Tanks of France World Of Tanks. History of French tanks - legends and forgotten projects New generation equipment

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

The first French combat 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 insightful commanders, saw the main possibilities for changing the situation at the front. His idea was to break through the first line of defense with tracked vehicles, and, already being directly on the first line, suppress with artillery fire the subsequent ones that were not accessible to field artillery. That is, put artillery on carts storming the defense. Looking ahead, it must be said that combat armored vehicles, which we called “tanks,” were called by the French precisely as “assault artillery tractors.”

The French generals, 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 obtain permission to build a prototype.
The leader in mechanical engineering in those years was the Renault company, headed by its founder L. Renault, so it is quite obvious that it was J. Etienne who suggested that he be the first to build a tank. He, in turn, refused, citing a lack of experience working with tracked engines. Then Etienne turned to the designer E. Brillet, head of the Schneider company - largest manufacturer weapons, especially since he already had some similar experience; some time before that he had reserved a Holt tractor. In January 1916, with the assistance of J. Joffre, the company received an order to create 400 vehicles. These machines would later become known as "Schneider" or CA1.

For some unknown reasons, 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-Chamon, under whose name the tanks would go into production.

A specific concept for the tank was not formulated, so France received two different models of tanks based on the Holt tracked tractor. Unlike British tanks the tracks did not cover the perimeter of the hull, they were located on the sides and under it, and the chassis 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 part of the tank's hull over the tracks, any vertical obstacle 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 was one of the most iconic tanks in the world - the Renault FT.

Development of tank building

Until the end of the First World War, the FCM company developed heavy tanks 1A and 1B, but things did not go further than 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 forces divided into light, heavy, and medium tanks.
The generals thought differently, and from 1920 all tank units were subordinated to the infantry. A division into infantry and cavalry appeared.

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

Regretting the write-off of the Renault FT, created with such difficulty, they were constantly modernized. After another modification in 1927, the tank was already called NS1, and NS3 became the prototype of D1, in 1936 D1 “grew” into the medium D2.

France was not spared the craze for wedges in the 1930s. From 1931 to 1940, the French produced 6,200 light tracked vehicles UE from Renault, which in appearance resembled the English Vickers-Carden-Loyd Mk VI wedges. The troops called them “infantry tractors.”

After France adopted the army motorization program in 1931, Special attention focused only on the development of wheeled and reconnaissance vehicles. Renault is introducing the AMR light tank for this program. Without much support from senior officials. Renault and FCM are starting a joint production of the B1 heavy tank, which is not an ordinary tank in all respects.

Due to a lack of understanding of the capabilities of tanks and their assigned infantry support roles, for 17 post-war years France only built 170 new tanks. The country did not have tank troops in 1936; at that time, the army had, in addition to the obsolete FTs, 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 incompatibility of its own army with the new maneuver war, adopted a 4-year army construction plan. During the period 1936-1940, 3 light mechanized, 2 tank divisions and 50 separate tank battalions equipped with new tank developments should have been organized.

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

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, it is credited with the role of a tank capable of independently solving tactical problems.

At the time of the German invasion, France had 2,700 light tanks in service, a little more than 300 medium, 172 heavy, old 1,600 Renault FTs and 6 2Cs. Although the number of combat vehicles increased, the lack of understanding of the doctrine of using tanks on the battlefield and poor training and manning of the crews did not bring any serious results; all the tanks were destroyed or passed into the hands of the Germans.

Modern tanks of France

After the war, tank production, 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, producing 50 units. the industry was revived.

In accordance with adopted in 1946 The tank building program began full-fledged mass production in 1951. light tank AMX-13, its distinctive feature is a swinging turret.

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

The niche of medium tanks was occupied by the AMX-63, which entered service with the troops in 1965.

In the same year, the AMX-30 main battle tank began to enter service, which over time 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.

At the end of the 70s, specialists from Germany and France teamed up to jointly create the Napoleon-1 and KPz-3 tanks, in 1982 collaborations were discontinued. But the French continued to develop general developments, as a result of which in 1991 the third generation AMX-48 Leclerc main battle tank began to enter service with the army.

Serial tanks of France

• Light equipment
• Medium tanks
• Heavy

French tanks of the Second World War, in short, although they had good characteristics, could not compete with the more modernized equipment of the enemy. And they didn’t really have to take part in battles. Although some of them still managed to go through the entire war in various theaters of military operations. The truth is not always in its original quality.

