Carro Armato L3/33 | |
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![]() Flamethrower variant of L3/33 (CV-33) at The Tank Museum, Bovington | |
Type | Tankette |
Place of origin | Italy |
Service history | |
In service | 1933–1945 |
Used by | Italy and others |
Wars | |
Production history | |
Designer | Ansaldo |
Unit cost | 89,890 lires in 1933 |
Produced | 1933–1935 |
No. built | 1,200 L3/33; 1,300 L3/35 |
Variants | L3/35, L3 cc, L3 Lf, |
Specifications | |
Mass | 2.7 t (2.7 long tons; 3.0 short tons) |
Length | 3.03 m (9 ft 11 in) |
Width | 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in) |
Height | 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) |
Crew | 2 (commander and driver) |
Armour | 6–12 mm (0.24–0.47 in) |
Main armament | 1 × 6.5mm machine gun |
Engine | FIAT-SPA CV3 water-cooled 43 hp (32 kW) |
Suspension | bogie |
Operational range | 110 km (68 mi) |
Maximum speed | 42 km/h (26 mph) |
The Carro Veloce 33 (CV 33) or L3/33 was a tankette originally built in 1933 and used by the Italian Army before and during World War II. It was based on the imported British Carden Loyd tankette (license-built by Italy as the CV 29). Many CV 33s were retrofitted to meet the specifications of the CV 35 in 1935. In 1938, the CV 33 was renamed the "L3/33" while the CV 35 became the "L3/35s."
The original CV 33 carried a two-man crew protected by 12 mm of welded armour and was armed with a single 6.5 mm machine gun.
The L3/33 saw action in China, Spain, France, the Balkans, North Africa, Italian East Africa, Italy, and Russia.
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