Tank Chats

In this weeks Tank Chat, Curator David Willey talks about the Renault UE Chenillette. A light tracked armoured carrier produced by France between 1932 and 1940.
SUBSCRIBE to The Tank Museum KZbin channel: ► / @thetankmuseum
Support the work of The Tank Museum on Patreon: ► / tankmuseum
Visit The Tank Museum SHOP & become a Friend: ►tankmuseumshop.org/
Press the little bell above to enable NOTIFICATIONS so you don’t miss the latest Tank Museum videos.
Follow The Tank Museum on FACEBOOK: ► / tankmuseum
Twitter: ► / tankmuseum
Instagram: ► / tankmuseum
Stay up-to-date with the latest Museum news, videos, and special offers: mailchi.mp/e6fae2ac8bee/newsl...
#tankmuseum #tanks

[@douglasparkinson4123]

i love how willey goes into the development history and service history in such depth.

[@billd.iniowa2263]

Indeed. For such a tiny thing you'd think it only worth ten minutes. But its actually a whole system for battlefield transport.

[@johndoe-so2ef]

But he can't hold a candle to David Fletcher for "no filter frankness"

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

@@johndoe-so2ef - They both bring something different to the game. Would love to hear Dr Fletcher’s view on the Chenillette.

[@TheLastSterling1304]

The Universal Carrier's French half-brother. Papa Carden-Loyd really got around.

[@ericgrace9995]

I believe (and stand to be corrected) that it was the most numerous armoured vehicle produced in WW2..

[@stephenlarson9422]

lets see, in add. to this puppy you have the tks tankette, the universal carrier, the l3 tankette(3 variants), the Type 94 tankette and Type 92 Heavy Armored Car, and the panzer 1 all taking design cues from the CLT

[@markfryer9880]

Papa was a Rolling Stone?

[@idrisddraig2]

@@ericgrace9995 2nd. Universal/Bren gun Carrier was the most numerous.

[@walt_man]

So funny thing, I'm so dog gone tired I loaded the video and thought this was the REAL description LOL! Did a double take. Man I gotta work for myself.. -_-

[@kaiserwilhelmshatner3156]

Let's see the Chieftain can fit in one. Oh bugger, the baguette tankette is on fire.

[@Xander_Zimmermann]

Nice.

[@ballagh]

In his last livestream chieftain saidhe didn’t fit in a universal carrier, he’d need to be greased for this.

[@HSS_yt]

uh oh, you might have snapped his back trying to get him in it

[@quentintin1]

i was able to try and sit in a UE once, the thing is toight, i'm a bit over 5'11" and maybe a bit wider at the shoulders than the Chieftain, and i was wedged between the side armour and the engine, i could barely fit under the head dome bare-headed only by hiking my butt forward as to sit at an angle, and even then i was hitting the top of the dome and couldn't possibly look through the vision slits if i'm going to ever sit in one in movement, it's in the bin or the trailer, maybe next year if the track day at vincy-manoeuvre still take place

[@ZGryphon]

Given how uncomfortable he'd be, it might end up being something more like, "Oh thank Christ, the Chenillette is on fire."

[@Necrovamp101]

The only thing missing from this is watching David try to squeeze into it. I'd love to see David Willey and David Fletcher crew one in the arena.

[@Calum_S]

With those domes, it reminds me of Tintin's moon rover.

[@13thdukeofwybourne69]

Agreed!, and I'm getting a "Terrahawks zeroid battletank" vibe from certain angles as well.

[@WeekendWarrior92]

this vehicle doesn't have cupolas for the crews heads, these are external helmets

[@bmcg5296]

This looks like it would be brilliant to take out for a spin like a go kart. But never would want to be in it, in a war setting. Cannot believe how ground hugging this is when David Willey is standing beside it!

[@JoeWalker98]

I dunno, between running with a wheel barrow, or on a completly unarmoured jeep, or this. I think id take this to rearm the front lines.

[@dirus3142]

On a paved track. I would not want to risk losing my teeth with that helmet dome collar "hatch".

