View source for L3/35

{{Short description|Italian tankette that saw combat before and during World War II}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox weapon
| name               = Carro Armato L3/35
| image              = Carro Leggero 3 35-001.jpg
| image_size         = 300
| caption            = L3/35 displayed at the [[South African National Museum of Military History]] (without machine guns).
| origin             = [[Kingdom of Italy]]
| type               = [[Tankette]]
<!-- Type selection -->| is_vehicle         = yes
| is_UK              = yes
<!-- Service history -->| service            = 1 October 1935 – 1944
| used_by            = [[Kingdom of Italy]] and [[#Users|others]]
| wars               = {{tree list}}
* [[Austrian Civil War]]
* [[Second Italo-Abyssinian War]]
* [[Spanish Civil War]]
* [[Second Sino-Japanese War]]
* [[Slovak–Hungarian War]]
* [[Invasion of Albania]]
* [[Second World War]]
** [[Greco-Italian War]]
** [[Anglo-Iraqi War]]
* [[Chinese Civil War]]
* [[War in Afghanistan (2001-2021)]]
{{tree list/end}}
<!-- Production history -->| designer           = 
| design_date        = 
| manufacturer       = 
| unit_cost          = 
| production_date    = 1935–1938
| number             = 1,200 L3/33; 1,300 L3/35
| variants           = L3/33, L3/38, L3 cc, L3 Lf,
<!-- General specifications -->| weight             = {{convert|3.2|t}}
| length             = {{convert|3.17|m|ftin|frac=8|abbr=on}}
| part_length        = 
| width              = {{convert|1.4|m|ftin|frac=8|abbr=on}}
| height             = {{convert|1.3|m|ftin|frac=8|abbr=on}}
| diameter           = 
| crew               = 2 (commander and driver)
<!-- Vehicle/missile specifications -->| armour             = {{convert|6|–|14|mm|in|2|abbr=on}}
| primary_armament   = 2 × {{convert|8|mm|in|2|abbr=on}} machine guns
| secondary_armament = 
| engine             = FIAT-SPA CV3 [[water cooled]]
| engine_power       = {{convert|43|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
| pw_ratio           = 
| suspension         = [[Bogie#Tracked vehicles|bogie]]
| vehicle_range      = {{convert|125|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| speed              = {{convert|42|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} on road
}}

The '''L3/35''', also known as the '''Carro Veloce CV-35''', was an Italian [[tankette]] that saw combat before and during [[World War II]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Carro Veloce L3/35 (CV-35)|url=https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/italy/Carro_Veloce_L3-35.php|access-date=2021-12-05|website=www.tanks-encyclopedia.com}}</ref> It was one of the smallest tanks that faced combat.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}} Although designated a light tank by the Italian Army, its turretless configuration, weight and [[firepower]] make it closer to contemporary tankettes. It was the most numerous Italian [[armoured fighting vehicle]] and saw service almost everywhere the Italians fought in the Second World War but proved inadequate for modern warfare, having too thin armour and weak armament of only machine guns. It was cheaply produced but because of its light armaments and armour it was reserved to mostly colonial, policing, reconnaissance, and supply duties. However, given its low production costs, proved to be efficient in the [[Second Italo-Abyssinian War]], [[Spanish Civil War]] and the [[Greco-Italian War]] where it provided reliable support to Italian infantry and disrupted enemy lines.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Hansen|first=Robert|date=2019-02-24|title=CV 33 (L3 33) & CV 35 (L3 35) Tankette|url=https://comandosupremo.com/cv-33-l3-33/|access-date=2021-12-05|website=Comando Supremo|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Development==
The L3/35 was developed from the [[Carden Loyd tankette|Carden Loyd Mark VI tankette]], four of which were imported from [[United Kingdom|Britain]] in 1929.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Carro Armato L3 (Series)|url=https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.php?armor_id=377|access-date=2021-12-05|website=www.militaryfactory.com|language=en-US}}</ref> The first vehicle developed by the Italians from the Carden Lloyd tankette was designated CV-29; "CV" being an abbreviation of ''Carro Veloce'' (Italian: "fast tank") and "29" as the year of adoption. Only twenty-one CV-29s were built.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Carro Veloce 29 Tankette/ CV.29|url=http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_CV_29.html|access-date=2021-12-05|website=www.historyofwar.org}}</ref>

