| Renault R-35 |
| Renault R-35 Light Tank Crew: 2 Armament: one 37mm gun, one 7.5mm mg Armor: 45mm maximum Weight: 10,000 kg Performance: 12.5mph road speed, 87miles range History: In Service with Frech Army 1936-1940. Also used by Germans and various other Axis powers. In the mid 30�s requirements were drawn up for a new light infantry tank to replace the ancient FT tanks of WWI still in service. Four separate companies submitted design ideas, and the Renault idea was selected. The R-35 was well armored for a light tank, yet it was not armored enough to compete with medium tanks. Its main gun consisted of a short barreled 37mm gun, which had a very low velocity, and thus low armor penetration ability. The tank was reasonably reliable, however its top speed was a dismal 12.5mph on roads. This low speed was given on account that the tank was designed as an �Infantry� tank, only needing to keep pace with advancing infantry. This severely limited the strategic mobility of the vehicle. Finally, the tank had only a 2 man crew. As was unfortunately standard on French tanks, the commander alone was charged with operating the main gun. The R-35 was the most numerical tank in the French army at the time of invasion, most of these were deployed in small units with infantry divisions. |
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