All French tanks. French tanks. Army motorization program

French armored vehicles in World War II

Leo Cherry

INTRODUCTION

On May 10, 1940, an event took place that completely changed the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bhumanity about war as such. German troops crossed the borders with Belgium, Holland, France and Luxembourg over the next ten days (10.05-20.05.1940) defeated in a series of oncoming battles the best army in the world, which had the status of "winner in the First World War", based on the most powerful in the history of mankind defensive lines and which had the support of the entire West. In the next 10-15 days, the complete and final defeat of this army and its allies took place, then for another 15-20 days the most grandiose trophies in the history of mankind were systematically collected.
Among them, the Germans received more than 4,500 tanks, self-propelled guns and tankettes, which subsequently used throughout the war. The Germans left only a few armored cars to the Vichy government, and included the rest of the French, Belgian and English armored vehicles in their armored forces.
Of all 2909 units of German armored vehicles, only 1150 had anti-cannon armor (25-30mm) and an anti-tank gun (37-75mm).
The Allies had at least 3,295 vehicles with anti-shell armor, and 2,300 Allied tanks had guns capable of hitting any armored unit in service with the German army, including even the PzKpfw IV and StuG III. While more than 1600 German vehicles (PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II) did not have any special chances at all in a collision with any armored unit of the French army, except maybe only tankettes of the AMR 33 type.
In fact, the armored forces of the allies had almost a threefold tactical advantage over the enemy in terms of armor and guns (this will be written in detail).
This article will be devoted to an analysis of why, having such a superiority in forces, the Allies suffered such a quick defeat, and why such a huge number of their armored vehicles were adopted by the victorious side (an exceptional phenomenon in the military history of mankind!) And this article will be devoted.

1. FRENCH ARMOR VEHICLES.

1.1. FRENCH WEDGES AND OBSOLETE TANKS:

French wedges were represented by two models:

1. AMR 33 (123 units made - transferred to the Wehrmacht as Panzerspahwagen VM 701(f).)
2. AMR 35 (more than 240 pieces were made - transferred to the Wehrmacht as Panzerspahwagen ZT I 702 (f).)

The design features of French wedges are:
a) quite serious armor for such vehicles (13mm forehead and 5-10mm hull)
b) a powerful engine (about 82 hp), which gave a specific power with the weight of the machines themselves 5-6.5 tons - 16.5-14hp / t. Together with an excellent tracked chassis, this provided the French tankettes with a speed on the highway of the order of 55-60 km / h, overcoming a ditch 1.5 m wide and climbing up to 40 degrees, which made them perhaps the best cars in their class. Even a 25 mm automatic cannon was installed on the AMR 35, and the Germans used some of the vehicles as a tracked base for the 8 cm G.W.34 mortar.

The hull and turret of the tank were assembled on a corner frame of steel armor plates using riveted joints. The armor plates had small angles of inclination. The tank turret was shifted relative to the longitudinal axis to the port side, and the Reinstella engine was shifted to the starboard. The machine gun was mounted in the turret in a special ball mount. The layout of the tank was classic - in front of the control compartment and fighting compartment, in the rear of the vehicle on the right was the engine. The crew of the tank was two people. One of them served as a driver and was located in the car body in front on the left, almost in front of the tower itself. Another crew member acted as a commander and was in the turret, firing, if necessary, from standard weapons - a 7.5 mm Reibel machine gun with 2,500 rounds of ammunition. The AMR 35 variant also provided for the installation of a 13.2-mm Hotchkiss heavy machine gun with an ammunition load of 750 rounds on late release versions or a 25-mm automatic cannon.

By the start of World War II in September 1939, the French armed forces had 139 AMR 35s in three modifications: 129 AMR 35 ZT and 10 AMR 35 ZT2/AMR 35 ZT3. They were part of the following divisions:

1st Motorized Dragoon Regiment Regiment Dragons Portes (RDP) of the 1st Mechanized Cavalry Division Division Lxgxre Mecanique (DLM) - 69 vehicles.
4th RDP 2nd DLM - 69 vehicles.
7th tank reconnaissance group Groupe de Reconnaissance de Division d "Infanterie (GRDI) 1st mechanized infantry division Cavalry Division d'Infanterie Mecanique (DIM) - 4 vehicles.
6th Panzer Reconnaissance Group GRDI 3rd DIM - 4 AMR 35 ZT2/ZT3 tanks.

Despite some shortcomings, the tanks had high speed and good maneuverability, for which they enjoyed well-deserved respect in the French armored units and divisions. In the tankette class, they can be called excellent machines!

The Germans actively used them throughout the war as patrol, security and reconnaissance vehicles, as well as during the counterguerrilla war.

3. Renault FT-17/18

The next model is the famous Renault FT-17, which passed from the First World War, and its modification Renault FT-18. Developed in 1916-1917 under the leadership of Louis Renault as an infantry close support tank. Adopted by the French army in 1917.

A distinctive feature of the Renault FT-18 model from the basic version of the First World War is the presence of a cast turret with a Puteaux SA 18 cannon and 22mm armor. At the same time, the base of the tank was the same from Renault FT-17 (riveted armor to a single frame of 16mm sheets, 45 hp engine, classic layout for a crew of 2 people).
In total, 3737 units were delivered to the French army. Renault FT-17/18, all models and types.

By the time of the German attack on France in May 1940. about 1580 vehicles of this type served in the French army, with at least 500 pcs. of which later moved to German army, where they were used under the indices: Pz.Kpfw.17R 730(f) or Pz.Kpfw.18R 730(f).
What is the reason for the "survivability" of this model? There are several such reasons:

A) extremely unpretentious and simple machine. Easy to operate and versatile to use. In the French version, the Puteaux SA 18 gun had an armor-piercing projectile capable of hitting all types of tankettes and light tanks with bulletproof armor. Its armor penetration was about 12-15mm at a distance of up to 200m.
It could be used both as a patrol vehicle and for reconnaissance and for escorting infantry and for destroying tankettes and some enemy light tanks. The Germans also often used it as a training vehicle.

B) the French modernized them pretty well and tried to squeeze the maximum possible out of the main workhorse of the First World War. Moreover, curiously, the Soviet analogue of the Renault FT-18 - the T-18 tank was withdrawn from service by the beginning of World War II and most of the vehicles were dismantled, but the French vehicles continued to serve and were indispensable for protecting airfields, reconnaissance and partly in counterguerrilla warfare.

C) Renault FT-17/18 was a relatively simple tank, characterized by low ground pressure - 0.6 kg / cmx, which is important when driving over rough terrain. The tank could overcome trenches up to 1.8 meters wide and slopes up to 35 °. It was well booked for vehicles of this class (16-22mm) and had a Puteaux SA 18 cannon (21cal) and a 7.92mm Hotchkiss machine gun as its main armament.

Its main weak point was its low speed (17-22 km/h), associated with a weak engine and an outdated agenda.
At the same time, tankettes of the PzKpfw I type and a number of others had no chance in a collision with Renault FT-17/18. During the Polish campaign in September 1939, in the battle near Brest, only 12 of these vehicles stopped 76 German tankettes and destroyed at least 20 enemy armored vehicles.
Renault FT-17/18 was invulnerable to machine guns or even to fire from 20mm PzKpfw II guns. Its narrow contour made it difficult to hit by anti-tank guns, as well as aircraft. Renault FT-17/18 was inconspicuous and easily blended into any background, from greenery to arable fields to an armored object. In turn, he could hit any light armored vehicles of the enemy at a distance of up to 500m with an armor-piercing projectile of the Puteaux SA 18 cannon, and shoot enemy infantry from a machine gun and the same SA 18 cannon, but with fragmentation grenades and buckshot.

It was a modest but difficult enemy, whose main task was to support the advance of the infantry and destroy the barbed wire and machine-gun nests of the enemy.

In total, in the French army was on May 10, 1940. up to 2000 AMR 33/35 and Renault FT-17/18 units. About 700 of them later served in the armored forces of the Wehrmacht.

1.2. LIGHT TANKS

Light tanks of the French Armed Forces in 1940 were represented by the following models:
1) R35 - 1935 - basic modification, the thickness of the side walls of the tower with an angle of inclination of 32 ° was 40 mm, the frontal part - 43 mm, 37 mm gun SA18 L / 21. 1237 units were produced.
2) R39 - 1939 - modification, with a SA 38 gun with a barrel length of 34 calibers, 273 units were produced.
3) R40 - 1940 - version with a new undercarriage of 6 small diameter road wheels on board with vertical spring suspension, about 120 units were produced
4) H35 - 1935 - the first serial modification, 34 mm circular armor, 37 mm SA18 L/21 gun.
5) H38 - 1938 - a modification equipped with a 120 hp engine, circular armor increased to 40 mm, with an increased weight of up to 12.8 tons.
5) H39 - 1939 - modification with hull frontal armor reinforced to 45 mm and SA 38 gun with a barrel length of 34 caliber. Outwardly, this tank was distinguished by a higher and more angular engine compartment, caterpillar tracks extended to 270 mm, and metal contours on the road wheels.
7) FCM 36 - with 37 mm SA18 L / 21, armor - forehead - 40 mm, body - 20 mm. and a 96hp engine. With.
Thus, the French had 1,630 R 35/39/40s and 1,250 H35/38/39s and 100 FCM 36s.

