NUMBER 10 Chenillette Lorraine Ua olin? Pe PROFILESpoils of war. At the Libera ion a. ‘French " Railways Resistance Group captured «a German armoured train and towed it"inio the Gare St Lacare, Paris, as @ trophy The 122 mm. gun, captured in its turn by she Germans. on the" Basiorn Front and mounted hy them on a French Chenitlete Lorraine, was lashed t0 a railway wagon a+ part of the armament of this formidahte tain, (Photo: E. C Touzin & Christian Gurtner Traystated from she French by Stevenson Pugh Chenillette Lorraine AN unforgettable film, made in Franee shortly after the end of the Second World War as a tribute to the war record of the personnel of the Société des Che- mins de Fer (French Railways), entitled La Bataille du Rail, was filmed in an atmosphere of complete realism which could hardly be recreated today. For some memorable sequences, depicting attacks on German convoys, the producers were able to put to use an authentic German armoured train which had been captured by the Ist French Army, aided by railway workers, on 8th September 1944 in the station of St. Berain in Burgundy. This train had been ordered to protect no less than 12 German convoys but, such was the opposition mounted by this time against all German railway movements that it had left Mont- chanin, only 12-km. away, three days earlier intending to replenish with water at St. Berain, When it event= ually arrived, the railway workers were on strike, the water reservoir had been emptied and it was immobi: lised and captured. This armoured train was a power ful and unique ensemble. In addition to the normal defensive armament it included two special wagons, each equipped to carry an assault tank lashed down and mounted to operate as mobile firepoints. One of these weapons in particular attracted much attention when the train was eventually exhibited as a trophy of the Liberation in the Gare St. Lazare at Paris. It was a tracked, SP gun of which nothing had been known previously and it remains the only recorded one of its type. The gun was of such weight and dimensions that it seemed to crush the light chassis on which it was mounted. The curious French, clambering over this erstwhile enemy weapon, found stamped on the metal chassis their symbol of Liberation, the Cross of Lorraine. OF course it was immediately evident to a surviving members of the French pre-war military establishment that the basic vehicle was their own Chenillette® Lorraine, Type 37L, manufactured by a French company, the Société Lorraine before the War and upon which the Germans were known to have mounted various types of armoured SP guns In this Profile we are attempting to retrace. the history of the Chenillette Lorraine which has remained 4 comparatively unnoticed armoured vehicle despite its_many significant roles and its considerable im- Portanee and reputation (often under German dis- Buises} in the history of armoured wart ORIGINS The Société Lorraine was founded at Lunéville in Lorraine in 1880 by the Dietrich family of indus- trialists who wished to found a factory on French territory to introduce their products to the French market because the original industries built up by the family since the 17th century were at that moment absorbed in German territory. The new French company was named Ets. de Dietrich & Cie de Luné: ville and rapidly grew in size and importance, In 1905 the family withdrew and it was renamed Société Lorraine. From this date the company adopted the Cross of Lorraine as its trademark. By the end of the First World War it had gained a leading place in French industry and, in 1919, took over the factory of Bagnéres de Bigorre owned by the Société Late- coere. Its specialty was the production of railway rolling stock and materials, When this business was badly hit by the economic crisis of 1930 it was decided to diversify into the production of armoured vehicles for the Army. It was in this way that the original Chenillette Lorraine was conceived in 1935,May 1940—civilians and froops line a village street in Northern France as Chenill cette Lorraine supply vehicles of the French 3rd Army move tn to meet the German onslaught (Photo: E. C. Armées) THE CHENILLETTE REQUIREMENT ‘The Chenillette Lorraine formed part of a military production programme ordered to replace the Renauit, 1931 Type UE light tracked infantry transport vehicle, ‘The requirement for the new vehicles was set in the context of the expanding mechanisation programme which envisaged light, tracked armoured vehicles operating in logistic and support rales. The develop- ment of the mechanisation programme was pointing aii Left: The original Chenillette Lorraine ammunition tender refuelling battle tanks. Lett: The Cross of Lorraine stamped in the metal on either side of che differential housing of this 1940 model remained as an iran’ symbol of the vehicle’ origin in all German conversions. (Photo. E. C. Armces) uced shortly before the fail of Prance tn 1940. 