[@bmcg5296]

@@dirus3142 On that note also @Dirus what Calibre of round would that stop, or what level of round would it take and at what range? It just looks like here you are chaps have a go at popping my head open, compared to the rest of the vehicle? So that’s to save the vehicle over the crew members it looks to me.😵🤭🥶

[@AtheistOrphan]

The Ford GT40 of AFVs!

[@ZGryphon]

@@bmcg5296 In the conscript armies of the 1930s and '40s, men were cheap and vehicles weren't, even in the Enlightened Western Democracies.

[@PitFriend1]

The Chenillette, a French vehicle that was used more by the Germans than the French. The Panther, a German tank that was used for much longer by the French.

[@imranhazim5434]

Even Germans know how to upgrade captured vehicles and make it better.

[@brittakriep2938]

@@imranhazim5434 : I am german, Brittas boyfriend. In a german magazine about military history, some years ago there was an article about the in this video notes german officer Becker. This artillry officer had a lot of technical knowledge. He noticed, that german troops needed large numbers of specialized tanks. But it was difficult, to produce such specialised tanks in ,german' factories, because this factories had much work to produce standardized german tanks. So he noticed, that in 1940s West Campaign german troops captured lots of french, belgian and dutch armored vehicles. Many of this captured vehicles did not fit for german tank doctrine, but why not converting them in the producing factories into vehicles, useable for german forces? So the officer Becker, with good technical knowledge, and being an non bureau officer had many ideas. He converted with his ,Sonderkommando Becker' captured tanks into Commanders tanks, into Artillry observers tanks, into radio tanks, into ammunition carriers, into tanks for engineers corps, into tanks for repair teams, into medics tanks, so in few words , into tanks not doing combatfighting against the enemy. Of course he also converted tanks into selfmoving artillry pieces with howitzers or antitank guns, but this tanks served mostly not in first line at the , hottest' points of combat events, they served as second line vehicles at places, where there had been not the most hard fights. Also many vehicles converted by Beckers unit had been intended for ,security forces' guarding important buildings, roads etc. against irregular fighters/partisans.

[@adrianguggisberg3656]

⁠@@imranhazim5434They didn't improve it, it was much better in terms of protection, speed and loading capacity than what the Germans had envisioned for its role: a horse. As the Germans grew ever-more-desperate, they modified them into stop gap tank destroyers and the like, and reverted to horses for the hauling.

[@ericgrace9995]

"If you see a red light- stop !" .. truly, a French designed vehicle. Thanks, an excellent review of a ubiquitous piece of kit.

[@matthayward7889]

Uploads from forgotten weapons (Featuring ‘the chieftain’ and a T-62), and the tank museum at the same time? What decision to have to make!

[@FortuneZer0]

Also ConeofArc

[@Alex-cw3rz]

Yep

[@kaiserwilhelmshatner3156]

Open 3 tabs. Problem solved.

[@RadioactiveSaddam]

This was planned

[@dem0nchild610]

I would love to own one of these. I've learned more from this channel in the past 4 years then I have the whole time I was in school

[@walt_man]

Armoury school?....

[@slartybartfarst55]

Thank you Mr. Willey. This felt really relaxed but comprehensive and took me back to the much-missed Garden Chats. :-)

[@natacus1234]

Very interesting! I've been looking into these after finding notes from my grandad who said that when in France just before the end of the war, he and a few friends found one of these and repaired it so they could get round the airfield quickly! They used it mostly because as radio operators/ fixers they were camped right at the end of the airfield making it a long walk to the main area! It was either this or a similar sort of vehicle.

[@jimbo9305]

The 20s and early 30s were definitely the adolescent years for armor. They aren't cute babies. They aren't confident adults. They are zit-covered teens.

[@babomb2146]

I think the light tank mark ii is probably the best example of this

[@tacomas9602]

@@babomb2146 I was thinking something like the M3 Lee but maybe that's still too advanced to be considered a teen LOL

[@deptusmechanikus7362]

@@tacomas9602 that 20 year-old jock that decided to stay at school instead of going to college

[@Mr.Atari2600]

France: We need smaller tanks. Also France: *Builds 10 Char 2C's*

[@catfish552]

@@babomb2146 Nah, Vickers Medium. That thing is fugly.

