Lancia 1ZM Armoured Car

Lancia 1ZM Armoured Car an airbrush illustration by Les Still

Lancia 1ZM Armoured Car

Crew;- 6
Armament; Twin 8mm St. Etienne Model 1907 machine guns (see below)
Armour;- 6mm (0.25") maximum.
Dimensions;- Length 18'9" (5.714m), width 6' 4" (1.937m), height 7' 11" (2.499m).
Weight;- combat 9,240lbs (4192kg).
Engine;- four cylinder water cooled petrol engine developing 70bhp at 2,200rpm.
Performance;- Road speed 37mph (60km/h), road range 270 miles (435km), gradient 16%.
History;- In service with the Italian army from 1915 to 1941, Also used by Austria, Albania and both sides in the Spanish Civil War.
Development;- The Lancia was the standard armoured car of the Italian Army during the First World war, having entered service in 1915. Twenty of the first model were built, these being armed with three 6.5mm machine guns, two in the main turret and one in a smaller turret on top of the main turret. The second model, known as the Lancia 1 ZM followed in 1917 and 110 of this model were built. The Lancia armoured car consisted of a standard Lancia light truck chassis fitted with a hull of armour plate with a maximum thickness of 0.24" (6mm), conversion work being carried out by the Ansaldo company. Seven firing slits were provided, three in each side of the hull and one in the rear and two entry doors were provided on each side of the hull. Main armament consisted of two French St. Etienne 8mm machine guns with an elevation of +35" and a depression of -15". Some 15,000 rounds of machine gun ammunition were carried. A third St. Etienne could be mounted in the rear firing port. Four French Chauchat light machine guns were also carried and there were 4,800 rounds of ammunition for these weapons. After World War 1 the French St. Etienne weapons were replaced by Italian FIAT 6.5mm machine guns, which were water cooled, while the Chauchat machine guns were replaced by 8.5mm Model 91 carbines. In 1935 the water cooled machine guns were replaced by FIAT air cooled machine guns. The pair of angled rails at the front of the hull was to assist the vehicle passing through barbed wire obstacles. After World war 1 a few of these vehicles were issued to the Italian police for use in the internal security role. They were used by Italians in China, Spain, East Africa and possibly Libya. They were finally phased out of service in 1941.

from The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of the Worlds Tanks and Fighting Vehicles - Salamander Press