Char D1 Walk-Around
Design-wise, the Char D1 was conventional, even by today's standards. The engine was held at the rear of the hull with the crew compartment amidships and to the front (including the turret). The vehicle was manned by a crew of three personnel in a rather cramped setup. Power was delivered by way of a single Renault4-cylinder gasoline engine of 74 horsepower. Top speed was 12 miles per hour while range maxed out at 57 miles. Primary armament revolved around the SA34 47mm "Short" main gun mounted in a high-profile traversing turret. A pair of mle 1931 7.5mm machine guns served as anti-infantry defense, one fitted co-axially in the turret with the main gun and the other operated by the driver in a bow-mounted position. The Char D1 was developed at a time when tanks were still sporting a rather tallish profile and the D1 proved no exception, fitting her rounded turret atop a superstructure which, itself, was mounted atop the hull. A set of tracks straddled either side of the hull, uncovered across the top and partially hidden along the sides by armor skirts. Road wheels were fitted as pairs and suspension for these was by way of vertical springs. Vision ports were found along the superstructure and turret facings but vision proved less-than-stellar. Of note were three rectangular hinged access hatches along the glacis plate.
Intentions Unfulfilled
Despite her intended design as an infantry support vehicle, the Char D1 would never serve as such. Instead, she would be fielded as a fighting tank based on the developing situation and her modern qualities. Ongoing rearmament from neighboring Germany and the looming war clouds over all of Europe forced the Char D1 to operate as a frontline unit. Early production models left much to be desired when officially operated by army personnel and some were returned to the factory for desperate repairs - the Char D1 did little to endear itself to her crews.
By their peak usage, it was already decided to send the problematic Char D1's to French-held interests outside of the mainland. By 1937, they were in operation with French colonial forces in North Africa. By the May 1940 "Battle for France", some 43 Char D1s were recalled back to the mainland for the patriotic fight - Char D1s arrived in France by June of that year and formed up with the intended French defense. Of all the Char D1s placed into combat action during the ensuing battle, more than half were destroyed by the Germans and an additional 18 were captured. Captured Char D1s were placed back into service against their owners under the new German designation of Panzerkampfwagen 732(f). their combat role under the German banner is unclear.
Curtain Call
Char D1s remaining in North Africa saw action following the events of Operation Torch. Operation Torch was the first major offensive invasion by the Allies and proved the first real baptism of fire for the Americans. Liberated French Char D1s were placed into the "Brigade Legere Mecanique" for the duration of their tenure until replaced by the improved Valentine infantry tank of British origin. Char D1 crews were credited with the destruction of at least one Panzer IV during the fighting at Kasserine Pass. Beyond this record, the combat legacy of the Char D1 was rather limited - perhaps for the better.
The Char D2
The Char D2 was already on the drawing boards by the time the Char D1 was ramping up. Prototypes were soon made available - these also with the FT-17 turret - but final production forms sported the APX-1 turret with heavier armor throughout. Armament remained the SA34 main gun with a pair of 7.5mm machine guns. Later models were known to be fitted with a "long" main gun version designated as the SA35. Externally, the Char D2 fielded a much-more modern design featuring a good blend of sharp angles and contoured curves. A large antenna stem protruded from the rear right corner of the superstructure. The glacis plate was more vertical than on the D1 and the driver's vision port could easily be identified. Mudguards now covered the track top facing. Only 100 of these tanks were ever produced.
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