Hotchkiss et Cie

The Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon
picture published 1874

Société Anonyme des Anciens Etablissements Hotchkiss et Compagniewas a French arms and, in the 20th century, automobile manufacturer first established byUnited StatesgunsmithBenjamin B. Hotchkiss.He moved to France and set up a factory, first atVivieznearRodezin 1867, manufacturing arms used by the French in theFranco-Prussian Warof 1870, then moving atSaint-DenisnearParisin 1875. It was merged into and succeeded byThomson-CSF,nowThales Group.

Arms

Main articles:Hotchkiss gunandHotchkiss machine gun

An example of the company's output was the Hotchkiss revolving cannon (see picture from a privately circulated book dated 1874 by Alfred Koerner, later chairman of the company). The cannon had five barrels each able to fire 43 shells a minute a distance of one mile; it was made in four sizes from 37 mm to 57 mm, the largest intended for naval use. At the turn of the twentieth century, the company introduced thegas-operatedHotchkiss machine gun,a sturdy and reliable weapon which was widely used duringWorld War Iand thereafter by the French Army.

Cars

Main article:Automobiles Hotchkiss

At the start of the twentieth century the company started building cars. Information provided by the company for the International Universal Exhibition of 1900, at which it displayed a variety of cannons, said the St Denis factory employed around 400 staff and had 600 machine tools.

Hotchkiss 686 PN Cabriolet 1937

The firstHotchkiss car,a 17CVfour-cylinder model, appeared in 1903. The badge for the marque consisted of a pair of crossed cannons—a salute to the company's first products.

A factory fire nearly killed all projects. Despite this, a six-cylinder model followed in 1906. During World War I, they mass-produced theHotchkiss M1914machine gun, tank parts and other weapons. In 1933, they developed theHotchkiss H35tank.

In 1920, there was an unsuccessful attempt to build Hotchkiss cars by a British arm of Hotchkiss in theUnited Kingdom—only a prototype was made. The company made several successful racing cars. Hotchkiss racers won theRallye Automobile Monte Carloin 1932, 1933, 1934, 1939, 1949 and 1950.

The Hotchkiss 680 was an important model between the wars—it had a six-cylinder, 3-litre engine. In 1937, the company merged withAmilcar.J. A. Grégoirejoined the company as a designer. AfterWorld War II,the 680 continued. The first new car post war was a 13 CV four-cylinder model. From 1947, two-litre flat-four models are frequently called Hotchkiss-Grégoire. In 1954, Hotchkiss purchased French manufacturerDelahaye,closing down their automotive line but continuing to produce Hotchkiss-Delahaye trucks for a few months before eliminating the Delahaye name completely. After 1954, Hotchkiss manufacturedJeepsunder licence fromWillys.

In 1956, Hotchkiss merged with French weapon manufacturerBrandt,producing jeeps at their factory near Paris for the French military until 1966. The firm was merged intoThomson-Houstonin 1966 and in 1970 stopped producing vehicles. In the early 1970s, the Hotchkiss marque disappeared, as the French conglomerate came to be known asThomson-Brandt.This, in turn, was nationalized in 1982 to formThomson SA.

Tanks

Main article:Hotchkiss H35

TheChar léger modèle 1935 H,Commonly known as the Hotchkiss H35 was alight tankproduced by the company in the mid 1930s. Initially designed by Hotchkiss in 1933, it was put into service in 1936. An estimated 1,200 vehicles were built between September 1936 and June 1940, however it remained in service with multiple countries as late as 1952. Unlike many other vehicles of the time, the H35 was not made of rivetedrolled homogenous armoured plates- rather, it was almost entirelycast iron.This gave it increased structural strength, especially against HE (high explosive) rounds. A spiritual successor to theRenault FT-17,the tank was intended for a very similar role: a cavalry tank, lightly armoured, nimble, and supported by infantry. For the time, it had formidable armour and proved combat effective against German armour during theBattle of France.It was almost entirely immune to frontal fire from thePanzer IIand could only be effectively neutralised by more formidablePanzer IIIsandIVs.Due to a weak main armament, many Hotchkiss H35 tanks were converted into the Hotchkiss H39 - with a slightly more powerful 37mm cannon, a more powerful engine and slightly more armour on the turret. Several Hotchkiss tanks were captured by Nazi Germany and converted toPanzerjäger(Marder I) assault guns.

Hotchkiss drive

Main article:Hotchkiss drive

The name of the Hotchkiss firm was given to a form ofpower transmissionfrom a vehicle's engine byshaftto the differential on its rear axle, which through leaf springs both locates the rear axle and transmits drive forces.

See also

• Panhard