History

The Renault FT was one of the first successful tanks which saw service in the last year of World War I. The FT 75 BS version was armed with a larger gun capable of attacking fortifications, but none were ready by the end of the war.

In 1916 the French Army asked Renault to design and construct a light tank. Deliveries did not commence until March 1918 and over 3000 had been delivered by the end of the war.

The French army decided it also needed a version capable of attacking established fortifications and replacing earlier tanks so it ordered 600 of them fitted with the 75mm Blockhaus Schneider (BS) guns because of their small size and light weight.

The first ones were completed in late July 1918 but none were ready in time to see action.

Some served with the French Army during the interwar period in the French colonies and two survived until World War II.

This model represents a FT 75 BS in about 1919.

Flyhawk 1/72 kit completed by Leigh Edmonds in August 2019.

Data

MODEL: Renault FT 75 BS

ROLE: assault vehicle

TIME PERIOD: 1918-1930s

ENGINES: one Renault 4 cylinder in-line water-cooled engine of 29kW

WIDTH: 1.74m

LENGTH: 5.02m (including unditching tail)

GROSS WEIGHT: 6.5 tonnes

MAXIMUM SPEED: 7.7km/h

RANGE: 65km

ARMAMENT: one 75mm short range fortress gun

SCALE: 1/72

KIT:

GALLERIES:

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