The Fiat Terni/Tripoli model is here

History:

1^st prototype :

The Italian army was the first regular army in the world, which in mass quantities and regularly used modern means of warfare (aviation and armored vehicles) in combat operations. That was in Lybia during the Turkish-Italian war in 1911-1912. The first world war interrupted the total conquest of Lybia but the idea was not forgotten. That’s why, even if during the first world war, the standard armored car used in the Italian army remained the Lancia 1Z or 1Zm, this did not prevent other projects from being created. Among them, that of the Odero-Terni-Orlando metallurgical company which became in 1918 Oto-Melara (in the city of Terni – Umbria province) which decided to produce its own armored car prototype. As it only had the skills for the armored bodies, the chassis was chosen from car manufacturers and it was the Fiat 15 ter that was retained. The one and a half ton chassis imposed its own restrictions on the permissible weight of the armored hull, and it was decided to build an armored car from bent armor plates, which was supposed to provide less weight with better rigidity and armor resistance. Fortunately, the plant had equipment for bending thick plates for the manufacture of steam boilers and armored ship plating.The vehicle was called Fiat Terni/Tripoli (chassis armor/supposed use. It should be noted that the model was designed from the beginning for colonial use.

The fiat terni was twice as light as the Lancia 1Z (which was one of its main faults) and therefore more powerful and agile. The armor consisted of 6 mm steel sheets, the innovative structure in terms of protection (cylinders rather than vertical plates) that could be considered as the succession of two cylinders, one horizontal for the engine and the other vertical for the driving and combat compartment, and a final square storage compartment at the rear. Only the rear rectangular compartment was assembled from straight plates, with a sloping roof, in which an exit hatch was mounted. The engine compartment received two inspection hatches on the sides and was protected at the front by two mobile doors with ventilation holes (several models). The fighting and driving compartment were equipped with two side doors opening to he front and two removable front vision hatches. The other access was through the two doors on the roof of the rear compartment. The rotating turret of the first prototype was a very high and massive element, and carried the armament which consisted in a Fiat-Revelli 1914 6.5mm machine gun stocked with 8000 rounds. The wheels were steel disc with double rear axle. The crew consisted of four men: the skipper, the driver, the gunner, and a supply mechanic.

After having been completed in the fall of 1918, the fiat Terni/Tripoli passed a series of tests which proved conclusive, the only problem was the relative instability of a tall but narrow machine with a heavy turret on top. Although 12 production vehicles were immediately ordered (order 585 year 1918), the factory produced another prototype with a low turret.

2^nd prototype :

Due to the conclusions of the tests with the first prototype, a second prototype was assembled with a lower turret, in this case the British Lanchester one. This vehicle was sent for testing directly to the theater of operations in Lybia with the first prototype. The new colonial armored car seemed promising. Compared to the serial Lancia 1ZM, the car turned out to be more compact, mobile and reliable. The desert-tested chassis from the FIAT 15ter was not a problem for the repair services, and there were enough spare parts. The armor resistance of the new original body was acceptable and better than Lancia’s. The second prototype had a lowered armored hull and a new turret to increase the stability of the vehicle although we do not know the exact origin of this tower. Two spare wheels were also carried on the sides of the rear compartment. The side doors were removed, the rear compartment roof hatches beeing the only access. The fenders were also removed. Having received the registration number SM14160, the armored car was tested in the desert in the Tripoli region. According to the test results, the armored cars showed acceptable. As usual, there were some comments – the military requested the removal of the exit through the aft compartment.

Serial model :

The new production Fiat Terni/tripoli carried a new italian turret, similar to the Lancia 1ZM one but with an opening only for one machine gun fiat-Revelli mod. 1914. The new turret was not quite the size of the body, so a slight rim was added on the upper part of the compartment to adapt it. Instead of a hatch in the rear of the vehicle, serial armored cars received two full-fledged doors on the sides of the combat compartment. Spare wheels were now located on the roof of the aft compartment. The production order of 12 vehicles having been given just after the first prototype, this explains the differences between the different serial vehicles in Lybia considering the height of the fighting compartment, the presence or not of the side doors with or without rear roof hatches. At least, 8 of the 12 Terni were of the latter version. In 1919, the first serial vehicles were sent to Libya and paraded in Tripoli in November 1920 for the King’s birthday.

Combat use :

In 1919, the 12 Fiat Terni/Tripoli were sent to Lybia together with as many Lancia 1ZM to form two armored car squadrons assigned respectively to the 3^rd and 4^th hunters (Cacciatori) rgts for roads patrols.

