Renault FT Tank in World War I

The Renault FT, often referred to as the FT-17, was a ground-breaking tank design which entered service in 1918. A French light tank, the FT was the first tank to incorporate many design aspects which are now considered standard such as a fully-rotating turret and rear engine compartment. Small by World War I standards, the FT was intended to swarm through the enemys lines and overwhelm defenders. Used by French and American forces on the Western Front, the design was produced in large numbers and retained by many nations until the early days of World War II. Development The origins of the Renault FT may be traced to an early meeting between Louis Renault and Colonel Jean-Baptiste Eugà ¨ne Estienne in 1915. Overseeing the fledgling French tank corps which had been created during the early years of World War I, Estienne hoped to have Renault design and build an armored vehicle based on the Holt tractor. Operating with the backing of General Joseph Joffre, he was seeking firms to moved the project forward. Though intrigued, Renault declined citing a lack of experience with tracked vehicles and commenting that his factories were already operating at capacity. Not to be demurred, Estienne took his project to Schneider-Creusot which created the French Armys first tank, the Schneider CA1. Though he had declined the initial tank project, Renault commenced developing a design for a light tank that would be relatively simple to produce. Assessing the landscape of the time, he concluded that existing engines lacked the necessary power-to-weight ratio to allow armored vehicles to successfully clear trenches, shell holes, and other obstacles. As a result, Renault sought to limit his design to 7 tons. As he continued to refine his thoughts on a light tank design, he had another meeting with Estienne in July 1916. Increasingly interested in smaller, lighter tanks which he believed could overwhelm defenders in ways that larger, heavier tanks could not, Estienne encouraged Renaults work. While this support would proved critical, Renault struggled to gain acceptance of his design from Minister of Munitions Albert Thomas and the French high command. After extensive work, Renault received permission to build a single prototype. Design Working with his talented industrial designer Rodolphe Ernst-Metzmaier, Renault sought to bring his theories into reality. The resulting design  set the pattern for all future tanks. Though fully-revolving turrets had been used on a variety of French armored cars, the FT was the first tank to incorporate this feature. This allowed the smaller tank to fully utilize a single weapon rather than needing multiple guns mounted in sponsons with limited fields of fire. The FT also set the precedent for placing the driver in the front and the engine in the rear. The incorporation of these features made the FT a radical departure from previous French designs, such as the Schneider CA1 and the St. Chamond, which were little more than armored boxes. Operated by a crew of two, the FT mounted a rounded tail piece to aid in crossing trenches and included automatically tensioned tacks to help prevent derailments. Crew positions in a Renault FT-17 tank. National Archives and Records Administration To ensure that engine power would be maintained, the power plant was designed to operate effectively when slanted to allow the tank to traverse steep slopes. For crew comfort, ventilation was provided by the engines radiator fan. Though in close proximity, no provision was made for crew communication during operations. As a result, gunners devised a system of kicking the driver in the shoulders, back, and head to transmit directions. Armament for the FT typically consisted of either a Puteaux SA 18 37 mm gun or a 7.92 mm Hotchkiss machine gun.   Renault FT - Specifications Dimensions Length: 16.4 ft.Width: 4.8 ft.Height: 7 ft.Weight: 7.2 tons Armor Armament Armor: 0.86 in.Armament: 37 mm Puteaux gun or a 7.92 mm Hotchkiss machine gunAmmunition: 238 x 37mm projectiles or 4,200 x 7.62mm ammunition Engine Engine: 39 hp gasoline engineSpeed: 4.35 mphRange: 40 milesSuspension: Vertical SpringsCrew: 2 Production Despite its advanced design, Renault continued to have difficulty getting approval for the FT. Ironically, its chief competition came from the heavy Char 2C which was also designed by Ernst-Metzmaier. With the relentless support Estienne, Renault was able to move the FT into production. Though he had Estiennes support, Renault competed for resources with the Char 2C for the remainder of the war. Development continued through the first half of 1917, as Renault and Ernst-Metzmaier sought to refine the design. By the end of the year, only 84 FTs had been produced, however 2,613 were built in 1918, before the end of hostilities. All told, 3,694 were constructed by French factories with 3,177 going to the French Army, 514 to the US Army, and 3 to the Italians. The tank was also built under license in the US under the name Six Ton Tank M1917. While only 64 were finished before the armistice, 950 were eventually constructed. When the tank first entered production, it had a round cast turret, however this varied depending on the manufacturer. Other variants included an octagonal