===L3/33===
{{Main|L3/33}}
In 1933, a new design was built jointly by the [[Fiat|Fiat Company]] of [[Turin]] and the [[Gio. Ansaldo & C.|Ansaldo Company]] of [[Genoa]]. This vehicle was introduced as the [[L3/33|Fiat-Ansaldo CV-33]]. About 300 CV-33s were built.<ref name=":1" />

===L3/35===
In 1935, a slightly improved model of the CV-33 was introduced and designated CV-35. The primary differences were that the armour was bolted rather than riveted and the single 6.5&nbsp;mm machine gun was replaced with twin 8&nbsp;mm machine guns.<ref name=":1" /> Many older CV-33s were retrofitted to meet the specifications of the CV-35. In 1938, the vehicles were redesignated L3/33 ("L" for ''Leggero'' or 'light') and the L3/35.

[[File:L3-35 Carro Veloce.jpg|thumb|right|L3/35 on display at the [[Military Museum (Belgrade)|Military Museum]], [[Belgrade]].]]

===L3/38===
In 1938, a further development of the L3 design was designated L3/38. The L3/38 had [[torsion bar]] suspension and two versions of a single mounted 13.2&nbsp;mm machine gun.<ref name=":2" />

Italy retrofitted at least 12 L3/35s to meet the specifications of the L3/38. The converted L3/35s with the L3/38's torsion bar suspension saw limited service in September 1943 until June 1944. These L3/38s versions of the L3/35s were armed with a single 13.2&nbsp;mm Breda M31 machine gun.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}}

===Layout===
The L3/35 was a lightly armoured two-man vehicle typically armed with twin 8&nbsp;mm machine guns, though variants were developed with other armament.<ref name=":1" /> Other than the number and type of machine guns, the differences between the L3/35 and the L3/33 were few. Both featured riveted and welded construction.

The commander/gunner sat on the left and the driver sat on the right. The engine was mounted transversely in the rear.<ref name=":0" /> A circular radiator was mounted behind the engine. The transmission went to the front to the final drive. The Vickers-Carden-Lloyd type suspension had two three-wheel [[Bogie#Tracked vehicles|bogies]] on leaf spring and a single unsprung wheel on each side. The top run of the tracks ran on an [[Robinia pseudoacacia|acacia]]<!-- The Hungarian texts (e.g. Dombrády 1974) clearly state "akác", thus: Robinia pseudoacacia. --> rail.<ref name=":0" />

==Production and sales==
Between 2,000 and 2,500 L3 tankettes were built in different models and variants for the [[Regio Esercito|Royal Italian Army]] (''Regio Esercito'') and for other users.<ref name=":1" /> Twenty L3/33 tankettes were sold to [[Republic of China|China]]. Other L3 tankettes were sold to [[Kingdom of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]] (unknown number), [[Albania]] (unknown number), [[Austria]] (72), [[Bolivia]] (14), [[Brazil]] (23), [[Kingdom of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]] (14), [[Independent State of Croatia|Croatia]] (10), [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]] (1 CV-33 and 150 CV-35s), [[Kingdom of Iraq|Iraq]] (16), [[Spain under Franco|Nationalist Spain]], and [[Venezuela]] (2).<ref name=":1" /> Many foreign buyers substituted other machine guns as the main armament. The Hungarians added a raised commander's vision cupola to 45 of the L3s they acquired. Each hungatian CV was equipped with an improved machine gun system: a tilting shield allowing greater lateral and vertical aiming, and two high-firerate Gebauer machine guns. From mid-1942, Hungarian CVs were used only for training, with each new tank driver practicing 150km during their training.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dombrády |first=Lóránd |date=1974 |title=A magyar páncélos magasabbegységek kiépítésére tett erőfeszítések a háború időszakában (1941–1944.) |url=https://epa.oszk.hu/00000/00018/00262/pdf/EPA00018_hadtortenelmi_1974_04_591-646.pdf |journal=Hadtörténelmi Közlemények |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=591-633}}</ref> In 1937, the Brazilian Army ordered 18 L3/35 tankettes, designated ''Auto Metralhadora de Reconhecimento''<ref name="B&B47">{{cite magazine|language=fr|title=Le Blindorama: Brésil, 1921 - 1945|magazine=Batailles & Blindés|issue=47|date=February 2012|publisher=Caraktère|issn=1765-0828|first=Xavier|last=Tracol|pages=6–9}}</ref> which remained in active service until 1945 when some units were resold to the [[Dominican Republic]]. Venezuela bought two units in 1934 for evaluation in infantry support operations, because of several incidents on the border with Colombia, like other weapons acquired from the Italian mission they did not survive past World War II.

