Char Delaunay Belleville Medium Tank

Another outgrowth of the Renault FT built only in prototype form in 1918-20. Advanced freatures included two Williams-Janney hydraulic transmissions (one for each track) which were interconnected to a gun laying device located in the turret. The tank could be steered by laying the gun on it's target.

Fromaget

Experimental armored car project (1936).

WW1 Infantry Shield

An experimental infantry armor device. This item was not adopted for general issue.

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H1 and H2

Char léger 1935 H. The prototypes of Hotchkiss H 35 Tank, 1935.

Licorne

Voiture amphibie La Licorne, amphibious prototype.

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Peugeot

Char Peugeot 1918, rival of the Renault FT17 tank, one model built in 1918.

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DP-2

Amphibious tank prototype, 1930. The prototype sank on it's maiden voyage.

Schneider Laurent

Built 1928 as a private venture. Could go from wheels to tracks in 3 minutes without the crew dismounting the vehicle. The turret was fitted with a searchlight.

Lorraine 37L SPG

Manufacturing started in May 1940 and those that arrived to the front had little impact on the war. Captured units were immediately pressed into the German service.

1916 Latil Armored Car

Exported to Spain after WW1. No other data is known.

Char FAMH Light Tank

Built 1924 as a private venture for export. 75mm main gun in the hull. No orders.

Char Citroen P103 Light Tank

Experimental. No data available.

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St. Chamond Model 1921

Chenillette St Chamond modčle 1921, build for export, Finland purchased one for tests.

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St. Chamond Artillery Tractor

No extra details are known.

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Renault AMC-34, 35

The AMC-34 was a test vehicle. Various tests allowed improvements in the AMR-33 and the next produced AMC-35. Not a very successful series. Not adopted into the French army. Sales were made to Belgium (sans turret). Note the FT series turret on the AMC-34 on the left. See Belgium for more details.

TT4

Véhicule de ravitaillement de cavalerie Bernard TT4, a supply véhicule for DLM cavalry built by Bernard, production called for after 1940.

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Renault FT Kegresse-Hinstin M24/25

A test to attempt to modernize the FT tank. This upgrade made the tank faster and quieter. The New Citroen Kegresse running gear and continuous rubber band track were a real innovation. Several countries, including the United States purchased this tank for study (as seen in the photo on the right). Some of these units saw action in Morocco in 1925.

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Citroen Half-Track

Condensed/Edited information from the Citroen Motors Internet Site…

December 17, 1922 - March 6, 1923 : Crossing the Sahara

Five Citroën Kégresse tracked vehicles, members of the "Haardt-Audouin" mission, completed the first direct link between Algeria and French West Africa.

October 28, 1924 - June 26, 1925 : The black Cruise

The "Black Cruise" used 8 half-tracks, fitted with the Kégresse propulsion device of rubber tread, covering more than 28,000 km across Africa, starting from Colomb-Bechar.

Taking advantage of the Haardt mission passing through their territory, the Belgian administrators pressed the local population that had gathered from every corner of the equatorial forest, into clearing a track between the tangled creepers and tree-trunks. Forty thousand natives took part in this mammoth task.

What made them do it ? Quite simply, the Belgian authorities spread the rumor that envoys of "Boula-Matari" (the nick-name given to British explorer Stanley) were due to arrive. For these people, Stanley was considered to be nothing less than a prophet.

The Citroën vehicles on the Black Cruise also were named "Golden Beetle", "Tower Elephant", "Moving Sunshine", "Winged Snail", "Silver Crescent", "Dove" (which carried the first aid kit and food supplies), "Centaurus" and "Pegasus".

4 April 1931 - 12 February 1932 : the Yellow Cruise

Georges-Marie Haardt dreamt of opening up the "Silk Road" to cars, i.e. the legendary corridor through which commercial trade was handled between China, Persia, Arabia and Europe. André Citroën decided to finance the project. The expedition was to trek between Beirut and Beijing (Peking) 30,000 km driving through Russian Turkestan, Sinkiang and the Gobi desert up to the Yellow River. As time passed, political uncertainty, firstly in the USSR then in Afghanistan, led the expedition leaders, Haardt, Audoin and Point, to change the itinerary, and forced the team to cross Kashmir (5,000 m above sea-level). It also led to the idea of splitting the expedition into two groups to increase the chances of success. One was to leave from Beirut and attempt to climb through the Himalayas (the Pamir group), and the other, setting out from Tien Tsin, would come and meet it (the China group).

Saurer Armored Car

Several of these armored cars were made by A.E.Saurer for use in convoys across the Sahara desert. They were purchased by the African Transport Company of France. The vehicles spent their life in the rough region of Northern Africa. Construction of the vehicles stressed crew comfort for the extreme weather conditions. Armor protection was sufficient for stopping rifle bullets only.

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1918 White Armored Car

205 units were obtained by the French and remained in service until withdrawn from the army in 1933. Units did continue to serve in France's colonies until, at least, 1941.

Renault FT Kegresse-Hinstin M26/27

This was a further development of the Kegresse suspension and featured a modified track work with one return roller. The continuous rubber band track was strengthened with metal pads. The front ditching rollers had been discarded. The rear ones were retained.

1914 Panhard Armored Car

No details.

Latil UE

(no details)

1923 Peugeot Kegresse

Not produced, test vehicle only.

