French Tanks of World War II (2): Cavalry Tanks and AFVs

Osprey New Vanguard #213

by Steven J. Zaloga, Ian Palmer (Illustrator)

The design quality of France's armored vehicles is somewhat forgotten in light of the myth of superiority surrounding the German Panzers' role in the Blitzkrieg against France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The second volume of two covering the French tanks of World War II, this title focuses primarily on the design, development, combat performance, and technical features of France's armored cavalry vehicles, including the AMR and AMC families of light reconnaissance tanks, and the famous Somua S.35 cavalry tank. Also examined are the wide array of armored cars and half-tracks employed by the French Cavalry, and the extensively produced Hotchkiss H-35/H-39 series that was designed for the Cavalry but also saw widespread use by the Infantry. This volume also looks at the specialized armored vehicles used by the French military, including the Chenillette US, Lorraine, and the various tank destroyer types brought hastily into service in 1940.

Genres: Military Fiction

48 pages, Paperback

First published July 20, 2014

About the author

Steven Zaloga is an author and defense analyst known worldwide for his articles and publications on military technology.  He has written over a hundred books on military technology and military history, including “Armored Thunderbolt: The US Army Sherman in World War II”, one of the most highly regarded histories of the Sherman Tank.  His books have been translated into Japanese, German, Polish, Czech, Romanian, and Russian. He was a special correspondent for Jane’s Intelligence Review and is on the executive board of the Journal of Slavic Military Studies and the New York Military Affairs Symposium. From 1987 through 1992, he was the writer/producer for Video Ordnance Inc., preparing their TV series Firepower.  He holds a BA in history from Union College and an MA in history from Columbia University.

Mr. Zaloga is also a noted scale armor modeler and is a host/moderator of the World War II Allied Discussion group at Missing-Lynx.com, a modelling website. He is a frequent contributor to the UK-based modeling magazine Military Modelling. He is a member of the Armor Modeling and Preservation Society.

Reviews

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent text as the previous volume, personally didn't gel with the art as much just like the first, the style being too digital for my taste.

[Laurance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Osprey book.

Like all the Osprey books I have read, it is full of illustrations and pictures that help the reader follow the details better. As this book focus upon the French cavalry tanks of the Second World War, it helps dispel a lot of myths surrounding the French performance in May 1940.

It is a book that is definitely worth a read, even if it ends rather abruptly (like many of this series tends to do).

[Ash Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

I blame my ownership of this book on the video game World of Tanks. I got overly invested in the history of tanks and somehow ended up owning books like this that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Are they the best-written books you'll ever find? No, but they are just what the doctor ordered: information packed and fun to explore. Highly recommended for anyone looking to broaden their horizons!

[Michael Romo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent technical assessment of the French tanks and armored fighting vehicles. Standout vehicles include the Souma S-35 tank and Panhard AMD 35 armored car. The Souma S-35 was such an outstanding tank that the Germans considered re-equipping an entire Panzer division with these tanks.

[Shrike58 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It turns out that I rather liked Zaloga's "New Vanguard' number dealing with the cavalry AFVs of the French Third Republic, as compared to his coverage of infantry-oriented machines. To a large degree this is due to how the various armored cars, half-tracks, and scout & combat tanks fitted into a more coherent doctrinal and organizational system. Also, Zaloga reconsiders some of the verities of the French failures of 1940 to conclude that the analysis that credits the French with armored preponderance on paper probably just aren't accurate; the Germans were generally just ahead of the French in actuality when it came to mechanized warfare. Which takes you right back to the unexpected success of the German offensive through the Ardennes, that in retrospect looks like something of a fluke. At the end of the day you also know that there will be a hardbound compilation of Zaloga's Osprey writings on French armor.

Originally written: September 9, 2019.