Type Heavy Truck Designed 1940 | Wars World War II | |
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Place of origin Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946) Used by Regio Esercito
Regia Aeronautica Manufacturer Fiat Veicoli Industriali | ||
The Fiat 666 was a heavy truck produced by the Italian Fiat Veicoli Industriali.
Contents
History
The 666, such as the average corresponding Fiat 626 was produced from 1940 as "Unified" truck: since 1937 in fact by law the War Department required all manufacturers of civilian trucks of standard features regarding weight, number of axles, speed and capacity, in order to simplify logistics in case of requisition by the armed forces. The 626 and the 666, which replaced on assembly lines, respectively, the Fiat 621 and Fiat 632, were the first trucks of the Turin with forward control, or with the engine totally contained inside the cabin. The chassis was longitudinal members on two axes, with front steerable wheels and twin rear drive, wheelbase and track width of 3.85 meters by 1.84 meters; the diesel engine Fiat 366 in 6-cylinder 9365 cc developed 105 hp at 2000 rpm and was characterized by the innovative layout of guides that allow a simple and quick replacement from the front. The gearbox was at 4 forward speeds and one behind with reduction gear. Externally it differed from the Fiat 626 only in size, for the shape of the windscreen and the body. The trailers, from 6260 kg capacity (twice the 626), could carry 20 equipped soldiers.
The vehicle was produced from 1940 to 1945 in civil and NM (Nafta Military) 666N diesel versions (nafta) for the armed forces. In 1943 it was approved at the BM version gasoline for military use, but events prevented the armistice went into production.
The civilian version, also available with a chassis for setting up of buses, had enormous success, being produced also after the war as Fiat 666N7, for a total of 8000 specimens.
Military use
The Fiat 666 is largely acquired by the Italian armed forces: the N-RE version for the Royal Italian Army and the N-RA for the Royal Italian Air Force were captured in different outfits, such as the Bus, Car, Tanker, Fire Engine, Transport quadrupeds, with portacarri trailers Viberti and Bartoletti. After the Armistice of Cassibile are produced 79 NM for the Germans who occupied the Fiat facilities in north Italy. Among the units supplied to the forces of the Italian Social Republic, there is evidence of at least one 666 armored handcrafted from the arsenal of Piacenza, with turret armed with a 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun and supplied to the Republican National Guard.
Fiat 665NM
In 1941 it is developed military-wheel drive version of Fiat 666NM diesel. The vehicle maintains maximum commonality with rear-wheel drive version will go into production for the
armed forces in 1942. After the armistice, 2 copies will be produced for the Wehrmacht.
From this model, in 1942 it was made the armoured personnel carrier version, called Fiat 665NM protected or shielded, used against Yugoslav partisans first and then in northern Italy.