R 35 combat use tank. Armored vehicles (f) on the Eastern Front

After the end of the campaign in the West, 4,930 captured French tanks and ammunition transporters ended up in the hands of the Germans - 12/23/1940, including:

1. Lungs:
   843 Renault R35\R40 under the German designation Pz.Kpfw. R35 731(f)
   600 Hotchkiss H-35\H-38\H-39 under the German designation Pz.Kpfw. H35\H38-39 734(f) 735(f)
   50 Char FCM-36 under the German designation Pz.Kpfw. FCM 737(f)
   near 1 000 obsolete Renault FT 17\18 under the German designation Pz.Kpfw. R17\18
2. Medium:
   161 Renault B-1bis under the German designation Pz.Kpfw. B2 740(f)
   400 Somua S-35 under the German designation Pz.Kpfw. S35 739(f)
3. Transporters and tractors:
   300 Tracteur Blinde 37L armored personnel carrier under the German designation Lorraine 37L(f) Schlepper
   1 200 Renault UE tractors under the German designation Infanterie Schlepper UE 630(f)

In this amount (4,930 units), Halder did not include a significant number of armored vehicles, such as AMD White-Laffly, AMD Laffly, AMD Panhard 174/178; the latter under the designation Pz.Sp.Wg. P174/178 204(f) in quantity 233 units were included in the reconnaissance units of the Wehrmacht and SS Waffen troops, 43 the pieces were converted into motorized railcars.

Official statistics

By June 22, 41, the divisions intended for the invasion of the USSR contained a small amount of captured French armored vehicles interspersed with combat units.

As already mentioned, in the reconnaissance battalions of motorized and tank divisions there were Panhard-178 armored vehicles equipped with a German radio station, for example, in the SS Totenkopf and Das Reich divisions, in the 7th Panzer Division (TD, 37 -th reconnaissance battalion) and in the 20th TD (92nd reconnaissance battalion). Of the 190 Panhards, 107 were lost by the end of 1941. As of June 1943, there were 30 Panhards left on the Eastern Front.

On March 7, 41, the 211th tank battalion (3 companies) was created, which included 41 light tanks "Hotchkiss" H-35\39 and 18 medium tanks "Somua" S-35 as platoon commanders' vehicles. The tanks were equipped with German FuG 5 radios and commander's cupolas. The 211st TB was transferred to Finland on June 10, 1941 and was included in the SS battle group Nord, operating in the Kandalaksha direction. One company of the 211th TB operated in the Ukhta direction. According to German data, in the period July 4-8, 41, the battalion destroyed 25 Russian tanks and 5 anti-tank guns (ATG) near Salla (Northern Finland), and on May 31, 43, 49 tanks remained in its composition, of which 41 were combat-ready.

The B-1bis medium tanks were not used by the Germans for about a year, probably due to the fact that the “commander” was forced to act as a loader and gunner, and the tank itself, with relatively strong armor, had a high silhouette. Only at the end of 41, when the Germans on the Eastern Front got hot and began to eat up the Reich's tank equipment, the B-1 was put into operation (November 41 - June 42).

German radio stations were installed on some of the tanks, and they were used as line tanks, and 60 tanks were converted into flamethrower ones. The flamethrower was installed instead of the 75 mm frontal gun, and the gunner received a viewing slot. The fire mixture was located in a tank armored with 30 mm sheets at the rear of the vehicle; the reserve allowed for 200 2...3-second shots.

12 flamethrower tanks and 4 linear tanks took part in the assault on Sevastopol in 1942 as part of the 223rd separate tank company (according to other sources, the 1st company of the 224th tank battalion).

A number of Renault UE armored personnel carriers have been adapted as armored tractors for small fuel tanks or trailers with ammunition. Vehicles with 1-2 machine guns installed were used to accompany infantry, guard rear areas and airfields.

Outdated Renault FT tanks performed police functions in the occupied areas, cleared snow from airfields (they were equipped with bulldozer blades), and escorted military trains on platforms in partisan areas.

Dark water in the clouds

The stronger the enemy, the more honorable the Victory. And even more so, the Germans, even in works called classic (for example, Müller-Hillebrand), do not want to remember that upon closer examination of the armies of the Barbarossa plan, one can find an extra hundred or two tanks and self-propelled artillery units (SPG).

On December 17, 1940, it was decided to install the swinging part of the 37-mm PaK36 anti-tank gun on 700 Renault UE infantry tractors (3.7cm PaK auf Renault UE(f)) for use in anti-tank units of the 11th and 12th line infantry divisions ( waves). I especially draw your attention to the fact that in Halder’s diary (-12/17/40) the entry reads as “700 Genilet vehicles (out of 1,200 available) for anti-tank units.” This should not be misleading, since the Infanterie Schlepper UE 630(f) infantry tractor was designated Renault UE / AMX UE / Chenillette Lorraine in the French army.

The exact number of such self-propelled guns used on the Eastern Front is unknown, but according to some data, in addition to the infantry divisions, they were equipped with six tank destroyer divisions of the RGK, the 463rd (Mountain Rifle Corps of the Norwegian Army), the 525th (49th Mountain Rifle Corps of the 17th oh PA Army Group (GA) "South"), 652nd (3rd MK 1st TGG GA "South"), 654th (12th Armk 2nd TGG GA "Center"), 560- 1st (11th Army Corps of the 11th PA GA "South") and 563rd (1st company in the 18th PA; 2nd, 3rd companies in the 26th Army Corps of the 18th PA GA "North" "), a total of 216 cars, 36 in the division.

On December 23, 40, the Alquette company received an order to develop a tank destroyer on the chassis of the Renault R-35 light tank with a Czech 47-mm anti-tank gun (4.7cm PaK(t) auf Pz.Kpfw 35R(f)). In May 1941, 93 self-propelled guns were produced (81 linear, 12 commander) and by June 22 another 33 units. Command vehicles were armed only with a machine gun and had an additional radio station.

These self-propelled guns (93 units) were equipped with the 559th, 561st and 611th tank destroyer divisions of the RGK, each with 31 vehicles (27 linear and 4 commander). The divisions were assigned to the 56th Tank Tank of the 4th TGr GA "North" (von Manstein), the 9th PA GA "Center" and the 48th MK of the 2nd TGG GA "Center", respectively.

