After some extensive consideration, I give you... the French Armour. I have endeavored to establish a logical system for designating the vehicles, even though it's not entirely historical (the historical French system for armoured vehicles doesn't follow a universal pattern).
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Designations:[/SIZE]
Armoured vehicles receive a designation based on the following pattern:
[Manufacturer] [Vehicle Abbreviation] [Modèle Number]-[Variant Letter] [Short Name]
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Manufacturer: the name of the company that designed or built the vehicle.
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Vehicle abbreviation: denotes the time of vehicle. Tanks are referred to as "Char" but all others are abbreviated.
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Modèle Number: a series of sequential numbers given to armoured vehicles. The Modèle Number is applied to the base chassis, and vehicles using the same chassis always use the same number (but not the same abbreviation).
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Variant Letter: denotes a sub-model of the vehicle. If there are no sub-models in service, the letter is dropped.
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Short Name: a spoken name applied to the vehicle, usually picked from a list of past persons of note, but exceptions exist.
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Terms:[/SIZE]
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Char de combat / char de bataille / char d'assaut: a regular tank. Not abbreviated, but shortened to
Char.
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Canons d'assaut: Assault gun, a tank-like vehicle with a low-velocity gun suitable for supporting infantry. Abbreviated "CDA".
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Canons automoteurs: Self-propelled gun, a mobile artillery piece mounted on a tank chassis. Abbreviated "CA".
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Chasseur de chars: Tank destroyer (literally 'hunter of tanks') with a high-velocity gun suitable for engaging and destroying enemy armoured vehicles at long ranges. Abbreviated CDC.
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Auto-Mitrailleuse de Découverte: An armoured car or light tank for long-ranged reconnaissance. Abbreviated "AMD".
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Auto-Mitrailleuse de Reconnaissance: An armoured car or light tank for short-ranged reconnaissance. Abbreviated "AMR".
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Défence Contre Aéronefs: A self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. Abbreviated "DCA".
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Véhicule blindé du génie: An armoured vehicle for use by military engineers, sappers, miners, etc. May come in sub-variants. Abbreviated "VBG".
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Véhicule de déminage: A version of an armoured engineering vehicle equipped for removing mines. Abbreviated "VD".
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Poseur de pont: A version of an armoured engineering vehicle equipped to lay prefabricated bridges. Abbreviated "PP".
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Véhicule blindé école: "Armoured School Vehicle", a designation for a vehicle designed to train tank crews. Abbreviated "VBE".
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Véhicule blindé auxiliaire: "Armoured Auxiliary Vehicle", a designation for vehicles not falling into the above categories. Usually refers to a fully-tracked cargo carrier based on a tank chassis, or a bridge-carrying vehicle (not bridge-laying). Abbreviated "VBA".
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Modèle Numbers[/SIZE]
- Modèle 2: Transall heavy tank and variants.
- Modèle 6: Renault cavalry tank and variants.
- Modèle 7: Assigned but not used.
- Modèle 8: SOMUA cavalry tank and variants.
- Modèle 10: Proposed airborne light tank.
- Modèle 13: Proposed follow-on "battle-cruiser" tank.
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Transall Char-2E Lefebvre (Transall Lefebvre Heavy Tank)[/SIZE]
This 45-ton heavy tank was designed jointly for the French, Atlantean, and Russian Armies. This tank is called the AT-37 in Atlantean service, and the TT-37 in Russian service; the French tanks are occasionally dubbed the FT-37. The Lefebvre wears the Char 2E designation as it was the fifth revision proposed, but at the present time no other variants are produced. The Char 2E is equipped with a 75mm/L45 gun, and the turret ring is capable of upgunning to at least a 100mm gun.
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Renault Char-6 Bruyere (Renault Bruyere Cavalry Tank)[/SIZE]
Eighteen ton light tank with the 75mm/L39 gun. This tank is designed for use in colonial regions (West Africa and Indochina) where enemy tanks are not likely to be present in strength, as well as in reconnaissance units, where its mobility comes into play. As a result of the desired colonial applications, serious attempts have been made to maintain a low ground pressure, allowing the tank to move on softer ground. The Bruyere may additionally be used for screening the flanks of a larger advancing armoured force. The Bruyere chassis was designed with consideration for manufacturing offshoot variants, which include:
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Renault Char-6A Bruyere: Standard (base) vehicle.
