It resembled a scaled-down Char 2C, the giant tank produced by the same company. [10] The wrecks were subsequently discovered by the 8. It was very elongated with a length of 6.5 meters and width of 205 centimeters. It was equipped with a rotating front turret and armed with a 75mm gun. Though the first shortened 105 mm Schneider cannon had been received in October, the first live firing tests were only held on 5 and 7 February 1918, with satisfactory results. Outside of a crew of 1 commander only, 100% crew is a fiction. The Char 2C also had what is likely the largest tanker crew ever: twelve. It’s still the biggest tank ever taken into production in the world. During this first session it was reported that Renault and FCM were cooperating in a heavy tank project of thirty tonnes. The Char 2C was 10.27 m long and weighed about 69 tons. Post by trekfanj » Tue Jun 10, 2014 6:25 pm HamilkarBarkas wrote: Verlinden produces several sets of tankers, but most of the time they are in "surrender" pose. In many ways it was remarkable. It was more or less compartmentalised into four sections, that however were not separated by bulkheads: a relatively short driver compartment at the front, a fighting compartment with a turret at its top, a larger munitions room and finally a large engine compartment at the rear. The wading capacity was 140 centimetres. This land battleship was armed with a 75 mm gun, model Canon de 75 modèle 1897. Already on 30 December, minister of munitions Louis Loucheur had thought that France "hadn't a minute to lose" and suggested to Président du Conseil Georges Clemenceau to spend fifty million French francs to construct a hundred FCM 1As, the first fifteen to be delivered from July 1918 onwards, in order to have a strength of eighty vehicles on 31 December. The Char 2C is a powerful five-seater tank armed with a variety of mounted weapons. François Vauvillier, 2012, "Tous le Blindés de l'Armée française. A rather large riveted turret with a stroboscopic cupola, adopted from the Char 2C, brought its height to 252 centimetres. The Char 2C also had what is likely the largest tanker crew ever: twelve. In 1940 twelve FCM F1 tanks were ordered, another very large twin-turret tank. The “char de bataille” (“battle tank”) was a heavy tank, near to the “char de rupture” or “breakthrough tank”, but the former was more a dual-purpose (infantry support and antitank) machine than the “char de rupture”. Panzerdivision. In December 1917 the first prototype, the FCM 1A, was ready to be shown to an investigating commission. [2] In the summer of 1916, probably in July,[2] General Léon Augustin Jean Marie Mourret, the Subsecretary of Artillery, verbally granted Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée (FCM), a shipyard in the south of France near Toulon, the contract for the development of a heavy tank, a char d'assaut de grand modèle. This monster had a crew of 12, weighed some 152,100 pounds, and was powered by two Maybach or Daimler Benz 250-hp gasoline engines. A vertical obstacle could be climbed of 170 centimetres and a slope of 70%. The armour was among the thickest of World War I-era tanks, though by modern standards this would be considered thin. A plan by Breton to immediately order fifty vehicles more or less identical to the mock-up was therefore rejected. Neglected is the first true mammoth AFV of the war, the French Char 2C. Like the super-heavy tank it had no real spring system for the twelve small wheels per side. As their main value was in propaganda, the giants were kept carefully out of harm's way and did not participate in the September 1939 attack on the Siegfried Line. This land battleship was armed with a 75 mm gun, model Canon de 75 modèle 1897. Thus the French authorities had to delay the project while outwardly endorsing it. The Minister of Armament, Albert Thomas, had committed himself too openly to Mourret's cause and did not dare to retract support now. The Char 2C was becoming outclassed with the steady rise of new tanks entering the fray. It resembled a scaled-down Char 2C, the giant tank produced by the same company. 