In Halder's diary (-02/18/41) there is an entry about Renault tractors for a 210 mm mortar (250 in total). Most likely we are talking about light Renault R-35 tanks with the turret removed. It is doubtful that a Renault UE infantry tractor weighing 2 tons could pull an 11-ton 210 mm mortar. With the help of the Renault R-35, for use in the East, the Germans motorized three divisions of mortars (- 02/18/41) (division No. 2 was used in the North Civil Defense Forces, - 08/01/41).

On June 22, 1941, there were 6 armored trains in the East with Somua S-35 medium tanks installed on special platforms. Using folding ramps, tanks could slide down to the ground to take part in battle as part of the so-called “landing groups.” Armored trains No. 26, 27, 28 each had 3 tanks, No. 29, 30, 31 - two each, for a total of 15 vehicles. S-35s of the 28th armored train were assigned to the 45th Infantry Division during the assault on the Brest Fortress.

On June 4, 1941, the 102nd flamethrower battalion was formed, equipped with B-1bis linear and flamethrower tanks. He became part of the 4th Army Corps of the 17th PA GA "South", operating in the summer of 41 during breakthroughs of fortified areas (fortified areas).

In June-August 42, 179 Lorraine tractors were armed with 75-mm PaK40 anti-tank guns (7.5cm PaK 40-1 auf LS(f) / Sd.Kfz.135 Marder I). "Marder" I was used in addition to the West and on the Eastern Front. In the 559th fighter division, as of January 12, 43, there were 12 vehicles (Armk Kramer GA B), in the infantry divisions (as of December 43), the 31st (4 units), 35th (2), 36th oh (1), 72nd (4), 206th (7), 256th (7), 384th (14).

On July 5, 1941, the 204th Tank Regiment was formed in the West using French tanks. On September 25, it was re-equipped with German vehicles (at least partially) and became the basis for the formation of the 22nd Panzer Division. In March 42, the division was transferred to the Crimea, where it included the 223rd separate tank company, equipped with B-1s and several remaining Somua S-35s.

In December 1942, the 18th police regiment was transferred to Finland, armed with 20 Renault R-35 tanks and 12 ADGZ armored vehicles.

In addition to tanks and armored vehicles, armored half-track tractors, such as the Citroen-Kegresse P302(f), Somua MCL\MCG S303(f) and Panhard-Kegresse P380(f), were widely used on the Eastern Front as ammunition transporters. , infantry or VET. The most famous vehicle of this type was the armored self-propelled multiple rocket launcher on the Somua S303(f) chassis, equipped with 10 tubular-type guides for German 150-mm 15-cm Panzerwerfer-42 auf m.gep Zgkw missiles. S303(f) or 24 rail guides (for a replica of the Soviet unguided 82-mm rocket RS-82, 8cm R-Vielfachwerfer auf m.gep.Zgkw. S303(f), used exclusively in the SS troops).

According to some sources, in 1942-43. In the battles with the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), self-propelled howitzers based on the Lorraine 37L armored tractor took part in the German tank divisions: 10.5cm leFH 18/4 auf Lorraine Schlepper(f), an analogue of the Wespe self-propelled gun, and Sd.Kfz. 135/1 15cm sFH 13/1 auf Lorraine Schlepper(f), analogue of the Hummel self-propelled gun.

French tanks also fought in the armies of the Reich's satellite countries, as of June 22, 1941 the following numbers: Romania - 75 Renault R-35 and 52 Renault UE tractors, Hungary - 3 Renault R-35, Bulgaria - 40 Renault R-35.

According to German data, as of June 1943 there were:

1. In Finland - 33 Hotchkiss H-39 tanks, 16 Somua S-35 tanks (211st TB);
2. In GA "Center" - 15 Hotchkiss N-39 tanks, 2 Somua S-35 tanks, 18 Panars;
3. In GA "South" - 12 armored vehicles "Panar"
4. In GA A there are 6 B-1 tanks.

In Halder's diary there are interesting entries from which we can conclude that French tanks were used without any special modifications for their intended purpose both on the front line and for patrolling the occupied territories of the USSR.

Entry dated 09/15/41: from among the French captured tanks, which have already partially arrived at our disposal, the following are being transferred to the troops: 22 Renault tanks (35 and 40 Renault tanks have already been sent to Serbia on September 12 and 13); 30 Renault tanks, sent from Paris on 09/13/41, as well as 15 Renault tanks, which will be sent from Paris on 09/16–17/41. A total of 67 tanks will be transferred. Until February - March 1942, we will have approximately 800 captured tanks for use in rear areas in the East and South-East. ( And we are still surprised how the Germans coped with the partisans. )

Entry dated 10/09/41: information about the use of captured tanks at the front as of 10/9/1941. In Russia: Army Group "South" - 16 tanks (5 more tanks will be transferred there in October); Army Group Center - 42 tanks (another 20 tanks will be sent to the front in October and November); Army Group North - 23 tanks (5 more tanks will be sent to the front in October).

During 1941, the Wehrmacht practically did not use captured Soviet tanks; by the end of the year, according to various sources, from 30...80 vehicles were used. It should also be noted that the decision was made not “from above”, but directly in the combat units; the tanks underwent minor repairs in field workshops and were used until they were knocked out.

Thus, the entry dated 10/09/41 most likely refers to French equipment - a total of 111 vehicles in three army groups.

This is indirectly confirmed by the memoirs of our veterans, who discovered “extra” tanks where they seemed to have absolutely no place.

On June 22, Lieutenant Petrov’s 152-mm battery was attacked by German tanks. After several shots at close range, two tanks literally fell apart, the rest retreated. According to the seized documents, the tanks belonged to the reconnaissance battalion of the 14th Panzer Division. French inscriptions glowed phosphorescently on the wreckage of the instrument panels. According to official German documents, the 36th tank regiment of the 14th TD was equipped exclusively with German equipment, and the 40th reconnaissance battalion had only armored vehicles.

During the battles in the Lutsk-Rovno-Brody area, Katukov’s tankers (20th TD of the 9th MHC) collided with the 13th TD (14th MK of the 1st TGr). The battlefield remained with the Katukovites; destroyed German and Czechoslovak tanks were discovered, as well as tanks of the Renault, Schneider-Creusot types and the English Carden-Lloyd tankette.

With Renault the question is clear - most likely R-35 (or Hotchkiss N-35\39). With "Schneider-Creuzot" it is more difficult; this company produced only medium two-gun B-1s, which, in theory, were in warehouses until 1942. But the example of the 102nd Flamethrower Battalion shows that these tanks visited the Eastern Front six months before their official commissioning.

