Landships II

Peter Kempf · Field Marshal

Mack truck & FT-17 colours

Peter Kempf · Field Marshal

RE: Mack truck & FT-17 colours

SASH155 · Major

Of what I have seen of French tank transporters in the war, none involved use of the Mack AC. I have never seen documentation or photos of them in use in any capacity by them at all. However, British and Commonwealth troops did use them, but not as armored vehicle transporters, as far as I know. On the other hand, the French did use American built Knox Model 35A draw-bar and semi-tractors with La Buire or Delaunay-Belleville semi or draw-bar trailers to haul FT-17s, Schneider CA-1s, Schneider CD full tracked tractors etc... The trailers served as late as 1940. Other American built trucks used by France were were the Nash and Jeffrey Quads, the Pierce Arrow R series, Ford Ts, Kelly- Springfield K35s, Packards, REOs and Whites and a now forgotten make, the Velie Model 16 4 tonner. There may be some confusion here with the truly massive (for its time it was probably one of the most powerful trucks in the world) 7 ton Renault FU of 1921. It had complicated epicyclic reduction gears in the rear hubs (they looked like some seen on modern construction machinery). What may give rise to the confusion is that Renault used the characteristic coal scuttle bonnet just like Latil and Mack, as well as the sheer size of the vehicle. The French experimented with truck based tank transporters in the early 1920s. They tested the aforementioned Renault FU as well as a 7.5 ton Dewald KL 3 (built by Ets. Charles Dewald of Paris between 1924 and 1925) and some 5 ton Pierce Arrow R-9s, and eventually all were acquired in greater or lesser quantities.

28juni14 · Hero

Peter, I've checked all my sources, and the Mack truck in French servide is a mystery to me. A list of all American lorry manufacutrers whom the French contracted with for vehicles does not include Mack. Even Huppmobile makes the list, but not Mack.

Centurion · Legend

Its possible that the Poles used Mack trucks in the early 20s as they took a wide range of surplus US kit in 1919/1920 you could put your FT 17 on one and paint them as Polish off the fight the Russians in the Russo Polish war.

Centurion · Legend

Should have thought of this before - the American army used a specially made Mack tank transporter for Renault FTs - see enclosed photo

SASH155 · Major

This last photo was probably taken in the early 1920s, or at earliest 1919, likely not during the war itself. The tank is the American built M-1917 Six ton tank, the first examples of which were not built until October and November 1918. Only ten of the tanks were shipped to France in late November and December 1918, too late to see service in the war. The remainder, 942 tanks, all stayed behind in the US, where production ended in 1919.