Existing comment:
Discovery:
The French Renault FT-17 light tank is considered to be the first modern tank. French army Brigadier General Jean Baptiste Estienne, the French "Father of the Tanks", realized in 1916 the need for a low cost, easily mass produced light tank and supported the development of the FT-17. Like today's tanks, it has a turret on top that turns in a complete circle; the engine is in the rear of the tank; and the driver sits in the front.
The FT-17 is equipped with a small turret that turns on ball bearings. The first turrets were made of cast steel and could only carry a Hotchkiss 8mm machine-gun. In 1918, a riveted steel turret was made that could carry either a machine-gun or a 37mm cannon. Such turrets were called omnibus because they could support different weapons. Later the riveted omnibus turret was replaced by a cast steel version, known as the FT-18 tank. By the end of the war, over 3,000 Renault F-17 and F-18 light tanks had been built.
How did these tanks get to Afghanistan? No one knows how the tanks ended up in the junk yard outside of Kabul. Parts from a third tank were found there as well. Since their recovery, two additional FT-18 tanks have been found on public display. There is no evidence that the Afghans ever purchased any armored vehicles from the French. Perhaps the tanks were acquired from the Soviet Union in the 1920s as part of a deal for diplomatic recognition. We may never know.
Did You Know? One of the great mysteries of this light tank was the meaning of "FT" in the designation. The answer is simple. The Renault Company identified each of their products by assigning them two letter codes. The code "FT" was assigned to the light tank at random, with the design year tacked to the end. |