Renault R35

Renault R35
Name	Renault R35
Type	Light infantry tank
Designer	Renault
Manufacturer	Renault
Production date	1935–1940
Number	~1,540
Length	3.62 m
Width	1.87 m
Height	2.13 m
Weight	10.6 t
Armour	40 mm max
Primary armament	37 mm SA18 gun
Secondary armament	7.5 mm MAC31 coaxial machine gun
Engine	Renault V-4 petrol
Speed	20 km/h

Renault R35 The Renault R35 was a French light infantry tank designed in the 1930s for infantry support and armored units, notable for its heavy armour relative to contemporaries and its widespread use during the early stages of World War II. It served with the French Army, saw action in the Battle of France, and was captured and reused by Nazi Germany, Italy, and Vichy France forces; postwar operators included Poland, Spain, and Yugoslavia. The vehicle influenced interwar armoured warfare debates and appears in collections at museums such as the Musée des Blindés and the Imperial War Museum.

Design and Development

Design work began at Renault under engineer Louis Renault following lessons from World War I. The R35 project was driven by requirements issued by the Service Technique de l'Armée and influenced by armored vehicle concepts explored at APX and FAMH. Early prototypes competed with designs from Hotchkiss, Char B1, and experimental models evaluated at the Atelier de Construction de Rueil and trials at the Centre d'Études Techniques de Versailles. The resulting design emphasized protection over speed, featuring cast hull components developed alongside developments in automotive casting and metallurgy work influenced by suppliers such as Société de Constructions de Levallois. Political factors including procurement debates in the French Third Republic and budgetary constraints at the Ministry of War (France) shaped production choices.

Specifications and Armament

The R35 employed a compact two-man crew arrangement with commander acting also as gunner, a layout shared with contemporary light tanks like the Vickers 6-Ton and the T-26. Armour reached up to 40 mm on the turret and glacis, paralleling protection seen on some Matilda I prototypes and exceeding that of the Panzer I. The main armament was a short-barrel 37 mm SA18 gun paired with a 7.5 mm MAC31 coaxial machine gun, comparable in caliber to the PaK 36-armed German light units. Mobility derived from a Renault V-4 petrol engine, driving a suspension system with bogie and vertical springs similar in principle to suspension ideas tested at NAC and by designers at Saint-Chamond. Communications equipment typically included a radio set in some command variants, reflecting emission standards set by the Direction du Génie.

Operational History

The R35 entered service with the French Army in the late 1930s and formed part of frontline infantry divisions and independent tank battalions such as the Groupement de Reconnaissance de Division d'Infanterie and Division Cuirassée. During the Battle of France in 1940, units equipped with R35s fought in sectors including the Meuse and the Somme. Many vehicles suffered from tactical employment issues noted in post-battle analyses by officers transferred to the Armistice Army; logistical challenges were recorded at depots in Bretagne and Nord-Pas-de-Calais. After French capitulation, captured R35s were integrated into Wehrmacht units and adapted for roles in the Operation Barbarossa logistical rear, and served with Regio Esercito formations in Italian hands. Vichy French forces operated R35s in colonies such as Morocco and during the Syria–Lebanon Campaign. Postwar, surviving R35s were seen in conflicts including the Spanish Civil War aftermath and early Yugoslav Partisan formations.

Variants and Modifications

Production and field modifications produced multiple variants: command versions with additional radios used in units like the 12e Régiment de Chars de Combat, flamethrower conversions trialed by units attached to Char de Bataille groups, and self-propelled gun adaptations fitted with captured or improvised weapons inspired by work at workshops in Paris and Reims. German conversions included mine-clearing and training vehicles designated with Wehrmacht inventory codes and employed at depots in Königsberg and Paris (occupation) workshops. Other workshops in Turin and Zagreb modified captured R35s for reconnaissance and policing duties. Experimental suspension and engine upgrades were tested at facilities like Bretigny-sur-Orge.

Production and Deployment

Manufacture was carried out primarily at Renault plants in Boulogne-Billancourt and subcontractors including factories in Saint-Étienne and Lille. Production figures reached approximately 1,540 vehicles before the 1940 armistice, with serial distribution across armored regiments such as the 4e Division Cuirassée and tank battalions attached to 7e Armée. Deliveries were affected by industrial strikes tied to events in the Popular Front era and by rearmament programs overseen by the Ministry of Armaments and War Production. After capture, German ordnance used R35s in occupation duties and integrated them into training schools at locations like Munchen and Wolfsburg.

Survivors and Preservation

Surviving R35s are preserved in institutions including the Musée des Blindés in Saumur, the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, the Kubinka Tank Museum in Moscow, and private collections such as those maintained by historical foundations in Bordeaux and Madrid. Restorations often rely on parts sourced from archives of Renault and replicas produced by workshops in Normandy and Brittany. Reconstructed vehicles appear at events hosted by organizations like the Association des Amis du Musée des Blindés and are displayed in commemorations related to the Battle of France and D-Day anniversaries.

Category:Renault tanks Category:Interwar tanks Category:World War II tanks of France