A distinctive feature of all models of French light tanks was powerful armor for such vehicles!
The armor of the French "light" tanks was anti-cannon and poorly differentiated, it was a circular casting of the same thickness. At the same time, the frontal armor of the hull and turret was 40/45mm at an angle of 60 degrees, the sides (hull and turret) - 30/45mm at an angle of 30-70 degrees. and the side of the hull - 30-45mm. For comparison, the armor level of the famous Soviet T-34-76 was just the forehead - 45mm / 60gr. and board - 45mm./40deg. Thus, the French "light" tanks R 35 and H35 were practically not inferior (!!!) in terms of protection to our "medium" T-34-76 and decisively surpassed all other Soviet models, both T-26 and BT, and were second only to heavy KV-1/2. Of the German ones, in terms of security, they were inferior only to the T-III and T-IV, and not the earlier, but later models, which appeared only after 1940.

The second distinctive feature of "light tanks" is cast turrets, sometimes cast hulls of vehicles.

The third distinctive feature: a narrow contour and a small silhouette.
Tank sizes:
Case length - 4200mm,
Hull width - 1850mm,
Height - 2376mm,
Ground clearance - 320mm.

The approximate volume of "reserved space" with such dimensions and slopes of armor plates is about 6.5-7m3 (against 12.5m3 for the T-26 or about 20m3 for the T-34-76).

As a result, despite the powerful armor, the cars had a fairly low weight, ranging from 10.4-12.8 tons. depending on the model and the crew of only two people.
With such powerful armor and low weight, they had an extremely weak engine, namely an in-line 4-cylinder liquid-cooled carburetor engine manufactured by Renault, which developed a power of 82hp. at 2200 rpm.
The speed of the tanks was 10-19 km / h. H38/40 with 120hp engine - about 25-30km/h.

Three main disadvantages:

A) weak engine
b) a weak 37mm cannon SA18 L/21 or SA 38 with a barrel length of 34 calibers. The first had armor penetration up to 10-12mm at a distance of up to 200m. The second 35-28 mm at distances up to 200-500m. This was quite enough to cope with the German armored vehicles of the 40th model, but not enough against Soviet tanks type T-34 or KV. Other models, such as the T-26 and BT, were easily hit by the French.
c) Weak communication system.

Total, models with the SA18 L/21 gun were produced
R35 - 1237pcs.
H35 - 401pcs.
FCM 36 - 100pcs.
Vehicles with a more powerful gun SA 38 (37mm. 34cal. armor penetration at a distance of 500m - 32-36mm) were, respectively:
R35 - 393 pcs.
H35 - 800 pcs.
If the first gun could hit the Germans with a maximum of PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II, then the second gun quite easily hit at a distance of up to 500-1000m both PzKpfw III and PzKpfw IV with their 30 mm frontal armor.
It was after the French campaign that the German leadership decided to increase the armor of medium tanks to 50-60mm.

In total, France had at the time of May 10, 1941. R 35 - 1300 pcs. (340 machines of this type were exported before the war), H35 - 1200 units. and FCM 36 - 100 pcs. Of which, approximately 1400 units were with the SA18 L / 21 anti-personnel gun, and about 1200 vehicles were already with the normal SA 38 anti-tank gun.
All models had a 1x7.5 mm Reibel machine gun as a secondary weapon.
After the campaign, in which France was defeated, the Germans captured in perfect condition and put into service, respectively:
R35/39/40 - 806-840* pcs. under the name Panzerkampfwagen 35R (f)
H35/38/39 - 604-810* pcs. under the designation Panzerkampfwagen 35H 734(f)
FCM 36 - 25-37 pcs. were almost immediately converted into self-propelled guns 7.5 cm RAK 40 (Sf), (Marder I).
* The difference in estimates is due to the lack of accurate data on the use by the Germans of damaged, but repairable vehicles for conversion into self-propelled guns, armored tractors or ammunition transporters. Data varies from source to source, and the lowest estimate will be taken for purity, but the top estimate is also worth checking.

In total, Greater Germany served at least 1435 "light" French tanks, some of which directly fought in the German troops, and more than 400 vehicles were converted into anti-tank self-propelled guns.

5 tanks PzKpfw 35R, June 22-30, 1941, participated in the assault on the Brest Fortress, and three of them were shot down and decommissioned during this assault!

1.3. MEDIUM AND HEAVY TANKS OF FRANCE.

Medium tanks were represented by types:
1.) Char D1 - 160 pcs. (passed to the Wehrmacht - 80 units)
2.) Char D2 - 100 pcs. (passed to the Wehrmacht - 70 units)
3.) S35 - 427 pcs. (passed to the Wehrmacht - 297 units)
Heavy - one single type:
Char B1 - 407 pcs. (passed to the Wehrmacht - 161 units)

In addition, the anti-tank self-propelled guns of the Third Republic were represented by one single type, namely the Laffly 15TCC - 70 pcs. (passed to the Wehrmacht - 62 units).
What were these cars?

The Char D1 tank was a development of the Renault NC27 line, which was not included in our statistics due to the fact that it was not adopted by the French troops, but was exported. It had 30mm frontal armor, but unlike its analogue, it was already armed with a 47mm SA34 cannon (which will be discussed below). This light car (weight 12 tons) had a weak engine (65hp) and extremely low speed (15-18km/h). Used to escort infantry and to patrol the area in the colonies.

More interesting will be the Char D2, which is a development of the previous model, but with armor up to 40mm, a new APX4 turret and armed with a more powerful SA35 cannon. The forehead armor of the turret was 56mm, the turret itself was cast. Inline 6-cylinder liquid-cooled carburetor with a power of 150hp. gave the tank a speed of up to 30 km / h. The weight of the machine has already reached 19.75 tons.

It is this tank that leads us to the "famous" S35, almost all of whose representatives later perished in the harsh steppes of the USSR.

S35 (fr. Char 1935 S, also S-35 and Somua S35) is a French medium tank of the 1930s. It is these tanks under the German crosses that shine in the photograph in the title of the article, at the head of the H39 “subordinates” to them at the parade in Paris in 1941. These tanks went through the entire Great Patriotic war. They stormed Brest fortress, burned near Moscow, froze in the steppes near Stalingrad, examined the sights of the Crimea and even fought in doomed Berlin on the 45th. Photos with these tanks capture almost all the major events of the Great Patriotic War. 297 machines of this type were put into service in the Panzerwaffe and almost all of them died heroically for the glory of Great Germany.

The tank was developed by Somua in 1934-1935 as the main tank of the armored cavalry units, which is why the literature is sometimes classified as a "cavalry" or "cruising" tank. The first pre-series S35s were produced in 1936, and its mass production began in 1938 and continued until the defeat of France in June 1940. A total of 427 tanks of this type were produced.

The S35 had differentiated anti-projectile armor protection. The car had 36mm / 22grad. frontal armor and 35 - 25 / 10deg. side armor. A cast tower of the APX1 or APX 1 CE model was installed, which was made in one piece and had 56mm frontal and 45mm aft armor.

The hull of the tank was made by casting from homogeneous armor steel and consisted of four parts: the "bath" of the hull (to the level of the fenders), assembled from two parts connected along the longitudinal axis, and two upper parts - the aft, covering the engine compartment, and the front covering the control and combat compartments. The parts were connected with bolts.

The armor thickness of the "bath" of the hull was 36 mm in the rounded frontal part (which had an angle of inclination of no more than 30 ° to the vertical), 25 mm in the sides (additionally covered with 10 mm screens above the undercarriage), and in the stern - 25 mm at an inclination of 30 ° in at the bottom, and 35mm at the vertical top. The forehead of the upper half of the hull had a thickness of 36 mm and consisted of a rounded lower part (mostly having angles of 45 ° or more), and an inclined upper part located at an angle of 22 °. The sides of the upper half had a thickness of 35 mm (at an angle of inclination of 22 °), and the feed - 25 mm (at an inclination of 30 °). The thickness of the bottom of the hull was 20 mm, the roof of the hull - from 12 to 20 mm (at an angle of inclination of 82 ° above the engine compartment). Measurements of the captured S35, carried out in the USSR at the Kubinka training ground, gave more results: 45mm for the frontal part and 40-45mm for the sides.

