FRENCH INFANTRY TANK

Tank D1:

 

1—the tower ЅТ2; 2—mirror vision devices; 3—the radio antenna; 4—tail; 5—towing device; 6-47-mm gun; 7-7,5 mm machine gun; 8—cover of the driver’s hatch; 9—cap radio operator hatch; 10—commander’s cupola; 11 —the aft hatch tower; 12—damper

Abandoning the tail on the tank NC, D1 back, as increases in core permeability was considered to be more important than the deterioration of the maneuverability. At the end of the tail is attached to a spring of the towing device, and on the sides of the hooks for tow chains.

 

Chassis tank D1 was performed according to the type of tank NC and obsolete by the beginning of the development, and by the end of the serial production was a complete anachronism. The Shoe tracks had a width of 325 mm and performed by the teams: plice truck was pricipales plate, forming a treadmill for skating rinks. From falling caterpillars kept not the ridges on the tracks, while the flange on the rollers.

 

Sloth with a screw mechanism tension was located in the front and drive sprocket at the rear of the case. Single gear ring of the drive wheel is not removed, like on modern tanks, but since the speed of movement D1 was small, he almost never wore out. Support rollers were not, and the upper branch of the caterpillars slid the glasses pendants, and special troughs. Suspension of the tank is blocked, for one Board consisted of three rocker arms, each of which is attached to two carts (two in each rink). In addition, between the front yoke and idler, and between the back yoke and an asterisk was on one strong rink with its own suspension system. Interestingly, under normal conditions of operation of these rinks (or rather, crawler tracks, on which they relied) did not touch the ground, and played the role of idlers—requirements for the tension of the tracks from D1 was very hard, because the slightest slack it came off the bead rollers. On hard way the tank was moving, relying on the lugs of the tracks, a large area which is allowed to do this without destroying the road. On soft ground cleats were zaglublenie, and tank have relied on Pliny caterpillars (12 rollers on each side). And only on very weak ground, the caterpillar is so failed that the work entered is the last two pairs of rollers, increasing the length of the support surface to the maximum.

 

Since the rate of movement D1 in comparison with FТ17 increased, the tank had to be equipped with wings. To cover the entire upper branch of the caterpillar engineers at Renault decided not to, and the wings were only in the back part of it. On the left wing is attached to the muffler of the motor, and on the right is usually transported a canvas awning.

 

Delivery D1 in the armed forces of France, as mentioned earlier, began in January 1932 and ended in early 1935. Of these tanks formed into three battalions (VSS) for 45 tanks. Their staff structure was the same. Separate tank battalion consisted of three companies and a reserve of six combat vehicles. The company consisted of four platoons, three in each tank, and tank company commander. Support units consisted of about a hundred vehicles, but repair Department was weak, and caterpillar tractors for the evacuation of the destroyed tanks was not simple.

 

The original tank battalions, armed with D1, were placed in France. But with the arrival into service more modern machines D1 were transferred from North Africa. Transfer tanks in Tunisia began in 1937 and ended in 1939. Only in Africa were transferred 152 tank D1, and in France there are only eight machines that were probably used for training purposes. In Tunisia, D1 has received three tank battalions—61, 65th and 67th BCC. The 61st and 67th battalions was stationed in Bizerte, and 65th in Gabes. In Gabes was the so-called ROAR (Parc d enngins blindes Park armored vehicles), where he kept the other 17 tanks. This Park was carried out not only storage, but also repair, allowing you to maintain a constant composition of the tank battalions (tank, needing repair, have been reported in the ROAR, and in its place from the Park came another). These parts were intended to cover the Eastern border of Tunisia from the Italians, who with the advent of Mussolini to power, tried to play a dominant role in the region. In case of conflict, the D1 would be a formidable opponent for the Italian tankettes, because these tanks were the most powerful of the French tanks in North Africa. But the war began not in Africa but in Europe.

 

On 1 September 1939 the German Wehrmacht crossed the border of Poland and the Second world war. Poland was quickly occupied by Nazi Germany. Security guarantees given to it by France and England, turned out to be simple declarations. Although these countries and declared war on Germany, a real help to Poland was limited to the attempted delivery of weapons and minor show of force at the border. The West was “strange war”. Hitler’s proposal about the world was rejected by Britain and France, but large-scale hostilities was not conducted. Italy, although he was an ally of Germany, but was not at war with England and France. However, the clarity with the position of Mussolini it was not—will do it when the opportunity in the war on Germany’s side or remain neutral? In such circumstances, to denude the border in Tunisia the French were not resolved, and the issue of return D1 in the metropolis while not standing (in addition, the tank was considered obsolete for the European theater of operations).

