In July 1918 a massive assault in which 480 Renaults were thrown into the fray cut a hole about four miles deep in the German defenses. This gave the crew-the commander, who doubled as gunner, and the driver-an enormous advantage over the blind crew of heavier tanks.įirst employed in very small numbers, the Renault was amazingly successful towards the end of the war. ![]() ![]() When the Renault FT 17 was subsequently equipped with a 37-mm gun, a periscope was also fitted. This meant that it could be loaded on a truck and dispatched to the front ready for action. It could be equipped at will with cannon or machine gun and its decisive advantage was its light weight-about 7 tons. Its success in standing up to competition from other French and British tanks is demonstrated by the fact that vehicles of the same type with only a few minor improvements saw action in North Africa in 1942. In July 1916, after much hesitation, the French motor-car manufacturer Louis Renault yielded to General Estienne's pressing demands and it was not long before the first Renault light tank was put to the test of battle.
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