In 1934, the French Army issued a new requirement for a cavalry tank in an attempt to modernized its inventory amidst growing regional unrest. At this time in history, several armies - including that of the British and Soviet - were allied to the doctrine of armored warfare that called for "fast tanks" to exploit weaknesses along a defensive front and cause general havoc at the rear coupled with slower-moving, better protected "cavalry tanks" that could work in conjunction with infantry in smashing enemy positions outright. The British knew their fast tanks as "cruiser tanks" and their cavalry tanks as "infantry tanks". As such, the French requirement was consistent with this doctrine and this produced what was, more or less, a medium-class tank development when compared to contemporaries of the time. A prototype developed by the French SOMUA concern (the Schneider subsidiary out of St. Ouen , otherwise known as Societe d'Outillage Mecanique et d'Usinage d'Artillerie - "SOMUA") was selected for adoption in 1935 with an initial order some 50 units. Production began soon after and orders increased to 600 examples before falling to a more manageable 250 due to financial restrictions. In French Army service the vehicle was designated as the "Automitrailleuse de Combat (AMC) Modele 1935S" but became known to the world simply as the "S35". Initial production versions were delivered in January of 1936.
The tank was designed around the prospect of a defensive-minded war where its primary enemies would either originate from Germany or the Soviet Union to which these armies would field the Panzer III Medium Tank and BT Fast Tank respectively. As such, priority was given to capable armament and armor within a truly modern structure. The French tank was well-armed with a 47mm SA 35 series main gun, one of the most powerful fitted to any time of the decade. Its powerplant of 1 x SOMUA V8 gasoline-fueled liquid-cooled engine delivered 190 horsepower provided for a top road speed of 25 miles per hour with a range out to 143 miles. Both were excellent qualities and would serve the S35 chassis well, the engine fitted conventionally to a rear-set compartment. Suspension was via leaf-spring bogies with nine small road wheels to a track side. The drive sprocket was mounted at the rear of the track system whilst the track idler was set to the front of the hull. The S35 was, therefore, gifted with a powerful engine of good reserves with a voluminous internal fuel store. Fuel stores were self-sealing for increased crew survivability. The 47mm main gun was supplemented by an optional anti-infantry 7.5mm Mitrailleuse mle 1931 machine gun fitted in a coaxial mount in the turret. The one-man APX-1 series turret itself was taken from the Char B1 Heavy Tank. Casting was used for the hull and turret, the hull being made out of two major halves and joined along a line by bolts. The use of casting was rather notable during a time when many nations continued support of weaker riveted tank armor. Casting also allowed ballistic-retarding shapes to be formed thusly improving protection for the crew and systems alike. While each S35 system was to feature the ER28 radio set, these were not available in the numbers required and were thusly afforded only to special command tanks at the platoon level (five S35 systems per platoon). The S35 was crewed by three personnel made up of the commander, driver and radio operator - the commander in the turret and the driver at the front-left hull, the radio operator to his right. All told, the vehicle weighed in at just over 19 tons. Armor protection was excellent with 47mm noted across the hull and 40mm at the turret and minimum armor was 20mm along certain facings. The armor was sloped or curved in various areas. The main gun was afforded 118 x 47mm projectiles while 1,250 rounds of 7.5mm machine gun ammunition were carried aboard.
The SOMUA S35 design was a fast and powerful tank for its time - considered by many to be the best medium tank of the 1930s and the best combat tank on the battlefields of 1940. It certainly was the finest French Army tank of the war. At the time of the German invasion of France in May of 1940, there were 418 S35 tanks produced though only some 250 were actually made available to frontline forces charged with stemming the German assault. Among these few in play, the S35 performed admirably well against a determined foe. Production lasted until the Fall of France in June of 1940.
