Lancia 3 RO

Lancia Ro

The Lancia Ro was the first of a family of Lancia

Lancia

Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...

4x2 heavy truck, starting in 1933. The Ro was built with two versions, a three cylinder gasoline

Gasoline

Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...

(BM) engine or a two cylinder diesel

Diesel engine

A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...

(Nm) engine. The Ro was particularly robust truck, considered reliable, requiring little maintenance, and easy to drive. It was the first Italian truck to receive a 4 speed transmission. From 1934 to 1938 the Royal Italian Army

Royal Italian Army

The Regio Esercito was the army of the Kingdom of Italy from the unification of Italy in 1861 to the birth of the Italian Republic in 1946...

acquired 4,757 Lancia Ro's which were equipped with pneumatic tires where it was used to transport artillery and light tanks.

The Royal Italian Army deployed the Lancia

Lancia

Ro for the first time in North Africa

North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...

in 1935-1936. The 228 Ro's sent there gave full satisfaction to the Italian Army. Ro's traveled over roads and tracks in all temperatures; and did not encounter difficulty in the mountain routes where grades can reach 25%. In Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

Ro's still proved reliable on roads, but its capacities over ground were very limited.

The Lancia

Lancia

Ro was used by Royal Italian Army and Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...

in World War II in all theaters of the war.

The Lancia 3 Ro NM, 6.5-ton 4x2 heavy truck ("Nafta Militare" = Diesel Military)
was manufactured by Lancia

Lancia

from 1938 to 1950 and used by the Royal Italian Army

Royal Italian Army

The Regio Esercito was the army of the Kingdom of Italy from the unification of Italy in 1861 to the birth of the Italian Republic in 1946...

and Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

in WWII

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. The 3 Ro evolved from the earlier Lancia RO in 1938 by receiving a stronger five cylinder engine to replace the weaker two and three cylinder engine, pneumatic tires and an improved transmission

Transmission (mechanics)

A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...

. The Lancia 3 Ro’s design was simple, functional and was considered the most reliable heavy truck of the Royal Italian Army in World War II serving in all theaters of the war. Some 9,490 Lancia 3 Ro’s were built over the course of the war and came in many variants; troop transport, supply transport, 5000 liter fuel tanker, 4,000 liter water tanker, mobile repair workshops, anti-aircraft, and self-propelled guns.

In North Africa

North Africa

and Sicily

Sicily

Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...

with the top of the cab cut away and lower sideboards the Lancia 3 Ro became well suited for desert warfare

Desert warfare

Desert warfare is combat in deserts. In desert warfare the elements can sometimes be more dangerous than the actual enemy. The desert terrain is the second most inhospitable to troops following a cold environment...

serving as a self-propelled gun

Self-propelled gun

A self-propelled gun is form of self-propelled artillery, and in modern use is usually used to refer to artillery pieces such as howitzers....

porting the Cannone da 90/53

Cannone da 90/53

The Cannone da 90/53 was an Italian designed cannon, and one of the most successful anti-aircraft guns to see service during World War II. It was used both in an anti-aircraft role and as an anti-tank gun...

as well as the 100/17 howitzer

Howitzer

A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...

. German armed forces always in need of supplies and material made use of any Ro's and 3 Ro's as well as any another equipment, Italian, or otherwise that came into their possession.

After the Italian armistice

Armistice

An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...

of September 8, 1943, the Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

absorbed commandeered Ro and 3 Ro trucks from their former ally. In April 1944 with the Lancia factory in German controlled Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, German armed forces placed an order for 772 3 Ro's built between January 1944 and February 1945. After WWII

World War II

the 3 Ro was produced until 1950 and remained in service with the Italian Army with the last 3 Ro truck being retired in 1964.

3 Ro War Production Figures

Year Number

1939: 657

1940: 2,646

1941: 3,162

1942: 1,643

1943: 1,205

1944: 51

1945: 1

External Links

http://aermacchi.ifrance.com/photoscopelancia3.htm (French)

http://www.lancia-historie.de/lkw_3ro.html (German)

http://www.german.o5m6.de/lancia_3ro.html (English)

http://www.kfzderwehrmacht.de/ (German and English)

http://ww2armor.jexiste.fr/Files/Axis/Axis/1-Vehicles/Italy/10-Trucks/Lancia-Ro-3Ro/Lancia-Ro-3Ro.htm (French and English)

Lancia military vehicles: | Ro | EsaRo | IZ/IZM

Lancia IZM

The Lancia IZ and the Lancia IZM were two variations of an Italian armoured car built during World War I and which saw limited service during that war, the interwar period, and during World War II.-Design:...

| Lince |

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Lancia Ro

Lancia 3 Ro

3 Ro War Production Figures

See Also

External Links