French Armor of WW II.
French, Vichy, and Free French forces.

French Tank development in WW I generated 3 production models; the Schneider Tank, The St Chammond Tank, and most notably, the Renault light tank. The Renault FT-17 was the first tank produced with its main armament in a rotating turret, a feature which would define WW II tank designs. By 1921, France had built over 4000 of these light tanks which formed the bulk of French tanks in service in the 1920's and 30's. These tanks could be found in France and its African Colonies as well as a great number sold to foreign Armies including USA, Italy, Japan, and many others.

The Legacy: Renault FT-17 and its derivatives: The FT-17 remained the main light infantry tank in the Post WWI period. Indeed, the Army reported 3,499 FT-17's on hand at the end of 1934. A 1920 Study concluded that development of an improved infantry tank was needed, but the Army simply had too little money or enthusiasm to pursue this immediately. Two of the main deficiencies of the FT-17 was its slow speed and stiff suspension. Throughout the 1920's a few dozen FT-17's were manufactured with vertical spring suspension and steel/rubber tracks, most sold as exports. Armament 37mm cannon or 8mm Hotchkiss MG. More than 4,500 FT-17's were built.

Char Leger D1: The first effort to modernization; The D1 design incorporated improved suspension as well as 30mm of armor and a 47mm gun with a coaxial MG. A new 74 HP engine gave the D1 a top speed of 11 mph. Work began in 1928 with 160 being produced from 1931-1935. 3 D1 Battalions saw continuous peace time service being the only modern tank units until 1937 when they were shipped to Tunisa. One Battalion returned to France to take part in the Battle of France, 1940.

Char Leger D2: This was a further development on the D1 with 40 mm of armor, an improved turret, and a 150 hp Renault engine. 87 were delivered from 1936 to 1940. Initially, an order of 50 D2's was place in 1934. A further 50 were ordered in 1938 but not fully completed before the German attack.

Renault R35 Light Infantry Tank: The R35 outnumbered all the other new French tanks in 1940. The Army issued specs in 1933 for a replacement for the FT tank. The new tank was to be small, 6 tons, easy to operate and maintain. Over 1,500 R35's were produced from 1936 to 1940. The R35 operated in 45 tank battalions attached to infantry divisions for close support. The design featured cast hull and turret which simplified manufacturing. Armament was the same short 37mm cannon of the FT-17 but with a coaxial 7.5mm MG. Powerplant was a 85 hp Renault petroleum truck motor. Late production R35's received the longer 37mm gun which had improved armor piercing capability. The R35 was the only import model of this late 1930's generation of French tanks with batches being sold to Poland, Romania, Yugoslavia, and Turkey.

Hotchkiss H35 light infantry tank: The H35 prototype was submitted after the infantry had accepted the R35. however, the Minister of War, Jean Fabry, decided the H35 would be a better cavalry tank than the Somua S35. Thusly, orders for 200 and 100 H35's were placed in 1935 and 1936 for the cavalry. In 1937, a further 100 H35's were ordered for the infantry. The Army protested these decisions as the H35 was too slow to be of use to the cavalry and it was plagued with mechanical issues which required a new engine, engine deck, tracks, and road wheels. Retrofitted examples were designated H38 many of which received the improved 37mm gun. Further orders were placed in 1939 with the tanks built under the new specs and improved gun were designated H39

FCM 36 light Infantry tank: 100 FMC 36 tanks were order in 1936 in addition to the Renault and Hotchkiss light tanks. The FMC design differed from the previous light tanks in its use of welded construction and a 95 hp diesel motor. Overall, it was deemed superior to its contemporaries but the labor-intensive welding made its production slow and costly. The order was not fulfilled until 1939 and a further order for 300 was cancelled.

Char B1 BIS Battle Tank: The need for a new breakthrough tank in a scope somewhere between the FT-17 light tank and the Char 2C heavy tank was realized by 1921 and a series of designs, pilots and testing eventually resulted in the Char B1 production order in 1934. Further consideration of the specifications prompted upgrades in armor and firepower to meet the new threat of German rearmament. 377 Char B1 and B1 BIS were built from 1936-1940.
The Char B1 BIS was a powerful tank by pre-WWII standards it was host to many design flaws. The hull mounted 75mm gun had fixed traverse and required the driver to turn the tank to aim. A delicate steering mechanism to facilitate fine movements for aiming was problematic. The one-man turret was detrimental as the commander had to command the tank, load, aim, and fire the 47mm turret gun. The fact that the design was based on pilots from the 1920's it was, by 1936, deemed obsolete and Renault had begun work on the Char G1R but only wood mockups were ready by 1940.


more later


Sources: French Tanks of WW II by Steven Zaloga, Tank Encyclopedia.