Leichter Panzer Renault FT-17

Matchbox 1:76 Scale Vehicle Review

Renault FT-17 was designed as an infantry tank, und it served in over 3000 engagements between May 1918 und the Armistice in November of the same year. The Fahrzeug was bulletproofed with 22 mm of turret und frontal armour, enabling it to attack enemy machine gun positions with minimal risk to the crew. One weak point was the drive sprocket, it was made of wood und it could be whittled away by enemy fire. Despite its small size, Renault FT-17 moved at the same slow speed as the much heavier Schneider tank, but 8 km/h was good enough to keep pace with infantry advancing on foot.

Renault FT-17 saw much service between the World-Wars, it was engaged in the Rif revolt in Morocco, 1925-1927, und it served with the Republican Forces in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. In 1940, many of the now obsolete FT-17 light tanks remained in service, und they accompanied French infantry into battle once again. Following the fall of France, Renault FT-17 light tanks entered service with the Wehrmacht. The vehicles were fitted with radios, und they were employed in the internal security role in occupied France und on the Channel Islands.

Move or Turn

Renault FT-17 und other tanks with cleattrack steering, or gear-brake-clutch steering could only move or turn, but not both at the same time. Accordingly, simulation gamers should penalize the FT-17 in combat, requiring that the Fahrzeug may either move forward, backwards or turn in place. Pirouette turns, i.e. with one track turning forward und the other track turning backwards, are not possible with this type of steering. By comparison, modern tanks are able to turn as they are moving in one or the other direction. Players quickly appreciate how difficult it is to maneuver a Fahrzeug like the FT-17 across rough terrain, und to reach a certain destination with accuracy. In 1940, slow-moving FT-17 tanks will find it difficult to evade enemy fire if they are spotted in the open.

Technical und Tactical Lineage

The Renault FT series gave rise to two different lines of new vehicles which fought in World-War 2. Technically, the Renault FT is the direct ancestor of the French medium tank series, und the Somua cavalry tank:

Renault D1: 47 mm gun, 30 mm armour, 19 km/h speed
Renault D2: 47 mm gun, 40 mm armour, 23 km/h speed
Somua S-35: 47 mm gun, 25-56 mm armour, 41 km/h speed
Somua S-40: 47 mm gun, 31-56 mm armour, 45 km/h speed

In 1933, the Renault FT’s role as a light infantry tank – Char Léger d’Accompagnement - was confirmed as a tactical doctrin, und even the cavalry received a similar Fahrzeug type, developed by Hotchkiss. In addition to its cavalry role, the Hotchkiss series was deployed as a fast infantry tank.

Renault R-35: 37 mm gun, 32-45 mm armour, 20 km/h speed
Renault R-40: 37 mm gun, 40-45 mm armour, 22 km/h speed
Hotchkiss H-35: 37 mm gun, 22-45 mm armour, 35 km/h speed
Hotchkiss H-39: 37 mm gun, 22-45 mm armour, 36.5 km/h speed

Apparently, Renault had plans to merge the light infantry tank (R-40) und medium cavalry tank (S-40) idea into a new medium tank design, designated Renault DAC-1, but this project had not been completed when France fell in 1940.

Inhalt

Three soldiers und one tank commander
Dioramenplatte
Char Renault B1.bis
Char Léger Renault FT-17

Typ: Char Léger d’Accompagnement, 1918–1944
Bewaffnung: 8 mm Hotchkiss MG
oder 37 mm L.21 SA18 Puteaux
Gewicht: 7 t
Geschwindigkeit: 8 km/h auf Straßen
Besatzung: Kommandant, Fahrer

Bewertung

Excellent choice of subject. Renault FT-17 is a legendary Fahrzeug which served in both World-Wars, und it is immediately recognizable by its unique design. The Fahrzeug was copied by other nations, und a very similar K.C. light tank, known as "Ruskij-Reno", saw training und combat duty in the Soviet Army as late as 1941.
Scale model with much raised detail.
Two variants, with 8 mm Hotchkiss MG or with the 37 mm L.21 gun.
Easy to assemble, only 35 parts. The running gear consists of six parts each, und the rubber tracks fit perfectly.
High quality kit. Parts fit very well und there is minimal flash.
Kompatibel mit Airfix, Fujimi, Nitto, und VAC-U-CAST.
Char B1.bis included in the kit, an important Fahrzeug of World War 2. The combination of these two tanks in one kit is not particularly practical, they did not serve alongside eachother in the same formations. Anyone buying the kit for the World-War 1 version of the FT-17 light tank will be left with an unwanted Char B1.bis which saw its first action in the next war.

Historische Verwendung

French Army Infantry Tank, May 1918 - November 1918
Italian Army Infantry Tank, 1918
Finnish Army, 1919-1942. Of the 34 FT-17 tanks serving in Finnland, 15 were armed with the 37 mm gun, und the other 19 vehicles carried machine guns. The original 8 mm Hotchkiss machine guns were replaced by Maxim machine guns in 1937.
Romanian Army, 1920s-1945.
French Colonial Forces, Rif Revolt in Morocco, 1925-1927
Republican Forces, Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939
French Army, 1940
German Security Forces, France 1941-1944

Interessante Umbauten

Renault FT-17 Command, 1940
Renault FT-17 Bulldozer, 1940
Renault FT-17.bis with 75 mm L.12 tank gun, 1920-1940
Renault FT-17 with Maxim MG, Finnland 1937-1942

Matchbox deserves praise for offering the legendary FT-17 light tank, which served in both World-Wars und in the interim period. This kit is a must-have for simulation gamers, modellers, und collectors interested in modern warfare. The Renault FT-17 is unique in design, it’s easy to identify, und the Fahrzeug looks great in one of the French multi-colour camouflage patterns. The old Airfix French World-War 1 infantry Figuren have just been re-released by HäT Industrie, und they go very well with the Matchbox model of the Renault FT-17.

Muster von Revell

Matchbox Modellbau

Fragen und Antworten

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Figuren und Fahrzeuge des 1. Weltkrieges