 

 

 

Finally, the “phony war” began and ended with “blitzkrieg”. After the disaster at Dunkirk, the French finally decided to throw one tank battalion, armed with D1, in the metropolis. 67th BCC was sent by sea from Bizerte to Toulon. History of the combat use of tanks D1 in the campaign of 1940 is rather short. In fact, the battalion ceased to exist a few days from the moment of arrival on front.

 

The Germans captured 18 D1 in the state allowing introduction into the system, but there is no evidence that they tried to do it. An older car, the same awful slow, was just not needed. Perhaps they used the tower of D1 in the construction of defensive structures, but evidence for this is also not found. After the armistice with Germany and Italy 61st and 65th VSS was disbanded and all the equipment has been in storage under the control of Italy. Since the signing of the truce in Tunisia there were 107 tanks of type D1, 20 of them from the line of the Lamai beach in Tunisia, the French had managed to quietly withdraw to Algeria, and the Italians did not know. These machines become a “secret” tanks of the French army. 10 D1 was in such a condition, which excluded the possibility of exploitation, but the French still did not declare the desire to put them in storage. Perhaps they later dismantled for parts. Thus, in the summer of 1940 the storage under Italian control was 77 tanks D1.

 

In October 1940, the French appealed to the Italians to allow the commissioning of 62 light tanks, citing the need to protect its colonial Empire. The necessary consent they received, but D1 number of these machines were not. By the end of December 1940 the Italians allowed operation 50 tanks, but again, without D1. Permission to unlock 62 D1 Italians were only given in the summer of 1941, and when the transfer of these tanks to Algeria. To have these quite powerful tanks in his backyard in Tunisia Italians feared, and therefore consent to unlock another 15 D1 for service in Tunisia by the French was not obtained.

 

In 1942, D1 tanks had to shoot at the Americans who landed on November 9 at Oran. The main objective of the landing than the environment of the city, was the rapid seizure of airfields, which was planned to throw the allied air forces. Therefore, at 9.00 a light armored column of Colonel waters, speaking of the Gulf of Arzew, started the movement to capture the airfield, Tatarasi. At 11.00 a.m. the convoy reached the airfield, where he was kondratkova French. In the brief battle, the Americans destroyed 14 French tanks, and an hour later, waters reported that the airfield was ready to receive aircraft from Gibraltar. In the heat of battle the Americans had identified the destroyed tanks Renault R35 and since then this legend roams the American and British books about the battles in North Africa. In fact, in Oran R35 did not exist (as, indeed, and H35). However, the battle with the French at the airport was not easy. About their losses the Americans to spread not love, but after the capture of the airfield Tatarasi column of Colonel waters lost the ability to attack and stopped. The loss of the Americans almost doubled from the French.

 

In Tunisia, allied landings had been made, and the commander of the French forces of the army General Georges Barre did not know how to do it. On the one hand, all pre-war plans were designed to cover Tunisia from the Italian-German troops. On the other hand, things were not as intended. In November 1942 German and Italian troops began landing in several cities of Tunisia. True, the French part was given in a state of combat readiness, including 15 tanks D1. Barre knew that sooner or later, and to fight with the Germans have, and was preparing to deploy its troops in the mountains West of the city of Tunis, front to the East, but without entering into direct confrontation with the Germans and trying to stall for time. Nine tanks D1 in the composition of the consolidated group took Medjez-El-Bab, to delay the advance of the Germans to Algeria. On 11 November 1942, the British captured the port of Bougie, in front of the French parts, and on November 16 came into contact with the forces of General Barre. The unit that took Medjez-El-Bab, it is possible to slightly delay the German part, not engaged in battle, but in the end he has to go to Mediesu. But how long this game of “cat and mouse” could not continue. The Germans sent to Barre your representative, demanding unconditionally be on their side. Barre this requirement rejects, and the German representative said that from 7 am on 20 November the Germans began hostilities against the French troops. The next day the French enter the fray with the Germans seeking to take Mages, in defence of which actively participate and tanks D1. In the end the French had to move away, but the first time they enter into battle in North Africa on the allied side.

 

In the continuing struggle for Tunisia all the remaining D1 were consolidated into one battle group. They could still be used in the defense, but when the allies themselves took the offensive, the obsolescence of these slow-moving machines became apparent. Therefore, in the beginning of March 1943 all D1 was withdrawn into reserve, and their crews began transition training on the British tanks “Valentin”. So the defeat of the Italo-German forces in North Africa occurred without their participation. However, the service D1 has not yet been completed. After the end of hostilities in this theatre 10 D1 was fixed and included in the protection of Tunisia. But it was the end of the story of this tank.

 

Unfortunately, to date there is no single instance of the tank D1.

 

V. MALGINOV