AB 41
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| Autoblinda 41 | |
|---|---|
 An AB 41 in North Africa. |
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| Type | Armored car |
| Place of origin | .svg/22px-Flag_of_Italy_(1861-1946).svg.png){kind=small} Italy |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Italy Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Number built | 550 |
| Variants | AB 40 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 7.5 tonnes |
| Length | 5.2 m |
| Width | 1.92 m |
| Height | 2.4 m |
| Crew | 4 |
|
|
|
| Armor | 15 mm |
| Primary armament |
20 mm Breda 35 autocannon 456 rounds |
| Secondary armament |
2 x 8 mm Breda 38 machine guns 1992 rounds |
| Engine | petrol 80 hp |
| Suspension | 4x4 wheel |
| Operational range |
400 km |
| Speed | 76 km/h (road) |
The Autoblinda 41 (AB 41) was an Italian armored car in use during World War II. It was armed with a 20 mm Breda 35 autocannon in the same turret as the Fiat L6/40) and two hull mounted 8 mm machine guns, one to the rear and the other to the front. The AB 41 (in production from 1941) was based on the machine gun armed Autoblinda 40 most of which were converted to AB 41s by switching the turret. The AB 41 had a four-wheel drive and there were also conversion kits to make it go on railroad tracks (these kits were mostly used in anti-resistance patrols in the Balkans). About 550 vehicles were built in all. It was planned to upgrade the AB 41 with a 47 mm anti-tank gun as the AB 43 but those plans were disrupted by the Italian surrender in September 1943.
After the Italian surrender in the Germans confiscated some 37 AB 41s and also built 20 more. The German designation was Panzerspähwagen AB41 201(i).
[edit] Combat history
The AB 41 was used during World War II in North Africa, Italy, Hungary, and on the Eastern Front.
[edit] Views
Copyright by Giovanni Paulli.
[edit] External links
- AUTOBLINDA 40 and 41 at comandosupremo.com
- Autoblinda AB 40, AB 41, AB 43 armored cars at wwiivehicles.com
| Italian armoured fighting vehicles of World War II |
|---|
| Light Tanks and Tankettes |
| L3/35 | Fiat L6/40 |
| Medium Tanks |
| Fiat M11/39 | Fiat M13/40 | Fiat M14/41 | M15/42 |
| Heavy Tanks |
| P40 |
| Armoured Cars |
| AB 40 | AB 41 | Lince scout car |
| Self propelled guns |
| Semovente 47/32 | Semovente 75/18 | Semovente 75/34 | Semovente 90/53 | Semovente 105/25 | Semovente 149/40 |
| Italian armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II |
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