[@tomsmith2209]

It's Friday and I've got a 23min Tank Chat. Game on.

[@KMac329]

Fascinating. Thank you, Mr. Wiley, and the Tank Museum, for this exposition on this very interesting vehicle I'd never heard of before. One explanation for the request by the U.S. Army, in the late 1930s, for the jeep was that they were looking for a motorized replacement for the horse, not for the infantry, but for cross-terrain travel, supply, and general (Jeep=GP=general purpose) getting about. It seems to me that the Chenillette served a similar function for the French army, ie, a replacement for the horse, especially in its role of towing weaponry and resupply or combat troops.

[@milesfinch]

Miss you sat at the car boot sale telling us about tanks and selling your goods. Bring back the garden chats. ;-)

[@Alex-cw3rz]

If this is what I was given *during the war* (said in uncle alberts voice of course), as soon as the light communication system was explained to me, I'd have realised we were going to lose.

[@quentintin1]

with the engine in the crew space a voice tube wouldn't have worked, and they were still a few years from developing vehicular interphones in reality the light system is quite effective and simple, you got one light for each basic order (fw, left , right and stop), 2 combinations for dropping load and 2 flickers for special orders (slow and reverse) the light box is right next to the drivers head so he's going to see them when they light up also keep in mind this vehicle only jobs was to tow the heavy weapons and bring forward ammunition

[@madbro4803]

They need to take voip out of games and implement this system.

[@ThePsiclone]

Imagine the "twang" if that cover gets hit...right next to your ears :O

[@ironwolfF1]

Inside the vehicle you'd hear (sorta) the French equivalent of "RUN AWAY!!!" 😏

[@filmaelculdetomare]

Very detailed as usual. I'm not a tank enthusiast but I like these explanations because they define the product development logic... which can be applied elsewhere!

[@trespire]

What a fascinating story. Thank you for uploading and sharing a history I would never have known otherwise.

[@ptonpc]

I do prefer the David Wiley as presenter. He gives the history of the vehicles and why they were used.

[@peterparsons7141]

Fabulous vidjoe bringing the museum to my computer. Excellent information presentation, which doesn’t replace my enthusiasm for visiting your museum. These short films are for people interested in battle history and how much great things are there to discover! Well done !

[@johnfrench1239]

Excellent detailed content and a good length - thank you as ever

[@randyhavard6084]

Glad to see you guys back at the museum. Thanks for the great information.

[@parrot849]

Very informative video, thank you. I just built a 1/35 scale model of the same basic vehicle. The kit was designed and manufactured by Mirage Hobby Ltd. Interestingly, they marketed the vehicle as the German captured “Renault UE Scout Tankette” and it packaged and box-displayed as a German Army vehicle. It is reconfigured with two forward facing MG 34 machine guns both in their own separate armored super-structured compartments. I think the “Scout Tankette” label is just a name given to the model by Mirage Hobby Ltd. and was never a proper descriptor. According to Hillary Doyle and Peter Chamberlain’s Encyclopedia of German Tank of World War Two Revised Edition 1993, the German Army referred to the captured Renault UE as “Infanterie Schlepper UE 630(f)”; basically tracked infantry carrier UE 630 (french). The Mirage Hobby scale model does very much physically match, spot-on, to the captured vehicles in the B&W photographs of the WW2 modifications the Germans did make to the captured Renault UE’s and conversions into machine gun [Tankettes?] for lack of a better term even though they’re still officially referred to as armored infantry carriers. They certainly look like tankettes after the German alterations. Just a tidbit of modeling info for you. This is actually a very historically interesting little unassuming military vehicle.

[@chefchaudard3580]

A side note about Renault numbering system. Every Renault project was given letters, starting with A. A letter was added when the end of the serie was reached. So WW1 tank was FT, chenillette was UE, for example, as explained here. The particularity is that all projects, successful or not, whatever they were, were numbered that way. That included civil cars, trucks, tractors and rail cars Renault manufactured. Meaning that, for example, GP was a tractor, YS another chenillette, ABH a truck, ABJ was a railcar, AGK another truck...

