After the end of the First World War, France had the largest tank fleet in the world, but until 1935 only about 280 new tanks were produced. The French military considered themselves victors and thought in terms of the past war, they looked at tanks based on the accepted military doctrine. This doctrine was purely defensive and did not consist in delivering preemptive strikes against the enemy, but in an attempt to halt the enemy's offensive and wear him out in the hope of transforming the war into a positional form, as was the case in the previous war.
They saw in tanks not a means of breaking through the defense and penetrating into the depths of the enemy's territory, but a means of supporting the infantry and cavalry, which remained the main branches of the army. The main tasks of the tank were to support the maneuver and offensive of infantry and cavalry. Based on this, the corresponding requirements were imposed on the tanks. Tanks were considered "stumbling, half-blind bunkers on tracks", which were supposed to have anti-personnel weapons and protection from small arms and field artillery.
There were no armored forces in the French army at that time, the tanks were scattered among the infantry and cavalry formations, which independently ordered equipment for their needs. This is how "infantry" and "cavalry" tanks appeared in France.
After the Nazis came to power in Germany, who adopted the "blitzkrieg doctrine" based on achieving a lightning victory by using large tank formations to break through a narrow sector of the front and penetrate into the depths of enemy territory, France did not change their doctrine, and the development of tanks continued in the same direction. The main tanks of the French army remained light infantry and cavalry support tanks with machine-gun and small-caliber cannon armament, with anti-bullet and anti-cannon protection from field artillery.
In addition, within the framework of the "battle tank" concept, there should be medium and heavy tanks capable of conducting independent combat operations and resisting enemy tanks and anti-tank artillery.
The main tank in the army remained the FT17 light tank and its modifications, which performed well in the previous war. In the interwar period, a whole family of light tanks was also developed and put into production for the needs of the infantry and cavalry.
Light tank FT17
The FT17 tank was the world's first classic-layout tank with a rotating turret, developed in 1916 and became the most massive tank of the First World War. In the previous part, I described in detail its design and characteristics. It was a light tank of riveted design weighing 6, 7 tons, with a crew of 2 people, with a 37-mm Hotchkiss cannon or an 8-mm Hotchkiss machine gun, 6-16 mm differentiated armor, with a 39 hp engine. developed a speed of 7, 8 km / h and had a cruising range of 35 km.
This tank became the prototype for many French light tanks and tanks in other countries. The tank underwent a number of modifications: FT 18 - with a 37-mm SA18 cannon, FT 31 - with an 8-mm Hotchkiss machine gun, Renault BS - with a 75-mm Scheider howitzer, Renault TSV - a radio-equipped tank without weapons with a crew of 3 people, Renault NC1 (NC27) - extended aft hull, 60 hp engine, cruising range up to 100 km, RenaultNC2 (NC31) - chassis with eight road wheels, balanced suspension, rubber-metal track, 45 hp engine, speed 16 km / hour, power reserve 160 km.
Tank modifications were widely used in the French army and were exported to many countries around the world. The FT17 tank was in service with the French army until the start of World War II, a total of 7,820 tanks were produced.
Light tank D1
The D1 tank was created in 1928 on the basis of the Renault NC27 tank as an infantry escort tank and had a classic layout - a control compartment in front, a rotating turret with a fighting compartment in the center and a MTO behind. By increasing the width of the tank, it was possible to bring the crew to 3 people - commander, radio operator and driver.
The driver was located on the left in the hull in the wheelhouse with a three-piece hatch. He could fire from a course 7, 5-mm machine gun Reibel, to his right was a radio operator. Due to the fact that the tank was equipped with a radio station, a double-beam antenna was installed at the stern, because of this, the tower turned only 345 degrees.
A 47 mm SA34 cannon with a coaxial 7, 5 mm machine gun was installed in the turret. On the roof of the tower there was a domed commander's cupola, from which the commander could conduct observation.
The hull design was riveted from rolled armor plates, with a tank weight of 14 tons, it had enhanced armor protection, the armor thickness in the frontal part of the hull and the top of the sides was 30 mm, the lower side of the side was 16 (25) mm, the roof and bottom were 10 mm. The traditional "tail" remained at the stern of the tank to overcome obstacles.
As a power plant on the tank, a Renault engine with a capacity of 65 hp was used, providing a speed of 16, 9 km / h and a cruising range of 90 km.
