AMC.35 (ACG.1)

AMC.35 (ACG.1)

AMD.35

AMC.35 (ACG.1)

AMD.35

France

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.3	1.3	1.3

Class:

Light tank

Research:2 900

Purchase:700

Show in game

Description

The Automitrailleuse de Combat AMC.35, otherwise known as the Renault ACG-1, was an improved version of the earlier AMC.34 (Renault YR) light cavalry tank uniquely featuring the 2-man APX-2 turret which was uncommon for French doctrine that focused around 1-man turrets, 2-crew tanks to increase the amount of mobilized armour with fewer men. The vehicle faced issues with mechanical reliability and lack of armour, even after initial testing and adjustments requested by French HQ it was still rejected. However, with the re-militarization of the Rhineland in 1936, 17 vehicles were ordered as an emergency measure, which increased to 50 in total. Earlier though, Belgium had been the first buyer of the AMC.35 hull with an order of 25 in 1935, assumed to be series 2 AMC.34s, but only received them in 1937 after many delays and very slow production lines at Renault. The APX-2 turrets were separately bought from Batignolles-Châtillon without gun and were armed with Belgian 47 mm FRC cannons. The vehicles in French service, meant as reserves, had not even been equipped to units or trained on before being rushed towards the frontline at the breakthrough at Sedan, where, like the Belgian AMC.35s previously, they fared rather poorly against the German onslaught.

It was introduced in Update 1.75 "La Résistance". The AMC.35's hull only slightly differs from the previous AMC.34, uparmouring to 25 mm instead of 20 mm, slightly longer and roughly the same mobility. The major upgrade comes to firepower, offering a different 47 mm with a 62 mm penetrating shell and a loader thanks to the 2-man turret decreasing the poor reload of ~7 seconds to a solid ~3 seconds. However, the turret change comes at the cost of survivability, being a bigger and flatter target.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull25 / 20 / 15

Turret25 / 25 / 25

Crew3 people

Visibility88 %

With 25 mm to the front and 10 to 20 mm anywhere else, this tank can barely survive HMGs from a distance greater than 100 m (provided you're angled), anything bigger than that shall go straight through and hit something since this is a very cramped vehicle. Privilege positions behind cover while playing the AMC.35.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret sides and rear, cupola sides and rear)
• Cast homogeneous armour (turret front, roof and viewports, cupola front and roof)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	25 mm (15°) Upper plate - Centre 25 mm (19-22°) Front plate - Cheeks 10 mm (84°) Upper glacis 25 mm (23°) Lower plate 25 mm (44°) Lower glacis	20 mm	15 mm (16°) Top 15 mm (50°) Bottom	10 mm (6°) Front glacis 10 mm Centre and rear 5 mm Engine vents
Turret	25 mm (22-24°) Turret front 25-40 + 25 mm (0-70°) Gun mantlet 24 mm (cylindrical) Viewport	25 mm (19-24°) 24 mm (cylindrical) Viewport	25 mm (25°) 24 mm (cylindrical) Viewport	10 mm (9°) 10 mm (18°) Roof recess
Cupola	25 mm (cylindrical	25 mm (24-27°)	25 mm (31-35°)	10 mm (6°)

Notes:

• Suspension wheels, bogies, and tracks are 15 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 5 mm thick.
• Turret ring is 20 mm thick.
• Turret underside are 10 mm thick and hull undersides above tracks are 8 mm thick.
• Mudguards are 4 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB47 / 7 km/h

RB and SB42 / 6 km/h

Number of gears4 forward

1 back

Weight14.5 t

Engine power

AB343 hp

RB and SB180 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB23.7 hp/t

RB and SB12.4 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	47	7	14.5	195	343	13.45	23.66
Realistic	42	6		159	180	10.97	12.41

The AMC.35 still feels quite slow to its counterparts/opponents since it has a poor power ratio of only 13.45 HP/ton, but its decent gun and reload time makes it very enjoyable to play, even if it comes to the cost of unreliable armour. The mobility is actually what makes a light tank effective. In terms of speed, this tank can be very fast...provided it's used optimally: its low power ratio makes any manoeuvre feel quite sluggish (for a light tank). Narrow tracks also makes soft terrain difficult to go through and some hills might just be too much for this poor engine. Planning your moves is the best way to maximise speed in these conditions, experience is your best co-driver.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB100 → 128

RB96 → 123

SB112 → 144

Total cost of modifications2 970

890

Talisman cost190

Crew training200

Experts1 000

Aces20

Research Aces96 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

10 / 10 / 20 %

100 / 100 / 100 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 200 Cost: 60 50 Suspension Research: 165 Cost: 50 40 Brake System Research: 165 Cost: 50 40 Filters Research: 250 Cost: 75 65 Transmission Research: 320 Cost: 95 80 Engine Research: 320 Cost: 95 80	Improved Parts Research: 200 Cost: 60 50 Improved FPE Research: 165 Cost: 50 40 Crew Replenishment Research: 250 Cost: 75 65	Horizontal Drive Research: 200 Cost: 60 50 Adjustment of Fire Research: 165 Cost: 50 40 Elevation Mechanism Research: 250 Cost: 75 65 Artillery Support Research: 320 Cost: 95 80

Armaments

Main armament

47 mm SA35 L/32 cannon

Shoulder stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in one plane while moving

Ammunition96 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

3.9 → 3.0 s

Vertical guidance-12° / 14°

47 mm SA35 L/32					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	96	-12°/+14°	±180°	Shoulder	14.9	20.7	25.1	27.8	29.6	3.90	3.45	3.18	3.00
Realistic					9.3	11.0	13.4	14.8	15.7

The 47 mm gun gives the AMC.35 a description of refreshing when compared to the other French light tanks: this gun's reload rate is actually as fast as other tanks of the BR (around 4 seconds reload). Plus, good penetration rates (similar to those of the Russian 20-K cannon (while having no HE filler, though). With its average accuracy and post-penetration damage, this is definitely not a good sniper but it can certainly use its properties to surprise enemies by the flank. With -12° of depression, hull-down positions behind hills are the safest way to take down your foes.