The 13th Panzer Division was created in October 1940 in Romania as a training division and was transferred to the Soviet border in May. Apparently it was equipped with both German and captured vehicles, and due to a lack of equipment, it was sent to the front in “as is” condition.

On May 31, 1943, the Wehrmacht had 696 French tanks and armored personnel carriers at its disposal on all fronts. If we add up the equipment that has been used by the Germans “as is” since 1940, converted into self-propelled guns, UZOs, transporters, artillery observer vehicles and command vehicles, then, strictly speaking, 1,500-2,000 units of armored vehicles have disappeared somewhere imperceptibly . The water in the clouds is dark...

The last clashes of the Red Army troops with French tanks of the battle groups of the SS divisions Prince Eugene, Handshar, Skanderberg and Kama took place in the fall of 1944 during the battles for Yugoslavia. So, during the battles for Belgrade, the Hotchkiss H-39 and Renault R-35 tanks of the 200th tank battalion and the 21st SS battalion, according to German data, knocked out 13 T-34/85 and about 100 unarmored targets, and also suffered losses from attacks by Il-2 attack aircraft.

The main tactical and technical characteristics of captured French armored vehicles of the Wehrmacht

Tank Pz.Kpfw.	Renault R35 731(f) easy	Hotchkiss H35 734(f) easy	Hotchkiss H38-39 735(f) easy	Somua S35 739(f) Average	Renault B2 740(f) average
Combat weight, t	10,6	12	12	20	32
Crew, people	2	2	2	3	4
Ud. power, hp/t	7,7	6,3	10	9,5	9,6
Max. speed, km/h	20	36	36	37	28
Power reserve along the highway, km	140	150	150	257	150
Obstacles wall height, m ditch width, m ford depth, m climb	0,5 1,6 0,7 20°	0,5 1,6 0,6 24°	0,5 1,6 0,6 24°	0,75 2,13 1,00 35°	0,93 2,74 1,47 40°
Engine	"Renault" carb. 82 hp	"Hotchkiss" carb. H35 - 75 hp	"Hotchkiss" carb. H38-39 - 120 hp	"Somua" carb. 190 hp	"Renault" carb. 307 hp
Dimensions, mm length width height	4200 1850 2376	4225 1850 2145	4225 1850 2145	5380 2120 2630	6520 2500 2790
Reservation, mm tower forehead of the body board stern body roof bottom	44 32 40 ? 15 ?	44 40 40 ? 12 ?	44 40 40 ? 12 ?	56 40 40 40 20 ?	56 60 60 55 25 20
Armament guns quantity caliber, mm type Machine guns	1 37 SA18 L\21 1x7.5mm	1 37 SA18 L\21 1x7.5mm	1 37 SA38 L\33 1x7.5mm	1 47 SA35 L\34 1x7.5 mm	2 47+75 SA35 L\34 SA35 L\17.1 2x7.5 mm
Ammunition, pcs. shells Patrons	100	100	100	118	47 mm - 50 75 mm - 74 5100
Means of communication	FuG 5
Note - instead of a 75 mm gun, a flamethrower could be installed on the B-1Bis tank

The R35 is the most popular light French tank of World War II. Strange as it may seem, the initiator of the appearance of a new Renault tank in the French army was the Hotchkiss company. The fact is that the new tank was created on her initiative - a rare case in French tank building.

PERIPETES OF CREATION

Typically, French firms waited for the moment when the army “matured” and developed the tactical and technical requirements for a new type of weapon. However, this was not the case with the light infantry support tank. The director of the Hotchkiss company was an Englishman, and he decided to bring a fresh breath into French tank building by proposing to the military to adopt the Hotchkiss combat vehicle. As a result, in 1933, the Armaments Advisory Council put forward a technical specification for a new tank, developed jointly with specialists from the Hotchkiss company - weight 6 tons, crew two people, armament two machine guns or a small-caliber gun, armor 30 mm, speed 8-10 km/ h. All this was very reminiscent of the FT17, except perhaps for the thickness of the armor. The French military continued to breathe the air of the First World War and think in its categories. The tank was considered exclusively as an “appendage” of the infantry.

A competition was announced in which 14 firms took part. Hotchkiss had clear advantages. For example, this company received an order for the production of three prototypes on June 30, 1933, while other companies only saw the technical requirements for the tank for the first time on August 2. However, “the music didn’t play for long”! Of the 14 companies, only four remained in business, and in 1935, Hotchkiss was completely moved: according to the results of comparative tests in August - September 1935, the Renault tank was declared the winner. It is difficult to say how honestly the Renault guys won, but it is reliably known that the order for the first 300 char leger modele 1935 R cars was issued to Renault on April 29, 1935. And this despite the fact that the tank had poor terrain maneuverability, was cramped, weighed more than 10 tons, did not suit the military in terms of weapons, etc. Nevertheless, the order was issued. The first production tank, the R35, left the factory floor on June 4, 1936.

DESIGN

The R35 tank had a classic layout with a front-mounted transmission.

The engine compartment occupied the entire rear part of the hull. The engine was placed on the right, and the gas tanks, radiator and fan were on the left. The fighting compartment occupied the entire middle part of the hull. A turret was installed at the top of the fighting compartment. The control compartment was located in the front of the hull. It contained all the vehicle controls, instrumentation, as well as the differential, axle shafts, brakes and the driver's seat.

The tank's hull consisted of cast parts and rolled armor plates and was assembled on a frame of angles using bolts. The APX-R turret is cast, with a rotating but not folding commander's cupola - a dome. To enter the tank, there was a hatch in the rear wall of the turret. In front of the turret was installed a 37 mm Puteaux SA18 cannon with a barrel length of 21 calibers and a 7.5 mm Chatellerault mod machine gun. 1931. The cannon's recoil devices and machine gun were protected by a common armor mantlet. The cannon and machine gun were aimed at the target using a telescopic sight mounted to the left of the cannon. The guidance mechanism was a shoulder rest.

The ammunition consisted of 116 rounds and 2,400 rounds of ammunition (16 magazines). All shots were placed in special stowage in one box, fixed to the side on the left side of the fighting compartment.

MODERNIZATION

The main disadvantage of the R35 was the weakness of its weapons. The new tanks were armed with guns dismantled from the old FT17 tanks! This was motivated by the presence of a large amount of ammunition and the high cost of developing a new weapon. Such savings, of course, did not lead to anything good. An armor-piercing projectile fired from an SA18 cannon at a distance of 1,000 m only penetrated 15 mm armor normally!

