Renault FT

Renault FT
source
Name	Renault FT
Caption	A Renault FT at the Musée de l'Armée in Paris
Type	Light tank
Origin	France
Designer	Rodolphe Ernst-Metzmaier
Manufacturer	Renault
Production date	1917–1919
Number	~3,700
Variants	FT 75 BS, FT TSF, Char signal, FT modifié 31
Weight	6.5 tonnes
Length	5.00 m
Width	1.74 m
Height	2.14 m
Crew	2 (driver, commander/gunner)
Armour	6–22 mm
Primary armament	Puteaux SA 18 37 mm gun or Hotchkiss 8 mm machine gun
Engine	Renault 4-cylinder petrol
Engine power	39 hp
Pw ratio	6 hp/tonne
Vehicle range	65 km
Speed	7 km/h

Renault FT. The Renault FT was a revolutionary French light tank that became one of the most influential armored fighting vehicles in history. Its classic configuration—featuring a fully rotating turret mounted on a tracked hull with a rear engine—established the standard layout for future tank design. First deployed in 1918 during the First World War, it saw extensive service with the French Army and numerous other nations, shaping the evolution of armored warfare.

Development and design

The development of the Renault FT was driven by the need for a light, mass-producible tank to support infantry, a concept championed by General Jean-Baptiste Eugène Estienne. The design team, led by industrialist Louis Renault and engineer Rodolphe Ernst-Metzmaier, created a vehicle radically different from earlier heavy tanks like the British Mark I tank or the French Schneider CA1. Its most innovative feature was a fully rotating, hand-traversed turret, initially armed with either a Puteaux SA 18 37 mm gun or a Hotchkiss Mle 1914 machine gun. The vehicle's configuration separated the crew compartment in the front from the engine at the rear, a layout that enhanced survivability and became a global template. Its thin armor, riveted construction, and modest Renault petrol engine were adequate for its role in trench warfare, and its relatively small size made it easier to transport by French railway than its larger contemporaries.

Production and variants

Mass production began in 1917, with Renault acting as the lead contractor in a vast industrial effort that included companies like Berliet, SOMUA, and Delahaye. Over 3,700 units were built by the war's end, making it the most-produced tank of its era. Several key variants emerged, including the **FT 75 BS**, equipped with a Blockhaus Schneider 75 mm howitzer in a fixed superstructure instead of a turret. The **FT TSF** (Télégraphie Sans Fil) was a command version with a fixed box superstructure housing radio equipment for liaison between headquarters and forward units. Post-war developments led to modernized versions like the **Char signal** and the upgraded **FT modifié 31**, which saw service into the early stages of the Second World War.

Operational history

The Renault FT first saw combat on 31 May 1918 during the Second Battle of the Marne, proving effective in supporting infantry assaults against German positions. It was used in increasing numbers during the final Allied offensives, including the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Following the Armistice of 11 November 1918, it became the cornerstone of the postwar French Army's armored forces and was widely exported. Hundreds were used by the United States Army as the **Six-Ton Tank M1917**, and the design was copied by several countries, including Italy as the Fiat 3000. It saw extensive action in conflicts such as the Polish–Soviet War, the Rif War in Morocco, and the Chinese Civil War. Notably, a single Renault FT was used by Finnish Army forces during the Winter War against the Soviet Union.

Legacy and influence

The Renault FT's legacy is profound, as its basic layout became the archetype for virtually all subsequent tank design, influencing interwar models like the Soviet T-18 tank and the American M2 light tank. Its tactical role in infantry support defined armored doctrine for many armies. Military theorists like J.F.C. Fuller and B.H. Liddell Hart studied its impact, and its widespread export helped propagate armored concepts globally. The tank's design philosophy directly informed the development of more advanced vehicles that would clash in the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War, cementing its status as a foundational weapon in modern military history.

Surviving examples

Dozens of Renault FT tanks survive in museums and private collections worldwide, a testament to its large production run and historical significance. Notable examples are displayed at the Musée des Blindés in Saumur, the Musée de l'Armée at the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris, and the Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor at Fort Benning. Other surviving vehicles can be found at the Kubinka Tank Museum in Russia, the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw, and the Military Museum (Belgrade). Many have been restored to running condition and are featured in historical reenactments and commemorations of the First World War.

Category:Light tanks of France Category:World War I tanks of France Category:Renault vehicles