10 Char 2C tanks were built in 1922. The crew was composed of 12-13 men. When the German Panzerdivisionen, in the execution of Operation Fall Rot, breached the French lines after 10 June 1940, the decision was made to prevent the capture of the famous equipment. Had the behemoth actually tried to slow the advancing German Blitzkrieg, it would likely have been smashed to smithereens. [2] During the next meeting on 30 December, Estienne was surprised to discover that for no clear reasons a 105 mm gun was planned. When the war ended, not a single tank had been built. The front armour was enhanced to 90 mm, the side to 65 mm. The crew was composed of 12-13 men. They were used instead for numerous morale-boosting movies, in which they were often shown climbing and crushing old French forts. [8], To man the tank required a crew of twelve: driver, commander, gunner, loader, four machine gunners, mechanic, electrician, assistant-electrician/mechanic and a radio operator. [2], On 20 December 1917 the first prototype was ready to be shown to an investigating commission of the CCAS, with actual trials being held at La Seyne-sur-Mer on 21 and 22 December. The FCM 1A, with its futuristic appearance, made an excellent impression on those present. The assistant-mechanic was seated to the front right of the rear fighting compartment, on top of an escape hatch, and the radio operator was seated at the front left.[9]. The crew numbered 12 men. The tracks were 600 mm (23.6 in) wide, resulting in a ground pressure of 0.6 kg/cm2. It did not become operational during the war, but 10 were built, the last being delivered in 1922. The Char 2C was originally ordered during the summer of 1916, but at the time, little design work was done. All of this tanks were destroyed in 1940, when they were being transported to the front by train. The ten tanks were part of several consecutive units, their organic strength at one time reduced to three. The engines were attached to generators, which would then drive two electric motors. Badass French Tank Crew in front of the biggest operational tank ever, Char 2C (interwar period). See more ideas about french tanks, tank, military vehicles. France planned to produce 300, but only 10 were ever built. puts Char 2C Bis at 1.3/1.7 The proportions of this AFV are staggering – measuring over 10 meters in length, over 4 meters in height, weighing in … In addition to its primary weapon, there were four 8 mm Hotchkiss Mle 1914 machine guns. [2], In the prototype a single Renault 220 HP twelve cylinder engine was installed, allowing a maximum speed of 10 km/h (6.2 mph) at 1200 rpm. The six remaining tanks hastily embarked on two trains at the station of Landres on 13 June. The Char 2C also had what is likely the largest tanker crew ever: twelve. Renault was unconvinced that a sufficient power-to-weight ratio could ever be achieved with the engines available at the time to give acceptable mobility to the heavy tank types requested by the military.Charles-Edmond Serre, a close associate of Louis Renaul… Designed to negotiate the challenging terrain of trench warfare, the type had in principle excellent mobility. The Char 2C, French heavy tank 1930s [1600x864] As no orders had been received regarding their destination, they remained at this spot during the 14th, being bombed in the early afternoon but without incurring any damage. Meanwhile, there were unexplained delays in the delivery of the engines and the gearbox by Renault. "The Char 2C Bis on the other hand was the Char 2C with a 155mm howitzer gun thus being essentially a sluggish Ho-Ro or Sturmpanzer II with better armor and a fully-rotating turret." He lives in Berlin and writes on U.S. and Russian foreign and defense policy, German politics, and culture. The Char 2C is a Behemoth featured in the Battlefield 1: They Shall Not Pass expansion on two multiplayer maps.. In this configuration, weighing about 75 tons, the Lorraine had at that time the thickest armour of any operational tank, and is probably still the heaviest operational tank ever. As the turret ring was larger than the width of the hull, it partly rested on rounded lateral extensions. They would be the last French tanks to be produced for the home market till the Char D1 pre-series of 1931. Louis Renault laid down the new tank's design and overall specifications, notably its projected weight which could not exceed 7 tons. The front turret, made of 35 mm plates, was placed so high that its crew had to climb into it by means of a ladder, sitting on seats suspended from the turret roof and operating on an elevated level compared to the hull machine gunners below. The Char 2C was the first mass production tank that used an electrical transmission. Estienne had already set this course by choosing the heaviest version, the "C", for production, requiring a completely new prototype, causing a considerable delay. In that meeting Estienne was critical of heavy tanks: "the infantry has as much need of large tanks, as it needs 400 mm cannon; it has need of small tanks, as much as it needs 37 mm and machine-guns". The forward compartment was crowned by a three-man turret – the first such in history – mounting a shortened 75 mm field gun of the Canon de 75 modèle 1897 type, with 124 rounds and a muzzle velocity of 550 m/s, and the second, at the rear of the tank, was topped by a machine-gun turret armed with a Hotchkiss 8 mm. The centre of gravity was in the middle of the vehicle, at a level of one metre above the ground. [2] In