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Renault Char-6B Bruyere: Otherwise standard Char-6A fitted with a 105mm/L17 howitzer in a turret (the same as the CDA-6 assault gun).
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Renault AMR-6 Bruyere: Otherwise standard Char-6A fitted out for reconnaissance duties. Some side and rear armour is removed for a marginal increase in speed. Easily confused with a regular Char-6A.
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Renault CDA-6 Sorbier: An assault gun equipped with a 105mm/L17 gun in a casemate.
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Renault CA-6A, B Lauriston: A self-propelled gun equipped with a 75mm howitzer (CA-6A) or a 105mm howitzer (CA-6B).
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Renault CDC-6 Lariboisiere: A tank destroyer equipped with a 75mm/L53 AT gun in a casemate.
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Renault VBG-6A, B Bertrand: An armoured engineering vehicle with a dozer blade, digger, and 80mm demolition gun (VBG-6A), or a winch and crane for vehicle recovery (VBG-6B).
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Renault PP-6 Bertrand: An armoured engineering vehicle equipped with a single-piece seven-meter bridge with a weight limit of 20 tons.
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Renault VD-6A, B Bertrand: An armoured engineering vehicle (similar to the VBG-6A) equipped with a mine-flail (VD-6A) or mine rollers (VD-6B).
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Renault DCA-6 Tornade: An anti-aircraft tank equipped with two 25mm or one 40mm gun.
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Renault VBE-6: A training tank version. No gun is provided and the armour, maintained for reasons of weight simulation, is made of softer metals not designed to stop projectiles.
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AMX / SOMUA Char-8 Montbrun (SOMUA Montbrun Medium Tank)[/SIZE]
A thirty-three ton medium tank designed according to the "Heavy Cruiser Tank" principles. This tank is designed to have the best mix possible of high mobility, good armour, and good protection, and is intended to be the primary vehicle of the French tank arm for the early 1940s. It is equipped with a 75mm gun. As the choice for the main French tank, it has a number of variants, which include:
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AMX / SOMUA Char-8A Montbrun: Standard (base) vehicle.
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AMX / SOMUA Char-8B Montbrun: Otherwise standard vehicle equipped with a 105mm howitzer in modified turret.
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AMX / SOMUA Char-8C Montbrun: Otherwise standard Char-8B tank with flamethrower substituted for 20mm gun. Intended as an "assault tank".
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AMX / SOMUA Char-8D Montbrun: Otherwise standard Char-8A tank equipped with extra radios as a command tank.
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AMX / SOMUA CDC-8 Druout: Tank destroyer equipped with a 90mm/L40 anti-tank gun in a casemate. Preceding the Char-8A into service.
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AMX / SOMUA CDA-8A, B Chasseloup: Assault gun based on the Druout hull, equipped with a 105mm howitzer (CDA-6A) or a 155mm heavy mortar (CDA-6B) in a casemate.
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AMX / SOMUA CA-8A, B, C, D Gribeauval: Self-propelled gun equipped with a 75mm howitzer (CA-8A), a 105mm howitzer (CA-6B), a 155mm howitzer (CA-8C), or a 200mm howitzer (CA-8D). The CA-6B Gribeauval is expected to be the primary model. The CA-8D, unlike the other variants, does not have a closed compartment for the gun or the crew, and does not carry onboard ammo.
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AMX / SOMUA VBG-8A, B Marescot: An armoured engineering vehicle with a dozer blade, digger, and 100mm demolition gun (VBG-8A), or a winch and crane for vehicle recovery (VBG-8B).
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AMX / SOMUA PP-8 Marescot: An armoured engineering vehicle equipped with a scissors-style ten-meter bridge with a weight limit of 36 tons. (Under development for 1943 or 1944.)
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AMX / SOMUA VD-8A, B Marescot: An armoured engineering vehicle (similar to the VBG-8A) equipped with a mine-flail (VD-8A) or mine rollers (VD-8B).
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AMX / SOMUA DCA-8 Cyclone: An anti-aircraft tank equipped with two 25mm or two 40mm guns.
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AMX / SOMUA VBA-8A, B Boeufs: Auxiliary vehicle adopted as cargo vehicle for the CA-8D self-propelled gun (VBA-8A), and as a bridge carrier (VBA-8B).
Note: All French tanks previously manufactured will either be phased out or rebuilt as the above vehicles enter service, although this process is expected to last several years.