Char B1 Bis

The “Char de Bataille” B1 was the main battle tank used by the French army during the Second World War. The original design was conceived in the mid-1920s (many technical solutions adopted, such as the large exposed tracks, are indeed typical of that period), but it began to be deployed to units only in the mid-1930s. Sturdy and massive, it was improved in its “bis” version to enhance performance and operational capability.

It was armed with a 47mm turret cannon and a 75mm howitzer installed in a casemate at the front of the tank. Although it was generally a good tank for the period, the Char B1 bis was employed to support infantry divisions rather than in autonomous armoured groups that would have provided greater operational flexibility against German Panzer divisions during the 1940 Campaign in France.