To install the SA38 gun, the turret had to be modernized. It received the APX index R1, and the tank with this turret received the R39 index. However, very few tanks of this modification were produced - only 64 vehicles (according to other sources - 273, which seems unlikely), since SA38 guns were mainly used for the Hotchkiss light tanks.

In addition to attempts to strengthen weapons, steps were also taken towards modernizing the chassis. Two years after the R35 was adopted, specialists from Renault and AMX developed several versions of the updated chassis. Renault engineers took the path of simple modernization, but AMX offered a completely new chassis developed for its AMX38 tank. It included 12 road wheels and four support rollers on board, as well as a rear drive wheel. The chassis elements were protected by a bulwark.

The shape of the tank's hull remained almost unchanged; the ARX R1 turret was equipped with a 37-mm SA38 cannon. The combat weight was 12.5 tons. The prototype of the new tank entered testing on February 16, 1939, and soon it was put into service under the name R40. Until the war began, this tank was considered as another modification of the R35 and was supposed to be produced in parallel with it. However, circumstances soon changed - from February 1940, starting with 1501 cars, they planned to replace the serial R35 on the assembly line. While production of the R40 was underway, production of the R35 continued, so that the improved tanks began production with only 1,541 units.

COMBAT USE

The French Army used the R35, R39 and R40 tanks in all theaters of war. As of May 1940, there were 945 vehicles in Europe, of which 810 were in separate tank battalions assigned to field armies, and 135 in the 4th Panzer Division Reserve (DCR).

There were several colonial units in North Africa equipped with R35 tanks. The 68th tank battalion was stationed in Syria, and the 62nd and 63rd battalions were stationed in Algeria and Tunisia.

With the fall of the French government, all colonial units came under the rule of the Vichy government, on whose orders they fought with the British, Americans and “free” French, defending overseas possessions in Syria and Morocco from the invasion of former allies.

After the end of hostilities in 1940, all serviceable and faulty R35 tanks were sent by the Germans to the Renault plant in Paris, where they were subject to repair and restoration. Due to its slow speed, the R35 was not intended to be used as a battle tank, and about 100 vehicles were subsequently used by the Germans for security duty. 25 of them took part in battles with Yugoslav partisans. Most of the tanks were equipped with German radio stations. The domed commander's cupola was replaced with a flat double-leaf hatch.

The Germans transferred part of the R35 to their allies: 109 to Italy and 40 to Bulgaria. In December 1940, the Berlin company Alkett received an order to convert 200 R35 tanks into self-propelled guns armed with a Czech 47-mm anti-tank gun. A similar self-propelled gun on the chassis of the German Pz.1 tank was used as a prototype. At the beginning of February 1941, the first self-propelled gun based on the R35 left the factory floor. The gun was installed in a wheelhouse open at the top, located on the site of the dismantled turret. The frontal sheet of the cabin had a thickness of 25 mm, and the side sheets were 20 mm thick. The vertical pointing angle of the gun ranged from -8° to +12°, and the horizontal angle was 35″. A German radio station was located in the aft niche of the cabin. The crew consisted of three people. Combat weight - 10.9 tons. On a trial basis, one self-propelled gun of this type in 1941 was armed with a German 50-mm Pak 38 anti-tank gun.

Of the 200 vehicles ordered, 174 were manufactured as self-propelled guns, and 26 as command vehicles. The latter did not have a cannon installed, and there was no embrasure in the front deck of the cabin. Instead, an MG34 machine gun was mounted in a Kugelblende 30 ball mount.

The remaining R35 tanks, after the turrets were dismantled, served in the Wehrmacht as artillery tractors for 150 mm howitzers and 210 mm mortars. The towers were installed on the Atlantic Wall as fixed firing points.

In addition to the French army, the R35 was in service in Poland (53), Yugoslavia (50), Romania (41) and Turkey (100). After 1940, the German authorities continued to sell tanks: 109 vehicles went to Italy, and 40 to Bulgaria.

The contract for the supply of 100 R35 tanks to Poland was concluded in April 1939. In July, the first 49 vehicles arrived in Poland. Of these, the 21st battalion was formed, stationed on the Romanian border. Most of the R35s crossed the border at the end of September and then became part of the Romanian army. At the beginning of 1940, Yugoslavia purchased 50 R35 tanks from France. In 1939, the Romanians purchased 41 R35 tanks from France. Of these, the 2nd Tank Regiment was formed. In September 1939, they were supplemented by 34 Polish R35s interned in Romania.

In 1943-1944, 30 R35 tanks were re-equipped with Soviet 45 mm tank guns, and they received the name R35/45. The last time the R35 saw action was with the 5th Dragoon Regiment of the French Army during the liberation of France in 1944-1945.

engine's type

History of creation

Work on creating a new light tank began only in the early 1930s, as a private initiative of the Hotchkiss company. The results of preliminary developments were considered promising by the military, and in August 1933 a competition was initiated for the development of a product that met the following requirements:

• Weight: no more than 6 tons
• Crew: 2 people
• Armament: 2 machine guns or small-caliber cannon
• Reservation: vertical - at least 30 mm
• Average driving speed: 8-10 km/h

Thus, the project was, in fact, the same modernized FT-17, which differed from its predecessor mainly in reinforced armor, the requirement for which was further increased to 40 mm after testing a 25 mm anti-tank gun in June 1934. The concept of the tank met the tactical requirements of the First World War: the task of the new tank was to suppress firing points and defeat enemy personnel when fighting in the same formation with infantry; no significant attention was paid to anti-tank capabilities. Limited funding for the army at that time led to requirements for maximizing the cost and reducing the resource intensity of tank production.

Fourteen firms submitted preliminary designs, of which seven were selected by 1934. Of these, only four were ordered to build a prototype - Delano-Belleville, FCM, Batignolles-Chatillon and Renault. Three more prototypes were meanwhile built by Hotchkiss. After testing, the Delano-Belleville and Batignolles-Chatillon cars were rejected and subsequently only the Renault, Hotchkiss and FCM projects went into production. The Renault prototype was presented to the state commission for testing on December 20, 1934. Although their results revealed such shortcomings of the new tank as low cross-country ability and a significant excess of weight over the design, nevertheless, by 1935, with the condition that minor deficiencies identified during testing were eliminated, it was put into service under the designation “ Light tank "Renault" model 1935"(French Char léger modèle 1935 R) or simply R 35 .