==Combat history==
[[File:Wojska niemieckie w Górach Dynarskich (2-526).jpg|thumb|right|Italian L3/35 in the Balkans, August 1943.]]
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-203-1691-22, Albanien, deutsche Soldaten, italienischer Panzer.jpg|thumb|Italian L3/35 in Albania, September 1943.]]
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-201-1563-11A, Balkan, deutsche und italienische Soldaten.jpg|thumb|right|Close-up of Italian L3/35 in the Balkans, August 1943.]]

In addition to seeing action in the [[Second Italo-Abyssinian War]], the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]], the [[Spanish Civil War]], the [[Slovak-Hungarian War]], and the [[Anglo-Iraqi War]], the L3 was used almost everywhere that Italian troops fought during [[World War II]].<ref name=":0" /> L3s were found on the [[Italian invasion of France|Italian/French border]], [[Italian invasion of Egypt|North Africa]], [[East African Campaign (World War II)|Italian East Africa]], the [[Balkans Campaign (World War II)|Balkans]], [[Italian participation in the Eastern Front|USSR]], [[Allied invasion of Sicily|Sicily]], and [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italy]].<ref name=":1" />

The combat performance of the L3s during the [[interwar period]] was poor. On at least two occasions during the [[Kingdom of Italy|Italian]] invasion of [[Ethiopian Empire|Ethiopia]], [[Ethiopian Christmas Offensive|L3s were put out of action by massed infantry attacks]]. In the [[Spanish Civil War]], L3s of the [[Corpo Truppe Volontarie|Corps of Volunteer Troops]] (''Corpo Truppe Volontarie'', or CTV) were totally out-classed by the [[T-26]] and [[BT-5]] tanks provided to the [[Second Spanish Republic|Republican forces]] by the [[Soviet Union]]. The L3s were not a factor in [[Slovak–Hungarian War|the brief war]] between [[Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)|Hungary]] and [[Slovak Republic (1939–1945)|Slovakia]] in 1939.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

On 10 June 1940, when [[Military history of Italy during World War II|Italy entered World War II]], the [[Regio Esercito (World War II)|Royal Italian Army]] (''Regio Esercito'') possessed only about one-hundred [[M11/39]] medium tanks in two tank battalions. L3 tankettes still equipped all three Italian armoured divisions, the tank battalions in the motorized divisions, the light tank squadron group in each "Fast" (''Celere'') division, and numerous independent tank battalions.

On 22 March 1941, two Iraqi L3s were reported to have been put out of action near [[Fallujah]] during the [[Anglo-Iraqi War]].

More than 40 captured L3 tankettes were used by the Greek Army during the [[Greco-Italian War]], fought from 1940 to 1941, and were used to equip the [[19th Mechanized Division (Greece)|19th Mechanized Division]], although they did not take part in combat with the latter. After the [[invasion of Yugoslavia]] and [[Battle of Greece|Greece]] in April 1941, L3 tankettes were also captured by the [[Partisans (Yugoslavia)|Yugoslav]] and [[Greek Resistance|Greek]] resistance forces. From 1941, some L3 tankettes were given to the Italo-German [[puppet state|puppet government]] of the [[Independent State of Croatia]] (''Nezavisna Država Hrvatska'', or NDH).

Though numerous, Italy's tankettes proved to be outclassed from the start and also proved to be of low tactical value. They were vulnerable to the British [[Boys anti-tank rifle]]s.<ref>Pignato 2004, p. 8</ref> Other than those used for occupation duties in the Balkans and elsewhere, few L3s remained in front line service past the end of 1940. After the [[Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces|Italian armistice with the Allies in 1943]], L3 tankettes were used by [[German Army (Wehrmacht)|German Army]] forces and by the pro-Nazi [[Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano|National Republican Army]] of the [[Italian Social Republic]]. Hungarian L3s had by this point been issued to the [[Gendarmerie]].

L3/35s also joined the [[Chinese Nationalist Army]] fighting against the [[Japanese Imperial Army]] during the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] and the Communists during the [[Chinese Civil War]].

==Variants==
[[File:Captured L3 and L3 cc tankettes.jpg|thumb|A captured L3 cc (left) and an L3/35 (right) outside [[Bardia, Libya|Bardia]] in 1941.]]
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-P0214-516, Spanien, Schlacht um Guadalajara.jpg|thumb|Italian tankettes advancing with a L3 Lf flame thrower tank in the lead at the [[Battle of Guadalajara]].]]

