CAMIONETTA SAHARIANA AS-42... SPA 43

[FRANCY RITTER]

HI!!
SHORT HISTORY OF CAMIONETTA SAHARIANA


The Camionetta 42 'Sahariana' - however, they are also referred to as - Camionetta 'Sahariana' AS 42 - or - Camionetta SPA 43 'Sahariana' - (and incidentally the word Sahariana is singular, so if you are talking about more that 1 vehicle it is 'Sahariane').

The letters AS are the Italian code for North Africa, "Africa Settentrionale", which pretty literally translates as "North African" but is often translated as "African Service" in English texts. Any equipment, unit organization, or formation that was designed or organized specially for North Africa was given this designation. In this case, it refers to the mechanical specifications of the vehicle being able to handle the harsh environment.

SPA is a brand name, like FIAT, and they were one of the largest vehicle manufacturers in Italy (they were part of the Fiat group).

42 and 43 refer to respective models, effectively the year of production with each successive model featuring technical and/or weaponry improvements over the previous while retaining the same basic appearance (similar to AB 40, 41, 43 Armoured Cars, M13/40, M14/41, M15/42 Tanks and so on).

Camionetta loosely translates as Jeep, and is usually used to refer to most trucks and soft vehicles modified to mount a weapon and fight "in the front line".



Seeing the excellent results of operations by the first group against the LRDG four new units were raised, called "Compagnie Arditi Camionettisti" (or literally Jeep Scouting Companies) and containing about 100 personnel. These new units were stationed & equipped as follows:

[FRANCY RITTER]

CONTINUES.....

UNIT

103rd Co.Ard.Camion.
24 x AS 42
Stationed in North Africa, it was in action around Sfax & central Tunisia

112th Co.Ard.Camion.
24 x AS 42
(II series)
Stationed in Sicily but may not have been engaged during Allied conquest.

113th Co.Ard.Camion.
24 x AS 42
Stationed in Sicily and participated in defence against Allied conquest.

123rd Co.Ard.Camion.
24 x AS 42
and AS 43
Stationed at Rome and appears to have seen no action (although elements may have fought against the Germans in defence of Rome after the armistice).


Each of these companies consisted of a small HQ and 3 "Sahariana" Platoons, each of 8 AS Sahariane vehicles.

These units served as a normal Recon units rather than long range recon chasing the LRDG & SAS, etc. Elements of the 103rd Co. appear to have been involved in Rommel's Kasserine Pass campaign

112th Doesn't seem to have been in action in Sicily during the invasion, so what happened to it I don't know?

After the armistice on 18 September 1943, the remaining groups appear to have disbanded, although 123rd Coy may have participated in the attempts to deny Rome to the Germans.

SERVICE WITH THE R.S.I.

The R.S.I. (Italian Socialist Republic) later used a few remaining AS 42 and AS 43 vehicles. Seven of these were used by a gruppo of the Xth Mas that served in Russia, and afterwards finished up on the Western Front in France.

[FRANCY RITTER]

AS-42 ....IN THE LIBYAN DESERT

[Emil K.]

Interesting vehicle. Thank you for posting this info.

Emil

[TISO]

Searching for something info (look at the bottom of the post) i found this i would add that first unit was "Raggruppamento Sahariana AS".
from Commando supremo and some other sites

The first unit to be armed with the Sahariana was the "Raggruppamento Sahariana AS" which was active on the African front from November 29, 1942 until April 8, 1943.

The Raggruppamento was equipped with 10 vehicles, their details are:
registration - type : armmament
790B - Sahariana AS-42 : 1 x 20mm AA & 1 x 8mm MG
791B - Sahariana AS-42 : 1 x 47mm CAN & 1 x 8mm MG
792B - Sahariana AS-42 : 1 x 20mm AA & 1 x 8mm MG
793B - Sahariana AS-42 : 1 x 20mm ATR & 2 x 8mm MG
794B - Sahariana AS-42 : 2 x 8mm MG
797B - Sahariana AS-42 : 1 x 20mm AA & 2 x 8mm MG
798B - Sahariana AS-42 : 1 x 20mm ATR & 1 x 8mm MG
SPA TL37 AS : 1 x 47mm CAN
SPA TL37 AS : 1 x 20mm AA
SPA TL37 AS : Unarmed supply vehicle

The two converted SPA TL 37 4x4 Trucks, "Camionetta AS 37", I would guess at their number plates probably being 795 & 796 respectively, but this is only a guess. The 10th vehicle I have no information on, but probably is a SPA TL 37 Truck or similar either to carry supplies, or mounting radio & command equipment. Again, I would guess the number plate is possibly 799 B armata.

The weapons are:
8mm MG: Breda Mod. 37 Medium Machine Gun (which uses 24 round magazines).
20mm ATR: Solothurn S18/1000 semi-automatic 20mm Anti-Tank Rifle (10 round magazines).
20mm AA: Breda Mod. 35 20mm Dual Purpose AA Gun (uses 12 round "chargers").
47mm CAN: 47mm Mod. 37 Anti-Tank Gun.
The Raggruppamento was active on the African front from 29 November 1942 until 08 April 1943 and numerous records (photos and documents) exist of this unit and its vehicles in action.

On the other note i'm searching for info on unit of X MAS (??? 10 °Reggimento Arditi ???) that served with german 2. Fallschirmjaeger Division on eastern front and their equipment (as well as uniforms, helmets etc. worn by their Italian crews)

[TISO]

Google translated from:
http://www.italie1935-45.com/regio-eser ... -sahariana

In multitude of other photos of these cars it also has 3 nice photos of Gruppo Paris AS-42 tipo II with 20mm Breda guns (with artiglio tires) in Ukraine. Purposfully built desert machines with winter whitewash

From September 18th, a small group of 46 arditi truckettisti of the 10th rgt. Arditi, including many of the II btg. stationed at Santa Severa, near Rome, and commanded by Cape. Paolo Paris, decided to continue the fight alongside the Germans. They joined the 2. Fallschirmjäger-Division in Rome with paratroopers from the Div. Ciclone then in training and GG.FF., for a total of about 300 men. They were divided into two units, including one grouping the Arditi with 6 to 9 AS 42 pickups, placed under the orders of the cap. Paris. After a brief training on the Albain Mountains, the unit followed the German division on the Ukrainian front in November by rail. The four patrols were divided into as many companies of the Fallschirmjger Division and used as reconnaissance units. The Italian soldiers initially kept their uniforms before adopting the German uniform at the beginning of 1944, while retaining Italian insignia. In March 1944, the last vans were lost during the fall of the division in Romania.

[bam]

It's my favourite desert light afv. The racks for the ten 20 litre Jerry cans on each side (total:20) was clever, cos in the desert u need lots of fuel + water. If the can is full of fuel its unlikely to explode if hit cos there's no air inside, it'll just leak, which may catch fire, bit it's on the outside dribbling away. And the big benefit is it counts as surrogate armor: no bullet will pass thru a full can. So Armored without a weight expense, cos u gotta carry the liquids anyway (see SAS/LRDG jeeps, full of J cans). And a big open back area for heavy weapons. Way more useful than a jeep. Could carry as much as the SAS chevvies, which were much higher, clumsier, unarmoured.
US special forces in desert areas now use an analogous afv, the warpig, meant for carrying supplies and heavy weapons. Same principle.