The Breda 20/65 mod.35 (''"Breda
20 mm
20 mm caliber is a specific size of popular autocannon ammunition. It is typically used to distinguish smaller-caliber weapons, commonly called "guns", from larger-caliber "cannons" (e.g. machine gun vs. autocannon). All 20 mm cartridges h ...
L/65 model 1935"''),
also simply known as 20 mm Breda
or Breda Model 35,
among other variations,
was an
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
anti-aircraft gun produced by the
Società Italiana Ernesto Breda of Brescia company during the
1930s and early
1940s
File:1940s decade montage.png, Above title bar: events during World War II (1939–1945): From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching Omaha Beach on D-Day; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of France; The Ho ...
which saw heavy usage during the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, among other period conflicts. It was designed in 1932 and adopted by the Italian armed forces in 1935,
becoming one of two major
20 mm caliber
20 mm caliber is a specific size of popular autocannon ammunition. It is typically used to distinguish smaller-caliber weapons, commonly called "guns", from larger-caliber "cannons" (e.g. machine gun vs. autocannon). All 20 mm cartridges ...
anti-aircraft guns used by Italy during World War II, the other being the
Scotti-Isotta Fraschini 20/70 (Scotti 20 mm), both firing the common
Swiss 20x138mmB "Solothurn Long" cartridge.
The
Royal Italian Army formally designated the gun Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/65 ( "Cannon-Machinegun 20/65"),
with the mount being designated modello 35 (model 1935), or mod.35 for short.
Later, a mod.39 (1939) and a mod.40 (1940) system were introduced, featuring the same gun but in new mounts.
The ''"20/65"'' part of the name refers to the
caliber and
barrel length of the gun (
20 mm
20 mm caliber is a specific size of popular autocannon ammunition. It is typically used to distinguish smaller-caliber weapons, commonly called "guns", from larger-caliber "cannons" (e.g. machine gun vs. autocannon). All 20 mm cartridges h ...
L/65).
Design
Designed as a dual purpose weapon for use against both aircraft and ground targets, it was effective against light tanks, with the armour-piercing round being able to penetrate 30 millimeters of armour at a range of 500 meters. It had a two-wheeled trailer, but due to its structural weakness that limited the towing speed to 20 km/h, the weapon was usually transported on a truck bed instead.
File:Breda 20-65 Mod. 1935 trainato da un mulo.jpg, Breda 20/65 mod 35 on its two-wheeled trailer drawn by a mule.
Naval version
This gun was widely employed by the
Regia Marina
The ''Regia Marina'' (; ) was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy (''Regno d'Italia'') from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the ''Regia Marina'' changed its name to ''Marina Militare'' ("M ...
as a
deck-mounted anti-aircraft weapon in most Italian warships, in both single and twin mountings; considered a fairly efficient weapon, in the widespread Model 1935 twin mounting, it shared with the similar
Cannone-Mitragliera da 37/54 the operating systems and therefore its flaws, namely high vibrations and the requirement for a strong supporting structure. Of the two single mountings (Model 1939 and 1940), the latter (widely used on small units like
corvettes, and
MAS), partly corrected these faults and had a better sight; however, overall the Breda 20 mm was considered somewhat inferior to the
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original German Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon design that appeared very early in World War I. It was widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others, with various models em ...
(used by the Regia Marina from 1941). All the mountings had an elevation of −10 to +90 degrees. The 1935 twin mounting fitted the guns next to each other with the left gun (in direction of aim) placed on a level above the right gun so as to clear the horizontal ammunition feeding port.
In 1940 the
Swedish Navy received a number of Breda 20/65 naval guns as part of their purchase of two
Spica-class torpedo boat
The ''Spica'' class were a class of torpedo boats of the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) during World War II. These ships were built as a result of a clause in the Washington Naval Treaty, which stated that ships with a tonnage of less than 600 ...
s, in Sweden becoming
HSwMS Romulus (27) &
HSwMS Remus (28) in the "Romulus-class". In Swedish service the guns were designated '20 mm automatkanon m/38' (20 mm autocannon m/38), or '20 mm akan m/38' for short. The guns primarily used the Italian naval twin-mount and shared ammunition commonality with the Swedish army's '20 mm akan m/39' (
2 cm Flak 30
The Flak 30 (''Flugzeugabwehrkanone 30'') and improved Flak 38 were 20 mm anti-aircraft guns used by various German forces throughout World War II. It was not only the primary German light anti-aircraft gun but by far the most numerously prod ...