Light equipment

Medium tanks

Heavy French tanks

• B1 - a heavy tank of the French army actively participated in battles with the German occupiers and showed good results.
• Therefore, after the capture of France, it was not only adopted by the Wehrmacht tank forces, but also actively used on the battlefields with the Soviet army.
• True, the best tanks were selected for these purposes. technical condition, and the rest were converted into self-propelled guns and flamethrower tanks.
• Speaking about French tanks, it is worth mentioning the “FCM” Char 2-C, which was the largest serial tank that time. Weighing 75 tons, its dimensions were 10.27 m in length, 3.0 in width and 4.09 in height.
• It was armed with a 75 mm cannon and four machine guns, and its crew consisted of 12-13 soldiers.
• However, he never took part in the battles of World War 2, since the train with combat vehicles was destroyed by German aircraft.

The creation of armored vehicles in France continued even during the occupation of the country by the Nazi invaders. The liberation of French territory marked not only a victory for it, but also a difficult process of restoration and creation of its own army. Ours begins with the transitional tank ARL-44. Development began in 1938. It was new type 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 creating the tank was at the development level. But even during the occupation design work attacks on the tank were no less successful than before. And with the liberation of France, 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 the five-year occupation. Due to various reasons, the tank became a kind of transitional model and entered service as the ARL-44. The French military wanted to receive 300 units of such tanks, but in total they built 60 vehicles of this series. They were adopted by the 503rd Tank Regiment.

The tanks were manufactured by Renault and FAMH Schneider, the latter producing the turret part of a new model. From the B1, the new tank received an outdated suspension and tracks. In terms of speed characteristics, the tank turned out to be the slowest post-war tank and had maximum speed movement 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 usually installed armor. The turret of the tank was the most modern new car. The disadvantage of the tower is the low 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 turret. In general, the ARL-44 turned out to be an “unsuccessful” tank, but we should not forget that the tank was a transitional model and 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 it.

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. Chassis younger brother had a rear support roller, which was at the same time a sloth. As it turned out, this roller configuration was unreliable and caused constant problems with track tension. This chassis with a modified roller configuration, where the sloth became individual elements chassis, which led to the lengthening of the tank's hull, became the basis for the creation of the legend of French tank builders "AMX-13". The AMX 12t turret was the ancestor of the AMX-13 tank turret. The tank, according to the project, was equipped with an automatic loader.

'46 The design stage of the new tank has been completed. According to the requirements, the AMX 13 was lightweight for movement by aircraft to support parachute landings. 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 swinging turret. The tower was equipped with a top gun. When aiming the gun vertically, only the gun itself was used. top part. The turret was installed in the rear of the hull, and housed the rest of the crew of the armored vehicle - the commander and gunner. The tank's 75 mm gun was designed with German gun“7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70”, these were installed on the Panthers and were provided with a wide range of projectiles. The turret received a rather interesting automatic drum-type reloading system - 2 drums, each with 6 shells. The drums were located at the rear of the tower. The 12 rounds of 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, from outside the vehicle.

Serial production of the AMX 13 began in 1952, using the facilities of the Atelier de Construction Roanne. For almost 30 years it entered service with the French Armed Forces. Several hundred AMX 13 units still serve in French tank units. One of the most popular European tanks, it was supplied to 25 countries. Today there are about a hundred modifications of the tank. On its basis, all kinds of armored vehicles are created: self-propelled guns, air defense systems, armored personnel carriers and self-propelled anti-tank guided missiles.

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

The Batignolles-Chatillon 25t is a design modification of the main AMX 13. Only two units of this modification were created. To increase survivability, vehicles are increased in size and given additional armor. These and several other changes added up to a tank weight of 25 tons. According to the project, the tank's crew consisted of 4 people, the design speed of this modification was 65 km/h.

“Lorraine 40t” was created to follow such monsters as the Soviet IS-2-3 and the German “Tiger II”. Of course, the tank was unable to catch up with these outstanding tanks either in terms of armor or weight, and, probably, the installation of a 100 mm and then a 120 mm gun was a kind of attempt to get closer to them. But all projects of such tanks either remained on paper or were produced in limited quantities. All projects in this series used the German Maybach as a remote control. "Lorraine 40t" were released in 2 prototype copies. In essence, this is a somewhat lightweight “AMX-50”. The design of the tank also included distinctive features: a turret located in the bow of the tank, and a “pike nose” - similar to the IS-3. Were also applied rubber tires for road wheels, which gave the tank additional shock absorption.

"M4" is the first model of a heavy tank. In order to somehow catch up with the USSR and Germany in creating heavy tanks, French designers are starting to build their own heavy tank. The first modification is called “M4” or Project 141. This model practically copied the German Tiger. The chassis received small-link caterpillars and “checkerboard” road wheels, a torsion bar suspension with hydraulic shock absorption. The tank's ground clearance could vary up to 100 mm. In contrast of German tiger– the transmission and drive rollers were of the stern design. According to the design of the tank, it was supposed to weigh about 30 tons, but in practice this would require reducing the armor to 3 centimeters. This looked completely ridiculous against the background of the Tiger and IS. The armor is increased to 9 centimeters and installed 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-type turret and a 7.62 mm machine gun. The team of the car is five people. This model was not released even as a prototype, since the decision was made to replace the classic turret part with a new one from the FAMH company.

