Autocanon de 47 Renault

The Autocanon de 47 Renault was an armoured car designed by Renault in 1915. In 1914 the French army saw that it needed more fire support and mechanisation, which created the requirement for auto-canons, armoured cars carrying rapid-fire guns. Lieutenant Villeneuve-Bargnemont worked with Renault to build a prototype on a commercial 2.7 tonne truck chassis, the Type EP, and it was delivered on 15 August 1915. By then the front had settled and there was little need for such a vehicle, so only four were completed. In use the 15 hp engine was overloaded, the armoured grille let in too little air so it overheated, and the armoured cab overloaded the front suspension. The cab was armoured in the style of the Renault 1914 armoured car, and a 47 mm Mle 1902 gun sat on a pedestal mount with a shield and a 270 degree arc of fire to the rear. The vehicles saw limited use in the north and were dismantled shortly after the war.