French FCM 2C Tank

French FCM 2C Tank. Giant tank designed and built just after the end of the first world war. stayed in service until the second world war, but never saw action. http://www.flickr.com/photos/7700258@N05/

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• French
• FCM
• 2C
• Tank
• tanks
• WWI
• WW1
• first
• world
• great
• war
• wars
• WWII
• WW2

[Fridomfry]

Technically such giant 'wheeltanks' might have done fine oon the battlefield. The real problem was just of good common sense: How to manufacture them without having all German bombers making an appointment over the factory ?

[philthydirtyanimal]

I'm not convinced they would have done well on the battlefield. Maybe they would have. But artillery technology and techniques were also improving, and such vehicles would have made tempting targets.

[Fridomfry]

In late 1939, some French engineers even designed a much bigger weapon a huge rolling cylinder, to crush Siegried line forts. It was technically feasible. Yet a scientist who knew better killed the project.

[philthydirtyanimal]

Yes, there were a lot of 'big wheel' ideas around at the time. On some sites you can see the covers of science or mechanics magazines, and more than once there are fanciful pictures of giant 'wheeltanks' crushing enemy defences.

[nghnino]

Are there any survivors of this kind?

[philthydirtyanimal]

Probably not. But there is a rumour:

When Germany invaded France in WW2, they captured all the FCM 2C tanks (can't remember exactly how many, maybe 5 or 6 or less) and took them, or one of them, to somewhere in Germany. Then when the Soviets entered Germany at the end of WW2, the rumour says, they found the FCM 2C tank and took it to Russia or Ukraine, and it is still there in a museum. But it is just a rumour, with no proof at all. May be true. May be nonsense.

[cumbas]

and if we lost the battle of France in June 1940 this is not its fault (contrary what want to make believe since always any anti-French)

but the faults of the frenchs governments (less and less money for the armement of french Army during 30's) and the generals-in-chiefs of French Army which had not understood how to use the armoured tanks and the Airfoce as well as possible

...

[DuguesclinBZH]

6 FCM 2C have been sabotaged by their crews after the bombing of the train transporting them.

The Germans have brought one of these super-tank in Germany for their propaganda "French mastodon shot by the German spremacy". This is the biggest operational tank in the history of mankind.

[TheCGIMaster]

If I was a German I would be in a such a state of panic at 0:18

[MrTwiggy93]

is this your phototream on flickr?....very good photos!

[tyuru2]

I kinda wanna do it in there...

[tyuru2]

If only ww1 raged on for another 5 years...

[Septimanien]

@cumbas Bonjour, yes, a disaster, France had many 3°républic "présidents", one for 15 days, three frontiers in war (germans, italians) and another with the very uncertain Spain.The Belgium governement stopped the building of his part of fortress and his frontier was open for nazis troops. WW1 was too hard for the french families with one or more killed. At this time the important communist group in the parliement was ok, with the "Stalin/Hitler" pact. A few FFi and FFL fight.

Cordialement.

[NewAround92]

@12togo34 it`s a 75mm. The 155 probably looked like the 152 on the KV tank

[12togo34]

@NewAround92 really? what gun is it shown in the video?

[NewAround92]

@12togo34 the where plans to fit a 155mm howitzer. Still at that time the gun was sufficient to take out most german armour.

[12togo34]

@NewAround92 well, now do you think of it, the french FCM might have alot of armor, and is pretty big, but its gun looks like something you wouldve put on a light tank or medium.

[NewAround92]

@12togo34 yes but did it see any actual operation? Limited to none. The C2 was around from 1921 till ww2 and was used on the front lines. Nothing as useless than a weapon that has never been fired.