Photos WW2 Italian Forces

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A FIAT 508 CM "Coloniale" field-car nears completion on the FIAT production line in the Turin factory, circa 1940
The "Coloniale" was effectively Italy's "Jeep".
(LIFE / Mydans 1940)

 

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Quite a rare image of Italian "L3 Lf" flamethrowers (Lancia Fiamme) in the field.
These were based on the dimunitive L3/35 Carro Veloce and mounted a long flame-projector in the superstructure in place of the usual machine gun.
The supply of jellied gasoline was towed behind it in a trailer, in the manner of the Churchill Crocodile...but there the comparison ends!
They actually have an "L3 Lf" in The Tank Museum. It can be seen in one of David Fletcher's "Tank Chats"

 

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Italian tanks during the desert war.

 

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An Italian SPA-Viberti AS.42 Sahariana 4x4 desert reconnaissance vehicle of the Compagnie Auto-Avio-Sahariane, North Africa,1940

 

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Crew of an anti-aircraft Breda Cannone-Mitragliera da 37/54 gun takes part in a major gunnery practice aboard heavy cruiser RN Pola. Ionian Sea, September 1940.

 

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Taking a break during a patrol in the Libyan desert, spring of 1942

 

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Italian soldiers shooting Slovenian hostages from village Dane in Loška dolina. Names of victims: Franc Žnidaršič, Janez Kranjc, Franc Škerbec, Feliks Žnidaršič in Edvard Škerbec 31 July 1942

 

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Medium tank Ansaldo M.11/39 in the North African desert

 

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Fiat G.55 Centauro, 1942

 

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Destroyed Italian convoy somewhere in Cirenaica with a Carro Armato M14/41 destroyed by internal explosion, 1941.

 

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Knocked out M13/40, North Africa

 

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Italian soldiers inspect a destroyed M3 Grant tank, Egypt - October 1942.

 

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Macchi C. 200 Saetta and pilot.
From the time Italy entered the Second World War on 10 June 1940, until the signing of the armistice of 8 September 1943, the C. 200 flew more operational sorties than any other Italian aircraft. The Saetta saw operational service in Greece, North Africa, Yugoslavia, across the Mediterranean, and in the Soviet Union (where it obtained an excellent kill to loss ratio of 88 to 15). Its very strong all-metal construction and air-cooled engine made the aircraft ideal for conducting ground attack missions; several units flew it as a fighter-bomber. Over 1,000 aircraft had been constructed by the end of the war.

 

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Destroyed Italian Semovente da 75/34 SPG and a German Halftrack in the Liri Valley NorthWest of Esperia Italy off of road SP8
LIFE Magazine Archives - Carl Mydans Photographer

 

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8th Army personnel with a knocked out Soviet BT-7 tank on the Eastern Front

 

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Crew members of the Submarine "Ciro Menotti" enjoying a meal on the deck of their unit. The Menotti was a Bandiera class submarine that operated in Eastern Mediterranean and also served as transport for supplies destined to the axis forces in Libya.

 

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This day in 1940, Greek troops defeated forces of the Italian 9th Army at Korytsa, Albania. The Greeks took 2,000 prisoners, and captured 135 field guns. Remnants of the 9th Army avoided capture, as the Greek forces were poorly motorized and unable to pursue.

 

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SM.79 Sparviero bomber is escorted by Macchi C.200 Saetta fighters