Serial production and further development

The first order for 300 copies of the R 35 for the French Army was issued by Renault on April 29, 1935, and a number of subsequent ones brought the total number of ordered vehicles to 1,800 units by 1939. Another 500 were ordered after the start of the war. Another 550 vehicles were export orders. In reality, by September 1939, 1070 R 35s were delivered to the French Army, while the total number of vehicles of all modifications produced before the surrender of France in June 1940 is estimated at approximately 1400 units, including 4 1st Panzer Division under Colonel Charles de Gaulle, of which about 1,300 entered French service.

Modifications

• R 35- 1935 - basic modification, the thickness of the side walls of the turret with an angle of inclination of 32° was 40 mm, the front part - 43 mm, 37 mm SA18 L/21 gun. 1237 units produced
• R 39- 1939 - modification, with SA 38 cannon with a barrel length of 34 calibers, 273 units were produced
• R 40- 1940 - option with a new chassis of 6 small-diameter road wheels on board with suspension on vertical springs, about 120 units were produced

Description of design

Armament

The main armament of the early R 35 was a 37 mm SA 18 semi-automatic cannon, similar to that installed on the FT-17 tanks. The gun was mounted in a coaxial mount with a machine gun on horizontal and vertical axles in the frontal part of the turret, which allowed it to swing in both the vertical and horizontal planes. Guidance in the vertical plane, within −11...+19°, and precise guidance in the horizontal plane, within ±5°, were carried out by rocking the installation by the vehicle commander using a shoulder rest; rough horizontal guidance was carried out by turning the turret. To aim the twin mount, a telescopic optical sight was used, mounted to the left of the gun. On tanks of later production, known as R 39, the SA 18 was replaced by the new SA 38 gun of the same caliber, but characterized by an increased barrel length and more powerful ammunition and, as a result, an increased muzzle velocity of the projectile to 701 m/s and better armor penetration, reaching 30 mm at a distance of 1000 meters. The ammunition of the SA 18 gun consisted of 116 rounds of ammunition, placed in stacks in a box on the left side of the fighting compartment.

The auxiliary armament of the R 35 of all modifications consisted of a 7.5 mm MAC 1931 machine gun, located in a coaxial mount to the right of the gun. The machine gun's ammunition consisted of 2,400 rounds in 16 drum magazines of 150 each. Of the 16 stores, 6 were stowed on the starboard side of the hull, 7 on the left side and another 3 on the propeller shaft casing.

Surveillance and communications equipment

R 35 observation equipment consisted of binocular viewing devices (“episcopes”) and viewing slits. Binocular viewing devices were simple paired viewing windows, closed on the inside with protective glass and could be closed from the outside with an armored shutter; the protective glass and armored shutter also had viewing slits. On tanks of early production, the tank commander had three binocular viewing devices - on the left in the frontal part of the turret and along the sides, as well as viewing slits in the aft hatch cover and in the rotating turret cap. Binocular viewing devices, however, showed their excessive vulnerability, so on later tanks they were replaced with viewing slits. To monitor the terrain, the driver had three viewing slits in the upper frontal part of the hull - one, which did not have an armored flap, in the cover of his hatch and two on the sides of the hatch.

External communication on the R 35 was initially carried out only using flag signaling, including on command vehicles. Communication between the tanks and the infantry they were supposed to support was carried out using couriers. By the end of the 1930s, radio stations began to be installed on command vehicles ER 54, which served to connect unit commanders with infantry, but the number of tanks equipped with them was small. Communication between the tanks in the unit was still carried out using flag signaling; only the tanks of the 24th tank battalion were fully equipped with radio stations. There were no special means of intercom on the R 35.

Engine and transmission

The R 35 of all modifications was equipped with an in-line 4-cylinder liquid-cooled carburetor engine manufactured by Renault, which developed a power of 82 hp. at 2200 rpm. The engine was located in the right half of the engine compartment along the longitudinal axis of the hull. Two fuel tanks, with a total capacity of 150 liters, were located one above the other to the left of the engine, in the front of the engine compartment. The space behind them, closer to the stern, was occupied by a radiator and other components of the cooling system, which, in addition to the engine, simultaneously cooled the lubrication system of the transmission.

• Double-disc main dry friction clutch (ferodo by ferodo), mounted in the engine flywheel housing
• Three-way four-speed (4+1) manual transmission
• Driveshaft, which ran along the right half of the fighting compartment and connected the gearbox to the rest of the transmission located in the frontal part
• The main brake, which served to stop the tank
• A turning mechanism consisting of a double differential and two band brakes, used only for turning the car
• Two single-stage final drives

Chassis

The undercarriage of the R 35 on each side consisted of a drive wheel, a cast idler, five rubberized single road wheels and three rubberized support rollers. The road wheels had a mixed suspension. The four front rollers were interlocked in two “scissor-type” carts, which consisted of two balancers hinged to each other, in the lower part of which there was a roller, and the upper parts were pivotally connected to each other through an elastic element, which was a rubber spring. The fifth roller was suspended on a single balancer, the spring of which was connected at its other end to the tank hull. The R 35 tracks are steel, small-linked, double-ridged, lantern gear, each consisting of 126 tracks 260 mm wide and with a pitch of 65 mm.

Vehicles based

Used

• Bulgaria Bulgaria- in April 1941, 40 captured French tanks were delivered by Germany to the Bulgarian army
• - according to various sources, from 800 to 840 tanks
• - according to various sources, from 109 to 124, perhaps approximately 140 tanks. Captured vehicles transferred by the German allies in 1941 to the Italian army, which felt an acute shortage of armored vehicles. In Italy they received the designation M.R.35. They were originally intended to be used in Africa, but due to problems with spare parts and ammunition they remained in Italy. The French radios on these tanks were replaced with Italian ones.
• Poland Poland- 53 tanks According to other sources - 100 tanks. The 21st light tank battalion has 45 tanks.
• Romania Romania- 41 tanks Another 34 Polish tanks were interned in Romania and included in the Romanian armed forces.
• Syria Syria
• Türkiye Türkiye- according to various sources, from 50 to 100 tanks
• - about 1300 tanks
• Vichy mode
• Croatia Croatia
• Yugoslavia Yugoslavia- according to various sources, in 1940, from 50 to 54 tanks were purchased from France; after the occupation of Yugoslavia in 1941, some of the Yugoslav tanks were captured by German troops. Later they were used in the Balkans for security and police service and fighting partisans
• Switzerland Switzerland- 12 French tanks were interned in Switzerland and included in the Swiss armed forces.

