During Second World War, several vehicles were adapted for employment in special situations, but rare they were those especially produced for certain ends. One of these exceptions is, without a doubt, the Camionetta Sahariana AS-42 (Africa Settentrionale or North African - 1942).
This vehicle was especially developed for the African Desert, in response to the noisy successes of famous British LRDG that, in 1941, it disseminated the panic and the destruction in the rearguard of the German troops in the African front. While LRDG was used of vehicles adapted for your incursions, the Italians wanted a specific vehicle for this job.
In the end of 1941, the Supreme Command of Regiol Esercito emitted construction specs for an fast scout, agile, potent, very armed, of long action ray and with great transport capacity. The Viberti-SpA answered to these specifications with Camionetta Sahariana AS-42 for the desert campaign. For activation and standardization of equipments, Viberti-SpA was used of the same chassis and mechanization of armored-car Autoblinda AB-41.This group was highly efficient and sophisticated for the time, with your four wheels stearing, individual suspensions and 4x4 traction with autoblock central transmission.
The success of Sahariana was continued by the version AS-43, also known as Sahariana II or Metropolitan. She entered in service in the end of the African Campaign and, later, it was used in Italy and in the European Continent. The most evident modifications in relation to the original model were the absence of a line of the lateral jerry-cans, substituted by a great luggage rack and the substitution of the tires for other, more reinforced.
Technical specifications:
Engine: SPA-Abm 6 cyl. in line, rear-back, gasoline, 4995cc and 80 HP
4x4 wheel-drive
Cooling system: Double radiator with two fans
Tires: usually 9.25 x 24 or 11.25 x 24.
Fuel tanks: 2 (frontal and back); 200 lts in each
Autonomy: 800 kms
Weight :4.5 ton
Length: 5.62 m
Width: 2.26 m
Height: 1.80 m
Maximum speeds: 80 km/h in highway; 56 Km/h in desert
Production: from 120 to 150 units (?).
The Saharianas used several types of armaments, such as:
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.
Breda AA 20mm:
CAN 47mm
Solothurn S18/1000 semi-automatic 20mm Anti-Tank Rifle:
After the War, few Saharianas (seemingly, the survivors of all the production) they were used to equip to Police, usually painted in red-oxide, where they were used up to 1954. Unhappily, no Sahariana survived until the days, today.
Camionetta Sahariana AS 42 - Italeri 1/35
Linear Mode
