The SOMUA S35 was the most potent of the French tanks of 1940, and arguable one of the best tanks in Western Europe. Its armour and armament was more than a match for the German Pz Kpfw III and Pz Kpfw IV, but it was marred by the one-man turret which forced the commander to not only command the vehicle, but also load, aim and fire the gun.
Production started in 1936, and ended with the German invasion of France in 1940, with a total of 450 being made.
After Germany conquered France, the German seized upwards of 300 SOMUA S35s, which were used by units stationed on quiet fronts, such as occupied France and Norway. Later, SOMUA S35 turrets were also used on bunkers and on armoured trains, and the hulls were used for training purposes.
| SOMUA S35 | |
|---|---|
| Crew | |
| Crew | 3 |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | 20 t |
| Length | 5.3 m |
| Width | 2.12 m |
| Height | 2.62 m |
| Armour | |
| Armour (max) | 55 mm |
| Performance | |
| Speed (max) | 41 km/h |
| Armament | |
| Primary weapon | 47 mm SA35 (1) |
| Secondary weapon | 7,5 mm Reibel (1) |
