Play a test battle on the somua sm tank. Tactics for playing Somua SM

7-03-2017, 01:00

Good day everyone and welcome to the site! Tankers, now we will talk about a new promising vehicle, the French heavy premium tank of the eighth level, in front of you Somua SM guide.

This device has long been given out to supertesters for testing, and I think you all noticed from the picture that the newcomer is very similar to his pumped-up classmate - although, external differences still exist. However, looks aren't everything, so let's take a look. Somua SM specifications, let's talk about what this tank will be capable of, but please do not forget that its characteristics may still change.

TTX Somua SM

We will begin our acquaintance with the new representative of the French heavyweights with the fact that it has a slightly reduced safety margin (identical to the AMX 50 100), as well as a frankly low basic visibility of 350 meters.

Despite the external similarity of the two classmates, they differ very much in survivability and this is expressed in the fact that Somua SM TTX reservations are somewhat more serious than those of the AMX 50 100.

As expected, the strongest armor is located in the frontal projection of the hull, and if we talk about the turret, the stated 70 millimeters is an inclined yellow surface, which in scale reaches approximately 125 millimeters in thickness. At the same time Somua SM World of Tanks there is a so-called tower base (red), the armor of which varies from 150 to 205 millimeters.

The strongest part of the tank is the upper frontal part; the nominal thickness of this armor plate is 120 millimeters. However, VLD Somua SM WoT has a good slope, due to which its thickness ranges from 210 to 220 millimeters. If we talk about NLD, here the slope is even stronger and even though this slab is thinner, the reduction here reaches 263 millimeters.

The side projection of our Frenchman is much less protected, the thickness of the side panels is only 50 millimeters, that is, they will all be pierced at right angles, and land mines and even artillery “suitcases” exploding nearby can cause enormous amounts of damage. Tank broadside French heavy tank Somua SM maybe, but only if you place the case under very acute angle. Keep in mind that if you don't tuck the side in enough, you'll get hit, so it's best not to experiment with this at all.

To summarize the booking, it is worth saying that Somua SM tank will be able to restrain the blows of classmates and some nines with the upper frontal part, if the body is slightly tightened, and our turret can also ricochet. But in general, we hope not to rely on armor, since most levels 9-10 will penetrate us without problems and we especially need to take care of the sides.

If we talk about the driving performance of this car, everything is very good. First of all, I would like to note the excellent maximum speed. In addition to the maximum speed tank Somua SM WoT got very good dynamics for a heavyweight, but with maneuverability we have serious problems.

Somua SM gun

The armament of this Frenchman deserves special attention, if only because it is the first heavy tank at the eighth level to have a loading drum. Looking ahead, I will say that our gun is very similar to the one on the AMX 50 100, now you will understand everything yourself.

So, have Somua SM gun endowed with a good alpha, and if you remember that it has as many as 6 shells in the drum, involuntary admiration appears. Yes, the intervals between shots are very long, but still the opportunity to inflict 1800 damage for 20 seconds is worth a lot, because in theory we can send almost any classmate of one drum to the hangar.

However, for such a privilege heavy tank Somua SM pays off with a really long reload of the entire magazine, which without equipment and perks takes more than 40 seconds, of course, with a 100% crew.

With the penetration of our gun everything is fine in perfect order, it is the same as the AMX 50 10, but now we have a premium tank in front of us, apparently with excellent potential for farming silver. So, armor-piercing shells Somua SM World of Tanks It’s quite enough to fight even against nines, but you need to carry 2-3 gold reels with you, in case you end up at the bottom of the list.

If our relative is very tense with accuracy, according to current data Somua SM tank free from such problems. The gun's spread is neat, it fires incredibly quickly, and the only thing I can complain about is the spread. Of course, such parameters make the implementation of the drum very convenient; most likely, the accuracy of the French will still be reduced.

By the way, Somua SM WoT It also received excellent vertical aiming angles, the barrel bends down 10 degrees, thanks to which you can play extremely comfortably from the terrain, the AMX 50 100 is deprived of such privileges.

