The Ansaldo Small Tank

Abstract

The theoretical approach of the military thinkers of the 1930s was in many aspects consistent with practical experience (for example, defining the application tasks of
a light tank). The strategists assessed well the capabilities of light tanks and the inherent possibilities. However, during the 1938 military exercise, the problems related to
the organisation of the supply (fuel consumption) and the maintenance needs of the vehicles (motor and suspension failures) became clear, not to mention the obsolescence
of some views regarding their application. With regard to the use of light tanks, it has become apparent to military planners that light tanks should be brought into action not in small quantities but in a bulk, and that communication between unit commanders and subunit leaders is essential for the effective mass movement of the vehicles.