Tank building in our time is one of the leading areas in military affairs. The development of armored vehicles has always been famous for many European powers, including France. It is this country that is considered one of those states that can be safely ranked among the ancestors of the armored forces. Therefore, this article will provide a detailed overview of French tanks, an analysis of the models, and a history of their development.
Background
Everyone knows that the construction of tanks as such began during the First World War. France was the second country to use tanks on the battlefield.
The very first French tank was completely ready in September 1916. Its creator was J. Etienne, who, in fact, is considered the founding father of French tank building. This officer was the chief of staff of the regiment of gunners. He perfectly understood how to change the situation at the front, and therefore he thought through the breakthrough of the enemy’s first line of defense with the help of caterpillar technology. Then, in the occupied territory, he planned to establish artillery and suppress the enemy’s resistance from this position. An important remark should be made here: the armored vehicles, which we call tanks, were called “assault artillery tractors” by the French in those days.
Production start
The top command of France, like most military commanders of other countries of that time, reacted extremely wary and skeptical to the idea of building a tank. However, Etienne was persistent and had the support of General Joff, thanks to which permission was obtained to build a prototype. In those years, the leader in mechanical engineering was the Renault company. It was she who Etienne proposed to open a new era of armored vehicles. But the company management was forced to abandon, citing the fact that they lacked experience with tracked vehicles.
In this regard, the French tank was entrusted to build the company "Schneider", which was the largest manufacturer of various weapons and had experience in booking the tractor "Holt". As a result, at the beginning of 1916, the company received an order for 400 tanks, which later received the name CA1 (Schneider).
Features of the first armored car
Since no specific tank concept was voiced, France therefore received two different tank versions, both of which were based on a tracked tractor model. Compared to the British armored vehicles, the French tank had no tracks covering the entire body along the perimeter. They were located on the sides and directly under the frame. The chassis was sprung, which made it easy to control the machine. In addition, this design provided comfort to the crew. However, the front of the car body hung over the tracks, and therefore any vertical obstacle in the way became insurmountable.
Tank Louis Renault
After it became clear that tank building was a promising area, Etienne again turned to Renault. This time, the officer was already able to clearly formulate the task for the manufacturer - to create a light tank with a small silhouette and minimal vulnerability, the main function of which would be to accompany infantry during the battle. As a result, French light tanks, the Renault FT, were created.
New generation technology
The Renault FT-17 tank is considered the first tank model to have a classic layout (the engine compartment was located at the rear, the fighting compartment was at the very center, and the control compartment was at the front), and there was also a tower that could rotate 360 degrees.
The crew of the car was made up of two - a driver-mechanic and a commander who was engaged in the maintenance of a machine gun or gun.
In the arsenal, the tank could have a gun or a machine gun. "Cannon" option provided for the installation of a semi-automatic gun "Hotchkiss CA18" with a diameter of 37 mm. The gun was guided with the help of a special shoulder rest, which allows vertical aiming in the range from -20 to +35 degrees.
The chassis of the tank was represented by supporting and supporting rollers, steering wheels, a screw mechanism for tensioning the tracks, which, in turn, were large-chain and had a pinion gear.
In the stern of the tank there was a bracket, thanks to which the machine had the opportunity to dump trees with a diameter of 0.25 meters, to overcome trenches and ditches up to 1.8 meters wide and could withstand a roll of up to 28 degrees. The minimum turning radius of the tank was 1.41 meters.
End of the first world war
During this period, General Etienne made an attempt to create independent tank forces, which should have been divided into light, medium and heavy vehicles. However, the general corps had its own opinion, and, starting in 1920, all tank divisions were subordinated to the infantry. In this regard, a division into cavalry and infantry tanks appeared.
But still, Etienne’s enthusiasm and activity were not in vain - until 1923, FCM created ten multi-towered 2C heavy tanks. In turn, thanks to the FAMN firm, a French branch of M tanks appears. The models of these vehicles were interesting in that they used tracks and wheels at the same time. The type of engine could be changed depending on the surrounding circumstances.
Army Motorization Program
In 1931, France began to pay particular attention to wheeled and reconnaissance vehicles. In this regard, the company "Renault" introduced the latest in those days light tank AMR. At this machine, the tower and the body were interconnected using a corner frame and rivets. Armored sheets were mounted at a rational angle. The tower was shifted to the port side, and the engine to the starboard side. The crew included two people. The standard weapons were two machine guns - a Reibel with a caliber of 7.5 mm and a large-caliber Hotchkiss (13.2 mm).
Extraordinary armored vehicle
The maximum development of French tanks was in the period 1936-1940. This was due to the growing military threat, which the French military was well aware of.
One of the tanks that entered service in 1934 was the B1. Its operation showed that it had significant shortcomings: the irrational installation of weapons in the hull, a high degree of vulnerability of the chassis, and the irrational distribution of functional responsibilities between crew members. Practice has shown that in reality the driver had to give up control of the machine and supply ammunition. This led to the fact that in the end the tank became a fixed target.