1937, a need particularly for more powerful and versatile machines. The Chenillette Lorraine Type 37L_met these requirements extremely well, The power plant, a 70 b.h.p. Delahaye Type 135, was a considerable improvement on its predecessors, The basic, elongated vehicle chassis, suspended on three bogies each side gave better traction and the transport capacity was increased. It was decided to equip the Armoured Divisions (Divisions Cuirassées) then in formation Right: Chenifleste Lorraine ammunition tender with tr (Photos: E: irmées) Right: Chenifleite APC, This version was pro (Photo: CotR. J. Tek)with the new Chenillettes. Several versions and réles were envisaged: Supply and ammunition vehicles with a tracked trailer in the same réle, Supply and ammunition vehicles with a tracked petrol tanker trailer for fuelling battle tanks. Armoured personnel carriers for light infantry with a tracked trailer specially constructed for the same APC role. Only the first two versions in fact went into major series production. Prototype construction and series production was undertaken by the Company's original factory at Lunéville. The first trials were made with a shortened version of the Chenillette Lorraine— the Chenillette Légére—in which the suspension was carried by only two bogies on each side. The silhouette of this machine was closely similar to the Renault, 1931 Type UB. The first order for 214 production vehicles was sanctioned by the Army Council on 17th October 1936 and the contract was finally signed on 3rd May 1937. The first production Chenillette Lorraine was delivered a few months later and vehicles began to equip service units towards the end of 1937. In 1939, facing the imminent outbreak of war and because the factory was dangerously close to the German frontier, it was decided to transfer military production to Bagnéres de Bigorre where it would be less exposed This establishment had in fact been closed since 1936 for lack of orders. The Company installed a forge, new machine shops and at the same time set about putting the old workshops back into use. However, the com- pleted plant did not finally come into production until the second half of 1940 and, meanwhile, events, in France had moved more quickly. The Chenillettes constructed at Lunéville—which by May 1940 totalled 387—played their part in the battle of France with the armoured divisions. Nevertheless, the Germans re- covered many intact both on the’ battlefields and in French military bases. Little or nothing is recorded of operations with the Chenillette Lorraine in 1940. This is explained, of course, largely because their role, although vital, was modest and secondary, being to supply and support the spearhead armoured units which bore the brunt of the battle, CHENILLETTE LORRAINE DESCRIBED The Chenillette Lorraine, in its basic supply and ammunition carrier role, was of simple construction. The vehicle consisted basically of a shallow, rect angular, armoured box divided into three sections from front to rear. The centre section was the larger and was wholly occupied by the engine compartment The front section was occupied by the transmission and two crew positions set on either side of the main gearbox. The differential housing was carried right forward and projected partly outside the front of the hull. Tt was protected by a steel housing reinforced with cast armour plate. On a number of later pro- duction models, because of a tendency for the com- bined differential, track steering and braking mechan- ism to overheat, the original smooth and rounded housing was replaced by a new casing with vertical fins in cast steel to increase the surface area and allow improved cooling. This basic layout of the Chenillette ensured that the rear compartment of the vehicle was left unencumbered so that its full dimensions could be employed as an armoured pannier for carrying supplies including, especially, vulnerable cases of ammunition 4 Chenillete Légere. This light, shortened version with only two bogies on each side was produced as an infaniry supply vehicle (Photo: EC. Armées) Krupp's 1917 vintage 15 om. heaxy field howitzer (SPH 13)1) wea the firet German adaprasion of the Chenillette Lorraine Photo: Imperial War Museum) to forward battle areas. A heavy towing hook for the trailer was mounted on the rear hull plate. The basic chassis running gear was of equally