[@coreymerrill3257]

I want one! That's perfect and small enough for the cedar swamps In My area . What a great channel .

[@dointh4198]

With all these goofy captured vehicles the Wehrmacht must have looked like a steampunk-circus.

[@BDNeon]

Just imagine what a stressful job being the guy in charge of procuring spare parts for the division must have been. "You need HOW MANY different types of spark plugs?! And where the hell do you expect me to find a spare radiator for a Czech LT-34?"

[@Alex-cw3rz]

I wouldn't say goofy, it's kind of cute

[@bezahltersystemtroll5055]

I wouldn't say goofy, it's kind of cool

[@billd.iniowa2263]

I've said it before, the toughest job on the logistics side of the war was a German quartermaster. Supplying all those different vehicles and weapons must have been a true nightmare.

[@dointh4198]

@@bezahltersystemtroll5055 Yes it is... but these bulges look like the eyes of a frog... and you know what these frenchmen love to eat... ... I'd rather stay with 'goofy' ;)

[@Jon6429]

Cool, it's like an early version of the Terrahawks Zeroid Battletank :)

[@gavindenton6821]

Im first wow. Like the finnish T26 and the SU 76 in the background. The chenillette is an interesting vehicle seen a few of these popping up on the internet recently.

[@RadioactiveSaddam]

I noticed the captured T26 too, i wanna see a clip of that thing too.

[@AFV85]

Can't wait to get back down in September! I was there a couple of weeks ago it was a fantastic day!

[@israelforreal]

Great video. Much appreciated

[@rosied6351]

Just seen footage of Tiger Day 15, how great it looks. I wish I could have been there💖

[@andynixon2820]

Anyone else thinking - R2D2 sitting in an X wing fighter ? .

[@theblackprince1346]

"This is baguette-5 I'm going in"

[@jfu5222]

I think it gives off an armored double-bubble batmobile kind of vibe.

[@PpAirO5]

Love this vehicle. So cool.

[@travisyelland42]

Love all these videos and got my books from the tank museum including the collectors book of the english translation for german tank crews as well as a couple others!

[@HereticalKitsune]

That clunky double cockpit reminds me a bit of the German FUG, a field forklift vehicle. That has two seperated cockpits as well and was the most nauseating vehicle I've ever been in. No suspension but tire pressure on bumpy roads, it was baaaaad.

[@ZGryphon]

It reminds me of the 1959 GM Firebird III. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_Firebird#/media/File:FirebirdIII.jpg

[@gto1066]

A side comment, it's brilliant to see the museum has been given a Warrior II for its collection. Can't wait to see it.

[@alexhanson3562]

Literally saw this bloke Wednesday when I went to the museum 😂

[@keab42]

Thank you for going into detail on this. What a fascinating vehicle.

[@Surv1ve_Thrive]

Really great content as usual. Thank you once again. 👍🇬🇧 It looks like only around one in ten views presses the 'like' button to show appreciation. Come on, you can do better viewers. Excellent free entertainment, least you can do.

[@dylanmilne6683]

Wow 22 whole minutes for such a small vehicle. Excellent.

[@allanpowell7208]

Another informative and engaging video on a French piece of kit which all who were forced to drive must have heartily cursed.

[@billd.iniowa2263]

Thankyou so much David. If you hadnt presented this to us I never would have heard about it. And such a thorough going over too. The signal light system is quite interesting. Must have been seen as very modern. And you can dump the supplies from right inside?! Very cutting edge tech for the time!

[@joesanchez9052]

Thanks mate

[@b.elzebub9252]

I feel this is one of those vehicles you don't get in. You strap it on.

[@waytosacramento3843]

The Triumph Spitfire of tanks! 😍

[@ZGryphon]

*Fig. C* Sontaran two-man scout vehicle, captured by UNIT in London during the 2009 invasion.

