H.39 - Revision history

U9202753: Specs-Card ArtImage added.

2024-07-07T18:47:33Z

Specs-Card ArtImage added.

U74396666: New Description Project - France Priority: Tanks - Char léger modèle 1935 (Hotchkiss) H modifié 39

2023-10-22T10:54:59Z

New Description Project - France Priority: Tanks - Char léger modèle 1935 (Hotchkiss) H modifié 39

U44629479: /* Ammo racks */ Copied over from H.35

2023-08-28T08:13:17Z

‎Ammo racks: Copied over from H.35

U44629479: Edits

2023-01-22T20:59:02Z

Edits

U44629479: /* Ammunition */ Converted to transclusion

2023-01-22T20:57:14Z

‎Ammunition: Converted to transclusion

U44629479: /* Media */ Removed dead video

2023-01-11T21:12:35Z

‎Media: Removed dead video

U44629479: Edits

2021-09-24T22:04:59Z

Edits

U115170711: /* Pros and cons */

2021-09-24T21:37:51Z

‎Pros and cons

U38088265: /* Machine guns */

2021-06-11T13:25:55Z

‎Machine guns

U44629479: Added Template for Tank Manufacturer

2021-04-22T14:34:33Z

Added Template for Tank Manufacturer

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 {{Specs-Card
 |code=fr_hotchkiss_h39
-|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
+|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
 }}

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (Hotchkiss light tank model 1935 modified 1939) is a reserve rank {{Specs|rank}} French light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]] and replaced the [[H.35]] as one of France's two reserve vehicles in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]].
+The '''Char léger modèle 1935 (Hotchkiss) H modifié 39''' is a heavily upgraded [[H.35|Char léger modèle 1935 (Hotchkiss) H]] cavalry tank from 1939. Since cavalry units sought a faster tank, it was decided in October 1936 to modernize its current tanks by installing a more powerful engine. In 1937, a new prototype with a 120 hp engine was created in place of the 78 hp engine. The hull was stretched to provide enough space to accommodate it, resulting in a taller, nearly level engine deck. Aside from episcopes, tails, and various radio sets, this included the gradual introduction of a larger 37 mm SA38 L/35 tank gun with much improved anti-tank capabilities, providing 30 mm of armour penetration at 1 km.
-Compared to its predecessor, the H.39 features a serviceable gun, thicker armour, and a significantly more powerful engine, which makes it, when fully upgraded, surprisingly speedy on flat ground for low level French tanks. Nevertheless, this vehicle's gun and mobility are below average compared its peers from other nations. While it is mobile in a straight line, it manoeuvres slowly and its narrow tracks slow it down substantially cross-country. The H.39 should be played as a close support tank, best utilized in urban maps and following its teammates while waiting for a good shot opportunity.
+Introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]], the Char léger modèle 1935 (Hotchkiss) H modifié 39 is vastly improved over its predecessor. It has a slightly superior main armament, thicker armour overall, and a substantially more powerful engine, which makes it surprisingly fast on flat ground. Nonetheless, as compared to adversaries from other nations, this vehicle remains below average. While it travels quickly in a straight line, it goes slowly over muddy terrain, and its narrow tracks considerably slow it cross-country. It is best employed as a close support tank in urban environments, following teammates while waiting for a good firing opportunity at the enemy.
 == General info ==
@@ Line 206: / Line 206: @@
 ;Skins
 * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_hotchkiss_h39 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
@@ Line 214: / Line 215: @@
 ;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
 * [[H.35]]