Operation and combat use

Third Reich

The first R 35s were captured by the Wehrmacht during the French campaign and were, although in limited numbers, immediately used against their recent owners. Subsequently, the R 35 was used mainly for counter-guerrilla operations and security tasks. Thus, at least several dozen R 35s were used by the Wehrmacht and SS troops on the territory of Yugoslavia until 1945. In this role it received relatively high praise from the soldiers who used it, due to its small size allowing it to be used on narrow roads in mountainous terrain. About 200 R 35s with their turrets removed were used in the attack on the USSR in 1941, of which 110 were used as artillery tractors, the rest as ARVs or ammunition carriers. A certain number of R 35s were also used on the Western Front in 1944, in addition, turrets removed from some tanks were used in the fortifications of the Atlantic Wall.

In the summer of 1943, R-35 tanks of the 131st regiment of the Italian army were used in battles on the island of Sicily

Other countries

Syria

Romania

As of February 1945, Romanian tank forces consisted only of the 2nd Tank Regiment. It was armed with 2 companies of R-35 tanks with a total of 28 units. Their main modernization involved replacing the standard gun with the Soviet 20-K tank gun. The regiment suffered its main losses in the battles for Czechoslovakia and Austria.

Machine evaluation

Design and development potential

Armament and security

Tactics and combat use

Analogs

The R 35 belonged to the category of light infantry support tanks, the first representative of which was the FT-17 back in the First World War. In France itself, the R 35 shared this tactical niche with the H 35 tank, developed on its basis and almost identical in all respects, and the FCM 36, which also had similar characteristics, but was much more expensive and, as a result, produced in a small series. The closest foreign analogue of the R 35, as well as the only mass-produced light tank with anti-ballistic armor produced outside France during the interwar period, was the British Matilda Mk.I, whose mass production began in 1937. "Matilda" was created largely within the same concept as the R 35 - a two-seat infantry tank with projectile-proof armor and relatively weak weapons, developed under conditions of lack of funding. At the same time, in Matilda the balance of parameters was seriously shifted towards armor, which had a thickness of 60-65 mm on vertical surfaces, which made it almost invulnerable to first-generation anti-tank guns. On the other hand, the speed of the Matilda did not exceed 13 km/h on the highway, and all of its armament consisted of a 7.7 mm machine gun, only a small part of the vehicles were armed with a 15 mm machine gun, which gave them at least some opportunities for fighting enemy armored vehicles.

Most of the light tanks of other countries in the 1930s, such as the British

Renault R35 is a French tier 2 light tank.

The most produced French tank as of May 10, 1940 - the beginning of the French campaign. It features excellent armor for its level (40 mm frontal armor and sides of the hull, 32 mm rear hull, 40 mm turret all around). In addition, it has very good vertical aiming angles: −16/+20.

Historical reference

Developed in 1934 as an infantry escort tank. Compared to the FCM 36, it is not so innovative: the hull is made of cast elements with bolts, the armor plates are installed almost vertically. On the other hand, the assembly technique, more familiar to industry, ensured an acceptable cost for the machine.

The R35 weighed 10.6 tons and was armed with a 37 mm short-barreled cannon and a rifle-caliber machine gun. The maximum armor thickness reached 44 millimeters. The crew consisted of two people. In 1938, the tank was modified by installing a long-barreled 37 mm gun and improving the chassis. The weight of the new vehicle has increased to 12.5 tons, this modification is known under the designation R40. About 120 such tanks were produced.

Renault R35 is the most popular French light tank of the Second World War. About 1,500 copies of the car were built, of which more than 550 were exported. The French army used these tanks in all theaters of war: Europe, Syria, Tunisia, Algeria.

Specifications

(top equipment, 100% crew)

Level: 2
Durability: 170
Power: 82 hp
Weight: 10,579 tons
Specific power: 7.75 hp/t
Maximum speed: 23/12 km/h
Body rotation speed: 34 degrees/sec
Soil resistance: 1.151/1.247/2.397
Turret rotation speed: 24 degrees/sec
Review: 300
Walkie Talkie: 290

Hull armor: 40/40/?
Tower armor: 40/40/?

Top gun: 37 mm SA38 (stock gun - 37 mm APX SA 18 with 29mm pen, second gun - 25 mm autocannon Mle 1934 with 46 pen)
Damage: 40/40/45
Penetration: 34/64/24
Rate of fire: 23.077
Damage per minute: 923.1
Reload speed: 2.6
Accuracy: 0.48
Mixing time: 2 s
Declination/elevation angle: -16/+20

This project culminated in the creation of the 14-ton Renault D1, which in size and combat weight was closer to middle-class vehicles. D1 was plagued by many technical problems. And it was not massive: against the backdrop of more than 3.5 thousand Renault FTs that had to be replaced, 160 of these tanks looked like a drop in the ocean. In a word, the French infantry command was thinking hard. The fruit of these thoughts was the new Renault R 35 tank, which played a fatal role in the defeat of France in the summer of 1940.

Back to 6-ton class

New impetus for the further development of French tanks was given by armor manufacturing technology. At that time, armor plates were usually connected to each other using rivets. Riveted joints were quite suitable as bulletproof protection, but the design of the housings turned out to be quite complex. The first to at least partially use welding in the manufacture of hulls were the Germans in the 20s, but no one knew about their tanks due to increased secrecy. Another alternative was casting. Even the very first Renault FTs had cast nose parts of the hulls and cast turrets, but for a number of reasons this technology did not immediately catch on in production. The French returned to casting again only at the beginning of the 30s - and even then, at first limiting themselves to towers.

Meanwhile, the use of cast parts promised a noticeable simplification in the manufacture of cases. At the same time, the part turned out to be definitely stronger than the riveted structure. The pioneers who ventured to propose the massive introduction of casting in the production of tanks were engineers from the Hotchkiss company from Saint-Denis (now this city north of Paris has turned into one of its suburbs). The arms giant presented its first combat vehicle back in 1909, but it was an armored car, and for the time being this company had nothing to do with tanks. However, the concept proposed by the Hotchkiss engineers was of great interest to the infantry command of the French army. When the armor thickness was 30 mm or more, the manufacturability of casting was higher. In addition, the Hotchkiss company proposed in this way to create a light tank, which the French infantry so lacked.

