Armor from France (Part II)
Дата: 17.05.2011 19:26:48
admin: In the first part of the article dedicated to the French Tank Tree
we’ve already talked about French tanks of Interwar period and the
early period of WWII. Unfortunately, misunderstanding of the new
war conduct principles and excessive confidence in their own
superiority (as a WWI winner) prevented the higher ranks of the
French Army from taking a correct view on the armored forces role
and its tactical employment. The defensive warfare doctrine was
really popular among French officers. The main strategy was to
involve the enemy into dragged-out battles on favorable terms using
a powerful defense complex – the Maginot Line, which certainly was
the echo of positional warfare methods of WWI. New concepts on
armored forces employment, formulated by general Etienne and young
officer Charles de Gaulle (later - the legendary General and the
leader of the French Resistance). The fact that the Maginot Line
was a great defensive complex, equipped using cutting-edge
technologies, is beyond any doubt. It is worth mentioning that it
was equipped with retractable turrets and its own subway to
transport personnel and ammunition to the corresponding parts of
the defensive complex. But by that time it was strategically
inefficient as the main military powers of Europe had already
developed and accepted new warfare methods. The mobility of troops
became the key factor. As a result, a huge amount of financial
resources and time were wasted, as the German already invaded
Belgium, defeated the French army, flanked the Maginot Line, and
proceeded relatively unobstructed. The French Army was simply
unprepared to conduct mobile war actions and suffered defeat after
defeat. According to the “instructions for tactical use of tanks”,
dated January 24, 1929, tanks were applied in small groups
separately or as infantry support. French tanks of this period had
more powerful armor plating but were inferior in tactical mobility.
As a result, the successful actions of some French combat units
were nullified, as they eventually found themselves surrounded by
the enemy forces. Of course, there were some exceptions. Thus,
during the entire period of war actions the only unit, which put up
resistance, was the 4th Tank Division under command of General de
Gaulle. Groups of tanks up to several battalions flanked German
units, which caused the delay of the German military advance for a
couple of days. But the overall situation seemed hopeless – the
French army was defeated, the campaign in the Western Europe was
over.
So, the territory of France was occupied by the Nazi Germany for the next five years. The manufacturing facilities of the country also were at the Nazi’s disposal. Tank-building factories continued producing some types of tanks for a certain period of time or remodeled them for the purposes of the German army (some of them were reconstructed into tank destroyers, flame thrower tanks, etc.). These vehicles were supplied to the training and combat units of the German panzer troops. Some types of vehicles were delivered to the Allies of the Nazi Germany.
After the occupation of France the works on new types of tanks design and development were almost stopped. The tank park of the French army was almost completely lost in battles or captured by the German. Reconstitution of the French armored troops began in North Africa in 1943. The Free French Forces were supplied with American tanks mainly.
During the Post war period the French armored forces were also supplied mainly with American tanks (M24, M26, M46 and M47).
As soon as France was liberated from the German occupation, the works on new types of tanks design and development were restored. So, the firm ARL (Atelier de Constructions de Rueil) began the development of new type of tank on the chassis of B1. The turret of the tank was of completely new design as well as the 75-mm long-barreled gun. By the time of the occupation its development was still in process. Interesting fact: the secret works on this tank development were continued during the occupation (the Nazi invaders couldn’t even think of it). After the liberation of Paris in 1944 a new model of tank was put into production. The first serial vehicle rolled of the production line in 1946. Taking into account the disastrous state of the French industry after 5 years of the German occupation it was a real feat. This tank immediately became a “transitive type” and got the designation ARL – 44. Initially, it was planned to manufacture 300 vehicles of this type. But only 60 were produced. All of them were supplied to 503th Tank Regiment and were first time displayed to the public during the ceremonial parade on July 14, 1951.
This tank was produced by two firms: Renault and FAMH Schneider (who supplied the turrets of new model). The suspension of the tank was outdated in the 30’s and caterpillar tracks bandaging the whole chassis came from the B1 heavy construction. This vehicle had the lowest speed performance among heavy tanks of the Post war period – 37 km/h. In contrast to the chassis, the hull and the engine were of a completely new design. For example, the armor plating of the hull was arranged at an angle 45 degrees, making its frontal armor plating equal to 170-mm vertical armor. The new turret of ARL – 44 was really innovative. But it also had its own drawbacks. The main disadvantage was poor welding. On the other hand, the manufacturing of the cast steel turret of this size and thickness of 40-mm was simply impossible. The tank has a 90-mm “Schneider” cannon mounted in the turret.
As it was previously mentioned, this tank was a “transitive type”. It is the vehicle that was supposed to push the French tank building forwards – into the new stage of development – from the Inter war period projects to the so called Post war tanks. It had elements of both old and new vehicle generations. On the whole, ARL – 44 was really far from being perfect. But the main goal of this project was not mere “weaponization” of the armored units. It aimed at reviving the French tank development after the occupation as most French engineers either died or disappeared during the occupation period.
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AMX – 12t is a “smaller brother” of the legendary AMX – 13. As you can see from the numeric designation, the project weight of the tank was 12 tons. The development of AMX 13 chassis was based on the AMX 12t project. The construction of AMX – 12t chassis had one interesting feature – the rear road wheel was functioning as idle wheel at the same time. However, this design feature led to many problems with tension of the tank tracks and was less reliable than the chassis of classic configuration. Thereafter, it was taken into account when designing the chassis for AMX – 13: the running gear got a new separate idle wheel raised above the ground and it was extended, as well as the hull of the tank. The turret mounted on this tank was a sort of predecessor of the AMX – 13 turret (however, smaller tank – smaller turret). It was also planned to equip this vehicle with automatic loading device.
