It was a great try, unfortunately by the time development and testing was done and it finally entered service in 1971 it was extremely obsolete.
Recently,
ysi_maniac had a go at the WWI Saint-Chamond. Here's my go at it ...
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In 1915, the Compagnie des forges et aciéries de la marine et d'Homécourt (FAMH) at Saint-Chamond, Loire, was invited to design an armoured fighting vehicle for use by the French Army. At the insistence of
général Léon Mourret, the new vehicle was to be armed with a 75 mm field gun. This feature alone dictated a rather larger vehicle than the rival Schneider CA1 designed by Eugène Brillié. The Saint-Chamond design would also be distinct because Brillié, refused the free use of his patents. As a result, Saint-Chamond had to come up with substitutes for the Brillié skid 'tail' and other patented features.
In the initial draught of the Saint-Chamond armoured vehicle, FAMH design chief
colonel Émile Rimailho chose his Canon de 75 modèle 1915 Saint-Chamond - the so-called Saint Chamond-Mondragón. This piece fired the same fixed 75x350 mm R ammunition as the 75mm Mle 1897 (also designed by
col. Rimailho). However, the Mle 1915 had a shorter barrel and was correspondingly lighter. Unfortunately, like all French field guns, the entire carriage was required for traverse. This made the 1915 Saint-Chamond concept a lengthy vehicle with substantial overhangs fore and aft. The drivetrain consisted of a 90 hp Panhard et Levassor 4-cylinder engine with final drive via a Crochat-Colardeau electric transmission. A crew of eight was to be carried. This initial design was rejected by
gén. Mourret.
1916 Saint-Chamond char d'assaut - the CA2Other than in retaining a general arrangement and engine type, the 1916 Saint-Chamond vehicle design had little in common with its predecessor. The track layout was effectively reversed - with the drive wheels at the front. The electric drive was replaced by a conventional Panhard gearbox - set directly below the main gun mounting beam. That gun was revised as the Mle 1916 intended specifically for vehicle use. The original L/28.5 barrel was replaced by a new 2.58 m 'tube' - the same L/36 length as the preferred Mle 1895. The piece sat in an entirely new mount saddle and pivot - obviating the need to retain the entire trail. As a result, overall vehicle length could be reduced while traverse was made easier and quicker.
Reducing the overall length, also made for a smaller fighting compartment. The crew was reduced to five - the commander/driver, gunner, loader, and two machine gunners/mechanics. This design was accepted for production as the Saint-Chamond
char d'assaut. From the outset, it was clear that the new Saint-Chamond
char d'assaut outclassed the earlier Schneider CA1. The Saint-Chamond vehicle was also more heavily armed than contemporary British tanks. However, the longer British Tank, Mark I proved superior at trench-crossing. As a work-round, some Saint-Chamonds were fitted with 'tails' similar to those of British tanks. On Saint-Chamonds, these '
cordier' took the form of a non-steering twin-wheeled carriage with a set degree of pivot. Intended to allow the 20 tonne vehicle to cross trenches, '
le cordier' were more likely to fail under the strain. Most tailpieces were removed by the end of 1917.
1917 Saint-Chamond char d'assaut - the CA2bMany of the failings of the modèle 1916 Saint-Chamond CA2 were addressed in a major redesign - the modèle 1917 CA2b. This vehicle had a revised (and enclosed) suspension as well as broader track pads. The upper hull was simplified with protection increased to a maximum of 26 mm of armour plate - this was mainly to stop German 'reversed bullets' (while anticipated German armour-piercing 'K bullets'). The forward plate was given an increased slope which also helped to deflect bullets and shell splinters. Main armament remained the same 75 mm Saint-Chamond TR (
Tir Rapide) Mle 1916 but the machine gun armament was reduced. [1] The forward-firing remote Hotchkiss was retained but the twin rear guns were replaced by a single 8 mm in a simplified mouting. As a result, the crew could be reduced to four - although a dedicated mechanic was often carried.
To improve trench-crossing the inadequate '
cordier' was replaced by
un tambour. This revolving drum served to extend the vehicle's length of ground contact. The angle of
le tambour could be adjusted prior to missions to best suit anticipated surface conditions. In most aspects, the Mle 1916 CA2b was an improvement over the Mle 1915 Saint-Chamond. A questionable change was the supression of the driver's vision port into the hull proper. Removing this excrescence reduced vulnerability to shellfire but also greatly reduced the driver's field of vision. As a
char d'assaut, the Saint-Chamond CA2b was regarded as a success - especially as a late-war counter-battery weapon. However, with the end of
"La Grande Guerre, the French Army quickly disposed of its Saint-Chamond tanks.
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[1] It was assumed that each Saint-Chamond
char d'assaut CA2b would be accompanied by Renault FT light tanks with machine gun-armed turrets.
