The most defining design characteristic of the St. Chamond was its oversized hull superstructure which spanned out over both the chassis front and rear. While this supplied the necessary internal volume needed for the gun, crew and engine, this naturally presented the tank with a very long hull that made crossing uneven terrain and trenches extremely difficult if not impossible. Once stuck, the St. Chamond would become nothing more than cannon fodder to German artillery or a sitting duck to grenade-toting German infantry. While the front hull sported some basic form of ballistics protection thanks to its angled face, the sides, rear and top of the vehicle were flat with little-to-no protection from artillery - the primary danger to tanks on the World War 1 battlefield. In addition to the detrimental hull design, the front-right machine gunner also managed the breech functions of the 75mm main gun which added unnecessary duties in the heat of battle (a dedicated gunner/loader managed the principle firing and elevation actions). The main gun, being fixed into its forward position, was limited in its elevation and therefore overall range and since the gun lacked any side-to-side traversal, the driver would have to turn the entire tank to face the target.
To make matters worse for the crew, the engine sat in an open-air fitting at the center of the design which divided the front and rear fighting compartments. Its open-air placement ensured that the fighting compartment would be noisy, smell of grease and oil and spew out fumes thusly making it a terrible work environment for the crew. Consider the fact that these were eight men required to spend hours on end in tight confines under the stress of battle. Walkways were set to either side of the engine to allow for crew allocation though these walkways were also home to the side machine gunners which complicated quick, effective internal maneuvering. One benefit of the open-air engine was easy access for make-shift repairs and maintenance in-the-field.
Once in service, the St. Chamond saw her armor increased from the original 11mm thickness to 19.5mm. The main gun designed by Rimailho was also dropped in favor of the standardized French Army modele 1897 series in 1917. A new roof design was implemented, intended to roll enemy grenades off of the tank while other protruding structures were eliminated for a much simpler, cleaner look. Early operational St. Chamond tanks had their armament removed and utilized for their hauling power in towing Schneider tanks.
The first "true" direct combat actions concerning St. Chamond tanks occurred on May 5th, 1917 to which three of the committed sixteen systems were lost in battle, others running aground over uneven terrain as expected. In limited operational service as a frontline combat tank, the St. Chamond failed to make an impression, ultimately given up in favor of the excellent French FT-17 two-man light tanks. Where the St. Chamond series did shine was in its assault prowess where her 75mm main gun could be brought to bear at distant targets. It was in this role that the St. Chamond would essentially become the assault gun that was never envisioned of her. The St. Chamond series would end the war as such while other chassis were relegated to supplementary roles, such as that of tracked supply carrier, until the armistice in November of 1918.
Some 377 St. Chamond tanks were completed during the war with only a single example remaining today - this on display at the Musee des Blindes in Saumur.
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