The Fucile Mitragliatore Breda modello 30 was the standard light machine gun of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Breda Modello 30 was issued at the squad level in order to give Italian rifle squads extra firepower. As a light machine gun it had many issues including jamming and overheating. It was fed by 20 round stripper clips. Despite all its faults it formed the main base of fire for infantry units during the war.

Background

After World War One the Regio Esercito was looking for a gun to replace the previous SIA Mod.18, a light machine gun adopted in the really last months of the war.

In the competition started in the early 1920s various machine guns were trialled, the main ones were the Fiat Mod. 26 tested in competition with the Breda 5C, and, some years later, the Fiat Mod.28 tested against the Breda 5GF.

While both designs still weren't deemed as satisfactory, the Army ultimately chose an improved version of the Breda, which was simpler to build. The Breda 5GF was further refined and finally the Mod. 30 was adopted by the Army.

After the adoption of the Breda Mod.30 the Army continued with testing other machine guns, like the Brixia 930 proposed by M.B.T. and various Scotti, S.I.S.T.A.R. and O.M.I. models.

Design

The Breda 30 was fed from a fixed magazine attached to the right side of the weapon and was loaded using brass or steel 20-round stripper clips. If the magazine or its hinge/latch were damaged the weapon became unusable.

Most Breda 30s were chambered for the 6.5×52mm Carcano cartridge, while export versions were chambered for the 7×57mm Mauser and 7.92×57mm Mauser: the former being sold in some numbers for South American countries and the latter bought by the Baltic countries. In 1938, the Italian Army introduced the 7.35×51mm Carcano cartridge in an attempt to improve the lethality of its service rifles and light machine guns, but ultimately, only a few were converted to the new cartridge.

According to Pignato, it was a well-built weapon despite the rather delicate magazines. It also required a large amount of machining to produce, making it considerably more expensive in comparison to the LMGs used by other belligerent nations during World War II.

Variants

thumb|right|Breda Mod. 5C mounted on a tripod

All the Breda variants were mechanically identical to each other, and used a fixed 20-round magazine.

  • Breda Mod. 5C − Prototype, mounted on a tripod. Fitted with spade grips and a detachable wooden stock, it was built in 2.000 units. The name was officially changed in Breda Mod. C in 1929.
  • Breda Mod. 5G − Prototype, the tripod mount was replaced with a bipod and a fixed wooden stock with a pistol grip was added, together with a retractable monopod, 700 units built. The name was initially changed in Breda Mod. 5G.F. then in Breda Mod.29.
  • Breda Mod. 30 − Production model, with a diagonal pistol grip
  • Breda Mod. 38 − Production model chambered for the 7.35×51mm Carcano

Service history

In regular army units, one Breda 30 was issued to each squad (standard issue was 24 to 27 per battalion), although this was changed to two weapons per squad in 1938. An Italian infantry company therefore had about twelve light machine guns (four per platoon) throughout World War II.

An infantry platoon was divided into two large squads, each of eighteen men, which were further split into rifle and light machine gun sections. The squad was commanded by a sergeant, while a corporal controlled each LMG section. The latter was made up of one Breda 30s, each manned by a Section leader, a gunner, and two ammunition bearers. These guns were produced by the company Fabbrica Nazionale d'Armi in Brescia, under direct control of the Wehrmacht. Another reported problem was the lack of a proper carrying handle, making the gun awkward to move around. In the Balkans, Eastern Front and other theatres of war, the weapon achieved better results.

  • − 7.92×57mm Mauser version
  • − 7.92×57mm Mauser version
  • − 7.92×57mm Mauser version

References

Bibliography

  • SPWAW article