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Gendron AM39-P

A short-range reconnaissance armored car designed in 1934. The Gendron AM39 was accepted for service in September 1939 and 150 were ordered. No details are known as to any that saw actual service.

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Chenillette-Lorraine

Made by Renault, the UE supply carrier (named Chenillette d'Infanterie type UE) was loosely based on the Carden-Loyd Mark VI carrier. Carrying a crew of two and no armament, it was used primarily for supply transportation, often towing a tracked trailer. The captured vehicles were used by the German army, also by the Free French. Many variations were developed.

1914 De Dion Bouton Armored Car

no information

1916 De Dion Bouton Armored Car

no information

1914 Renault Armored Car

no information

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1915 Renault Armored Car

no information

1918 Vinot-DeGuinguand Armored Car

no information

1928 Renault SK Armored Car

A prototype armored car design based on ideas from General Estienne.

Unknown Renault Armored Car

no information

1929 Renault Armored Car

no information

1915 Gasnier Armored Car

Prototype only. No other data is known.

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Panhard AMD 178 Armored Car

no information

Panhard CDM 178 Armored Car

The Panhard is listed as the Automitrailleuse Panhard et Levassor Type 178. It was also known as the Panhard Modele 1935. It was developed from a design known as the TOE-M-32 and was intended for use in the French North African colonies. After the German victory it was taken into their service as the Panzerspahwagen P 204(f). It was produced after the liberation of France by the Renault factory outside Paris.

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Panhard AM40-P

Designed in 1938 to meet specifications for new class of armored car that would incorporate all lessons learned from previous models. 600 of these units were ordered in May 1940. The center wheels were raised for road travel and lowered for off road use. Futuristic in appearance, the single prototype was sent to North Africa and was destroyed.

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Panhard 178 Saumur

No details

1939 SOMUA Bridge Layer

In 1937 SOMUA presented an idea to use it's MCL 5 chassis to provide a bridge laying device for medium tanks. All development stopped in 1940 after the fall of France.

Panhard & Levassor

This action photo was taken of a Panhard & Levassor in use by French troops. Shortly after this photo was taken, a shell hit the building next to the car killing the gunner. This photo was taken sometime in 1915.

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1914 Peugeot

Some were fitted with both a 37mm main gun and a 8mm Machine Gun. Most simply were armed with the Machine Gun. Based on a commercial model, the first Peugeot armored car was a hasty improvisation which appeared in 1914. With the emplacement of trench warfare, the vehicle had little work to do other than patrol rear areas. They did have an opportunity and were used extensively during the German breakthrough of 1918 when the situation became more "fluid". However, tanks grabbed the lions share of the glory during that period. The remaining units were given to Poland after the war where they were made good use of against the Russians in 1921.

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The 1904 Charron

The worlds first true production armored car. The Charron Armored Car was produced by the French firm of Charron-Girardotet Voigt. This company had already produced some partly armored cars for overseas sales. In 1903 the company presented an armored car for testing by the French military but this was not accepted. Again the company presented two improved cars in 1904 and received more positive results. One was purchased by France and promptly sent to Morocco. The second was sold to Russia and promptly used against rioters in St. Petersburg to such effect that Russia wanted more! Its weight was 3 tons and it was armed with one machine gun.

1915 Archer

This vehicle was developed in 1915 by a civil engineer with the last name of Archer. Considered well armored, a small number of these vehicles saw service in S.E. Asia.

Panhard 165/175

No details.

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P107 Half-track

No details.

Berliet Armored Car

No details.

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The Panhard Schneider Kegresse AMC P-16

Almost all of the AMC P-16 units were used as armored cars in the motorized GRDI (Groupes de Reconnaissance de Division d'Infanterie).

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Laffly S-15T & W-15TCC AT Guns

No details.

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Laffly 50

No details.

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The French 25mm AT Cannon

Truck transportation was found to be necessary as the frame of the cannon was too weak to be towed over long distances. The picture to the top right is a working piece in a private collection. You may email Mike Gilbert if you care to know more about the gun.

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Renault GR-1

Designed in 1936 as a replacement for the D2. The design was rejected in 1940.

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American Vehicles in French Service

The Jeep, M8 armored car, and halftrack. For details, see the American section.

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American Vehicles in Vichy French Service

The White armored car.

FCM F1

12 were ordered in April of 1940 as a replacement for the FCM 2C.

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1913 Berliet Truck

No data

U.S. Jeffery 75mm Transport

No data

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ARL V 39

A self-propelled gun. 72 ARL V 39 - of which 24 were to be unarmed command vehicles - were initially ordered in October 1939 with that number increased to 108 in May 1940. The 2 prototypes were sent to Morroco and nothing more came of the project. An odd feature was that of the main gun. It could be retracted inside the hull to decrease the vehicle length. The weapon was a converted fortress gun.

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Various Prime Movers

An Austrian ADAZ (Austro-Daimler Artillerie Zugmaschine or Austro-Daimler Artillery Tractor), also known as a gZ20 is shown in the photo on the top left. It was manufactured from 1935-1937 at the Steyr-Daimler-Puch factory at Steyr, Austria. The vehicle had 6-wheel drive, 150 PS horsepower and could tow 5 tons (it could carry further 3.5 tons). The vehicle was used after 1938 by the Wehrmacht, too. Only a small quantity were constructed which makes it rather rare to see it in foreign use.

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1931 ACL (Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire) Assult Gun

Prototype form only. 135mm Gun.

Last Update: Thursday, February 20, 2003