@@ Line 82: / Line 82: @@
 ==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
-[[File:Ammoracks_H.35.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the H.35 (identical).]]
+[[File:Ammoracks_H.35.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
-<!-- '''Last updated: 2.1.0.91''' -->
+<!-- '''Last updated: 2.27.2.40''' -->
 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 |-
@@ Line 93: / Line 93: @@
 ! 5th<br>rack empty
 ! 6th<br>rack empty
 ! 7th<br>rack empty
 ! Visual<br>discrepancy
 |-
-|| '''76''' || 75&nbsp;''(+1)'' || 62&nbsp;''(+14)'' || 49&nbsp;''(+27)'' || 36&nbsp;''(+40)'' || 23&nbsp;''(+53)'' || 10&nbsp;''(+66)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+75)'' || Yes
+| 36&nbsp;''(+40)'' || 29&nbsp;''(+47)'' || 23&nbsp;''(+53)'' || 16&nbsp;''(+60)'' || 10&nbsp;''(+66)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+75)'' || Yes
 |-
 |}
 '''Notes''':
-* The visual discrepancy concerns the total number of shells as well as the number of shells per rack:
+* The visual discrepancy concerns the total number of shells as well as the number of shells in rack 1:
-** 100 shells are modeled but you can only pack 76 shells, meaning some racks always empty (crossed out in the picture).
+** 80 shells are modelled but you can only pack 76 shells, meaning some rounds are never present (crossed out in the picture).
 ** Rack 1 is modeled as 6 shells but contains only 2 shells.
-* As they are modeled by sets of 6 or 7, shells disappear from racks 2 to 6 only after you fire all shells in the set.
+* As they are modelled by sets of 6, 7, or 9, shells disappear from racks only after you've fire all shells in the set.
 === Machine guns ===

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (Hotchkiss light tank model 1935 modified 1939) is a reserve rank {{Specs|rank}} French light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]] and replaced the [[H.35]] as one of France's two reserve vehicles in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]].
-Compared to its predecessor, the H.39 features a serviceable gun, thicker armour, and a significantly more powerful engine, which makes it, when fully upgraded, surprisingly speedy on flat ground for low level French tanks.  Nevertheless, this vehicle's gun and mobility are below average compared its peers from other nations. While it is mobile in a straight line, it manoeuvres slowly and its narrow tracks slow it down substantially cross-country. The H.39 should be played as a close support tank, best utilized in urban maps and following its teammates while waiting for a good shot opportunity.
+Compared to its predecessor, the H.39 features a serviceable gun, thicker armour, and a significantly more powerful engine, which makes it, when fully upgraded, surprisingly speedy on flat ground for low level French tanks. Nevertheless, this vehicle's gun and mobility are below average compared its peers from other nations. While it is mobile in a straight line, it manoeuvres slowly and its narrow tracks slow it down substantially cross-country. The H.39 should be played as a close support tank, best utilized in urban maps and following its teammates while waiting for a good shot opportunity.
 == General info ==
@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 ! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 |-
-| Hull || 40 mm (8-33°) ''Upper plate'' <br> 22 mm (74-79°)''Upper glacis'' <br> 40 mm (30°) ''Lower glacis'' || 40 mm (1-25°) ''Top'' <br>  40 mm ''Bottom'' || 40 mm (26-29°) ''Top'' <br> 40 mm (29-31°) ''Bottom'' || 22 mm (14-15°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 22 mm (0-4°) ''Centre & rear''
+| Hull || 40 mm (8-33°) ''Upper plate'' <br> 22 mm (74-79°)''Upper glacis'' <br> 40 mm (30°) ''Lower glacis'' || 40 mm (1-25°) ''Top'' <br> 40 mm ''Bottom'' || 40 mm (26-29°) ''Top'' <br> 40 mm (29-31°) ''Bottom'' || 22 mm (14-15°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 22 mm (0-4°) ''Centre & rear''
 |-
 | Turret || 45 mm (4-28°) ''Turret front'' <br> 45 mm (28-30°) ''Left side'' <br> 25 mm (10-11°) + 45 mm (4°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 40 mm (0-28°) || 40 mm (30°) || 25 mm (22°) Front <br> 25 mm ''Centre and rear''
@@ Line 99: / Line 99: @@
 |-
 |}
-Notes:
+'''Notes''':
 * The visual discrepancy concerns the total number of shells as well as the number of shells per rack:
@@ Line 136: / Line 136: @@
 In the event the spearhead tanks of your team get crushed by the enemy, you will then play a defensive role by containing enemy breakthrough attempts.
-Being at a (short) distance from the frontline will force enemy tanks to drive in the open to get to you. Play with a nearby obstacle you can use as cover if you get hit and need to repair. Have a planned escape plan as the enemy will try to use artillery or CAS to dislodge you from cover. Make good use of your gun depression and fire from the cover of a ridge. Aim precisely to immobilize enemy targets on your first shot. Get back into cover between reloads and pop out a few meters away from your last spot.
+Being at a (short) distance from the frontline will force enemy tanks to drive in the open to get to you. Play with a nearby obstacle you can use as cover if you get hit and need to repair. Have a planned escape plan as the enemy will try to use artillery or CAS to dislodge you from cover. Make good use of your gun depression and fire from the cover of a ridge. Aim precisely to immobilize enemy targets on your first shot. Get back into cover between reloads and pop out a few metres away from your last spot.
 ;Other roles
@@ Line 181: / Line 181: @@
 * Only one choice of ammunition, which has no explosive filler
 * Sub-par penetration
-* Long reload for the caliber
+* Long reload for the calibre
 * Slow turret rotation
 * Driver's hatch is almost completely vertical
@@ Line 193: / Line 193: @@
 The poor anti-tank performance of the First World War-era 37 mm infantry gun (on which the SA 18 tank gun was based) during the Spanish Civil War led to the redesigned SA 38. In total 358 SA 18-armed tanks, mostly H.39 and H.35, would be rearmed with the new gun before the invasion of France, with several hundred more being produced as France fell. Up-gunned H.35s and H.39s were employed by the French as section- and platoon-leader vehicles.
-After the fall of France, the Germans retrofitted some of their captured vehicles with the newer gun, and replaced the commander's cupola with their more customary split hatch for the tank commander. These vehicles, which the Germans called the 38H 735, fought in Finland in 1941, in the Balkans, and against the Allies in France. In December of 1944, 29 were still in German service. Another 24 were cut down to just the hull pan and nose armour and used as Geschutzwagen (assault guns), and armed with the PaK 40/L46 75mm gun, making them similar in appearance to the Marder I conversion from captured Lorraine Schlepper vehicles. These were actively employed against Allied forces in Normandy. Some recaptured H.39s served with Free French forces to the end of the war.
+After the fall of France, the Germans retrofitted some of their captured vehicles with the newer gun, and replaced the commander's cupola with their more customary split hatch for the tank commander. These vehicles, which the Germans called the 38H 735, fought in Finland in 1941, in the Balkans, and against the Allies in France. In December of 1944, 29 were still in German service. Another 24 were cut down to just the hull pan and nose armour and used as Geschützwagen (assault guns), and armed with the 75 mm PaK40 L46 gun, making them similar in appearance to the Marder I conversion from captured Lorraine Schlepper vehicles. These were actively employed against Allied forces in Normandy. Some recaptured H.39s served with Free French forces to the end of the war.
 == Media ==

