FCM 36

Char Léger Mle. 1936 FCM
     
Název:
Name:
FCM 36 FCM 36
Originální název:
Original Name:
Char leger Mle. 1936 FCM
Kategorie:
Category:
lehký tank light tank
Výrobce:
Producer:
DD.MM.1938-DD.MM.1939 Société Anonyme des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, La Seyne-sur-Mer /
Období výroby:
Production Period:
DD.MM.1938-DD.MM.1939
Vyrobeno kusů:
Number of Produced:
100
Prototyp vyroben:
Prototype Built:
DD.04.1935
Osádka:
Crew:
2
Technické údaje:
Technical Data:
 
Bojová hmotnost:
Combat Weight:
12350 kg 27227 lb
Délka s kanónem dopředu:
Length with Gun Forward:
4460 mm 14 ft 7 ⅝ in
Délka korby:
Hull Length:
? mm ?
Celková šířka:
Overall Width:
2140 mm 7 ft ¼ in
Celková výška:
Overall Height:
2200 mm 7 ft 2 ⅝ in
Světlá výška:
Ground Clearance:
380 mm 1 ft 3 in
Šířka pásu:
Track Width:
380 mm 1 ft 3 in
Měrný tlak:
Ground Pressure:
? MPa ? psi
Pancéřování:
Armour:
Korba:
čelo - 25-40 mm
boky - 20 mm
strop - 15 mm
dno - 13 mm
zadok - 20 mm

Veža:
čelo - 40 mm
strop - 14 mm
Hull:
front - 25-40 mm
sides - 20 mm
top - 15 mm
belly - 13 mm
rear - 20 mm

Turret:
front - 40 mm
top - 14 mm
Pohon:
Propulsion:
 
Typ:
Type:
pôvodný motor: Berliet ACRO (vznetový 4-valcový 95 koní)

Berliet Ricardo (vznetový 4-valec s objemom 8.495 cm3)
original engine: Berliet ACRO (4 cyl., diesel, 95 HP)

Berliet Ricardo (4 cyl., diesel, 8.495 ccm)
Výkon:
Power:
67.9 kW při ? ot/min 91 bhp at ? rpm
Převodové ústrojí:
Transmission:
5+R 5+R
Výkony:
Performance:
 
Rychlost na silnici:
Road Speed:
24 km/h 15 mph
Rychlost v terénu:
Cross-country Speed:
? km/h ? mph
Jízdní dosah po silnici:
Cruising Range on Road:
225 km 140 mi
Jízdní dosah v terénu:
Cross-country Cruising Range:
? km ? mi
Překonávání překážek:
Obstacles Crossing:
 
Svah:
Gradient:
36 ° 80 %
Boční náklon:
Side Slope:
? ° ? %
Překročivost:
Trench Crossing:
2 m 79 in
Výstupnost:
Vertical Obstacle:
0,7 m 28 in
Brodivost:
Fording Depth:
1 m 39 in
Výzbroj:
Armament:
 
Hlavní:
Main:
37 mm kanón Puteaux SA 18 L/21 (102 nábojov) 37 mm cannon Puteaux SA 18 L/21 (102 rounds)
Vedlejší:
Secondary:
guľomet Châtellerault modéle 1931 ráže 7,5 mm (3000 nábojov) machine gun Châtellerault modéle 1931 cal. 7,5 mm (3000 rounds)
Uživatelské státy:
User States:


Poznámka:
Note:
- -
Zdroje:
Sources:
Francois Vauvillier - The encyklopedia of French tanks and Armoured vehicles 1914-1940, Histoire & Collections, vydané v roku 2014, ISBN: 978-2-35250-322-4
Ivo Pejčoch - Obrněná technika 7, Francie 1919-1945, vydavateľtvo Ares, Praha 2007, ISBN 978-80-86158-47-1
Francois Vauvillier, Jean-Michel Touraine, Jean-Gabriel Jeudy - L´Automobile Sous L´Uniforme 1939-1940, Massin Editeur, rok vydania 1992, ISBN: 2-7072-0197-9
www.chars-francais.net
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FCM_36
URL : https://www.valka.cz/FCM-36-t21247#544778 Version : 0
The tank was designed and built by Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée (FCM). The machine was advanced in many ways, and at a time when designers were arguing whether it was better to use riveting or casting in the construction, the FCM 36 was welded, which increased the overall strength of the structure and simplified production.


Other innovations included the use of a diesel engine, and the use of heavily folded armour (additionally 40 mm thick), which increased passive protection.


Although the machine had these new features, it also carried with it the defects caused by the requirements of the French army, being only a two-seater, with a turret for one man, armed with the obsolete 37mm Puteaux 18 SA gun designed in World War I, and lacking a radio (at that time in France this was common and tanks signalled with flags). This, of course, was a significant disadvantage in an encounter with German tanks.


Another obstacle to the introduction of this tank was that FCM offered the tank very expensively by the standards of the time, so the army ordered only 100 of these machines. These were assigned to two separate tank battalions, the 4th and 7th BCC (Battalions Chars de Combat).


During the attack on France, these battalions were in the formation of the 2nd French Army defending Sedan. The crews fought valiantly, but were helpless against German superiority. Around 50 FCM 36s fell into German hands, used only for training duties on French territory and later the vehicles were stored.


In 1944, Alfred Becker converted these vehicles into self-propelled guns (with PaK 40 or leFH 16 howitzers). All converted machines served in Sturmgeschutz Abteilung 200 and intervened marginally in the Normandy fighting. This is also where their careers apparently ended. According to some sources, a few functional machines were assembled from the destroyed ones, and less than 30 German conversions served in the 5th Dragoon Regiment of the new French Army in 1944-45.



Source:
The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
URL : https://www.valka.cz/FCM-36-t21247#80991 Version : 0
For those who don't know what this interesting tank looks like I'll add some photos
FCM 36 - zepředu

zepředu
FCM 36 - z boku

z boku
FCM 36 - levý bok

levý bok
URL : https://www.valka.cz/FCM-36-t21247#80998 Version : 0
I'll add some details, the rear entrance of the turret is a standard for French tanks of this period, the tank commander was sitting on the folding part in a non-combat situation. the next pictures show a typical headlight of French vehicles and the chamfering of the armour and the tank's travel
FCM 36 - detail skoseného pancíře a pojezdu

detail skoseného pancíře a pojezdu
FCM 36 - pro francouzská vozidla typický světlomet

pro francouzská vozidla typický světlomet
FCM 36 - pootevřený vstup do věže

pootevřený vstup do věže
URL : https://www.valka.cz/FCM-36-t21247#80999 Version : 0
A couple of photos of this interesting tank from the war:
FCM 36 -


FCM 36 -


FCM 36 -


FCM 36 -


URL : https://www.valka.cz/FCM-36-t21247#166886 Version : 0
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