D1

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A column of Char D1 tanks

A column of Char D1 tanks

A column of Char Renault D1 tanks

A column of Char Renault D1 medium tanks

Abandoned D1 number 56

Abandoned D1 number 56

Char léger D1 tank 3

Abandoned D1 tank 3

Char D1 and FT-17 tanks, 1940

Char D1 and FT-17 tanks, 1940

Char D1 North Africa

Char D1 North Africa

Char D1 tanks 2

Char D1 tanks 2

D1 white 07

Char léger D1 white 07

D1 1940

D1 1940

D1 1940 2

D1 1940 2

D1 1940 3

D1 1940 3

D1 1940 5

D1 1940 5

D1 and M4 od the 2RCA Oran 1943

D1 and M4 od the 2RCA Oran 1943

Char léger D1 code 44

D1 code 44

D1 code 87

D1 code 87

D1 front

D1 front view

D1 front 2

D1 front view 2

D1 in Ligny-en-Barrois

D1 in Ligny-en-Barrois

D1 number 12

D1 number 12

D1 tank 1028

D1 tank 1028

French medium tank D1 tank 99

D1 tank 99

D1 turret

D1 turret

D1 white 62 of the 67e BCC

D1 white 62 of the 67e BCC

D1 and Sd,Kfz 10 1940

French medium tank D1 and Sd,Kfz 10 1940

German soldier posing in front of D1 tank

German soldier posing in front of D1

D1 1940 4

German soldiers poses atop a D1 1940 4

KO’d French Char D1

KO'd French Char D1

Renault Char D1 coded 18

Renault Char D1 coded 18

Renault D1 12 of the 67 BCC

Renault D1 12 of the 67 BCC

Renault D1 18 of the 67 BCC

Renault D1 18 of the 67 BCC

Renault D1 and Renault ACG-1

Renault D1 and Renault ACG-1 assembly line

Wehrmacht soldier with Char D1

Wehrmacht soldier with Char D1

The French plan of 1926 to create a Light Infantry Support Tank led to the development of the existing Renault NC1 prototype into the Char D1. The type was produced between 1931 and 1935 in a number of 160. There was a pre-series of ten vehicles; later 150 standard vehicles were built. Until 1936 the vehicles were fitted with FT-17 turrets because the intended cast ST2 turrets were not ready yet. The ST2 turret was armed with a short 47mm SA34 tank gun with a coaxial 7.5mm MG. The hull carried a 7.5mm MG in the bow. The type did not serve as an infantry support tank as originally intended, but as France’s major battle tank of the early thirties; it was quickly phased out in 1937 because of its mechanical unreliability.