rugged and simple design. The track drive was effected, by forward mounted sprocket wheels of 19] in. diameter and the tracks were tensioned at the rear by large idler wheels of 15} in. diameter. The sus- pension was carried by three bogies on each side each with two 17 in, road wheels which tilted freely for and, aft pivotted on the vertical suspension arm whieh, in, turn, was mounted on horizontal leaf springs. The vertical arm also included an easily accessible shock absorber unit, The top track run was supported by four return rollers situated at the outer ends or hull mounting points of the leaf springs. Several minor external differences were noticeable among the production models of the Chenillette Lorraine. The armoured exhaust pipe casing mounted immediately above the track run was slotted along its, whole length in some vehicles to provide improved cooling. Most captured German versions, however, had these slots only on the rear half of the casing. On somne versions the sprocket mounting bolts were proud and on others they were countersunk. The bog! arms varied in their construction; the German SP gun conversions notably required additional strength in, the running gear. Various positions were also adoptedfor the louvres in the engine compartment decking according to the role of the vehicle and the resulting construction over the rear section. The rear armour plate, normally at right angles t0 the hull floor was also inclined in some versions. Given the small carrying capacity of the Chenillette Lorraine, relative to the overall size of the vehicle and the tractive effort available, it was logical to increase this capacity by the use of a trailer. A highly effective cross country transport was achieved by the develop- ment of a four-whecled tracked trailer. The two wheels, on each side were mounted on a single, rigid, hori- zontal suspension arm carried on a central spring pivot, The trailer wheels were large and set close together providing reasonable effective distribution over the track run and the simple pivoted suspension enabled reasonably stable towing over rough ground. The trailer could be detached by a release mechanism operated from the Chenillette driving position e CHENILLETTE LORRAINE APC In the armoured personnel carrier version (see paint- ings, pages 6 and 7) the only modification of the standard vehicle was the construction of raised armoured walls designed to offer protection against small arms fire to troops in a sitting position. The front plate carried a small observation port which could also be used as a firing port for a rifle or light machine gun, The compartment was not armoured 135)1) was first encountered and captured by the British &th Army at El Alamein, Photos: Impertal War Museton) eeCHENILLETTE LORRAINE A.P.C, ‘This Armoured Personnel Carrier conversion of the Chenillette Lorraine was the latest of the planned series of support vehicles based on this successful chassis to come off the production lines before the Fall of France in June 1940, le war designed to carry chasseurs portés—lightly armed mobile infantry—in suppore of ‘the new armoured divisions. In this concept, brilliantly exploited by the German Panzergrenadier units, the French were ahead of their time, for the Chenillette and ies trailer offered armoured cross-country mobility which the German lorried infantry lacked, But the few Chenillettes were swept up in the Blitzkrieg, and destined to claim their place in history as German SP gun carriages. 0 ‘Trailer—front elevationoverhead and was normally covered with a canvas tilt. The APC version of the trailer was similarly armoured up to the same height. It should be noted that in the light, twin bogie version of the basic Chenilletie the rear compartment, was virtually eliminated by the shortening in overall length of the vehicle. Chenillettes in this configuration, which, entered service carried a small armoured munition or transport tray at the rear which was detachable and overhanging the chassis. This tray could be automatically released to fall away from the vehicle by a control in the driving cab. This version, directly inspired by the earlier Renault 1931 Type UE was required for resupply of infantry units but did not enter series production before 1940 which explains why few were made GERMAN ADAPTATIONS In the development of the German war machine during the late "30s and the first two years of the War the provision of SP artillery was noticeably n while horse-drawn artillery was, of course, wu Keep pace with the swift-moving Panzer divisions. Instead, their role in forward support of spearhead striking forces was taken over by ground attack