R1 Light Tank: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 22:17, 18 June 2023
The R1, also known as the R-1, was a Romanian light tank in service during WWII and a unit available in Flames of War. Historians debate just how useful and good the tank was.
IRL
The R-1 first started as an attempt to replace the Renault FT tanks then in service. Romania turned to Czechoslovakia's ČKD firm, the same dudes who designed the Panzer 35 and Panzer 38. The tank was envisioned as a Recon vehicle and was to be lightly armed and armored as a result.
The Czechs delivered a strange design that was in many ways similar to the U.S. M2A2: It was lightly armored and armed only with machine guns. One was in a turret, while the other was mounted on the right side of the hull in a ball mount. It was a speedy little tank, but had a somewhat large profile and no Radio. This complicated its use as a Recon tank; nonetheless it was deployed as part of the Romanian Army during Barbarossa, serving as part of the Horse Cavalry Recon detachments.
Its vulnerability to the PTRD and PTRS made it dubiously useful as a combat vehicle, and was severely outclassed by the T-34 and KV-1. By the end of the war, most of them had been replaced with other tanks, despite attempts to mount a 45mm gun to it and make it a tank destroyer.
Many historians argue that the limited usefulness and practical effect on the war the R-1 had made it a failure, while other historians argue that the R-1 was successful in its role. After all, it was a recon vehicle, and recon vehicles aren't meant to take on enemy heavy tanks. In any case, few survived the war and none of the original tanks survived to this day, but a replica has been built in the modern day Czech Republic.
| Romanian Forces in Flames of War | |
|---|---|
| Tanks: | Renault R-35 - Panzer IV - Panzer 38(t) - Panzer III - R1 Light Tank - R-2 Tank |
| Infantry: | Romanian Rifle Platoon - HMG Platoon - Romanian 81mm and 120mm Mortar Platoons |
| Artillery: | 76K/02 - TAC 47mm Schneider - TAC 43 Resita - 76K/02 |
| Tank Destroyer: | Stug III - TACAM R-2 |
| Recon: | Sd.Kfz 222 - Tatra vz. 30 |
| Aircraft: | |
| Anti-Aircraft: | SdKfz 10/4 Light AA Platoon |