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The next tank we will refer to is the legendary representative of the French tank production school – AMX 13. This vehicle exported to more than 25 countries all around the world. The tank got its numerical designation from its combat weight – 13 tons. There were about 100 modifications, including self-propelled guns (SPG’s), self-propelled air defense systems, armored personnel carriers (APC’s) and self-propelled anti-tank guided missile complexes. AMX – 13 was designed in 1946. One of the main requirements was the lightweight of the tank, as it was supposed to be transported by air so as to use this vehicle for supporting paratroopers. The tank had a compact-type chassis with torsion-bar-type suspension and engine located along the hull of the tank to the right-hand side. The crew station of the driver mechanic was located in the front left part of the hull. The most interesting feature of AMX – 13 was its oscillating turret. The cannon was mounted in the top part of the turret. This way, only the upper part of the turret was used for the vertical direction of the gun. The turret itself was mounted on the tail part of the tank and was designed for 2 crew members: the tank commander and gunner. The 75-mm cannon mounted on this tank was designed on the base of the German 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 (previously mounted on Panthers). However, this cannon had a wider range of munitions with an peculiar automatic loading device of revolver cylinder type: 2 cylinders with 6 projectiles in each in the rare of the turret. Twelve projectiles in two cylinders allowed high speed shooting at the enemy. But as soon as these projectiles were shot away the vehicle had to drop back and duck for cover to reload the cylinders (from outside the tank).
AMX – 13 was launched into manufacturing at Atelier de Construction Roanne (ARE) factories in 1952. It was supplied as an operational vehicle until the 80s, but some tanks of this type are still in service in the French Army.
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AMX – 13/90 – the next modification of AMX – 13. The new model was put into service in the early 1960s. This tank had a new 90-mm cannon mounted in the oscillating turret. The gun was equipped with a muzzle brake and thermal barrel jacket. Ammunition of the cannon was reduced to 32 shots (12 of them in the cylinders of the automatic loading system), but their nomenclature was expanded: armor-piercing, sub-caliber (APP303), shaped-charge (cumulative) (HEAT), smoke rounds.
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According to the records, there were produced only two prototypes of Batignolles-Chatillon 25t. This combat vehicle had been designed on the basis of well-known AMX-13. Increasing the hull size and armor plating allowed increasing its combat survivability. Its combat weight increased to 25 tons after some modifications were introduced into the tank design. The vehicle had got four crew members. The documents say that the max speed of the vehicle was 65 km/h.
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Medium Lorraine 40t tank. Achievements of the German and Soviet heavy tank developers (and their Tiger II, IS-2 and IS-3) in the long run inspired French tank designers. As a result, they developed a few projects. Certainly, they didn’t show records in size or weight, however, there were some very notable examples of armored vehicles. The glory of German and Soviet armor and, moreover, the firepower of these steel monsters became the idee fixe for French engineers. So, it was decided to mount the 100-mm cannon (as a first step) and a bit later 120-mm cannon. However, almost all of these new tank projects remained at the development stage or were produced in very small series. It is also known that almost all of the experimental vehicles had Maybach engines mounted. Unfortunately, the majority of French armored troops was equipped with Shermans, M-26s, M-24s and Panthers. Lorraine 40t remained at the development stage, and only two prototypes were produced. Technically, this combat vehicle was a lightweight version of the heavy tank AMX-50, but some interesting design solutions were implemented in this tank as well. In contrast to its Post war predecessors the turret of this tank was mounted on the front of the hull. Besides, this tank had one more specific feature – “pike nose” (similar to IS-3). Plus it has rubber tires for road wheels of the running gear as extra amortization.
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Heavy tank M4. The tragic events of WWII and then the occupation of France made it impossible to develop new types of tanks. Of course, there was the project of ARL-44, but it had obviously become out-of-date and lagged behind German and Soviet tanks in respect of its characteristics. In view of the above, France badly needed to develop a tank with characteristics close to that of IS and Tiger tanks. It was AMX-50.
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The first model of this tank was M4, also known as “Project 141”. This vehicle was almost a pure replica of King Tiger. If you need any proofs thereof, just have a look at this tank. The construction of chassis used small-link tracks with road wheels arranged in “checkerboard order” (8 pairs) with internal shock absorbers. It also had a torsion-bar-type suspension with hydraulic shock absorbers. Clearance could be adjusted within the range of ten centimeters. Rear transmission and crawler wheels arrangement of the transmission was the main difference of M4 if compared with King Tiger. The designers initially planned to create a 30-ton tank, but it would have cut the armor plating up to 30-mm, which was really nothing for tanks of this period. So, the rational slope angled armor was increased up to 90-mm which, in its turn, increased the weight of the vehicle. The armament of M4 consisted of a 90-mm “Schneider” cannon mounted in a classic turret (resembling the turret of King Tiger) and a 7.62-mm machine gun mounted in the front armor plate. According to the project data the crew of M4 was to consist of five members. The prototype of this tank wasn’t built as it was decided to change the turret to a new one by FAMH.
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AMX-50/100mm. After WWII France started its own heavy tank projects and, curiously enough, these projects resembled AMX-13 (which was in process of development at that moment).
AMX-50/100-mm was manufactured in two copies in 1949. Small series of AMX-50 tanks entered the troops in 1951. In comparison with the American and British analogs these combat vehicles had their own peculiar features. Their combat weight was 50 tons lighter and French firepower as well as armor protection was equivalent to their opponents. But this tank was never to become the mass vehicle due to lack of financing. This vehicle was to have the engine department in the frontal part of the hull. The turret had two crew stations: the place of the tank commander was to the left from the cannon and that of the gunner - to the right. The driver-mechanic and his assistant had their own crew stations in the driving department.