In January 1923, the Italian armored troops were reorganized. All armored vehicles were in cyrenaica based with:

the 3^rd hunters rgt (Cacciatori) based in Benghazi:

-1 Squadron: 8 Lancia 1Zm, commanded by cpt Cali

-2nd squadron: 3 Lancia 1Zm, 2 fiat Arsenale modernised (tipo Libia), 2 Lanchester, commanded by cpt Lorenzini

The 4° hunters rgt (Cacciatori) based in Derna:

-1st squadron: 12 fiat terni,commanded by cpt Sasini

-2nd squadron: later formed, 8 armored trucks Fiat 15ter, commanded by cpt Filippini

Until 1923, the squadrons were used for escort and protection missions. Then the staff decided to create groups of four fiat terni, two lancia 1Zm and six trucks to venture into autonomous missions in hostile territory. Unfortunately, during a break in the locality of Bir Bilal on June 10, 1923, such a column was successfully attacked by rebels (six officers, 38 Italian soldiers, 32 Libyan soldiers killed, six armored cars and all the trucks dammaged). As a result of this attack, the groups were disbanded and in September 1923, the staff decided to regroup the remaining vehicles (9 Lancia 1Zm, 10 Fiat Terni, 2 Lanchester, 8 fiat 15ter armored trucks) into a single armored squadron. (Squadriglia Automezzi Armati) attached to the 3 rgt hunters.

In 1926 a new reorganization took place with the remaining vehicles and the creation of two squadrons:

-1 squadron of armored cars and tanks : 2 fiat 3000 tanks, 8 fiat tripoli, 23 Fiat 15ter armored trucks, 2 armored Ford T

-2nd squadron of armored cars: 9 lancia 1ZM, 1 Lanchester

The units were then used to the conquest of the whole Lybia, first in the capture of Giarabub (1926 – end of the conquest of Cyrenaica and security of the border with Egypt) and in that of the oasis of Koufra (1929-1931 – resumption of Fezzan, last region of Libya not occupied, against the Senussi rebels from 1929 to 1931).

the vehicles were then used for police tasks and then gradually withdrawned from service. From 1931 on, The Fiat terni/Tripoli were renamed Fiat Libia.

Characteristics :

Armour: 6 mm

Armament: 1 X 6.5 mm machine gun FIAT-Revelli mod.1914

Crew: 4

Weight: 1,4 t

Lenght: 4,54 m

Width : 1,7 m

Height : 1,8 m

Chassis/Engine: FIAT 15ter Militare/ Fiat 53A, 4398cm3, 36 HP

speed : 45 km/h

Range : 300 km

1940 version :

It was with the approach of the second world war and the inevitable confrontation with the English troops of Egypt that the Italian army urgently called back all the available vehicles including the Fiat Terni. All armored vehicles available in warehouses were removed from storage, repaired and sent to combat units. With armored cars Fiat-Terni Tripoli, it was not so easy to turn them into combat units. Although the FIAT 15 ter was a well-deserved car, already in 1919 its chassis was obsolete, and in 1940 it was also completely worn out. At the same time, the armored hulls, perfectly preserved in a hot, dry climate, seemed still capable of being used. All that was left was to move them and rearm them. The few models still usable (6 to8) were modified, The 2.5-ton standard army truck FIAT-SPA 38R Coloniale being chosen as the chassis. The machine was developed in the early 30s to replace the SPA 25 truck, which in turn was produced as a replacement for the FIAT 15. The SPA 38 R became the standard light truck of the Italian army during World War II, including in the African theater of operations. The colonial version of the SPA 38 R differed from the standard model by the addition of an oil bath air filter, the use of a 12 V electrical circuit, and the replacement of the tank located under the driver’s seat with a 100 liter tank at the rear of the chassis. To adapt to the longer chassis, the aft compartment was enlarged, which was also necessary for the transportation of ammunition, which became significantly heavier. The roof of the turret was cut off to accomodate the new 12.7 mm Breda Safat heavy machine gun for increased firepower.

Combat use :

In total, 6 or 8 FIAT Terni vehicles were upgraded and transferred to the Babini Special Tank Brigade. As part of the brigade, it was planned to use the vehicles for air defense of tank formations. The presence of a heavy machine gun and an open turret made it possible to do this.

They took part in the first actions against the English troops during the Graziani offensive in September 1940 but didn’t survive the English december 1940 counter-offensive (operation Compass).The last two armored vehicles were towed by Italian troops during the retreat from Cyrenaica, using them as anti-aircraft points, but they were also abandoned along with the rest of the equipment at Benghazi when the Babini group was almost completely destroyed. In this state, the armored vehicles went to the British.

Characteristics :

Qty: 6-8

Armor: 6 mm

Armament: 1 X 12.7 mm mitragliatrici Breda-SAFAT

Crew: 4

Weight: 2 t

Lenght : 5,63 m

Width : 1,82 m

Height : 1,75 m

Chassis/Engine: FIAT-SPA 38R Coloniale / FIAT 18T, 4053 cm³, 55 HP

Speed : 50 km/h