Type Light tank Designed 1937 Number built 2 | Place of origin France Produced 1938 | |
Manufacturer Ateliers de construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux | ||
AMX 38 was a prototype French tank designed in 1937 at the AMX works. Designed as AMX's response to the 20-tonne tank programme intended to replace the ageing Char D2, it was a faster and heavier alternative to Renault R35, in practice a cross-over between a light and medium tank.
In 1938 two prototypes were built, the first armed with a 37 mm SA 38 gun, the second with the 47 mm SA 35 gun mounted in a centrally-located conical turret almost identical to the one used by Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée on FCM 36 tank. The suspension designed by Molinié was of typical AMX design of the epoch, similar to the one used in Renault R40, protected on the sides by an armoured plate similar to the one used on D2 tank. The crew consisted of two people: driver and commander/gunner. Trials of both prototypes were underway when war broke out and no serial production followed.