The S35 was powered by a 190CV V8 liquid-cooled V8 carbureted engine with a displacement of 12,666cc and a maximum output of 190hp. at 2000 rpm The engine was located in the engine compartment along the longitudinal axis of the tank, and two fuel tanks (the main one with a capacity of 310 l, and the reserve one with a capacity of 100 l) were located to the right of it. Also, up to four external fuel tanks could be installed on the starboard side of the tank. The radiator was located above the transmission on the right, while its fan was located opposite it. The control of the tank was carried out, instead of traditional levers, using a steering wheel connected by cables to the onboard clutches. To control the brakes of the tank, the driver had a hydraulic servo.

The engine provided a decent speed of up to 45-50 km / h and a cruising range of 260 km, with a combat vehicle weight of about 19.5 tons.
The main armament of the S35 was the 47 mm SA 35 U34 semi-automatic rifled gun. The gun had a barrel length of 32 calibers (1504 mm), which allowed its armor-piercing projectile to reach an initial velocity of 671 m/s. According to French data, at a distance of 400 meters, an armor-piercing projectile pierced armor up to 35 mm thick. According to German - up to 50mm at the same distance. Both that and another at an angle of a meeting 30 deg.

Thus, at a distance of 1000 m, this gun could penetrate 30mm. armor and hit any unit of armored vehicles in service with the Wehrmacht in 1940. And the S-35 itself, the PzKpfw III guns or even the 75-mm PzKpfw IV guns, could only hit at a distance of less than 200m, and at the same time only on board.

Switching to the Wehrmacht's spell under the name Pz.Kpfw. S35 739 (f), he is on a short time became the most powerful tank there, after the French Char B1.
The first units equipped with Pz.Kpfw. S35 739 (f), were formed in late 1940 - early 1941. These were the 201st and 202nd tank regiments, each of which consisted of two battalions, which in turn included three light companies. In addition, a separate 301st tank battalion was equipped with S35 tanks, later included in the 202nd regiment instead of its second battalion sent to Finland. In addition to units equipped exclusively with S35 tanks, mixed units were also formed with platoons of Hotchkiss H35 tanks, in which S35 served as command vehicles. In one quantity or another, S35s were in service with the 100th, 203rd and 204th tank regiments, as well as the 202nd, 205th, 206th, 211th, 212th, 213th, 214 th and 223rd separate tank battalions.

Thanks to its balanced combination of relatively high firepower, protection and mobility for its time, the S35 was considered by many historians as one of the best tanks in the world at the beginning of World War II, as well as the most successful French tank of that period. But at the same time, it had a number of shortcomings that significantly reduced its effectiveness.

So, we come to the final of our list, namely:

Char B1 is a French heavy tank from the 1930s. Developed since 1921. But it was adopted only in March 1934. During serial production, from 1935 to June 15, 1940, 403 B1 tanks were produced in various options. B1 was actively used in battles with German troops in May-June 1940, despite the fairly archaic design, showing excellent security. Almost half of the vehicles produced after the surrender of France were captured by the Wehrmacht and used by them until 1945, also serving as the basis for the creation of self-propelled artillery mounts and flamethrower tanks based on them. In total, the Germans got 161 tanks - they renamed them Pz. Kpfw. B2 740(f). Of these, 16 tanks were converted into 105-mm self-propelled guns, and about 60 more tanks were converted into flamethrower tanks.

B1 had a layout with the main armament in the frontal part of the hull, and the auxiliary - in a rotating turret. The engine and transmission were located in the rear of the tank. The crew of the tank consisted of four people: a driver, who also served as a shooter from the main gun; loading both guns; radio operator and tank commander, who was also a shooter and partly loading 47-mm guns.

The main weapon of the Char B1 bis tank was a semi-automatic gun of 75 mm caliber, model 1935, with a barrel length of 17.1 calibers. In the French service manual, it was designated as “Canon de 75 mm SA 35” or “Canon de 75 mm S.A. 1935", where S.A. meant "semi-automatique". For combat shooting, two types of shots were used, which had the same cartridge case of the 1934 model (Douille Mle 1934) 245.7 mm long: with a high-explosive fragmentation projectile of the 1915 model (I'obus explosif Mle 1915) and an armor-piercing projectile of the 1910 model. (I'obusde rupture Mle 1910). The armor-piercing sharp-headed projectile with a bottom fuse had a length of 238.2 mm and a mass of 6.4 kg. His shot, weighing about 8 kg, was loaded with 525 g of B.S.P. The initial velocity of the projectile was 470 m/s. But the main purpose of the Canon de 75 mm SA 35 was to shoot at enemy manpower and destroy light field fortifications. A high-explosive fragmentation projectile with a head fuse had a length of 264 mm and a mass of 5.315 kg. His shot weighing about 7 kg was loaded with 540 g of B.S.P. The initial velocity of the projectile was 500 m/s.

The semi-automatic cannon "Canon de 47 SA 1935" of 47mm caliber installed in the turret was specially designed for tank turrets manufactured by ARCH. This gun had a monoblock barrel 1.50 m long with 20 grooves 0.4 mm deep. According to the manual of the Char B1 bis service (1939), the 47mm Char B1 bis cannon had 30 armor-piercing and 20 fragmentation shells. In the crew compartment, to the right and below the 75mm gun, a 7.5mm Chatellerault Mle. machine gun was fixed, and in 1931. The turret was equipped with an additional 7.5mm machine gun with left-hand loading Reibel Mle. According to the Char B1 bis service manual (1939), the machine gun ammunition included 5100 rounds.

Reservation: forehead of the hull - 60mm. / 60 degrees. side of the hull - 60mm / 0 degrees. The forehead of the tower and the mask of the 47-mm gun - 56mm., Feed - 45mm.
Char B1: Renault engine, in-line, V-shaped, 6-cylinder, 250 hp. at 1600 rpm. Transmission Naeder, hydraulic, 5-speed gearbox, double differential. Char B1bis: Renault engine, in-line, V-shaped, 6-cylinder, 307 hp. at 1600 rpm. Transmission Naeder, hydraulic, 5-speed with FIEUX shifter,

Char B1: The original version of the tank. Production began in 1935. The main armament is a 75 mm SA35 gun. A 47mm short-barreled SA34 gun was installed in a small turret, which was ineffective against tanks with more than 20mm armor. Due to its slowness and insufficient armament, it was outdated by the beginning of World War II, however, it could still be used as an infantry support tank and to fight old models of German tanks. Its main advantage is 40mm armor, but by that time new German tanks (Pz III Ausf. H and Pz. IV Ausf. A) could hit such armor. Released 35 units.

Char B1bis: The most mass-produced variant, produced since 1937. New APX 4 turret with 57 mm frontal armor and a new long-barreled 47 mm SA35 gun. The hull armor increased to 60mm, a more powerful 307hp was installed. engine and extra fuel. The tank demanded good Maintenance, and many tanks broke down on the way to the front. However, the powerful 60mm armor of the vehicle did not penetrate any German anti-tank gun except for the 88mm FlaK 18/36. And the long-barreled 47mm gun of the Char B1bis itself, in turn, hit all German tanks of that time without exception.
A total of 365 units were produced.
Of the 342 combat-ready vehicles, about 130 were destroyed in battle. The tanks were blown up by the crews during the retreats, hit by aerial bombs or a German 88-mm FlaK 18/36 anti-aircraft gun. The shelling from Panzerwaffe tank guns or Wehrmacht anti-tank 37-mm or 47-mm guns did practically no damage to them. Char B1 under the command of Pierre Billot in the battle on May 16, 1940 for the village of Stoney received 140 hits, and not a single vital vehicle module was disabled!
It is worth noting that the B1 bis had a serious drawback - the role of the crew members: the commander pointed, loaded and fired from 47 mm guns, the driver fired from 75 mm guns and a machine gun, which often created fuss in a combat situation. In addition to all this, German aircraft dominated the air, which made it possible to quickly detect the tank. B1 bis was not compact - it was difficult to hide it.

The defeat of France allowed the Germans to take the B1 as a trophy. After the surrender of France, all the surviving tanks, about 160 units, were placed at the disposal of the Wehrmacht.

1.4. TECHNIQUE OF THE ALLIES OF FRANCE (ARMORED EQUIPMENT OF THE GREAT BRITAIN, BELGIUM AND THE HOLLAND).

By and large, the technique of the allies of France is completely incomparable with the French proper. It was represented by extremely versatile and unfinished samples. But a number of cars are still curious.

The British had about 300 cars on the continent, namely:

1.) Vickers Mk. VI - 206 pcs.
machine-gun tankette armed with two 1x12.7-mm Vickers machine guns. 50 and 1x7.7 mm Vickers, with an 88 hp engine. With. (speed about 55 km / h) and bulletproof armor up to 14mm. The machine completely surpasses the German PzKpfw I in all characteristics.

2.) Matilda I - 77 pcs.
an amazing "tank", essentially the same machine-gun tankette as above, but with ... 60mm armor! A car armed with two machine guns, but with armor like a heavy tank! Armament 1x12.7mm Vickers .50 or 1x7.7mm Vickers .303

3.) Matilda II - 23 pcs.
But this is already a real medium tank, armed with a decent 1x42-mm QF 2-pounder L / 50 cannon and powerful armor (forehead 75mm / 0g - 47mm / 65g, side - 70mm / 0g, turret - 75mm). Two engines with a capacity of 2x87l. With. gave a 27-ton car a speed of 23-25 ​​km / h.

