Renault R35 Light Tank
The Char léger mle. 1935 R was introduced into the French Army in 1936 as the successor to the obsolete Renault FT infantry tank. Designed as a char léger d’accompagnement, the R35 was intended to provide attacking infantry with effective support fire against enemy machine gun nests, field fortifications, and fighting vehicles.
The Renault R35 was better armoured and armed than comparable German tanks in the Western Campaign of 1940. However, its weaknesses included an inadequate off-road mobility, the absence of radio equipment, and the complete overextension of the tank commander, who had to observe the battlefield, make tactical decisions, operate the main armament and the coaxial machine gun, and, if he was a platoon leader or company commander, coordinate the action of the other tanks in his unit by hand signals.
Available Models
- Renault R35, 1:35 Hobby Boss 83806
- Renault R35 with FCM Turret (R39), 1:35 Hobby Boss 83894
- Renault R35, 1:35 Tamiya 35373
- Renault R35, 1:72 RPM 72213
- Renault R35 with 37 mm L/35 SA38 (R39), 1:72 RPM 72214
- Renault R35, 1:72 First to Fight PL078
- Renault R35, 1:76 Hinchliffe 20/211
- Renault R35, 1:76 Crusader Models CMB79
- Renault R35, 1:76 Ostmodels F1
- Renault R35, 1:76 Milicast BF001
- Renault R35 light Tanks, 1:87 World Tanks Depot 38
- Renault R35, 1:100 Zebrano 100025
- Renault R35 with 37 mm L/35 SA38 (R39), 1:100 Zebrano 100027
- Renault R35 with FCM Turret (R39), 1:100 Zebrano 100247
- Renault R35, 15 mm Battlefront Miniatures FR031
- Italian Renault R35 Tank Platoon, 15 mm Battlefront Miniatures IT060
- Renault R35, 1:285 GHQ Models FR5
- Renault R35, 1:300 Heroics & Ros F09
- Pz.Kpfw. 35R 731 (f), 1:76 Milicast BG032
- Pz.Kpfw. 35R 731 (f), 1:100 Zebrano 100045
- Romanian Vanatorul De Care R35, 1:300 Heroics & Ros RU01
Technical Specifications
- Type: Char léger d’accompagnement, 1936–1948
- Armament: 7.5 mm MAC31 MG
37 mm L/21 SA18 Puteaux - Weight: 10.6 t
- Speed: 20 km/h on Roads
- Crew: Commander, Driver
Historical Employment
- French Army, 1936–1948
- Yugoslav Army
- Polish Army
- Romanian Army
- Turkish Army
- German Security Forces, 1941–1944
- Syrian Army, 1948–1949
- Israel Defense Forces, 1948
The Renault R35 running gear had already proven unreliable by 1937, which is why, from 1940 onward, the R35 was to be built with a new AMX (Renault) running gear with 20 road wheels. This Char léger modèle 1935 R modifié 1939 looked so different from the older version that it became popularly known as the Renault R40. At the same time, existing R35 platoon command vehicles were scheduled to receive an upgrade to the R40 standard, namely with a radio and the more powerful 37 mm L/35 SA38 gun in an APX-R1 cast turret with L767 sights.