this period both the French and the British military had become aware of severe mobility and steering problems with heavy tracked vehicles; the French designs paralleled extensive British experiments with all kinds of improved tank transmissions to solve them. It never saw combat and was essentially a propaganda creation. A lot of money was also spent on crew training and maintenance. Following the first use of the tank in September that year, the project was properly initiated, aided by Renault, who were designing their own Renault FT-17. The Char 2C was developed during WW1 but was never deployed during that war. The Char 2C had two 250 hp Mercedes engines driving electric generators to run a motor for each track and give the tank a top speed of 8 mph. On 10 April 1917 he still assumed that the first trials could have begun within five weeks. According to French tradition, each tank had a proper name, matching one of the provinces: Province, … Since 1976 Char Crews has offered fine china, flatware, giftware, holiday china and ornaments, stemware, artisan-quality collectibles, and home decor items from leading American and European designers and manufacturers. In this configuration the tank weighed perhaps 74 tons. France was defeated before they entered service. [citation needed]. The tank could overcome a 1 m (3.3 ft) high vertical obstacle and cross a trench 3.5 m (11.5 ft) wide. A super-heavy tank is much heavier than the regular tanks used during the same time period. French "Char 2C" super-heavy tank with crew of 12 and their commander (France - c. 1940) The ten tanks were part of several consecutive units, their organic strength at one time reduced to three. Char 2C is a Codex Entry featured in Battlefield 1, introduced in the They Shall Not Pass expansion. We offer great customer service and quick nationwide shipping through CharCrews.com. 10 Char 2C tanks were built in 1922. In the late afternoon, an order arrived to send the tanks to Neufchâteau which was reached in the early morning of 15 June. Both turrets had stroboscopic cupolas. These 69 ton gaints where designed during WW1 and where used during WW2 as propaganda tools by the french describing them as invincible gaints These tanks where hastly sended to the south when the germans invaded france. To prevent a capture of the matériel by the enemy, it was ordered to destroy the vehicles. The next tank that would come close to matching its weight would have been the German Tiger … Like the superheavy tank it had no real spring system for the twelve small wheels per side. It is still easily the largest tank ever taken into production. The Char 2C had two 250 hp Mercedes engines driving electric generators to run a motor for each track and give the tank a top speed of 8 mph. This work had not, however, stopped them from considering other tank types. The origins of the Char 2C have always been shrouded in a certain mystery. It was, in physical dimensions, the largest operational tank ever made. On his return an enraged Thomas caused Mourret to be fired, thus removing Estienne's greatest rival. The sprocket was at the rear, the idler at the front. It was also the first tank vehicle that offered a real protection against artillery HE rounds: the front hull was covered by 35 mm (1.38 in) armour plate; the same was the all-around thickness of the turret. The suspension consisted of bogies, sprung by leaf springs, of four wheels each with alternating external and internal flanges. However, the FCM tank had already made a powerful and influential enemy. During the night they hid, still loaded, in the forest of Badonviller. Later Joseph Goebbels and Hermann Goering claimed that the tanks had been destroyed by German dive bombers. The last was enlarged at both sides over the tracks, to create room for long rectangular fuel tanks. The armour was among the thickest of World War I-era tanks, though by modern standards this would be considered thin. When the public mood in Britain had been growing ever darker as the truth of the failure of the Somme Offensive could no longer be suppressed, tanks offered a new hope of final victory. At the time, French industry was very active in lobbying for defence orders, using their connections with high-placed officials and officers to obtain commissions; development contracts could be very profitable even when not resulting in actual production, as they were fully paid for by the state. The origins of this tank are mysterious. He himself preferred a 75 mm gun. FM2C n° 92 and 95 have been destroyed by their crew after they broke down. In summer of 1918, less than three years … The suspension contained thirty-nine interleaving road wheels on each side, making for a total of ninety wheels on the tank. The aircraft engine tended to overheat and its basic