Track Story #6

Hotchkiss H35/H39

Reviewed By  Mark Aldrich, IPMS# 39295

MSRP: $29.99 ISBN: 2-9520988-5-9 As new books hit the market, I find myself wondering the same old question. Do these books get published as a result of a model being released, or were they going to release it anyway? This fine book is an example. Would it been released if Trumpeter and Bronco had not released their H35/H39 kits? I don't know the answer, but I do believe that this book is long over due. I do not know how many other books cover the Hotchkiss vehicles, but I am sure you will want to add this one to your collection. The H35/H39 was a relatively simple and sturdy design. Even Heller's ancient kits build into a decent representation of the actual vehicle. Trumpeter's and Bronco's are even better. This book will only help you to make an excellent Hotchkiss or give you some great ideas on how to convert yours into a non-stock kit. This book consists of 62 pages broken down into nine chapters. The text is provided in French and a readable version of English. All photos are black and white with twelve pages used for color plates. The story begins in 1867 with the founding of Hotchkiss and ends in 1948 with the Israeli capture of Lydda Airfield. The photos cover the same time span. It starts with the Hotchkiss prototypes, continues to the actual H35/H39 production models, the different variants, captured vehicles, and at least one "possible". This is a picture of a Hotchkiss with a two pounder mounted in place of the main armament. The photo is believed to be Israeli in origin but there are no supporting notes or pictures to establish any truth to this. Overall this is an excellent book with lots of great photographs for the model builder. It should also give you some really neat ideas for conversions and diorama possibilities.

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