With these forces, Great Britain met the war on the continent, and only then transferred the following equipment to France:

4.) Vickers MkVIB - 134 units (more precisely, another 134 units).

5.) Cruiser MkI - 24 units.
so-called. "cruising tank" according to the English classification. Can go as a "light tank" according to our classification. Armament 1x42mm QF 2-pounder and 3x7.7mm Vickers. Bulletproof armor, forehead - 15mm. Weight 12.7t. Highway speed - 40 km / h.

6.) Cruiser MkII - 31 units.
the development of the previous one, the same gun, but the machine guns are already 2x7.92 BESA, and the thickness of the armor has been brought to the forehead - 30mm. The armor is anti-cannon.

7.) Cruiser MkIII and Cruiser MkIV - 95 units
development of the previous model. 1x42mm QF 2-pounder gun.

Thus, the overwhelming mass of British armored vehicles consisted of Vickers Mk.VI and Vickers MkVIB machine-gun tankettes (350 in total), 77 Matilda I armored tankettes. and 173 vehicles can be classified as light or medium tanks with a QF 2-pounder gun. This gun had a caliber - 40mm (armor-piercing - already 42mm), barrel length, 50klb., And armor penetration by an AP sub-caliber armor-piercing projectile - 54mm, at an angle of 30 degrees. at a distance of 450m. and up to 30mm. at a distance of 900-1000m.

Belgian armored vehicles are interesting for the T13 self-propelled guns (about 230 pieces), which were armed with a 1x47-mm F.R.C. Mod.31 L / 33 which, despite its short barrel (30.5klb.), Could penetrate 47 mm. homogeneous armor at a distance of 300m. At a distance of 500 m, she easily hit the German PzKpfw III and PzKpfw IV. In addition, the Belgian infantry was armed with about 500 guns of this type.
All other Belgian and Dutch equipment are licensed French tanks and tankettes of our own production. Total order 100-110 pcs.

1.5. GENERAL SYSTEM ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE ALLIED ARMORED VEHICLES IN 1940 SUMMARIZING.

By May 10, the Allies had 5940 armored vehicles on the border and subsequently brought into battle, not counting armored cars, of which:
785 vehicles were machine-gun tankettes (French AMR 33 and AMR 35, English Vickers and all Belgian-Dutch armored vehicles, except for the T-13 self-propelled guns).
It is worth noting that all the Allied tankettes were significantly superior in all characteristics (speed, armor, engine reliability, chassis, etc.) to the German PzKpfw I

300 vehicles were first-class anti-tank self-propelled guns (French Laffly W15 TCC and Belgian T13 - 47mm guns, 30-35klb.)

1640 vehicles - were obsolete Renault FT-17/18 with a Hotchkiss gun Puteaux SA 18 (21klb.), with armor penetration up to 15mm. at a distance of 500m.

1000 vehicles were "light" tanks R35 and H35/38 with the same gun Puteaux SA 18 (21klb.), But with hull and turret armor up to 40mm.

1185 vehicles were R39/40 and H39 upgrades with 37mm SA38 L/33 cannon

418 vehicles were medium tanks D1 and D2, as well as the "famous" S35, armed with 47mm SA35 L / 34

173 were British cruiser tanks Cruiser MkI-IV and Matilda II with QF 2-pounder gun

Finally, 362 vehicles were B1bis heavy tanks with two 1x75mm SA32 L/17 guns in the wheelhouse and 1x47mm SA35 L/34 in the turret.

Approximately 3215 cars, out of a total of 5940 units. they had serious anti-ballistic armor in the range of 40-75mm, i.e., significantly more than the level of armor that the best examples of German armored vehicles PzKpfw III and PzKpfw I had at that time.

785 vehicles were armed only with machine guns.
2640 vehicles were armed with the obsolete Puteaux SA 18 cannon (21klb.),
2515 vehicles were armed with anti-tank guns with a caliber of 37-47mm., That is, capable of destroying any unit of German armored vehicles at any distance up to 1000m.

The common single advantage of allied equipment: powerful armor and weapons.

Common common disadvantages: low speed, poor maneuverability and poor communication.

Allied equipment was massive, German equipment was more maneuverable and better organized on the battlefield.

2. WHAT DID GERMANY POSITION?

Total for Western front Germany had 35 tank battalions consisting of 10 tank divisions, 2488 tanks, of which:
PzKpfw I - 643 units,
PzKpfw II - 880 units,
PzKpfw III - 349 units,
PzKpfw IV - 281 units,
Pz.Kpfw.35(t) - 128 units,
Pz.Kpfw.38(t) - 207 units,
There were also 187 command tanks:
Pz.Bef. (small command tank (wedge) on the PzKpfw I chassis) - 148 units,
Panzerbefehlswagen III (commander tank on PzKpfw III chassis) - 39 units.

Of the 177 self-propelled guns were:
Panzerjхger I - 117 units,
StuG III - 24 units,
Sturmpanzer I - 36 units.

The contributions to the troops during the campaign were as follows:
During the campaign, the operating units of the Wehrmacht received 244 tanks:
PzKpfw I - 48 units,
PzKpfw II - 35 units,
PzKpfw III - 71 units,
PzKpfw IV - 19 units,
Pz.Kpfw.35(t) - 35 units,
Pz.Kpfw.38(t) - 36 units,
as well as commander wedges:
Pz.Bef. - 44 units.

In this way, total tanks and self-propelled guns of Germany participating in the French campaign - 2909 vehicles.

Of these, 922 go as machine-gun tankettes.
915 vehicles were PzKpfw II with 20mm. the KwK 30 gun (in terms of armor penetration, the guns and the security of the vehicle itself are in the same category as the Renault FT-17/18).
177 vehicles were self-propelled guns with 47-75mm guns.
And only 1126 vehicles were armed with 3.7cm KwK 36, 47mm anti-tank gun P.U.V. vz. 36 and 7.5 cm KwK 37, i.e. they could fight the allied tanks on an equal footing.

© Copyright: Lev Vishnya, 2016

By the beginning of World War II, France came up with a highly controversial set of tanks. While in most tank-building powers by that time they had taken up the development and production of medium tanks, in the French army the situation with medium-class vehicles was almost catastrophic. Orientation of production to the production of light tanksRenault R35 and "combat" (actually heavy) tanksChar B1 bis led to the fact that the French infantry had only fifty medium tanks.

Against this background, the fact that medium tanks in large quantities France nevertheless built, however, for the cavalry, and officially they were called armored vehicles. This is aboutSOMUA S35, a cavalry tank, which, in terms of combat characteristics, was the best French tank of the pre-war period.

Thick-skinned cavalryman

The rather strong positions of the cavalry in the French army led to the fact that by the beginning of the 30s a situation had developed here that was very similar to what was happening at that time in the USA and Japan. Officially, the cavalry did not have its own tanks in all these countries, because such vehicles were traditionally intended to support infantry units. But in fact, a new type of tank appeared, in different countries named either as fighting machine”, or as an “armored car”. In fact, these were real tanks, sometimes even of the middle class, but, as a rule, they were light tanks with a crew of 2-4 people and the main armament in the form of machine guns. The main requirement for such combat vehicles was high mobility.

At first, French cavalry tanks developed in the same direction. The armored first-born of the French cavalry was the AMR 33 (Automitrailleuse de reconnaissance, “reconnaissance armored car”), later the more advanced AMR 35 appeared. These two-man machines with machine guns were quite consistent with the classic idea of ​​\u200b\u200bcavalry tanks. In parallel with the AMR program, launched in 1931, a program was launched to create a more powerful "armored car" - AMC (Automitrailleuse de combat, armored combat vehicle). Here, the semi-tracked Schneider P16 armored car, which had more serious armament in the form of a 37-mm SA 18 cannon and a machine gun coaxial with it, became the first-born.

But since 1933 the situation began to change. Last but not least, this was due to the activity of Hotchkiss, which proposed the concept light tank, in the design of which casting was massively used. On August 2, a specification was developed for a new combat vehicle, to which 14 firms responded. Firm Hotchkiss, however, rather quickly refused to participate in the competition. It is possible that in Saint-Denis they sensibly assessed their chances of winning and began to look for an alternative customer, who was found in the person of the cavalry command. As a result, a very similar to the Renault R 35, but almost one and a half times faster tank, designated Hotchkiss H 35, was in service with the French cavalry. Moreover, here he managed to “eat” the AMR 35, taking, among other things, his niche.

