French Forces

SAu 40 prototype

Picure taken in Compiègne, june 1940. The SAu 40 self-propelled gun was developped using a modified and extended platfom of somua S-35. It was to be armed with a 75mm APX gun (a modified 75mm 1929 fortress gun) with an automatic loading device. A rear firing machinegun was mounted on the command coupola and the tank was supposed to receive radio sets. The full fledged prototype here was integrated in a battle group of somua S-35 in june 1940 and supposedly saw action. It is supposed to be the only one but some sources claim 3 others were produced, armed with only a 47mm canon. It disapeared after the campaign.