Advantages and disadvantages of Somua SM

As can be seen from the known this moment general characteristics and weapon parameters, we have before us a truly strong and promising tank. But to complete the picture, it is worth highlighting the strong and weak sides Somua SM World of Tanks, which is what we will do.
Pros:
Excellent mobility for a cord;
Well-armored VLD;
A very dangerous drum for 1800 damage;
Excellent penetration for a premium tank;
Good accuracy (spread and convergence;
Comfortable vertical aiming angles.
Minuses:
Overall weak armor;
Frankly low viewing range;
Poor maneuverability;
Long intervals between shots;
Long recharge of the entire drum;
Not a preferential level of fighting.

Equipment for Somua SM

The great potential of this tank is noticeable with the naked eye, but as always, there is no ideal technology in our game, our shortcomings are also significant and require adjustment. To make the gaming process more comfortable, tank Somua SM equipment you should put the following:
1. – very a good option for mobile vehicles with such firepower that will allow you to more confidently inflict damage due to improved accuracy.
2. – a comprehensive boost of characteristics, and especially accelerated reloading of the drum, will never be superfluous, we take it without hesitation.
3. - another good option for mobile equipment that has serious problems with viewing range.

Somua SM crew training

The process of pumping up a crew always takes a lot of time, partly for this reason it is important not to make mistakes in this aspect. In addition, with the right skills, the comfort of the game will increase even more, so for Somua SM perks It’s better to download in this order:
Commander (loader) – , , , .
Gunner (loader) – , , , .
Driver mechanic - , , , .
Radio operator (loader) – , , , .

Equipment for Somua SM

The selection of consumables is carried out according to the thumbnail pattern and if you want to farm as much as possible on this premium tank, it is better to take , , . However, for players who do not have problems with the supply of silver, it is recommended to give preference to a more universal and reliable option, in which case Somua SM equipment It’s better to transport from , , . In addition, this unit should not be particularly fire hazardous, that is, you can replace the fire extinguisher with one.

Tactics for playing Somua SM

The vehicle in front of us is strong, but not at all easy, that is, not everyone can play well on it, much less farm on this tank. Most of all, this device is suitable for those who know how and love to play on the AMX 50 100, since Somua SM tactics The combat is very similar, as is the style of play.

Despite the fact that our booking is more serious than that of your closest relative, it is important to understand that you should not rely on this fact. If circumstances are favorable or if necessary heavy tank Somua SM Can hold off a couple of classmates' shots with your VLD if you become a small diamond, but in general it's better not to focus the fire on yourself.

In addition, on Somua SM World of Tanks a lot depends on your drum, which should always be monitored as closely as possible. You must get used to reloading inside the drum and remember the duration of a full reload, because if the “clip” runs out at the wrong moment, you will have a very hard time.

Otherwise, if you get used to the drum and learn how to handle it, you can work wonders. Somua SM tank he can easily send a full enemy of his level to the hangar or punish several wounded enemies, everything will depend on you.

Since we can't rely on armor, pay more attention to your mobility. Change the direction of attack, go around your opponent, spin, deceive and do not forget to cause damage, in this regard Somua SM WoT very good, it allows its owner to win with unpredictability and creativity.

Of course, you should always monitor what is happening around you, look at the mini-map, sensibly assess your strength before each engagement, and always be wary of artillery. Finally, I just want to remind you that World of Tanks Somua SM tank strong, but its characteristics may still change.

The WoT developers definitely decided to please tankers with the variety of premium vehicles used in the game. There are vehicles for every taste and color here, so choosing a tank that will not only delight the owner with high profitability, but also with enjoyable gameplay will not be difficult.

So, the French nation is expecting a rather interesting addition: the Tier 8 premium heavy tank SOMUA SM. The machine is already undergoing testing test servers, so you can understand the preliminary characteristics of the new strand.

Somua SM performance characteristics

The SOMUA SM guide should start with an overview of the vital characteristics. So, in terms of strength, the “French” looks slightly deprived. The tank has 1,400 HP, which is very similar to its pumpable classmate - AMX 50 100. By the way, according to appearance the tanks look almost the same.

The viewing radius of the premium is also far from ideal: 350 meters as standard. It should be noted that this parameter does not play a decisive role for heavy equipment, but the tank turned out to be frankly “low-blind.” The “Frenchman” is endowed with a good maximum speed: 50 km/h, chassis turning speed – 32 deg/sec.

Gun 100 mm SA47

If we consider weapons, then SOMUA SM may well become the best domager at its level. The fact is that the heavy gun is so far the only premium eight whose gun has a drum loading mechanism.

