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Armor/AFV: Early Armor
WWI and other early tanks and armored cars.
Hosted by Darren Baker
Renault UE-The Earliest Incarnations
long_tom
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Posted: Tuesday, August 18, 2020 - 09:52 AM UTC
I bought the kit years ago with no plan for it. But after reading about the French military and how it built no new armored vehicles for 15 years until this particular one, I couldn't help but imagine how French soldiers would have been shocked at seeing a vehicle not dating from 1918 in the early 1930's.

As for the Renault UE itself, I saw two museum pictures, one in pale green and the other in spinach green. Which would be correct for the early 1930's,if either? I also noted how French tanks in the 1930's were painted in elaborate camouflage, only to go to green and brown by 1940.
DanEgan
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Posted: Tuesday, August 18, 2020 - 02:55 PM UTC

Quoted Text

But after reading about the French military and how it built no new armored vehicles for 15 years until this particular one,



Which 15 years is that? I can't identify any 15 year period when France built no new AFVs. Of course things slowed way down after 1918, but there were still new AFVs being built. The FCM 2C of 1919, the Renault NC of 1921, Char D1 of 1928, B1 of 1934, and then most of the better-known AFVs of WW2 after 1935.


Quoted Text

I also noted how French tanks in the 1930's were painted in elaborate camouflage, only to go to green and brown by 1940.



Camouflage on French AFVs was done at the factory, not by units, so you can identify production batches by their paint jobs. Some later batches got a green-and-grey scheme, but as far as I know no one was repainting older AFVs into plainer schemes.
Frenchy
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Posted: Tuesday, August 18, 2020 - 05:14 PM UTC
http://www.chars-francais.net/2015/index.php/liste-chronologique/des-origines-a-1930

http://www.chars-francais.net/2015/index.php/liste-chronologique/de-1930-a-1940

'nough said !

H.P.
long_tom
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Posted: Tuesday, August 18, 2020 - 11:24 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

But after reading about the French military and how it built no new armored vehicles for 15 years until this particular one,



Which 15 years is that? I can't identify any 15 year period when France built no new AFVs. Of course things slowed way down after 1918, but there were still new AFVs being built. The FCM 2C of 1919, the Renault NC of 1921, Char D1 of 1928, B1 of 1934, and then most of the better-known AFVs of WW2 after 1935.


Quoted Text

I also noted how French tanks in the 1930's were painted in elaborate camouflage, only to go to green and brown by 1940.



Camouflage on French AFVs was done at the factory, not by units, so you can identify production batches by their paint jobs. Some later batches got a green-and-grey scheme, but as far as I know no one was repainting older AFVs into plainer schemes.


Revamping old tanks with new suspensions, maybe, but not the same as new vehicles. No money and no belief that they were needed, since Germany was no longer perceived as a threat. Then Hitler rose to power. Oops!
jfeenstra
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Posted: Wednesday, August 19, 2020 - 01:28 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Which 15 years is that? I can't identify any 15 year period when France built no new AFVs. Of course things slowed way down after 1918, but there were still new AFVs being built. The FCM 2C of 1919, the Renault NC of 1921, Char D1 of 1928, B1 of 1934, and then most of the better-known AFVs of WW2 after 1935.

Revamping old tanks with new suspensions, maybe, but not the same as new vehicles. No money and no belief that they were needed, since Germany was no longer perceived as a threat. Then Hitler rose to power. Oops!



Huh? The only tank in the list provided that might be considered a "revamp" is the Renault NC. All the others listed (2C, D1, B1) where new vehicles not based on anything else.
long_tom
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Posted: Wednesday, August 19, 2020 - 10:24 AM UTC
You're half right. New tanks were developed, but never reached production until the mid 1930's. The UE was still the first new vehicle actually to reach the French Army.
KurtLaughlin
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Posted: Wednesday, August 19, 2020 - 02:18 PM UTC

Quoted Text

You're half right. New tanks were developed, but never reached production until the mid 1930's. The UE was still the first new vehicle actually to reach the French Army.



What about the P16 halftrack (which was an AFV) from 1929?

KL
jfeenstra
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Posted: Wednesday, August 19, 2020 - 04:18 PM UTC

Quoted Text

You're half right. New tanks were developed, but never reached production until the mid 1930's. The UE was still the first new vehicle actually to reach the French Army.



I say again, huh? Char 2C was built in 1920 and entered service in 1921. The Char D1 entered service in 1932, the same year the UE did. And as Kurt has mentioned, the AMC P16 was produced from 1928-1931, so entered service before the UE as well. And then we have the P28, which entered service in 1932.

So that's at least 2 AFVs that entered service before or the same time as the UE, as well as two armoured halftracks. So you are incorrect to suggest that the UE was the first new vehicle to reach the French Army.
KurtLaughlin
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Posted: Wednesday, August 19, 2020 - 11:07 PM UTC
I'm wondering where this 15 year gap is that Tom read about. Fifteen years before 1931 was 1916, and new tanks certainly entered service after 1916.

I am thinking it was, maybe, a 10 year gap, and even then not all that different from other countries between the wars.

KL
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