World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe Autoblinda 41, or AB 41, armored cars were built by the Italian firm Ansaldo-Fossati starting in 1941. They had two driving positions, one in the front and one in the rear, thus increasing flexibility in tight terrain, though this required two of the four men crew to be trained as drivers. They were typically armed, in turrets, with 20-millimeter Breda Model 35 anti-aircraft guns that could also serve in the anti-tank role. They first saw combat in the Spanish Civil War, followed by extensive use in the Desert War and in the Balkan Peninsula. As WW2 went on, they also saw service in the Soviet Union. A variant design of the AB 41 armored cars had special wheels fitted so that they could drive on rail tracks; they were mainly used in the anti-partisan role in the Balkans. After the Italian surrender in 1943, German troops confiscated 57 of them, and continued to produce them in northern Italy under the designation Panzerspähwagen AB41. Between 1941 and 1945, 550 of them were built.

SPECIFICATIONS

AB 41

Machinery	One SPA 6-cylinder gasoline engine rated at 80hp
Suspension	4x4 Wheel
Armament	1x20mm Breda Model 1935 gun (456 rounds), 2x8mm Breda Model 38 machine guns
Armor	17mm max
Crew	4
Length	5.20 m
Width	1.92 m
Height	2.48 m
Weight	7.5 t
Speed	78 km/h
Range	400 km

Photographs