Landships II

PDA · Legend

French Munitions Tractor (Renault?)

CharlieC · Legend

That's really interesting - I've only ever seen a single image of the Renault munitions vehicle

The door at the front folds down but I never understood what the arrangements for crew were.

It got a mention in an old GBM - they said it was a slightly lengthened FT.

Charlie

James H · Legend

Renault GJ Porte Munition, mes copains. Available as a kit. Trialled but abandoned as over-engineered.

https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-hmd-rvo3&sca_esv=568044437&sxsrf=AM9HkKnsUzzs00kfjTg34o6hJPmDCnsidQ:1695587648188&q=renault+porte+munition&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwign9KbjMSBAxVCKewKHS_KCxkQ0pQJegQIDRAB&biw=412&bih=783&dpr=1.75

CharlieC · Legend

One might suspect Renault was responding to criticisms of his SPG with a 75mm Mle 1897/105mm Mle 1913 on an FT hull - One of the main reasons

for rejection of the SPG was that the FT SPG had only a limited ammunition storage. The reasoning may have been the same as the Germans in

WW2 with the Sd Kfz 252 Munitionsträger supporting StuG III Ausf A units.

Charlie

d_fernetti · Hero

Nice spotting of an unusual Renault vehicle. Here's an interesting article on building a 1/35 model of it: https://panzerserra.blogspot.com/2022/06/renault-ft-chenilles-porte-munitions.html

The film itself seems to be some sort of trials of different ideas to transport heavy items in broken terrain, and many of them sure failed miserably. One of them seems quite dangerous, I would have checked if the ammo in the cases were deactivated before the trial!

James H · Legend

Far be it from me, etc, but I did bring this matter to the attention of the cognoscenti in July last year.

I made special mention of the Renault GJ, and enclosed a screen grab from the video.

https://landships.activeboard.com/t68595087/videos-at-le-centre-national-de-la-recherche-scientifique/

PDA was quite impressed at the time, but now seems to be rediscovering the vehicle.

And there are quite a few kits of it in both 1/72 and 1/35.

d_fernetti · Hero

It escaped my attention then! Careful viewing shows some antics too, like this infernal conveyance:

I guess that there are no kits of this in 1/72, right?
D.

d_fernetti · Hero

Or this bemused British observer, appearing in a few scenes, always considering tongue-in-cheek every invention proposed to the French Army to transport explosives in broken terrain:

PDA · Legend

"PDA was quite impressed at the time, but now seems to be rediscovering the vehicle."

PDA sometimes thinks if he had early onset dementia, he would be the last to know.

alfisherjr · Colonel

Looks like an old fashioned snow roller used to clear roads. Clever usage!

Bosun Al

James H · Legend

A giant version of this type roller was designed to be towed behind a rhomboid, carrying supplies. There's a pic in IIRC Fletcher, Tanks 1915-1919. Not at home at the mo, but will find it. Because the whole thing revolved around the axle, the contents remained upright. If you see what I mean.

CharlieC · Legend

You mean this monstrous device?

Hard to say whether such a thing is the result of nepotism or alcoholism.

Charlie

James H · Legend

CharlieC wrote:

You mean this monstrous device?
Hard to say whether such a thing is the result of nepotism or alcoholism.
Charlie

Ç'est ça!

d_fernetti · Hero

At least it looks reasonably easy to scratchbuild!

D.