Autocanon de 47 Renault
Autocanon de 47 Renault was an armored car designed by Renault in 1915. The French Army required vehicles with increased firepower, this need was met by replacing the 37 mm standard cannon with a 47 mm Hotchkiss semi-automatic cannon with a range of up to 4.5 km. The basis was a two-axle Renault car, whose cabin was completely redesigned. The body was converted to a platform that was protected with front and side armor between 4 – 6 mm thick.
| Autocanon de 47 Renault mle 1914 | |
|---|---|
 The predecessor to the Autocanon de 47, using the same mle 1914 chassis but with a 37 mm 3-pdr Hotchkiss gun. | |
| Type | Armored Car |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1914–1916 |
| Used by | France |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1914 |
| No. built | 100 ordered 50 actually built |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3 tonnes (3.3 short tons; 3.0 long tons) (estimated) |
| Length | 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) |
| Width | 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Height | 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Crew | 3 - 4 (driver, commander, gunner) and optional loader |
| Armor | Light metal plating between 4 - 6 mm in thickness |
Main armament | 47 mm QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss |
| Engine | 4-cycle Renault WC gasoline engine 35 hp (26 kW) |
| Power/weight | 11.7 hp/tonne |
| Transmission | Manual 4 x 2 steering transmission |
| Suspension | Leaf spring suspension |
Operational range | Approximately 100 km (62 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 45 km/h (28 mph) |
Operational history
The Autocanon de 47 and all derivatives of the base vehicle it was based on, the Renault modèle 1914, saw service with French forces in World War I, acting primarily as anti-aircraft artillery. Initially the French Army ordered 100 of the vehicles, however problems had been found by the 50th vehicle delivered. The very light armour of the vehicle was unable to stop machine gun rounds and machine gun armament was ineffective in its intended role due to a lack of range and of rate of fire. To remedy these issues, Renault produced the 1914 model with both a 37 mm gun as well as a 47 mm gun, which was primarily intended for motorised marine infantry. Another major issue that befell the vehicle series was the poor performance of the frontal wheel drive in the tough muddy conditions of the Western Front. In 1916, all existing 50 cars were rebuilt to an improved 1915 standard, which resembled the Peugeot Armored Car.[1]
References
- "Renault Armoured Car mle 1914". Tank Encyclopedia.
- Pejčoch Ivo: Obrněná technika 13 - První světová válka, publisher Svět křídel, Cheb, 2014. ISBN 978-80-87567-45-6
- Autocanon de 47 mm Renault (Russian)
- Tank Encyclopedia