French Light Tank R35
Tamiya, 1/35 scale

Reviewed by Brett Green

Background

The Renault R35, an abbreviation of Char léger Modèle 1935 R or R 35, was a French light infantry tank of the Second World War.

Designed from 1933 onwards and produced from 1936, the type was intended as an infantry support light tank, equipping autonomous tank battalions that would be allocated to individual infantry divisions to assist them in executing offensive operations. To this end it was relatively well-armoured but slow and lacking a good anti-tank capacity, fitted with a short 37 mm gun.

At the outbreak of the war, the anti-tank role was more emphasised leading to the development and eventual production from April 1940 of a subtype with a more powerful longer gun, the Renault R40. It was planned to shift new production capacity to the manufacture of other, faster, types, but due to the defeat of France the R35/40 remained the most numerous French tank of the war, about 1685 vehicles having been produced by June 1940.

At that stage it had also been exported to Poland, Romania, Turkey and Yugoslavia.

For the remainder of the war Germany and its allies would use captured vehicles, some of them rebuilt into tank destroyers.*

* History courtesy of Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_R35

In the Box

Tamiya's 1:35 scale French Light Tank R35 is a brand new kit. It comprises 200 parts in tan coloured plastic and six polythene caps.

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Surface detail is excellent. The cast texture is particularly well done - subtle yet still noticeable from most angles.

The running gear has a straightforward parts breakdown but with a high level of detail.

The lower hull is a flat pack with separate hull frloor, sides and rear.

The tracks are Tamiya's typical link and length.

These are moulded with sag between the return rollers on the top run, a straight length for the bottom run, individual links to run around the drive sprocket and idler wheel and several short lengths to bridge the gaps.

The upper hull is made up from a main casting, left and right sponson covers, the nose and separate track guards.

Hull hatches are moulded shut.

The turret is supplied as a main upper casting and a base. The rear hatch may be posed open or closed, and the small dome turret may be left free to rotate. The gun can elevate and depress thanks to the use of polythene caps.

A very nicely sculpted seven-piece Commander figure is included. He is perched on the rear of the turret.

Markings are offered for two machines with varied and typically colourful French WWII camouflage schemes.

The Tamiya decals look good on the sheet with perfect registration and colour.

Conclusion

Tamiya has captured the distinctive lines of the Renault R35, and construction should be easy and enjoyable

Thanks to Tamiya Japan for the sample www.tamiya.com

Tamiya kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net