Cast steel hull of the tank was manufactured with rational angle slope of the frontal armor (thickness 110-mm) and upper side armor plates (thickness 100-mm).
If compare with M4 the running gear of AMX – 50/100mm was modified: an extra pair of road wheels was added (five external and four internal). Armor plating was increased up to 110-mm and a machine gun in the front plate was replaced with a coaxial machine gun. An independent machine gun mount (two 7.62-mm anti-aircraft machine guns) was arranged on the roof of the turret. Original oscillating turret was developed by FAMH. Initially, the vehicle had a 90-mm “Schneider” cannon, but in 1950 AMX – 50/100mm got a slightly modified turret with a 100-mm cannon. The construction of the oscillating turret consisted of two sections (upper and lower) fastened with two screw-bolts or hinges. The cannon was mounted in the upper section of the turret. Horizontal targeting of the cannon was realized in usual manner (the whole construction of the turret was rotating). However, only the upper section of the turret was moving for vertical targeting. This turret possessed two serious advantages over the typical turrets. First of all, it allowed to reduce the size of the turret without cutting the space for tankers inside. Second, the rear part of the upper section could be used for mounting of the automatic loading device. The device constituted a cylinder with 6 shells inside (like in a revolver), it had to be reloaded manually which caused some difficulties. Engineers planned to install a 1000 horsepower gasoline engine «Maybach HL 295» or a diesel engine «Saurer» of the same capacity. It allowed the tank to reach 60 km/h max speed. However the test runs of 1950-1952 proved that the maximum speed is no higher than 51 km/h.
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AMX-65t is a pre-project of Char de 65t which was being developed in 1950. It had a “checkerboard” suspension with 4 rows of rollers like in German tanks. Front armor plating of the “pike mouth” type reminds the one of IS-3. However, the angle of armor slope is smaller. Otherwise, the body of the tank looks like King’s Tiger with the same angles of armor arrangement (a kind of combination of best parts of the predecessors). They planned the mount of a Maybach engine of 1000 h.p. capacity, which would allow the tank to speed up to 40 km/h. Anti-aircraft machine gun was installed on right of the turret roof. According to some data the tank was supposed to be equipped with a 100-mm cannon.
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АМХ-50-120mm entered the production in three versions: models of 1953, 1955 and 1958. This tank was designed as an IS-3 and T-10. In the model of 1953 the front armor plating was the same as in IS-3 (why not to copy a good design feature?!) and it was slightly thicker than the one the predecessors had. First a usual turret with a 120mm gun was mounted. Later they admitted that it was too big and inconvenient and it was replaced with an oscillating turret. Apart from that the decision to install a 20-mm coaxial automatic cannon was made. In 1955 tank armor plating was increased and the front armor plate became twice thicker. As a result the weight of the vehicle became 64 tons (in contrast to 57.8 tons previously). The ordering customers were not satisfied with the weight and in 1958 the very last model of the tank was designed. Its weight was 57.8 tons. It had a carapace with a well-rounded front armor plating. Under the condition of mounting a «Maybach HL 295» engine with 1000 h.p., the changes in the running gear were supposed to allow the tank to speed up to 65 km/h. However the engine was not very reliable and in reality the capacity was only 850 h.p. (despite the claim of the designers that it can reach the capacity of 1200 h.p.). Another serious problem was recharging of the automatic loading device cylinders. If the 10-mm shells were appropriate in weight, than the recharge of the cylinder with 6 really heavy shells 120 mm in caliber was a real trouble. The tank crew consisted of 4 members despite the vehicle had an automatic loading device. The fourth crew member officially was a radio operator whereas in fact his job was to recharge the cylinder.
To sum up we can say that when designing АMХ-50 French engineers wasted too much time. By that time the concept of a heavy tank became outdated because of the existence of hollow charge projectiles which penetrated even heavy armor plating. The project was ceased. However a lot of design concepts were used when designing the French АМХ-30.
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And a few words about mobile artillery – SPG.
AMX 105 AM, also known as М-51. This 105-mm self-propelled howitzer became the first vehicle based on light tank AMX-13 project. The prototype was manufactured in 1950 and the first series of combat vehicles began their service in the French Army in 1952. SPG AMX-105AМ constituted a self-propelled mounting with a fixed open-top armament compartment cabin and located at the tail of the vehicle. A 105-mm howitzer Mk61 of 1950 was mounted in it. It was equipped with a muzzle break. Such layout is beneficial for long-barreled artillery systems as the length of the vehicle does not change, the barrel does not project forward, the ammunition loading through the hatch was facilitated, a possibility of increasing the vertical aiming angles appeared. A 7.62 mm anti-aircraft machine gun was mounted on the armament compartment cabin. Some SPGs were also armed with a 7.5-mm machine gun mounted into a revolving turret.
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The difference of AMX-105A (SPG) chassis from AMX-13 (light tank) was only in terms of a higher rear. Otherwise, the characteristics of the vehicle remained the same. The running gear consisted of 10 road wheels (2x5), two front drive sprockets, two back idlers and six carrier rollers (2x6) and two tracks. Cushioning devices were mounted with the first and fifth road wheels.
The driver-mechanic crew station was in the front part of the hull to the left of the engine compartment. Other stations of the crew (commanding officer, gunner and two loaders) were in the cabin – in the combat department made of rolled steel plates (up to 200 mm). Howitzer’s aiming drive remained manual. One of the main drawbacks of this cannon was slow moving of the barrel from one target to another one. The ammunition consisted of 56 rounds including six armor-piercing rounds.
