Renault FT 17 gun tank and FT 17 TSF - Brazilian Army

Renault FT 17 gun tank and FT 17 TSF - Brazilian Army - case report

Tankers!!!

Today we will know two variants of the model that we can consider universal: the light tank Renault FT 17. The models are the gun tank armed with 37mm cannon and the TSF command version, in the colors of the Brazilian Army.

A Brazilian FT 17 COLONIA DOS DOURADOS
with octogonal Berliet turret and armed
with Hotckiss M1914 MG snorting in hard terrain

History:

As we said more fully in the previous article, the Renault FT, frequently referred to in post-World War I literature as the "FT-17" or "FT17", was a French light tank that was among the most revolutionary and influential tank designs in history. The FT was the first production tank to have its armament within a fully rotating turret. The Renault FT's configuration – crew compartment at the front, engine compartment at the back, and main armament in a revolving turret – became and remains the standard tank layout. As such, historians of armoured warfare have called the Renault FT the world's first modern tank. Over 3,000 Renault FT tanks were manufactured by French industry, most of them during the year 1918.

After the end of World War I, Renault FTs were exported to many countries (Belgium, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Finland, Iran, Japan, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and Yugoslavia). Renault FT tanks were used by most nations having armoured forces, generally as their prominent tank type. In this article, we will know a little more about the FT 17 used by Brazil.

Two BraziliansRenaults FT 17
Berliet turret with 7mm Hotchkiss gun

The Renault FT 17 in Brazil:

After the end of WWI, Brazil, like most countries, was impressed by the impact of the tanks in the battle fields, ordering several copies from France. In 1920, 12 brand new Renaults FT 17 arrived in Brazil , manufactured by Delaunay-BeIIeviIIe plant, in France.

Brand new FT 17 Berliet
with his commander
Brazilian Army - 1920

The Brazilian tanks was 6 with casted Girod turret, armed with 37mm Puteaux guns, 5 with Berliet octagonal turrets, armed with Hotchkiss M 1914 machine guns (8mm in France; 7mm in Brazil) and 1 TSF Command tank.

Renault FT 17 FORTE DE COIMBRA
Girod turret with 37mm Puteaux gun

Renault FT 17
Berliet turret with 7mm machine gun

Renault FT 17 TSF under repair
One of the rare photos of this model in Brazil...
pic: Eduardo Coelho collection

At the end of 1921 was created the Company of Assault Cars (Companhia de Carros de Assalto), military unit in charge of operating the Assault Cars (Carros de Assalto), as they were called the tanks in Brazil, at that time. The tanks landed in Brazil painted in dark brown.

Renault FT 17 AVAHY

Berliet turret with 7mm MG

Brazilian tanker uniform
1925 - watercolor

On the tank's rear sides, they carried the emblem of the unit: A knight helmet on two cannons or two crossed rifles (there were these two variations), inside a white ellipse.

Company of Assault Cars badge
Helmet with two cannons

Company of Assault Cars badge
Helmet with two rifles

The battle cars displayed their own names, in honor of Battlefields or Campaigns, in the upper inner part of the ellipses. These markings were repeated on both sides of the vehicles.

Emblem of Company of Assault Cars – Brazilian Army

AVAHY tank

Names of Renault FT 17 tanks Company of Assault Cars – Brazilian Army
name	honor to	turret type	gun
Avahy	Paraguay War	Berliet oct.	Hotchkiss 7mm
Humayta	Paraguay War	Berliet oct.	Hotchkiss 7mm
Colonia dos Dourados	Paraguay War	Berliet oct.	Hotchkiss 7mm
Ytororó	Paraguay War	Berliet oct.	Hotchkiss 7mm
Caseros	1851/1852 Campaign	Berliet oct.	Hotchkiss 7mm
Forte de Coimbra	Paraguay War	Girod	Puteaux 37mm
Riachuelo	Paraguay War	Girod	Puteaux 37mm
Tuiuty	Paraguay War	Girod	Puteaux 37mm
Campina da Taborda	Guararapes Battle	Girod	Puteaux 37mm
Guararapes	Guararapes Battle	Girod	Puteaux 37mm
Palmares	Guararapes Battle	Girod	7mm / 37mm
Ypiranga	Independence	none	none

This color scheme lasted until 1932-33, when the vehicles were painted in olive green and lost the symbols in white in the rear.

Renault FT 17 in the green painting

The first official public appearance of the tanks took place in a military parade in which Brazil paid homage to King Albert of Belgium on an official visit (September, 7 - 1922).

Military parade in honor of King Albert (Belgium)
FT 17 roaring in Rio de Janeiro, 7 - 1922.

