Renault R35 & R40 Through a German Lens

The Renault R35, an abbreviation of Char léger Modèle 1935 R (or R35), was a French light infantry tank of the Second World War. Designed from 1933 and produced from 1936, the tank was intended as an infantry support light tank. To this end it was relatively well-armoured but slow and lacking a good anti-tank capacity, fitted only with a short 37 mm gun. At the outbreak of the war, the anti-tank role was more emphasized, leading to the development and eventual production from April 1940 of a sub-type with a more powerful longer gun, the Renault R40. Following the defeat of France the R35/40 remained the most numerous French tank of the war; about 1,680 vehicles had been produced by June 1940. In this volume the author provides a detailed impression of these tanks through original photographs taken during the war by German soldiers.