“AMX-50 – 100 mm” is a serial heavy tank. The main feature is that due to the parallel development of the AMX-50 and AMX-13 they have a large external resemblance with the last one.
'49 Two units of the AMX-50 - 100 mm tank are produced. 51 years old - the tank enters service with the French Armed Forces in a small series. The tank turned out to be very good and compared favorably with its American and British counterparts. But due to a constant lack of funds, the AMX-50 - 100 mm did not become mass tank. From the layout - the MTO was located in the rear of the hull, the driver-mechanic and assistant were in the control compartment, the vehicle commander was located in the turret to the left of the gun, the gunner was on the right. The cast-type hull 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 bow-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 on the front plate is replaced with a machine gun coaxial with the gun. In addition, the turret section received an autonomous anti-aircraft installation - two 7.62 mm machine guns. The swing type tower part was developed by FAMH. Until 1950, a 90 mm gun was installed in it, then a 100 mm gun was installed in a slightly modified turret. The rest of the turret design corresponds to the AMX-13 turret design. DU – gasoline Maybach “HL 295” or diesel engine “Saurer”. The designers expected that the use of engines with a power 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 was unable to overcome the 55 km/h bar.

"AMX-65t" - Char de 65t tank - advance project of a heavy tank. The beginning of the main developments is the year 50. Checkerboard 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. Otherwise it is a copy of the Royal Tiger. According to the project, the remote control is a 1000 horsepower Maybach engine. Possible weapons are a 100 mm gun and an anti-aircraft machine gun.

"AMX-50 - 120 mm" - heavy tank. Had three modifications: 53, 55 and 58. French “competitor” of the Soviet IS-3. The frontal part is made like that of a competitor - of the “pike nose” type. The '53 modification had a classic-type turret with a 120-mm gun. But the design turned out to be inconvenient. Modification '55– a swing-type turret with a 20-mm cannon paired with a 120 mm gun to destroy lightly armored vehicles. The frontal armor has been significantly strengthened, almost doubled. This leads to a serious increase in weight: up to 64 tons versus the previous 59 tons. The military department did not like this modification due to the increased weight. Modification of '58.“Lightweight” modification up to 57.8 tons “AMX-50 - 120 mm”. It had a cast hull and rounded frontal armor. It was planned to use a thousand-horsepower 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 produce even 850 hp. The use of a 120-mm cannon made reloading inconvenient; the ammunition from the gun was difficult to move for one or two people. The vehicle had a crew of 4 people, and although the fourth crew member was listed as a radio operator, he was actually a reloader. The tank was not built due to the appearance of cumulative shells; this armor was a weak hindrance to such shells. The project is being cancelled, but not forgotten. The developments will be used in the development of the MBT AMX-30 project

Not only tanks
"AMX 105 AM" or M-51 is the first self-propelled vehicle based on the "AMX-13", a 105 mm self-propelled howitzer. The first sample was created in 50. The first serial self-propelled guns joined the ranks of the French armed forces in 1952. The self-propelled gun had a fixed, open wheelhouse shifted to the stern. A 105 mm Mk61, model 50, 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 to the next target. Ammunition capacity: 56 rounds of ammunition, which included armor-piercing shells. The range of destruction by high-explosive ammunition is 15 thousand meters. The barrel was produced in 23 and 30 calibers, it was equipped with a two-chamber muzzle brake. To control fire, the AMX 105 AM self-propelled gun was equipped with a 6x sight and a 4x goniometer. These self-propelled guns were exported - they were used by Morocco, Israel and the Netherlands.

"AMX-13 F3 AM" is the first European post-war self-propelled gun. Adopted into service in 60. The self-propelled gun had a 155 mm caliber gun, 33 calibers long and a range of up to 25 kilometers. Rate of fire – 3 rounds/min. The AMX-13 F3 AM did not take ammunition with it; it was carried by a truck for it. Ammunition - 25 shells. The truck also carried 8 people - the self-propelled gun team. The very first AMX-13 F3 AM had a liquid-cooled 8-cylinder petrol engine, 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 gun 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 tower. Work on creating the sample began in 1955. The tower was completed in 1958. In 1959, the project was abandoned; the prototype of the self-propelled gun 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 “Lorraine 40t” base 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 self-propelled gun, on the next sample it was shifted to the bow of the self-propelled gun. Having a chassis with rubber rollers made the self-propelled gun an interesting option for use. But in 1955 the project was closed in favor of another self-propelled gun project “BATIGNOLLES-CHATILLON”. Basic data: weight - 30.3 tons, crew - 5 people, speed - up to 62 km/h. The self-propelled gun is armed with a 155 mm howitzer and a coaxial 20 mm cannon.

