FRENCH ARTILLERY IN INDO-CHINA

[Sapper]

Question:

Does anyone know if the French army use any SP artillery in the Indo-China War eg T9 (M3 halftrack with 105mm howitzer) or M7 (105mm Priest) ?

I've seen a photograph of a halftrack (M2 or M3) with a French 75mm mounted.

Hoping someone will know the answer !

Sapper

[Arlequín]

While my knowledge is by no means encyclopaedic, I am not aware of any SP Guns being used by the French in Indochina. There were several ad-hoc designs built on either the M3 half-track or GMC truck chassis. One is the 75mm you mentioned and the other is the use of a truck carrying the 40mm Bofors gun.

Hopefully someone who knows more will confirm or refute this, but the answer would be no to SP artillery. 

[carlos marighela]

They mounted at least one 40mm Bofors in an LVT-4 Buffalo but that's all about I can think of. On a vaguely related topic, I've seen a nice photo of a Cromwell turret, of all things, mounted as part of fixed defences on the Maurice Line.

[dadlamassu]

HMC M8 of 1eme Chasseurs a Cheval at Son Tay 1951



LVT(A)4 with M8 turret and in the background 2 LVT with RCL


LVT with 40mm Bofors


Cannot find anything on the HMC M7 or of the various half tracks.  Mind you there was lots of old WW2 (and before) equipment of French, Japanese and other origins so there may well have been extemporised armoured vehicles. 

[Etranger]

This is a reasonably comprehensive list of the AFV types used by the French in Indochina. http://indochine54.free.fr/cefeo/afvs.html#top

I haven't seen any references to M7's in service there. M8's as above, & the various LVT variants were seen but AFAIK no SP artillery.

[former user]

on the basis of an educated guess, I would probably expect heavy and medium mortars installed in armoured trucks or APC, in this style:

apart from the AFV with the support turret

it is not even "speculative"
http://www.anciens-du-ricm.org/20_cont/204-album4/00-album-indo-1.html



here is the one used on the "Rafale" armoured train


and finally, I find the idea interesting the US had later, mobile improvised artillery on river barges


in case You really want to go speculative
I am not sure whether You would want to count water based artillery platforms as SP artillery

[Arlequín]

I am somewhat embarrassed that I forgot about the M8. 

The 40mm Bofors portee was purpose-built for the role and numbers were produced for the Metropolitan Army, with it serving in Algeria and with the French Army.

The third photo in former user's post is actually an Israeli 'Soltam 120mm' mortar carrier. However the French most likely used the M3 half-track in a similar way in those units equipped with it.

[carlos marighela]

I am somewhat embarrassed that I forgot about the M8. 

As it's more of a support tank than a real SP artillery piece I think you can be forgiven. 

[moonshado]

Have a search on http://www.ecpad.fr/. I always find their photo library extremley informmative.