Specterx Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 image 1 image 2 Did the Germans actually use R-35's on the eastern front? Seems almost worse than nothing... [ September 11, 2002, 08:08 PM: Message edited by: Specterx ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonwagon Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 I have a few photos of french tanks pressed into german service.Most seem to have been used in the Balkans and Italy. I think u may find that they were used mostly against the partisans, and rear areas.Most of the photos I have are of H-39's.I also have some of S-35 Somua.I have only one picture of a R-35 and it is knocked out and burned.Unfortunatley the book is just of photos and does not have in-depth info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nippy Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 Yes they did. They also used Somua-35's, Char B1 Bis's and the R35/H39 series. In CM:BO you got to use captured H-39 (Long Barrel version). The H-39 was just a light and faster version of the R-35. As for the R-35 in your pics, yes they really do suck. A whopping 13 MPH and a short barrel 37mm gun that makes a PAK-36 look like an 88. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 Actualy I think that at 13 mph they're significantly faster under their own power than the Pak 36 was, and also they're relatively heavily armoured and even their silly little 37 will KO a Pak 36 long before the Pak can KO them!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKibler Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 From the Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War II (Doyle/Chamberlain/Jentz): Panzerkampfwagen 35R 731(f) Combat Service: Pz Kpfw 35R were issued to only one regular unit of the Panzer troops, the reforming 100th Panzerbrigade of the 21st Panzer Division (New) in 1943. These returned to the depot after a few months. Six platoons of 35R were sent to the Channel Islands in 1941 and, also in 1941, twenty-six 35R were issued as Command-vehicles to the Panzerjaeger detachments equipped with 4.7cm PaK(f) auf Pz Kpfw 35R(f). A number of other 35R were scattered among infantry divisions garrisoned in France. Hmmm. Not much EF action mentioned there, though I'm not sure where the reformed 21st Pz Div was at in '43. Quite possibly Russia... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KG_Jag Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 They probably got lost on their way to the collective farm, where they were to report for duty as tractors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bastables Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 Originally posted by CKibler: From the Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War II (Doyle/Chamberlain/Jentz): Panzerkampfwagen 35R 731(f) Hmmm. Not much EF action mentioned there, though I'm not sure where the reformed 21st Pz Div was at in '43. Quite possibly Russia...In the process of being destroyed in Tunisia and then rebuilt in France just in time for Normandy, no eastern front action fo PD 21. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 You guys are forgetting the various Axis allies - IIRC Hungary or Bulgaria or Roumania had a few such beasts, and indeed the 2nd pic above is of such a vehicle, not of a German one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nippy Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 Originally posted by Mike: ...and even their silly little 37 will KO a Pak 36 long before the Pak can KO them!! Provided the R-35 can even load it's main gun before another tank or AT gun takes it out. Most french tanks could only manage about 4-6 rounds a minutes, plus the Gunner/Loader/Commander/ had to move his eye away from the sights to relaod the main gun. One man turrets are a real Bizotch. Wait till that R-35 runs into its first KV or T-34:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KG_Jag Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 Guess that helps explain the French automobile industry. Now, about those Serbo-Croatian tanks..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 Hey Nippy brining other equpment into the battle is not fair!! anyway - Hungary got 40 R35's, and Romania 75 - about 40% of them captured ex-Poland. Apparntly they rearmed them all with captured Russian 45mm tank guns - there's a bunch of illustrations at http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/ A couple of Romanian conversions: http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/romania/Rom-Renault35-45mm_small.JPG http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/romania/RomR35_small.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellfish Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 I'm reasonably sure that both of those pics are of Romanian R-35s. I'm not a grog, though, so don't be suprised if I'm wrong. It's just that they have the stylized crosses that appear on other Romanian vehicles. Yes, I realize that there is a German battleflag. Who knows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nippy Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 Originally posted by Mike: Hey Nippy brining other equpment into the battle is not fair!! Oh like you never fiddled around with the Senario editor in CM:BO and had a bunch of H-39s go up against one or two T-26 Pershings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arioch Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 Originally posted by Nippy: Yes they did. They also used Somua-35's, Char B1 Bis's and the R35/H39 series. In CM:BO you got to use captured H-39 (Long Barrel version). The H-39 was just a light and faster version of the R-35. As for the R-35 in your pics, yes they really do suck. A whopping 13 MPH and a short barrel 37mm gun that makes a PAK-36 look like an 88.13 MPH on road ( an indianapolis winner ) 8 MPH cross contry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andreas Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 It is my understanding that a lot of captured armour was used for rear-area security (i.e. partisan-hunting) work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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