“AMX AC de 120” is the first project of a self-propelled gun mount based on the M4 model of 1946. Received a “checkerboard” suspension and a cabin in the bow. Outwardly it was similar to the German “JagdPanther”. Design data: self-propelled gun 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 power of 1.2 thousand hp. “AMX AC de 120” is the second project of a self-propelled gun mount based on the “M4” model of 1948. The main change is the design of the deckhouse. The silhouette of the car changes: it becomes noticeably lower. Now the self-propelled guns have become similar to “JagdPzIV”. The armament has changed: the self-propelled gun cabin received a 20 mm "MG 151" turret version, and the rear of the self-propelled guns received two 20 mm "MG 151".

And the last project reviewed is the AMX-50 Foch. A self-propelled gun mount based on the AMX-50 receives a 120 mm gun. The outline of the self-propelled gun resembled the German JagdPanther. There was a machine gun turret with a remote controlled Reibel gun turret. The commander's tower was equipped with a rangefinder. The self-propelled gun driver observed the situation through the available periscope. The main purpose is to support 100 mm tanks and destroy the most dangerous enemy armored vehicles. After successful tests in 1951, a small number went into service with the French Armed Forces. Afterwards, with the standardization of the weapons of NATO members, the self-propelled guns were removed from the production line and in 1952 the project was closed in favor of the tank project “to create the AMX-50-120.”

Before September 1, 1939, the French did not manage to form tank divisions. The formation of the 3rd Light Mechanized Division had advanced the furthest, and organizational arrangements for the formation of the fourth had begun. Eight infantry divisions were motorized (1st, 3rd, 5th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 15th and 25th). Trucks were used to transport infantry. Otherwise, the tactics of motorized infantry divisions were no different from the tactics of conventional infantry.

Motorized infantry divisions became part of the army corps. And again, for the umpteenth time, the French made a grave mistake by introducing into the army corps, along with the motorized infantry, two ordinary infantry divisions. Thus, the entire advantage of motorized infantry was negated. The French had to spend enormous amounts of money in order to somehow bring their infantry divisions up to the level of mobility of motorized infantry divisions.

In January 1940, the formation of the 1st and 2nd tank divisions was finally completed. Before March, the 3rd Panzer Division was formed. The last one - the 4th Panzer Division - completed its formation when fighting have already begun.

According to the staff, each division was supposed to have a semi-brigade (Demi-Brigade) of medium tanks (2 battalions of Char B1 tanks - 60 vehicles) and a semi-brigade of light tanks (2 battalions of N-39 cavalry tanks - 90 vehicles). In addition, the tank division included a motorized infantry battalion (equipped with 20 armored vehicles), 2 divisions of 105 mm howitzers, a battery of 47 mm anti-tank guns and a battery of 25 mm anti-aircraft guns.

In total, as of May 10, 1940, the French army had 49 battalions of light tanks for direct infantry support, 3 light mechanized divisions and 3 tank divisions. Three battalions of D1 tanks, one battalion of H-35 tanks were stationed in North Africa, and a battalion of R-35 tanks was based in Levanto. Light tank battalions were part of more than large parts: brigades, regiments and tank groups. There were 3 tank brigades (2nd, 4th and 5th) and 14 tank regiments (501st, 502nd, 503rd, 504th, 505th, 506th, 507th, 508th, 509th, 510th, 511th, 512th, 513th and 514th). The regiments and brigades were disbanded in March 1940.

Tank brigades usually consisted of two regiments, and regiments of two battalions. Each battalion consisted of about 50 vehicles.

Before the start of the offensive, the Nazis concentrated their main forces on the northern flank. Between the sea coast and Mosa, Army Group B was to advance, under the command of Colonel General Feodor von Bock. Army Group B consisted of two armies - the 6th and 18th - with a total of 29 divisions, including three tank and one motorized. These forces were supposed to tie up the Allied troops and distract them from the direction of the main attack.

The main blow was delivered by Army Group A, under the command of Gerd von Rundstedt, which united the 4th, 12th and 16th armies - a total of 45 divisions, including 7 tank and 3 motorized. The troops of Army Group A were to strike through Belgian territory south of the Liege-Charleroi line in the direction of Meyenne-Saint-Quentin along a front 170 km wide - from Regen to the point where the borders of Germany, Luxembourg and France meet. The goal of Army Group A was to make a lightning-fast push to seize the Mouse crossings between Dena and Sedan, which would make it possible to make a breakthrough at the junction of the 9th and 12th French armies and reach the rear of the Maginot Line in the direction of the mouth of the Somme River.

