List of Italian Army equipment in World War II


The following is a list of equipment used by the Royal Italian Army, Italian Air Force, and Royal Italian Navy during World War II.

Small arms

Handguns

ImageTypeMakerRoundsCartridgeFrom:WeightNumber builtComment
Beretta Modello 1934Beretta7 .380 ACP193523.28 oz 1,080,000Remained in service until 1991.
Beretta Modello 1935Beretta8 .32 ACP193723.5 oz 525,000Was a prized souvenir during the war. Remained in service until 1967.
Glisenti Model 1910Società Siderurgica Glisenti7 9mm Glisenti191029,00 oz 100,000Was originally chambered for a 7.65×22mm bottle-neck cartridge, but the Italian Army requested it to be chambered in 9mm.
Bodeo Model 1889 RevolverMany manufacturers610.35mm Ordinanza Italiana188933.05 oz ?Italian manufacturers include: Societa Siderurgica Glisenti, Castelli of Brescia, Metallurgica Bresciana, Vincenzo Bernardelli of Gardone Val Trompia. During World War I, Spanish manufacturers, Errasti and Arrostegui of Eibar produced the Bodeo for the Italian government.
-M1942 Sosso PistolFNA Brescia219×19mm Parabellum1942??Experimental design, was never fully adopted. Only five were manufactured, with four of them going to high-ranking Italian officials such as Vittorio Emanuele III and Benito Mussolini.

Submachine guns

TypeMakerRoundsCartridgeFrom:Rate of fireWeightComment
Beretta M1918/30Beretta259 mm Glisenti1930s900 rpm7 lb 3 oz Semi-automatic carbine developed for police use. Issued in limited numbers to Guardia alla Frontiera and Milizia Forestale units.
Beretta Model 38Beretta409×19mm Parabellum1938600 rpm9 lb 4 oz Different box magazines had a capacity 10, 20 and 40 cartridges.
FNAB-43FNAB409×19mm Parabellum1944600-837 rpm8 lb 12 oz Magazines of 20 cartridges were also available. Was expensive to produce and so, only 7,000 were ever made.
OVP 1918Officine Villar Perosa259 mm Glisenti1918900 rpm8 lb 0 oz Was issued during the early 1920s; was mostly replaced by other models by the end of the war.
TZ-45Fabbrica Fratelli Giandoso409×19mm Parabellum1944800 rpm7 lb 0 oz Produced in small numbers, design was later sold to the Burmese Army and produced as the BA-52.

