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France Renault FT 17 and Variants |
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- Char canon: an FT with a 37 mm Puteaux SA18 short-barreled gun – about 3/5 of tanks ordered, about 1/3 of tanks actually produced
- Char mitrailleuse: an FT with an 8 mm Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun – about 2/5 of tanks ordered, about 3/5 of tanks produced
- FT 75 BS: a self propelled gun with a short barreled Blockhaus Schneider 75mm gun – at least 39 tanks were produced
- Char signal or TSF: a command tank with a radio. "TSF" stands for télégraphie sans fil ("wireless"). No armament, three-men crew, 300 ordered, at least 188 produced
- FT modifié 31: upgraded tanks with 7.5 mm Reibel machine gun. This modification started in 1931 on the 1580 chars mitrailleurs still in French stocks; all the metropolitan guntanks were (at least officially) scrapped to build utility vehicles on their chassis and the guns used to equip the R 35. This version was sometimes referred to as the "FT 31", though this was not the official name.
- Renault M26/27: a development of the FT with a different suspension and Kégresse rubber tracks; a number were used in Yugoslavia and five in Poland.
Other Users
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Belgium |
The Belgian army purchased some 75 gun-armed versions, slightly modified and locally called FT-18. The engine was modified, giving an extra kph in top speed, and the armor was slightly reinforced. All were still in service by May 1940.
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Brazil |
Total order in 1921 was 12 “carros de assalto”, enough to make a company with 4 machine gun armed, 7 gun-armed, and one TSF, command version. A former WWI observer in French units and father of the Brazilian tank force, Captain José Pessôa Cavalcanti de Albuquerque, suggested the purchase. Although they were initially purchased to test tactical theories, these tanks fought against the rebellion of 1924 and the revolution of 1932, and survived WWII, being kept for training purposes.
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China |
Some 30 to 45 steel Polish-built CWS tanks were sold to China, according to some sources. But the first were former French FTs left in Vladivostock in 1919 (then into “white” Russian hands) were acquired by the Manchurian warlord Chang Tso-Lin. 14 more were acquired in 1924-25 and fought against Wu Peifu.
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Finland |
There were about 32 tanks given to the Finnish army in 1919 and two more provided in 1920, all equipped with the 1919 model rounded turret and long barrel 37 mm (1.45 in) Puteaux gun. Most of them were still in use during the Winter War of 1939.
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Germany |
After the fall of France, the Wehrmacht captured as many as 1700 FTs, which were redesignated, painted in feldgrau with the Balkenkreuz. They were all machine-gun equipped. All captured FT 31 tanks which were not allocated to the Vichy police forces were taken over by the Wehrmacht.
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Greece |
Greece tested both the FT gun-armed and MG-armed and the more modern NC2, but none was ordered.
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Italy |
Italy got three FT-17s in June 1918. But the deliveries were reserved to French units first, so the general staff decided to start their own production. Despite the fact that the program was cancelled in November 1918, the design was drafted for the upcoming FIAT 3000 finally delivered in numbers between 1922-1926.
- FIAT 3000 – an Italian derivation.
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Japan |
JapanJapan bought the Renault FT in 1919, at the same time with a batch of Mark A Whippets. It was designated “Ko Gata” (Model A). The “Type 79” according to the chronological nomenclature, was never officialized. These thirteen tanks were immediately sent to the newly created Army Infantry School and the first unit, 1st IJA tank Company at Kurume, for officer training. Some were transferred to the Army Cavalry School.
In 1929, Japan also acquired the modernized NC-1 (M26/27), Otsu(“B”)-Gata Sensha. The “Ko-Gata” was used during the incident of Harbin, Manchuria in 1932. The unit was commanded by Captain Hyakutake. Both models were still in active service by 1940. Japan acquired spare parts after the occupation of Vichy-controlled Indochina.
In 1929, Japan also acquired the modernized NC-1 (M26/27), Otsu(“B”)-Gata Sensha. The “Ko-Gata” was used during the incident of Harbin, Manchuria in 1932. The unit was commanded by Captain Hyakutake. Both models were still in active service by 1940. Japan acquired spare parts after the occupation of Vichy-controlled Indochina.
- FT-Ko: Thirteen modified units imported by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1919, armed with either the 37 mm Puteaux SA18 cannon or machine guns; used in combat in the Manchurian Incident and subsequently for training
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Lithuiania |
LithuaniaTwelve Renault FT-17 tanks were bought from France in 1923. The tanks were named “Audra”, Drasutis”, “Galiunas”, “Giltine”, “Grianstinus”, “Karzygis”, “Kerstas”, “Kovas”, “Pagieza”, “Pykoulis”, “Slibinas” and “Smugis”. They were equipped with a Vickers machine-gun and served with the Radviliskis tank regiment from the early twenties to the late thirties.
