The Renault 1914 Armored Car model is here

After much trials, errors and multiple controversies (particularly with regard to armor), the French army had, in August 1914, eight armored cars in service (plus others on order) but not officially supplied in the tables. of war.

– a Panhard 1904 modified Genty

– two Clement-Bayard 1908

– two Clement-Bayard 1910

– three Panhard 1911
As soon as the war began, the Sordet cavalry corps was the first to use these new means of combat, by requisitioning quickly transformed civilian cars. Other cavalry corps as well as units created ad hoc during the race to the sea imitated it and the central administration, informed of the successes obtained, placed small orders with several manufacturers. It should also be noted that there was then a real psychosis concerning the mass use of machine guns by the Germans, which turned out to be false but contributed to the rapid creation of units of the same type on the French side.

It was General Gallieni, based on an idea from Captain Lesieure Desbrieres, who was responsible for creating the first groups of auto-cannons. The first experiments (in particular the Drouet battery, two cars of which were built in Le Havre and armed with 37 mm cannons), the availability of numerous 37 mm rapid-firing cannons from the Navy as well as unemployed crews who knew how to use these weapons, made that the personnel of these first groups were, after acceptance from the Ministry of the Navy, led by crews from the fleet.
Things went quickly because the idea was put forward on September 5, 1914, the decision taken on September 6, 1914. The Ministry of the Navy immediately made available to the Minister of War a hundred 37 mm cannons to be installed on vehicles after modification to the large reserve vehicle fleet in Vincennes. A single order for these models was placed with the manufacturer Peugeot. The first section of three auto-cannons with its supply car was presented to General Galliéni on September 19.
It was quickly decided to double the section of Peugeot auto-cannons (September 22) and to add two auto-machine guns to each section of three Peugeot auto-cannons in order to protect them during engagements.

As for the machine guns, the first models sent to the groups were the same ones that had been sent to the cavalry corps, that is to say touring vehicles armed with a machine gun. Unlike the auto-cannons where only one manufacturer was chosen, five manufacturers (Peugeot, Renault, Panhard, Delahaye, Delaunay-Belleville) were contacted at that time. The need for armor emerging (on October 12, a decision was made to stop the construction of « protected » vehicles in favor of « armored » vehicles), an order for 100 armored vehicles (resistant to the German S bullet) was passed to Renault, 18/20 HP model on ED chassis, making this model the first mass-produced armored car of the French army. It became the standard auto-machine gun of the groups from the creation of the 7th group on October 26, 1914.

100 units were ordered: 96 to equip the 24 groups originally planned, four per group and 4 remaining in storage in Montluçon at the large reserve vehicle park (withdrawn from Vincennes). It was built in the Lyon factories. With the reduction of the groups to 15, the distribution was modified, 60 vehicles were normally allocated to the groups created (from the 7th), 24 replaced the old models provided in the first six groups and the remaining 36 remained in reserve in Vincennes.
During the tests, the armor finally proved to be permeable to the S bullet, but for lack of anything better, the order was maintained and the armored Renault 1914 remained in service until their replacement by a more efficient model, this replacement was carried out in a very efficient by retaining the chassis with removal and reinstallation of the new armor (5.5 mm) during the day, which gave birth to the Renault model 1915 armored car. This decision was taken following a note from Captain Renaud, dated December 24, 1914 whose title is: “Conditions to be required from auto-machine guns in service” provided for bulletproof 5 mm steel sheet armor at 250 meters, a speed of 40 to 50 km/h, with a minimum of 32 km/h “to be able to escape the pursuit of galloping riders”, crossing ramps of 5 to 6% at 35 km/h, autonomy 250 km. The rear wheels must have a tire and a Ducasble tire, as it does not seem possible to use twin wheels at the front, there will only be a Ducasble tire. This tire is an improvement of the full tire, more flexible and putting less strain on the suspensions while being less vulnerable than the pneumatic tires. It actually has hollow cells but the air is not under pressure. The machine gun must be fixed on a tubular column the allocation must be 5,000 to 6,000 cartridges. Crew 4 Men.

Note that it would be necessary to wait until the groups were assigned to the Cavalry (the crews being returned to the Navy) in June 1916 for a rear driving position to be installed, this modification having been requested from the start by the crews.

The classic constitution of a group now called a mixed group of auto-machine guns and auto-cannons (GAMC) was:

– Six Peugeot auto-cannons
– Two supply Peugeots (carrying 200 liters of gasoline and 300 kg of ammunition) each
– Four Renault armored cars
– A liaison car
– All divided into two sections of 3 AC, 2 AM, 1 VR, and 1VL. This organization chart will vary during the war.

Note that the personnel of the machine guns as well as the drivers of the auto-cannons should not a priori come from the navy but from the army, which was not always the case. This also explains the variety of outfits of each crew that we see in the photos.

The auto-cannons bore the letters ZC then a number in a continuous series (Z for military government of Paris and C for cannon)
The armored cars bore the letters ZM then a number in a continuous series (Z for military government of Paris and M for machine gun).

In total, 18 groups were formed during the war, including one of 47 mm Renault auto-cannons.

Estimated length: 4.5 m
Estimated width: 1.7 m
Estimated height: 1.7m
Estimated weight: 3 t
Crew: 4
Engine: 4 cyl Renault 18/20 HP
Range: approximately 100 km
Armament: 1 St Etienne M1907 machine gun
Armor: 4 mm
Examples built: 100 (France) – 40 (Russia)

Note that 40 armored Renault 1914 armored cars identical to those of the French army were purchased by the Russians on October 20, 1914 and arrived in April 1915 in Russia in two parts, separate chassis and armor. 11 were modified according to Captain Mgebrov’s plans and 29 were reassembled and used as transport, their use on the front line being considered too risky.
Note that the Copper State Models brand will release it in plastic.