#char d1

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French D1's on maneuvers in Champagne, 1935

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The Ugly Bastard’s Glory: Char D1 vs Panzer IV at the Kasserine Pass

The Panzer IV by the time of the fighting in North Africa had gone through much refinement by the Germans, transitioning from an infantry support vehicle to the prime tank killer of the German army.

The Char D1 on the other hand has always been swept under the rug in the history of French tanks. Overshadowed by its immediate replacement, the Char D2, and even at the time of its introduction it was barely an adequate tank.

But as fate would have it, in February 1943 during the Battle of Kasserine Pass, a Char D1 fighting with the Free French Brigade Légère Méchanique managed to destroy a Panzer IV tank. How this was done is not clear, as the two tanks were separated by over a decade of tank development. The 47mm SA34 of the D1 was being phased out even during the Battle of France in 1940, so it is likely that the glorified Renault FT had gotten a clear shot at the side or rear of the Panzer from a close range.

With that being said, it must have been quite the embarrassment to have your crown jewel of blitzkrieg be knocked out by what looks like a Somua S35 that had fallen into a vat of acid.

[dieselfutures]

Renault Char D1

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Char D1 was an Interwar French light tank. The French plan of 1926, calling for the creation of a Light Infantry Support Tank.

[charsdefrance]

The Renault SK, an early attempt by the French army to develop a true armored car, based on General Estienne’s idea of a char á roues. The vehicle had 12mm armor max and appears to borrow the turret of the Char D1 and early Char B1 prototypes. It was built in 1928 and tested up to 1931 but deemed unsatisfactory.

It should also be noted that the name Renault SK is most likely the production designation code, as Renault had used throughout the interwar years, most famously with the Renault FT

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Char D1

[redarmyscreaming]

Char D1

[taintedchar-blog]

Death Comes Fast For Those Who Earn It || One Shot

Location: Somewhere. Anywhere. No Where.

Date: There is no date here.

Feeling: Weightless

Dear Diary,

As of right now you are just part of my imagination. I can almost feel the pen in my hand. You are here resting right on my lap. Enough of the small talk. Let's get to it.

I am safe now.

All my life I had been running away from death. That is until the moment I volunteered. In the back of my mind I knew that the only way I would ever escape from him would be by death. Funny how most people volunteer to be in The Hunger Games for other people or to prove something or because they are forced to. In part I did it for someone else. But mostly I did it so I wouldn't have to feel the torture from Lucas. The pain of having him use me over and over again. It was only a matter of time before he killed me. Volunteering so I wouldn't die by my fathers hand. To finally be able to live a life without having to deal with the fact that he can have me whenever he wants. Here I got to experience many things for the first time. I received love from Axel. A taste of the Capitol parties. Genuine happiness with my peers. We were training to kill each other but we grew attached. I felt what it was like to flip that switch and turn on your friends. How it was to like two people at once. Knowing someone is proud of me for something I've done. For those few days I was not a whore or a broken doll. I was Charlotte Dumont,District One Tribute,Char,Bunny,and Damsel. 

In this time I grew attached to a few people. 

Axel (My Knight)- I knew he was important since the moment he came to save me from that man. Axel gave me a new life and home. I learned what it meant to like someone. How it felt to be liked back and cared for. I felt lust for a man for the first official time. I had my first kiss with a guy I liked. Everything with him was new. Though it felt like it went downhill when he said I love you.

Dexter (Mr.Pinky)- Never in my life did I expect us to be friends. We had dominant fathers in common. I had the opportunity to bring a smile to the face of an otherwise stoic man. We shared laughs. That food fight was one of the best moments of my life. Then there's the secret that I even kept from myself. I liked Dexter. More than I liked Axel. But things between Dex and I would never work out. I know now that had I met Dex before I met Axel I would have experienced more than just that like feeling. There was something different with Dex. It was effortless and fun and deadly serious all at the same time. That awkward smile made me laugh and feel elated! Every conversation we had,every laugh,and every touch we shared I can't even describe how it felt. I loved having him in my life for that short while. My Mr.Pinky.

There were more people like Chase,Namika,and Damien. Then there were the others that I liked but never got the chance to get to know more like Adelaide,Morocco,Brefina,Samson,Lavender,Aoife,and Avia.

In the end I lived a total of three lives. The one I was born into full of pain. The one that Axel gave me full of new beginnings and hope. Then the one that I volunteered for full of happiness,friendship,self discovery,but with a touch of disaster. It ended in my death but it granted me freedom. That's all I could ever ask for.