CV-33

Carro Armato L3/35 Italian L3/33 (CV-33), Flamethrower variant at the Bovington Tank Museum Type Tankette Place of origin Italy Service history In service from 1933 Used by Italy, Austria ,Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Hungary, Nationalist Spain, and others Wars Austrian Civil War, Second Sino-Japanese War, Second Italo-Abyssinian War, Spanish Civil War, Slovak–Hungarian War, Invasion of Albania, Anglo-Iraqi War, and World War II Production history Produced 1933–1935 Number built ~ 2,000–2,500 Variants L3/35, L3 cc, L3 Lf, Specifications Weight 2.7 tonnes Length 3.03 metres (9 ft 11 in) Width 1.4 metres (4 ft 7 in) Height 1.2 metres (3 ft 11 in) Crew 2 (commander and driver) Armor 6–12 mm (0.24–0.47 in) Primary armament 1 × 6.5 mm machine gun Engine FIAT-SPA CV3 water cooled 43 hp (32 kW) Suspension bogie Operational range 110 km (68 mi) Speed 42 km/h (26 mph)

v • d • e WWII Italian AFVs Light Fiat 3000 · L3/33 · L3/35 · Fiat L6/40 Medium M11/39 · M13/40 · M14/41 · M15/42 Heavy P 40 Amd cars AB 40 · AB 41 · Lince scout car SP guns 47/32 · 75/18 · 75/34 · 90/53 · 105/25 · 149/40

v • d • e Interwar tanks List · Category Tankettes AMR 33 · AMR 35 · L3/33 · L3/35 · Carden Loyd · T-27 · TKS · Type 94 Te-Ke · Type 97 Te-Ke · Tančík vz. 33 · AH-IV Light H35 · R35 · Fiat 3000 · Light Tanks Mk I–IV · Light Tank Mk VI · M1 Combat Car · M2 Light Tank · Panzer I · Panzer II · LT vz. 34 · LT vz. 35 · T-18 · T-26 · T-37 · T-38 · 7TP · Type 92 Jyu-Sokosha  · Vickers 6-Ton Medium Char D1 · Char D2 · Medium Mk I · Medium Mk II · Medium Mk III · Panzer III · T-19 · T-24 · T-28 Cavalry, Cruiser or Fast AMC 34 · AMC 35 · AMR 33 · AMR 35 · BT tank · Cruiser Mk I · Cruiser Mk II · Cruiser Mk III · M1 Combat Car · Somua S35 Infantry FCM 36 · Hotchkiss H35 · Renault R35 · T-26 · Matilda Mk I Heavy Char B1 · Char 2C · SMK · T-35 · T-100 · Vickers A1E1 Independent Armoured Carriers UE Chenillette History · WWI · Interwar · WWII · Cold War · Tank

The Carro Veloce CV-33 or L3/33 was a tankette originally built in 1933 and used by the Italian Army before and during World War II. Many CV-33s were retrofitted to meet the specifications of the CV-35 in 1935. In 1938, the CV-33 was re-named the "L3/33" while the retrofitted CV-35s became known as "L3/35s."

Layout

The original CV-33 carried a two-man crew protected by 12 mm of welded armor and was armed with a single 6.5 mm machine gun.

Operational history

L3/33 in Greece.

The L3/33 saw action in Abyssinia, China, Spain, France, the Balkans, North Africa, Italian East Africa, Italy, and Russia.

Variants

L3 Lf

The "L3 Lf" (Lancia fiamme, "flamethrower") flame tank was another variant of the L3 tankette. Development began in 1935. The flamethrower nozzle replaced one of the machine guns, and the flame fuel was carried in an armored trailer towed by the vehicle. Later versions had the fuel carried in a box-shaped tank mounted above the L3's engine compartment. The vehicle weighed 3.2 tons, and the armoured trailer carried 500 litres/110 gallons of fuel.^[1] It had a range of 40 yards, though other sources report a 100 meter/328 foot range.^[1] They were fielded in North Africa, although there is no record of them being involved in combat there.^[2]

The L3 Lf saw action in Abyssinia, Spain, France, the Balkans and Italian East Africa.

See also

• Carden Loyd tankette - A comparable british tankette

Notes

References

External links

• L3/33 (CV 33), L3/35 (CV 35) Tankettes at wwiivehicles.com
• CARRO CV 33 (L3/33) and CV 35 (L3/35) at comandosupremo.com