ARL 44
503e Régiment de Chars

ARL 44 was conceived in Vichy France in 1942, by CDM (Camouflage du Matériel), a secret Vichy army organization trying to produce materiel forbidden by the armistice conditions. After a few interruptions, it was finally ready for production in 1949. Even though it was already obsolete at that point, it was decided to go for serial production to bolster French National Morale. Vehicles were delivered from 1949 to 1951 to the 503e Régiment de Chars de Combat stationed in Mourmelon-le-Grand, replacing 17 former German Panthers. They were serving along with the Sherman tanks and proved quite unreliable.