[@comentedonakeyboard]

UE pulling UK Abreviations can be confusing

[@AudieHolland]

Huey pulling the UK

[@hobbyhermit66]

Love to own one to drive around my place. Really kool.

[@gerhardris]

The British hit the mark with the universal carrier. Way more practicle with the same pedegree. 13:11

[@Zakalwe-01]

What an utterly alien approach to crew ergonomics. The human user seems to be the last element taken into account. 😶

[@mightymediocre3352]

"But Monsieur Renault, humans have heads!!" Slaps some pots on top of it.

[@stuthhamster]

Hopefully you guys can get a Automitrailleuse de Reconnaissance AMR 35 ZT3 or SAu40 in, would be pretty cool to see those in the museum

[@paulroberts3639]

I want one. Great for shopping.

[@lairdcummings9092]

A surprisingly capable and flexible little runabout.

[@earlyriser8998]

this is an excellent description of a vehicle I didn't know existed

[@tonyjedioftheforest1364]

Brilliant video thank you for sharing.

[@walt_man]

Man the Germans were so inventive with EVEN this little *captured* not-tankette. I like that stand up conversion with the tall machine gun mount.

[@JamesLaserpimpWalsh]

They look well naughty. Those skull protectors lol. Naughty AND lethal......to the operators no doubt. Cheers for the upload

[@gillesjacques1022]

Interesting little vehicle.

[@wiggernigeria5983]

Many thanks to the tank museum . Yet again the most produced armoured vehicle is the one with the least cost . Government purse strings , they'd rather see 6 of these than one char b1on parade and of course little ones score high in the numbers game.

[@pistonar]

Mount a rack with small katyushas on the tankette, with reloads in the trailer. Mobile quick displacing arty support. If only you could send a letter to the past...And then I see the picture of the Minenwerfer launcher on the back as used by the Germans. Nice.

[@theblackprince1346]

3:14 King George V and Queen Mary second and third from right respectively.

[@CabbageFace_]

Really enjoyed this. The Crepe Tank?

[@ciuyr2510]

support vehicles are always overlooked kind of like the US trucks that revitalized Russia in 1942

[@howardchambers9679]

And support units like the RASC. Without logistics the front line is going nowhere

[@slartybartfarst55]

Of course, ask the Russians now if they used any foreign vehicles, and apparently they won WW2 completely on their own with their own Russian made equipment.

[@dlifedt]

You mean 1944. Watch TIK’s lend lease and logistics videos for more on this.

[@Kyle-gw6qp]

Yeah, those trucks were important. But some people over state their importance.

[@Necrovamp101]

@@slartybartfarst55 The Russian Army museum has a small exhibition on foreign aid during WW2.

[@danielwang2956]

How to get a perm while losing to the Germans at the same time

[@Surv1ve_Thrive]

@12:20 hauptmann Paul Daniels on the right? Das ist magik!

[@stanislavczebinski994]

Finally, I know where the designers of the "Wiesel"(weazle) - a superlight agile paratrooper tank got their inspiration from... Greetings from Germany!!

[@ihtfp01]

The Wiesel's granddaddy is a Vickers Mk. VI light tank. The lines are unmistakable.

[@stanislavczebinski994]

@@ihtfp01 Maybe. A lot of arms technology of the early Bundeswehr origins in WW2. Maybe the engineers knew that particular British tank - but they definitly knew this old German design. The track system goes back to WWI, the hull is basically a box with a sloped front. None of those light tanks where created to look good, but for functionality. Leopard I tank was also engineered based on old plans. Do you know the NVA Helmets of GDR? Although they look a bit odd, they work very well against 7.62 Nato due to their sloped design. Bullets tend to bounce off. Way better than our US type helmets here in West Germany. Same trick as sloped armour on a tank or vehicle. That helmet was designed by the Nazi regime.

[@michaelmulligan0]

And in contemporary operations, something similar (including UGVs) is being looked at for British light infantry

[@Brave_Sir_Robin]

Interesting!

[@jeffussery4884]

That little thing looks like it would be a ball to drive around the farm.