air- craft, notably the famous Stuka dive bombers. But it soon appeared that the Stukas were relatively vulner able and were frequently unable to carry out the missions assigned to them, They also lacked the power and precision of classical artillery. Tt was necessary, therefore, to create a new breed of tracked artillery. vehicles capable of moving with the Panzer Divisions. This need was further emphasised with the opening of the attack on Russia in 1941. At this time also the demands upon the German war industry and the vast, consumption of war material made it obvious to the High Command that this pressing new requirement could only be met by improvisation. Numerous guns ‘were therefore mounted on tank chassis such as the P2Kpfw 1 (Profile 64) and PzKpfw 38(t) (Profile 56) which had become obsolete as fighting tanks. However, the number of chassis available was limited and the Germans turned to the quantities of war material which they had captured in France and began a detailed siudy of the most recent French tanks in service in 1940 to investigate their possibilities as the basis of SP artillery vehicles. It was found that the chassis which would allow the most diverse and flexible adaptations was the Chenillette Lorraine. GESCHUTZWAGEN LORRAINE The first gun fo be mounted on the Chenillette Lorr- aine was a veteran heavy field howitzer of World War I, the 15 cm. SEH 13/1, produced by Krupp in 1917. It Was a classic piece of its period, capable of firing a 90 Ib. shell to a range of 9,400 yd. although this perfor- mance was not wholly adequate in 1941. The gun was mounted on the rear of the Chenillette Lorraine behind the engine compartment, the forward placing of the shield being limited by the need to avoid obstruction of the engine deck louvres. The transport tray of the Chenilletie was elongated at the rear to accommodate the gun compartment but no alterations were made to the original armoured chassis. All this rear fighting compartment was enclosed with armour plate, open overhead. The side plates were mounted in an angled ‘or bevelled form strongly reminiscent of those on the German half-track armoured vehicles. Ventilation grilles were set in the plates on either side immediately ' Later versions of the 13 em. Gw. Lorraine Scklepper carried a eavier spade which could be fowered from tnside the vehicle, (Photo: Imperial War Museum} ‘| Ondy 24 of ths conversion, carrying the 10:5 em. Le FH 18, were but Photo: Col. R. J. teks) behind the original exhaust covers. Access to the gun compartment was through a small armoured door situated on the rear left hand side. A heavy spade was mounted at the rear of the vehicle to absorb recoil and also to relieve the suspension of heavy recoil stresses especially when the gun was fired at high elevation On later models the original spade was modified so that it could be raised and lowered on pulleys operated from within the gun compartment. This later spade was also considerably strengthened and enlarged because it was found that the rear bogies often col- lapsed under stress when the gun was fired. The con- version was carried out by the German company Alfred Becker of Krefeld from 1942 on a total of 102 original chassis. The vehicle was allocated the German ordnance number SUK fz 135/1 and was first encoun- tered by the Allies in North Africa with the Afrika Korps at the battle of El Alamein where four were captured, Specimens were seni to the United Kingdom (School of Tank Technology) and the U.S.A. (Aber- deen Proving Ground) for detailed examination. One of these is still preserved in the Ordnance Museum at Aberdeen. Allowing for the inevitable weaknesses of improvisation it appears to have been a satisfactory fighting vehicle.Panzerjiger Lorraine. Two rank destroyer versions were built: Above: 4 simple, unprotected mowing of a French 47 nn antitank gun. Below: The most successful conversion of all was this mounting of the German Pak 40-1148, christened Marder (Photos: Cot. R. d. teks) Alfred Becker also converted a further 24 Chenil- Jette Lorraine chassis to carry the later light field howitzer, 10°5 em. le FH 18, which was more familiarly ised on the SP gun Wespe (developed on PrKpfww IL chassis). The mounting in this version was simi Jar but the smaller fight- ing compartment armour hada lozenge shaped profile more reminiscent of the Wespe mountir The access door was at the rear and there was no recoil spade. This ver- sion was prineipally used in the Battle of Nor- mandy Marder J in Normandy. This battered relic, stripped of gun compartment armour and ome ofits tracks was. found ‘abandoned by "advancing British troops: (Photo RAC. Tank Museu) PANZERJAGER