WI the French Army had 600 Renault G1 R Tank in April 1940

[Ward]

Wi if the French Army had used and Built the Renault G1 R tank against the Germans in the battle of France . And the DLM had them for there tanks .
How far would the Germans of been able to get into France .


to see the Renault G1 R Tank go to http:france1940free.fr/armee/otdb1.html

 

[Knight Of Armenia]

Just as far as they went OTL.

As I explained in the Rainy May thread, quantity (or even quality!) doesn't matter to the Allies at this point; they simply don't use what they do have the way they should use it. If France had gotten 600 more tanks (albeit very good tanks for the time), they would still have pathetically parcelled them out to the millions-strong army (several to a division). These would still be swarmed by dozens of German tanks, as well as Stukas. A divebomber could easily knock out a Renault.

The only way for France to survive is either a spectacular German mistake (such as obliging France in fighting WWI all over again) or a 180 degree shift in French military thought.

 

[Redbeard]

Just as far as they went OTL.

As I explained in the Rainy May thread, quantity (or even quality!) doesn't matter to the Allies at this point; they simply don't use what they do have the way they should use it. If France had gotten 600 more tanks (albeit very good tanks for the time), they would still have pathetically parcelled them out to the millions-strong army (several to a division). These would still be swarmed by dozens of German tanks, as well as Stukas. A divebomber could easily knock out a Renault.

The only way for France to survive is either a spectacular German mistake (such as obliging France in fighting WWI all over again) or a 180 degree shift in French military thought.

I still don't agree quite with you KoA. Not that I think that material deficiency was the problem of France, but the 1940 campaign was a much more narrow run thing than is usually anticipated. In such a context meeting a clearly superior tank could be what has the Germans hesitate for a moment. Momentum was the key element of the German offensive as it effectively short circiuted the French decision system, but if that momentum is lost, perhaps just for a few hours, the French system is allowed to establish its cohesion, and then the war will be fought on French terms - in ways their doctrine and training was perfected for.

But if looking for PoD's to have the French win in 1940 I can think of a lot of others and more plausible.

Regards

Steffen Redbeard

 

[Kurt_Steiner]

The question wasn't the numbers or the quality of the French tanks, but the oldfashioned tactics of the French HQ. The more French tanks they used, the more tanks the Germans would had captured later on. Perhaps the 1940 campaing would have lasted a bit more, but I doubt that more tanks would have helped the French army at all. Best tactics, yes, more tanks, not at all.

 

[MerryPrankster]

In my WWI/WWII class, we've discussed French tank doctrine in early WWII. To say the least, it bit royally. However...

De Gaulle made some attacks on the German flanks that had some success. If De Gaulle has these better tanks, might his flank attacks succeed in cutting off the armored head of the Blitzkrieg from the infantry (who mostly walked--German mechanization of infantry was awful) and really thrown the Germans for a loop?