The Schneider-Creusot concern also participated in the same competition for the development of a light tank. Unfortunately, there is no data on this car, it is only known that it was designed as a two-seater. The development was carried out by a subsidiary of Société d "outillage mécanique et d" usinage d "artillerie (SOMUA). It is worth noting that even starting from the Schneider CA1, the first serial French tank, it was SOMUA that dealt with the concern's armored orders. This also applied to the development of the Char B theme , and cavalry combat vehicles.

Even before the competition for a light 6-ton tank began, the Saint-Ouen firm was developing the SOMUA AC 1 half-track armored car as part of the AMC theme. Unlike the Schneider P16, this three-seat vehicle had a more tank-like layout. Later, a heavier SOMUA AC 2 armored car began to be designed. At the same time, the cavalry command understood more and more clearly that instead of an armored car, it needed a tank.

A characteristic detail of the layout is a large muffler. A less bulky design was made in metal

In the early spring of 1934, a meeting was held between SOMUA and the cavalry command. In its course, the concept of a new tank was born, the design of which combined technical solutions light car, created for the 1933 competition and (in part) the requirements for AMC armored vehicles. The combat weight of the three-seat vehicle was estimated at 13 tons, while it had to reach speeds of at least 30 km / h, have 30 mm thick armor and a cruising range of 200 kilometers.

In May, the thickness of the armor was increased to 40 mm, which should have been enough for confident protection against a 25 mm anti-tank gun. As weapons, it was supposed to use a 47-mm cannon and a machine gun coaxial with it. In general, it turned out not an armored car, but a real medium tank, similar to the Renault D2, but at the same time having a higher speed. The program was finally approved on June 26, 1934 by the commander of the French cavalry, General Flavigny.

190-horsepower engine, which was developed with the participation of Janvier, Sabin et Cie

The development of the machine, which received the designation SOMUA AC 3, was a real challenge for the company from St. Ouen. There were a number of serious issues that needed to be quickly resolved. This was especially true of the power plant. SOMUA produced trucks, but their engines were ill-suited to the new tank. A more powerful power plant was required, and quite urgently. SOMUA approached Janvier, Sabin et Cie, a motor design firm. In a fairly short time, they developed an 8-cylinder V-shaped power plant. A set of drawings was purchased, on the basis of which SOMUA built its own motor, which in design partly echoes the Hispano-Suiza 8B aircraft engine. With a volume of 12.7 liters, it developed a power of 190 horsepower.

The design of the AC 3 suspension turned out to be similar to the one designed for their tanks by Škoda

No less acute was the issue with the chassis. There was nothing suitable in the range of SOMUA vehicles, so the chassis had to be developed from scratch. It was here that the "Czechoslovak" trail, beloved by many historians, surfaced. Indeed, there was a partnership between Schneider-Creusot and Škoda, and it was they who allowed SOMUA to make things easier for themselves. True, for some reason, Škoda Š-II-a, aka LT vz.35, is usually indicated as the basis for copying the chassis and especially the suspension. An extremely dubious statement, because the development of this Czechoslovak tank began at about the same time as the AC 3. For some reason, researchers forget the fact that Škoda used a similar suspension earlier - on the light tank Š-II, aka Škoda SU. The SOMUA suspension developed on this base was somewhat different in design. However, her Czechoslovak origin is beyond doubt.

Automitrailleuse de combat AC 3 on trials, spring 1935. Ballast installed instead of tower

The draft design of the AC 3, as well as its 1:10 scale wooden model, were prepared by SOMUA by October 1934. Renault also did not sit idly by: not wanting to lose the opportunity to get an impressive contract for the production of six hundred AMC, the factory design bureau quickly developed a project designated as the AMC 40 mm. Detailed information no, but, most likely, it was about the development of the Renault YR cavalry tank, aka AMC 34. In any case, the cavalry rejected this project, without even starting to spend money on manufacturing a prototype. But for the AC 3, the situation turned out quite differently: on October 12, 1934, an order was received for the manufacture of a prototype machine.

You can clearly see how the AC 3 differs from the front of the serial tank

Work on the construction of SOMUA AC 3 began in November 1934, and on April 11, 1935, the car with registration number 745-W1 was ready. Taking into account the fact that we had to start from scratch for many components and assemblies, the deadlines look very tight. During development, significant changes had to be made to the original terms of reference. With the specified armor thickness, it turned out to be unrealistic to keep the combat weight within 13 tons, so the bar for the AC 3 was raised to 17 tons. Since there was no tower at the time of construction, ballast was installed on top of the car instead. In this form, the cavalry tank was tested, which lasted from July 4 to August 2, 1935 in Vincennes.

AC 3 after conversion, March 1936. The tank received an APX 1 turret and a 47 mm SA 34 gun

The resulting tank from SOMUA engineers turned out to be typical of French pre-war tank building. It made maximum use of the idea of ​​Hotchkiss, which consisted in assembling a tank hull from large cast parts. The hull consisted of only four main parts: two halves of the lower part of the hull, a turret box and a box covering the engine compartment. These parts were fastened together with bolted joints. Of course, when manufacturing such large parts, the highest precision was required, but it was not difficult to assemble them.

It is worth noting that the configuration of the body of the AC 3 was still far from that which the serial machines had. There were also frank misses, the most visible of which were headlights placed right in the forehead of the hull. Not the most successful steel design and viewing devices in front of the hull. They turned out to be bulky and bolted, such a design was vulnerable. However, a prototype was made for that, in order to identify design flaws during the tests and eliminate them.

Much more important was the fact that the SOMUA AC 3 turned out to be almost the best medium tank in terms of its characteristics. Possessing anti-projectile armor, which, at a distance of over 300 meters, quite confidently "held" the shell of the German 3.7 cm Pak anti-tank gun, this vehicle had something that the Renault D2 similar to it was deprived of - good mobility. The test results exceeded the expectations of the cavalry. The maximum speed of the tracked “armored car” exceeded the requirements by 10 km / h, while the car had decent characteristics in terms of cross-country ability. The successful design of the suspension provided an acceptable ride, and visibility, despite the need to refine the viewing devices, turned out to be quite decent.

After the end of the tests, the tank went to the factory, where, until March 1936, work was carried out to remake it. Already at the end of November 1935, it was decided that AC 3 would go into series. It entered service on March 25, 1936 under the designation Automitrailleuse de Combat modèle 1935 S. Later it was called Char 1935 S, but this tank is better known as SOMUA S 35.

A masterpiece in the middle class

Contract No. 60 178 D/P for the manufacture of 50 tanks was signed on March 25, 1936, but in fact it was known as early as November 21, 1935. Initially, the cavalry had grandiose plans for the SOMUA AC 3: it was assumed that a total of 600 tanks of this type would be purchased. This number was required to equip three light mechanized divisions (Division Légère Mécanique, or DLM). However, these plans had to be adjusted quite quickly, since SOMUA's capabilities turned out to be limited. It was thanks to this that Hotchkiss was able to find a loophole for its light tank. The order was divided in half: it was supposed to purchase 300 SOMUA S 35 and Hotchkiss H 35 each.

According to the DLM staffing table, it was supposed to have 96 SOMUA S 35. Of this number, 84 vehicles were included in eight squadrons, another 4 vehicles acted as command tanks, and the remaining 8 were in reserve.

SOMUA AC 4 without turret box and engine compartment roof

The prototype returned for testing in March 1936. In addition to eliminating design flaws, discovered during the tests, it was distinguished by the fact that a tower was finally installed on it. The cavalrymen did not have much freedom in choosing this part of the tank: just like on the Renault D2, an APX 1 turret equipped with a 47 mm SA 34 cannon was installed on the vehicle.

However, in its original form, it was not used for long: by that time it became obvious that the SA 34 was too weak to fight tanks with an armor thickness of about 60 mm. This is how Char B1 bis was protected. For this reason, a more powerful gun, the SA 35, was soon “registered” in the tower, the projectile of which pierced 60 mm thick armor at a distance of one kilometer. However, the first 4 serial SOMUA S 35 received APX 1 turrets with SA 34 guns, which were later replaced by APX-1 CE turrets with SA 35 guns. These vehicles were manufactured in January 1936 and sent to the 4th tank (cuirassier ) regiment for testing.

SOMUA S 35, registration number 67225, the third serial copy of the tank. Additional fuel tanks are clearly visible

As a result of tests and improvements, a modernized version of the AC 3 appeared, which received the factory designation AC 4. It was this vehicle that became the model for the serial version of the SOMUA S 35. The first tanks of a large series began to be produced from July 1936, but until January unprepared. This time, the bottleneck was the production capabilities of the subcontractor represented by APX. They had to wait for the delivery of the towers for six months, during which time one important change was made to their design of the tower. The fact is that the diameter of the shoulder strap of the APX 1 was only 1022 mm, this was not enough for the normal use of the 47 mm gun. The result of the improvements was the appearance of an improved turret, which received the designation APX 1 CE (chemin élargi, that is, increased shoulder strap). The diameter of the turret ring has grown to 1130 mm, and an additional 11 cm turned out to be not superfluous at all.