LORRAINE From the end of 1942 the initiative on the battlefields no longer remained with Germany. The Allied war machine began to produce vast quantities of com- petitive armaments. In particular, their monthly pro- duction of armoured vehicles was double that of the Axis industries, The German Army was now pressed to equip with anti-tank weapons and from this need was born the famous series of Panzerjiiger vehicles. These were constructed on the chassis of AFVs in service and particularly those which permitted standardisation of spares and equipment and offered speedy con- version, But the numbers available were insufi cient. Once again the Germans turned to the Chenil- lette Lorraine. The first mounting produced was of a 47 mm. French anti-tank gun which had proved an outstanding weapon during the Battle of France in 1940, This gun was mounted above the engine com- partment and was only protected by a light shield, It does not appear that this conversion was the subject of detailed design study. MARDER I SdKfz 135 This version of the Chenillette Lorraine equipped with 7-5 em. gun, Pak 40 L/48, was produced in 1943. It carried a fighting compartment similar to the 10-5 ém, howitzer version (above) but with a large open back and again with no spade. The gun was similar to that mounted on the Marder IIT SdKfz. 138, More of these were produced than any other conversion of the Chenillette Lorraine and this was the design proved most suitable for the light French chassis. Marder 1 was used principally” in Normandy. In fact it was a basic policy to equip Divisions stationed in France with French material wherever possible This was both because they were, for the most part, second line units and for the obvious reason thai spares were readily available close at hand Three other conversions of the Chenillette Lorraine have been reported, There was the specimen described at the beginning of this Profile found on the German armoured train, Little is known about this type or its origins except that it carried a 122 mm. howitzer of Russian or Polish origin, replacing the 105 mm. FHBack in action—at the Liberation Chenillette Lorraine forestry tractors were hurriedly armoured and returned to active sevice, (Photo: Tousin|Gurmer collection) 18, A conversion ing a 15 em. SIG 33* has also_been reported but no documentation of this vehicle has been discovered to date. A limited number of Chenillette Lorraine chassis were available in the Middle Fast after the war and an SP gun conversion has been seen in service with the Syrian Army (photo: page 11) of which the design closely resembles the Italian Type 90.53 of 1942. Captured Chenillettes were also used by the German Army in their original role as Munition Transport Kw. auf. Lorraine Schlepper (1?) THE RESISTANCE CHENILLETTE From the moment of the Franco-German Armistice in 1940 the occupying power was unable to achieve any further useful production of the Chenillette Lorraine. In fact the story of this vehicle from this time forward illustrates the effectiveness of the French Resistance movement and the hopes of the French people eventually to achieve the liberation of their country. When the Germans arrived to take over the Lorraine factory at Lunéville they found that the executives, the workers and the company records were dispersed effectively throughout France and they were never able to obtain any useful contribution to their own war effort from this plant. On theother hand, the factory at Bagnéres de Bigorre, which was situated in the unoccupied zone of France, and which had been in the pro- cess of conversion to Chenillette production, was idle and without prospect of work. Under cover of the officially recognised Comitéd’ Organisationdel Auto- “Documented conversions carrying this legen: panser grenadier support sun ore of Pekinte Vand Hand Pex Se) SIG 911 tl Gs 38 dash MSAK 138 Heavy Cheniliettes which survived the Occupation were also converted and farmed with a Hotchkiss machine stn, (Photo: TousiniGurmner callection) 10 mobile, the transfer of materials for Chenillette pro- duction to Bagnéres from Lunéville was finally completed. Then, by agreement between a number of French Government officials and officers formerly involved in military production, the construction of Chenillettes was started again. The order was officially issued by the Service des Faux et Foréts, a department of the Ministry of Agriculture. The Chenillettes were earmarked for use as forestry tractors. The type pro- duced was a light twin bogie version similar to the nfantry supply vehicle. It carried minor modifications to the suspension including four track return rollers and the spacing