On the southern flank between the Moselle and the Swiss border was the advance of Army Group C, led by General Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb. The task of this Army Group was simply to pin down as many enemy forces as possible.

In total, the Germans fielded 10 tank divisions in the French campaign. The Nazis had 523 Pz tanks at their disposal. Kpfw. I, 955 tanks Pz. Kpfw. II, 349 tanks Pz. Kpfw. III, 278 Pz. tanks. Kpfw. IV, 106 Pz tanks. Kpfw. 35(t) and 228 Pz tanks. Kpfw. 38(t). In addition, the Germans had 96 kl command tanks. Pz. BfWg. I, created on the basis of Pz. Kpfw. I and 39 command tanks Pz. BfWg. III on the chassis of the Pz tank. Kpfw. III. In general, German tanks were inferior to French ones in terms of armament power and armor thickness. Tanks Pz. Kpfw. I, armed with two machine guns, did not pose any threat to French armored vehicles. Tanks Pz. Kpfw. II, armed with a 20 mm cannon, could damage French vehicles only in unusually favorable conditions, for example, from a point-blank ambush. Tanks Pz. Kpfw. III and Czech Pz. Kfw. 38(t), armed with a 37-mm cannon (Pz. Kpfw. III, armed with a 50-mm gun appeared from the Germans when the fighting was in full swing) were approximately equal to the French R-35, R-39, N-35 and N-39. The Nazis had no analogues to the French Char B1 and Somua S-35. The Germans could only fight these tanks in one way: first by breaking the caterpillar, and then, going into the flank, hitting the tank from the side. The only worthy opponent for medium French tanks was the Pz. Kpfw. IV. However, the fate of the campaign was not decided performance characteristics tanks. Tactics and military doctrine played a decisive role - here the advantage of the Germans over the French was overwhelming. Only through the bitter experience of the first month of the campaign did the French command realize the full magnitude of the mistake that had been made throughout the interwar twenty years.

Based on intelligence data, the commander of the northeastern front, French General Joseph Georges, suggested that the Germans would deliver the main blow with the right flank north of Liege and Namur through the territory of Belgium, in other words, the Germans decided to repeat the “Schlieffen Plan” of the 1st World War war. In order to thwart the enemy's plans, the Allies decided to occupy defensive lines between Namur and Antwerp, along the Dyle River, and give the general battle to the Germans in Belgium, on the borders of which most of the German motorized infantry and tanks were concentrated. This maneuver was to be carried out by the troops of the French 1st Army Group (1st, 2nd and 7th Armies), led by General Gaston Henri Billote, as well as the English Expeditionary Force of General John Gort.

The French took up defensive positions so that the civilian population suffered as little as possible. The French were going to create a network of fortified points, saturated anti-tank weapons. According to the allies, this should have forced the enemy to get bogged down in battles, but due to lack of time, the French and British did not have time to implement their plan. The commander of the 1st Mechanized Cavalry Corps (2nd and 3rd Light Mechanized Divisions), General Proiux wrote this in his memoirs:

“On the morning of May 11, I arrived in Gambla and inspected the positions being equipped. Surprisingly: not the slightest trace of fortification work around the city - the key point of the entire operation. Only 8 - 9 km to the east I found the first elements of anti-tank defense, but they did not form a continuous line and therefore had no real combat value. With confusion, I thought that the army should have first conducted a reconnaissance and then begun the excavation work. However, the enemy didn’t give us time!”

The French leadership, having adopted the concept of a passive strategy, did not dare to launch preventive or counterattacks on the enemy, but simply tried to stop the Nazi offensive. According to the French command, the war had to quickly turn into a positional form. Therefore, the German troops did not meet adequate resistance and were able to quickly develop an offensive deep into France and reach the shores of the English Channel.

Of the three French light divisions, one (1st Light Mechanized Division) was assigned to the 1st Army. The other two were combined into the 1st Mechanized Cavalry Corps, which we have already mentioned. All these forces were assembled on the Flemish front and awaited the enemy's attack.

General Proix's corps came into contact with the German XVI Panzer Corps in the area of ​​Gamblou and Namur. On May 12-13, in the suburbs of Namur, French forces, with 74 S-35 tanks, 87 H-35 tanks and 40 AMR tanks, fought with German tanks from the 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions. In an unequal battle, the French managed to burn 64 German tanks. The corps delayed the enemy's advance for two days and then was disbanded. The corps divisions were distributed among the infantry corps.

The commanders of these corps, in turn, divided the light divisions into parts and reinforced the infantry divisions with these units. The fragmented mechanized units were no longer able to play a significant role in the war. When the French command realized this mistake, it was already too late - the parts of the two divisions could no longer be assembled. Only by May 20, with great difficulty, was it possible to recreate the 3rd Mechanized Light Division piece by piece.