Cannons also had to wait: serial production of the SA 35 only began in January of 1937.

The same tank on the left side. On the turret box, a cast number is visible, which indicates that this is chassis No. 3

Enough changes in the design of the chassis. As a result of the alterations, the combat weight increased to 19.5 tons, but the dynamic characteristics of the vehicle remained almost at the same level as that of the AC 3. The design of the frontal part of the hull was changed. The designers removed the headlight covers, and their very form became more technologically advanced.

The design of viewing devices has noticeably improved, in addition, the driver's seat has shifted slightly forward, which has improved visibility. The front viewing device was made leaning up, which improved visibility in the stowed position. The observation devices were also changed on the tower, which, although it was called APX 1 CE, did not differ structurally from APX 4.

A number of changes have also been made to the stern of the hull. Blinds were removed from the sides of the engine deck, which were quite rightly considered vulnerable spot. The design of the tracks has changed somewhat. Another important innovation was the appearance of additional fuel tanks. They were placed on the starboard side, thanks to the well-designed mounts, the tanks could be quickly removed.

This tank does not yet have viewing devices. There was a delay in their delivery, for this reason some of the tanks went to the troops without them

The contract for the production of the first 50 tanks was completed in the second quarter of 1937. Vehicles manufactured under it received registration numbers 67 225 - 67 274. All tanks built under this contract went to 1 DLM. Meanwhile, back in 1936, a second contract was signed with SOMUA, No. 61 361 D / P, which also provided for the production of 50 tanks. For a number of reasons, mainly related to the unhurried actions of subcontractors, the work on the production of this batch was delayed. By January 15, 1938, only 17 tanks were delivered, and all 50 vehicles were built by April 15. At the same time, the cars ended up in parts understaffed, including viewing devices.

At the Bastille Day parade held on 14 July 1938, the SOMUA S 35 was shown to the public for the first time. Tanks from the second production series, which were part of the 2nd DLM, were in the ranks. So, even on these machines there were no viewing devices in the hull. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg: in view of the slowness of the APX company, whose tank production had by that time been nationalized and renamed ARL, even by the summer of 1938, not all SOMUA S 35 had towers.

Tanks of the second series received registration numbers 22 332 - 22 381.

Tank with registration number 67237, rear view. Chains at that time were a very common type of means for hitching during transportation.

Problems with subcontractors also affected the machines of the third series, produced under contract No. 70 919 D / P, signed in 1937. Unlike the first two contracts, the third one provided for the production of 100 tanks. Vehicles that received registration numbers 819–918 were used to complete the 1st and 2nd DLM. By July 15, 1938, 28 tanks had been produced, but out of all 128 SOMUA S 35 adopted by that time, only 96 had turrets. The tanks of the third series were finally delivered in March 1939.

It may seem that work on the release of SOMUA S 35 was slow, but in fact, 200 tanks in 2.5 years for the French tank building in peacetime is a lot. For comparison, the first order for Char B1 bis was received on October 8, 1936, and by March 1939, only 90 of these tanks were produced by the efforts of three companies.

First public demonstration of the SOMUA S 35, Paris, 14 July 1938. Tanks still haven't received viewing devices

Thanks to the execution of the first contracts, it was possible to completely saturate two light mechanized divisions with medium cavalry tanks. On this, of course, the release did not end. Moreover, the order was expanded to 500 tanks. In 1938, contract No. 80 353 D/P was signed for the production of 125 tanks. These machines were supposed to be sent to recruit the 3rd DML, which by that time had not yet been formed. By September 1, 1939, 61 vehicles had been handed over, 9 more were under construction. After the outbreak of World War II, the rate of production increased: if in September SOMUA delivered 11 tanks, then in the following months, Saint-Ouen left 13 vehicles a month. Thanks to this, already in the first decade of January 1940, the last tanks under contract No. 80 353 D / P left the factory. These cars received registration numbers 10 634 - 10 758.

Assembly of tanks at the SOMUA plant, November 1939. The technology of using large cast parts, assembled on bolts, greatly simplified the assembly. As a result, SOMUA provided a relatively high output rate.

At the end of September 1939, plans for the production of SOMUA S 35 were revised again. The total volume was reduced to 450 units, then it was supposed to produce a more advanced model, which received the designation SOMUA S 40. The last contract for the construction of SOMUA S 35 was to be signed back in 1938 No. 88 216 D / P, which provided for the production of 125 tanks. It began to be performed in January 1940, when 16 tanks were produced. Starting from March 1940, production volumes increased, already in May 22 tanks were delivered monthly. Registration numbers 50 210 - 50 334 were reserved for the vehicles produced under this contract. In fact, fewer tanks were produced than planned: already in June, the production facilities of SOMUA were captured by the advancing German units. By that time, according to various sources, from 427 to 440 tanks had been produced.

honey spoon

Like other French tanks, the SOMUA S 35 had a number of inherent flaws. The most significant of them was a single tower. In addition, the progressive design and decent performance cost a pretty penny. For each SOMUA S 35, you had to pay a huge amount for that time of 982,000 francs, that is, almost like five Renault R 35s.

But from the point of view of combat effectiveness, the cavalry "armored car" had no equal. Unlike slow moving infantry tanks, SOMUA S 35 had quite decent mobility. Suffice it to say that average his speed on the highway was 30 km/h, which was more than maximum the speed of French infantry tanks. No less important is the fact that cavalry tanks were highly reliable.

Sad finale of the May-June 1940 campaign. The half-track tractor in the picture is SOMUA MCG, the closest relative of the AC 1

But even with 400 high-quality tanks, it was impossible to solve all the problems of the French army. It is also important that the SOMUA S 35 crews from the 1st and 2nd DLM were truly trained. The hastily formed 3rd DLM was notable for its much lower training, as de Gaulle also recalled. Attempts by the French command to plug all the new gaps in the defense with cavalry tanks were not very successful. SOMUA S 35 was that very spoon of honey in a big barrel of tar.

Nevertheless, it can be stated that the command of the French cavalry turned out to be more reasonable than the infantry command. SOMUA S 35 was one of the best tanks at the beginning of the war. These machines fought for quite a long time, however, mostly no longer under the French flag. But this will be discussed in another article.

Sources and literature:

• Materials Center des archives de l "Armement et du personnel civil (CAAPC)
• SOMUA S 35, Pascal Danjou, TRACKSTORY №1, 2003
• The Encyclopedia of French Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles: 1914–1940, François Vauvillier, Histoire & Collections, 2014
• GBM 105, 106, HS1

The second country to use tanks on the battlefield was France. Stuck in static, they understood the superiority of defensive means over attackers. To change the balance, it was necessary to use a radically new weapon of attack.

The first combat French tank was ready in September 1916, thanks to the activity of J. Etienne, who is considered to be the founder of French tank building. As chief of staff of an artillery regiment, he, like other astute commanders, saw the main possibilities for changing the situation at the front. His idea was to break through the first line of defense with caterpillar vehicles, and, already being directly on the first line, to suppress subsequent ones that were not available to field artillery with artillery fire. That is, to put artillery on carts storming the defense. Looking ahead, it must be said that the armored fighting vehicles that we called "tanks" were referred to by the French as "assault artillery tractors."

The generals of France, like the military leaders of other countries, were very skeptical about the idea of ​​building a tank, but thanks to the persistence of J. Etienne and the support of the commander-in-chief, General J. Joffre, they managed to get permission to build a prototype.
The leader of the mechanical engineering of those years was the Renault company, headed by its founder L. Renault, so it is quite obvious that J. Etienne offered him the first to build a tank. He, in turn, refused, motivating the answer by the lack of experience with a caterpillar mover. Then Etienne turned to the designer E. Brillet, the head of the Schneider company, the largest arms manufacturer, especially since he already had some similar experience, some time before that he had booked the Holt tractor. In January 1916, with the assistance of J. Joffre, the company received an order to create 400 machines. Later, these machines will become known as "Schneider" or CA1.

For some unknown reason, the head of the army motorization department, separately from the commander-in-chief, placed an order for the construction of 400 tanks at the FAMN company in the city of Saint-Chamond, under whose name the tanks would go into series.

The specific concept of the tank was not formulated, so France received two different models of tanks placed on the basis of the Holt caterpillar tractor. Unlike English tanks, the tracks did not cover the hull along the perimeter, they were located on the sides and under it, and the undercarriage was sprung, which greatly simplified the control of the tanks and increased the comfort of the crew. But due to the overhang of the front of the tank hull over the tracks, any vertical barrier became insurmountable.
After the first successes, Etienne again turned to Louis Renault, this time he did not refuse, especially since Etienne was able to more specifically formulate the task - a light infantry escort tank on the battlefield, with a less noticeable silhouette and less vulnerability. The result is one of the most iconic tanks in the world, the Renault FT.

Development of tank building

Until the end of World War I, FCM developed heavy tanks 1A, 1B, but things did not go beyond the development of prototypes.