Speaking of details, we note that the SOMUA SM gun has armor penetration 232 mm at one-time damage– 300 units. Considering that 6 shells are loaded into the cassette, the heavy load has simply hellish DPM: 1,800 damage in a minute. Even taking into account the rather long reload time inside the drum ( 3. 7 sec), the “Frenchman” is able to send any of his classmates to the hangar in just 20 seconds.

1. Stabilization– increasing the efficiency of shooting while moving.
2. Enlightenment– improving the viewing radius.
3. Ventilation– we improve all characteristics, including reloading.

It is worth noting that the equipment can be changed at your discretion, focusing on your own playing style.

Crew skills also help increase the tank's potential. It is recommended to upgrade perks for SOMUA SM in the following order: We load standard equipment, if you want to tickle your nerves, you can replace the fire extinguisher with a cup of strong coffee.

Booking Somua SM

The difference between SOMUA SM and other French heavyweights is its more impressive booking performance. At first glance, everything looks standard: the frontal projection of the turret is 70 mm, the hull is 120 mm. However, thanks to the good angles of inclination of the armor plates, the thickness of the reduced armor of the turret forehead increases to 125 mm. In addition, the tank received a strong turret base. There is an armor plate here, the thickness of which varies between 150-205 mm.

The given VLD armor also looks solid. Thanks to the correct angle of inclination, the armor rate increases from the base 120 to 220 millimeters. Things are even better with the most vulnerable part of most tanks in the game - the NLD. Here the “cardboard” French heavy armor boasts 263 millimeters of reduced armor.
With the sides, everything looks expectedly bad. Here the SOMUA SM has only 50 millimeters, so the tank will be penetrated at a right angle by almost any vehicle in the game. Even high explosive shells will hit with full damage. It should be noted that the “French” can tank sideways if the hull is positioned at an acute angle. However, you shouldn’t rely too much on the diamond: if there is insufficient additional rotation, the tank will easily break through.

How to play on Somua SM

It has already been mentioned that the new premium tank resembles the AMX 50 100 in appearance and characteristics, so the game tactics will be almost the same. So, unlike its upgraded twin, SOMUA SM boasts relatively good armor. The tank can take damage without penetration and catch ricochets, but you shouldn’t rely too much on such luck. The best option– play without attracting attention, so as not to become a target for opponents.
In addition, do not forget about the killer drum, which takes almost a minute to recharge. Therefore, you need to clearly control the number of shells in the cassette so that at the wrong moment you are not left with an empty drum. At the same time, after waiting for an opportunity, you can single-handedly send any tank of your level into the hangar or replenish your piggy bank with several shot frags. It is important to understand that SOMUA SM is a tank for team game, where the allies will cover the vehicle that has left for the CD. Therefore, it’s not worth being a hero in a random room in splendid isolation.
Do not forget that SOMUA SM has excellent dynamics, so it can support its team in several directions, changing the flanks of the attack in a timely manner.

Main characteristics

Briefly

Details

1.3 / 1.3 / 1.3 BR

3 people Crew

Mobility

19.5 tons Weight

5 forward
1 ago checkpoint

Armament

47 mm gun SA35 L/32 Main gun

84 rounds of ammunition

18° / 18° UVN

single-plane
vertical stabilizer

3,250 rounds of ammunition

150 shells clip size

1,350 rounds/minrate of fire

Economy

Description

In the 30s of the last century, few doubted that a new war was coming. Many countries have begun active work to update the fleet of armored vehicles in service. Someone realized that new war will be radically different in character from the first, some, like the French, for example, believed that the second war would be the same as the first - with long positional gatherings, artillery transfers from trench to trench and a minimum of armored vehicles.

Therefore, they designed new tanks with the expectation that they would have to overcome trenches, clear them of infantry using machine guns and howitzers, and only occasionally fight enemy tanks. That’s why the French tanks of the 30s turned out to be so extravagant and stand out from other combat vehicles of that time.

The Automitrailleuse de Combat modèle 1935 S or SOMUA S 35 (also known as SOMUA AC 4) was no exception. But even with such an archaic design, its armor made it possible to withstand fire from German 37 and 75 mm guns of that time, somewhere due to its thickness, which in some places reached 40 mm, somewhere due to its good slope. However, their low reliability, small quantity and banal inability to withstand the blitz-krieg played a role in the rapid withdrawal of France from the battle.

