Fiat 18BL
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The Fiat 18BL was a military truck produced by Fiat for the Italian Army, starting in 1915, developed from the Fiat 18 truck.
History
[edit]In 1914 the Italians were in great need of vehicles, especially trucks, so the War Department tasked Fiat with developing a standard military truck comparable to those used by Britain, France, and Germany. The 18BL turned out to be a sturdy, rugged design and was produced by the hundreds from 1915 to 1921. The 38 hp Fiat CA four cylinder engine gave the truck a top speed of 24 km/h and was mated to a five speed (4 forward, one reverse) transmission.[1] Carrying capacity was 3.5 tonnes with a 165 cm wide wheelbase that allowed for a 6.8 m turning radius.[2] Overall length was 3.5 m and overall width was 1.75 m, and the truck was equipped with a wooded frame and sides covered by a canvas body.[3]
The 18BL proved popular and was used by not only the Italian Army, but also by British, French and Russian forces during World War I where it served alongside the Fiat 15. The 18BL served as the basis for several specialized vehicles, including as a searchlight truck where a generator was mounted to the truck and connected to a searchlight mounted in a towed converted horse cart. An improved model, the Fiat 18BLR, was introduced with smaller wheels, heavier springs, and a larger body with a top speed of 21 km/h.[4] The BLR was used as an "autocannoni" anti-aircraft gun, fitted with a Cannon 76/40 Model 1916.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ "Fiat 18BL Lorry". www.landships.info. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
- ^ "Fiat 18 BL compie centodieci anni il celebre camion militare - Veicoli Commerciali - Ansa.it". Agenzia ANSA. March 12, 2024.
- ^ "Fiat 18BL – CRCS Onlus".
- ^ "Fiat 18 BL - 1915". www.esercito.difesa.it. Italian Army. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
- ^ Pignato, Nicola; Spraggins, Mathau (2010-01-01). Italian truck-mounted artillery in action. Squadron/Signal Publications. ISBN 9780897476010. OCLC 917891702.