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| M1917 | |
|---|---|
 M1917 tank at theCanadian War Museum | |
| Type | Light tank |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| No. built | 950 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 7.25 tons |
| Length | 16 ft 5 in (5,000 mm) |
| Width | 5 ft 10.5 in (1,791 mm) |
| Height | 7 ft 7 in (2,310 mm) |
| Crew | 2 |
| Armor | 0.25" to 0.6" (6.35mm to 15.25mm) |
Main armament | 37mm M1916 gun orMarlin Rockwell M1917 machine gun, the latter then replaced by theM1919 Browning machine gun[1] |
| Engine | Buda HU modified 4-cylinder, with forced water cooling 42 hp (31 kW) |
| Transmission | Sliding gear, 4 speed forward, 1 reverse |
| Suspension | Coil and leaf springs, with bogies and rollers. |
| Fuel capacity | 30 US gal (110 L) (30 miles on the road) |
Operational range | 48 km (30 miles) on road. |
| Maximum speed | 8 km/h (5.5 mph) |
TheM1917 was the United States' first mass-producedtank, entering production shortly before the end ofWorld War I.[2] It was alicense-built near-copy of the FrenchRenault FT,[2][3] and was intended to arm theAmerican Expeditionary Forces in France, but American manufacturers failed to produce any in time to take part in the War. Of the 4,440 ordered, about 950 were eventually completed. They remained in service throughout the 1920s but did not take part in any combat, and were phased out during the 1930s.
The United States entered World War I on the side of theEntente Powers in April, 1917, without any tanks of its own. The following month, in the light of a report into British and French tank theories and operations, theAmerican Expeditionary Forces' commander-in-chief,Gen. John Pershing, decided that both light and heavy tanks were essential for the conduct of the war and should be acquired as soon as possible.[4] A joint Anglo-American program was set up to develop anew type of heavy tank similar to those then in use by the British. It was, though, expected that sizeable quantities would not be available until April of the following year. Because of the wartime demands on French industry, the Inter-Allied Tank Commission decided that the quickest way to supply the American forces with sufficient armor was to manufacture the Renault FT light tank in the US.
A requirement of 1,200 was decided, later increased to 4,400, and some sample Renault tanks, plans, and various parts were sent to the US for study. The design was to be carried out by the Ordnance Department, under the job title "Six-ton Special Tractor," and orders for the vehicles placed with private manufacturers. However, the project was beset by problems: the French specifications were metric and incompatible with American (imperial) machinery; coordination between military departments, suppliers, and manufacturers was poor; bureaucratic inertia, lack of cooperation from military departments, and possible vested interests delayed progress.
The Army in France was expecting the first 100 M1917s by April 1918, and 600 per month thereafter.[5] In the event, production did not begin until the autumn, and the first completed vehicles emerged only in October. Two tanks arrived in France on November 20, nine days after the end of hostilities, and a further eight in December. In the summer of 1918, with no sign of the M1917s and US troops desperately needed at the Front, France supplied 144 Renault FTs, which were used to equip theUS Light Tank Brigade.
After the war, the Van Dorn Iron Works, the Maxwell Motor Co., and the C.L. Best Co. built 950 M1917s. 374 had cannons, 526 had machine guns, and 50 were signal (wireless) tanks. These were delivered to theTank Corps, to complement about 200 Renault FTs brought back from France.
The M1917 did not take part in any combat, but was used domestically in various riots to quell mobs such as theWashington race riot of 1919 and the1920 Lexington riot.
In June 1920 the Tank Corps was abolished as a separate branch, and control of tanks handed to the infantry. The number of tank units was progressively reduced, and the vehicles mothballed or scrapped.
Five accompanied the U.S.Marine Expeditionary Force (theChina Marines) toTianjin in April 1927 under GeneralSmedley Butler, but there is no record of shots being fired. They returned to the US in late 1928.[8]
In July 1932 six M1917s were deployed in Washington D.C. during the dispersal of theBonus Army. George S. Patton Jr. states in his diaries that these vehicles were carried in trucks as a deterrent, but contemporary film shows them moving on their tracks along Pennsylvania Avenue.[9] It is not believed that any shots were fired.
In 1940 the Canadian Army bought 250 surplus examples at $240 each as scrap, as it was illegal for the United States to sell the vehicles as actual tanks since it was, at this point, a neutral country. This allowed theRoyal Canadian Armoured Corps to gain valuable experience and training before heading to Europe where they trained with more modern equipment. The Canadian Army accepted 236 pieces, fifteen of which were sent toCamp Borden for training use, while others were used for training at other locations, such asFort Garry Horse.[10]
Command & Signals: Similar to the Télégraphie Sans Fil (TSF) FT-17, these were unarmed, featured a larger, non-rotating turret, and fitted with a radio and table for maps. 50 built.[11][12]
M1917 A1: In 1919 the chassis of the 1917 was lengthened 1 foot to accommodate a more powerful, 100 hp Franklin engine, which increased the maximum road speed to 9 mph. A M1919 Browning .30 cal machine gun took the place of the M1917 Marlin. Road wheels were made of steel. Approximately 526 built.[13]
Gun Tank: Around 374 1917s were made into gun tanks by the removal of the machine gun and addition of a FrenchCanon d'Infanterie de 37 modèle 1916 TRP. 238 rounds were carried in total, with 100 round racks attached to the hull on each side of the commander's position, plus 25 round and 13 round ready racks were installed within the turret itself.[14]
Approximately 20 M1917s survive.[15]
M1917s were used by U.S. film-makers on numerous occasions as a substitute for Renault FTs, to depict either American tank actions during World War I or Renaults in use by European armies during and after the War.[16]
A M1917, stolen from the Army, is used to rob banks in the rural American west, in an episode of the 1971 television seriesBearcats!.
Tanks of theFirst World War | |
|---|---|
| Light | |
| Medium | |
| Heavy | |
| Prototypes, experimentals | |