of the bogies was increased. The same Delahaye engine was used with a conversion to run on gas. A light frame was mounted over the driving, position to carry a protective tilt. Secretly, however, all the parts necessary to convert this yersion into an armoured fighting vehicle were manufactured at the same time. After the invasion of this zone of France in November 1942 the German puppet Armistice Com- mission called for an inspection of the activity at Bagnéres de Bigorre. The factory directors and workers, were ready for them and the armour plating and other tell-tale equipment was camouflaged and dispersed both in the factory and in private houses. The Com- mission left without having discovered any damaging evidence although there was reason to believe later that not all its members were fooled. Meanwhile, every vehicle produced and issued for forestry work was. carefully documented and its whereabouts re- corded by the factory. As the Liberation approached all the vehicles were recovered from their civilian users with the exception of one which had disappeared, nobody knew how or where. A large number were therefore available to take part in the final struggle. The chassis were adapted by mounting armour plate around the rear compartment and enclosing the front compartment, with. sloped armour plate which included a gunner’s position to the right of the driver. An access door was fitted on the left side, It was not a particularly effective military vehicle but it was useful in the circumstances. it recalled the Bren Universal Carrier in service with the U.K. forces. It was used as a gun tractor but aboveThis armed conversion, with the turret mounted over the engine compartment was planed, and components secretly manufactured at Bagneres de Bigorre dering the Occupation. all for cross country transport of troops and resistance groups. As the Germans retreated, a number of three- bogie Chenillettes were recovered and sent to Bag- néres where they were rebuilt as armoured vehicles. A larger fixed turret was installed above the engine com- partment and armed with a machine gun. A different version mounted the fixed turret above the front com- partment of the vehicle on the right side. The arma- ment consisted of one Hotchkiss machine gun and the driving position on the left was moved over and made extremely small. No light Chenillettes were given this turret conversion, the chassis being too weak to carry the load After the War the Lorraine company planned to continue military production for both the French and overseas armies. The Chenillette Lorraine was, for example, demonstrated to the Swiss in 1946, In 1947 the vehicle was still officially listed in service with the Late comer. This conversion of the Chenillerte Lorraine was photographed in service with the Syrian Army in 1936 (Photo: Col. R. J. Seks) (Photo: FouzinjGurtner collection) French Army, operating in its former logistic r6le with tank units. However, these developments were not pursued further and production stopped. At this time the military procurement budget was inevitably restricted, civil reconstruction was given priority and more modern military material was readily available from America, To sum up, the Chenillette Lorraine was an ar- moured vehicle intended for a modest réle but which, due to the excellence of its original conception, gave birth to a whole family of fighting vehicles onl limited in the event by the numbers available. Its various réles in World War II and its detailed history still remain an open field for further detailed research. © Pierre Towzin and Christian Gurter, 1967. Armour in Profile Series Editor: Stevenson Pugh. Light Chenillettes buitt in France during the war were com fo yas fuel ad used as forestry tractors ‘Photo: Towzin|Gurtner collection) dIn the bag—this abandoned Marder I, parked alongside two shattered Panthers, was among the remnants of 13 German divisions ‘trapped in the Falaive pocket, Normandy, 19th August 1944. Photo: Imperial War Museum) SPECIFICATION Engine Belthaye Type 135. Gy inline, 70&:hp. 22,800 cpm, Water-cooled General 2 Besigntion: Chenille Lorraine Type 37L (Munition carrer) ici Fes: Petrol ey 25 Crew! Twordnver and asian “Transmission Bry wetahes 548 cons Powerjrighe ati 13-4 bho, ton ‘Tarde vogies each mounted on leaf springs, each carrying two single ae maces spies EN at bases 4 Sp EOSTSA LEED sina magnet One Ive battery. Sigheing and Vision lading dah: ae Bere oon an vm TPatied tealer Tats Siatrraancanansi ont ee’ | otis | oat a Type 135, Type 5, Type 138 Type 155 PRINTED IN ENGLAND by Gothic Press Ltd., London, © Profile Publications Ltd., Great Bookham, Surrey, England,