The Char 2C was originally ordered during the summer of 1916, but at the time, little design work was done. It seems that the original contract was mainly awarded due to nepotism. Following the first use of the tank in September that year, the project was properly initiated, aided by Renault, who were designing their own Renault FT-17.
Development was slow, and by the time the war ended, there had yet to be made any prototypes. In the post-war years, ten prototypes were build. The tanks were not shown directly to the public, but rather, their specifications were grossly exaggerated and used to boost the public's morale.
When Germany invaded in 1940, all ten prototypes were destroyed by the French to prevent capture. One was recovered by the Germans, but disappeared during the war.
Char 2C | |
---|---|
Crew | |
Crew | 12 |
Physical Characteristics | |
Weight | 69 t |
Length | 10.27 m |
Width | 3 m |
Height | 4.09 m |
Armour | |
Armour (max) | 45 mm |
Performance | |
Speed (max) | 15 km/h |
Armament | |
Primary weapon | 75 mm howitzer (1) |
Secondary weapon | 7,5 mm Reibel (3) |