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http://france40-vehicules.blogspot.fr/

the association "France 40 véhicules" found a R-35 lower hull and turret, and were missing the upper hull. Saumur Tank Museum loaned an unrestored R-35 which will be restored too, and the association will ask a foundry to make a reproduction of the upper hull using the original one as a model. Here are some pics :

As I thought, the unrestored R-35 the museum lent the association was the Syrian example with the 2-pdr gun.
This begs the question: When the Syrian tank is restored, will it be brought back to the original R-35 configuration, or will it retain the 2-pdr gun?

I'd bet it will be restored to its 1940 condition. Don't know why, but the museum is used to restore vehicles to their factory configuration, thus having many vehicles of the same model, rather than keeping the interesting post-war modifications on the vehicles.

For example, they had an M4A1 Sherman hull with an AMX-13 turret which was removed and replaced with a 75mm Sherman turret.

The M4A2 Sherman "Corse", which was used as a testbed for the M50 Super Sherman main gun development, was restored to its WW2 condition too.

P-O

I've asked on the blog how the restoration will be performed..

P-O

I'm with you on that one. It'd definitely be better to have more interesting pieces instead of dull vanilla configurations.
Thanks for asking the question over at their blog. Methinks you should let them know that it's probably the only surviving example of this modification, as I haven't seen another one anywhere and thus ruining it would be a capital sin.

I've got an answer. The hull will be restored to the 1940 configuration. The restoration team wonders if the 2 pounder main gun was put by Syria after WW2, or if the 2-pdr is a WW2 modification done by Free French, because the gun is dated 1942. The restoration team found British ammunitions which were probably fired by a British machinegun, whic tends to prove that such an MG was installed in the tank. Are there some evidence that these modifications were done by Syria?

Pierre-Olivier

The gun may have been produced in 1942, one of the very last 2-pdr pieces made as towed anti-tank guns - it's not a tank gun, witness the underbarrel recuperator - but even though I'll still have to check my references, as I recall it was mentioned as a Syrian modification. Ask the restoration team what caliber the ammunition they found is.
If it's rimmed .303 (7.7mm), it's most likely from a Bren or, unlikely, from an aircraft standard Browning.
If it's 7.92x57mm Mauser, it may have come from a BESA, although the mantlet aperture doesn't seem big enough at first glance.

There are also reports that the Saumur R-35/2-pdr was in fact an ex-Lebanese example:
www.network54.com/Foru...armed+with

http://france40-vehicules.blogspot.fr/p/chantiers-en-cours.html

hello,

they are in the process of re-fabricating all the upper hull, using an original one as a model. They also progressed a bit in the restoration of the running gear.

P-O

It seems the restoration team is keeping the Lebanese modifications:
yuripasholok.livejourn...95836.html

- Costas_TT

It seems the restoration team is keeping the Lebanese modifications:
yuripasholok.livejourn...95836.html

fortunately yes. I was lucky enough to see that tank on last Friday.

P-O

Fortunately indeed. Now, all we need to see (live, on an R-35) are: a) T-26 turret, b) 20mm ShVAK cannon and c) 45mm gun. Unlikely, but one can hope at least for replicas, right?