WWI Bundle Renault FT + 75mm M1897
SAVE 15% OFF when you purchase this WWI Bundle. A $120 value for only $102.
This bundle includes a Renault FT / M1917 (French/American) Light Tank and a 75mm M1897 Field Gun with WWI American Soldier.
Renault FT / M1917 Light Tank
The tank was developed during World War I to help defeat the bloody stalemate of trench warfare of the Western Front. The Renault FT was a light tank to be used in a breakthrough and exploitation role and was equipped with either a low-velocity artillery piece or machine gun. It’s two-man crew consisted of a driver and tank commander, who doubled as the tank’s gunner. Over 3000 FTs were built in France during World War I where it was successfully used by both French and American armored forces. A copy of the FT was manufactured in the USA under license and was standardized as the M1917. The American verson can be easily distinguished by the location of the muffler to the left side of the hull, whereas the original French version had the muffler located on the right. The Renault FT has the distinction of setting the pattern for future tank development: fully tracked vehicle with engine located in the rear, and a single fully-rotating turret.
75mm M1897 Field Gun with WWI American Soldier
As World War I raged in Europe, the US Army found itself in need of a modern artillery piece should America decide to become involved. The French 75mm Modele 1897 was the best canditiate and is widely considered by historians to be the first modern cannon. It was the first to be fitted with a hydropneumatic recoil mechanism, which meant it could be fired and reloaded without having to reposition the gun. When America entered the war, the US Army adopted the French design for it’s field artillery batteries, and fielded more than 1900 guns by the war’s end. Domestic production began in spring of 1918, but most guns used during the war were French manufactured. The M1897 again saw service in World War II, with many being exported to Great Britain under lend-lease agreements, and others being adapted to anti-tank guns.