) anti air guns purchased around the same time.
File:20 mm akan m38.png, Swedish 20 mm akan m/38 (20/65 Breda in naval twin-mount) on the Italian built HSwMS Remus (28).
File:AA gun on HMS Romulus.jpg, Swedish torpedo boat HSwMS Romulus (27) with 20 mm akan m/38.
File:20 mm akan m38 firing refined.png, 20 mm akan m/38 during firing exercise.
Use
In addition to use as an
anti-aircraft gun, the Model 35 was mounted as the main armament in several vehicles. It was initially fitted in four
Panzer I
The Panzer I was a light tank produced in Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Its name is short for ( German for " armored fighting vehicle mark I"), abbreviated as . The tank's official German ordnance inventory designation was '' Sd.Kfz. 10 ...
s converted during the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
, by the
Nationalists
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
, in an effort to improve their fighting capability against the
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
T-26
The T-26 tank was a Soviet light tank used during many conflicts of the Interwar period and in World War II. It was a development of the British Vickers 6-Ton tank and was one of the most successful tank designs of the 1930s until its light ...
s fielded by the
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
forces. Later the gun was fitted to
Fiat L6/40 light tanks and the
AB 41
The Autoblindo 40, 41 and 43 (abbreviated AB 40, 41 and 43) were Italian armoured cars produced by Fiat-Ansaldo and which saw service mainly during World War II. Most ''autoblinde'' were armed with a 20 mm Breda 35 autocannon and a coaxia ...
armoured cars.
File:AS42-1.gif, An AS.42 of the Italian Auto-Saharan Company
The Auto-Saharan Companies (''Compagnie Auto-Avio-Sahariane'') were Italian military units specialised in long range patrols of the Sahara Desert. The units operated from the late 1930s to the Italian surrender in 1943.
History
The Saharan com ...
mounted with a Breda 20/65 M35.
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-005-0018-06, Jugoslawien, Polizeieinsatz mit Spähpanzer (cropped).jpg, A Breda 20/65 M35 mounted as the main armament on an Italian AB 41
The Autoblindo 40, 41 and 43 (abbreviated AB 40, 41 and 43) were Italian armoured cars produced by Fiat-Ansaldo and which saw service mainly during World War II. Most ''autoblinde'' were armed with a 20 mm Breda 35 autocannon and a coaxia ...
armored car.
File:Fiat-Ansaldo L6 40.jpg, Fiat L6/40 light tank armed with a Breda 20/65 in its turret.
After the
Winter War
The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...
had begun, Finland bought 88 Breda guns from Italy, the last arriving during the
Interim Peace
The Interim Peace ( fi, Välirauha, sv, Mellanfreden) was a short period in the history of Finland during the Second World War. The term is used for the time between the Winter War and the Continuation War, lasting a little over 15 months, from 1 ...
in June 1940. Five of the Finnish Bredas were lost in action during the
Continuation War
The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet-Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1944, as part of World War II.; sv, fortsättningskriget; german: Fortsetzungskrieg. A ...
. In addition, the four Italian-built
Jymy class motor torpedo boats operated by the
Finnish Navy
The Finnish Navy ( fi, Merivoimat, sv, Marinen) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS", short f ...
each had one 20 mm Breda cannon on the rear deck. The
Finnish Defence Forces
The Finnish Defence Forces ( fi, Puolustusvoimat, sv, Försvarsmakten) are the military of Finland. The Finnish Defence Forces consist of the Finnish Army, the Finnish Navy and the Finnish Air Force. In wartime the Finnish Border Guard (whic ...
used the 20 ItK/35 Breda, as the gun was officially known in that service, as a training weapon for anti-aircraft crews for several decades after the end of World War II. In 1985 there were still 76 guns remaining in the inventory, but all of these were discarded later during that decade.