In addition, the car’s armor caused special complaints. French heavy tanks, like their counterparts from other countries of the world, have special requirements for their protection. B1 did not match them.
And, finally, the most important thing - B1 was too expensive to build, operate and maintain. Of the positive qualities of the machine, it is worth noting its high speed and good handling.
Improved model
When considering French heavy tanks, you should definitely pay attention to the B-1 bis. The weight of this tank was 32 tons, and the size of the armored layer was 60 mm. This made it possible for the crew to feel themselves plucked from German guns, with the exception of the 88 mm Flak 36 anti-aircraft gun. The armament of the tank was also strengthened.
The armored vehicle itself was assembled from cast parts. The tower was also made by casting, and the hull was mounted from several armored sections, interconnected by bolts.
The presence of a hydraulic booster in the tank can be considered an exclusive novelty, which made it possible to control a multi-ton colossus without any difficulties.
As weapons, the SA-35 gun was used with a caliber of 75 mm, which was located on the right hand of the driver. The angle of its elevation was 25 degrees, and the declination - 15. In the horizontal plane, the gun had a rigid fixation.
Also available was a Chatellerault machine gun with a caliber of 7.5 mm. It was fixed just below the gun. Both the driver and the tank commander could fire from it. In this case, an electric trigger was used.
It was possible to enter the tank through an armored door on the right side, hatches located in the tower and above the driver's seat, as well as through two emergency entrances - one was located on the bottom and the other on top of the engine compartment.
Also, this French tank was equipped with self-sealing fuel tanks and a directional gyro. The crew was controlled by a crew of four people. A distinctive feature of the car can be considered the presence of a radio station in it, which at that time was a rarity.
World War II period
The French tanks of World War II were represented by the following vehicles:
- Hotchkiss H35 is a machine developed by Hotchkiss. In its chassis, six road wheels were used on each side. Almost all the details of the tank were cast. The armament was represented by a 37 mm cannon. The armor had a thickness of 34 mm to 45 mm, depending on its location.
- Renault R35 - a tank with a classic layout. The whole machine had bolted and stud connections. The case was cast. Firepower was represented by a cannon and a machine gun. The power plant is a four-cylinder carburetor engine with a capacity of 83 horsepower. Unfortunately, the tank was slow. With its own weight of 10 tons, it could reach a speed of only 19 km / h, which was extremely small to support infantry units.
- Medium Infantry Tank "Renault D-2" - a car with a decent thickness of armor and low speed. The tank’s gun had a diameter of 47 mm, a machine gun - 7.5 mm. The turret and gun were rotated using a manual drive. On each side, 14 road wheels were used.
- Somua S35 - a tank with a rear powerplant. The engine is a carbureted, eight-cylinder with liquid cooling. The chassis was equipped with a mechanical transmission. To control the machine used a double differential. The suspension of the track rollers was mixed. The hull feature was the presence of six armor parts bolted together. The hexagonal tower was solid. It installed a gun and a machine gun. The thickness of the frontal armor was 36 mm, the side armor was 41 mm, the frontal armor of the tower was 56 mm. The disadvantages can only be attributed to the low speed of the tank, especially on rough terrain.
Post-war days
The tank building program adopted in 1946 led to the release of the best French tanks.
In 1951, the light tank AMX-13 rolled off the assembly line. Its distinguishing feature was the swinging tower.
The AMX-30 battle tank began to be produced in the 1980s. Its layout has a classic layout. The driver is located on the left side. The gunner and the tank commander are located in the fighting compartment on the right side of the gun, while the charging fighter is sitting on the right. The volume of fuel tanks is 960 liters. Ammunition is 47 rounds.
The AMX-32 tank has a mass of 40 tons. The armament is a 120 mm gun, an M693 20 mm gun and a 7.62 mm machine gun. Ammunition - 38 shots. On the highway, the tank is capable of speeds of 65 km / h. Arms stabilization system is absent. In the presence of a digital ballistic computer, laser rangefinder. To work at night, the Thomson-C5P camera paired with the gun is used. A circular view can be performed using eight periscopes. The tank is also equipped with a fire extinguishing and air conditioning system, an installation for creating smoke screens.
Export option
If the above models of French tanks were in service with France, then the AMX-40 tank was produced exclusively for export abroad. Guidance and fire control systems give a 90% chance of hitting a target, which may be at a distance of 2000 meters. In this case, from the moment of detection to the destruction of the target, only 8 seconds elapse. The engine of the car is a diesel, 12-cylinder, turbocharged. It is connected to an automatic transmission 7P, which allows you to develop a capacity of 1300 liters. s., however, a little later, the German transmission was replaced by a French counterpart. On the highway, the tank develops a speed of 70 km / h.
