Renault R-35

Renault R-35
Renault R-35 in an Israeli military museum (2005)
General properties
crew	2 (commander / gunner, driver)
length	4.02 m
width	1.87 m
height	2.13 m
Dimensions	10.6 t
Armor and armament
Armor	43 mm
Main armament	37 mm L / 21 SA18
Secondary armament	7.5 mm MAC31
agility
drive	Renault four-cylinder 60 kW (82 PS)
Top speed	20 km / h
Power / weight	5.8 kW / t (7.9 PS / t)
Range	130 km

Renault R35 in Yugoslavia 1942 antipartisan used

35R tank destroyer

Renault R-35 with PaK 36 (t), 1944

The Renault R-35 was a tank developed in France in the early to mid-1930s to replace the obsolete Renault FT from World War I.

history

With around 1700 units built, the R-35 was the most frequently used French tank in World War II . In the western campaign it was superior to most German tanks in terms of armor and armament. In 1940 the French used their tanks in many small groups, while the attacking Wehrmacht concentrated them in a few large groups. Initially, the R-35 was used in separate tank battalions of 45 tanks each, which were supposed to cooperate with the infantry divisions . These battalions were later partially combined in the newly formed armored divisions (Division Cuirassée de Réserve).

The total mass of the R-35 was 10.6 t, the maximum thickness of the armor 43 mm. The 1918 37mm cannon adopted by the FT was considered obsolete. A 7.5 mm Reibel machine gun was installed as a coaxial weapon . The crew consisted only of the driver and the commander. The latter was also a gunner and loader. A radio was usually not available, otherwise it also had to be operated by the commander.

After the victory over the French armed forces , the Wehrmacht had the R-35 converted by Alkett and used it as artillery and ammunition tugs, self-propelled guns (Panzerjäger 35R with 4.7 cm PaK 36 (t) ) and for coastal defense ( Panzerkampfwagen 35R 731 (f)) a. Some vehicles were given to Italy and Romania . Some R-35s were used by the Free French Army and the Vichy regime in North Africa and the Middle East, where they were later used by Syria .

Technical specifications

Renault R-35
0 General characteristics
crew	two men
Combat weight	9.8 t
spec. Ground pressure	0.86 kg / cm 2
length	4 m
width	1.85 m
height	2.10 m
Ground clearance	32 cm
Chain width	26 cm
0 armament
Main armament	3.7 cm L / 21 cannon
Secondary armament	a Reibel machine gun
Combat load HW	58 floors
Combat load MG	2500 shots
0 mileage
engine	Renault four-cylinder petrol engine
cooling	water
Displacement	5.8 l
Bore / stroke	120/130 mm
maximum rotation	2200 rpm.
power	60 kW (82 PS)
Liter output	14.2 hp / l
Power / weight	8.4 hp / t
transmission	four forward / one reverse gear
Speed ​​limit road	19 km / h
Fuel supply	168 l
Range road	138 km
Range terrain	80 km
steering	Cletrac
Rollers	5
suspension	Rubber cylinder
Fording depth	60 cm
0 armor
Tub bow	32 mm
Tub side	40 mm
Tub rear	40 mm
Tub roof	15 mm
Tub bottom	14 mm
Tower front	45 mm
Tower side	40 mm
Turret stern	40 mm
Tower roof	30 mm

maintenance

The crawler chassis required greasing every 300 km. It had mechanical problems that were taken into account when developing the Renault R-40 . The engine of the R-35 needed an oil change every 30 hours of operation; the transmission every 2000 hours. The engine was compact; this hampered troubleshooting, repair and maintenance. An engine change took 35 hours; a change of the clutch 16 hours and a change of the gearbox 14 hours.

Web links

Commons : Renault R-35  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Thomas L. Jentz : The German Armored Troop 1933-42. Podzun-Pallas Verlag, 1998, ISBN 3-7909-0623-9 , p. 277.
2. ^ Rémi Fontbonne: La maintenance des engins blindés français en 1940 . In: Histoire de Guerre (journal), July / August 2003, pp. 56–65.