The first operational use of tanks in the country occurred during the Paulista Revolution of 1924, when the Assault Company was deployed to occupy the city of São Paulo after the withdrawal of the rebel forces of that city.

FT 17 with Girod turret ant trench tail
in the Paulista Revolution - Sao Paulo, 1924.

A Ft 17 Berliet 7mm in the field...
Paulista Revolution - 1924

Two FT 17 Girod 37mm in a railcar
Notice the badges in the rear hull

In 1925, the Company of Assault Cars turns in Combat Cars Company and in 1932, this company was extinguished, with the tanks being assigned to the Battalion School of Infantry.

A FT 17 Berliet stucked in the mud
Notice the rear badge: helmet and rifles

Months later, the remaining tanks of the then Combat Car Company were operationally employed because of the outbreak of the Constitutionalist Revolution carried out by São Paulo on July 9, 1932.

In 1938, it was decided to replace worn and obsolete remaining light tanks FT 17 by Fiat-Ansaldo CV-3/35 II

Fiat-Ansaldo light tank - Brazilian Army - 1938

A preserved tank Fiat-Ansaldo in Brazilian colors.

See a movie about Fiat-Ansaldos in Brazil, in the 30's:

In 1942, the FT 17's were finally retired, being replaced by American medium tanks Sherman M4 and M4A1.

Today, of the 12 tanks originally received, 6 are preserved. Five in museums or monuments and one in a private collection. Five are Girod and only one berliet. The TSF got lost, unfortunately.

Renault FT 17 GUARARAPES in very good shape
Restored and operational. Girod tirret with 37mm gun.

Specs:

Renault FT 17 - Brazilian Army
Type	Light tank
Place of origin	France
Service history
In service	1920–1942
Used by	Brazil
Wars	- Paulista Revolution 1924 - Constitutionalist Revolution 1932
Production history
Designed	1916
Specifications
Weight	6.5 tonnes
Length	5.00 m
Width	1.74 m
Height	2.14 m
Crew	2 (commander, driver)

Armor	8 to 22 mm
Main armament	Puteaux SA 1918 37mm gun or 7mm Hotchkiss mg.
Engine	Renault 4-cyl,4.5 litre Gasoline (petrol) Zenith carburettor; Magneto ignit.
Power/weight	5 hp/tonne
Transmission	Sliding gear 4 speeds forward +1 reverse Main clutch + two subsidiary clutches for each tracks for steering
Suspension	vertical springs
Fuel capacity	95 litres (about 8 hours)
Operational range	60 km

The kit:
For this double project, I used the old RPM kits:

Old stuff from my kitcombs!!!

For the markings, the excelent set of Electric Products #3505D:

Electric Product decal set. Good stuff.

Gentleman, start your engines:

Notice that the kits were injected in styrene of different colors. Since the helmets are identical, I will build the kits by mixing the parts parts, for an initial aesthetic question. A touch of color !!!

Awesome colors!!
Mass production!!!

Suspensions...

sponsons...

Separate colors ... Let's mix it up !!!

Hulls under construction

The suspensions springs in plastic are awful. time to replace the horrible parts by cooper wire:

Making springs for suspensions...

Surgery in plan...

Done!!

the places...

Much better

The vinyl tracks. A cheap project with cheap materials...
...and tons of fun!!!

With shoes...

The Brazilian girls are growing...

The RPM turrets are spartan...
some details and metal scratch

vrooommmm

The TSF girl: no turret!!

And now, let's star to build the TSF superstructure...

WARNING!!!

Horrible images ahead... please, remove the children and cardiac patients from the front of your monitor. The following scenes may shock the most sensitive.

Injection marks in the visible side of the parts...
The "engineer" who developed these parts should be crucified !!

Unbelievable!!

The horror!!!!

Well...After a long time to remove the pin marks and have learned and invented dozens of new curses,, the final results:

The masts of wire in the hull and trench tail
are not pleasing me ...hmmmm

ready for primer...

Gray primer...

Markings and colors:

XF-52 Flat Earth color base

The masts really annoying me ...

Markings: Company of Assault Cars, Brazilian Army, 1922. Cars "Forte de Coimbra" and "Ypiranga".

Company of Assault Cars badges

FT 17 Char Cannon "Forte de Coimbra"

FT 17 TSF "Ypiranga"

And, finally, I decided to remove the masts from the TSF and attach the main mast to the side of the tank. I thought it looked a lot better, visually. And with that, the project was ready !!!

Tools and straps...weathering...
Notice the main mast in the side of the hull (green arrow)

The Brazilian girls was ready: First, the Renault FT 17 char cannon Girod 37mm Puteaux gun "Forte de Coimbra" - Company of Assault Cars, Brazilian Army, 1922.