1:72 Hotchkiss H35

The real subject

The Hotchkiss H35 was a French light tank of the second half of the 1930s, originally intended for the cavalry units. It differed from most machines of its day in its construction: the hull and the turret were made up of cast parts bolted together, so the tank was given its characteristic rounded shapes. The crew was only two men, and the commander in the turret had to load and fire the short gun of 37 mm caliber himself, work the machine gun and direct the fight at the same time. That was the greatest weakness of an otherwise decently armored machine. In 1940 these tanks met the German attack in the west, and after the defeat of France a large number of them were taken over by the German army, which used them on rear-area and occupation duty and as chassis for further conversions.

What the set contains

A plastic kit of the tank in 1:72 scale. The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted; the exact contents of the package and the order of assembly are described in the instructions enclosed by the manufacturer.

Building and painting tips

Cut the parts away with a sharp blade a little way from the part and sand the rest down carefully so that the edges are preserved. Glue with a cement meant for plastic models and wash and degrease the surface before painting. The rounded hull rewards painting: the difference between light on the upper surfaces and shadow under the overhangs does more than the best chosen shade. A dark wash in the seams and fine edge highlighting with a dry brush will underline the layout of the machine.

Who it is for

For collectors of hardware in 1:72 scale and for builders of dioramas of the fighting of 1940 and of the later German service of captured machines. Paints, glue and accessory sets are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.