In June 1934, the specifications for an armored fighting vehicle (AMC) intended for the Cavalry were modified. As a result, most of the vehicles offered no longer met the newly published criteria. Created in April 1935 by SOMUA (Societé d’Outillage Mécanique et d’Usinage d’Artillerie), a subsidiary of Schneider, the S35 cavalry tank was considered by the Germans to be the most effective opponent they encountered in the French campaign. The prototype, which appeared on April 14, 1935, was initially designated the Automitralleuse de Combat AMC-3, later the Char S-35 (for SOMUA tank of the year 1935), weighing 17 tons and powered by a 7.1-liter V-8 engine. Despite its good armor, track protection by an armored skirt, and armament appropriate for the era, the small size of the single-seat APX-1 turret (which houses a 47 mm SA 35 semi-automatic cannon and allows one crew member to assist the tank commander when supplying ammunition) limited its potential, as did the lack of radio equipment, except for those vehicles assigned to the unit commander.
These and other details were being resolved when war broke out. In 1940, an improved version, the Char S40, had been developed, which was to replace the Char S35 in the production line starting with the 451st unit. A self-propelled vehicle, the SAu-40, was also developed, with a 75 mm APX howitzer. A prototype and perhaps three pre-series units were completed, but the development and production of both were halted by the occupation. Total production of the Somua S35 reached 430 units in 1940, more than half of which were in service and faced the Germans. After the armistice, they obtained 297 S-35s, designated PzKpfw S35-739(f), with some modifications of their own choosing, including the cupola.
Of these requisitioned vehicles, 32 were delivered to Italy, 6 to Bulgaria, and 2 to Hungary. Despite their relatively small numbers, the Char S35s were present on the battlefield throughout the war, some of them changing hands several times, both on the Eastern Front and in France. Despite its high center of gravity and lack of grip on the track, the Char 1935 S was ordered in March 1936. The Somua S35 was considered one of the best French tanks, if not the best, in May 1940.
