I have read all kinds of claims that before Battle of France there were plans to licence manufacture Somua S35 or Char B1 in US.
Supposedly French casting techniques and experience of tank armor were transferred to US ordnance and later applied to American designed Lee, Sherman and M6 (T1 heavy) tanks. Was there really a tech transfer in that field? Like with French Brandt mortars and APDS ammo designs.
French influence/transfer of technology in American tank design.
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Carl Schwamberger
- Host - Allied sections
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Re: French influence/transfer of technology in American tank design.
Possibly. There was a interchange in industrial techniques between Europe & the US. A big part of that was businesses on one side of the pond owning or partners in business on the other side. A steel foundry near where I live was established by a English investor a century ago as part of a broad multinational establishment. Dutch investors financed the drainage and settlement of the Kankakee River marshlands in the late 19th Century & early 20th. In the other direct Ford & GM had their factories in Europe. You can come up with thousands of large an small examples of this. Technology exchange usually occurred along the lines on these international businesses & investment groups.
As for the specifics of French armor casting techniques I can't say. The question came up in a thread a couple years ago, about French tank technology in general. Not much evidence turned up for such exchange, but as always evidence may emerge. There was experience in large steel castings and forgings, but outside that for US Navy application very little in armor. The US Army was focused on ordnance & aircraft. Little experience was accrued in tanks & most development there was in the drive train.
The French were investigating all sorts of weapons manufactured in the US. The primary result were orders for several thousand aircraft of US design, modified to French specs.
As for the specifics of French armor casting techniques I can't say. The question came up in a thread a couple years ago, about French tank technology in general. Not much evidence turned up for such exchange, but as always evidence may emerge. There was experience in large steel castings and forgings, but outside that for US Navy application very little in armor. The US Army was focused on ordnance & aircraft. Little experience was accrued in tanks & most development there was in the drive train.
The French were investigating all sorts of weapons manufactured in the US. The primary result were orders for several thousand aircraft of US design, modified to French specs.