Armor protection and survivability

Huge transmission and engine constantly stop shrapnel from being penetrated by solid ammunition

One accidentally flown in squib - and your song is over

The security of this car is average. You can’t call it bad - after all, when positioned in a “diamond” shape, the car takes the blow very well, mainly thanks to the sides, which are thicker than the VLD. But at the same time, the upper part itself does not have any serious slope and is cast, which, with a thickness of 35 mm, makes it a huge vulnerable area in a head-on collision, therefore, when meeting with more than one enemy, you should be careful and try to keep the turn for both .

It is also worth considering that there is a bevel on the left side of the hull, which, when the tank is positioned in a “diamond” shape, loses its angle of inclination and becomes a vulnerable point. The turret is quite well armored - the forehead has a thickness of 56 mm and a complex shape, but there is a hole behind the 45-mm gun mantlet, which is why in a collision with an experienced enemy there is a high risk of receiving a shell there, which means losing the commander and breech of the gun .

The survivability of this combat vehicle is disgusting - 3 crew members sit very tightly, and there is only one commander in the turret, so when he is lost, both the cannon and the machine gun go silent. However, the huge transmission, coupled with the equally monstrously large engine and fuel tanks, often absorbs fragments when the tank is penetrated from the rear, so if someone fast got around you, you can always rely on the insides of the engine compartment.

Mobility

The Somua S.35 has below-average straight-line dynamics, and at the same time loses all the gained speed on the very first maneuver - this is due to the archaic design of the transmission and suspension. And this same archaic nature helps it out on soft soils - fairly wide tracks with massive lugs allow you not to think too much about how deep the quagmire is now under the tracks. A reverse speed of 5 km/h will not be news to players of British vehicles, but it can cause a lot of trouble for others.

Armament

Main weapon

The main gun of the S.35 is the 47 mm SA 35. It has passable armor penetration (67/29 mm at a distance of 100 m at an angle of 0/60 degrees), excellent elevation angles (+- 18 degrees) and good armor protection (even despite due to the fact that there are no chamber shells), but the whole impression of this is spoiled by the long reload - the poor fellow has to look at the instruments, give commands, and load and aim the gun. With “aces” in the crew and maximum leveling, reloading will be 7.5 seconds, which is simply deadly long compared to classmates. Another unpleasant aspect is the extremely low speed turret rotation - only 10 deg/sec at best. But there is also a fly in the ointment - the vehicle is equipped with a single-plane stabilizer, which greatly helps this leisurely combat vehicle fire immediately after stopping or even on the move - it accelerates so slowly.

The ammunition rack is located in a huge block along the entire right side of the tank, which makes it an excellent target for targeting. Therefore, you shouldn’t take more than 25-30 shells into battle - otherwise one stray shell hit on board can end your game.

Machine gun weapons

There is only one machine gun here - the MAC M1932, which does not stand out at all from the background of other rifle machine guns at this rank. Its only advantage is the quality of the belt packing - armor-piercing cartridges occupy 2/3 of the belt, which allows for maximum penetration of 10 mm when firing at lightly armored combat vehicles.

Use in combat

Somua S.35 is a distinctly second-line vehicle. The armor, which seems good at first glance, does not allow you to keep the blow close, where the enemy is able to target weakened zones, and mobility simply does not allow you to approach the enemy to the “first line” distance. The task of this vehicle on the battlefield is to stay at a distance of 200-300 meters behind the allies and take a hit from the enemy, who is no longer able to effectively target Somua’s vulnerable areas, simultaneously realizing the good armor effect of its shells.

Advantages and disadvantages

Somua S.35 is a passable and not particularly outstanding tank. Poor mobility, leaky armor and a medium cannon make this combat vehicle very specific in its use. For beginners, the Somua will be a very difficult tank to master; for experienced players, the Frenchman will not be a particularly difficult vehicle, but it will not bring anything interesting to them.