turret or one made from bent steel plate. French Renault FTs advance through Vaux, 1918. Library of Congress Combat Service The FT first entered combat on May 31, 1918, at Foret de Retz, south-west of Soissons, and aided the 10th Army in slowing the German drive on Paris. In short order, the FTs small size increased its value as it was capable of traversing terrain, such as forests, that other heavy tanks were incapable of negotiating. As the tide turned in the Allies favor, Estienne finally received large numbers of the tank, which allowed for effective counterattacks against German positions. The FT saw use at the Second Battle of the Marne as well as during the Saint-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne Offensives. Widely used by French and American forces, the FT ultimately participated in 4,356 engagements with 746 being lost to enemy action. Postwar Following the war, the FT formed the armored backbone for many nations, including the United States. The tank saw subsequent action in the Russian Civil War, Polish-Soviet War, Chinese Civil War, and Spanish Civil War. In addition it remained in the reserve forces for several countries. During the early days of World War II, the French still had 534 operating in various capacities. In 1940, following the German drive to the Channel which isolated many of Frances best armored units, the entire French reserve force was committed, including 575 FTs. With the fall of France, the Wehrmacht captured 1,704 FTs. These were redeployed across Europe for airbase defense and occupation duty. In Britain and the United States, the FT was retained for use as a training vehicle. Additional FTs were retained by Vichy French forces in North Africa. These were encountered by American and British forces during the Operation Torch landings in late 1942 and were easily defeated by the Allies modern M3 Stuart and M4 Sherman tanks.

Portfolio Writing Review And Reflection - 893 Words

Portfolio Writing Review and Reflection When I started this class, I never thought I was a â€Å"good† writer. Ironically, after this class, I have learned how to be an organized writer and the term â€Å"good† is extremely unclear and subjective. From the short stories and questions to the individual essays, each assignment helped me practice and develop my writing skills. Overall, I think my writing has improved and the process of writing, something I often over looked, has immensely helped my writing. My literacy narrative titled, â€Å"Affinity for Reading†, helped me analyze and assess how I really felt about writing. Reading through my literacy narrative, I see how far I have grown in my grammar and mechanics and formatting. I remember after I turned the assignment in that I forgot to change the font to Times New Roman. I thought I was going to fail based on that formatting error. While I was fleshing out my ideas for the assignment, I sat down at Starbucks and just wrote any and all memories of reading and writing that I had. It was not incredibly efficient, however, I learned how to create more structured outlines as the course went on. In addition, I also learned to triple check basic formatting for each essay to ensure that each essay was as accurate as possible. My argument analysis titled, â€Å"The Art of Liberal Arts†, allowed me to use several different sources for writing assistance. I used the Smartthinking website and I also went to the Germanna Student Tutoring Service.Show MoreRelatedCritical Thinking Reflection1121 Words   |  5 PagesW233 helped shape my writing and critical thinking by reframing my concept of what constitutes a good piece of writing. Prior to this course, I thought that a good paper consisted of an argument supported with solid word choice and consistent organization throughout to guide the reader through each paragraph. 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Summary of Micheal Porter Competitive Strategy free essay sample

In today’s ever competitive world, every company that wants to succeed needs to have a well-defined strategy. We at Nestle believe in this philosophy and in this short presentation, I will help you understand exactly what a competitive strategy is and what it entails. My presentation is based solely on the ideas of strategy guru Michael Porter as represented in his 1996 article â€Å"What is strategy? † In determining what a strategy is, it is important to differentiate between competitive strategy and operational effectiveness. Whereas operational effectiveness involves performing similar activities better than rivals, strategy focuses on choosing to perform activities that are distinctively different from that of the competitor. Improving operational effectiveness allows a company to utilize its inputs better but in the long run, companies outperform rivals by developing and maintaining competitive advantage through the performance of activities that are distinct from competitors and valuable to clients. Competitive strategy is therefore grounded in performing activities differently. We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of Micheal Porter Competitive Strategy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page To achieve a great strategy a company must select activities uniquely different