As completed, the AMX-50 Heavy Tank weighed in at 63 Short Tons and featured a running length of 7.35 meters, a width of 3.4 meters and a height of 3.35 meters. Armor protection ranged from 80mm to 120mm across its various facings. Primary armament was the 120mm main gun fitted to the oscillating traversing turret set well ahead of amidships in the design. Secondary armament consisted of a pair of 7.5mm Reibel machine guns for self-defense - one fitted coaxially in the turret and the other on the turret roof for defense against low-flying aircraft. Power was supplied by a single Maybach HL 295 12VC gasoline engine developing 850 horsepower. The hull utilized a torsion bar suspension system and a top speed of 51 kmh was listed. Externally, the hull of the AMX-50 resembled that of the German wartime Panther Medium Tanks to an extent - especially the large sloped glacis plate at the front. The sides of the hull was flat as was the rear facing. There was no hull superstructure but, instead, a flat roof tall enough to fit the engine and crew. The turret sported a rear overhang to make room for the required autoloader. The turret appeared in several unique forms throughout the short life of the tank but all were rather similar in overall form and function. The barrel protruded a ways ahead of the forward hull and was capped by a baffled muzzle brake. The tracks were wide when viewed in the forward profile, mimicking that of the Panther design. there were nine overlapping road wheels to a track side - this another German-inspired design initiative. The drive sprocket was positioned at the rear of the vehicle with the track idler at the front. No track return rollers were present nor was side armor skirts to protect the tracks, wheels and sides of the tank. The engine was fitted to a rear compartment. The standard AMX-50 operating crew consisted of four personnel - a driver, tank commander, gunner and radio operator. Interestingly, the addition of the autoloader did not result in the deletion of one of the crew for the radio operator was also responsible for reloading the autoloader's ammunition stores with fresh shells from the hull. All told, the AMX-50 was more in line with medium-class tank offerings of the day - despite its French "heavy tank" classification.
Much like the ARL 44, the AMX-50 was simply outclassed by the newer generation of tanks being showcased at increasingly feverish paces. The Americans, disappointed with the outcome that was the M47 Patton Medium Tank in action during the Korean War, set about to "right its wrongs" and produced the M48 Patton Medium Tank, making its M47s available in some number for European allies for free. The French jumped at the chance to upgrade its armored divisions and accepted the M47 into service. This more or less spelled doom for the future of the AMX-50 and other French attempts at post-war tank designs. Furthermore, advances in projectiles rendered the concept of the dedicated "heavy" tank obsolete in modern warfare, bringing with it the more defined classification of "Main Battle Tank" instead. The AMX-50, for all intents and purposes, became another failed French tank design project - though experience and data garnered in its effort would prove priceless in the long run. Success would not find French tank engineers until the development of the AMX-30 Main Battle Tank of 1966 - of which 3,500 were eventually produced and shipped across the globe to interested parties, some still in service even today.
Of note in the development of the M4 pilot vehicle program was the "Canon Automoteur AMX-50 Foch", another prototype endeavor though this intended as a heavy-class tank destroyer / self-propelled gun and armed with a 120mm main gun. The design appeared in 1950 and it was intended to serve alongside the AMX-50 in the fire support role, delivering potent ordnance at distance. However, much like the AMX-50 itself, the Foch design fell into obscurity.
In all, just five AMX-50 vehicles were produced.
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