Vehicles · Italy · 1942-1943
SPA-Viberti AS.42 Sahariana
desert raiding / reconnaissance car
Built on the AB41 armoured car's chassis but with a simpler drivetrain suited to open desert, the AS.42 was Italy's answer to the British Long Range Desert Group's raiding trucks, carrying extra fuel for a range of up to 1,500km. Variants mounted a 20mm cannon, a Solothurn anti-tank rifle or a 47mm gun, and small AS.42 detachments supported Italian and German commando parties operating deep behind Allied lines in Egypt and Libya before the North African campaign ended.
| crew | 3-6 |
|---|---|
| armament | 20mm Breda cannon or Solothurn AT rifle or 47mm gun, 1-3x 8mm machine guns |
| weight | 4.5 tonnes |
| top speed | 84 km/h |
| produced | ~100 |
Mediterranean and North Africa