The L3/35 appeared in several variants including an anti-tank variant and a flame thrower variant.

===L3 cc anti-tank===
The "L3 cc" anti-tank (''controcarro'') was an L3 with a [[Solothurn S-18/1000|Solothurn 20 mm]] [[anti-tank rifle]] mounted in place of its normal machine gun armament. Only a few were so modified, and they saw action only in North Africa.<ref name=":0" />

The Solothurn rifle could penetrate up to 18&nbsp;mm of armor at 300 m (328 yards) which was effective against lightly armoured vehicles.<ref>Pignato 2004, p. 18</ref>

===L3 Lf flamethrower===
Development of the "L3 Lf" flamethrower (''lancia fiamme'') [[flame tank]] began in 1935. The flamethrower nozzle replaced one of the machine guns, and the flame fuel was carried in an armoured 500-litre (133 US gallons) fuel trailer towed by the vehicle. Later versions carried another 60 litres of fuel in a box-shaped tank mounted above the L3's engine compartment. The vehicle weighed 5 metric tons.

The L3 Lf saw action in Abyssinia, Spain, France, the Balkans, North Africa, and Italian East Africa. From 1936 each CV/L3 company had a single L3 Lf platoon.<ref name="Pignato 2004, p. 8-9">Pignato 2004, p. 8-9</ref>

===L3 ''Centro Radio'' command tank===
The basic L3 platform was also employed as a [[command vehicle]] using the Marelli RF1 CA radio in platoon and company command vehicles. The L3 was considered too small to be effectively employed as a regimental level command radio vehicle so this task fell to the later and slightly larger [[L6/40]] CR (''Centro Radio'' = Radio Center).<ref name="Pignato 2004, p. 8-9"/>

===L3 ''Passerella'' bridge layer===
The few L3 ''Passerella'' (bridge layer) vehicles constructed were assigned to units at Armoured Brigade levels. The {{convert|7|m|ft|adj=mid|-long|sp=us}} bridge was stripped down into sections on a trailer towed by the L3 itself for travel. On arriving at the combat zone, this bridge was assembled on the front of the tank, suspended by cables from two small cranes located over the crew's superstructure. The crew laid the completed bridge over the obstacle from within the vehicle. A L3 ''Passerella'' crew took seven minutes to lay out this bridge.<ref>Pignato 2004, p. 12.</ref>

===Planned variants===
A single [[Savoia-Marchetti SM.82]] aircraft was modified to carry a L3/33 recessed under the fuselage for experiments with [[Airborne forces|airborne]] armour.<ref name="MillerIllustrated" />

====''Carro Veloce Recupero''====
Unarmed [[armoured recovery vehicle]] with a rear tow bar, did not progress beyond the [[prototype]] stage.<ref name="MillerIllustrated">Miller, Chris, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=Es5Pxu8AGqcC&pg=PA166 The Illustrated Directory of Tanks of the World]'', Zenith Imprint (2000), {{ISBN|0760308926}}, pp.166-167</ref>

====Semovente L3 da 47/32====
Tank destroyer with a [[Cannone da 47/32 M35|47 mm L/32 gun]] mounted in the hull, based on the L3/35. At least one built but did not enter service.<ref name="MillerIllustrated" />

====L3 tank====
Tank built by Fiat-Ansaldo in 1937 on the L3/33 chassis with a redesigned hull and a 20&nbsp;mm gun in a rotating turret. Did not enter serial production.<ref name="MillerIllustrated" />

====Aborted Spanish upgrade====
On 8 August 1937, Major General García Pallasar had received a note from Generalísimo [[Francisco Franco]] which expressed the need for a [[Panzer I]] armed with a 20&nbsp;mm gun. Although originally forty Italian L3/35 tankettes were ordered with the original armament exchanged for the 20&nbsp;mm [[Breda Model 35]] instead, this order was subsequently cancelled after it was thought that the adaptation of the same gun to the German Panzer I would yield better results.<ref>Franco, Panzer I, pp. 47-49</ref>