Advantages:

• Excellent UVN
• solid tower
• Thick side armor
• Good cross-country ability on soft soils

Flaws:

• A large number of weakened zones in the armor
• Low rate of fire
• Low turret traverse speed
• Poor dynamics and large loss of speed when turning
• Inability to turn around on the spot
• Huge dimensions
• Small crew and tight layout

Historical reference

The original technical specifications for the AMC (the future S35), issued by the cavalry in January 1932, called for a vehicle that weighed 7.5 tons, armed with a 47 mm cannon and a 7.5 mm machine gun, with a top speed of 30 km/h. The crew was supposed to consist of three or four (if there was a stern driver) people. In 1934, these tactical and technical requirements (TTT) were changed - now a 13-ton tank, with a vertical armor thickness of 40 mm, corresponded to the tasks assigned to the cavalry, average speed movement speed of 30 km/h and power reserve of 200 km. This change took the Renault company by surprise, which back in 1933 created the AMC 35, a prototype of the tank according to the AMC specification - the tank no longer satisfied the changed TTT, primarily in terms of the thickness of the armor. Therefore, its production was limited to approximately 100 units. In search of a way out of the situation, the cavalry leadership turned to Société d’outillage mécanique et d’usinage d’artillerie (SOMUA), a subsidiary of the company Schneider, the contract with which was concluded in October 1934. On April 14, 1935, the first prototype of the tank was completed, designated AMC SOMUA Type AC 3. The basis of the design new car lay down infantry tanks D1 and D2, as well as design elements of the Czechoslovak LT vz.35, especially the suspension and gearbox. Testing of the prototype, with a ballast load instead of the then unmanufactured turret, continued from July 4 to August 2, 1935 and, in general, was successful, however, in the conclusion about their results, the need to refine the engine-transmission group was noted. At the same time, the results completely satisfied the military cavalrymen, who issued the first order for the production of tanks even before the completion of additional tests. On August 4, the prototype was returned to the factory for refinement and elimination of identified deficiencies. From October 15 to December 17, the second stage of testing took place, revealing the need for new improvements. Additional testing and refinement of the prototype continued until March 1936, and only in 1938 the tank was finally “finished” and put into service under the official designation Char 1935 S.

One of the less famous tanks of the Second World War period is the French “cavalry” tank Somua S35. Although it was produced in a fairly large series (427 tanks), its active use in combat was extremely limited for natural reasons. Considered the most advanced tank of the Third Republic, it did not save France from defeat in the war.

Somua S35 is also known as Char 1935 S, S35 and S-35. This is a French-made medium tank, developed in the 30s of the last century. Fighting machine was created by designers of the Somua company in 1934-1935 as the main tank of armored cavalry units. It is for this reason that in the literature this tank is often classified as “cavalry” or “cruising”. First tanks of this type were assembled in 1936, and mass serial production was launched in France already in 1938; the tank was mass-produced until the defeat of France in World War II in June 1940. During this time, 427 tanks of this type left the factory floors.

By the beginning of World War II, the Somua S35 medium tank was considered one of the best in the French army, being the most combat-ready and modern vehicle. Despite its not the strongest armor, the tank was distinguished by good mobility (on the highway it could accelerate to 37 km/h) and powerful weapons, represented by a 47-mm rifled semi-automatic gun with a 32-caliber barrel length. This weapon provided French tankers with a guaranteed defeat of any German tanks of that time, even in a frontal projection. However, on the battlefields it is not the numbers from the performance characteristics of this or that vehicle that collide with each other, but the living people who sit inside the tanks. German tank crews were better trained and had more experience, as did the commanders of German tank and mechanized formations, which determined the fate of France.

After the end of the First World War, the French military, like the military of other countries, began to implement the concept of mechanization of their own armed forces. This process also affected cavalry - the main mobile striking force ground forces those years. Already in the early 1930s, French cavalrymen formed tactical and technical requirements for a new tank, designed specifically for arming mobile mechanized units. The development of the combat vehicle was entrusted to the Somua company, which was a subsidiary of the large arms company Shneider.

The contract for the development and construction of a new 13-ton tank with an armor thickness of at least 40 mm and a maximum speed of at least 30 km/h was signed in October 1934. At the same time, it took Somua designers only seven months to complete the construction of the first prototype of the future tank. Already in April 1935, a prototype of the combat vehicle was ready. Helped the French designers to meet such a short deadline Foreign experience. The company's engineers, who were involved in creating the transmission and suspension for the new French tank, previously worked for the famous Czech company Skoda. Therefore, the above units were largely borrowed from the fairly good light Czech tank Lt.35. At the same time, the gearbox and engine also had Czech roots.

