But this did not discourage the Yugoslav Royal Army officials from continuing negotiations with the French Army about buying any available modern armor. With the outbreak of World War II, it was almost impossible for the Yugoslav Royal Army to acquire new armored equipment anywhere in Europe. Some of these FT tanks were possibly acquired from Poland. Through the French, Yugoslavia had at its disposal around 56 older Renault-Kegresse M-28 and FT tanks, some having been bought and some received as military aid in the 1920-30s. While France and Yugoslavia had good military cooperation, France was unwilling to sell its latest tanks and wanted to dispose of the older surplus models. It was planned to attach a motorized regiment to each division supported with armored vehicles like the light tanks or tankettes.įrom the start, there was an issue with where to acquire this new equipment from. These two cavalry divisions consisted of two to three cavalry brigades with two regiments, one artillery squadron, a cycling battalion and other supporting units. In the early 1930s, the Yugoslav Royal Army began a process of reforming its two cavalry divisions with additional armor support in the hope of increasing its potential offensive capabilities. These tanks would be the most numerous armored vehicles that the Yugoslav Royal Army managed to acquire before the Axis invasion in April 1941. Despite the French reluctance to sell newer designs, an agreement for the purchase of 54 Renault R35 tanks would eventually be made. First, the relatively good relations between these two countries and the fact that France had a large number of tanks available. The country that offered the best chance to get this equipment was France for two reasons. In the interwar period, the Yugoslav Royal Army made some attempts to acquire new armored vehicles.
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