While General Proix's corps was desperately trying to hold back the enemy's advance near Gamblou, nearby - near Crehan - the 2nd Cuirassier Regiment of the French was engaged in a heavy battle with the German 35th Tank Regiment of the 4th Panzer Division. In the battle, the French lost 11 N-39 tanks.

The French concentrated all three of their tank divisions on the Belgian border. Two of them were not fully equipped and together had 136 tanks. The third division had a staff strength of 180 vehicles.

Meanwhile, motorized units from Army Group A passed through the Ardennes, which was considered impassable, and crossed the Moza between Givet and Sedan. Thus, the Germans went behind the rear of the Allied troops in Flanders. The entire Allied defense plan was a complete fiasco. The Anglo-French troops had to begin a retreat.

To contain the enemy's advance, the French command decided to use its mechanized units. On May 14, 1940, the 1st Panzer Division, part of the French 9th, was supposed to attack German troops crossing the Mosa. On the evening of May 13, the division took up its original positions... and remained there due to lack of fuel! The delay allowed reconnaissance of the German XIX Motorized Corps (1st, 2nd and 10th Panzer Divisions) to discover the French. On May 14, the Germans struck first. At Bulson, the French 1st Panzer Division lost 20 tanks. Things went even worse near Chemery, where 50 French tanks were left burning. Many tanks, standing without fuel, destroyed their crews. The French had only one choice - to retreat. We had to retreat under continuous German air raids. By May 16, the French 1st Tank Division already had only 17 combat-ready vehicles. On the night of May 16-17, these crumbs were also lost. So, just a week after the start of hostilities and just three days after arriving at the front line, the 1st Panzer Division ceased to exist!

The fate of the 2nd Tank Division was little better. On May 14, 1940, the division set out from Champagne, with tanks being transferred along railway, and wheeled vehicles moved under their own power. Already on May 15, parts of the division were separated by a German wedge. From that moment on, the 2nd Panzer Division also did not exist as a single tactical formation! The front commander ordered the tanks of the 2nd division to be unloaded from the platforms and placed in small groups in the area of ​​crossings across the Oise River. The tanks' task was to delay the German units crossing the river. On May 15, units of General Reinhardt's XXXXI Corps crossed the river. The French tanks supporting the infantry fought bravely, but were all knocked out of action. The German offensive continued successfully.

On May 14, 1940, the French 3rd Panzer Division was placed at the disposal of the commander of the 2nd Army. Like the 1st Panzer, the 3rd Panzer Division was ordered to counterattack the enemy in the Moza area, but did not carry out the order. The delay occurred for two reasons: firstly, the division was on the defensive, so it had to regroup its forces to go on the offensive; secondly, the command order was inaccurate and did not contain specific instructions on the location of the offensive and possible enemy forces. Therefore, the division remained on defensive lines and gradually the Germans pushed it to the Oise.

On May 11, 1940, Colonel Charles de Gaulle was appointed commander of the 4th Panzer Division. Despite the fact that the division had not yet completed its formation, it was thrown into battle. In total, the division had 215 tanks (120 R-35, 45 D2 and 50 B1bis). The only one infantry unit division was a motorized infantry battalion transported by bus! There were practically no radio stations in the division, and orders were delivered to the unit by cyclists! The division's artillery consisted of several reserve units. Supply services and Maintenance practically did not exist. In principle, this unit can hardly even be called a division - it was a motley mixture of disparate units and subunits that accidentally found themselves together. Despite everything, the young division commander was able to make a formidable fighting force out of this booth.

On May 16, 1940, General de Gaulle's division (he was promoted to brigadier general on May 14) attacked the southern flank of the German wedge (1st, 2nd and 6th tank divisions) in the Montcornet area.

Realizing that the enemy had a numerical superiority, de Gaulle acted very carefully and only tried to delay the enemy’s advance.

The 49th Tank Battalion was sent for reconnaissance in Montcorn, which tried to enter the city from the southwest. With a swift attack, the French scattered the outposts of the German 10th Panzer Division. However, the Germans managed to surround the battalion, the entire personnel who was captured. The 4th Panzer Division continued to adhere to this “cavalry charge” tactic, striking where it was least expected. On May 19, several tanks of de Gaulle's division attacked the headquarters of the German XIX Motorized Corps, located in the Olno forest. The headquarters was covered only by a battery of 20-mm anti-aircraft guns. The battle lasted several hours, despite the desperate efforts of the French, the Germans were able to hold their positions.