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The firing distance using 16-kg high-explosive shells was 15 000 m with the initial speed from 220 to 670 m/s.
Howitzer’s barrel was manufactured in two modifications – caliber 23 and 30. Both modifications had double-chamber muzzle brake. A 6-multiple reticle for shooting at armor-plated objects and a 4-multiple goniometer were parts of the firing control system.
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AMX-105A wasn’t equipped with a filter-ventilator mounting as well as had no individual waterborne platform. The vehicle could cross fords up to 0.8 m without special prior preparation.
SPGs AMX-105A (also — Mk61) were exported to Israel, Morocco, the Netherlands.
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АМХ-13 F3 AM. The first post-war Western self-propelled howitzer was a French SPG F3 155mm which began its service in 1960. 155-mm howitzer was mounted openly on the chassis of a light tank AMX-13. The cannon barrel’s length was 33 calibers and delivered fire for 20-25 km with the rapidity of fire 3 shots per minute. This SPG didn’t carry shells – they brought them (25 items) using a truck carrier. 8 crew members were transported by the carrier also. 110-mm) and upper side armor plates (thickness 100-mm).
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The first series of F3 SPGs were equipped with Sofam Model SGxb, an eight-cylinder liquid-cooled gasoline engine. Further vehicles were equipped with more powerful six-cylinder liquid-cooled diesel Detroit Diesel 6V-53T, which allowed an SPG to move on paved roads with a maximum speed of 60 km/h. Fuel distance increased from 300 km to 400 km. For the last production series of F3 SPGs, as well as for other machines of the family, AMX-13 Baudouin company used the diesel engine 6F11 SRY.
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BATIGNOLLES-CHATILLON 155mm. The main design feature of this SPG is the rotating turret. Construction of its prototype began in 1955. The suspension was similar to M 47, which was supplied to the French army. The turret with an automatic loading system was developed in 1958. Due to rejection of the project in December 1959, only wooden models were built. Ammunition was 36 shells. Speed: 62 km/h. Weight: 34.33 tons. Crew: 6 members.
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Lorraine 155 (Type 50 and Type 51).
This SPG was developed on the basis of Lorraine 40t and was equipped with 155-mm howitzers, as it can be seen on the index. Fixed armament compartment resembled combat vehicles with assault weapon, which were widely used during World War II. The original Talbot engine, mounted in 1951, was replaced with German Maybach. Weight of the combat vehicle was 30.3 tons; the crew consisted of five members. And armament consisted of 155-mm howitzer and 20-mm cannon. The vehicle claimed to speed up to 62 km/h. The main difference of these 2 types is the location of the armament compartment. Type 50 had the armament compartment located in the central part of the hull, later it was moved to the front (Type 51). The implementation of rubber tires for road wheels – an extra cushioning - was a very interesting solution, since the suspension was inherited from the Lorraine 40t. However, in 1955 the producers decided to start the BATIGNOLLES-CHATILLON 155mm project instead. This choice was a logical consequence of the assault weapons refusal, a concept which is clearly seen in development projects.
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And now it is time for the Post war French TD SPGs.
AMX AC de 120 (46) was a SPG project based on the project of M4 tank. It had checkered type of suspension. Its armament compartment was placed in the front of the hull. The angles of the armor plating arrangement and overall appearance of this TD SPG resembled German JagdPanther.
Combat weight of this SPG comprised 34 tons. Armor: front - 30 mm, side - 20 mm; its crew consisted of four members. Armament consisted of Schneider cannon and a machine gun installed in a small turret on the right of the cabin roof. The engine - Maybach HL 295, 12-cylinder engine of 1200 hp capacity.
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The suspension of AMX AC de 120 (48) remained unchanged in comparison with its sample model of 1946. The most important change was the modified form of the cabin. The height of the vehicle was noticeably lower. Unlike its predecessor, this type of AT SPG resembled JagdPzIV. Moreover, the vehicle had some “French innovations”. Small turret with a 20 mm gun MG 151 was installed in its cabin, and anti-aircraft flak turret with two MG 151 guns was mounted on the tail of the vehicle. Commander's turret was mounted on the left-front part of the cabin.
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After World War II French army had no modern tanks and heavy armament. For this reason, in March 1945 French industry was proposed to develop new models of armored vehicles. In this year AMX Company (Atelier de Construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux) presented its Project 141. This tank had a 90 mm cannon Schneider and was subsequently known as M4. By 1949, two prototypes were built.
Summing up the results of tests, the Commission decided to increase armor plating of the vehicle and mount the cannon of larger caliber. The first prototype of a 120-mm gun AT SPG was built in 1950, being marked AMX-50 Foch.
This TD SPG was developed on the basis of AMX-50 heavy tank. The front of its long “turretless” hull was made with a rational angle of armored surfaces. AMX-50 Foch was well armored and had very powerful cannon. These aspects provided excellent power density. I cannot but mention that this vehicle had some similarities to the German tank destroyer JagdPanther.
The TD SPG was armed with long-barreled 120-mm cannon, supplied with a muzzle brake. The carried forward gun had an armored mask, which exceeded the sloping hull front plate significantly. Moreover, the vehicle had a totally enclosed hull, covered with anti-shell armor.
The machine-gun turret was mounted on the right side of the fighting cab deck. The remotely operated anti-aircraft gun Reibel was mounted inside. The Commander's turret was equipped with rangefinder and was placed on the left side of it. The tank-driver was located on the right and watched the land environment with the help of a periscope.
