|
Posted on 01/31/2005 10:29:43 PM PST by SAMWolf
|
|
 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
|
| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
|
 Somua S-35 of the Char de cavalerie of 4e Cuirassiers. 1e DLM during fierce fighting in the Mormal Forest, 18 to 21st May 1940. The heavily armoured Somuas inflicted severe damage on 5. Panzer Division but were eventually overwhelmed. The Somua S-35, in May 1940, was simply regarded as the best medium tank in the world. The vehicle was designed and manufactured by Société d'Outillage Mécanique et d'Usinage d'Artillerie (SOMUA) and stems from an initial requirement instigated during the French tank building programme of 1931 which was then ratified on the 26th June 1934. The requirement specified a vehicle of 13 tonnes with 40mm of armour, a 47mm cannon and machine gun. It was to have a range of some 200km and a top speed of 30 km/h.  A prototype of some 17 tons, somewhat heavier than at first envisaged, was then produced during the Autumn of 1934. Trials began in the Spring of 1935 and an order for 50 vehicles was placed in March 1936. The Somua S-35 was the first ever tank to be manufactured from a casting process and among its many attributes, it incorporated for the very first time sloped armour. Thus the vehicle was extremely well armoured for its size to weight ratio and had a maximum speed of 40 km/h. Moreover, the cast APX4 turret was the same mounted to the Char B1 bis which incorporated the superb high velocity 47mm SA-35 L/34 cannon. Thus it was capable of dealing with any enemy armoured vehicle of the time, with relative ease, up to 800 metres away.  By May of 1940 the French army had over 400+ Somua S-35's in service which equipped the Régiments de Cuirassiers and Régiments de Dragons in the Division Légère Méchanique (DLM). DLM's consisted of four armoured regiments each with 44 tanks, a sum total of 176 light and medium tanks. Two of these regiments were equipped with the Somua S-35 medium tank, while the other two were equipped with the Hotchkiss H-35 or H-39 light tank. By May of 1940 the French could boast three such DLM's. They all took part in the early part of the conflict mostly at Hannut in Belgium and acquitted themselves extremely well.  The thick and relatively well sloped armour made the S-35 extremely difficult to kill. High velocity shells from 37mm cannon equipped tanks such as the Panzer III and Panzer 38(t) along with the anti-tank guns that equipped German field units were simply unable to penetrate the armour. Somua S-35's were lost in combat to 88mm anti aircraft guns pressed into an anti-armour role and marauding ground attack aircraft such as the Stuka dive-bomber. Others simply broke down and were abandoned. Elements of the 3rd DLM took part in the mainly British led counter attack at Arras on the 21st May 1940 and again acquitted themselves extremely well. The 47mm SA-35 cannon proved to be extremely effective against any enemy vehicle out to extreme ranges.  The Somua S-35's major 'design' drawbacks were in many instances the lack of a functioning radio and a one-man turret. This resulted in a rather slow rate of fire. French military doctrine at the time stipulated that tanks in general were thought of as infantry support vehicles pure and simple and were often committed to battle in a piece meal fashion. They were dispersed around the countryside in one's and two's to support local infantry actions and formations. Thus the German invader often had local superiority in numbers and generally outmaneuvered and outsmarted their French opponents through superior tactical leadership, command, control and communications. First ever tank to be manufactured entirely from a casting process. First ever tank to incorporate sloped armour.  The Somua S-35 consisted of five main pieces. The lower hull, left and right, made from cast iron, were bolted together on the inside of the vehicle. The superstructure, also made of cast iron, came in two pieces and was bolted together similarly on the inside of the tank. This consisted of one piece to cover the fighting compartment (fore) and one to cover the engine compartment (aft), the engine being mounted in the rear of the vehicle. The hull was then mated to the superstructure and bolted together on the outside. The APX4 turret, cast in one piece and mounting both the 47mm SA-35 L/34 cannon and a coaxial 7.5mm Reibel machine gun was lowered onto the 'fighting compartment' cover to essentially complete the assembly.  Somua S35 in German service The commander sat to the left inside the turret and had immediate access to a rotating cupola for observation purposes. There was no hatch fitted to the cupola but he had vision slits to the left and right of the APX4 turret. Unlike in the Char B1 bis he was able to electrically traverse the turret. However, elevation adjustment of the main weapon was still done by hand.  Somua S35 in German service Entry to the vehicle was via a large door cut into the left hand side superstructure. The commander had an escape route through a large square hatch situated to the rear-right of the turret. Another escape hatch was provided in the floor behind the driver's seat for the other two members of the crew. The loader/radio operator was situated behind and to the left of the driver who was situated on the right and controlled the vehicle by means of a steering wheel. The loader/radio operator sat on a rather tall seat and was able to pass the commander/gunner 47mm ammunition from the rack situated on the left-hand side of the superstructure.
|
The Germans were very good at using captured equipment and converting them to some pretty effective weapon systems.
The french or obsolete tank chassis combined with the Russian AT guns were pretty good stop gap weapons in some cases. Of course you had the logistical nightmare that came along with all these different systems.
Morning Aeronaut
Morning E.G.C.
The rain held off yesterday and it turned out to be a good day.
Morning alfa6.
COOL!!!!!
Morning Mayor.
Morning GailA.
Leave the dog out in the rain. :-)
Morning PE.
LOL!
We have to work on that and come up with an entire Treadhead song. Good start. :-)
Hi Feather.
Were under a heavy Snow Warning here for today. They're forecasting 3-5 inches of snow.