The Nazi tank divisions continued to roll forward uncontrollably. Nothing and no one could stop their progress. By May 20, 1940, the pincer around the Allied forces in Flanders had finally closed. The French and British had no choice but to either fight their way back to their own or retreat to Dunkirk or Calais. On May 21, 98 British tanks from 4 and 7 RTR were ordered to attack the flank of German troops near Arras. The British attack was covered by 70 French S-35s from the 3rd Mechanized Light Division. The attackers quickly achieved success. The 1st battalion of the 6th motorized infantry regiment of the 7th tank division of the Germans was scattered. To close the gap at the front, the Germans transferred the 25th Tank Regiment there. Having lost 25 vehicles, the Germans were still able to hold their positions.

After this defeat, the Allies had only one choice - evacuation to England. Boulogne and Calais were lost, the only port remaining in the hands of the British and French was Dunkirk. It was there that the Allied troops retreated. Completely demoralized and pinned down by continuous German air raids, this group took no further part in the campaign.

At the end of May, General de Gaulle's 4th Panzer Division made itself known once again. Her already badly battered forces struck the Germans in the flank in the Abbeville area. The French launched a counterattack twice - on May 27 and 28. However, the Germans were able to hold their positions, inflicting on the French heavy losses.

Already on May 20, 1940, the British began sending equipment necessary for evacuation to Dunkirk. On May 26, the British command put into effect the Dynamo plan. Despite constant attacks by German infantry and raids by Luftwaffe bombers, the British managed in an organized manner to remove from the continent all the personnel of the Expeditionary Force and a significant part of the French troops who were trapped in the sack. But since the Battle of Flanders was lost, the Allies lost more than half of their troops there.

Before the start of the second stage of the campaign, which was to decide the fate of France, the French still had quite impressive forces: 61 of their own divisions, 2 Polish divisions and 2 British divisions. More than 1,200 tanks remained on the line, but these tanks were divided into small groups and assigned to different units.

These forces were supposed to save France, relying on the defense line above the Somme. Since there was no Maginot Line here, the French command organized a chain of improvised anti-tank obstacles - “hedgehogs” - in this area. Behind the hedgehogs were infantry, artillery and tanks. But unfortunately, the “hedgehogs” did not form a continuous line and Wehrmacht units broke through into the gaps between them. And the French did not have mobile units at hand that could quickly reach a threatened point.

On June 5, the day after the occupation of Dunkirk, Army Group B went on the attack. The goal of the offensive was to capture south coast Somme. The tank formations of generals Hoth and Kleist made a breakthrough, attacking the defensive formations of the 7th and 10th French Armies.

On June 10, 1940, in the area of ​​​​Avanson and Tagnon above the Rethorn River, the newly formed XXXIX Motorized Corps of General Guderian went on the attack. Moving across open terrain, German tanks encountered virtually no resistance from the French. German units immediately crossed the Rethorn in the Neuflies area. Shortly after noon, the Nazis reached Geniville. At this moment, units of the French 3rd Panzer and 7th Infantry Divisions launched a counterattack. To the south of the city there was an oncoming tank battle that lasted two hours. In this battle, the Germans suffered heavy losses, the aggressors had a particularly hard time when the French Char B1bis medium tanks entered the picture, the armor of which could withstand hits from armor-piercing shells of 20 and 37 mm caliber. However, the numerical superiority was on the side of the Nazis, and despite heavy losses they were able to push the French back to La Neuville. In the evening the battle resumed with new strength, this time south of Geniville. French tanks from the divisions mentioned above went on the attack again. The French planned to take Perth by storm, but the Germans were again able to hold their positions.

On June 11, the German 1st Panzer Division attacked the French in the La Neuville area and was able to break through the enemy defenses. Only over the Suip River did the French attempt to launch a counteroffensive. They tried to close the gap in the defense with 50 French tanks from the 3rd Panzer Division, with the support of soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division. But this attack also ended unsuccessfully.

On June 12, the Germans widened the gap in the French defenses and separated the Allied western flank from the main forces defending Alsace, Lorraine and the Maginot Line.

On June 14, Army Group C of General von Leeb went on the offensive, the 1st Army striking from the Saarbrücken area to the south, and the 7th Army crossed the Rhine, occupied Colmar and met with Guderian's tanks in the Vosges region.

On the same day, the Germans entered Paris without a fight. Three days later, Marshal Pétain announced a request for a truce on the radio. This performance finally broke the morale of the French army. Only a few units continued to resist. The French, who at first did not want to die for Gdansk, as it turned out, were not at all eager to die for Paris. On June 22, a truce was signed. The French army was completely defeated, the campaign in the west came to an end.

