Recently I read a Chinese magazine called 'Weapon'. It says that China had total 36 ft-17s, all of them were used by Zhang Zuolin's 'Feng Army' in northeast China. The first 12 ft-17s were given to Feng army by Whit Russians(Interesting, I've never heard about that before.). Through these 12 ft-17s, Zhang Zuolin knew that tank is a very good weapon. So, he bought 10 ft-17s from France in 1922. In 1924, these tanks arrived at Dalian. And from 1924 to 1925, 14 more ft-17s were bought from France. In August 1926, ft-17s appeared in the battlefield. They fought aginst Feng Yuxiang's army in Nankou, a place near Beijing(Peking), to breakthrough the Great Wall, but failed. Later Zhang Zuolin's ft-17s took part in many battles. Zhang lost total 13 ft-17s in Chinese Civil War. In 1931, the Second Sino-Japanese War started. In this war, Japanese captured at least 12 ft-17s from Feng army. In 1932 or 1933, Feng army gave 2 ft-17s and 4 armored cars to Chinese government in Nanjing(Nanking). Later these 2 tanks become Chinese army's training vehicles.It also says that China didn't buy any NC-27s,Polish ft-17s or American M1917s. This article also includs some photos of Chinese ft-17s, but only one of them is new for me. This photo clearly shows that there were some differences between Chinese ft-17s and French ft-17s. The biggest difference was Chinese Ft-17s were armed with Czech ZB26 LMGs, not Hotchkiss MGs. The article also says that some Chinese Ft-17s were armed with Chinese 37mm Type 14 infantry guns.
I'v got a Chinese book called "Old Photo gralleries". It has a photo of a Chinese Ft-17 which was used by Chinese government army in 1930-ies. It has a Chinese signal on its hull(The ft-17 used by Feng army were also dark green, but they didn't have any signals). I have seen another photo shows a ft-17 with the same signal. I think this photo shows a ft-17 captured by Japanese, maybe in 1937 in Nanjing.
Thanks! S Zaloga quoted the use of those tanks in the old Osprey, but info are much more detailled there. a pity the pics are so uneasy to collect! A+ Gilles(lostiznaos)
Recently found a good picture of the Chinese FT-17 in Feng army. It was drawn according to the photos, clearly shows the Czech ZB26 LMG and different gun mount. http://www.hoplite.cn/pic/huangpujunhun.pic/hpjh0066-2.gif
HI Owner of book with a picture of a Chinese or Manchurian FT-17. I read in the Ospre Book on the Chinese War lord armies that soldiers of the Feng Army Faction wore gray unifroms in the 1920's and before that light blue unifroms. Therefore I would think that the tanks of Zhou Zoulin (Tiger of Mukdin) (Tiger of Manchuria) (to the Japanese) should be gray. I knid of doubt the White Russains had 15 tanks to give away. I think that before WWI their was a German Genral Zake that was an advisor to one of the Armies out their did he advise the Feng Faction, on how to drive FT-17's.