The speed and range of the presented tank fully met the needs of the French cavalrymen, but the company's engineers still had to do serious work to correct numerous shortcomings. At the same time, the French army's need for a new tank was so great that they ordered the vehicle without even waiting for the final polishing process to be completed. First serial tank was assembled already in 1936, at the same time it was transferred to the troops, where it received the designation Char 1935 S, but the Somua S35 became more famous and familiar to everyone.

Due to the fact that the tank was put into service in a hurry, the vehicle had obvious reliability problems. However, it’s not the best layout internal modules medium tank created serious problems for repairers. Because of this, for another two years various improvements were made to the design of the tank; only after all the shortcomings were officially eliminated, the cavalrymen accepted the vehicle into service, beginning active purchases of a new tank.

Despite the classic layout with a front-mounted control and fighting compartment and a rear-mounted engine compartment, the S35 tank was quite distinctive, to say the least. The tank's crew, consisting of three people, was located in the bow of the combat vehicle, since approximately 2/3 of the length of the tank was occupied by its engine and the equipment necessary for its operation. The crew boarded and disembarked through a fairly large hatch located on the left side of the hull. The driver and radio operator were located in the control compartment, behind them in the combat compartment in a single turret was the tank commander, who, in addition to command, was responsible for servicing all the weapons of the combat vehicle. In battle, he could be helped by a radio operator who could serve as a loader, but for this he had to leave his workplace.

The controls of the Somua S35 tank were made “automotive style”. A steering column with a steering wheel, pedals and a gear shift lever were installed on the left side of the front of the tank. There was also a driver's seat and an instrument panel. To the right of the driver there was space for the radio station and radio operator. In the frontal plate of the hull there were two hatches with surveillance devices installed in them.

The tank's armor was bulletproof and differentiated. The body was made by casting from homogeneous armor steel. The thickness of the frontal armor reached 36 mm, the sides of the hull from 25 to 35 mm, the stern - 25 mm, the bottom - 20 mm. The armor was located at rational angles of inclination, which increased its effectiveness. Frontal armor the turret was 56 mm, the armor of the turret sides was 46 mm.

The tank commander was located in a single-seat turret, which had both electric and manual guidance drives. On the roof of the tower, offset to the left, there was a small dome-shaped commander's cupola. The commander's cupola had a special hatch with a viewing slot and two viewing holes that could be covered with armored shields. The commander's cupola could rotate independently of the tank's main turret.

The main armament of the French tank Somua S35 was a semi-automatic 47-mm rifled gun SA 35 U34 with a barrel length of 32 calibers (1504 mm). An armor-piercing projectile fired from this gun developed an initial speed of 671 m/s. According to French data, an armor-piercing projectile with a protective tip penetrated 35 mm armor installed at an angle of 30 degrees from a distance of 400 meters. German tests showed even better results. In general, this was enough to hit head-on all German tanks of that period, the armor of which did not exceed 30 mm. The tank's auxiliary armament was a 7.5 mm mle.1931 machine gun.

The cannon and machine gun were installed in the front part of the turret - on the right and left, respectively; they were in installations independent of each other on a common rolling axis. The gun had very good vertical aiming performance - from -18 to +20 degrees. Although the vertical guidance of the cannon and machine gun could be carried out separately from each other, in order to fire the gun it was necessary to connect them together using a rod system, since both types of weapons had only one guidance means - a telescopic sight with 4x magnification, which was installed above the machine gun. As an additional weapon, another machine gun could be installed on the turret roof above the aft hatch. The tank's ammunition consisted of 118 unitary rounds with armor-piercing and fragmentation shells, as well as 2200 rounds of machine gun ammunition.

The heart of the tank was an 8-cylinder V-shaped carburetor liquid-cooled engine - SOMUA 190CV V8, which developed a maximum power of 190 hp. at 2000 rpm. The engine was installed in the engine compartment along the longitudinal axis of the combat vehicle. An innovation for those years was placement in the engine compartment of the tank automatic system fire extinguishing Two protected fuel tanks (the main one with a capacity of 300 liters and the reserve one with a capacity of 100 liters) were located on the right side of the engine. Also, up to four external fuel tanks could be installed on the right side of the tank. The relatively weak engine accelerated the tank with a combat weight of 19.5 tons to a speed of 37 km/h (when driving on a highway); some sources indicate that the tank’s speed could exceed 40 km/h. At the same time, the cruising range on the highway was enough for 260 kilometers.