@@ Line 79: / Line 79: @@
 ==== Ammunition ====
-{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
+{{:SA38 L/33 (37 mm)/Ammunition|Mle1938}}
 ==== [[Ammo racks]] ====

@@ Line 228: / Line 228: @@
 ;Skins
 * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_hotchkiss_h39 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
 == See also ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{About
-|about=light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
+|about= French light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
-|usage=the premium version
+|usage= the premium version
-|link=H.39 "Cambronne"
+|link= H.39 "Cambronne"
 }}
 {{Specs-Card
@@ Line 197: / Line 197: @@
 * Tiny tank with tiny profile
 * -13° of gun depression
 * Has a gun stabilizer mechanic, which makes stop-and-shoot tactics easier and faster
 * Thick all-around armour that can be very strongly angled
 * Moderately powerful engine that can keep it at its 41 km/h top speed on flat ground
@@ Line 209: / Line 207: @@
 * Only 2 crew members
 * Only one choice of ammunition, which has no explosive filler
 * Sub-par penetration
@@ Line 216: / Line 213: @@
 * Driver's hatch is almost completely vertical
 * Narrow tracks means poor ground flotation
 == History ==
@@ Line 231: / Line 227: @@
 ;Skins
 * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_hotchkiss_h39 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
 ;Videos
@@ Line 243: / Line 238: @@
 ;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
 * [[H.35]]
 == External links ==

