The SPA AS.37 was an Italian military light truck, used during World War II. The AS.37 Autocarro Sahariano was developed from 1937 on the frame of the TL.37 artillery tractor and was especially conceived to be employed in the North African desert. The most significant improvement of this new vehicle was its increased range: 900 km with added water tanks. The A.S.37 could transport 8 men and their equipment in its rear cargo box.

SPA AS.37
TypeLight Truck
Place of originItaly
Service history
Used byItaly
WarsWorld War II
Production history
Designed1937
ManufacturerFIAT
Produced1938-1943
No. builtat least 802 AS.37 / 200 AP.37
Specifications
Mass3.770 kg
Length4.670 m
 lengthwheelbase 2.500 mm
Width2.020 m
Height2.650 m
Crew4

EngineSPA petrol 4-cylinder of 4053 cm3
52 PS (38 kW) at 2,000 rpm
Payload capacity1,530 kg
Transmission4 forward 1 reverse
Suspension4x4
Ground clearance390 mm
Operational
range
870 km
Maximum speed 50 km/h

The Autocarro Protetto 37 (A.P.37) was a light armoured personnel carrier variant. At least 200 were built and served in the Balkans and in Italy. [1]

Overview

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The military authorities did not judge the problem of desert vehicles urgent. FIAT, supported by Marshal Italo Balbo, Governor of Libya, launched its own initiative which resulted in the A.S.37. The first 200 A.S.37 specimens were sent Libya in 1938 and were assigned to Commando LED the Sahara Libico and to Autogruppo della Tripolitania. Marshal Balbo wanted to use A.S.37's for the motorization of the Company Sahariane, which was to have 22 vehicles. In March 1942, 584 A.S.37 were in service, and by 30 April 1943 a total of 802 were in service in North Africa.

The A.P.37 was a specialized armored carrier variant protected with 6-8mm of armor and usually armed with 1 x 8mm Breda machine gun. Troop carrying capacity was typically 7x troops. The A.P.37 was only deployed to Italy and the Balkans.[2]

The crews of A.S.37 put forth very favourable judgements on these vehicles; their four-wheel drive and large diameter wheels prevented them from becoming easily bogged down. The A.S.37 principal defect lay in a silhouette too high and thus too visible.

Bibliography

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  • Gli Autoveicoli tattici E logistici del Regio Esercito Italiano fino Al 1943, tomo secondo, Stato Maggiore dell' Esercito, Ufficio Storico, Nicola Pignato & Filippo Cappellano, 2005
  • Gli Autoveicoli del Regio Esercito nella Assisted Guerra Mondiale, Nicola Pignato, Storia Militare
  • Dal TL 37 all ' A.S. 43, It trattore leggero, the autocarro sahariano, I derivati, artigliery, GMT, Nicola Pignato, Filippo Cappellano

References

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  1. ^ "AUTOCARRO PROTETTO AS37 - Quartermaster Section".
  2. ^ "AUTOCARRO PROTETTO AS37 - Quartermaster Section".