Initially it was assumed that TD SPG AMX-50 Foch could be used as support vehicles for 100-mm gunned tanks, firing most dangerous distant targets. SPG AMX-50 Foch was tested successfully and a small amount of these vehicles entered the army in 1951, but subsequently the production of this vehicle was stopped and SPGs did not enter the service "in the interest of arms standardization of NATO countries". In 1952 the project was closed in favor of AMX-50-120, a tank with 120-mm cannon, which was mounted in the rotating turret. AMX-50-120 was good enough to counter "the Soviet tank threat" without any assistance, i.e. it did not require the support of infantry combat vehicles.
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In conclusion, we can say that French tank development of the Post war period was considerably influenced by German and Soviet equipment of the final period of World War II. The production capacity of France was in bad condition. What is more, there was a lack of qualified specialists and many technical solutions were borrowed from the flagship projects of that time.
Tank forces were supplied with foreign tanks and captured German vehicles M24, M26, M47, PzKpfw V Panther, etc.
However, French engineers managed to overcome the enormous difficulties and created fighting vehicles based on their own concepts, such as AMX-13, which gave birth to development of many combat vehicles and started the revival of the French tank development.
by Gustav Fuchs
So, the territory of France was occupied by the Nazi Germany for the next five years. The manufacturing facilities of the country also were at the Nazi’s disposal. Tank-building factories continued producing some types of tanks for a certain period of time or remodeled them for the purposes of the German army (some of them were reconstructed into tank destroyers, flame thrower tanks, etc.). These vehicles were supplied to the training and combat units of the German panzer troops. Some types of vehicles were delivered to the Allies of the Nazi Germany.
After the occupation of France the works on new types of tanks design and development were almost stopped. The tank park of the French army was almost completely lost in battles or captured by the German. Reconstitution of the French armored troops began in North Africa in 1943. The Free French Forces were supplied with American tanks mainly.
During the Post war period the French armored forces were also supplied mainly with American tanks (M24, M26, M46 and M47).
As soon as France was liberated from the German occupation, the works on new types of tanks design and development were restored. So, the firm ARL (Atelier de Constructions de Rueil) began the development of new type of tank on the chassis of B1. The turret of the tank was of completely new design as well as the 75-mm long-barreled gun. By the time of the occupation its development was still in process. Interesting fact: the secret works on this tank development were continued during the occupation (the Nazi invaders couldn’t even think of it). After the liberation of Paris in 1944 a new model of tank was put into production. The first serial vehicle rolled of the production line in 1946. Taking into account the disastrous state of the French industry after 5 years of the German occupation it was a real feat. This tank immediately became a “transitive type” and got the designation ARL – 44. Initially, it was planned to manufacture 300 vehicles of this type. But only 60 were produced. All of them were supplied to 503th Tank Regiment and were first time displayed to the public during the ceremonial parade on July 14, 1951.
This tank was produced by two firms: Renault and FAMH Schneider (who supplied the turrets of new model). The suspension of the tank was outdated in the 30’s and caterpillar tracks bandaging the whole chassis came from the B1 heavy construction. This vehicle had the lowest speed performance among heavy tanks of the Post war period – 37 km/h. In contrast to the chassis, the hull and the engine were of a completely new design. For example, the armor plating of the hull was arranged at an angle 45 degrees, making its frontal armor plating equal to 170-mm vertical armor. The new turret of ARL – 44 was really innovative. But it also had its own drawbacks. The main disadvantage was poor welding. On the other hand, the manufacturing of the cast steel turret of this size and thickness of 40-mm was simply impossible. The tank has a 90-mm “Schneider” cannon mounted in the turret.
As it was previously mentioned, this tank was a “transitive type”. It is the vehicle that was supposed to push the French tank building forwards – into the new stage of development – from the Inter war period projects to the so called Post war tanks. It had elements of both old and new vehicle generations. On the whole, ARL – 44 was really far from being perfect. But the main goal of this project was not mere “weaponization” of the armored units. It aimed at reviving the French tank development after the occupation as most French engineers either died or disappeared during the occupation period.
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AMX – 12t is a “smaller brother” of the legendary AMX – 13. As you can see from the numeric designation, the project weight of the tank was 12 tons. The development of AMX 13 chassis was based on the AMX 12t project. The construction of AMX – 12t chassis had one interesting feature – the rear road wheel was functioning as idle wheel at the same time. However, this design feature led to many problems with tension of the tank tracks and was less reliable than the chassis of classic configuration. Thereafter, it was taken into account when designing the chassis for AMX – 13: the running gear got a new separate idle wheel raised above the ground and it was extended, as well as the hull of the tank. The turret mounted on this tank was a sort of predecessor of the AMX – 13 turret (however, smaller tank – smaller turret). It was also planned to equip this vehicle with automatic loading device.
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The next tank we will refer to is the legendary representative of the French tank production school – AMX 13. This vehicle exported to more than 25 countries all around the world. The tank got its numerical designation from its combat weight – 13 tons. There were about 100 modifications, including self-propelled guns (SPG’s), self-propelled air defense systems, armored personnel carriers (APC’s) and self-propelled anti-tank guided missile complexes. AMX – 13 was designed in 1946. One of the main requirements was the lightweight of the tank, as it was supposed to be transported by air so as to use this vehicle for supporting paratroopers. The tank had a compact-type chassis with torsion-bar-type suspension and engine located along the hull of the tank to the right-hand side. The crew station of the driver mechanic was located in the front left part of the hull. The most interesting feature of AMX – 13 was its oscillating turret. The cannon was mounted in the top part of the turret. This way, only the upper part of the turret was used for the vertical direction of the gun. The turret itself was mounted on the tail part of the tank and was designed for 2 crew members: the tank commander and gunner. The 75-mm cannon mounted on this tank was designed on the base of the German 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 (previously mounted on Panthers). However, this cannon had a wider range of munitions with an peculiar automatic loading device of revolver cylinder type: 2 cylinders with 6 projectiles in each in the rare of the turret. Twelve projectiles in two cylinders allowed high speed shooting at the enemy. But as soon as these projectiles were shot away the vehicle had to drop back and duck for cover to reload the cylinders (from outside the tank).
