Landships II

Ironsides · Legend

Renault Ft17 recovery tank

James H · Legend

I can't find a reference to a Recovery Tank in Zaloga, but Touzin & Gurtner describe a Tractor FT, which they say was used post-war for towing barges and suchlike. "Towing attachments were fitted on the suspension assembly lengthways and the turret was removed."

That's all I've got. Is this what you're after, or have you got a definite reference to a Recovery Tank?

Ironsides · Legend

Hi James H, thanks for your reply, In a number of articles I've read on the internet (these probarbly all come from the same source) the organisation of a full strength 1918 FT17 company appears to includes a recovery platoon which has 3 tanks and was wondering if there was any difference ie a specific recovery version however minor....

Cheers

James H · Legend

Ah. A different thing, then. I think I remember reading something along those lines, but no mention of any modifications. You would have thought that there would have been some arrangements for towing, but I can't find any references at the mo.

Centurion · Legend

Les Vehicules Blindes Francais 1900 -1944 do not include any recovery versions of the FT17. However I think that there is some mention of some carrying a towing chain on one side of the hull and having a simple hook style towing point.

Ironsides · Legend

Hi Centurion, thanks for your reply, its seems more or less the case that there is little if any difference bettween the tanks of the recovery platoon and the regular combat platoons... a number of pictures I've seen show ft's with fairly large chains draped over the tail attached to a shackle on the rear of the hull and as this appears to be a fairly normal fitting that most ft's have it would seem that a specific recovery version would be redundant, however I suspect that such combat worthy tanks would not have remained as recovery vechiles for long given the high rate of attrition...

Ive noticed a number of broken links on the links page:

Blind�s Fran�ais�has changed to a new site...

http://www.chars-francais.net/

and the first 2 links for the Ft17 pics dont seem to work..

and finally an interesting page on Ft17....

http://po2260.club.fr/FT17/FT17.htm

and finally finally a video on utube with footage of a rather fast ft

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJYdKpH_BMY

Cheers

-- Edited by Ironsides at 23:36, 2007-08-28

Hedi · Lieutenant-Colonel

Hi, I do not know a recovery version, only the following types this kind:

- Char Fascine
- Char Tracteur
- Char Projecteur
- Char Bulldozer
- Char Cargo
- Char Amphibie
- Char Poseur de Pont
- Char Plough

Greeting

Vilkata · Brigadier

DUDE!

Ironsides, that Youtube video is the coolest thing EVER! I particularly like the first half, especially seeing the Char 2C and the Vickers Mediums!

Thank you very muchf or posting it! Be sure to post any more WWI related videos you find on YouTube!

---Vil.

Kaiser · Lieutenant-Colonel

Those Vickers tanks sure bounce! smile

Phil R · Captain

those renaults aren't renaults; they're 6-tonners

Ironsides · Legend

Hi All, at first i thought they where fts but didnt look quite right so it occured to me they might be fiats but i think phil r is right about them being US 6 tonners never realised they where capable of such speed... I think that might make the first part of the video 20's rather then WW1 with the possible exception of the schneiders.......

Cheers

Lafettenheini · Colonel

hallo Ironsides and all others !

Don't let be foolsihed by the speednes of vehicles in ancient films. The speed-rate of films

was often artificial encreased to make the things faster running than in reality.

Best example is the Christies tank. It was fast however, but here it seems even flying.

Best regards

Gerd

Phil R · Captain

yes, most of this film is from the twenties. this film is reposted on youtube several times, and one particularly amusing posting has it captioned as german tanks.

the tanks are 6-tonners as one can see that the exhaust is on the left, not on the right as on a true renault. and they are not fiat 3000s because the track frames are the wrong shape.

the main reason things�look faster in old films is that movie cameras were hand-cranked. cameramen naturally got tired which means they cranked too slowly, which means that there is more action captured per frame.

if you like films, look out for my youtube postings; so far i have only one, Tank Mk1 female

(sorry to get off topic)

Ironsides · Legend

Phil R wrote:
the main reason things�look faster in old films is that movie cameras were hand-cranked. cameramen naturally got tired which means they cranked too slowly, which means that there is more action captured per frame.

Hi Phil R, this had occurred�me too but doesnt take into account the earth sprayed up by tracks as a lone 6 tonners passes the camera about I minute in......could it be an M1917A1�.........
Hi Gerd, Christies tank were very fast capable of much faster speeds without their tracks this link says 70mph(112Kph) a phenominal speed....

http://www.geocities.com/firefly1002000/christanks.html#m1931.html

an interesting polish variant:
�
http://www.geocities.com/pibwl/10tp.htm

and of course the flying tank:

http://www.roadabletimes.com/roadables-modular_Christie.html

Cheers

-- Edited by Ironsides at 18:02, 2007-09-09

-- Edited by Ironsides at 18:09, 2007-09-09

Lafettenheini · Colonel

Hi Ironsides, smile

many thanks for the links, even the polish sides !
First i recocnized the christies tank was the tecnical chapter in my first book about
tanks from 1971 . I copied this side for all. Sorry about the geman text.

The two other pictures shows two renault tanks " killed " by grandpa's crew biggrin

in WW II.
He is the officer in the middle ! Hope you can read the very interesting text which
i copied from the backside.

Best regards
Gerd

Ps : Must say you all have eyes like eagles cause of seeing details like track-types ,
exhaust-positions and so on - very good experts here on board !!