In this war, the tank units of the French army were completely destroyed. It turned out that it was not the number of tanks, but the tactics of their use that decided the outcome of the battle. The French were unable to operate as effectively in large tank formations as their enemy did. Instead of gathering their tanks into one powerful fist, the French scattered them across the entire front. Very rarely did the French try to use tanks offensively as their main fighting force, and when they did, they used too few tanks. At best, one incomplete tank division went on the attack. As a result, the attack floundered, running into enemy defenses equipped with tanks and anti-tank guns. Often such attacks ended in the complete defeat of the attacking side. Quite often the French tried to use tanks in terrain completely unsuitable for the use of armored vehicles. The only motive for such actions was the desire to show the infantry that they were “not alone on the battlefield.” As a result, in the main directions of attack, the Nazis had a colossal advantage in tanks. The French tried to transfer one or two tank divisions to the threatened sector of the front, but as a rule it was too late.

A new French tank in the game World of Tanks appeared after update 9.7 and is called AMX 30 1er prototype. This is a Tier IX tank from an alternative French branches development.

The combat unit is distinguished by dynamically selected characteristics with excellent maneuverability for comfortable play and the presence of a good weapon. AMX 30 armor is one of the main ones weak points. High explosive shells This is the only way this French tank will break through.
However, at the extreme level of development, the prototype AMX 30 will provide armor penetration of 320 mm using cumulative jets of projectiles purchased for in-game gold.

- French premium heavy tank tier 8. A new representative available for in-game gold. - the site reminds you that the maximum level of premium tanks in the game has a limit. You can't buy premium heavy tank of France above level 8. In this regard, premium tank FCM 50 t, which can be purchased for 11,900 gold, is an excellent farming machine.

Double the amount of credits and experience for each battle, together with an activated premium account, allow you to raise from 75,000 to 120,000 credits on the tank.

Characteristics of FCM 50 t

As you already know, the introduction of a new premium tank into WOT was scandalous and long. Today there were unexpected the main performance characteristics of the French premium tank AMX M4 mle.49 have been improved, which additionally added discussion and conversation to this combat vehicle. First, the AMX M4 mle.49 was not allowed into the game since the spring of 2017, then, after the release, complaints began to be received about the tanks from players who purchased it for in-game gold, and in fact, as you well know, for real money.

Combat use Self-propelled gun 10.5cm leFH18 B2 received while on the territory of occupied France in 1942. They were mainly used to fight partisans. Later, they repelled the Allied invasion of northern France in 1944. These self-propelled guns entered service with tank and artillery units of the Wehrmacht.

Dear readers of the site!

Second World War marked as a bright spot on the map of Europe. General mobilization and the industrial boom of the military industry provoked a chain reaction and created various types of combat vehicles. France did not stand aside from the general militarization and by the end of the war had weapons of significant quality and military equipment. Today we will take a closer look at French self-propelled gun Bat Chatillon 155.

Bat Chatillon 155 - French self-propelled artillery mount of the eighth level. It has a loading drum for 4 shells, a slowly rotating turret, and very good accuracy and dynamics. However, penetration and damage are too low for level 8, and the long (over a minute) reloading of the drum leaves the artillery completely defenseless.

French self-propelled gun Bat Chatillon 155

The World of Tanks game has already announced a new French Tier 8 heavy tank AMX M4 mle.49, which will replace the main farm tank of this nation - the premium FCM 50t vehicle. Based on the main performance characteristics, which are presented in the last screenshot (below), it follows that the AMX M4 mle.49 is better than the FCM 50t in almost all characteristics. Second only to

• movement speed
• viewing range

Be that as it may, the tank will appear in, and as practice shows, they usually farm above any average premium at first. This is a Wargaming marketing ploy to motivate players to buy a new tank based on quick reviews of its profitability. Typically, such information spreads among tankers like a virus. The conclusion is simple: if you want to quickly and easily farm a lot of credits, buy the AMX M4 mle.49 right away, not later.

- French heavy tank tier 9 in the game World of Tanks. They became the first tanks equipped with loading drums in the World of Tanks. It is the presence of a loading drum that allows the AMX 50 120 to occupy one of the leading places among heavy tanks of the 9th level. The incredible DPM is capable of turning almost any tank into a pile of scrap metal.

Fast, effective, dangerous. Here are three characteristics of the French tank AMX 50 120.

Characteristics of AMX 50 120

Char 2C(French Tank 2C, aka FCM 2C) - . Developed during the First World War, but did not take part in hostilities. The Char 2C is the largest metric tank ever fielded in the world, and the second largest ever built (second only to the Russian wheeled Tsar Tank). The tank was in service with the French army until World War II, but like the Soviet one close to it heavy tank The T-35 was not effective in any of the intended roles for tanks of this class (with the exception of the psychological impact on the morale of enemy troops).

Char 2C will not appear in the World of Tanks game any time soon. The developers have left this tank for 2017. You can now see this French tank only in the one posted on ours.