However, as strong as the S35 design was, there were many-a-wrinkle that dampened its battlefield reach. One key limitation was in the use of a one-man turret. This forced the commander - residing in the turret - to manage his commanding duties, loading and firing of the main gun and machine gun while receiving and reacting to messages from the radio operator all the while keeping a watchful eye on the unfolding tactical situation around his vehicle and of that near his platoon as a whole. As such, full efficiency of S35 units were ever rarely reached in the heat of battle. The profile of the S35 was also rather tall which made it a most tempting target to anti-tank crews or enemy tank gunners. While the use of casting in the hull's construction was innovative, the decision to manufacture these as two major halves joined by a ring of bolts ensured that the hull would split at the seams after a specially-placed direct hit. The shortage of radios limited the tactical scope of an S35 platoon and French armored doctrine of the time concentrated armored forces into small reactionary groups along a scattered front which led to unfavorable results for French forces during the Battle of France. The S35 was also a complicated and expensive beast to manufacture meaning that only a few could be produced in a given amount of time. To add insult to injury, labor strife at home ultimately limited production of S35 tanks in the short-term. The complexity of the suspension system proved unreliable in the long run and required high levels of maintenance which were unacceptable for a fighting machine. Add to all this the general inexperience of French tanker crews and leaders and one begins to understand the inherent limitations in the French defense.
In practice, the S35 outclassed the German Panzer III offering in armor, firepower and mobility. The German design bested the S35 in tactics and overall powertrain reliability which proved greater than the qualities of the French system. Despite this, the S35 formed a very real threat to German expansion into French territory and were justly dealt with through concerted armor drives and direct dive-bombing attacks when possible. Internal issues and the advent of German Blitzkrieg tactics ultimately limited production and delivery to frontline forces and restricted the legacy of what was a very fine tank of the 1930s. Only 430 of the type were produced in all. There proved a late attempt to fit a 220 horsepower engine into the S35 series as well as improved various facets of the design as the "SOMUA S40" though this yielded no suitable production numbers. Another initiative produced the 75mm-armed S35 (as the SAu 40) self-propelled gun in prototype form which would have been helpful in the defense of France but the German invasion put an end to these promising developments and any intended subsequent production. There were 72 SAu 40 SPGs slated for production. A 1945 initiative intended to fit the excellent British 17-pdr (76.2mm) anti-tank gun to the S35 but this fell to naught.
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
Specifications
Societe d'Outillage Mecanique et d'Usinage d'Artillerie (SOMUA) - France Manufacturer(s)
Bulgaria; France; Hungary; Kingdom of Italy; Nazi Germany Operators
INFANTRY SUPPORT
Support allied ground forces through weapons, inherent capabilities, and / or onboard systems.
MEDIUM TANK
Design providing enhanced armor protection and firepower over that of lightweight offerings - but lacking the general capabilities of heavier solutions.
TANK-VS-TANK
Engage armored vehicles of similar form and function.
17.7 ft (5.38 meters) Length
7.0 ft (2.12 meters) Width
8.6 ft (2.62 meters) Height
42,329 lb (19,200 kg) Weight
21.2 tons (Medium-class) Tonnage
1 x SOMUA V-8 water-cooled, gasoline-fueled engine developing 190 horsepower at 2,000rpm driving a conventional track-and-wheel arrangement. Drive System
25 mph (40 kph) Road Speed
143 miles (230 km) Road Range
1 x 47mm SA 35 main gun.
1 x 7.5mm Mitrailleuse mle 1931 machine gun in co-axial fitting.
AMMUNITION
118 x 47mm projectiles
1,250 x 7.5mm ammunition
S35 - Base Series Production Designation
"Automitrailleuse de Combat (AMC) modele 1935 SOMUA" - Formal Designation.
PzKpfW 35S 739(f) - German Army designation for captured French S35 examples.
S40 - Appearing in 1940; improved model with revised suspension system; 220 horsepower engine; limited production before German invasion of France.
SAu-40 - Self-Propelled Gun variant fitting a 75mm main gun (right of driver position); new turret installation; single prototype completed.
Images
1 / 7
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
2 / 7
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
3 / 7
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
4 / 7
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.
