Italian L6/40 (M6) light tank prototype

Plastic model kit of a prototype of the Italian Carro Armato FIAT-Ansaldo L6/40 (M6) light tank

• Scale 1:35
• Metal and photo-etched parts included
• 4 marking options
  • October 1939, Imperial Camouflage paint scheme
  • 1937-38, Experimental coating scheme
  • 1938, Experimental temporary painting scheme
  • 1939, unknown
• Unbuilt, unpainted
• Paint and glue not included

The Italian M6 prototype with a twin-machine turret was an early development stage of the later L6/40 light tank and was created by Fiat-Ansaldo in the late 1930s. The vehicle stemmed from the Italian Army's requirement for a modern, fully tracked light tank to replace the outdated L3 tankettes. In this early version, the prototype had a small rotating turret with two parallel-mounted machine guns instead of a cannon. The armament thus still reflected the Italian view at the time that a light tank should primarily serve to support infantry and engage unarmored targets.

Externally, the M6 ​​with its twin machine gun already exhibited many features of the later L6/40, but it had a more compact turret and differed from the production vehicles in several details. The running gear consisted of four road wheels per side in two bogies, while the engine and drive were located in the rear. The armor was sufficient for the time against small arms fire and shrapnel, but offered no protection against anti-tank weapons.

During trials, it became clear that the machine gun armament alone was no longer adequate for the demands of a modern battlefield. The increasing prevalence of light armored vehicles and better-protected targets necessitated a more powerful main armament. Therefore, further prototypes with 37 mm cannon armament were developed before the decision was finally made to use the 20 mm Breda autocannon, which was adopted for the production L6/40. The M6 ​​with twin machine guns thus remained an important but short-lived prototype within the development history of the L6/40 and was never mass-produced. Its significance lies primarily in the fact that it marked the transition from Italian tankettes to a true light turret tank and provided valuable experience for later series development.