“Its compact frame allowed it to maneuver through the rugged, cratered terrain of the Western Front with relative ease, where larger tanks struggled.”

FEW inventions have shaped the modern battlefield quite like the tank. And among the most groundbreaking designs in tank history is the Renault FT, a French light tank that first rolled onto the scene in 1917 and would go on to dominate the battlefield in the final months of the First World War.

Often hailed as the world’s first modern tank, the Renault FT’s innovative features and significant impact make it a subject worthy of closer examination. Here’s its story.

Origins

While Great Britain’s army Landship Committee and France’s Schneider company explored the concept of tracked fighting vehicles as early as 1915, it would be Jean-Baptiste Eugène Estienne, a French military officer who would affectionately become known as the “Father of the Tank” for his work with the automaker Renault on what would become the FT.

Estienne, like many observers of the era, saw technology as a way out of the stalemate of trench warfare. He recognized the need for a tractor-like machine capable of crossing trenches, shielding its crew, and carrying sufficient firepower to breach enemy defences. His innovative thinking led him to propose a new class of armoured vehicles to French military leadership. The project gained momentum when Estienne collaborated with industrialist Louis Renault, whose expertise in automotive engineering proved pivotal. 

At first, Renault balked at the idea of producing a fighting tractor; his company simply produced cars and was already backlogged with military contracts. Estienne persisted however and eventually Renault set his firm’s manufacturing prowess to the task of bringing the idea to life.

By 1917, the first prototype of the automitrailleuse à chenilles Renault FT modèle 1917 was complete. Also known simply as the char d’assaut (assault tank), the French military ordered 3,500 models. 

Revolutionary design

The Renault FT’s most notable contribution to armoured warfare was its rotating turret. This feature allowed it to engage targets in any direction without repositioning the entire vehicle. Neither its heavier contemporaries, — the lumbering British Mark V or the box-link German A7V — could do the same.

Additionally, it placed the engine at the rear and the crew compartment at the front, establishing a logical layout that became the standard for nearly all subsequent tank designs. This compact yet functional approach made the FT more versatile and efficient than its bulkier counterparts.

Small but powerful

Measuring just 5 meters (16 feet) in length and weighing around 6.5 tons, the Renault FT was diminutive compared to the massive British Mark V, which weighed over 28 tons. Its small size, however, was an asset rather than a drawback. The FT’s compact frame made for a smaller target and allowed it to maneuver through the rugged, cratered terrain of the Western Front with relative ease, where larger tanks struggled.

The FT’s two-man crew featured the driver seated in the hull with a narrow slit for visibility, while the commander, stationed in the rotating turret, doubled as the gunner.

The 35-horsepower engine provided a top speed of 7.5 kilometers per hour (4.7 mph) and a range of about 60 kilometers (37 miles).

Early models were fitted with the Hotchkiss M1914 8mm machine gun, which provided effective support against infantry and light fortifications.

Later versions introduced a 37mm Puteaux SA 18 cannon. This short-barrelled gun was designed to blast fortifications and even engage lightly armoured enemy vehicles.

Estienne envisioned massed formations of his light tanks “swarming” and overwhelming the enemy.

Service record

The first such deployment occurred on May 31, 1918 during the Third Battle of the Aisne when 30 FTs blunted a German advance east of the down of Chaudun. Although the enemy was forced back in the face of the massed armour, the tanks had to withdraw for lack of infantry support. Nonetheless, the FT’s performance was encouraging and more models were rushed to the frontlines. 

To meet the demand for FTs, production was expanded to include other French automakers: Berliet, Somua and Delaunay-Belleville.

The Renault FT made its mark weeks later during the Second Battle of the Marne. The clash, which saw Allied forces mount a counteroffensive to push back the German Army, demonstrated the true potential of the FT’s ability to deliver mobile firepower.  

Following its success at the Marne, the FT participated in several key battles, including the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. These further showed the tank’s ability to support infantry, neutralize machine gun nests, and disrupt enemy supply lines.

By the end of the war, more than 3,500 Renault FTs had rolled off French assembly lines, with two dozen being loaned to the British army and 144 earmarked for the American Expeditionary Forces. 

Amazingly, the Allies had planned to equip their forces with as many as 12,000 FT tanks in 1919, with the United States hoping to manufacture more than 4,000 under the designation M1917. The war ended before a single tank rolled off an American assembly line. Manufacturers Van Dorn Iron Works, the Maxwell Motor Co., and the C.L. Best Co. would however churn out 950 for the U.S. Army after the war. These would form the backbone of America’s peacetime tank corps.

Although falling to meet its ambitious production targets, more FTs were produced than all other First World War tank models combined. Its widespread deployment helped establish tanks as a cornerstone of modern military strategy.

Post-war roles

After World War I, the Renault FT’s impact extended far beyond France.

Its FT’s simplicity and reliability made it an attractive option for militaries worldwide.

FTs would serve with both White and Red army forces in the Russian Civil War. Poles would field FTs against the Bolsheviks in their 1919 to 1921 war against the Soviet Union. FTs would fight in the Chinese civil war in the 1920s as well as the Estonian War of Independence. They would see action in the Rif War in Morocco and the Turkish War of Independence. Both sides would use FTs during the Spanish Civil War.

It even served as a starting point for domestic tank development programs. For example, Italy, Japan, and the Soviet Union would develop their own tanks heavily inspired by the FT’s layout and principles.

By the time World War II began, the Renault FT was long since obsolete, but its story wasn’t over.

With France facing a shortage of modern tanks in 1940, the FT was pressed into service for secondary roles such as reconnaissance, training, and police duties.

Survivors

Want to see a Renault FT today? A number still exist. Here’s where:

The Musée des Blindés in Saumur, France has an extensive collection of tanks, including several Renault FT tanks (which is the model seen in the video above, which appears courtesy of Wikipedia). You can visit their website at www.museedesblindes.fr to learn more about their collection and exhibitions. 

The Australian War Memorial has a Renault FT tank on display, which was transported Down Under in the early 1920s as a gift from the French Government. You can visit their website at www.awm.gov.au to learn more about the tank and its history.

The Tank Museum in Bovington, UK has a Renault FT tank on display, which is one of the most well-preserved examples in existence. You can visit their website at www.tankmuseum.org to learn more about the tank and their exhibitions.

Finally, the National Armor and Cavalry Heritage Foundation in the United States has a Renault FT tank in their collection. Remarkably, a handful of FTs were discovered by U.S. forces in Kabul in 2003. According to reports, two FT tanks — one with a 37mm cannon and the other with an 8mm machine gun — were found in a junkyard in Kabul by Major Robert Redding, a U.S. Army officer.

It is believed that these tanks were captured by the Soviet Union during the Polish-Soviet War (1919-1921) and then transferred to Afghanistan as a gift from the Soviet government to Amanullah Khan in 1923.

The Afghan government granted permission for the U.S. Army to remove the tanks from Afghanistan, and one of the restored tanks is currently on display at the US Army Armor and Cavalry Collection at Fort Moore, Georgia. The other tank is being restored and will also be put on display.

You can visit their website at www.armorcavalrymuseum.org to learn more about the tank and their exhibits.