R35 question

How do you do, everybody.

I have some questions about Romanian Renault R35.

According to the article of this site, Romanian R35s were fitted improved suspensions and metal-rimmed wheels.

In the photograph, the differences are not clear.
Does anybody know the further detail or shape?

The remaining R-35 at Military Museum in Bucharest has 'Romanian' suspensions & wheels?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Kaba, from Japan

I think you are confusing TACAM T60 with R35 (Vanatorul R35/45). TACAM T60 had improved suspensions and metal-rimmed wheels but it's not in the MMN.

Thank you mihnea!

Yes, it's sure that some TACAM T-60s had metal-rimmed wheels, but they are Soviet origin. The T-60s which have metal-rimmed wheels were made at factory No.264 in Stalingrad.

In the article "R-35 light tank" of WorldWar2.ro....

>The R-35 tanks equipped the 2nd Tank Regiment, set up on 1 November 1939.
>Several adjustments were made to the original vehicle as the replacing of
>the 7.5mm Chatellerault machine-gun with the 7.92mm ZB light machine-gun,
>the improving of suspensions or the replacing of the rubber-rimmed wheels
>with more resistant metal-rimmed wheels conceived by Lieutenant-Colonel
>Constantin Ghiulai.

I have checked in Third Axis fourth ally and the info is partially correct after the 1941 campaign the damaged R35 were sent to Romania to be repaired also the broken parts were replaced with Romanian made ones: "Drive sprockets were produced by Resita factory; track links and metal rimmed wheels, designed by Ghiulai to be ten times as durable as the rubber originals, were made at the Concordia Works; and cylinder heads and drive shafts were cast at Basarab Metallurgical Works in Bucharest and finished by IAR Brasov."

Now to answer you question in my opinion the R35 from MMN has the original rubber rimmed wheels. You can see for yourself in this picture.


Were can I find some info on the T60 with metal road wheels I want to see if the wheels are similar to the ones made by the Romanians.

Thank you very much, mihnea!
And I can make model of Romanian R35 without worry.

Now, about steel-rimmed wheels of T-60...
You can see the photo following URL.
http://www.panzernet.net/tankist/fotky/tanky/t60/s07.jpg

(from this page)
http://www.panzernet.net/tankist/stranky/tanky/t60.php

I can't read czech language but this photograph is the same in my reference book, Japanese magazine 'GROUND POWER' Sept. 1997.

According to the caption in this magazine, the wheels with steel-rimm & built-in shock absorbing rubber are feature of T-60s made at Zavod #264 in Stalingrad.

I read 'STEEL MASTERS' No.27 again, and its article about TACAM T-60 says this type of wheel is made in romania!

Which is correct? ...I'm confused.

And we had better open new topic?

Hi there.
It's tales of Steve Zaloga

1). It's all-steel roadwheels made in Factory 264, same factory who do all-steel roadwheels for STZ T-34.
2). I know only one TACAM T-60 with this type of roadwheels. U 039723, tested in Kubinka proving ground in 1946. BTW i very suprised: in Minitracks #6 photos from Kubinka test have copyrights "Tank Museum Bovington". I don't know, maybe archives of NIIBT now part of Bovington collection, better to ask chief of proving ground Real source of photos - archive of Kubinka proving ground. And better to forgot about "unknown place in Kubinka" - in fact, TACAM T-60 has been scrapped in 60-s. Sadly, but it's true of life...

BTW i write right now article for russian M-Hobby modelling magazine. 1/35 scale drawings is planned.

This post has been edited by Taranov on February 16, 2008 01:39 pm

OFF TOPIC: There is also this picture:

Thanks, maybe it's same T-60.

BTW in Kubinka preserved one Renault R-35. We haven't information right now about this tank origin: maybe it's ex-polish (S/N 51009), but maybe ex-romanian.

Also in Kubinka preserved Malaxa. I think, it's french assembled UE2 (have Renault plate) with new (romanian) wings design.

Thank you Taranov.

I'm glad to be able to confirm the origin of metal-rimmed wheels.

You write about T-60 or TACAM T-60 for M-Hobby?

TACAM T-60

According to the serial number it is probably Polish.

Even if it's of Polish origin, it could have been captured from the Rumanian army, as a small number of Polish tanks did seek refuge in Rumania in late Sept. 1939, which were then dully impressed into Rumanian service.

Gen. Dénes

R-35 with S/N 51009 captured in september 1939, it's 100% polish tank, tested in NIIBT proving ground in 1939-40. But this tank and preserved in museum can be not same, for example, in Kubinka tested 4 PzKpfw 38(t). I know only one way to check this - check paint layers when news repaint is started. In fact, lots of Kubinka tanks have original paint under tons of "green" layers, for example, we are found original S/N for hungarian 35M Ansaldo tankette.

The R-35 in Kubinka is perhaps german vehicle, I think.

All romanian and polish R35 had binocular type turret scopes, at least in photographs at ww2, but Kubinka's has slit type ones.
Many german R35 had turret roof hatch, but some had original cupola.
But it is possible that only turret is ex-german's.

Of course, when it will be checked paint layers, it becomes more clear...

BTW, Mr.Taranov said

'Also in Kubinka preserved Malaxa. I think, it's french assembled UE2 (have Renault plate) with new (romanian) wings design.'

'Wings' means mud-guards?