Flamethrowers

Machine guns

Artillery

Field artillery

Italian artillery was usually designated using the calibre and length of the barrel in number of calibre lengths, so "90/53" would mean a weapon with a 90 mm diameter barrel where the length of the barrel was approximately 53 calibre lengths.
ModelCaliberMax.
range		FromNumber
produced		Weight
fire rate
RPM		Comment
Cannone da 47/32 M3547mm1935?3155dual-role anti-tank/infantry gun, adopted for many vehicles, licensed version of Böhler gun
Cannone da 65/17 modello 765mm68001907?6505mountain gun
Cannone da 65/17 modello 1365mm68001913?6505mountain gun
Škoda 7 cm K1066mm50001912?52010naval gun redeployed as coastal artillery
Skoda 75 mm Model 15
75mm82501918?6137Austrian-built
Cannone da 75/27 modello 0675mm100001906?10805licensed version of Krupp 1906M gun
Cannone da 75/27 modello 1175mm102401912?10765French-designed
Cannone da 75/27 modello 1275mm100001912?9005modification of Cannone da 75/27 modello 06
Obice da 75/18 modello 3475mm95641934?18325mountain gun
Obice da 75/18 modello 3575mm95641935?18325field gun version of the Obice da 75/18 modello 34 with different carriage
75mm125001937112505prototype of 75/32 field gun, unmodified went on as tank gun
Cannone da 75/32 modello 3775mm125001937?12505dual-role anti-tank/field gun
Cannone da 77/28 modello 5/876.5mm61001907?10659built in Austria-Hungary, bronze barrel
Obice da 100/17 modello 14100mm81801914?14176Austrian-built, in NATO service until 1984
Obice da 100/17 modello 16100mm81801916?12356weight reduction of Obice da 100/17 modello 14 for use as mountain gun
Škoda 10 cm K10100mm152001910?202010dual-purpose gun
Cannon 102/45102mm93001917?23277naval gun converted to anti-aircraft gun
Cannone da 105/28 modello 12105mm8000 191785426505license-built, kept in reserve until 1939
Obice da 105/14 modello 17105mm6000 191712014005used in self-propelled gun
Cannone da 120/21120mm77001880540505fortress Krupp gun, used by Italian border guards
Obice da 149/12149.1mm88001914150023443Licensed copy of the 15 cm sFH 13
Cannone da 149/23149.1mm93001882?60501fortress howitzer, most likely did not see combat in World War II
Obice da 149/12 modello 14149.1mm65001915?27001.5Austrian-built Skoda howitzer
Obice da 149/13 modello 14149.1mm8800191549027651.5Obice da 149/12 modello 14 modified for new ammunition
Cannone da 149/35 A149.1mm16500190089582201No recoil absorber, zero traverse
Cannone da 149/40 modello 35149.1 mm 194063+?113401-2Replacement for Cannone da 149/35A but insufficient numbers built. Split trail
Obice da 149/19 modello 37149.1mm14250193923057803Italian replacement for all older howitzers
15 cm/50 K10 Skoda149.1mm15000191212?6removed from Austrian battleship Tegetthoff and used in coastal defense
Cannone da 152/45152.4mm19400191053166721Naval gun used in counter-battery fire and siege
Cannone da. 152/37152.4mm16000191644119001built in Austria-Hungary
190/39 Skoda190mm20000190429127003built in Austria-Hungary as naval gun, reused by Italians in coastal defense
Canon de 19 modèle 1870/93 TAZ194mm18300191512650002A French railroad gun in Italian service.
7.5"/45 model 1908191mm22000190824137702.6naval gun reused in coastal defense
203/45 Mod. 1897203.2mm18000189740119002.4built for Giuseppe Garibaldi-class cruisers, used in World War II as siege gun and coastal defense
203/50 modello 24203.2mm30620192426119002.4built for Trento-class cruisers, 1 turret used in coastal defence
Obice da 210/22 modello 35210mm15400193520240001Production continued by Germans after surrender of Italy
Mortaio da 210/8 D.S.210mm84501900?109300.4In Italian fortresses only
Mortario da 210/8 PIAT210mm84501900?109300.4Towed version of Mortaio da 210/8 D.S.
Mortario da 210/8 FROM210mm84501900?109300.4Improved mobility version of Mortario da 210/8 PIAT
Mortaio da 260/9 Modello 16260mm91001916?125601 round
every 12 minutes		Italian version of a Schneider design.
Obice da 280280mm116001890?34070?Coastal defense and siege howitzer
Skoda 305 mm Model 1911305mm9600191179208390.18Austro-Hungarian siege howitzer, received by Italy
305 mm /46 Model 1909305mm240001909625002naval gun used as coastal artillery
305mm19000190961999001naval gun used as coastal artillery
Škoda 30.5 cm /45 K10305mm200001911656200003triple-mount Austrian naval gun used as coastal artillery
Cannone navale da 381/40
381mm27300191210950001.75naval gun used as coastal artillery
Cannone navale da 381/40
381mm30000191272120001.75naval gun used as railroad gun

See also:

Anti-tank guns

Before and during World War II, Italy designed most of their anti-aircraft guns and some its infantry guns to also serve in the anti-tank role. No dedicated anti-tank gun was produced. Listed below is just the guns used in anti-tank role most commonly.
ModelCaliberPenetration
100m 		Penetration
500m		Muzzle
velocity		Max. rangeFromProducedWeight
kg		fire rate
RPM		Comment
Cannone da 37/5437mm??1934?277120dual-role anti-tank/anti-aircraft gun
Cannone controcarro da 37/4537mm??32713Italian variant of the Rheinmetall Pak 36
Cannone da 47/32 M3547mm1935?3155dual-role anti-tank/infantry gun, licensed version of Böhler gun
Cannone da 90/53 mod. 193990mm1939539895019dual-role anti-tank/anti-aircraft gun

Infantry anti-tank weapons

Anti-aircraft weapons

All calibers of AA guns were also mounted in portee trucks in dual roles.

