Saint-Chamond

His appearance of this machine must ambition and money. When Colonel Etienne succeeded in realizing his project built armored vehicle with the firm of Schneider-Creusot, the State Secretariat of artillery and personally head the army control motorization, issuing purchase orders related materiel, felt left out.

Not to be outdone by the progress of military science, government officials, along with a “Schneider”, issued an order to design an assault FAMH tractor company in the city of Saint-Chamond. April 27, 1916 (two months!) Project was ready, and Secretary of State informed the commander in chief of artillery on the project bronetraktora, has serious advantages over the “Schneider”. As a result, the consortium FAMH received an order for 400 cars.

In pursuit of this order has been established quite “raw” machine. The chief designer of the company FAMH Colonel Rimalo had based chassis tractor Holt (as in “Schneider”), significantly increasing the length of the bearing surface of the tracks. An innovation was the application of electric transmission. Gasoline engine firm Panhard “worked for the dynamo from her current fed to the two traction motors (one on the track).

The body armor was a box with oblique bow and stern. The front part overhung the tracks, so Saint-Shamon “with difficulty overcame the low vertical obstacles, despite the fact that the front and rear of the car were equipped with special rollers to overcome obstacles.

The first machines Saint-Shamon “(sample 1916) had a cylindrical commander and driver turrets, and armor plates sides reached the ground, covering the chassis. The roof was flat. The engine and dynamo were located in the middle part of the body, followed by – electric motors. The driving wheel was in the stern, there was also located and a second control station. Armament – 75 mm gun of special design (out of 400 were produced 165 tanks with this artsistemoy), which later was replaced by a field 75-mm gun “Schneider.” Shooting could be made in a narrow sector straight ahead, so that the transfer of fire accompanied by a rotation of the tank. To combat with the infantry on the perimeter of the building are 4 machine guns. After the first test in mid-1916 revealed the need for some changes. Sides of the armor plates covering the chassis, removed to improve patency. Caterpillars have expanded from 32 to 41, and then to 50 cm in this form machine went into production. In 1917, already in the release of “Saint-Shamon” again Modified: flat roof has slope to the sides, so it rolled down the enemy with hand grenades, instead of cylindrical towers placed rectangles. Has also been enhanced booking – 17-mm armor plates in contrast to the previous 15-mm can not penetrate the new Germanic armor-piercing bullets mark “K”. Then replaced and artillery on the field 75-mm cannon “Schneider.

Under French archival records, the first prototype tank was number 414, and the last Saint-Chamond was released under the symbol 813 (as it was collected 400 cars). Series 400, 500, 600 were issued with a flat roof and oval towers, with 700-series has a sloping roof, and square towers. Although, judging by the photos, events and hybrids – old machines with new towers, as well as car 700’s issues and more with a special artsistemoy “Schneider.” Apparently, the tanks Saint-Chamond “some time before the complete transition to field 75-mm cannon” Schneider “, armed with both artsistems.