mounted free on their axis on either side of the chassis helped the vehicle when overcoming obstacles on rough terrain. Different types of tires could be fitted, all made by Pirelli: the Artiglio type, the reinforced Libia type and the safety tyre, whose inner tube was replaced by sectors of very elastic rubber. Communications were provided by a 38W Marelli RF 3 M radio set, consisting of a transmitter and a receiver mounted on the right side of the cockpit of AB 41s from the fall of 1941. The folding antenna of 7 m was on the left side of the casemate. Under normal operating conditions, the antenna was erected at 3 m. Completely deployed and vehicle stationary, it carried 60 km. The running vehicle range was between 25 and 35 km. Some vehicles were equipped with an RF 2 AC radio whose antenna was located at the left rear of the superstructure. The AB41 was powered by a FIAT SPA Abm 4995 cc 6-cylinder petrol engine, developing 80 hp which allowed the vehicle to reach 80–85 km/h on the road. The range was 400 km. However, access to the engine was not easy and not sufficiently isolated from the passenger compartment. On January 24, 1942, the general staff issued a note requesting that a number of AB 40/41s be urgently modified to make them suitable for use on standard gauge railway tracks. Ansaldo immediately set to work and adopted the following solutions: the addition of four railway wheels in addition to the road wheels, the unused set of wheels being mounted on the axles of the spare wheels at the rate of two per side, installation of sandpits to increase wheel-rail adhesion, addition of an adjustable headlight on the turret and a steering lock device. Anterior and posterior stone guards were also mounted on certain specimens. the conversion was done in just 30 minutes. Before the armistice of September 1943, 20 armored cars were transformed into draisines. All were registered on May 8, 1942. At the end of 1942, a command version of the AB 40, adopted on November 18, 1942 and ordered in 50 copies. But it would seem that none of them were produced.

Combat use:

the deficiencies in modern armored cars foreseen in 1936 with the Italian offensive in East Africa became flagrant with the September 1940 offensive in Egypt against England. the problem was that on this date nothing was available. In fact, it took until October 1941 for 13 AB40s to be sent to Libya (3 for the Army and 10 for the PAI). The arrival in number did not take place until April 1942 with the III gr.cr Nizza Cavalleria (Div Ariete) with 42 armored cars and the VIII bt.bers (Trieste Division). Then, in August 1942, the III gr.cr Cavalleggeri di Monferrato with 42 AB41s. Then in November, Le RECo Cavalleggeri di Lodi with 36 AB41s. In the Balkans, AB 40/41s were widely used for escorting rail and road convoys against partisans. They equipped many units of modest size, on the scale of the platoon or the company, which makes their census difficult. A particular unit was the 1a (autonomous) compagnia autoblindo ferroviarie constituted on May 15, 1942 which operated in Yugoslavia with 10 draisines, then 20 from October 1942. Others were used on the Eastern Front. At the time of the armistice (28 September 1943), the Wehrmacht recovered around 200 AB 40/41s which received the designation Pz.Sp.Wg. AB41 201(i) and had around 20 more manufactured until 1945, 110 of which were later handed over to the Croatian army and 15 to Hungary in August 1944. Several RSI units nevertheless managed to recover AB41s: Gruppo Corazzato Leonessa of the GNR which had 18, Gruppo Squadroni San Giusto which used 4, and various GNR units. After the war, the AB 41s remained in service with the Polizia and the Carabinieri until the early 1970s. On some examples, the main armament was replaced by a Browning M2 HB 12.7 mm machine gun. Some AB41 were transferred in the Greek army under reparations in 1948-1949.

Length: 5.21 m /  Width: 1.93 m /  Height: 2.48 m /  Weight: 7.520 t  /  Crew: 4 (driver, commander, gunner, radio)  /  Propulsion: FIAT-SPA 6-cylinder petrol engine, 80 hp (AB40), 120 hp (AB41)  /  Production: more than 600  /  Speed: 78 km/h  /  Range: 400 km  /  Armament: 1x Breda mod.35 20 mm gun + 2x Breda mod.38 8 mm machine-guns  /  Armor: 6 – 18 mm

Great infos here :

http://www.italie1935-45.com/regio-esercito/materiels/item/211-ab-40-et-41

https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/italy/autoblinda-ab41/