from competitors in order to deliver exclusive value to them. This is known as strategic positioning and can be done in 3 main ways: a. By serving a wide selection of customers but meeting only part of their needs better than competitors. b. Targeting a particular set of customers with peculiar needs and then tailoring your activities to meet those needs best. c. Tailoring your activities to cater to the needs of clients whose preferences change on different occasions. Furniture retail giant IKEA uses the second approach: it identifies its target clients as young adults who look for affordability and style when it comes to buying furniture. The company has accordingly tailored a set of activities that are totally different from that of rival companies (self-service, in-house daycare etc. ) in order to serve these target customers well. Sustainability is a key component of strategy and this is not possible unless there are tradeoffs with other positions. A company cannot successfully satisfy all types of customers and hence must choose one positioning and do it better than the rest. Since competitive strategy is about being different, as a firm we must choose a different set of activities to deliver value that is unique to our company alone. An essential tool in carving a strategy is building a system of activities that fit. All business activities performed by the company should be consistent, complement each other and re-enforce the overall positioning of the firm. For instance if the firm’s strategy is to provide low cost airline services as is the case of Southwest airlines all its policies and activities must line up to achieve this e. . no meals and standardized aircrafts to keep costs at a minimum. Finally in creating a competitive strategy, managers must take into account all the factors I have mentioned above and ensure that they have defined a clear strategy as well as the in the search for profitable growth we should not be occupied by trying to beat our competitors on all fronts but we should rather focus on select activities that are valuable to our target clients and excel in them. Our focus should be on deepening our strategic position rather than broadening it . this should be spearheaded by the leadership: management. We should be the ones to define and communicate the unique position of our firm to subordinates, chose whice tradeoffs to make and forge a fit amongst all business activities

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Case Study

According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, self-actualization is the peak of experience when a person reaches understanding and harmony with his/herself and the surrounding people. It means that self-actualized people are usually reality-oriented – they can distinguish between real thing and the fraudulent ones (Montana and Charnov 240).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Case Study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They are also problem-centered which means that they realize the existing problems and try to find possible solutions. Most importantly, they can easily establish the connection the external environment and feel comfortable when staying along. All these attributes are applicable to Roh Moo-Hyun, the former South Korean presidents who died because of head injuries (CNN n. p.). The president was suspected of committed suicide, which implies that some of his h ierarchy needs were far from fulfillment. An in-depth consideration of the case proves the fact that Roh was not in harmonic relations with the surrounding people. He stated that he lost his face and he was afraid of disappointing people. This means he was not confident enough in himself; the president was not a fully self-actualized person. Moreover, the absence of belonging, confidence, and security is the major contributing facto to suicide. The president, therefore, was deprived of feeling to be appreciated and accepted by others. The accusations of bribery made Roh feel ignored because he did not feel recognition and return for his actions and deed. Therefore, the top ladder of hierarch was unavailable for him because the individuals fail to acquire a sense of personal achievement, satisfaction, and growth. Judging from the above-presented considerations as well as from the saying in the notes made before his death, Roh Moo-Hyun was at the bottom of psychological needs. Though Maslow’s model is a limited, it places Ron at the third level of accomplishment, which means that he has not reached self-esteem needs and self-actualization. However, it should also be admitted that some of the previously three established layers are not reached to a full extent either which especially concerns motivation and experience. These conditions are crucial for working effectively (Montana and Charnov 240). Specifically, the concept of belonging and love is also closely associated with work motivation and has much in common with interpersonal satisfactions.