Vehicles

The Italian designation system for tanks consisted of a letter followed by two numbers: one giving the approximate weight in tons, the other giving the year it was accepted for service. Thus "M11/39" means the 11 ton medium tank of 1939. The Italian definitions of light, medium and heavy tank differ from other nations at the time. For instance the Italian "medium" tanks are often described as "light" in other sources.

Tankettes

The L3 tankette was also a basis for several engineering vehicles.

Self-propelled guns

Others

During World War II, Italy regularly mounted cannons on portee trucks. Also, permanent installation of guns on trucks and armored cars were done on ad-hoc basis, therefore many self-propelled guns had no official name besides descriptive type of truck plus type of cannon. Below is the grossly incomplete list of these self-propelled weapons.
  • - cannon installed on truck TL 37
  • 102/35 su Fiat 634N
  • Autocannoni da 75
  • Breda Autocannone Blindato Tipo 102
  • - Lancia 3 RO Chassis
  • AT - SP ATG armed with 37mm cannon
  • L.3/Solothurn or L.3/cc - changes made on several specimens directly from the operational departments in Italian North Africa in 1941. In place of the twin machine guns an S-18/1000 Solothurn 20 mm anti-tank rifle was mounted, which could penetrate the armor of British armored cars and light tanks.
  • Trubia - experimental version by the Spanish armed with a gun Breda 20/65 Mod 1935 20mm.
  • Chariot anti-tank gun or self-propelled L3 47/32 - prototype self-propelled gun armed with a 47/32 mm; trying "desperately" to adapt to the new demands of war the L3 Chariot had a very similar design to the Panzerjäger I. The hull, superstructure private, had a front antitank gun 47/32 cowl, which was to protect the crew and the rest of the half was equal to the chassis of L.3, although the photo of the prototype seems that the suspensions were a mainspring. Probably would not be successful, since the recoil while content of 47/32 could, in the long run detrimental to the operation of the medium.

Armoured cars

ModelMakerDevelopedProducedArmamentcomments
Fiat1933463 × Breda Mod. 5C 6.5 mm machine gunhad mobility and maintenance problems
Fiat 611 w gunFiat1933?2 × Breda Mod. 5C 6.5 mm machine gun and 1 x cannone Vickers-Terni da 37/40 Mod.30considered unsuccessful because was unable to fire forward with machine gun
Lancia IZM Lancia19151202 × 6.5 mm Maxim gunall machine guns are detachable
Morris CS9Morris Commercial Cars1936-14.3mm Boys anti-tank rifle and 7.7 mm Bren light machine gunsome vehicles captured from British forces from 1940. equipped with radio, good mobility,
LinceLancia & Ansaldo1942263Breda 38 8 mm machine guncopy of British Daimler Dingo
Autoblindo 40 Fiat&Ansaldo1940242 × Breda 38 8 mm machine gundeveloped from, most AB 40 upgraded to AB 41
Autoblindo 41 Fiat & Ansaldo1941600Breda Model 35 20mm gunfirepower improvement of Autoblindo 40
Autoblindo 43 Fiat & Ansaldo1943147mm 47/32 Mod. 1935more powerful engine and armor added
SPA-Viberti AS.42 "Sahariano"SPA-Viberti1942?47mm 47/32 Mod. 1935 gunscout car based on AB 41

Engineering and command

Trucks

Light trucks

*

Medium trucks

*

Heavy trucks

Passenger cars

Motorcycles

Tractors and prime movers

  • L.3 trattore leggero - hypothetical version for towing the gun da. 47/32
  • Pavesi P4 - wheeled artillery tractor
  • - half-track artillery tractor
  • - wheeled artillery tractor
  • - half-track artillery tractor, a licensed copy of the German Sd.Kfz. 7

Miscellaneous vehicles

  • Carro Veloce 29 - may be misspelled or fictitious

Radars

Italy was late on the radar development;
At the date of the armistice in 1943, 84 of 85 radars in operation were German-built.
Italian Army and Navy have deployed a network of radar detectors and jammers though.
See also:

Cartridges and shells