lack of power resulted in a maximum 65% climbing slope. It is still easily the largest tank ever taken into production. The Char 2C, also known as the FCM 2C, is a French heavy tank, later also seen as a super - heavy tank, developed during World War I but not deployed until; The Char D3 French: Char D3 was a French tank. The main gun was a respectably powerful 75-millimeter French field gun that had been slightly adapted for tank use. To prevent the tanks from being captured, they were packed with explosives and destroyed. [2], Discussing the results of the trials, on 4 January 1918 the technical department of the Artillerie Spéciale concluded that the FCM 1A seemed a powerful combat vehicle capable of having an important negative effect on enemy morale. Very likely not, but theories exist For those who don’t know, the Char 2C was the only super-heavy tank to enter service in history. That's a pretty illogical opinion since the Char 2C Bis can survive twice as many things than what Ho-Ro & Sturmpanzer can't especially since Sturmpanzer has a higher BR. The French Char 2C, or CHar de Rupture 2C ("Breakthrough Tank"), first conceived in 1916, remains the largest operational tank ever made. The vehicle had a considerable size and mass, weighing 69 tons. CHAR 2C HP: 20,000 Crew Count: 11 < > 33 Comments chillvortigan Dec 29, 2020 @ 2:58pm DAMN BOI HE THICCC noelcocac Nov 15, 2020 @ 6:29pm A7V. The tank could accelerate up to 17 kph. The rather scruffy crew of a French Char 2C № 90 "Poitou" super tank pose for the photographer against the backdrop of their behemoth in Briyahe, France, early 1940. Besides, the allies (specifically the British and the US) would only c… FCM then largely neglected the project, apart from reaping the financial benefits. Char 2C is a Codex Entry featured in Battlefield 1, introduced in the They Shall Not Pass expansion. The Char 2C or FCM 2C was a super-heavy tank designed and produced in France since 1917. Despite the end of hostilities, however, strong political pressure to adopt new heavy tank projects remained, as there was now a considerable surplus capacity in the heavy industry. On 30 September he personally took control of the project. Joffre advised Estienne not to worry too much; he would make sure at least that the Renault FT would not be cancelled, and precisely because heavy tank development would take such a long time, for the immediate future it would not get in the way of light tank production. In woods, it could break a 28 centimetres thick pine tree and run over a 35 centimetres thick one. about 3 years after the war, the Giant tank was finished & was named the "Char 2C" or "FCM 2C" whichever you prefer. Their military value slowly decreased as more advanced tanks were developed throughout the 1920s and 1930s. A rather large riveted turret with a stroboscopic cupola, adopted from the Char 2C, brought its height to 252 centimetres. Armament: 75mm Cannon + 4 8mm machine guns (1 on the front, 1 on each side, & a secondary turret on the back) Armor: Front & Turret- 45mm's, Sides & Rear- 22mm's, Top- 13mm's, … The French Char 2C, or CHar de Rupture 2C ("Breakthrough Tank"), first conceived in 1916, remains the largest operational tank ever made. [2] In fact the company, in its efforts to get an actual running vehicle ready as soon as possible, had built a prototype that was largely based on the original mock-up[2] and thus was much closer to the "B"-concept, albeit with a 105 mm gun and a petrol-mechanical transmission; the hydraulic transmission had been abandoned by the CCAS on 10 May. On 5 June, FCM could only take note that the promised pieces had not arrived yet. Char 2c with 12 crew members, 13th is likely the Company Commander. This extra firepower was intended to cut down anticipated infantry assaults. In 1930 and 1931, the vehicles were rebuilt with a frontal armour of forty-five millimetres. Char 2C; Crew; Crew: 12 : Physical Characteristics; Weight: 69 t: Length: 10.27 m: Width: 3 m: Height: 4.09 m: Armour; Armour (max) 45 mm: Performance; Speed (max) 15 km/h: Armament; Primary weapon: 75 mm howitzer (1) Secondary weapon: 7,5 mm Reibel (3) Images Char 2C on a rail cart. It featured a 105 mm gun in a turret, had a proposed weight of 38 tons and 35 mm armour. At first, the production order for the Char 2C was cancelled. The CHAR 2C Bis was a proposed upgrade with a revised front turret with a 155mm howitzer, extra armour and the electrical motors replaced with just two 250hp petrol engines. Main armament. During the German invasion of France, the tanks were evacuated by rail to prevent their capture by the Germans. Despite being singularly slow, the tank had otherwise good mobility, partly due to its enormous size and height, which allowed it to cross relatively high obstacles—being over 33 feet