Hotchkiss H35/39
In August 1933, when the Light infantry tank programm was released, the Hotchkiss company was already planning the replacement of old FT tanks from the first world war. With that advantages, projets were presented very quickly, and the first orders were made as early as December 1933.
The first prototype was finished during January 1935. It was still using a archaic configuration, the armament being composed of a 7,5mm machine-gun in the hull. It was the same for the second prototype, but the third received a APX-R turret, initially studied for the APX light tank. With this turret, the tank had a main armament composed of a SA 18 short 37mm gun, plus a coaxial 7.5mm MAC 31 machine-gun. After the ends of the trials, the results were released in July 1935: The tank was considered as superior to the Renault R35 tank, ordered a few weeks ago. But the french infantry wasn't wanting to buy it: It's engine was considred as too weak (75hp against 85 for the R35, altough the H35 was 8 Km/h faster), and the weight badly spread on the tank.
But the cavalry was interested by the H35, altough it was iniatially meant for the infantry. The S35 cavalry tank, that was intended for the infantry, was very good, but had a high cost and therefore wasn't produced in massive numbers. The cavalry hadn't enough S35 to arm it's units, especially the new DLM (Light mechanics divisions). Another tank with better production could thus be a good idea. Finally, after few small modifications, the H35 was adopted by the cavalry, and the first tanks were delivered during October 1936. A total of 400 H35 light tanks were made, but 100 of those tanks were delivered to... the infantry, wich was lacking of tanks for it's own units.
Altough not being a bad tanks, the H35 had several importants problems. The first one was the gun: The old SA 18 had terrible antitank capacity, with a bit more than 20mm of armor penetration at short range, wich made it useless in anything else that infantry support. The max speed (28 Km/h), altough being superior to the Renault R35's one, was barely sufficient to follow the rythm of S35 cavalry tanks. The 75hp was not powerful enough for a tank weighting 10 600kg. Other problem, the crew was of only two tankmen. The commander, in the turret, had too many task: Loading the gun, operating both gun and machine-gun, and giving it's orders to the driver. And, last but not least, the tank had no radio, and the only way to communicate with others tanks were small flags. However, there was still one thing where the H35 was awesome: The armor protection. With a thickness of 40mm, and sloped, the H35/s armor was impossible to penetrate for Panzer I and II light tanks, and still very hard for the early Panzers III.
The first prototype was finished during January 1935. It was still using a archaic configuration, the armament being composed of a 7,5mm machine-gun in the hull. It was the same for the second prototype, but the third received a APX-R turret, initially studied for the APX light tank. With this turret, the tank had a main armament composed of a SA 18 short 37mm gun, plus a coaxial 7.5mm MAC 31 machine-gun. After the ends of the trials, the results were released in July 1935: The tank was considered as superior to the Renault R35 tank, ordered a few weeks ago. But the french infantry wasn't wanting to buy it: It's engine was considred as too weak (75hp against 85 for the R35, altough the H35 was 8 Km/h faster), and the weight badly spread on the tank.
But the cavalry was interested by the H35, altough it was iniatially meant for the infantry. The S35 cavalry tank, that was intended for the infantry, was very good, but had a high cost and therefore wasn't produced in massive numbers. The cavalry hadn't enough S35 to arm it's units, especially the new DLM (Light mechanics divisions). Another tank with better production could thus be a good idea. Finally, after few small modifications, the H35 was adopted by the cavalry, and the first tanks were delivered during October 1936. A total of 400 H35 light tanks were made, but 100 of those tanks were delivered to... the infantry, wich was lacking of tanks for it's own units.
Altough not being a bad tanks, the H35 had several importants problems. The first one was the gun: The old SA 18 had terrible antitank capacity, with a bit more than 20mm of armor penetration at short range, wich made it useless in anything else that infantry support. The max speed (28 Km/h), altough being superior to the Renault R35's one, was barely sufficient to follow the rythm of S35 cavalry tanks. The 75hp was not powerful enough for a tank weighting 10 600kg. Other problem, the crew was of only two tankmen. The commander, in the turret, had too many task: Loading the gun, operating both gun and machine-gun, and giving it's orders to the driver. And, last but not least, the tank had no radio, and the only way to communicate with others tanks were small flags. However, there was still one thing where the H35 was awesome: The armor protection. With a thickness of 40mm, and sloped, the H35/s armor was impossible to penetrate for Panzer I and II light tanks, and still very hard for the early Panzers III.
To resolve those problems, Hotchkiss developped a improved version, that was already being tried in July 1938. Designated H39, this tank received a 120hp engine instead of a 75hp one, giving better max speed (36 Km/h instead of 28) and power-to-weight ratios (10hp/ton instead of 8,8). This model was adopted very quicly, and the production started in late 1938/early 1939. This production immediatly growed with the war, and the factorys were producing as much tanks as possible untill the last minutes. A total of 710 H39 tanks were made. From the 480th tanks to the last ones, the SA 18 gun was replaced by the way better SA 38, giving way better antitank capacity the H39. Altough the problems of communications and commander (But the communications one was on it's way to be resolved, radios were being tried in some units when Germany invaded France) were still existing, the H39 was still a very good improvement for the H35, and definitly a good light tank for 1940 standard. But the obsolete tacts of the french army, the lack of communications and the german air superiority didn't allowed the french's armys tanks to show all their capacity to the germans.
(Notice that there were also H35 rearmed with SA 38 gun, in priority the one from units commanders).
(Notice that there were also H35 rearmed with SA 38 gun, in priority the one from units commanders).
During May 1940, the Hotchkiss light tanks were some of the most importants vehicles of the french army, being arming a half of the DLM (Light mechanics divisions) and multiples others units. After the end of the battle of France, lot of those tanks were captured by the germans and re-used for anti-partisans operations in Yugoslavia, training and security tasks in France. Some fought against the allies forces during the summer 1944.
Some re-captured H39 tanks took service again after the end of the war. The GBGM (Groupement Blindé de Gendarmerie Mobile, armored group of mobile gendarmerie) used it as late at the 50s, when those tanks were replaced by Shermans. Some were also used by the gendarmerie for security operations in the french occupation zone of Germany.
Some Hotchkiss light tanks were also sold to Israel and fought during the 1948 independance war.
Wrotten by Lord_Waka
Some re-captured H39 tanks took service again after the end of the war. The GBGM (Groupement Blindé de Gendarmerie Mobile, armored group of mobile gendarmerie) used it as late at the 50s, when those tanks were replaced by Shermans. Some were also used by the gendarmerie for security operations in the french occupation zone of Germany.
Some Hotchkiss light tanks were also sold to Israel and fought during the 1948 independance war.
Wrotten by Lord_Waka