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After the bitter experiences of April 1917, a modified version of the Schneider CA.1 quickly appeared. It differed from the original version in two major areas: 1.) The Petrol Tanks were moved to the rear of the vehicle, and installed in two special compartments flanking the rear exit door, and 2.) Additional 5.5mm Armour Plating was applied to the front of the Vehicle, especially around the front. The new Petrol Tank arrangements and the applique armour reduced the vulnerablity somewhat, at the same time that the additional weight of this extra armour (some 500kg) reduced the speed even more. This very mediocre tank never regained the trust of the French Tankers. Still, they were used up until the end of the War (for instance in Mangins couterattack in June 1918, the one that blocked the German Advance on Paris). The last were delivered in August 1918. |
As
soon as the the first French tank, the Schneider CA.1, was used in action in
April 1917, it's obvious drawbacks became painfully clear, not least to the
unfortunate crews. It was quite simply far too vulnerable. First the armour
was too thin: it did'nt even stop splinter from shells. Secondly the two petrol
tanks were placed high up - like the British Mk 1, the engine had no fuel pump, but depended on gravity feed - on each side, next to the Machine Gunners.
So when the thin armour was penetrated it often punctured these tanks, spraying the crew with petrol. It was often enough with a single, misplaced bullet to put the whole tank on fire. No wonder it was nicknamed
"The Mobile Crematorium". Not much could be done about the other drawbacks,
the slowness, the mispalced weapons and the inadequate running gear, that made trench-crossing and parapet-climbing difficult.
But the vulnerability was another thing.
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shows the late variant, and is built from the Retromodels resin kit - which I believe is now out of production. It has been built pretty much straight out of the box, but with many small details - like the MG's, the exhaust and the baggage racks - being replaced. The decals are Al.By's. Click on the thumbnails to see more of this model.
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