Renault FT Hotchkiss vz.1914 in Czechoslovak service - "Machine gun Terry"

DrunkenLamp · August 31, 2026, 9:12pm

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LT Renault FT Hotchkiss vz.1914 in Czechoslovak service

History

The Renault FT is tank that was introduced in the Great War, with it being the first tank with fully rotatable turret and being able to be equipped with either machine gun or cannon. During and after the great war, this tank saw success in export, being exported to many nations such as Afganistan, Poland, United States and many more nations, among these was Czechoslovakia.

After the end of the great war, the new nation of Czechoslovakia immidietly started looking for tanks, with the first talks between France and Czechoslovakia being started in 1919 for the purchase, these talks were unsuccesful. Later in 1921 Czechoslovak representatives finally made a breaktrough with the French and purchased single Renault FT with puteaux SA-18, this tank was delivered in 1922. This tank served primarily for familiarization with this new technology. In 1923 Czechoslovakia ordered more Renault FT tanks for the training of new crew members. Among these orders was single Renault TSF which does not have any arnament and has a radio station inside.

The second Renault FT that was delivered to Czechoslovakia kept it’s 8mm Hotchkiss Mle.1914 machine gun, this arnament was kept in Czechoslovak Army until 1935 where it was cannibalized for parts to repair the remaining few functional Renault FTs.

In Czechoslovakia the machine gun was not that common, it was primarily used by Czechoslovak Legion in France and Russia. Czechoslovak Republic only had around 1,000 units of these, being used until 1939, where these machine guns were captured by German Army and renamed to MG 257(f).

In Czechoslovakia, Renault FT was known as “Lehký Tank Renault FT” (Light Tank Renault FT). These tanks served in Czechoslovak service till 1938, first tank being used for parts in 1933. Czechoslovakia sought no purpose in these tanks in-case of war broke out, due to their age and bad arnament.

During May Uprising in 1945 in Czechoslovakia, Czech resistence saw themselves facing the old tank, with it being used by German forces. Most likely being one of the few that survived Czechoslovak service just to enter the German one.

Characteristics

Armament

8mm Hotchkiss vz.1914
- -10° degrees of depresion, +18° degrees of elevation
- Firerate: 400-650 rounds/minute
  
  Spoiler
  
  8x50mmR balle D
  8x50mmR baalle D am
  8x50mmR balle M
  - Ammunition count: 4500 rounds