AMX – 13 was launched into manufacturing at Atelier de Construction Roanne (ARE) factories in 1952. It was supplied as an operational vehicle until the 80s, but some tanks of this type are still in service in the French Army.
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AMX – 13/90 – the next modification of AMX – 13. The new model was put into service in the early 1960s. This tank had a new 90-mm cannon mounted in the oscillating turret. The gun was equipped with a muzzle brake and thermal barrel jacket. Ammunition of the cannon was reduced to 32 shots (12 of them in the cylinders of the automatic loading system), but their nomenclature was expanded: armor-piercing, sub-caliber (APP303), shaped-charge (cumulative) (HEAT), smoke rounds.
***
According to the records, there were produced only two prototypes of Batignolles-Chatillon 25t. This combat vehicle had been designed on the basis of well-known AMX-13. Increasing the hull size and armor plating allowed increasing its combat survivability. Its combat weight increased to 25 tons after some modifications were introduced into the tank design. The vehicle had got four crew members. The documents say that the max speed of the vehicle was 65 km/h.
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Medium Lorraine 40t tank. Achievements of the German and Soviet heavy tank developers (and their Tiger II, IS-2 and IS-3) in the long run inspired French tank designers. As a result, they developed a few projects. Certainly, they didn’t show records in size or weight, however, there were some very notable examples of armored vehicles. The glory of German and Soviet armor and, moreover, the firepower of these steel monsters became the idee fixe for French engineers. So, it was decided to mount the 100-mm cannon (as a first step) and a bit later 120-mm cannon. However, almost all of these new tank projects remained at the development stage or were produced in very small series. It is also known that almost all of the experimental vehicles had Maybach engines mounted. Unfortunately, the majority of French armored troops was equipped with Shermans, M-26s, M-24s and Panthers. Lorraine 40t remained at the development stage, and only two prototypes were produced. Technically, this combat vehicle was a lightweight version of the heavy tank AMX-50, but some interesting design solutions were implemented in this tank as well. In contrast to its Post war predecessors the turret of this tank was mounted on the front of the hull. Besides, this tank had one more specific feature – “pike nose” (similar to IS-3). Plus it has rubber tires for road wheels of the running gear as extra amortization.
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Heavy tank M4. The tragic events of WWII and then the occupation of France made it impossible to develop new types of tanks. Of course, there was the project of ARL-44, but it had obviously become out-of-date and lagged behind German and Soviet tanks in respect of its characteristics. In view of the above, France badly needed to develop a tank with characteristics close to that of IS and Tiger tanks. It was AMX-50.
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The first model of this tank was M4, also known as “Project 141”. This vehicle was almost a pure replica of King Tiger. If you need any proofs thereof, just have a look at this tank. The construction of chassis used small-link tracks with road wheels arranged in “checkerboard order” (8 pairs) with internal shock absorbers. It also had a torsion-bar-type suspension with hydraulic shock absorbers. Clearance could be adjusted within the range of ten centimeters. Rear transmission and crawler wheels arrangement of the transmission was the main difference of M4 if compared with King Tiger. The designers initially planned to create a 30-ton tank, but it would have cut the armor plating up to 30-mm, which was really nothing for tanks of this period. So, the rational slope angled armor was increased up to 90-mm which, in its turn, increased the weight of the vehicle. The armament of M4 consisted of a 90-mm “Schneider” cannon mounted in a classic turret (resembling the turret of King Tiger) and a 7.62-mm machine gun mounted in the front armor plate. According to the project data the crew of M4 was to consist of five members. The prototype of this tank wasn’t built as it was decided to change the turret to a new one by FAMH.
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AMX-50/100mm. After WWII France started its own heavy tank projects and, curiously enough, these projects resembled AMX-13 (which was in process of development at that moment).
AMX-50/100-mm was manufactured in two copies in 1949. Small series of AMX-50 tanks entered the troops in 1951. In comparison with the American and British analogs these combat vehicles had their own peculiar features. Their combat weight was 50 tons lighter and French firepower as well as armor protection was equivalent to their opponents. But this tank was never to become the mass vehicle due to lack of financing. This vehicle was to have the engine department in the frontal part of the hull. The turret had two crew stations: the place of the tank commander was to the left from the cannon and that of the gunner - to the right. The driver-mechanic and his assistant had their own crew stations in the driving department.
Cast steel hull of the tank was manufactured with rational angle slope of the frontal armor (thickness 110-mm) and upper side armor plates (thickness 100-mm).
If compare with M4 the running gear of AMX – 50/100mm was modified: an extra pair of road wheels was added (five external and four internal). Armor plating was increased up to 110-mm and a machine gun in the front plate was replaced with a coaxial machine gun. An independent machine gun mount (two 7.62-mm anti-aircraft machine guns) was arranged on the roof of the turret. Original oscillating turret was developed by FAMH. Initially, the vehicle had a 90-mm “Schneider” cannon, but in 1950 AMX – 50/100mm got a slightly modified turret with a 100-mm cannon. The construction of the oscillating turret consisted of two sections (upper and lower) fastened with two screw-bolts or hinges. The cannon was mounted in the upper section of the turret. Horizontal targeting of the cannon was realized in usual manner (the whole construction of the turret was rotating). However, only the upper section of the turret was moving for vertical targeting. This turret possessed two serious advantages over the typical turrets. First of all, it allowed to reduce the size of the turret without cutting the space for tankers inside. Second, the rear part of the upper section could be used for mounting of the automatic loading device. The device constituted a cylinder with 6 shells inside (like in a revolver), it had to be reloaded manually which caused some difficulties. Engineers planned to install a 1000 horsepower gasoline engine «Maybach HL 295» or a diesel engine «Saurer» of the same capacity. It allowed the tank to reach 60 km/h max speed. However the test runs of 1950-1952 proved that the maximum speed is no higher than 51 km/h.