Model of the Renault ZM light tank. Particular attention to the tower: it was like this only on the model

However, the French army did not dare to farm out such an important project to a company that had not previously worked with tanks at all. On August 2, 1933, requirements were formulated for the development of a new light tank, which was supposed to replace the hopelessly outdated Renault FT. The requirements largely overlapped with those that were once presented to the future Renault D1. According to them, the new tank was supposed to have 30 mm thick armor and be armed with either two machine guns or a 37 mm caliber cannon. The difference was that the combat weight of the new tank had to remain at the level of the Renault FT (6 tons). The same applied to the size of its crew (2 people). The average speed should have been very similar - 8–10 km/h. In a word, the military “ordered” the same Renault FT, but with protection against heavy machine guns.

Renault ZM prototype in testing, late 1934

It was not by chance that such an idea was born among the French infantry. According to the views of the infantry command, since the First World War, the tactics of combat operations on land by the beginning of the 30s had hardly changed. The successes of the Renault FT in the battles of 1918 created the illusion that the massive use of light infantry vehicles was the main way to use tanks. By this logic, it turned out that the more tanks produced, the better, and in the context of falling defense costs, small two-seater vehicles, combining low price and thick armor, looked like a real lifesaver. The fact that in the rest of the world there had long been a tendency towards an increase in the speed of tanks and their transformation from a means of reinforcing infantry into a separate mobile branch of troops, the French military did not seem to notice.

14 firms responded to the specification dated August 2, 1933. One of the first among them was Renault. At that time, the locomotive of French tank building was engaged in a number of parallel projects. Among them was the Renault VM reconnaissance wedge, created for cavalry and later adopted for service under the designation AMR 33. Around the same time, work was underway on another vehicle for cavalry - Renault VO (this was the second vehicle with that name). The concept of a small tank with a front-mounted transmission, tested at these sites, became the starting point for the development of a new light tank for infantry. By the way, the French borrowed this concept from the British: the Renault VM “grew” from the Renault UE transporter, and that, in turn, was a French development of the English Carden-Loyd wedge.

Despite the fact that the combat weight of the vehicle was not 6, but 7.5 tons, it drove quite well off-road

The concept of a new light infantry tank, designated the Renault ZM, began to take shape by the beginning of 1934. The engineers did not look for difficult ways and actually reworked the Renault VM concept in a new way. The tank received a body assembled mainly from cast parts. In its shape, it closely resembled a cavalry wedge. The driving rollers and transmission were in front, the fighting compartment was moved slightly back. At the same time, the driver was in the wheelhouse shifted to the left. This made it possible to make the tank very compact. Suffice it to say that in length it turned out to be only slightly longer than the Renault FT. Despite the displacement of the fighting compartment to the rear, the engine, unlike the Renault VM, was not located directly in it. On the starboard side there was a gearbox and a shaft to the transmission. This technical solution made it possible to avoid one of the main disadvantages of such a scheme - the increase in the height of the body. The chassis was also not created from scratch, but was borrowed from the Renault VO.

Renault ZM with APX R turret. Spring 1935

It was decided to arm the prototype tank with a pair of machine guns. The original design of the tower, which, by the way, was designed as a cannon tower, was a domed structure with a cannon shifted to the right. After carrying out calculations, Renault engineers came to the conclusion that with this arrangement there is very little space left inside. The turret was redesigned, and the result was a completely different design, more reminiscent of the Renault VM, but made by casting. There were hatches at the back and top of the tower. In this form, the tank entered testing by December 1934, ahead of all competitors. However, by that time the conditions of the competition had changed somewhat.

Taking over the lead

On May 22, 1934, the infantry command changed the specification for a light infantry support tank. According to its new edition, the thickness of the armor increased to 40 mm, since now the tank had to “withstand” a shot from a 25-mm cannon. The customers refused the machine gun version of the weapon. In addition, the maximum speed increased and should have reached 15–20 km/h. By that time, out of 14 companies, only 7 had already taken part in the competition, and in reality the military signed contracts for production with four: Delaunay Belleville, Compagnie générale de Construction de locomotives (Batignolles-Châtillon), Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée (FCM) and Renault .

Drawing of a tank hull with armor thickened to 40 mm. By the way, on the drawings the tank is still designated as Renault ZM

Since by that time Renault had already built a prototype ZM, it came out exactly as required by the original specification. They did not build another vehicle: on December 20, 1934, the commission was presented with a converted prototype, the armor thickness of which remained at 30 mm. Only the turret armor was thickened to 40 mm, as a result of which the tank's combat weight increased to 7.5 tons. After the demonstration to the commission, additional changes began to be made to the experienced Renault ZM. For example, fenders appeared, and the muffler moved from the stern to the left side.

The main change was the new turret, which was installed on the tank at the beginning of 1935. Its creators were engineers from the Ateliers de Puteaux (APX) tank unit. This weapons giant also entered into a competition to create a 6-ton tank, but was never given funding to build a prototype. This did not stop APX from building its prototype, and even earlier, on April 18, 1934, APX designers presented a design for a new turret, designated APX R (APX Rueil). It was this tower that was “registered” on the prototype Renault ZM. It turned out to be noticeably better than Renault’s own design, and most importantly, it carried weapons that met the specifications, consisting of a 37-mm SA 18 cannon and a MAC Mle.1931 machine gun.

“Reference” Renault R 35, registration number 50004

We should also talk about the weapons installed in the tank. The fact is that the SA 18 cannon, used in the Renault FT, did not suit the French military already in 1926. The reasons why the SA 18 ended up as a weapon on the new tank were purely economic. Firstly, a rather difficult financial situation forced the French infantry to save on everything - even on metal for the production of new tanks. This, in fact, was one of the reasons for the appearance of an analogue of the Renault FT, with more powerful armor, but in approximately the same weight category. Secondly, quite a lot of SA 18 guns were produced, and they were installed in the “old” Renault FT. When the re-equipment of the Renault FT with MAC Mle.1931 machine guns began in 1934, they re-equipped not only machine-gun tanks, but also cannon tanks. Thus, a surplus of “free” tank guns appeared. In parallel with the re-equipment, the Renault FT, which had exhausted its service life, was also written off. This also turned out to be a source of additional “freed” guns.

