Hotchkiss H35

Hotchkiss H35
Char léger modèle 1935 H modifié 39 in Latrun
Type	Cavalry tank
Place of origin	France
Service history
In service	1936–1952
Used by	France Poland Nazi Germany Bulgaria Hungary Croatia Yugoslav Partisans Chetniks Lebanon Syria Israel
Wars	World War II 1947–1949 Palestine war First Indochina War
Production history
Designer	Hotchkiss
Designed	1933
Manufacturer	Hotchkiss et Cie
Produced	September 1936 – June 1940
No. built	±1200
Variants	Hotchkiss H35 modifié 39
Specifications
Mass	11 metric tons
Length	4.22 m (13 ft 10 in)
Width	1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Height	2.15 m (7 ft 1 in)
Crew	2
Armour	40 mm (turret)(45mm on 1939 version) 34 mm (hull) (45mm on 1939 version)
Main armament	37 mm SA 18 gun(SA 38 on 1939 version)
Secondary armament	7.5 mm MAC31 Reibel machine gun coaxial
Engine	Hotchkiss six-cylinder 3,480 cc gasoline engine 78 hp
Power/weight	7.1 hp/tonne
Suspension	horizontal helical springs
Ground clearance	0.37 m
Fuel capacity	180 litres
Operational range	129 km (80 mi)
Maximum speed	28 km/h (17 mph)

The Hotchkiss H35 or Char léger modèle 1935 H was a French cavalry tank developed prior to World War II. Despite having been designed from 1933 as a rather slow but well-armoured light infantry support tank, the type was initially rejected by the French Infantry because it proved difficult to steer while driving cross-country, and was instead adopted in 1936 by the French Cavalry arm.

From 1938 an improved version was produced with a more powerful engine, the Char léger modèle 1935 H modifié 39, which from 1940 was also fitted with a longer, more powerful 37 mm gun. It was intended to make this improved variant the standard light tank, with at least four thousand produced to equip new armoured divisions of both the Cavalry and the Infantry arms, but due to the defeat of France in June 1940, total production of both subtypes was limited to about 1200 vehicles.

For the remainder of the war Germany and its allies used captured Hotchkiss tanks in several modifications.