M1917 Light Tank
Cantigny: Robert R. McCormick's Gift to the People of Illinois. M1917 Light Tank The M1917 Light Tank was the first official tank for the US Army. It was based on the French FT-17 Renault tank that the First Division used in September of 1918 at St. Mihiel. This American version never saw combat because of its late arrival in Europe, but the basic design of the Renault, positioning the engine in the rear with the driver forward and a 360 degree moveable turret with armament, would be used for all future US tanks. The tank was designed to accompany infantry units as they crossed “No Man’s Land.” The M1917 destroyed machine gun nests and barbed wire obstacles as infantrymen followed, taking advantage of newly opened breaches in enemy lines. It could cross a seven-foot trench and climb a three-foot vertical wall. The M1917 continued as the standard US Army light tank until it was phased out in 1931. Weight: Tons Crew: 2 – Commander/Gunner and Driver Armament: Turret: 37mm main gun or .30-caliber machine gun Armor Width: .25”” Engine: Buda HU Modified Liquid Cooled 4 Cylinder Inline Piston 42 hp Speed: mph Number Produced: 952 Year Fielded: 1918 L
Size: 5400px × 3600px
Location: Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Road,Wheaton, Illinois 60187
Photo credit: © Plamen Stanev / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: alamy, army, beautiful, digital, gun, harmony, image, light, m1917, matter, nice, photography, picture, plamen, space, stanev, tank, time, unique, war, weapon