==Users==
*{{Flag|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan}}: at least one seen in use by Taliban in working condition.<ref>{{cite tweet |author=Lukas Muller|user=aaf_lukas |number=1567244683146928128|title=Did you know that the Taliban possess a 80+ years old L3/35 (Carro Veloce CV-35) Italian-made tankette in working condition?|language=en |date= 7 September 2022|access-date=13 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907033557/https://twitter.com/aaf_lukas/status/1567244683146928128 |archive-date=7 September 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>
*{{Flag|Kingdom of Afghanistan}}: some later modified with Soviet [[KPV heavy machine gun|KPV machine guns]].<ref name="B&B48">{{cite magazine|language=fr|title=Le Blindorama: Afghanistan, 1919 - 2003|magazine=Batailles & Blindés|issue=48|date=April 2012|publisher=Caraktère|issn=1765-0828|first=Xavier|last=Tracol|pages=4–5}}</ref>
*{{Flagicon|Austria}} [[First Austrian Republic|Austria]]: 36 CV-35s of the first batch of production, delivered in March 1937.<ref name="B&B37">{{cite magazine|language=fr|title=Le Blindorama : L'Autriche, 1919 - 1938|magazine=Batailles & Blindés|issue=37|date=June 2010|publisher=Caraktère|issn=1765-0828|first=Yann|last=Mahé|pages=4–5}}</ref>
*{{Flag|Brazil|1889}}: 18 armed with twin-[[Madsen machine gun]]s and 5 armed with a 13.2 Breda heavy machine gun.<ref name="B&B47"/>
*{{Flag|Kingdom of Bulgaria}}
*{{flagcountry|Republic of China (1912–49)}}
*{{flag|Kingdom of Italy}}
*{{Flag|Iraq|1924}}<ref>{{cite book|title=Iraqi army equipment 1930-2017 |volume=2|url=https://archive.org/details/IraqiArmyEquipment1930-2017SpecialReportVol.2/page/n4|page=5}}</ref>
*{{Flag|Nazi Germany}}
*{{Flag|Greece|royal}}
*{{Flag|Kingdom of Hungary (1920–46)|name=Kingdom of Hungary}}
*{{Flag|Spain|1936}}
*{{Flag|Venezuela}} (the 2 examples were the first armoured vehicles used by its army)
*[[File:Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1936; 1941-1974).svg|25px]] [[Ethiopian Empire]]: captured tanks during the [[Second Italo-Ethiopian War]].

==See also==
* [[Military history of Italy during World War II]]
* [[List of tanks in the Spanish Civil War]]
* [[Tank and Armoured Cars Group]]
* [[Weapons employed in the Slovak-Hungarian War]]

===Comparable vehicles===

* Germany: [[Panzer I]]
* Italy: [[L3/33]]
* Japan: [[Type 94 tankette|Type 94]]
* Romania: [[R-1 tank|R-1]]
* Poland: [[TKS|TK-3]] and [[TKS]]
* Soviet Union: [[T-27]] • [[T-37A tank|T-37A]] • [[T-38 tank|T-38]]
* Sweden: [[Strv m/37]] 
* United Kingdom: [[Light Tank Mk VI]]
* United States: [[Marmon-Herrington CTLS]]

==References==
;Notes
{{reflist}}
;Bibliography
* {{cite book |last= Franco |first= Lucas Molina |title= Panzer I: El inicio de una saga |year= 2005 |publisher= AF Editores |location= Madrid, Spain |language= Spanish |isbn = 84-96016-52-8 |page= 64}}
* {{cite book | last = Pignato | first = Nicola | title = Italian Armored Vehicles of World War Two | publisher = Squadron/Signal Publications | location = Carrollton | year = 2004 | isbn = 978-0-89747-475-7 }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|L3/35}}
{{externalimage|float=right|width=251px|image1=[http://www.missing-lynx.com/gallery/axis/l3_pballarini1.jpg Model of the tank with model soldier in comparison]}}
*[http://www.wwiivehicles.com/italy/tankettes/cv-33-cv-35.asp L3/33 (CV 33), L3/35 (CV 35) Tankettes] at wwiivehicles.com
*[http://www.onwar.com/tanks/italy/data/l33520.htm L3/35] at onwar.com
*[http://greek-war-equipment.blogspot.com/2009/04/1940-l335-tankette.html A history of military equipment of Modern Greece (1821 - today): L3/35]

{{WWIIItalianAFVs}}
{{Interwar tanks |style=wide}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:L3 35}}
[[Category:Tankettes of the interwar period]]
[[Category:World War II tanks of Italy]]
[[Category:World War II tankettes]]
[[Category:Fiat armored vehicles]]
[[Category:Gio. Ansaldo & C. armored vehicles]]
[[Category:Military vehicles introduced in the 1930s]]
[[Category:World War II military equipment of Greece]]
[[Category:SPGs. SPAs. Armored cars and trucks of 1935]]

[[de:L3/33#Entwicklungsgeschichte und Varianten]]
[[pl:L3 (tankietka)]]