Undercarriage D1 contained 12 road wheels interlocked in three bogies with spring suspension (one for each bogie), 2 independent road wheels with hydropneumatic shock absorbers, 4 supporting rollers and a large-link caterpillar on one side.
The tank was mass-produced in 1932-1935. 160 samples were produced.
Light tanks AMR33 and AMR35
The AMR33 tank was developed in 1933 as a reconnaissance tank for cavalry and infantry formations. Serially produced in 1934-1935, a total of 123 samples were produced.
It was a lightly armored vehicle with a crew of 2 people and a weight of 5.5 tons. The driver was located in the hull in front of the left, the commander was in the turret and could fire from a 7.5 mm Reibel machine gun mounted in the turret in a ball mount. The turret of the tank was displaced relative to the longitudinal axis to the left side, and the Reinstella engine to the starboard.
The design of the squat hull and hexagonal turret was riveted from rolled armor plates installed at small angles of inclination. The armor was weak, the forehead was 13 mm thick, the sides were 10 mm and the bottom was 5 mm.
The power plant was a Rheinastella 82 hp engine, providing highway speeds of up to 60 km / h and good mobility.
The undercarriage on each side consisted of four rubberized road wheels, two of which were interlocked in one bogie and four support rollers with rubber tires.
In 1934, Renault developed a more advanced modification of the AMR33 tank, which received the AMR35ZT index. While maintaining the layout of the tank, the hull was increased, a large-caliber 13.2mm machine gun was installed in the turret, the weight of the tank increased to 6.6 tons. The tank was mass-produced from 1936 to 1940; a total of 167 samples were produced.
Light tanks AMC-34 and AMC-35
The AMC-34 tank was developed in 1934 in the development of the AMR 33 as a cavalry support tank, produced in 1934-1935, 12 samples were produced. The tank weighed 9.7 tons and was produced in two versions - with an AMX1 turret with a 25 mm Hotchkiss cannon and two crew members and an AMX2 turret with a 47 mm SA34 cannon, a 7, 5 mm machine gun and three crew members.
The hull was riveted, the turret was cast. The booking was at the level of 5-20 mm. Renaull 120 hp engine provided a highway speed of 40 km / h and a cruising range of 200 km.
In 1936, a modification of the AMC-34 tank was developed, which received the AMC-35 index, which was produced until 1939, a total of 50 samples were made. The dimensions of the tank were increased, it began to weigh 14.5 tons. A more powerful 47-mm SA35 cannon with a 32-caliber barrel length was installed, the 7.5 mm machine gun was preserved. Reservation was increased to the level of (10-25) mm, a more powerful 180 hp engine was installed.
Light tank R35
The most massive French light tank, the R35, was developed in 1934 to accompany the infantry, produced in 1936-1940, 1070 vehicles were produced for the French army and 560 for export.
The tank did not have a classic layout, the power plant was located at the rear. Frontal transmission, control compartment and fighting compartment with a rotating turret in the middle of the tank. The crew consisted of two people - the commander and the driver.
The hull structure was assembled from armor plates and armor castings using welding and bolts. The lower part of the sides of the hull were made of armor plates 40 mm thick, the bottom was also made of armor plates 10 mm thick. The frontal part of the hull is 40mm thick, the upper part of the sides is 25-40mm thick and the rear of the hull is 32mm thick were cast from armor steel. The tower was entirely cast from armored steel with a 40 mm thick sides, inclined at an angle of 24 degrees to the vertical and a roof thickness of 25 mm. A cast swivel dome with a ventilation hatch was installed on the roof of the tower. In the roof of the tower there was also a hatch for a flag signaling. The weight of the tank is 10.5 tons.
The turret was equipped with a 37 mm SA18 cannon and a coaxial 7, 5 mm machine gun. A telescopic sight mounted to the left of the gun was used to aim the weapon. On the modification of the R 39 tank, the SA38 cannon of the same caliber with an increased barrel length was installed.
An 82 hp engine was used as a power plant, providing a speed of 23 km / h and a cruising range of 140 km.
