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Landships II -> Landships WW1 Forum -> Tanks -> Renault FT Updates. Some remarkable stuff, IIMSS.
Post Info TOPIC: Renault FT Updates. Some remarkable stuff, IIMSS.
James H


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Renault FT Updates. Some remarkable stuff, IIMSS.
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I have blundered across some extraordinary material.

First of all, this vid of the famous Afghan junkyard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ37xBFrkgo

Don't know if it's already known that a 1918 Lancia a/c was amongst the vehicles there. It's the first item.

Then a Renault appears at 42 secs, but I'm not sure it's one of the junkyard ones. It's got the 37mm in situ, and it looks as if ruins or fortifications are in the background. I think that's the one at Spin Boldak. See earlier reference: http://landships.activeboard.com/t51412473/afghan-ft-theory-updated/

From 55" it's the well-known shots of the 2 FTs in the dump. Then something that astounded me.

At 1' 13", a photo captioned "Soviet and Afghan troops with FT-17 tanks (sic) at the Fortress Spin Baldak, Soviet-Afghanistan War 1988." There's no verification, but it looks very plausible. Uniforms, hairstyles, weapons, etc all tie in. Anyone throw any light on it?

Then the other well-known shot of an FT amongst palm trees with middle-eastern types who I don't think have ever been positively identified. Not sure it's the same place.

Part II:

I've been having a look at German Wikipedia. I don't know whether it's good or bad news that it's just as shambolic as the English version. The articles on the A7V and FT are all over the place, and nothing like their English equivalents. How can facts vary according to what language they're in? And tanks were first used at Cambrai, by the way.

But here's a snippet from the FT article. No source quoted, but it might be traceable:

"In April 1945, three airfield security FT-17s (sic) from Rotenburg (Wümme) were sent to fight approaching British troops east of Verden (Lower Saxony). They were operational in the 7 / Marine Grenadier Regiment 5's sector near Südkampen, and captured later by A Company of the KRRC (King's Royal Rifle Corps)."

I assume that info came from some plausible source. I shall try to learn more.



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Tanker


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Bonjour James,

"At 1' 13", a photo captioned "Soviet and Afghan troops . . . . . at the Fortress Spin Baldak"

It is well "Spin Boldak", and a Renault FT was already there when the American Special Forces came in the fortress.

Bonne soirée - Michel



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James H


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Bonjour Michel.

Oui, j'ai correspondu avec l'Américain qui a pris la photo du FT devant Spin Boldak en 2003. Il est heureux de savoir que le char est en bonnes mains. Mais c'est la première fois que je vois la photo des soldats soviétiques et afghanes à coté du char. Et vous? Croyez-vous que la photo ci-dessous est du même véhicule?

Amicalement,

J



-- Edited by James H on Wednesday 20th of August 2014 09:36:46 AM

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"Sometimes things that are not true are included in Wikipedia. While at first glance that may appear like a very great problem for Wikipedia, in reality is it not. In fact, it's a good thing." - Wikipedia.
Tanker


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Bonjour and sorry James, but I don't Know !

On the photo, this tank was well outside of the fortress and, in 2003, it was inside.

Probably, only Russians or Afghans soldiers could given informations on this (or these) Renault FT

in Spin Boldak . . . .

Bonne après-midi - Michel



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Steve Zaloga


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A friend of mine in Warsaw told me that the Polish army sent that specific Renault FT back to Poland since someone found the matricule on it that identified it as having been a Polish army FT lost in the 1920 war with the Red Army. Apparently, at least some of the Afghan FT came from the Soviet Union. This vehicle was restored and was on display in Warsaw this past month for the Polish Army day celebrations.

A friend of mine in the DC area who served as a correspondent for Soldier of Fortune magazine back in the Soviet-Afghan war photographed one or more FT when he was there. He said that the local (sometimes the DRA, sometimes the mujahaheed) were using derelict Renault FT as stationary pillboxes. (Same with some of the other old tanks from the Afghan army museum.



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James H


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Hello, Steve.

Yes, Charles Lemons found a modification on the FTs recovered from the dump that indicated they had been in Polish hands. He assumes that all 4 followed the same path: France - Poland - USSR - Afghanistan.

The photo of the FT outside the gate at Spin Boldak was taken by a gent from Northern Virginia who was stationed there. And we have the still from the French tv news report. It would be excellent if you could persuade your friend from DC to share his pics . . .



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