After the war, France had the most a large number of battle tanks. On this basis, General Etienne tried to organize independent tank troops, divided into light, heavy, and medium tanks.
The generals thought differently, and since 1920 all tank units were subordinated to the infantry. There was a division into infantry and cavalry.

But Etienne's activity was not in vain, until 1923 the FCM company produced 10 heavy multi-turreted 2C tanks, and the FAMN company produced a whole series of light tanks of the 1921, 1924, 1926 and 1928 models, under the designation M21, M24, M26 and M28. On the models of this series, the French were the first in the world to use the possibility of dual cross-country ability: caterpillar engine + wheels. The type of propeller changed depending on the circumstances. The most original solution was used on the M24 and M26.

Regretting to write off the Renault FT created with such difficulty, they were constantly modernized. After another modification in 1927, the tank is already called NS1, and NS3 becomes the prototype of the D1, in 1936 the D1 "grows" into the medium D2.

France did not bypass the craze of the 30s with wedges. From 1931 to 1940, the French produced 6200 Renault UE light tracked vehicles, outwardly resembling the English Vickers-Carden-Loyd Mk VI tankettes. The troops called them "infantry tractors."

After the adoption by France in 1931 of the army motorization program, special attention is paid only to the development of wheeled and reconnaissance vehicles. Under this program, Renault presents the AMR light tank. Not having much support from the higher ranks. Renault and FCM begin joint production of the B1 heavy tank, which is not an ordinary tank in all respects.

Due to a misunderstanding of the capabilities of tanks and the other roles assigned to them in infantry support, for 17 post-war years France built only 170 new tanks. tank troops the country did not have in 1936, at that time it was in the army, except for the obsolete FT - 17 B1, 17 D2 and 160 D1. After the well-known events in Spain and Ethiopia, the command, realizing the approaching threat and the complete non-compliance of their own army with the new mobile war, adopts a 4-year army building plan. During the period 1936-1940, 3 light mechanized, 2 tank divisions and 50 separate tank battalions equipped with new development tanks should have been organized.

Mass serial production of light tanks H35 and R35, just created by Hotchkiss and Renault, begins. (the number in the name of French tanks often indicates the year of creation).
H35 was considered cavalry. The FCM company presented an interesting FCM36 model, but before the start of the war, only 100 pieces were produced due to the high cost.

In 1936, the SOMUA S-35 became the main medium tank, which was originally created for operations as part of cavalry units. Due to the absence of other similar tanks, he is credited with the role of a tank capable of independently solving tactical tasks.

At the time of the German invasion, 2700 light tanks were in the service of France, a little more than 300 medium, 172 heavy, old 1600 Renault FT and 6 pieces of 2C. Although the number of combat vehicles increased, the lack of understanding of the doctrine of the use of tanks on the battlefield and the poor training and staffing of the crews did not bring any serious results, all the tanks were knocked out or passed into the hands of the Germans.

Modern French tanks

After the war, tank building, like other industrial sectors, was in a completely destroyed state. The army was armed with American or captured tanks. The first post-war tank ARL-44 was released in 1945, in fact, it was the embodiment of pre-war ideas, but it was not assigned a “competitive” task, with the release of 50 units. the industry was resurrected.

In accordance with the adopted in 1946. tank building program, full-fledged serial production began in 1951. light tank AMX-13, its distinguishing feature is a oscillating turret.

Trying to catch up with the USSR, in 1951, a heavy tank AMX-50 was produced in a small series, in appearance very reminiscent of ISs. The next model of the AMX-65 heavy tank was a combination of the "pike nose" of the IS and a copy of the Royal Tiger.

The niche of medium tanks was occupied by the AMX-63 entering the troops since 1965.

In the same year, the main battle tank AMX-30 began to enter service, which eventually became the basis of the armored forces. Its further development was the AMX-40 model introduced in 1983. Models AMX-32 and AMX-40 were developed exclusively for export.

In the late 70s, German and French specialists teamed up to jointly create the Napoleon-1 and KPz-3 tanks, in 1982 joint work was stopped. But the French continued to develop common developments, as a result of which, in 1991, the main battle tank of the third generation AMX-48 Leclerc began to enter service with the army.

Serial tanks of France

The creation of armored vehicles in France went on even during the occupation of the country fascist german invaders. The liberation of the territory of France marked for her not only a victory, but also a difficult process of restoration and creation of her own army. Our story begins with the transition tank ARL-44. Start of development - 38 years. It was a new type of tanks based on the B1 chassis. According to the project, the tank was to receive a turret of a new type of design and a 75 mm long-barreled gun. By the beginning of the war, work on the creation of the tank was at the level of development. But even during the occupation, design work on the tank was carried out no less successfully than before it. And when France was liberated, the first sample of the new tank was immediately put into production. The new tank went into production in 1946, which for France was undoubtedly a feat of industry, given the fact of a five-year occupation. Due to various reasons, the tank became a kind of transitional model and enters service as the ARL - 44. The French military wanted to get 300 units of such tanks, but only 60 vehicles of this series were built. They were adopted by the 503rd Tank Regiment.

The tanks were manufactured by Renault and FAMH Schneider, the latter producing a new type of turret. From the "B1" the new tank got a morally obsolete suspension and caterpillar tracks. In terms of speed characteristics, the tank turned out to be the slowest post-war tank and had a maximum speed of 37 km/h. But the engine and hull were new developments, the armor plates on the hull were placed at an angle of 45 degrees, which gave the frontal armor the equivalent of 17 centimeters of normally installed armor. The turret of the tank was the most modern of the new machine. The disadvantage of the tower is the poor quality of the connecting seams, and the French industry was simply unable to make such a tower completely cast. A 90 mm Schneider gun was installed on the tower. In general, the ARL-44 turned out to be an “unsuccessful” tank, but do not forget that the tank was a transitional model, it had elements of both new and old tanks. And the task of the tank was essentially "non-military" - the tank, with its production, revived French tank building from the ashes, for which many thanks to him.

The next tank developed by French specialists was the AMX 12t. This is the younger brother of the future French AMX 13. Already from the name it is clear that the weight of this tank was 12 tons. The undercarriage of the younger brother had a rear track roller, which was at the same time a sloth. As it turned out, this configuration of the rollers was unreliable and caused constant problems with the tension of the tracks. This undercarriage with a modified configuration of the rollers, where the sloth became a separate element of the undercarriage, which led to an elongation of the tank hull, became the basis for the creation of the legend of the French tank builders "AMX-13". The AMX 12t turret was the progenitor of the AMX-13 tank turret. The tank, according to the project, was equipped with an automatic loader.

46 year. The design phase of the new tank has been completed. According to the requirements, the AMX 13 had a light weight for movement by aircraft in support of paratroopers. The new AMX 13 gets a torsion bar suspension, the engine is located in front and on the right, while the driver-mechanic was located on the left. The main feature that makes this tank unique is the oscillating turret. The turret was equipped with a top-mounted gun. With vertical aiming of the gun, only the upper part itself was used. The tower was installed in the aft part of the hull, and it housed the rest of the crew of the armored vehicle - the commander and gunner. The 75 mm gun of the tank was designed from the German 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun, which was used on the Panthers and was provided with a wide range of shells. The tower received a rather interesting automatic drum-type reloading system - 2 drums, each with 6 shells. The drums were in the rear of the tower. The ammunition load of 12 ammunition allowed the tank to fire very quickly, but as soon as the ammunition in the drums ran out, the tank had to take cover and reload the drums manually, outside the vehicle.

Serial production of the AMX 13 began in 1952, for its production the facilities of the Atelier de Construction Roanne were used. For almost 30 years he entered service with the French Armed Forces. Several hundred units of the AMX 13 are still serving in French tank units. One of the most massive European tanks, delivered to 25 states. Today, there are about a hundred modifications of the tank. All kinds of armored vehicles are created on its basis: self-propelled guns, air defense systems, armored personnel carriers and self-propelled ATGMs.

AMX-13 / 90- is the first modification of the main AMX 13. Entered service in the early 60s. The main difference is the installed 90 mm gun, equipped with a casing and a muzzle brake. Ammunition was slightly reduced - now the tank gun had 32 ammunition, of which 12 were installed in the drum magazine. The gun could fire high-explosive, armor-piercing, cumulative, sub-caliber shells.

Batignolles-Chatillon 25t is a design modification of the main AMX 13. Only two units of this modification were created. To improve survivability, vehicles are increased in size and given additional armor. These and several other changes in total gave the entire tank - 25 tons. According to the project, the tank team consisted of 4 people, the design speed of this modification was 65 km / h.

