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The Fiat 3000 was the first tank to be mass-produced in Italy and was an improved version of the French Renault FT. The Renault FT was the first tank in the world to have a fully traversable turret. The Italian government hoped to order the parts from France and construct the tanks in Italy, with the intention of using them against the Austrians. Delays meant that this didn’t happen and instead complete vehicles were delivered in August 1918 just in time to take part in the final battles of the First World War.
The Italian government then decided to produce a modified version of the tank in Italy. Fiat were to design the new tank, and 1,400 were ordered from Fiat, Ansaldo and Breda. At the end of the war this order was dramatically slashed to only 100 vehicles and the speed of development slowed down. The prototype wasn't ready until June 1920, it was tested during 1921 and production models entered service in 1923.
The Fiat 3000 was a little larger than the French original. The Renault petrol engine used in the FT was replaced with a transverse rear engine that was mounted lower in the hull. The Fiat 3000 Model 1921 was armed with two machine guns.
It was followed in the late 1920s by the Fiat 3000B Model 1930. This was armed with a 37mm gun in place of the twin machine guns and had a prominent cupola on the turret. It had exhaust silencers and towing eyes. Both versions were built with a trench crossing tail, but these were removed in 1933. The final version as was the Fiat 3000B Modified (L5-21), a 1936 modification that was armed with twin 37mm guns. The Fiat 3000 was still in service well into the Second World War, although not with the front line armoured units (as was the original Renault FT in France).
Stats Model 1921
Weight: 5.5 tons
Armament: Two machine guns
Armour: 6-16mm
Engine: 50hp
Top Speed: 13mph
Length: 13.63ft
Width: 7.2ft
Height: 5.27ft
Stats Model 1930
Weight: 6 tons
Armament: 37mm gun
Armour: 6-16mm
Engine: 63hp
Top Speed: 13mph
Length: 14.07ft
Width: 7.2ft
Height: 5.37ft