The chassis of the Somua S35 medium tank for each side consisted of 9 single non-rubberized small-diameter road wheels, a drive wheel, a idler, two support rollers and two guide skids that supported the upper branch of the tank's caterpillar. Of the nine road wheels, eight were interlocked four in two bogies. In fact, the design of the tank's interlocking suspension was inherited from the English Vickers six-ton ​​and was rather poorly suited for such a fast vehicle. Another drawback of the chassis was the low position of the sloth, which significantly worsened the S35’s cross-country ability, especially in terms of overcoming various kinds of vertical obstacles. In the modified version, which received the index S40, this problem was successfully resolved, but the tank was never put into production. An additional problem with the tank was its relatively high center of gravity, given that the tank itself was narrow, which significantly increased the chances of capsizing, especially under the control of an inexperienced driver.

The most significant design flaw of the Somua S35 “cavalry” tank (as well as large quantity others French tanks) there was a functional overload of the commander, which was due to the use of a single-man turret. If the radio operator was busy performing his direct duties, the commander of the combat vehicle was forced to single-handedly simultaneously assess the combat situation, search for targets, reload and aim the gun, coordinating the actions of the entire crew. All this led to both a decrease in the firepower of the tank and a decrease in its ability to quickly respond to changes in the combat situation. Even if the radio operator took over the duties of the loader, this only slightly improved the situation, since the tank commander could only do one thing - either observe the terrain through the commander’s cupola, or aim the gun at the target.

Realizing all the shortcomings of their vehicle, already in the spring of 1939 the French formulated new technical requirements for the modernization of the Somua S35 tank. The updated tank was supposed to have a more powerful engine - 220 hp. and improved chassis. But the main innovation was to be the hull and turret. Instead of casting, the French hoped to switch to welding rolled armor plates. The new tank was designated Somua S40. It was planned to go into production in October 1940, but the war forced work on the project to be accelerated. French enterprises were ready to master its mass production by July 1940, but by that time France had already capitulated.

The first truly major tank battle of World War II can be considered the battle that unfolded around the Belgian city of Annu. It began on May 12, 1940. The French Somua S35 tanks that took part in the battle spoiled a lot of blood for the Germans here. Near settlement Crean, which was located west of the specified city, one of the S35 tank units chalked up 4 German tank and battery anti-tank guns. Another French detachment, among other enemy vehicles, destroyed Colonel Eberbach's tank near the town of Tin. The colonel himself, however, remained alive, but the offensive in this direction was stopped. The Germans, who tried to strike again, were forced to retreat due to counterattacks by French tanks. The S35 tanks emerged from this battle having received 20-40 direct hits from 20-37 mm guns, without receiving a single hole.

There were some local successes, but general failures on other sectors of the front forced the French troops to retreat to new lines of defense. The Somua S35 medium tanks were actively used throughout the French campaign of 1940, but in general their use could only be characterized by local successes, which paled against the background of the general failures that befell the French and British troops.

After the defeat and capitulation of France, German troops received 297 S35 tanks. They were captured and used by the Wehrmacht until 1944, but mainly only in secondary theaters of war, in particular during anti-partisan operations in Yugoslavia. The Germans also used them as training vehicles. A small number of Somua S35 tanks were delivered to Germany's allies. Some of these tanks were also used by the troops of the Vichy government in North Africa, and later by Free French troops, including in 1944-1945. All S35 tanks that survived the millstones of World War II were widely withdrawn from service in the first years after its completion.

Performance characteristics tank Somua S35:
Overall dimensions: body length – 5380 mm, width – 2120 mm, height – 2630 mm, ground clearance – 420 mm.
Combat weight - 19.5 tons.
Powerplant – 8-cylinder V-shaped carburetor engine SOMUA 190CV V8 with a power of 190 hp.
Maximum speed – 37 km/h (on the highway).
Cruising range – 260 km (on the highway), 128 km (over rough terrain).
Armament: 47 mm SA 35 U34 cannon and 7.5 mm mle.1931 machine gun.
Ammunition - 118 shells and 2200 machine gun rounds.
Crew – 3 people.

Information sources:
https://aviarmor.net/tww2/tanks/france/somua_s35.htm
https://worldoftanks.ru/ru/news/history/french_cavalryman_s35/
http://pro-tank.ru/souzniki/france/199-fran-somua-s35
Open source materials