Char D2

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Char D2
Type	Medium tank
Place of origin	France
Specifications
Weight	19.75 metric tonnes
Length	5.46 m
Width	2.22 m
Height	2.66 m
Crew	3
Armor	40 mm[1]
Primary armament	47mm SA34 Gun, later models 47mm SA35 Gun
Secondary armament	2x 7.5 mm MG
Engine	Renault 150 hp[1]
Suspension	vertical springs
Operational range	100 km
Speed	23 km/h

The Char D2 was a French tank of the Interbellum.

At a time the Char D1 had not even entered production, the Renault company had agreed to build a more capable version called the Char D2. Early prototypes were, among others, fitted with turrets of the Renault's FT 17 during a mock-up. The production models had the APX-1 turret, armed with a short 47mm SA34 tank gun and a coaxial 7.5mm MG. From March 1940 the more powerful 47mm SA35 tank gun was fitted, many older tanks were re-equipped with it. Both models had a bow 7.5mm machine-gun. Only a hundred of these tanks were ever produced, because it was decided to use the Char B1 as the main tank equipping the armoured divisions.

Contents 1 Development 2 Description 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Development

At the same time the Char D1 was ordered, a plan was made to develop a more modern tank. The Direction de l'Infanterie proposed on 23 January 1930, in a letter to the ministry of defense, to build a better armoured tank, using 40 mm plate, that nevertheless would be swifter at 22 km/h by fitting a 120 hp engine. The weight however should rise only from 14 to 15.5 metric tonnes, made possible by using welded instead of riveted armour plate. On 14 April the plan was approved and in May Louis Renault was contacted, who agreed to develop this type as the Char D2, together with a colonial tank, the Char D3.

To introduce the new welding technique entailed hiring foreign experts, which was very expensive. Renault insisted that the costs would be paid in advance by the French Army, which however had no corresponding budget available. On 8 December 1931 the deadlock was broken by a new agreement: Renault would first build a prototype with a riveted hull, the Renault UZ, which was delivered in April 1932. First the type was tested in Rueil; in May 1933 field tests were carried out by 503e RCC. The type was accepted for production, which decision was affirmed by the Conseil Consultatif de l'Armement on 12 December 1933. On 14 January 1934 the High Command confirmed the plan to make a first production order of fifty. All these decisions were taken on the basis of experience gained with the riveted prototype, though it was well understood that from it no firm conclusions could be drawn on the quality of the intended welded type.

Meanwhile two welded prototypes had been ordered in December 1932. These were finished in August 1933, but only delivered in November. From December 1934 till the summer of 1935 the Commission de Vincennes used the three available prototypes to test different engine configurations. The riveted hull was equipped with a 120 hp petrol engine; the other two with diesel engines. These were rejected in favour of the petrol engine even though its combination with the intended welded hull had not yet been tested.

Nevertheless on 29 December the order of fifty hulls was granted to Renault, at a price of 410,000 French Francs per piece. The turrets were produced separately. First the ST3 turret (Schneider Tourelle 3) had been tested in 1933; then it was considered to use the ST2, but finally a choice was made for the APX1, originally developed for the Char B1, costing ₣ 200,000 which brought the unit price to ₣ 610,000. The fifty vehicles were only delivered between May 1936 and February 1937. Due to this delay a planned second order of 150, to be made in 1936, was cancelled.

[edit] Description

In essence the Char D2 is an improved Char D1. The different turret type used, increases its height somewhat to 2666 millimetres; the hull is 175 centimetres high. The length of the hull, without tail, is 546 centimetres; its width is reduced to 2223 millimetres through the use of a narrower track, 35 centimetres wide. The suspension is largely identical but the top rollers, to which a tension wheel is added, are placed somewhat higher to prevent track resonance, a persistent problem with the Char D1. The armour plate covering the three vertical coil springs consists of six instead of eight panels; mud-chutes are added below each top roller. Another change are the fenders with large stowage bins that give the false impression to be part of the main armour.

The production vehicles use far less welded sections than at first intended. To reduce the price, Renault has opted to implement a novel construction technique, using large flat screws, serving both as bolts and, applied heated, as rivets, attaching the main armour plates to each other by means of thin connecting steel strips. This way no internal girders, forming a real chassis, are needed. The armour plates are 40 mm thick.

Like with the Char D1 there is a crew of three, the radio operator sitting to the right of the driver, but the antenna, of the ER52 set, has been moved to a position next to him. Two command vehicles, series numbers 2016 and 2049, have a second antenna on the left to serve their longe range set. The engine power has increased considerably to 150 hp by installing a Renault V-6 9.5 litres motor, but as the weight has increased to 19.75 instead of the intended 15.5 metric tonnes, the gain in maximum speed is limited to 23 km/h. Four fuel tanks together holding 352 litres allow for a range of 100 km. The hull has a fixed 7.5 mm machine-gun low on the glacis on the right side.

The commander is the sole occupant of the APX1 turret, acting also as gunner and loader for the 47 mm SA34 gun, which has a limited anti-tank capacity, and the optionally coaxial 7.5 mm Châtellerault machine-gun.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Specifications and Description

French armoured fighting vehicles of World War II
AMC, AMR, and Light Tanks
FT-17 | AMR 33 | AMR 35 | FCM 36 | H35/H38/H39 | R 35 | R 40 | AMC 34 | AMC 35
Medium/Heavy		Cavalry tanks	Heavy tanks
Char D1| Char D2 | Char B1		Somua S35	Char 2C
Armoured Cars and Half-tracks
Panhard 178 | Laffly Armoured Car | AMC P16
Armoured Carriers
Renault UE | Lorraine 37L
Experimental vehicles
FCM F1 | ARL 40 | Char G1 | S 40 and SAu 40 | ARL 44
French armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II
Unarmoured vehicles