NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Char D2

The Char D2 was a French tank of the Interbellum. Military vehicles are commonly armoured to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets or shells, protecting the soldiers inside from enemy fire. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... An interbellum is a period between wars. ...

At a time the Char D1 had not even entered production, the Renault company had agreed to build a more capable version called the Char D2. Early prototypes were among others fitted with turrets of the Renault's FT-17 during a mock-up. The production models had the APX-1 turret, armed with a 47mm SA34 tank gun and a coaxial 7.5mm MG. From March 1940 the more powerful 47mm SA35 tank gun is fitted, many older tanks are re-equipped with it. Both models had a bow 7.5mm MG. Only a hundred of these tanks were ever produced, because it was decided to use the Char B1 as the main tank equipping the armoured divisions. The Char D1 was a pre-World War 2 French tank. ... The Char B1 was a French heavy tank manufactured before the Second World War. ...

Development

At the same time the Char D1 was ordered, a plan was made to develop a more modern tank. The Direction de l'Infanterie proposed on 23 January 1930 in a letter to the ministry of defence, to build a better armoured tank, using 40 mm plate, that nevertheless would be swifter at 22 km/h by fitting a 120 hp engine. The weight however should rise only from 14 to 15.5 tons, made possible by using welded instead of rivetted armour plate. On 14 April the plan is approved and in May Louis Renault is contacted who agrees to develop this type as the Char D2, together with a colonial tank, the Char D3. Louis Renault (February 15, 1877, Paris, France â€“ October 24, 1944) was a French industrialist and one of the foremost pioneers of the automobile industry. ...

To introduce the new welding technique entails hiring foreign experts, which is very expensive. Renault insists that the costs are paid for beforehand by the French Army, which however has no budget for this. On 8 December 1931 the deadlock is broken by a new agreement: Renault will first build a prototype with a rivetted hull, the Renault UZ, which is delivered in April 1932. First the type is tested in Rueil; in May 1933 field tests are carried out by 503e RCC. The type is accepted for production, which decision is affirmed by the Conseil Consultatif de l'Armement on 12 December 1933. On 14 January 1934 the High Command confirms the plan to make a first production order of fifty. All these decisions are taken on the basis of experience gained with the rivetted prototype, though it is well understood that from it no firm conclusions can be drawn on the quality of the intended welded type. Rueil-Malmaison is a French town near Paris, part of the Hauts-de-Seine département and within the Parisian conurbation. ...

Meanwhile two welded prototypes had been ordered in December 1932. These were finished in August 1933, but only delivered in November. From December 1934 till the summer of 1935 the Commission de Vincennes uses the three availble prototypes to test different engine configurations. The rivetted hull is equipped with a 120 hp petrol engine; th eother two with diesel engines. As these are rejected, still the combination of the final engine with a welded hull has not been tested.

Nevertheless already on 29 December the order of fifty hulls had been granted to Renault, at a price of 410,000 French Francs per piece. The turrets are produced seperately. First the ST3 had been tested in 1933, then it was considered to use the ST2 but at last a choice is made for the APX1, originally developed for the Char B1, costing 200,000 FF which brings the unit price to 610,000 FF. The fifty vehicles are only delivered between May 1936 and February 1937. Due to the delay a planned second order of 150, to be made in 1936, is cancelled. French Franc. ...

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Category: World War II French tanks An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is a military vehicle, equipped with protection against hostile attacks and often mounted weapons. ... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... The Renault FT-17 (Automitrailleuse Ã chenilles Renault FT modÃ¨le 1917) was a French light tank; it is among the most revolutionary and influential tank designs in history. ... The AMR 33 is a light French tank, used in WWII. To counter the threat posed by the massive Soviet arms build-up since 1928, the year Stalin took power, the French government in 1931 planned the transformation of a part of the cavalry into a mechanized projection force capable... The AMR 35 is a French light tank used in WWII. Development of Renault ZT and Renault YS While his AMR 33 was not yet being delivered to the French army, Louis Renault used two production vehicles to improve the type. ... The last surviving FCM 36 in the MusÃ©e des BlindÃ©s in Saumur The FCM 36 or Char lÃ©ger ModÃ¨le 1936 FCM, was a light infantry tank that was designed for the French Army prior to World War Two. ... Char lÃ©ger modÃ¨le 1935 H modifiÃ© 39 in Israel The Hotchkiss H35 or Char lÃ©ger modÃ¨le 1935 H was a French light tank developed prior to WWII. // Development In 1926 it had been decided to provide armour support to the regular infantry divisions by creating autonomous... In 1934 requirements were sent out for a tank to replace the FT-17. ... The AMC 34 was a French tank of the Second World War. ... The AMC 35 (from Automitrailleuse de Combat Renault modÃ¨le 1935) was a French cavalry tank of the later Interwar era that served in the Second World War. ... The Char D1 was a pre-World War 2 French tank. ... The Char B1 was a French heavy tank manufactured before the Second World War. ... The Somua S-35 was a French cavalry tank of the Second World War. ... Char 2C Alsace The Char 2C was a super heavy French tank developed, although never deployed, during the First World War. ... An armored car ( or armoured car in British English) is one of several types of wheeled armored vehicles: a civilian bullet-proof passenger car, a military wheeled armored vehicle, or a special-purpose armored cargo vehicle for transporting valuables. ... M3 Half-track A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels on the front for steering, and caterpillar tracks on the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. ... Preserved AMD Panhard at MusÃ©e des BlindÃ©s The Panhard 178 (officially designated as automitrailleuse de dÃ©couverte mle 1935, 178 being the internal project number at Panhard) was an advanced 4X4 armoured car that was designed for the French Army before World War Two. ... The P-16, also known as the M1929, was a half-track armoured car that was designed for the French Army before World War Two. ... Preserved UE at MusÃ©e des BlindÃ©s The Renault UE Chenillette was a light tracked armoured carrier and prime mover produced by France in the late 1930s and employed at the start of World War Two. ... The Lorraine 37L, or Tracteur Blinde 37L (Lorraine), was a light tracked armoured personnel carrier and prime mover developed for the French Army in the late 1930s and employed at the start of World War Two. ... The FCM F1 was a superheavy tank developed in France. ... French tank deliveries before and during the Second World War including exported vehicles and including those vehicles not yet delivered in June 1940 in the 1940 totals, but only giving the French materiel reserve for the FT-17 and excluding those types taken out of service: Total 1 September 1939...

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