This title examines the emergence of the first modern tank, the Renault FT. It is a little known fact that France fielded more tanks in World War I than any other army. However, France's early tanks suffered from poor mobility and armor compared to their contemporaries. Indeed, their initial use on the Chemin des Dames in 1917 was a bloody fiasco. In spite of initial set-backs, the French army redeemed its reputation with the Renault FT. The Renault FT pioneered the modern tank design, with armament in a revolutionary central turret and the engine in the rear. More importantly, the Renault was designed to be cheap and easy to manufacture. Discover the history of the early French armor developments and their triumphant new design, the Renault FT, that helped to turn the tide of war in the favor of the Allies.

The first of two volumes covering the French armor of World War II, this title looks at the infantry and battle tanks that faced the onslaught of the German Blitzkrieg in 1940. Many of the French tanks were intended as replacements for the World War I-era Renault FT, and various modernization efforts throughout the inter-war years had given rise to a number of new infantry tanks, including the Renault R35 and R40, FCM 36, and the Hotchkiss H35 and H39. Alongside these developments was a separate family of battle tanks, starting with the Renault D1, D2, and, finally, the best-known French tank of the campaign – the Char B1 bis. French Tanks of World War II (1) offers a background to the design and development of these tank types, and an evaluation of their performance in the Battle of France.

A detailed history of France’s development of tanks and the combat the tanks served in during World War I, by an armored warfare expert. The French tank corps was an essential part of the French army from 1917 onwards, yet its history has been strangely neglected in English accounts of the Western Front. Using information derived from the French military archives at Vincennes—much of which has never been published in English before—author Tim Gale describes the design and development of the tanks, the political and organizational issues that arose between the French military and civilian bureaucracy, and the record of these pioneering fighting vehicles in combat. All the major engagements in which French tanks participated are depicted in graphic detail, often quoting directly from recollections left by individual tank commanders of their experience in battle, and each operation is assessed in terms of its impact on French tactics in general and on tank tactics in particular. The Nivelle offensive and the battles of Malmaison, the Matz, Soissons, and Champagne are featured in the narrative, and the actions of the French tanks serving with the U.S. army are covered, too. Much of the material in Tim Gale’s study will be entirely new to non-French speakers. The story will be fascinating reading for anyone who is interested in the Great War, the French army, military innovation and the history of armored warfare. Praise for French Tanks of the Great War “Gale’s book . . . is very easy to dip into.” —Military Modelling “It is a wealth of information and I would definitely recommend it.” —Forgotten Weapons

The Battle of France in 1940 involved the first large-scale tank-against-tank battles in history. The massive clashes at Stonne, Hannant, and Gembloux involved hundreds of tanks on both sides, yet have faded from memory due to the enourmity of the French defeat. This book examines two of the premier opposing tanks of the Wehrmacht and the French Army, the German PzKpfw IV and the French Char B1 bis. With a complete history of the design, development, and deployment of these armoured fighting vehicles, the story of these great battles is once again brought to life.

The sequel to French Tanks of World War II (1), this title focuses primarily on France's cavalry armored vehicles, including the light reconnaissance tanks such as the AMR and AMC families, the famous Somua S.35 cavalry tanks and the extensive array of armored half-track and armored cars used by the French cavalry. Specific attention is also paid to tanks considered important from a numerical standpoint such as the Hotchkiss H-35/H-39 series. Featuring specially commissioned profile artwork, photographs and illustrations, French Tanks of World War II (2) provides detailed insight into the background and design of these tank types and presents a brief, yet thorough assessment of their performance during the Battle of France.

Merriam Press World War II Album WA10 (Second Edition, 2015). Pictorial history of four French tanks that saw service prior to and during World War II. The Char B1 heavy tank manufactured before World War II. The Char D1 was a pre-World War II French infantry tank. The Char D2 was an upgraded version of the D1. The Char 2C, also known as FCM 2C, was a French super-heavy tank developed, although never deployed, during World War I. The largest operational tank ever taken into production they were used mostly for propaganda purposes during the early months of World War II. 384 photos, 1 cutaways, 2 four-view drawings, 1 sectional drawing.

France, alongside Great Britain, was the birthplace of a new weapon which was to revolutionise warfare: the tank. Preceding the arrival of the tank the turn of the twentieth-century saw the earliest development of armoured weapons with the invention of the armoured cars and armoured fighting vehicles. Covering the period of the Great War to the beginning of the Second World War this fully comprehensive encyclopaedia includes: the hundred principal types of tanks and armoured cars and over 200 variants such as troop transports, poseur de pont (don't know the English technical term, if there is one - J.-M.), bomb-disposal vehicles (ditto the above), etc.. The concise text, precise genealogical tables, technical data on the most important machines, copious illustrations (including contemporary photographs and superb colour profiles) render this volume an indispensable work of reference for the tank fan. AUTHOR: Francois Vauvillier, editor of war magazine Guerre, Blindes et Materiel, is the recognised expert in engine the French army. SELLING POINTS: * An indispensable work of reference for all tank fans, filled with numerous illustrations, photographs, and colour profiles. 300 photographs