FFI Panhard 178 is a French Recon unit added in Back to Hell.
Overview[]
Officially called the Automitrailleuse de Découverte Panhard modèle 1935, the Panhard was an advanced armored car designed for the French cavalry units before World War II, boasting an effective primary armament (the SA 35 25 mm cannon and a coaxial 7.5 mm Reibel machine gun), decent armor coverage, and most importantly, excellent speed and agility.
The 178 was created in response to the specifications formulated in December 1932 and amended in November 1932, calling for a four ton armored car with a 400 kilometer range, max speed of 70 km/h, 12 meter turning circle, 5 to 8 mm of armor, and at minimum a 20 mm gun with a 7.5 machine gun. The Panhard vehicle was completed in October 1933 and succeeded against competing projects despite being twice as heavy. After teething problems were resolved through a special upgrade program in 1937, the car went on to become one of the first mass-produced armored cars, with 553 completed by the fall of France and another 176 completed by Vichy France for Nazi Germany.
The Panhard proved to be a highly effective recon vehicle, despite its cramped interior and slow turret rotation, thanks to reliability and a relatively quiet engine. Beyond French use in cavalry formations, it was used as a Beutepanzer by the Nazis, both for policing duties (as eg. Schienenpanzer, converted for use on railways to protect them against partisans) and in regular combat, some rebuilt with the 50mm L/42 or L/60 guns. Post-War, surviving Panhard 178s, fitted with new turrets, were used as late as 1970s in former French colonies.
Strategy[]
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