@@ Line 128: / Line 128: @@
 |}
 Notes:
 * The visual discrepancy concerns the total number of shells as well as the number of shells per rack:
 ** 100 shells are modeled but you can only pack 76 shells, meaning some racks always empty (crossed out in the picture).
@@ Line 152: / Line 153: @@
 == Usage in battles ==
 <!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
 ;Offensive role
 The {{PAGENAME}} was designed as a light infantry tank. It should be played as a support tank, taking advantage of its good cannon, armour and mobility.
 By playing as a support tank, you will help kill enemy tanks and thus turn the tide of engagements on the frontline. Once the enemy is destroyed, your mobility allows you to move forward together with frontline tanks and help capturing objectives.
@@ Line 159: / Line 162: @@
 ;Defensive role
 In the event the spearhead tanks of your team get crushed by the enemy, you will then play a defensive role by containing enemy breakthrough attempts.
 Being at a (short) distance from the frontline will force enemy tanks to drive in the open to get to you. Play with a nearby obstacle you can use as cover if you get hit and need to repair. Have a planned escape plan as the enemy will try to use artillery or CAS to dislodge you from cover. Make good use of your gun depression and fire from the cover of a ridge. Aim precisely to immobilize enemy targets on your first shot. Get back into cover between reloads and pop out a few meters away from your last spot.
 ;Other roles
 If you try to use the {{PAGENAME}} in a different role on the battlefield, you will quickly reach its limits:
 * If you try to play as a frontline tank, you will take shots from long range tank destroyers that will disable your tank: your armour is sloped but not very thick and not enough for long guns. Your limited crew makes it easy to incapacitate you. You will also be easily flanked by light tanks or armoured cars, especially if they swarm you. Your reverse speed is too poor to get you out of hot spots quickly enough. Only 1-on-1 engagements should be performed in this role.
 * If you attempt to play long range engagements, your good gun depression will be useful but your short gun will lack accuracy and your shell penetration will greatly drop over distance. Any successful enemy penetrating shot will disable your tank.
 ;Notable enemies:
 Many tanks are capable of easily disabling you. By order of lethality:
 * Long range tank destroyers
 * Howitzers with powerful HE shells
@@ Line 176: / Line 184: @@
 ;Defeating a {{PAGENAME}}
 The {{PAGENAME}} has several weak spots:
 * In a frontal encounter, the driver's hatch or the almost vertical hull below the turret are the easiest to target.
 * When flanking, aim for the flanks right under the turret.
@@ Line 187: / Line 197: @@
 * Tiny tank with tiny profile
 * -13° of gun depression
 * Has a gun stabilizer mechanic, which makes stop-and-shoot tactics easier and faster
@@ Line 198: / Line 209: @@
 * Only 2 crew members
 * Only one choice of ammunition, which has no explosive filler
 * Sub-par penetration
 * Long reload for the caliber
 * Driver's hatch is almost completely vertical
 * Narrow tracks means poor ground flotation
 == History ==
@@ Line 217: / Line 231: @@
 ;Skins
 * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=france&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=light_tank&vehicle=fr_hotchkiss_h39 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
@@ Line 228: / Line 243: @@
 ;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
 * [[H.35]]
 * [[H.39 "Cambronne"]]
 ;Vehicles equipped with the same gun
 * [[R.35 (SA38)]]

