► Photothread: French Equipment in German Service

[webmastersignal]

no sorry no ideas of this unit
Some french tank on russia :

[David Lehmann]

probably Renault truck in Russia



SdKfz 251 and PSW-204(f) (Panhard P-178) in Russia

Regards,

David

[David Lehmann]

Another PSW-204(f) (Unsere Waffen-SS postcard)

[David Lehmann]

[Rommel8]

The picture that webmastersignal posted contains 2xR-35s (possibly H-35s) and the one closest to the photographer is an Somua S-35

[bigbuddha]

This is a great thread and just makes me realise how motorized and modern French equipment was, and how superior in arms the French military was in 1939/40. Its just that their training, tactics, command structure, communication, officers, motivation, morale and troop quality was still out of date and preoared to fight WWI again. If they French had had adequately modern tactics and communications and organised their forces properly, with armoured divisions instead of spreading the tanks out to support the infantry they really could have stopped the Germans. And if they had attacked during the Polish campaign had all the armoured might they needed to defeat the Germans. History could have been so different if in 1940 this old British joke hadn't been so ironic:

"Whats the difference between a frenchman and a piece of toast?

- You can make soldiers out of toast"

(For the non-Brits on the forum, a toast soldier is a thin piece of toast that you dip into a soft-boiled egg)

[webmastersignal]

In 1940, I think that the France have the better tank of this period : Somua S35 and B1 Bis, the first for his mobility and well armored, the second is a monster for PAK gun and don't forget the AMD 178, and 47 mm APX PAK gun.....
But : "training, tactics, command structure, communication" = ZERO
The better defence is attack, instead of build the Maginot line, french would have better done to build and develop radio equipement, artillery tractor, personnel armored carrier.......
Some great weapons of WWII are french : Brandt 81 mm and 60 mm = it's the US mortar, sherman tank is inspired by a French project, Brandt 50 mm rifflegrenade became the US M9 riffle grenade and the famous bazooka rocket.
The most interesting realization is certainly the shell under gauged of 75/57 mm V°=900 m/s able to bore 90 mm of shielding under 35° of incidence at 1000 meters, a panther can't resist.

In 1940 700 germans tanks were destroyed in blitzkrieg, 2/3 of the armored car of the 7 PzDv were out before the 1st june 1940.
Wath if the french air force was be abble to stop the Luftwaffe ?

Olivier

[David Lehmann]

Somua MCL Raketenwerfer :

[David Lehmann]

15cm leFH 18/3 auf Geschützwagen B2(f)

[David Lehmann]

10.5cm leFH18 auf Lorraine, photo provided by webmastersignal.

David

[webmastersignal]

Some new pics :
A Renault D2 and a big monster Heavy french tank 2C FCM
69 000 Kg ! 1x75mm and 4x8mm machinegun crew : 12 men

[Bob_Mackenzie]

Somua in the Russian mud. there are a couple of other Somua pics in the artillery thread

[David Lehmann]

Thanks, yes I have seen your post about the Pak41.

David

[David Lehmann]

Several Renault UE(f) published in the French modelling magazine STEELMASTER - n°14, an article by Hubert CANCE about the Renault UE in the German army.

1) A Renault UE(f) Schlepper towing a 7.5cm Pak 97-38 (French 75mm Mle1897 gun on a Pak38 carriage).

2) A Manschaftstransportwagen UE(f) (with seats behind the vehicle) towing Nebelwerfers in Normandy.

3) A Selbstfahrlafette für 28-32 Würfrahmen auf UE(f) (Teil) from the 21.PzD. There is an other version (Seit) with the rockets mountings on the sides of the vehicle.

Regards,

David

[Bob_Mackenzie]

Dear David

Does the magazine say which units the UE's served with other than the 21Pz Div?

Ive seen that bottom pic many times before and never seen it ascribed to the 21st

Cheers

Bob