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AMX-65t is a pre-project of Char de 65t which was being developed in 1950. It had a “checkerboard” suspension with 4 rows of rollers like in German tanks. Front armor plating of the “pike mouth” type reminds the one of IS-3. However, the angle of armor slope is smaller. Otherwise, the body of the tank looks like King’s Tiger with the same angles of armor arrangement (a kind of combination of best parts of the predecessors). They planned the mount of a Maybach engine of 1000 h.p. capacity, which would allow the tank to speed up to 40 km/h. Anti-aircraft machine gun was installed on right of the turret roof. According to some data the tank was supposed to be equipped with a 100-mm cannon.
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АМХ-50-120mm entered the production in three versions: models of 1953, 1955 and 1958. This tank was designed as an IS-3 and T-10. In the model of 1953 the front armor plating was the same as in IS-3 (why not to copy a good design feature?!) and it was slightly thicker than the one the predecessors had. First a usual turret with a 120mm gun was mounted. Later they admitted that it was too big and inconvenient and it was replaced with an oscillating turret. Apart from that the decision to install a 20-mm coaxial automatic cannon was made. In 1955 tank armor plating was increased and the front armor plate became twice thicker. As a result the weight of the vehicle became 64 tons (in contrast to 57.8 tons previously). The ordering customers were not satisfied with the weight and in 1958 the very last model of the tank was designed. Its weight was 57.8 tons. It had a carapace with a well-rounded front armor plating. Under the condition of mounting a «Maybach HL 295» engine with 1000 h.p., the changes in the running gear were supposed to allow the tank to speed up to 65 km/h. However the engine was not very reliable and in reality the capacity was only 850 h.p. (despite the claim of the designers that it can reach the capacity of 1200 h.p.). Another serious problem was recharging of the automatic loading device cylinders. If the 10-mm shells were appropriate in weight, than the recharge of the cylinder with 6 really heavy shells 120 mm in caliber was a real trouble. The tank crew consisted of 4 members despite the vehicle had an automatic loading device. The fourth crew member officially was a radio operator whereas in fact his job was to recharge the cylinder.
To sum up we can say that when designing АMХ-50 French engineers wasted too much time. By that time the concept of a heavy tank became outdated because of the existence of hollow charge projectiles which penetrated even heavy armor plating. The project was ceased. However a lot of design concepts were used when designing the French АМХ-30.
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And a few words about mobile artillery – SPG.
AMX 105 AM, also known as М-51. This 105-mm self-propelled howitzer became the first vehicle based on light tank AMX-13 project. The prototype was manufactured in 1950 and the first series of combat vehicles began their service in the French Army in 1952. SPG AMX-105AМ constituted a self-propelled mounting with a fixed open-top armament compartment cabin and located at the tail of the vehicle. A 105-mm howitzer Mk61 of 1950 was mounted in it. It was equipped with a muzzle break. Such layout is beneficial for long-barreled artillery systems as the length of the vehicle does not change, the barrel does not project forward, the ammunition loading through the hatch was facilitated, a possibility of increasing the vertical aiming angles appeared. A 7.62 mm anti-aircraft machine gun was mounted on the armament compartment cabin. Some SPGs were also armed with a 7.5-mm machine gun mounted into a revolving turret.
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The difference of AMX-105A (SPG) chassis from AMX-13 (light tank) was only in terms of a higher rear. Otherwise, the characteristics of the vehicle remained the same. The running gear consisted of 10 road wheels (2x5), two front drive sprockets, two back idlers and six carrier rollers (2x6) and two tracks. Cushioning devices were mounted with the first and fifth road wheels.
The driver-mechanic crew station was in the front part of the hull to the left of the engine compartment. Other stations of the crew (commanding officer, gunner and two loaders) were in the cabin – in the combat department made of rolled steel plates (up to 200 mm). Howitzer’s aiming drive remained manual. One of the main drawbacks of this cannon was slow moving of the barrel from one target to another one. The ammunition consisted of 56 rounds including six armor-piercing rounds.
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The firing distance using 16-kg high-explosive shells was 15 000 m with the initial speed from 220 to 670 m/s.
Howitzer’s barrel was manufactured in two modifications – caliber 23 and 30. Both modifications had double-chamber muzzle brake. A 6-multiple reticle for shooting at armor-plated objects and a 4-multiple goniometer were parts of the firing control system.
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AMX-105A wasn’t equipped with a filter-ventilator mounting as well as had no individual waterborne platform. The vehicle could cross fords up to 0.8 m without special prior preparation.
SPGs AMX-105A (also — Mk61) were exported to Israel, Morocco, the Netherlands.
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АМХ-13 F3 AM. The first post-war Western self-propelled howitzer was a French SPG F3 155mm which began its service in 1960. 155-mm howitzer was mounted openly on the chassis of a light tank AMX-13. The cannon barrel’s length was 33 calibers and delivered fire for 20-25 km with the rapidity of fire 3 shots per minute. This SPG didn’t carry shells – they brought them (25 items) using a truck carrier. 8 crew members were transported by the carrier also. 110-mm) and upper side armor plates (thickness 100-mm).
