French Tanks
The French army had a very strong tank force in 1940 during the German invasion. Unfortunately most of the tanks had outdated designs, and were not deployed where the Germans broke through. As a result a lot of French tanks fell into German hands and ended up being used as far as the Balkans.
FT17
This was the most advanced tank of World War 1, because it had a fully rotating turret. It had a two man crew, a driver and a gunner/commander, and moved at the speed of a marching infantryman.
The FT17 and tanks based on its design spread all over the world after World War 1. The most common armaments were a 37mm gun, or a Hotchkiss heavy machine gun.
These 1:76 scale FT17 models come in a Matchbox kit together with the Char B1 bis, they are currently being re-released by Revell.
Somua S35
Probably the best all round tank that the French had in 1940. This tank had decent armour and a main gun. It was much faster than some of the other French tanks. Unfortunately they were not used well, and a lot of them fell into German hands intact.
One major drawback of the Somua tank was the one-man turret, and the lack of a cupola. This reduced the operational capabilities of an otherwise sound tank.
These 1:72 scale models are by Heller.
Char B1 bis
The Germans had no anti-tank gun that could penetrate the armour of a Char B1 when they invaded France. The only weapons they could rely on were the 88mm FlaK guns, and the StuKa dive-bombers.
Fortunately for the Germans, the Char B1 bis had a whole list of flaws. It shared the same one-man turret with the Somua tank, so had the same limitations. It also moved at the speed of a marching infantryman, and the worst thing was, it had its radiator grill on the side of the tank, instead of the top, like most tanks.
While most of the tank is impervious to German guns, a well aimed shot will disable the tank if it hits the radiator grill. This led to many German tanks trying to flank the Char B1 tank on its left side to get a shot at the grill. Many Char B1 tanks were rushed to meet the rapid invasion of the Germans, but arrived with little or no fuel left.
© 2004-2006 Michael Sng Woei Shyong. All Rights Reserved.