US Model 1917 Light Tank

By Crusader1307

Developed in the last waning months of World War I, The US Model 1917 Light Tank was a copy of The French Renault Tank of the time. Designed to assist the American Expeditionary Forces upon their arrival overseas, only 950 were actually delivered (of the 4,000 ordered). Actual delivery of the Armored Vehicle was 9 days AFTER the end of the War!. Still incorporated in The US inventory, The Model 1917 was indeed “light”. Weighing in at 9 tons, it was 17 feet long by 6 feet wide.

The vehicle's internal compartment was 7 feet high. Designed to crew only 2 (a Driver and a Gunner), the idea was to filed many of these attack vehicles on the battlefield. Only armored with half and inch of iron plating, obvious problems existed with artillery fire. Still, incorporating a 4-cylinder forced water cooled system for propulsion, The Model 1917 also featured variable gears (4 forward and 1 rearward). It was capable of 8 miles per hour and could hold 30 gallons of fuel. It was be a standard in many Army National Guard Units as well as some State Police Agencies (maintain for time of riot and civil unrest) – well into the 1930s.