The undercarriage on each side consists of five rubberized single track rollers and three rubberized carrier rollers. Four road wheels were interlocked in two "scissor-type" bogies, which consisted of two balancers hinged to each other, the upper parts of which were hingedly connected to each other through an elastic element. The fifth roller is suspended on a balance bar, the spring of which is connected by its other end to the tank hull. The fine-link caterpillar consisted of 126 tracks 260 mm wide.
Light tank N35
The H35 light tank was developed in 1934 to support cavalry formations and was maximally unified with the R35 infantry support tank. From 1935 to 1940 about 1000 samples were produced.
The layout of the tank was similar to the R-35 tank, and cast parts connected by bolts were also widely used in the design of the tank. The cast turret was borrowed from the R35 tank. The thickness of the armor of the forehead of the hull was 34 mm, the thickness of the turret was 45 mm. The weight of the tank was 12 tons, the crew was 2 people.
The armament of the H35 consisted of a 37 mm SA18 cannon and a coaxial 7, 5 mm Reibel machine gun.
A 75 hp engine was used as a power plant, providing a speed of 28 km / h and a cruising range of 150 km.
To eliminate the shortcomings of the H35, an upgraded version of the H38 was developed in 1936, the armor of the hull's forehead was increased to 40 mm and a 120 hp engine was installed. The weight of the tank increased to 12.8 tons, but the speed rose to 36.5 km / h.
In 1939, the H39 version was developed with frontal armor reinforced to 45 mm and a long-barreled 37 mm SA38 cannon. Externally, this tank was distinguished by a taller and angular engine compartment, a track extended to 270 mm. In terms of speed characteristics, the H39 remained at the level of the H38, but the cruising range decreased to 120 km.
Light tank N39
Tanks of these models took part in hostilities at the beginning of World War II and could not seriously resist German tanks.
Light tank FCM36
The FCM36 tank was developed in 1935 as part of a competition for the development of an infantry support tank, the main competitors were the H35 and R35. In total, about 100 samples of these tanks were produced.
The layout of the FCM36 infantry tank was "classic", the crew of the tank was 2 people. In the front of the hull there was a driver's seat, behind him was the commander, who simultaneously performed the functions of a shooter and a loader. An obsolete short-barreled 37-mm SA18 cannon and a coaxial 7, 5-mm machine gun were installed in the turret. The tower was made in the form of a truncated pyramid with four viewing devices, a cannon and a machine gun were installed in a common mask, which made it possible to direct weapons in a vertical plane within the range from -17 ° to + 20 °. The weight of the tank was 12 tons.
Light tank FCM36
A number of fundamentally new design solutions have appeared for this tank. The design of the tank was more complicated than that of the H35 and R35, the armor plates were located at rational angles of inclination, the hull and turret were not riveted, but welded. The tank had good anti-cannon armor, the thickness of the armor of the turret, forehead and sides of the hull was 40 mm, and the roof was 20 mm.
The undoubted advantages of this tank was the installation of a 91 hp Berliet diesel engine, which provided a speed of 25 km / h and significantly increased the tank's cruising range to 225 km, almost doubling it compared to other tanks.
These innovations and ideas with inclined armor plates and a diesel engine were subsequently used in the development of the Soviet T-34 tank.
Light tank FCM36
The undercarriage of the tank was also quite complex. On each side, it consisted of 9 road wheels, eight of which were interlocked in 4 bogies, four support rollers, a front idler and a rear drive wheel. The rollers and the outer elements of the transmission were almost completely covered by a bulwark of a complex shape, in which there were cutouts for dumping dirt from the upper branches of the tracks.
Light tanks of France before the start of the war
The family of light tanks, developed in the interwar period, differed in their low weight, mainly up to 12 tons, with a crew of two, less often three people, the presence of machine-gun, 37-mm and / or 47-mm cannon armament in various combinations, mainly with bulletproof armor, and on samples from the mid-30s and with anti-cannon armor, using gasoline engines that provide speeds up to 60 km / h. The FCM36 tank was fundamentally different, on which a diesel engine was installed, the riveted structure of the hull and turret was replaced with a welded one and anti-cannon armor was provided.
In the interwar period, to 7820 FT17 tanks and its modifications, a significant part of which were operated in the army, 2682 new light tanks were produced, which in quantitative terms represented a serious force, but in terms of the required tactical and technical characteristics and tactics of using tanks, they are largely inferior to German tanks, and at the beginning of World War II this was clearly demonstrated.
