Renault FT in Estonian service

Renault FT

Estonian Renault FT tanks on the Republic's anniversary parade on 24 February 1925.
Type Light tank
Place of origin  France
Service history
In service 12
1919–1940
Used by  Estonia
Wars

Estonian War of Independence

World War II
Production history
Designer Rodolphe Ernst-Metzmaier
Designed 1917
Manufacturer Renault
Unit cost 12,000 krones
Specifications
Weight 7 tonnes
Length 4.94 m
Width 1.74 m
Height 2.14 m
Crew 2

Armor 22 mm
Main
armament
1x37mm gun 233 rounds
or 1x8mm machine gun
4800 rounds
Engine Renault petrol engine
39 bhp
Power/weight 6 hp/tonne
Suspension vertical springs
Operational
range
100 km
Speed 8 km/h

The Renault FT was a French light tank produced from 1917. It was the first operational tank with its armament in a fully rotating turret, and its configuration with the turret on top, engine in the back and the driver in front became the classic one, repeated in most tanks until today; indeed so familiar to modern eyes we can now only with difficulty understand its once-revolutionary nature.[1] On 5 February 1920 Estonia purchased nine vehicles from France.[2]

Gallery

See also

References

  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_FT Renault FT Light tank
  2. http://www.raamatukoi.ee/cgi-bin/raamat?79813
    Estonian Armoured Machines. Tiit Noormets & Mati Õun. Tammiskilp 1999. Page 66
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