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Due to the fact that the lowest layers are more perceived as discouraging factors, individual’s attachment to these behavioral patterns create no ground for goal-oriented behavior. While evaluating the case in more detail, it can be stated that Moo-Hyun was significantly emba rrassed by the convictions. This was especially seen in his saying, â€Å"nothing is left in my life but to be a burden to others†. He did not feel any support and encouragement he need badly. In contrast to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Lasswell’s value categories imply that â€Å"psychological pain of being preoccupied with deprivations concerning one value would provoke a shift to preoccupations with other values† (Ascher and Hirschfelder-Ascher 26). As a result, if a person encounters a specific psychological problem, it is often difficult to understand the veritable source of the problem. Before considering the disparities and similarities between two existing models, it should be noted that Lasswell’s conception is more applied to politicians who, according to the theorist’s study, have a strong feeling of insecurity and damaged self-esteem that is compensated, or â€Å"sublimated† by their desire to acquire power contributing to social development and public life. In this respect, the presidents’ influential position failed to contribute to his security and, as a result, the lack of security is substituted by a distress and self-hating. While comparing these arguments with Maslow’s concepts, it should be stated that Maslow’s focus on the pyramid of needs where one need should be satisfied before moving on to another one. Lasswell’s argument is more concerned with shifting needs where values can be interchangeable and are presented in the form of matrix. This means that it is not necessarily to acquire security, for example, for achieving self-esteem (Ascher and Hirschfelder-Ascher 27). Referring to the case under consideration, one might assume that Roh dissatisfaction with life could be due to a number of reasons that were disguised by his fear of being despised by people. Therefore, accusations of bribery might not be the actual reason for committing suicide. In addition, disp lacement of value categories can be recognized because it explains the shifts in instincts. Pursuing particular values that are unacceptable to a person can lead to self-disgust, depression, and other emotional displays (Ascher and Hirschfelder-Ascher 27). These switches, or sublimations, are often explained by a transformation of less appropriate impulses into more relevant one.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Case Study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lasswell’s value category also explains the shifts in the president behavior and his inclination to self-hating. This can happen when one identification is displayed to another, alternative of identification. For instance, the ignorance of self-hatred can be considered a reason for rejecting leading to a distress, just like it happened to Mr. Moo-Hyun. Despite the existing differences between two theoretical frameworks, there are certain similarities that must be mentioned. To begin with, both theirs largely rely on Freud’s conception of sexual impulses (Montana and Charnov 240). Considering Maslow’s model, sex, along with food, shelter, and water, is considered the basic physiological need of the individuals. However, unlike Freud that considers sexual desires and impulses as the leading one in human life, Maslow just perceives this as one of physiological needs for an individual to feel comfortable (Montana and Charnov 240). Similarly to Maslow, Lasswell’s value categories are also linked to sexual impulses being the triggers and original motivators. Sexual nature of identified values can contribute to shifting from one moral value to another. Another similarity between two models lies in enumeration of needs a person should satisfy on the way to become as full-fledged personality. Hence, according to Maslow’s theory, a person has physiological, social, and psychologi cal sets of need to be accomplished. Lasswell also mentions these three types of needs a person should satisfy, but they are not prioritized as it is provided by Maslow. In conclusion, though Maslow’s hierarchy of need has a number of problems and misconceptions in terms of motivation and experience, it explains why the president of South Korea committed suicide. His needs are posited in the middle of the hierarchy before the self-esteem needs, which is typical of politicians who often fail to acquire this quality. Impossibility to receive support and fear to lose trust and sense of belonging made him to give motivation. Such a situation was the contributing factor for suicide. In addition, the accusation of bribery served as the reason for losing feelings of confidence and security, which are the most crucial for people dealing with politics.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited Ascher, William and Barbara Hirschfelder-Ascher. Revitalizing Political Psychology: the Legacy of Harold D. Lasswell. NY: Routeledge, 2005. Print. CNN, Former S. Korean President Roh Commits Suicide. May 2009. Web. Montana, Patrick J., and Bruce H. Charnov. Management. US: Barron’s Educational Series, 2008. Print. This essay on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Case Study was written and submitted by user PuppetMaster to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.