Felix's Gaming Pages Blog

The Renault FT or Automitrailleuse à chenilles Renault FT modèle 1917, inexactly known as the FT-17 or FT17, was a French light tank; it is among the most revolutionary and influential tank designs in history. France still had several thousand First World War Renault FT tanks in 1940. Over 500 of them were still in service in independent bataillons de chars de combat (BCC) tank battalions in the front lines. Although adequate for infantry support, they were totally outclassed by German tanks in a mobile battle.

Having constructed the tanks the next stage was a white undercoat.

Despite having been designed from 1933 as a rather slow but well-armoured light infantry support tank, the type was initially rejected by the French Infantry because it proved difficult to steer while driving cross-country, instead being adopted in 1936 by the French Cavalry. From 1938 an improved version was produced with a stronger engine, the Char léger modèle 1935 H modifié 39, that from 1940 was also fitted with a longer, more powerful 37 mm gun.

Having made up the models, and having given the models a white undercoat, the next stage was to basecoat the models. In order to add shadow I gave the underneath of all three models a spray of Warpaint German Armour.

See the workbench feature on the Flames of War French Hotchkiss H-39.

Having constructed the Somau S35 objective, and adding some green stuff the next stage was to give the models a white undercoat.

And of course De Gaulle himself.

See the workbench feature on General de Gaulle.

The Renault FT or Automitrailleuse à chenilles Renault FT modèle 1917, inexactly known as the FT-17 or FT17, was a French light tank; it is among the most revolutionary and influential tank designs in history.

The FT was the first operational tank with an armament in a fully rotating turret, and its configuration with the turret on top, engine in the back and the driver in front became the conventional one, repeated in most tanks until today; at the time it was a revolutionary innovation.

France still had several thousand First World War Renault FT tanks in 1940. Over 500 of them were still in service in independent bataillons de chars de combat (BCC) tank battalions in the front lines. Although adequate for infantry support, they were totally outclassed by German tanks in a mobile battle.

It is one of my favourite tanks, I have always had a fondness for this little tank, probably as a result of making that Matchbox plastic kit of the Renault and the Char B1 when I was young. As I am creating an Early War French army I got some of these little tanks for Flames of War. I was pleased with the amount of detail in the model.

These were not in my opinion the simplest of models to put together. The model is not as easy as it looks, I had some trouble putting the tracks into the resin hull.

I like the fact you get two turret variants, one with a 37 mm gun or one with the 7.92 mm machine gun.

Having constructed the Somau S35 objective, I used some green stuff to fill in the gaps where the figure bases were on the base.

I used the remaining green stuff on the De Gaulle base.

See the workbench feature on General de Gaulle.