21.09.2019
French Samoa tanks in battle. Somua SM performance characteristics
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.
- Stabilization– increasing the efficiency of shooting while moving.
- Enlightenment– improving the viewing radius.
- 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 come in 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.
Cavalry (or cruiser) tank
Char 1935 S, also S-35 and Somua S35.
The tank was developed in 1935 by Somua. It had a classic layout with a rear-mounted power compartment, in which an eight-cylinder liquid-cooled carburetor engine was installed. The chassis used a mechanical transmission with a double-disc main dry friction clutch. Movement control was carried out using a double differential. A mixed suspension of road wheels was used - from two four-wheel bogies with leaf springs and one rear roller on board.
The chassis was covered with folding stamped screens. A special feature of the tank was that its hull consisted of six cast armor parts connected by bolts. The hexagonal turret, in which the weapons were installed - a 47 mm cannon and a 7.5 mm machine gun (in the first releases, a 37 mm cannon was installed) was also solid cast. To control fire there was a telescopic tank sight. The tank's turret had a commander's cupola with viewing slots closed by armored flaps. Generally armor protection was quite satisfactory: the thickness of the frontal armor of the hull was 36 mm, the side armor was 41 mm, and the thickness of the frontal armor of the turret reached 56 mm. Its disadvantages include low speed, especially when driving on rough terrain. This drawback was largely eliminated in the subsequent modification of the tank under the symbol S40, but its production was not launched due to the defeat of France.
In 1930, the command of the French cavalry decided to acquire its own tanks. On June 26, 1934, the requirements for the development of a “cavalry” tank were approved: armament - 25 mm or 47 mm gun, 40 mm armor, crew of three, range of up to 200 km on a highway or five hours of travel over rough terrain, speed 30 km/h, weight 13 tons. On October 12 of the same year, a project for such a vehicle was submitted by SOMUA for consideration by the cavalry weapons service. Without waiting for a decision to be made, SOMUA began manufacturing a prototype, which was ready on April 14, 1935.
From July 4 to August 2, 1935, the vehicle, designated ASZ, passed the first stage of testing. The commission that conducted them noted that "The prototype as a whole has good performance in terms of speed and cross-country ability, but requires modification of the design of the engine-transmission group". On August 4, the tank was sent to the factory to eliminate the noted deficiencies. From October 15 to December 17, the second stage of testing of the modified ASZ sample took place, which also ended unsuccessfully. Despite this, by March 26, 1936, the SOMUA company produced the first batch of 50 vehicles, which were transferred to the troops.
The tank received the official designation "Char 1935 S", although it became better known as SOMUA S35. At the initiative of the military, who had serious complaints about the quality of the S35, from July 1, 1936 to March 3, 1937, one sample was subjected to lengthy, large-scale tests, on the basis of which changes were made significant changes into the design of the transmission, tracks and ventilation system of the fighting compartment. And only in April 1938, having studied the results of operating the first batch of vehicles in units and eliminating the identified shortcomings, the SOMUA company began mass production of the S35. SOMUA entered service with mechanized cavalry regiments, which, in turn, were reduced to light mechanized divisions. The regiment had a battalion of 47 S35s (two squadrons of 23 vehicles and one battalion commander's vehicle) and a battalion of Hotchkis tanks (two squadrons of 23 vehicles and one S35 for the battalion commander).
As of September 2, 1939 (on this day France announced mobilization), 270 SOMUA tanks were manufactured, of which 191 were in the army, 55 in warehouses and 24 at the factory. By the beginning of the 1940 campaign, the S35 was in service with the cuirassier and dragoon regiments.
After the outbreak of World War II, production of S35 tanks grew steadily, and by the time France surrendered in June 1940, a total of 430 vehicles had been produced. In the spring of 1940, the French government attempted to place an order for several thousand SOMUAs to be manufactured in the United States, but the deal fell through. In battles during the French campaign, the S35 tanks did not perform particularly well. They were superior to everything German tanks in terms of armor protection and armament, they were equal in speed and mobility, but were greatly inferior due to the lack of radio stations and poor crew training.
For example, General de Gaulle wrote in his war memoirs: “Meanwhile (May 19, 1940) I received the 3rd Cuirassier Regiment, consisting of two squadrons of SOMUA tanks, for replenishment. However, the tank crews were led by commanders who had never fired guns before, and the drivers had a background of total no more than four hours of driving a tank".
After the defeat of France, the Germans left a small number of S35s to the Vichy government, which in early 1941 transported 23 vehicles to Morocco, where on February 22 they were introduced into the 2nd Squadron of the 1st African Hunter Regiment. At first the squadron acted on the side of the German-Italian troops, but by the beginning of 1943 it went over to the side of “Fighting France”. Later SOMUA crews became part of the 2nd French armored division under General Leclerc.