When you click on my screename and then "In Forum" You see stuff bumped to me from last night. One of the items was an excellent peice by 22 year Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak. E! television ran a "True Hollywood Story" program on the game show. Did you Mr. Sajak served in Vietnam as a disc jockey for the troops?
I received word this morning that my sister and her hasband from the East Coast are coming here next week. They're going to spend Tuesday through Saturday morning with us.
Also, Microsoft for you Windows users. The February critical updates will be sent down a week from Tuesday. They will let us know Thursday what to expect from the updates.
How's it going, Snippy?
Greetings Sam.
LOL!
I learned something new. :-)
On This Day In History
Birthdates which occurred on February 01:
1552 Sir Edward Coke England, jurist/politician (defended common law)
1605 Isaac Aboab de Fonseca Portuguese/Netherlands rabbi/mystic
1763 Thomas Campbell founder (Church of Disciples in America)
1791 Charles J Sax Belgian music instrument builder(Saxophone)
1801 Thomas Cole US, romantic landscape painter (Hudson River School)
1807 William Bowen Campbell Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1867
1819 Henry Lawrence Eustis Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1885
1827 Alphonse de Rothschild French banker
1829 John Potts Slough Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1867
1833 Henry McNeal Turner black methodist bishop
1859 Victor August Herbert Dublin Ireland, composer (Babes in Toyland)
1895 John Ford Maine, director (Stagecoach, Air Mail, Quiet Man)
1901 Clark Gable Cadiz OH, actor (Gone With the Wind)
1902 Langston Hughes poet/translator (The Weary Blues)
1906 Hildegarde Adell WI, night club singer (I'll Be Seeing You)
1908 George Pal Hungarian/US director (When Worlds Collide, Puppetoons)
1913 Jeffrey Kindersley Quill Test pilot
1926 Stuart Whitman San Francisco CA, actor (Captain Apache, Ransom, Cimarron Strip, Revenge)
1931 Boris Yeltsin Ural Mountains USSR, EX-president of Russian SSR
1935 Vladimir Viktorovich Aksyonov USSR, cosmonaut (Soyuz 22, T-2)
1937 Don Everly Brownie KY, singer (Everly Brothers-Wake Up Little Susie)
1937 Ray Sawyer [Dr Hook] Alabama, vocalist (Dr Hook-When You're in Love)
1937 Garrett Morris New Orleans LA, actor/comedian (Saturday Night Live, Martin, Carwash)
1938 Jimmy Carl Black rocker (Mothers Of Invention)
("I'm Jimmy Carl Black, I'm the indian in the group")
1939 Del McCoury bluegrass singer/musician
1942 Terry Jones Colwyn Bay North Wales, actor/comedian (Monty Python)
1952 Rick James [James Johnson], rock/soul/funk vocalist (Super Freak)
1954 Billy Mumy California, actor (Will Robinson-Lost in Space, Dear Brigitte)
1961 Daniel M Tani Ridley Park MD, astronaut
1965 Stephanie Marie Elisabeth de Grimaldi Monte Carlo Monaco, Princess
1968 Lisa Marie Presley Keough Jackson Memphis TN, (Elvis' daughter)
Good morning! I read before that the French tanks gave the Germans hell, and as stated in the read, they converted the 88mm to an anti-tank role to help them beat the French. Imagine if the Germans had never converted the 88mm anti-aircraft gun to an anti-tank weapon. The soldiers and tankers of WWII would have had an easier go of it I think. But then again, tank and gun technology would have gone alot slower as well.
Thanks for the ping, and ................
Cheers!
Morning!
free dixie,sw
I HAVE to share
http://hammorabi.blogspot.com/
(click on link)
Special Sincere Thanks to our Friends
I would like to express my sincere thanks with tears of joy and love to all of those good friends new and old from all over the world who send marvellous emails about the Iraqi election.
Most of the emails came from our friends in the USA but also from many parts of the rest of the world.
On behalf of all Iraqis who joined the election and challenged the terrorists by their blood (some have been killed) we express our sincere thanks to all of our friends who sent messages and emails. The souls of those who have been killed among the Iraqis during their way for election are also with you for special thanks.
We decided to challenge the terrorists who threatened to wash the streets of Iraq with our blood. We said (see my article before the election) that let them send their dogs to suck our bones we care not!
We challenged them and we knew we may die and some of us wear their shrouds and voted in a civilised way with out problems.
In one incident in Baghdad an Iraqi Hero suspected a terrorist. He chased him! The terrorist run and the Iraqi hero run after him and captured him. The terrorist blows himself with our hero who died to save many lives.
All of you know that the situation in Iraq was not that any one like to carry out an election in it though we have done it in a civilised way.
The election was to say big NO to the terrorists and bigger YES for freedom and democracy but even bigger YES for peace and tolerance.
We got bad electrical power, poor water supplies, deteriorating sewage system, and all other services are rooting but we never felt as powerful and strong as now with the democracy and freedom.
When Saddam claimed that he won the fifth army in the world and claimed victory over Iran we never felt strong but rather weak and oppressed.
It is democracy which brings peace, strength and stability.
Thanks to all our friends in the USA and on the top of them is George W Bush and we hope they continue to help us to rebuild our country and the structure of our democracy which passed its first step and more yet to come.
We received the largest number of email in a day of hundreds! Thanks for all of those who send us the support, prayers and congratulations. Some of the words are really so emotional indeed.
Back tonight.
Now be good
/sarcasm
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