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Poland |
The Poles contracted the delivery of 23 FTs for the defense of their newly liberated country. But they never saw action until the very end of the 1920 Soviet-Polish War. Most of those involved in the battle of Warsaw and other events were French FTs which French or Polish crews. Later on, many more were acquired, reaching a maximum of 174 machines.
Some were later made by CWS (meaning “Centralne Warsztaty Samochodowe” – Central Car Workshops) which manufactured 26 or 27 tanks from French spare parts between 1925 to 1927, plus some with Polish iron plates and other parts. The local production model used soft iron instead of steel, and were retained for training as the armor was improper to combat usage. Perhaps 30 to 60 Polish FTs were later sold to Uruguay (which in turn sold them to Spain, then in Civil War), others were bought by Yugoslavia and China. Polish engineers devised improvements, like a faster prototype equipped with laterally flexible tracks or designed derivatives like the smoke tank Czolg dymotworczy.
Some were later made by CWS (meaning “Centralne Warsztaty Samochodowe” – Central Car Workshops) which manufactured 26 or 27 tanks from French spare parts between 1925 to 1927, plus some with Polish iron plates and other parts. The local production model used soft iron instead of steel, and were retained for training as the armor was improper to combat usage. Perhaps 30 to 60 Polish FTs were later sold to Uruguay (which in turn sold them to Spain, then in Civil War), others were bought by Yugoslavia and China. Polish engineers devised improvements, like a faster prototype equipped with laterally flexible tracks or designed derivatives like the smoke tank Czolg dymotworczy.
- Renault FT CWS: the Renault FT CWS or Zelazny ("mild steel") tanks were built in Poland for use as training vehicles only (Polish combat tanks were French manufactured). These tanks used spare French engines and components. The hulls and turrets were manufactured to French specifications in all other respects. Around 27 CWS FT tanks were built. CWS is the abbreviation for Centralne Warsztaty Samochodowe (translated as "Central Workshops for Motor vehicles" or "Central Truck Workshop"), a plant in Warsaw which performed maintenance and depot level repair.
- Polish gas tank – A Polish modification built in the Wojskowy Instytut Gazowy ("Military Gas Institute") and tested on the Rembertów proving ground on 5 July 1926. Instead of a turret, the tank had twin gas cylinders. It was designed to create smoke screens, but could also be used for chemical attacks. Only one was produced.
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Romania |
Although a handful Berliet-built FTs were sent to Romania for training in 1917, some 72 brand-new ones were purchased and delivered in June 1919, to face-off the ever present Soviet threat. They saw widespread service but were withdrawn from active duty and kept for training from 1939.
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Spain |
12 FTs were bought in August 1921, all machine gun armed, deployed in 1922 in Morocco against Beni Said Tribe (Rif war). These were later found on opposite sides during the Civil War, with the Republicans (the 1st Tank Regiment of Madrid), and on the side of Franco’s nationalists with the 2nd Tank Regiment of Zaragoza. The 1st Regiment took part in the defense of Madrid on September, 1st, 1936. The FT remains influential in the design of the Trubia, the first Spanish tank built in small series between 1926-1931.
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Sweden |
SwedenSweden also bought a single Renault FT in 1923, armed with the 37 mm gun. It was apparently renamed ‘Putte’ – meaning ‘little’. However, it was not well received by the Swedish army and it ended its life as a radio vehicle.
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Turkey |
A single batch was delivered to the Turkish Infantry Shooting School based at Maltepe in 1926.
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USA |
- M1917 – US-built copy. 950 built, 374 of which were gun tanks and fifty of which were radio tanks. During World War II the Canadian Army purchased 236 redundant M1917s for training purposes.
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USSR |
RussiaDuring the Polish-Russian war of 1920 and the Civil war, both the Poles and the White Russians had many FTs enlisted, later captured by the Red Army, notably at the battle of Berezovka. By 1920 the Red Sormovo factory succeeded in copying this model and produce the first Soviet tank (“Freedom Fighter Comrade Lenin”), now preserved, followed by a series of “Russkiy Reno”, which had a long barreled 37 mm gun and a machine-gun in a separate turret mount. Ultimately this experience led to the development of the T-18, largely influenced by the FT design.
- Russkiy Reno: the "Russian Renault", the first Soviet tank, produced at Krasnoye Sormovo. A close copy. 17 units were produced. Also known as "Tank M".
- T-18 – A Soviet derivation from FIAT 3000 with sprung suspension.
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Yugoslavia |
The Royal Army of Yugoslavia acquired 34 FT-17s in the early twenties (54 according to sources claiming 8 being from French units left in Bulgaria, the others in the 1930s, including some Polish-made CWS), followed by 21 Renault NC2 (M26/27) Kégresse, improved, faster models. The batch was completed later by 54 Renault R35s. All were committed against the German onslaught in April 1941.