"Lorraine 40t" was created in pursuit of such monsters as the Soviet IS-2 -3 and the German "Tiger II". Of course, the tank could not catch up with these outstanding tanks either in terms of armor or mass, and, probably, installing 100 mm, and then 120 mm guns was a kind of attempt to get closer to them. But all projects of such tanks either remained on paper or were released in limited quantities. All projects in this series used the German Maybach as a remote control. "Lorraine 40t" were released in 2 prototypes. In fact, this is a somewhat lightweight "AMX-50". Were present in the decision of the tank and distinctive features: turret located in the bow of the tank, and "pike nose" - similar to the IS-3. Rubber tires were also used for the road wheels, which gave the tank additional cushioning.

"M4" - the first model of a heavy tank. In order to somehow catch up with the USSR and Germany in the creation of heavy tanks, French designers begin building their own heavy tank. The first modification is called "M4" or project 141. This model practically copied the German Tiger. The undercarriage received small-linked caterpillars and “chessboard” track rollers, a torsion-type suspension with hydraulic shock absorption. The ground clearance of the tank could be changed up to 100 mm. The difference from the German tiger - the transmission and drive rollers were stern. According to the design of the tank, it was supposed to weigh about 30 tons, but in practice this would have to reduce the armor to 3 centimeters. It looked quite ridiculous against the background of the "Tiger" and IS. The armor is increased to 9 centimeters and set at optimal angles, so the weight of the vehicle has increased significantly compared to the design. The tank received a 90 mm Schneider in a classic turret and a 7.62 mm machine gun. The team of the car is five people. This model was not released even in the prototype, as a decision was made to replace the classic turret with a new one from FAMH

"AMH-50 - 100 mm" - serial heavy tank. The main feature is that due to the parallel development of the AMX-50 and AMX-13, they have a large resemblance with the last one.
49 year. Two units of the AMX-50 - 100 mm tank are being produced. 51 years old - the tank is in service with the French Armed Forces in a small series. The tank turned out to be very good and compares favorably with the American and British counterparts. But due to the constant lack of funds, "AMX-50 - 100 mm" did not become bulk tank. From the layout - the MTO was in the rear of the hull, the driver-mechanic with an assistant were in the control department, the vehicle commander was located in the turret to the left of the gun, the gunner was on the right. The body of the cast type is made with optimal placement of the frontal armor at an angle, the thickness of the frontal and upper side armor plates is 11 centimeters. The nose-to-side transition is made thanks to beveled surfaces. It differs from the M4 project in additional rollers (5 external and 4 internal types). The machine gun from the front sheet is replaced by a machine gun coaxial with the gun. In addition, the turret received an autonomous anti-aircraft installation - two 7.62-mm machine guns. The turret of the pumping type was developed by FAMH. Until the year 50, a 90 mm gun was installed in it, then a 100 mm gun was placed in a slightly modified tower. The rest of the turret design corresponds to the design of the AMX-13 turret. DU - petrol Maybach "HL 295" or engine "Saurer" diesel type. The designers expected that the use of engines with a capacity of 1000 hp would make it possible for the tank to acquire a speed of about 60 km / h. But as time has shown, the tank could not overcome the bar of 55 km/h.

"AMX-65t" - the Char de 65t tank - an advanced project for a heavy tank. The beginning of the main developments - 50 years. Chess-type suspension, four-row arrangement of rollers. Frontal armor of the "pike nose" type similar to the Soviet IS-3 with a smaller inclined angle. The rest is a copy of the Royal Tiger. According to the project DU - 1000 strong Maybach engine. Possible armament - 100 mm gun and anti-aircraft type machine gun.

"AMX-50 - 120 mm" - a heavy tank. Had three modifications 53, 55 and 58 years. French "competitor" of the Soviet IS-3. The frontal part is made, like that of a competitor, - according to the "pike nose" type. Modification of 53 years old had a classic-type turret with a 120-mm caliber gun. But the design turned out to be inconvenient. Modification of the year 55 - a tower of a swinging type with a 20-mm cannon paired with a 120 mm gun to destroy lightly armored vehicles. Significantly reinforced frontal armor, almost twice. This leads to a serious increase in weight: up to 64 tons against the previous 59 tons. The military department did not like this modification due to the increased weight. Modification 58 years. "Lightweight" up to 57.8 tons modification "AMH-50 - 120 mm". It had a cast hull and rounded frontal armor. It was planned to use a thousand-strong Maybach as a remote control. However, the engine did not live up to expectations: out of the declared 1.2 thousand horses, the engine did not even give 850 hp. The use of a 120 mm gun made reloading inconvenient, and it was difficult for one or two people to move the ammunition from the gun. The team of the car was 4 people, and although the fourth member of the crew was listed as a radio operator, he was actually reloading. The tank was not built due to the appearance of HEAT shells, the armor given to such shells was a weak hindrance. The project is curtailed, but not forgotten. The developments will be used in the development of the project "OBT AMX-30"

Not only tanks
The AMX 105 AM or M-51 is the first self-propelled vehicle based on the AMX-13, a self-propelled 105 mm howitzer. The first sample was created in the year 50. The first serial self-propelled guns joined the ranks of the armed forces of France in 52. The self-propelled guns had a fixed, shifted to the stern, open cabin. A 105 mm Mk61 of the 50th model was installed in the wheelhouse. The gun had a muzzle brake. A 7.62 mm anti-aircraft machine gun was also placed there. Some AMX 105 AM self-propelled guns were armed with an additional 7.5 mm machine gun, which was installed in a turret with circular rotation. The main disadvantage is the slow aiming at the next target. Ammunition 56 ammunition, which included armor-piercing shells. The range of defeat with high-explosive ammunition is 15 thousand meters. The barrel was produced in 23 and 30 calibers, it was provided with a two-chamber muzzle brake. To control the fire, the AMX 105 AM self-propelled guns were equipped with a 6x sight and a 4x goniometer. These self-propelled guns were exported - they were used by Morocco, Israel and the Netherlands.

"AMH-13 F3 AM" - the first European post-war self-propelled guns. Adopted in the 60s. The self-propelled guns had a 155 mm caliber gun, 33 calibers long and a range of up to 25 kilometers. Rate of fire - 3 rds / min. "AMX-13 F3 AM" did not take ammunition with it, it was carried by a truck for it. Ammunition - 25 shells. The truck also transported 8 people - the ACS team. The very first "AMX-13 F3 AM" had a gasoline 8-cylinder engine with liquid cooling "Sofam Model SGxb.". The latest self-propelled guns had a 6-cylinder liquid-cooled diesel engine "Detroit Diesel 6V-53T". The diesel engine was more powerful than the gasoline engine and allowed the self-propelled guns to move 400 kilometers at a speed of 60 km / h.

"BATIGNOLLES-CHATILLON 155mm" self-propelled gun project. The main idea is to install a rotating type tower. The beginning of work on the creation of a sample - 55 years. The tower was completed in 1958. In 1959, the project was abandoned, the prototype of the self-propelled guns was not built. According to the project, the speed is 62 km/h, the weight is 34.3 tons, the team consists of 6 people.

"Lorraine 155" - self-propelled guns of types 50 and 51. The basis of the project is the base "Lorraine 40t" with the installation of a 155 mm howitzer gun. The main idea is the placement of the casemate part. Initially, on the first sample, it was located in the center of the ACS, on the next sample, it shifted to the bow of the ACS. Having a chassis with rubberized rollers made the self-propelled guns an interesting option to use. But in 55, the project was closed in favor of another ACS project "BATIGNOLLES-CHATILLON". Basic data: weight - 30.3 tons, crew - 5 people, travel speed - up to 62 km / h. The armament of the self-propelled guns is a 155 mm howitzer and a 20 mm cannon paired with it.

"AMX AC de 120" is the first project of a self-propelled gun mount based on the "M4" model of 46. Received a "chess" suspension and cabin in the bow. Outwardly, it resembled the German "JagdPanther". Design data: ACS weight - 34 tons, armor - 30/20 mm, crew - 4 people. Armament: 120 mm "Schneider" and a turret machine gun to the right of the wheelhouse. DU Maybach "HL 295" with a capacity of 1.2 thousand hp "AMX AC de 120" - the second project of a self-propelled gun mount based on the "M4" model 48. The main change is the cabin design. The silhouette of the car is changing: it becomes noticeably lower. Now the ACS has become similar to the "JagdPzIV". The armament has changed: the cabin of the self-propelled guns received a 20 mm "MG 151" turret, the feed of the self-propelled guns two 20 mm "MG 151".

And the last project reviewed is the AMX-50 Foch. Self-propelled gun mount based on the "AMX-50", receives a 120 mm gun. The outlines of the self-propelled guns resembled the German "JagdPanther". There was a machine-gun turret with the Reibel ZP on remote control. The commander's tower was provided with a rangefinder. The ACS driver observed the situation through the available periscope. The main purpose is to support 100 mm tanks, destroy the most dangerous armored vehicles of the enemy. After successful tests in 51, a small number goes into service with the French Armed Forces. After, with the standardization of weapons of NATO members, the self-propelled guns are removed from the assembly line and in 52 the project is closed in favor of the tank project “creating the AMX-50-120”.