long also helped the Char to cross trenches or craters. The next operational tank to approach its weight would be the German Tiger II heavy tank of World War II. Each track was powered by its own 200 or 250 hp engine, via an electrical transmission. Four machine gunners, a mechanic, an electrician, an electrician/mechanic, a driver, a main gun gunner, a loader, a commander, and a radio operator. On 24 June the ministry of armament complained about the situation. He was not averse to the production of heavy tanks as such but only in a limited number and on the condition it did not impede the manufacture of light tanks. To the public, they obtained the reputation of invincible super tanks, the imagined dimensions of which far surpassed the actual particulars. FM2C n° 92 and 95 have been … This was the Char 2C. The largest tank that ever went into operational status. Those included the driver, the gunner, loader, commander, mechanic, four machine gunners, assistant electrician and mechanic, radio operator, mechanic, and electrician. Like the British heavy tanks of World War I fame, the Char 2C was intended to cross enemy trenches, crush barbed wire, and resist enemy small arms and artillery. Between 15 November and 15 December 1939 the Lorraine, as the company command tank, was experimentally up-armoured at the Société des Aciéries d'Homecourt to make it immune to standard German antitank guns. The Char 2C, also known as the FCM 2C, is a French heavy tank, later also seen as a super-heavy tank,[1] developed during World War I but not deployed until after the war. [8], The fighting compartments were connected by the engine room. captain-price-official:One of the Char 2Cs 18 crew-members fires one of the frontal machine-guns. Crew: 12: Armour: 45 mm max. Correctly concluding that no such deliveries would materialise, on 23 January 1917 he ordered that French tanks should be developed that were faster, and more powerfully armed and armoured than any British vehicle. The Char 2C is a powerful five-seater tank armed with a variety of mounted weapons. Here's What You Need to Remember: The Char 2C also had what is likely the largest tanker crew ever: twelve. The reason he later gave was that the British tanks then in development by a naval committee seemed to be better devised as regarded lay-out, ventilation and fire protection, so a shipyard might improve on existing French designs. [2], At first, progress with the FCM 1A prototype was satisfactory. One tank, the Champagne, was nevertheless captured more or less intact and brought to Berlin to be exhibited as a war trophy until disappearing in 1948. This German propaganda myth was accepted as an authentic event by contemporary writers and later repeated in many postwar sources. In January 1917, the Ministry of Armament proposed to build three weight classes of tanks: light, medium and heavy tanks,[3] the latter class corresponding to the new project. Seven fuel tanks, containing 1,260 litres, gave it a range of 150 kilometres. Charges were placed and the fuel pipes cut. 155mm howitzer- variant of the 155 C Mle 1917 Schneider: Secondary armament. For the time, the Char also had very thick armor. [2] Nivelle's misgivings were reinforced by inquiries from a parliamentary financial commission led by Pierre Renaudel. Neglected is the first true mammoth AFV of the war, the French Char 2C. Needless to say, the Char 2C has performed admirably in its service, being able to challenge that of the siege tank, but the fact that the Warlords must heavily depend upon the Dutch mercenaries to fully produce these vehicles and train the crew members means that … The tank could be entered through the cupola, but each member had oval or round escape hatches above or below him. The Char 2C was 10.27 m long and weighed about 69 tons. The change was only temporary though, as the vehicle was brought back into its previous condition after 1934;[8] the new turret was used in the Tunisian Mareth Line. The Char B1 was a French heavy tank manufactured before World War II.. The howitzer had a muzzle velocity of 200 m/s. The Char 2C was the first tank to have more than one turret; it had one in the front and one in the back. [2], On 17 November, director Moritz, introducing to the CCAS the forthcoming presentation of the FCM 1A prototype, explained it was a test bed that did not exactly correspond to the original "A version" specifications. The Char 2C had a loaded weight of 69 tonnes, partly because of its armour, which was among the thickest of World War I-era tanks, but mostly because of its huge size. Captain-Price-Official: one of the hull was over twelve metres long dimensions, the FCM 1A was later cancelled an! Movies, in the Battlefield 1, introduced in the 1920s and.. 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