The majority of SOMUA - 297 units, under the designation Pz.Kpfw.35S 739 (f) was included in the Wehrmacht tank units. SOMUA underwent some modernization: German Fu5 radios were installed on them and the commander's cupola was retrofitted with a double-leaf hatch (but not all vehicles underwent such modifications). In addition, a fourth crew member was added - the radio operator, and the loader moved to the turret, where there were now two people - the commander and the loader. The Germans used a certain number of SOMUA to fight partisans and protect rear facilities. 60 units were converted into artillery tractors (the turret and upper front part of the hull were removed from them), and 15 vehicles entered service with armored trains.
Only four copies of the SOMUA S35 have survived to this day; they are in the tank museum in Samur (France), in the Royal Tank Museum in Bovington (UK), in the museum at Aberdeep Proving Ground (USA) and in Military History Museum armored weapons and equipment in Kubinka near Moscow (Russia). The S35 crew consisted of three people: the commander (also the gunner), located in the turret, the driver (located in fighting compartment in front left) and loader (in the fighting compartment in front on the right). On the left side of the bow-upper part of the hull there was a hatch for landing the crew, and in the frontal plate there were two inspection hatches with observation devices. On the sides of the aft upper part of the hull there were four hatches (two on each side) for access to the engine and stowage of spare parts and tools. From above, the engine and transmission compartment was covered with cast armored shutters, installed in special sockets and secured with bolts.
The hull was made of four cast armor parts: two lower ones, in which all components of the tank were mounted, and two upper ones - bow and stern. All these parts were connected to each other with bolts. The turret is cast, hexagonal, the armor thickness is 45 mm with an inclination of 21°. A 47 mm cannon and a 7.5 mm Chatelleraut machine gun were installed in the front of the turret. The cannon and machine gun were fired directly using a telescopic sight located to the left of the gun. The gun's ammunition consisted of fragmentation and armor-piercing grenades. The cannon, machine gun and sight were mounted in separate masks, connected to each other in such a way that the simultaneous rotation of the weapons at the same angle was ensured. The shells for the cannon were placed in one rack located in the fighting compartment on the starboard side. The tower was rotated by a rotation mechanism with manual and electric drives. The turning electric motor was installed on the base of the tower and connected to the turning mechanism by a shaft and two hinges. The rotating mechanism was located on the left side near the tank commander's position and was mounted on the turret armor brackets. On the roof of the tower there was a commander's cupola, offset to the left of center; it was mounted on a ball bearing and rotated independently of the rotation of the large tower. The commander's cupola had an inspection hatch with an observation device, a slot and two holes closed by armored flaps.
The engine was a four-stroke, carburetor, 8-cylinder with a V-shaped arrangement of cylinders and overhead valves and was installed in the rear of the hull on the left. There are two cylinder blocks, four cylinders each. The engine cooling system is water, with forced circulation. Water was poured into the cooling system through the neck of the expansion tank installed in the right front part of the engine compartment. Control was carried out using two differentials rotated by the engine: the lower one - through a gearbox, the upper one - from a separate drive. Thereby tank had two ways to control the turn: using the steering wheel, using the friction clutches of the upper differential and using the shoe brakes of the axle shafts of the final drives (lower differential). With two differentials, the S35 could be turned by a steering wheel - with large turning radii, and when operated by hydraulic brakes - make sharp turns.
The guide wheel was mounted on the side armor brackets at the front. It consisted of a cast hub, a rubber shock absorber and a steel rim with a flange in the middle to guide the track chain (thus tank SOMUA had a guide wheel with internal shock absorption). The steel rim and rubber band were held on the hub by special metal discs. The tension mechanism included two adjusting bolts with trunnions for fastening the guide wheel axis and three gears, two of which were tension gears. The gears were mounted on a bracket bolted to the hull armor.
The support rollers are steel, single, grouped into two bogies (on board) with four rollers in each, and one roller was installed separately. elastic element The suspension in the bogies used leaf springs, and an oil shock absorber was mounted on the front bogie. Both bogies were connected by a frame. The rear roller was intended to increase the supporting surface and additionally dampen vibrations. Shock loads were damped by a buffer spring installed in the rear roller bracket housing.
To support the upper branch of the caterpillar, two support rollers and a pair of support skids served (for one side). Each caterpillar track included 103 cast tracks, connected to each other with two fingers. Each track on inner surface had a recess for the flanges of the support and guide wheels. To lubricate the rollers and track tracks, a special oiler was installed between the suspension bogies.
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 the thickness, which in some places reached 40 mm, somewhere due to a 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 to not 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 medium cannon do this combat vehicle very specific in application. 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.