The same Renault R 35 from the front

The mass of the tank increased even more, which could not but affect its dynamic characteristics. Another problem area was the too short hull length, which limited the ability to overcome trenches. The solution turned out to be simple and ingenuous: the tank received a “tail” similar to the one installed on the Renault FT. Despite all the problems identified, the modified Renault ZM turned out to be the winner of the competition. The fact is that the Hotchkiss company, which at one time was the initiator of organizing this competition, withdrew from it. The remaining competing tanks either turned out to be no better than the Renault tank, or required serious improvements. In the current situation, the infantry command had no choice but to accept the Renault ZM into service on April 29, 1935 under the name Char léger Modèle 1935 R (light tank model 1935 from Renault). The first order for R 35 was 300 tanks. The cars received registration numbers starting from 50001. The first order was followed by the next. The French infantry finally received a long-awaited replacement for the old Renault FT.

Quite quickly, the Char léger Modèle 1935 R became the “workhorse” of French tankers

Meanwhile, the problems of this tank were not limited to weak weapons alone. The initial weight of 6 tons by the time mass production of the Renault R 35 began had grown to almost 11. And if the Renault 447 engine with a power of 85 horsepower installed in the tank provided the original Renault ZM with good mobility, after all the modifications its specific power was only 7.7 horsepower per ton.

Renault R 35 on maneuvers in Normandy, 1937

The chassis, originally created for a cavalry wedge and more suitable for a flat surface, also turned out to be problematic. It behaved poorly off-road: five road wheels on board were clearly not enough, and the suspension was not very suitable for overcoming large bumps. Despite such problems, the total production of Renault R 35 was 1,540 tanks. In reality, the order was even larger (1800 pieces + 500 were added immediately after the start of the war), but the current situation did not allow these plans to be realized.

Sad savings results

Some sobering up of the infantry command regarding its “new thing” occurred in 1937. The French military did not ignore the civil war that had begun in Spain, and alarming reports came from there. It turned out that anti-tank guns, primarily German 3.7 cm Pak, began to be used in increasing numbers in battles. In June 1937, the “standard” R 35 with registration number 50004 was fired first by a 25 mm cannon, and then by a German 3.7 cm Pak. The results for the French military were extremely unpleasant.

"Reference" R 35 with registration number 50004 after fire test. The results of the test turned out to be an unpleasant surprise for the French military

It turned out that the thickness of the armor itself does not mean reliable protection. The problem with cast parts is that with the same thickness as rolled armor, their durability is 10–15% lower. Of the 18 shots fired by the 3.7 cm Pak cannon at the tank, 14 ended up penetrating the armor. For the German gun, neither the hull nor the turret of the French tank became a serious problem. An even more unpleasant discovery was that out of 22 shots of a 25-mm cannon, 13 were also able to penetrate the armor of the Renault R 35. It is not surprising that after such, to put it mildly, unexpected results, the command of the French infantry began to look at the FCM 36 with great enthusiasm. Although this tank was twice as expensive as the Renault R 35, it was made of rolled armor plates, installed at rational angles of inclination and connected by welding. And the chassis of the brainchild of Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée turned out to be much more suitable for overcoming off-road conditions.

Tank with registration number 50332, experimentally equipped with a Tourelle FCM turret. Due to the same diameter of the turret ring, such replacements were easily feasible

In the current situation, however, it was too late to make serious changes. As good as FCM 36 was, it was expensive and the production capabilities of the Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée were limited. And even the Renault company did not fully cope with the military order, as a result of which the French infantry ordered 100 Hotchkiss H 35 tanks (in fact, it was a complete analogue of the Renault R 35). One of the partial solutions to the problem was the decision, after the release of 1350 APX R turrets, to replace it with the welded Tourelle FCM turret, which was installed on the FCM 36. There was a reason for this, since the welded turret was clearly stronger than the cast one, but another problem arose.

One of the few Renault R 35s to receive the 37 mm SA 38 cannon

In 1938, the French military suddenly realized that the SA 18 cannon, with the current trend of increasing armor, would soon not be able to penetrate even a light tank. The response to this belated insight was the urgent development of the 37-mm SA 38 cannon, which penetrated 29 mm of armor from 100 meters. Of course, this was not enough even for 1938 (the Germans were just at that time launching the production of tanks with 30 mm frontal armor), but still better than the SA 18 with its less than 20 mm armor penetration. At the same time, tests have shown that the welded seams of the Tourelle FCM turret begin to fail after intense firing. As a result, we had to install a new gun in the old cast APX R turret. True, we had to wait a very long time for this, because, in addition to the Renault R 35, the Hotchkiss H 35 and the Hotchkiss H 39 that replaced them needed a new gun. As a result, the SA 38 began to be installed in Renault R 35 is already at the very end of their production. One of the first tanks to receive the new gun was a vehicle with registration number 51295. From this alone we can conclude that there were less than 250 “long-barreled” R 35s. In fact, there were even fewer of them: analysis of photographs shows that approximately half of the tanks built after the 51295 were armed with the old SA 18.

The Renault R 35 was destroyed during the battles of May-June 1940. The command’s erroneous views on the nature of the use of tanks and total savings became fatal for the French army

The French army had to disentangle the results of outdated views on the use of tanks, based on the experience of the First World War, in the battles of May-June 1940. However, the first to test the Renault R 35 in combat were the Poles. The Polish army received 50 tanks of this type, but due to insufficient training of the crews and for a number of other reasons, the use of the R 35 in September 1939 was unsuccessful. Some of the vehicles went to the Germans and the Red Army in good condition. In general, we can say that the Polish 7TP tanks were much more valuable vehicles, since they turned out to be more maneuverable and easily penetrated any German tanks of that period. As for the actual battles in France, their results turned out to be quite logical. The Renault R 35 became the most popular French tank of the Second World War (not counting the archaic Renault FT), but at the same time it was completely unsuited to it. There was no trace of any massive and leisurely attacks by hundreds of tanks in the style of the battles of the First World War. We had to fight a highly mobile enemy. In fact, the tank battalions (BCC, Bataillon de Chars de Combat), equipped with the Renault R 35, acted as extras, on which little depended. The French fought fiercely, but what can you do when your gun is not capable of penetrating most German tanks, and your armor is penetrated by 37 mm cannons at distances of less than 300 meters?

And this is not counting the fact that the commander of a French tank is both a gunner and a loader, and sometimes also a radio operator. Even the old Renault D1, considered unsuccessful by the French themselves, turned out to be more effective in the new war. The French paid very dearly for their frugality and miscalculations in drawing conclusions about the nature of the coming war.