German Forces

Long way from Paris ...

PzKpfw 39h (French Hotchkiss H-39 light tank in German service) column makes its way across the frozen roads of the Balkans. While no unit insignia are in evidence, the characteristic "Hotchkiss" nameplate is visible on the tank's glacis plate. The need for armoured support for anti-partisan operations in the Balkans was mainly met by the assignment of obsolete French machines such as the H-39 - just one example of the Germans' determination to run their extremely testing Balkan war "on the cheap". Not so cheap, however, for the unfortunate peoples of the region. The Germans captured substantial number of H-39s, and of its predecessor model, the H-35, in France in 1940. Apart from their employment in the Balkans and in internal security duties in various occupied countries, many of these tanks were de-turetted and used as tractors. Best regards, JR.