Renault FT-17
US Army 344th Tank Bn, "Five of Hearts"
Western Front, July 1918
(Wings of the Great War WW10205)
- Weight: 6.7 tons
- Dimensions: 16'5" x 5'9" x 7'0"
- Crew: 2
- Power Plant: Renault 4-cylinder gasoline = 39 hp
- Armor: 8-22 mm
- Speed: 5 mph
- Armament: 1 x 37 mm Puteaux gun or 1 x 8 mm Hotchkiss MG
- Notes: Among the most ground-breaking tank designs in military history, the French-built FT-17 was the first production tank to have a fully rotating turret. It debuted on the battlefield on May 31, 1918, during the Second Battle of the Marne. In addition to its late introduction during World War I, it also saw service during World War II with many regional conflicts along the way. The "Five of Hearts" belonged to the 344th Tank Battalion in the Tank Brigade under Col. George S. Patton, Jr. The full track steel tank with a turret mounted 37-mm gun had a two-man crew and a road speed of approximately 4.5 mph. The Five of Hearts supported the 16th Infantry of the 1st Division in the Fleville Sector of the Meuse-Argonne Battle in October 1918. The tank is located at the Fort George G. Meade Museum at Fort Meade, Maryland.
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