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The first series of F3 SPGs were equipped with Sofam Model SGxb, an eight-cylinder liquid-cooled gasoline engine. Further vehicles were equipped with more powerful six-cylinder liquid-cooled diesel Detroit Diesel 6V-53T, which allowed an SPG to move on paved roads with a maximum speed of 60 km/h. Fuel distance increased from 300 km to 400 km. For the last production series of F3 SPGs, as well as for other machines of the family, AMX-13 Baudouin company used the diesel engine 6F11 SRY.
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BATIGNOLLES-CHATILLON 155mm. The main design feature of this SPG is the rotating turret. Construction of its prototype began in 1955. The suspension was similar to M 47, which was supplied to the French army. The turret with an automatic loading system was developed in 1958. Due to rejection of the project in December 1959, only wooden models were built. Ammunition was 36 shells. Speed: 62 km/h. Weight: 34.33 tons. Crew: 6 members.
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Lorraine 155 (Type 50 and Type 51).
This SPG was developed on the basis of Lorraine 40t and was equipped with 155-mm howitzers, as it can be seen on the index. Fixed armament compartment resembled combat vehicles with assault weapon, which were widely used during World War II. The original Talbot engine, mounted in 1951, was replaced with German Maybach. Weight of the combat vehicle was 30.3 tons; the crew consisted of five members. And armament consisted of 155-mm howitzer and 20-mm cannon. The vehicle claimed to speed up to 62 km/h. The main difference of these 2 types is the location of the armament compartment. Type 50 had the armament compartment located in the central part of the hull, later it was moved to the front (Type 51). The implementation of rubber tires for road wheels – an extra cushioning - was a very interesting solution, since the suspension was inherited from the Lorraine 40t. However, in 1955 the producers decided to start the BATIGNOLLES-CHATILLON 155mm project instead. This choice was a logical consequence of the assault weapons refusal, a concept which is clearly seen in development projects.
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And now it is time for the Post war French TD SPGs.
AMX AC de 120 (46) was a SPG project based on the project of M4 tank. It had checkered type of suspension. Its armament compartment was placed in the front of the hull. The angles of the armor plating arrangement and overall appearance of this TD SPG resembled German JagdPanther.
Combat weight of this SPG comprised 34 tons. Armor: front - 30 mm, side - 20 mm; its crew consisted of four members. Armament consisted of Schneider cannon and a machine gun installed in a small turret on the right of the cabin roof. The engine - Maybach HL 295, 12-cylinder engine of 1200 hp capacity.
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The suspension of AMX AC de 120 (48) remained unchanged in comparison with its sample model of 1946. The most important change was the modified form of the cabin. The height of the vehicle was noticeably lower. Unlike its predecessor, this type of AT SPG resembled JagdPzIV. Moreover, the vehicle had some “French innovations”. Small turret with a 20 mm gun MG 151 was installed in its cabin, and anti-aircraft flak turret with two MG 151 guns was mounted on the tail of the vehicle. Commander's turret was mounted on the left-front part of the cabin.
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After World War II French army had no modern tanks and heavy armament. For this reason, in March 1945 French industry was proposed to develop new models of armored vehicles. In this year AMX Company (Atelier de Construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux) presented its Project 141. This tank had a 90 mm cannon Schneider and was subsequently known as M4. By 1949, two prototypes were built.
Summing up the results of tests, the Commission decided to increase armor plating of the vehicle and mount the cannon of larger caliber. The first prototype of a 120-mm gun AT SPG was built in 1950, being marked AMX-50 Foch.
This TD SPG was developed on the basis of AMX-50 heavy tank. The front of its long “turretless” hull was made with a rational angle of armored surfaces. AMX-50 Foch was well armored and had very powerful cannon. These aspects provided excellent power density. I cannot but mention that this vehicle had some similarities to the German tank destroyer JagdPanther.
The TD SPG was armed with long-barreled 120-mm cannon, supplied with a muzzle brake. The carried forward gun had an armored mask, which exceeded the sloping hull front plate significantly. Moreover, the vehicle had a totally enclosed hull, covered with anti-shell armor.
The machine-gun turret was mounted on the right side of the fighting cab deck. The remotely operated anti-aircraft gun Reibel was mounted inside. The Commander's turret was equipped with rangefinder and was placed on the left side of it. The tank-driver was located on the right and watched the land environment with the help of a periscope.
Initially it was assumed that TD SPG AMX-50 Foch could be used as support vehicles for 100-mm gunned tanks, firing most dangerous distant targets. SPG AMX-50 Foch was tested successfully and a small amount of these vehicles entered the army in 1951, but subsequently the production of this vehicle was stopped and SPGs did not enter the service "in the interest of arms standardization of NATO countries". In 1952 the project was closed in favor of AMX-50-120, a tank with 120-mm cannon, which was mounted in the rotating turret. AMX-50-120 was good enough to counter "the Soviet tank threat" without any assistance, i.e. it did not require the support of infantry combat vehicles.
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In conclusion, we can say that French tank development of the Post war period was considerably influenced by German and Soviet equipment of the final period of World War II. The production capacity of France was in bad condition. What is more, there was a lack of qualified specialists and many technical solutions were borrowed from the flagship projects of that time.
Tank forces were supplied with foreign tanks and captured German vehicles M24, M26, M47, PzKpfw V Panther, etc.
However, French engineers managed to overcome the enormous difficulties and created fighting vehicles based on their own concepts, such as AMX-13, which gave birth to development of many combat vehicles and started the revival of the French tank development.
by Gustav Fuchs
News from the Front\Developers Blog\Armor from France (Part II)