In North Africa, the
Commonwealth forces captured many Breda Model 35s during
Operation Compass
Operation Compass (also it, Battaglia della Marmarica) was the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) during the Second World War. British, Empire and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces of ...
, enabling the Australian 2/3 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, parts of the 4th Anti-Aircraft Brigade (which had a total of 42 Bredas in its Light Anti-Aircraft batteries during the
Siege of Tobruk) and one battery of 106th (
Lancashire Hussars
The Lancashire Hussars was a British Army unit originally formed in 1798. It saw action in the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War. In 1969, the regiment reduced to a cadre and the Yeomanry lineage discontinued.
Histor ...
) Regiment, RHA to be equipped with them.
Captured Bredas were used by the
Long Range Desert Group
The Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) was a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army during the Second World War.
Originally called the Long Range Patrol (LRP), the unit was founded in Egypt in June 1940 by Major Ralph Alger Bagnold, acti ...
and
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
and
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
vessels including
HMAS ''Vendetta'',
HMAS ''Perth'' and
HMS ''Ladybird'', and at least one
Marmon-Herrington Mk II armoured car.
During the
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
(World War 2 in China),
Chinese Nationalist Army
The National Revolutionary Army (NRA; ), sometimes shortened to Revolutionary Army () before 1928, and as National Army () after 1928, was the military arm of the Kuomintang (KMT, or the Chinese Nationalist Party) from 1925 until 1947 in Chin ...
soldiers used the Breda Model 35 during the
Battle of Xinkou
The Battle of Xinkou () was a decisive engagement of the Taiyuan Campaign, the second of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Prelude
After battles at Na ...
, shooting down 3 Japanese planes. The Breda Model 35 was not only used in the anti-aircraft role but was also used to destroy Japanese tanks and armored vehicles.
Ecuadorian Army
The Ecuadorian Army ( es, ''Ejército Ecuatoriano'', italic=unset) is the land component of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces. Its 160,500 soldiers are deployed in relation to its military doctrine. The contemporary Ecuadorian Army incorporates many jun ...
bought some Breda guns before the
Ecuadorian–Peruvian War
The Ecuadorian–Peruvian War, known locally as the War of '41 ( es, link=no, Guerra del 41), was a South American border war fought between 5–31 July 1941. It was the first of three military conflicts between Ecuador and Peru during the 20th ...
but lost 9 of them during the war.
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 ...
bought 120 Breda guns in 1939 and they were delivered before
invasion of Yugoslavia
Users
*
*
*
*
* – designation: 20 ItK/35, Breda
*
*
* - designation: 2 cm Breda (i)
*
(among various other warring Chinese military factions – see
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
)
*
* - designation: 20 mm akan m/38
*
See also
*
Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/77 (Scotti)
The Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/77 (Scotti) was a 20 mm anti-aircraft gun produced by the Scotti company in Italy, used in World War II, firing a 20x138mmB cartridge.
History
The Italian army had two standard 20 mm anti-aircraft wea ...
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
* Pitkänen, Mika & Simpanen, Timo. 20 mm Suomessa – Aseet ja ampumatarvikkeet ennen vuotta 1945
20 mm in Finland – Weapons and Ammunition prior to 1945. Apali, 2007.
*
Latimer, Jon. Operation Compass 1940: Wavell's whirlwind offensive. Praeger, 2004.
*
Latimer, Jon. Tobruk 1941: Rommel's opening move. Praeger, 2004.
* https://web.archive.org/web/20071117013208/http://www.italie1935-45.com/RE/photoscopes/photoscopebreda20-65.html
*
External links
{{WWIIItalianGuns
Anti-aircraft guns of Italy
World War II anti-aircraft guns
20 mm artillery
World War II artillery of Italy
Breda weapons
Military equipment introduced in the 1930s