[@rickblackwell6435]

Cutest WWII vehicle. Tamiya's model is very sweet.

[@burningb2439]

Bet that thing would sport parts for my Renault Scenic's suspension..

[@dirus3142]

This looks like it could inspire a sci fi toy in the late 60s through 70s.

[@AtheistOrphan]

The only AFV crewed by two Sontarans.

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

Is that camo scheme authentic? Looks like black sprayed over Khaki. Not seen any other early French vehicles using those colours.

[@HJDore]

What is that wheeled vehicle behind the tankette in the background? It’s the exact same vehicle as seen in the photo of the challenger PIP autoloader.

[@forcea1454]

Ferret Mk 5.

[@criggie]

Wonder if a speaking tube between the two cupolas would have made (shouted) communication possible. Cheaper than lights and wiring too.

[@garnix5612]

I want one for my shopping tours!

[@guypierson5754]

By the end of WW2 a Wehrmacht Quatermaster's Spare parts bin must have looked REALLY funky.

[@babalonkie]

When Humans finally replace or try to replace Horse and Cart on battlefield terrain.

[@blainedavisenergonentertai6050]

Anyone know what the green tank in the background is with the swastika on the turret is? Any videos or tank museum chat on that specific vehicle?

[@frostedbutts4340]

Captured Russian T26

[@nickhill1944]

I would love to work at the museum

[@RadioactiveSaddam]

I wanna see a clip about the tanks that Finland captured. Like the T26 in the bakground in this clip...

[@andrewbellavie795]

If I recall correctly, its in one of the earlier tank chats

[@markrowland1366]

Italy began with Carden Lloyd and developed it in another direction. Therefore the T34, might not have been the more numerous.

[@stevebotham2018]

I can just imagine this thing hauling a Howitzer or an 88 with that engine it would have taken a week to get across town 30KPH max speed only if unloaded & a good tail wind

[@Panzer4F2]

I saw a picture of one that was found by Canadian forces in Italy in 1944

[@thenorthernlegionnaire1848]

Genuinely curious - what's that wheeled vehicle behind David? Looks jolly intriguing!

[@AtheistOrphan]

The front has definitely got the look of the British Fox armoured car about it.

[@christhorpejunction8982]

Could be Fox Milan, there was at least one physical prototype. I played with the demonstration scale model of one when I was about 10 in the late 70s, as a neighbours father was an engineer at ROF Barnbow and on one occasion he brought home the demo models for Fox Milan, Fox Scout, Panga and something else.

[@kellybreen5526]

I think this is an example of being too specialised, which is probably worse than trying to be a jack of all trades. It looks like in the end it did end up being a tankette anyway. Very interesting episode. Considering it's ubiquity it should be better known.

[@Stripedbottom]

Hey wait, isn't this the first time I see a tracked _trailer_ anywhere?

[@davejones2541]

I don’t know, strap 2 or 3 panzerfausts on each side, you’d have a hard to hit little AT vehicle. Probably a one way trip…

[@aronjunefajardo7326]

Seeing this I think small armored vehicles might make a comeback since insurgent warfare is really showing the limits and impracticality of conventionally sized AFVs/MBTs use in today's urban battlefields

[@lgbtqisahategroup9781]

Imagine a panzer aiming at one one of those domes… where your head goes… OOF.

[@rmod42]

The old button and light system eh? Who knew these would still be in use in the 23rd century to help those exposed to delta particle radiation...

[@paulwilkins2614]

Captain Pike

[@omalley854]

Could you do a chat about the t-26

[@davidsummer8631]

Out of the choice of this and a half track type vehicle I think they made the best choice with this robust little vehicle

[@Ben1159a]

Oh, a new tank chat!!

[@bryanmower2703]

Very accommodating of the French to supply so many machines to the Wehrmacht

[@patrickHayes-bq1ry]

brits left over 1000 universal carriers behind as well

[@hydorah]

David there, with his tan and snowy looking beard, is just starting to look a bit of a Tank Santa

[@xxANTIFA]

Or as he is known in Germany: Santa Maus