Landships II

Sorry Robert, I looked in all my French sources for the CA2 and CA3, but no photos or drawings, they are mentioned though briefly, but neither of them was built in any quantity as they were prototypes and as a result they did not see service use. In some earlier note I wrote that the 75mm gun used on the Schneider CA1 and the FT-17 'char-canon' tanks was designated 'SB' (sic.) (Schneider-Bourges). In actuality L'Atelier de Bourges had nothing to do with this weapons development or production as far as I know, and the actual designation of BS (an unfortunate moniker in an English context) simply stood for 'Blochaus Schneider'.  

-- Edited by SASH155 at 19:24, 2006-01-14

Good God, what a pair of ugly brutes!

Amazing, although it's a bit difficult to make out what they are, are they basically big boxy jobs like the Schneider, with turrets perched on top of what look like very tall hulls?

Roger Todd wrote:

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Good God, what a pair of ugly brutes!

Exactly my reaction. No wonder Estienne intervened  and suggested that they abandon the Ca 2 and get on with the Ca 3. One wonders if this was the other ugly sister.

looks like a much better tank, big improvement from both Ca1 and Ca2, I think the French should have given this a shot

It looks like it's trench-crossing ability would be notably better than the st Chamond....in forward, at least. The overhang is only in the back.

Hello Guys,

You are right Eugene those are armored fuel tanks, I have been doing some research on the CA2, CA3 and the CA4 for some time know, information seems to be very hard to find, even with my leads in France, has turned up very little information.

I have found a some what questionable CA2 drawing; I have also found the CA3 drawing Hedi has shared with us. But alas nothing on the CA4. I was hoping to do an article on the prototype and paper project Schneider’s in the near future, but unless more information is found, I guess we will have to keep speculating.

All the Best

Tim R.

 

 

I will try and dig the CA4 information up this afternoon, and post it for you

All the Best

Tim R

Hedi wrote:

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Hello, here is the link to the download of the video CA-2.wmv. The releases is set to 10 days: Zugangscode: Midgard Link:

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When I down loaded I got this message

Windows Media Player cannot play the file. One or more codecs required to play the file could not be found.

Methinks Loki lurks in Midgard

It just won't run on my PC, plus I'm sure some adware tried to download as well (Avenue Inc, I think)...

Whoa! That's some awesome footage! They look just like over-tall copies of the Renault FT. Although the turret on the CA2 (That's the turreted one, right? I'm not sure which is which) looks a lot like that on the later Char 2C.
Thanks for the video, Hedi!
Matt

Could someone upload this video again, please

Thanks

Please help.

I can't get into the website to see the video. I keep entering the password but just keep going round in circles. Any ideas?

Bonsoir,

One exemple of the Schneider CA 2 was built and test in Champlieu in May 1917. This tank was à command tank with a 47 mm gun's turret in the middle.
This tank was refused by Général Estienne and send to Marly (Fort du trou d'enfer for instruction). Il was a CA 1 without nose.
The end ot this model is not known.

The three tank's photos of this topic are those of a tank only built for the film . . . It's not a Schneider CA.

The project CA 3 was refused in July 1917 by General Estienne, and stop by General Pétain the 8 November 1917. The only reason is the motor's power : the same as CA 1 for 5 tons more. Schneider could not built a powerful motor.
200 chassis of CA 3 was already built and they was used for the command of the artillery's tractors called Schneider CD.

Schneider proposed seven variants of CA 3.
The F. Heigl's plans from 1925 is the project S 1058/1059 (variante of project S 1056/1057)
The project S 1033 was a model with 75 mm in a front blockhaus.
The project S 1050/S 1051 was models with 75 mm model 97 short in turret.
For all this project, the motor was in the rear.

For schneider the name of the CA 1 project was S 990.

Michel

-- Edited by Tanker at 21:32, 2009-01-13

Bonsoir Tim

I am sorry but, about CA 2, it is just the report of the test in Champlieu with a little hand-made sketch.
I don't known if some photos were done in Champlieu or in Marly. I never seen, for instance photos of this modèle. . . .

On this little sketch the turret was in the middle of the tank and not in front of the tank like on CA 3 project.
This sketch was only there to explain the problems of this model to cross over tranches ans shell's holes.

For the next project (CA3), Heigl's plans is good. The tracks was 370 mm longer than on CA 1.


Michel

Bonjour Tim,

I don't forgot you and tray to do some good sketches in the next 2 or 3 weeks. . . .
If you can to go to Paris. Most important informations on CA 2 ans 3 are in folder 16N2131 in Vincennes. . . but the reading room of SHD will be closed from January 16 th, 2009 to March 16 th, 2009.

Bonne après midi - Michel

-- Edited by Tanker at 13:03, 2009-01-15

-- Edited by françois vauvillier at 16:18, 2009-01-21

-- Edited by françois vauvillier at 16:19, 2009-01-21

Bonsoir Tim,

Bonjour Tanker

 

Absolutely awesome, thank you very much

All the Best

Tim R.