Char 2C Tank Platoon

The Char 2C or Char de Rupture (breakthrough tank) was designed in 1917 to replace the Saint-Chamond tank and participate in the major offensives planned in 1919, but was not built until after the end of the Great War. It was delivered to the French Army from 1922 and was fora long time the best-armoured combat vehicle in the world.

It was designed to cross trenches up to 5.20 metres wide, the width of most locks on the canals of northern France, and to crush enemy strong points without artillery support. At 12 meters long and weighing 68 tons, it was almost twice as long and more than twice as heavy as its Great War contemporary the German A7V tank.

The heavy weight was due to its enormous size and armour. Initially, the armour was 30mm at the front, 22mm on the sides, 13mm on the top and 10mm for the floor. Between 1930 and 1931, the vehicles were rebuilt with increased frontal armour to 45mm, while the main turret had 35mm of armour on its front and sides, with 22mm on its rear.

It was armed with a 75mm model 1897 field gun in its main turret. Of its four machine-guns, three were fitted in ball mounts, one in the hull front, one of each forward hull side, and one machine-gun was mounted in a rear facing secondary turret.

The front and rear fighting compartments were connected by the engine room. Each track was powered by its own engine via an electrical transmission. By 1939 the original engines were replaced by two 240 hp (180 kW) Maybach engines, for a maximum speed of 15 km/h (9.3 mph). Seven fuel tanks, containing 1260 liters, gave it a range of 150 kilometers. The suspension contained thirty-nine interleaving road wheels on each side giving it excellent mobility.

The Char 2C tank required a crew of twelve: driver, commander, gunner, loader, four machine-gunners, mechanic, electrician, assistant-electrician/mechanic and a radio operator.

THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS:

• 3x metal and resin Char 2C Tanks

These miniatures are supplied unassembled and unpainted