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 == Description ==
-<!--''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.''-->
+<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
 The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (Hotchkiss light tank model 1935 modified 1939) is a reserve rank {{Specs|rank}} French light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]] and replaced the [[H.35]] as one of France's two reserve vehicles in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]].
-Compared to its predecessor, the H.39 features a serviceable gun, thicker armour, and a significantly more powerful engine, which makes it, when fully upgraded, surprisingly speedy on flat ground for low level French tanks.  Nevertheless, this vehicle's gun and mobility are below average compared its peers from other nations. While it is mobile in a straight line, it maneuvers slowly and its narrow tracks slow it down substantially cross-country. The H.39 should be played as a close support tank, best utilized in urban maps and following its teammates while waiting for a good shot opportunity.
+Compared to its predecessor, the H.39 features a serviceable gun, thicker armour, and a significantly more powerful engine, which makes it, when fully upgraded, surprisingly speedy on flat ground for low level French tanks.  Nevertheless, this vehicle's gun and mobility are below average compared its peers from other nations. While it is mobile in a straight line, it manoeuvres slowly and its narrow tracks slow it down substantially cross-country. The H.39 should be played as a close support tank, best utilized in urban maps and following its teammates while waiting for a good shot opportunity.
 == General info ==
@@ Line 69: / Line 69: @@
 |-
 ! ''Arcade''
-| rowspan="2" | 76 || rowspan="2" | -13°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Shoulder || 15.0 || 20.7 || 25.1 || 27.8 || 29.6 || rowspan="2" | 5.20 || rowspan="2" | 4.60 || rowspan="2" | 4.24 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
+| rowspan="2" | 76 || rowspan="2" | -13°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Shoulder || 14.9 || 20.7 || 25.1 || 27.8 || 29.6 || rowspan="2" | 5.20 || rowspan="2" | 4.60 || rowspan="2" | 4.24 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
 |-
 ! ''Realistic''
@@ Line 79: / Line 79: @@
 ==== Ammunition ====
-{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
+{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 ! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 |-
 ! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 ! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
-! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
+! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
 |-
 ! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 |-
 |}
-{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
+{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 ! colspan="10" | Shell details
 |-
@@ Line 145: / Line 145: @@
 ! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 |-
-| Coaxial || 2,400 (150) || 1,350 || N/A || N/A
+| Coaxial || 2,400 (150) || 551 || N/A || N/A
 |-
 |}
@@ Line 182: / Line 182: @@
 === Pros and cons ===
-<!--''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".''-->
+<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
 '''Pros:'''
@@ Line 204: / Line 205: @@
 == History ==
-<!--Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== Encyclopedia Info ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).-->
+<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
-The H.39 was an improved version of the H.35, with a modified suspension and more powerful engine. 700 were built before France fell. Originally armed with the same SA 18 short gun as the H.35 and R.35, it saw service with the 342nd Independent Tank Company in Norway (which went over to the Free French with their tanks and fought with them in 1941 in Syria), and equipped six of the tank battalions (14th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 42nd and 45th) in the three pre-war armored divisions, and 12 cavalry squadrons. The SA 18-armed version is sometimes referred to (erroneously) as the H.38.
+The H.39 was an improved version of the H.35, with a modified suspension and more powerful engine. 700 were built before France fell. Originally armed with the same SA 18 short gun as the H.35 and R.35, it saw service with the 342nd Independent Tank Company in Norway (which went over to the Free French with their tanks and fought with them in 1941 in Syria), and equipped six of the tank battalions (14th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 42nd and 45th) in the three pre-war armoured divisions, and 12 cavalry squadrons. The SA 18-armed version is sometimes referred to (erroneously) as the H.38.
-The poor anti-tank performance of the First World War-era 37 mm infantry gun (on which the SA 18 tank gun was based) during the Spanish Civil War led to the redesigned SA 38. In total 358 SA 18-armed tanks, mostly H.39 and H.35, would be rearmed with the new gun before the invasion of France, with several hundred more being produced as France fell. Upgunned H.35s and H.39s were employed by the French as section- and platoon-leader vehicles.
+The poor anti-tank performance of the First World War-era 37 mm infantry gun (on which the SA 18 tank gun was based) during the Spanish Civil War led to the redesigned SA 38. In total 358 SA 18-armed tanks, mostly H.39 and H.35, would be rearmed with the new gun before the invasion of France, with several hundred more being produced as France fell. Up-gunned H.35s and H.39s were employed by the French as section- and platoon-leader vehicles.
 After the fall of France, the Germans retrofitted some of their captured vehicles with the newer gun, and replaced the commander's cupola with their more customary split hatch for the tank commander. These vehicles, which the Germans called the 38H 735, fought in Finland in 1941, in the Balkans, and against the Allies in France. In December of 1944, 29 were still in German service. Another 24 were cut down to just the hull pan and nose armour and used as Geschutzwagen (assault guns), and armed with the PaK 40/L46 75mm gun, making them similar in appearance to the Marder I conversion from captured Lorraine Schlepper vehicles. These were actively employed against Allied forces in Normandy. Some recaptured H.39s served with Free French forces to the end of the war.

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:34, 22 April 2021
Line 241:		Line 241:
	* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/france/Hotchkiss_H35_39.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Hotchkiss H35/39]		* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/france/Hotchkiss_H35_39.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Hotchkiss H35/39]

		+	{{TankManufacturer Hotchkiss}}
	{{France light tanks}}		{{France light tanks}}