Somua S-35
Somua S-35 | |
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Somua S-35 in the United States Army Ordnance Museum (2007) |
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General properties | |
crew | 3 |
length | 5.30 m |
width | 2.21 m |
height | 2.62 m |
Dimensions | 19.5 t |
Armor and armament | |
Armor | 20-55 mm |
Main armament | 1 × 47mm L / 32 cannon |
Secondary armament | 1 × 7.5 mm Reibel machine gun |
agility | |
drive | V8 petrol engine SOMUA 190 PS (140 kW) |
suspension | Leaf spring |
Top speed | 37 km / h (road), 32.2 km / h (off-road) |
Power / weight | 9.7 hp / ton |
Range | 260 km (road), 128 km (terrain) |
The SOMUA S-35 was a French medium battle tank of World War II .
development
The S-35 was in the course of the conversion of the French cavalry units from 1934 at the request of the troops for a movable medium battle tank ( Automitrailleuse de Combat ) by the SOMUA (Societé d'Outillage Mécanique et d'Usinage d'Artillerie), a subsidiary of the well-known Armaments company Schneider , developed.
Series production of the initially AC-3 and later the S-35 tank began as early as 1936. A total of about 430 units were produced. SOMUA could have produced higher numbers in 1938 and 1939; However, France only bought 100 S-35s a year. The S-35 was mainly used in the "Light Mechanized Divisions" ( Divisions Légères Mécaniques ). A replica was considered in the USA , but could not be realized because of the French defeat in June 1940.
The vehicle was a classic turret armor with a 7.5 mm machine gun aligned coaxially with the 47 mm cannon . The S-35 was superior to the German Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. E in terms of armament and armor. His 47 mm chariot gun L / 34 was above the standard of the time and achieved a high penetration power. The V8 petrol engine with a large internal fuel tank enabled a large operating range. The S-35 had many features that only later became standard. The tower and the hull were made of cast steel, which was considerably stronger (up to 56 mm) and more resistant than the riveted armor at the time, but not than the welded armor.
The seams between the top and bottom of the tub were only screwed, however. If an anti- tank missile hit these weak points, the two parts would break apart, with disastrous consequences. A major disadvantage of the S-35, like the other French tanks, was the one-man turret: in addition to his tactical command, the commander had to operate the machine gun and cannon as a gunner and loader. The third member of the crew, the radio operator, sat next to the driver and operated the radio, which, however, was only built into the platoon leaders' tanks.
Technical specifications
Somua S-35 | |
0 General characteristics | |
crew | three soldiers |
Combat weight | 20 t |
Ground pressure | 0.85 kg / cm 2 |
length | 5.30 m |
width | 2.21 m |
height | 2.62 m |
Ground clearance | 42 cm |
Chain width | 36 cm |
0 armament | |
Main armament | 47mm L / 32 cannon |
Secondary armament | 1 × MG |
Combat load HW | 118 floors |
Combat load MG | 1250 rounds |
0 mileage | |
engine | Somua eight-cylinder gasoline engine |
cooling | water |
Displacement | 12.7 l |
Bore / stroke | 120/140 mm |
maximum speed | 2000 rpm |
Power (KW / PS) | 140/190 |
Motor effectiveness | 15 hp / l |
Power to weight ratio | 9.5 hp / t |
transmission | Five forward gears, one reverse gear |
Speed limit road | 37 km / h |
Fuel supply | 410 l |
Range road | 260 km |
Range terrain | 128 km |
steering | Double differential |
Rollers | 12 |
suspension | Leaf springs |
Wading ability | 100 cm |
0 armor | |
Tub bow | 35 mm |
Tub side | 40 mm |
Tub rear | 35 mm |
Tub roof | 20 mm |
Tub bottom | 20 mm |
Tower front | 55 mm |
Tower side | 45 mm |
Turret stern | 45 mm |
Tower roof | 28 mm |
commitment
The S-35 was rarely used in a concentrated manner. On May 12, 1940, however, attacked parts of the 3rd division légère mécanique under General de Lafont German units of the 3rd Panzer Division , which had previously crossed the Gette brook near the Belgian village of Orb-le-Grand on a pioneer bridge. The German tank regiments 5 and 6 were partially involved in hand-to-hand combat by more than 100 French H-35 and S-35 tanks of the 5e brigade légère mécanique , which dragged on over the whole day, so that both sides suffered heavy losses if the fighting was broken off had suffered. The S-35s proved themselves against the German tanks, but their losses as a result of the short combat distances were also high. The 5th brigade légère mécanique was honored as part of the 3e division légère mécanique for its high level of operational readiness shown in the battles between May 10 and 13, 1940, which was also reflected in the heavy losses .
Whereabouts
The 297 SOMUA S-35 captured vehicles that were abandoned during the French campaign in 1940 were sold under the designation Pz.Kpfw. 35 S 739 (f) used in the German Wehrmacht . In 1941 the Wehrmacht returned 23 vehicles to the Vichy regime , which were intended for the establishment of the 12 e groupe autonome de chasseurs d'Afrique (12eGACA) in Algeria.
The Pz.Kpfw. 35 S 739 (f) received new radio equipment and a modernized turret with the commander's cupola of Panzer II (version F) . Captured Somua S-35s were used in Finland in 1941 and Normandy in 1944 . The captured tank was also used in the Balkans and on the Eastern Front. Some vehicles were also given to Italy .
On August 16, 1944, the French 13th e régiment de dragons was re-established in Orléans and equipped with Somua S-35 and Char B1 that had been captured by the Wehrmacht .
Task forces
The S-35 was used on the following campaigns and front lines during World War II :
France, 1940
- 18 e régiment de dragons
- 29 e régiment de dragons
- 1 he regiment de cuirassiers
- 2 e regiment de cuirassiers
- 4 e régiment de cuirassiers
- 7 e regiment de cuirassiers
Morocco 1941
Finland 1941
- Panzer division 211 (Wehrmacht)
Tunisia 1943
Balkans 1944
- Panzer Department 202 (Wehrmacht)
France 1944
- 21st Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)
- 13 e régiment de dragons , 1944–1945
See also
Web links
- Notice du S 35 , website of the French Ministry of Defense with some data and scanned documents for the S-35, French.
- SOMUA S-35. In: panzer-archiv.de. Retrieved February 22, 2017 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Philip Trewhitt: armored vehicles from World War I to today. Gondrom, 2000, ISBN 3-8112-1739-9 , p. 43.
- ↑ Thomas L. Jentz : The German Armored Troop 1933-42. Podzun-Pallas Verlag, 1998, ISBN 3-7909-0623-9 ; P. 277.
- ↑ Jeffrey A. Gunsburg: The Battle of the Belgian Plain. May 12-14, 1940. The First Great Tank Battle. In: The Journal of Military History. Vol. 56, No. 2. (Apr. 1992), pp. 207-244.
- ↑ Citation du regiment
- ↑ Data sheets from other equipment, D 50/12 France. [1]
- ^ French Somua S-35 cavalry tank. In: figuren.miniatures.de. Retrieved February 22, 2017 .