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WWI Tanks in WWII

Discussion in 'Weapons & Technology in WWII' started by JCFalkenbergIII, Feb 22, 2008.

  1. Miguel B.

    Miguel B. Member

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    Well, I know for sure it couldn't :) The AT rifle had quite a wallop. Even the Panther 40mm side hull armor was vulnerable to it (and so, the sideskirts were introduced).



    Cheers...
     
  2. razin

    razin Member

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    the 14.5mm rounds for ths Large Soviet A/T rifles had 20-25mm penetration at 500m for the standard AP Shot and 30mm at 500m for the Tungsten cored round which is reputed to have an incendary component,-hence the reason it did not improve the performance as much as should, but it seems to be a rare round.

    It required a PTRD crew to close to under 300m (some sources say yards) to hope to go through the Panther lower hull armour. By the time the Panther appeared the Soviets were already using Bazookas in limited numbers and Panzerfaust 30. Although I've seen mention of fear of the PTRD for fitting Schurzen, the Germans had developed hollow charge and as in the case of Zimmert they anticipated the development of similar enemy weapons.

    With regard to FT type tanks, particularly with the cramped interior, a hit by most of the early WW2 A/T rifles from 7.92 upward was game over! after all it was that type of tank that the A/T rifle was developed to kill - case of designing weapons to fight the previous war.
     
  3. JCFalkenbergIII

    JCFalkenbergIII Expert

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    I don't recall any FT-17s being used by the Germans on the Eastern Front. and in the other countries that did use it Im not sure if there was an opportunity to have encountered the PTRD-1941. Of course they would have been likely to have encountered the Mauser M1918 13.2 mm Tank Gewehr in WWI. The FT-17 did seem adequate for the Security and Anti-Partisan uses they were put to.
     
  4. Wolfy

    Wolfy Ace

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    There was a action in France I've read of FT-17s being used in urban combat against Resistance and/or police members. A few machines were lost and the German security force (mostly old and middle aged men) did not defeat the defenders.
     
  5. Miguel B.

    Miguel B. Member

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    Still, the Germans regarded the panther side armour vulnerable enough. They say so themselves.



    Cheers...
     
  6. JCFalkenbergIII

    JCFalkenbergIII Expert

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    Source please? I have not seen that in any of the books or sites that I have read so far.
     
  7. JCFalkenbergIII

    JCFalkenbergIII Expert

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    "The Vichy French colonial forces were reduced in accordance with the Armistice. Still, in the Mediterranean area alone, the Vichy French had nearly 150,000 men in arms. There were approximately 55,000 men in the Protectorate of Morocco, approximately 50,000 men in French Algeria, and almost 40,000 men in the "Army of the Levant" (Armée du Levant) in the Mandate of Lebanon and the Mandate of Syria. The colonial forces were allowed some armored vehicles. However, these tended to be "vintage" tanks as old as the World War I-era Renault FT-17."
     
  8. Wolfy

    Wolfy Ace

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    I actually came across this very book at my visit to the local bookstore. They were Renault tanks with 37mm guns, not F-17s, my mistake. But their superstructure were of a similar style and their performance was not so great.
     
  9. razin

    razin Member

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    While the Renault 35 had the same crew layout and 37mm gun as the FT17 the armour (45mm turret and 40mm hull front sides other 12mm) and general performance was much better.

    Some R35 H35 and D1s were retained by Vichy but mostly overseas. R35s being used by vichy fighting in Syria and these and other types including FT17 and FT BS 75 opposed the Torch landings.

    this attachment I found elsewhere on the internet and for some reason drawn on shows tanks lined up for inspection- possibly in Tunis or Casabanca but almost certainly in North Aftrica shows French M4A4 and ex Vichy D1. At the end of row there seems to be 2 other tanks possibly FT17 or Mle1928
     

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  10. JCFalkenbergIII

    JCFalkenbergIII Expert

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    Hard to tell but I think you are right.
     
  11. JCFalkenbergIII

    JCFalkenbergIII Expert

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    [​IMG]

    Some of the FT-17s bought as "Scrap".
     
  12. JCFalkenbergIII

    JCFalkenbergIII Expert

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    LOL Gotta love the Military humor

    [​IMG]
     
  13. JCFalkenbergIII

    JCFalkenbergIII Expert

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    German Mark IV tank Battle of Berlin
    [​IMG]
     
  14. razin

    razin Member

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    It's a MkV the rear box cupola is the identifier, you showed the same tank in your
    post 116

    Steve
     
  15. razin

    razin Member

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    B**Ger it's done it again -definately the Curse of the Razin
     
  16. JCFalkenbergIII

    JCFalkenbergIII Expert

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    Yep but not the same pic. This is a much better shot isn't it?
     
  17. Wolfy

    Wolfy Ace

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    I don't get that joke scrawled on the back of the FT.

    And I can't believe that they used a Mark IV in Berlin...that's suicide..
     
  18. razin

    razin Member

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    It was't a Joke -it was a message of solidarity -but it would make you smile. Certainly I regard it as one of my favourite photos of WW2.

    The MkV was probably used as a shelter during air raids and bombardments- for protection against fragments.
     
  19. paratrooper506

    paratrooper506 Member

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    what I want to know is why they used those old out dated easily knocked out tanks
     
  20. JCFalkenbergIII

    JCFalkenbergIII Expert

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    Not sure how it was used exactly. But out in the open like that I wouldn't want to use it as an air raid shelter.
     

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