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
Mle1935	APC	62	59	47	36	27	20

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
Mle1935	APC	660	1.62	-	-	-	48°	63°	71°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the AMC.35 (ACG.1)

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	Visual discrepancy
96	33 (+63)	1 (+95)	No

Note:

• As they are modeled by sets of 8, shells disappear from the rack only after you've fired all shells in the set.

Machine guns

7.5 mm MAC 31 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition1 800 rounds

Belt capacity150 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

6.5 → 5.0 s

Fire rate551 shots/min

7.5 mm MAC 31
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	1,800 (150)	551	N/A	N/A

The small calibre of the MAC 31 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

Usage in battles

This light tank is quite a funny little thing to play with in terms of playstyle and tactics to use. First of all, the armour is basically nothing, and its gun isn't the most powerful thing to tote around in (while standing out from other early French tanks for its normal reload time), though its mobility is quite okay. It is also one of the first French tank to hold 3 crew members inside its hull, which grants the player a better survivability. The AMC.35 plays almost as any other light tanks, the only difference being its reduced mobility, which may be an issue when having to retreat promptly. Since the mobility is average, prefer large flanking manoeuvres and stay away from frontline action. Tactics are terrain specific.

Urban maps:

Urban combat presents great opportunity for light tanks to shine. Narrow streets and multiple hiding places makes this small vehicle a good ambusher. With so many obstacles on the battlefield, one can easily flank the enemy team without being noticed and make use of its gun against its opponent's sides. Don't go down in long, wide streets as anything that pops out and sees you can easily return you to hangar. Be creative, improvise and you may deliver a few good hits to unsuspecting enemies.

"Open" maps:

Being such a small vehicle has its advantages: a simple bush can hide you very well. Engage large flanking manoeuvres and only fire if necessary as you won't survive incoming fire. Do not engage more than two enemy vehicles at once as your gun can't knock out enemies with a single shot. If many enemies come towards you, plan to relocate in advance as your poor mobility plays against you and position for ambush. Wait for allies to come and then, while their turrets are turned away from you, fire at your unsuspecting foes.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Additional loader in turret allows for faster reloads.
• -12° of gun depression are slightly above average.
• Has 3 crew members.
• Penetration power is good.
• Good amount of spalling from penetrating shots.
• Has shoulder stabilizer, which makes stop-and-shoot tactics very effective.

Cons:

• The bad power ratio of only 13.45 HP/ton makes it perform more like a medium than light tanks of the same BR.
• The gun performance, armour, and manoeuvrability of the AMC.35 are worse than the US M2A4 reserve tank.
• Narrow tracks makes soft terrain crossing quite difficult.
• Armour can be penetrated by HMG to the side from less than 500 m.
• Turret traverse speed feels a bit slow.
• Ammo rack on the sides, behind flat plates makes it easy to destroy from the side.
• Turret has less armour than its predecessor (AMC.34 YR).

History

The Renault ACG.1 French tank (also known as the AMC.35) was a pre-war development of the earlier unsuccessful AMC.34 light tank design. The ACG.1 was originally supposed to have equipped the three French cavalry divisions, but the first vehicles delivered to the army in 1937 were deemed unsuitable due to mechanical unreliability and rejected. As with its predecessor, lack of armour was also seen as an issue by the army. The vehicle was the first French tank with a two-man turret: initially the plan had been to use the 25 mm anti-tank gun as the main armament, but due to insufficient supply this would be later changed to the same 47 mm gun as the Somua and Char B1 bis, the SA35. The Belgian Army saved the program by purchasing 12 ACG.1 in 1937. The tanks were delivered over the next two years, but without turrets. By 1939, eight turrets had also been received, which had been converted in Belgium to use the Belgian 47 mm FRC M32 anti tank gun, comparable to the French SA35, and a different coaxial machine gun and mounted on the hulls. Formed into a single squadron, they fought and were destroyed or captured during the fall of Belgium the next year.

Meanwhile in France, production had resumed at a reduced rate, with something less than 50 additional vehicles produced by Renault between 1938 and 1940. Approximately 24 of these were offered to the French army and pressed into emergency service after the German breakthrough at Sedan, where they again developed a reputation for mechanical problems and limited operational range during their short service life.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the AMC.35 (ACG.1) from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

AMC.35 (ACG.1), French, Tier-1, Light Tank - Angry Nerd Gaming

See also

Vehicles equipped with a similar chassis

• AMC.34 YR

External links

• [Vehicle] AMC 35: Steel Cavalryman
• [Wikipedia] AMC 35
• [Tanks Encyclopedia] Renault AMC 35