B1 bis

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A completely destroyed French Char B1 bis

Abandoned Char B1 bis 8, 1940

abandoned Char B1 bis C 1940

abandoned Char B1 bis tank side view

Abandoned Char B1 tank named "Verdun II" and coded "White 4A"

Abandoned French tank B1 bis 2

Abandoned Renault Char B1 bis of unknown French armored unit

B1 bis #260 named Ouragan of the 8e BCC - Guise France 1940 2

B1 bis 260 named Ouragan of the 8e BCC - Guise France 1940

B1 bis 260 named Ouragan of the 8e BCC - Guise France 1940 3

B1 bis 260 named Ouragan of the 8e BCC - Guise France 1940, rear view

B1 bis french heavy tank

B1 bis french tank

B1 bis named Verdun II "4A"

B1 bis number 527

B1 bis tank

B1 bis tank #205 of the 15th Bataillon de Chars de Combat named "Indochine"

B1 bis tank #332 of the 37th BCC named Marne – Beaumont Belgium 1940

B1 bis tank #332 "O" named Marne of the 37th Bataillon de Chars de Combat

B1 bis tank number 332 of the 37th BCC named Marne front view, Beaumont rue Madame, Belgium 1940

B1 bis tank #332 of the 37th BCC named Marne

B1 bis tank #355 of the 28th BCC named BOURGUEIL

B1 bis tank #401 of the 37th BCC named Bearn II – Beaumont rue Madame, Belgium 1940

B1 bis tank #401 of the 37th BCC named Bearn II Beaumont 1940

B1 bis tank #401 of the 37th BCC named Bearn II Beaumont Belgium 1940

B1 bis tank #438 „T” of the 37th BCC named GUEPRATTE France 1940

B1 bis tank #438 of the 37th BCC named GUEPRATTE France 1940

B1 bis tank abandoned by the roadside, France 1940

B1 bis tank France 1940 1

B1 bis tank France 1940 10

B1 bis tank France 1940 12

B1 bis tank France 1940 13

B1 bis tank France 1940 14

B1 bis tank France 1940 19

B1 bis tank France 1940 2

B1 bis tank France 1940 21

B1 bis tank France 1940 22

B1 bis tank France 1940 23

B1 bis tank France 1940 24

B1 bis tank France 1940 25

B1 bis tank France 1940 3

B1 bis tank France 1940 4

B1 bis tank France 1940 5

B1 bis tank France 1940 6

B1 bis tank France 1940 7

B1 bis tank France 1940 8

German soldiers examines a abandoned French B1 bis Tank during the attack on France in May/June 1940

B1 bis tank France 1940 9

B1 bis tank named Typhon, front view

B1 bis tank number 256 of the 8th BCC named Pirate

B1 bis tank number 381 of the 49th BCC named Irouleguy

B1 bis tank number 440 of the 46th BCC named CHEF D'ESCADRON BOSSUT

B1 bis tank number 455 of the 46th BCC named Cambronne

B1 bis tank number 484 of the 46th BCC named Lyautey

B1 bis tank with the roundel on the front ofthe hull.

Captured Char B1 bis being towed by a tractors

Captured French B1 Bis Tank #442 Named LIEUTENANT DE GISSAC of the 46e BCC

Captured French B1 Bis Tank Named LIEUTENANT DE GISSAC

Char B1 abandoned

Char B1 bis - side view, 1940

Char B1 bis 372 named Vertus of 41st BCC

Char B1 bis 372 named Vertus of 41st BCC front view

Char B1 bis 437 named SURCOUF of 47th BCC on trailer

Char B1 bis 452 named Verdun II of 1st DCR front

Char B1 bis 452 named "Verdun II" of 1st Division Cuirassée de Réserve

Char B1 bis 452 named Verdun II of 1st DCR

Char B1 bis 452 named Verdun II of 1st DCR rear view

Char B1 bis 492 named Jean Bart of the 28e BCCr, 1940

Char B1 bis abandoned by the roadside, rear view

Char B1 bis ank on a flat car

Char B1 bis assembly line

Char B1 bis command version

Char B1 bis french tank - rear view

Char B1 bis number 260 named Ouragan of 8th BCC

Char B1 bis number 270, named Typhon of 8th Bataillon de Chars de Combat, 1940

Char B1 bis number 3

Char B1 bis number 492 of 28th BCC named Jean Bart

Char B1 bis Ort le Catelet Saint Quentin Aisne 1940

Char B1 bis tank - side view 2

Char B1 bis tank #238 of the 8th BCC named HARDI France 1940

Char B1 bis tank #249 of the 8th BCC named RAPIDE 1940

Char B1 bis tank 2

Char B1 bis tank 249 named RAPIDE of the 8th BCC

Char B1 bis tank 3

Char B1 bis tank 442 of 46th BCC named LIEUTENANT DE GISSAC

Char B1 bis Tank 534 named BUGEAUD of 28th BCC

Char B1 bis Tank 534 named BUGEAUD of 28th BCC and :Renault UE Chenillette

Char B1 bis tank abandoned at the side of the road somewhere in France after the german attack in May 1940

Char B1 bis destroyed by internal explosion 2

Char B1 bis tank completely destroyed

Char B1 bis tank interior

Char B1 bis tank number 455 of the 46th BCC named Cambronne

Char B1 bis tank number 540

Char B1 bis tanks are loaded onto a flatbed railway cars

Char B1 bis tanks of 37th BCC

Char B1 Bis tank named VIENNE Stonne Mourmelon 41e BCC

Char B1 Bis Vienne Stonne Mourmelon 41e BCC

Char B1 bis with heart

Char B1 Tank 491 Named Turenne

Char b1 tank France 1940

Char B1 bis tank named ARDENNES number 115

Char B1 tank named ARDENNES number 115

Char B1 tank number 401 of the 37th BCC named BEARN II – wreck

Char B1 tank named BEARN II wreck

Char B1 tank number 201 of the 15th BCC

Destroyed B1 bis tank 1940 4

French Char B1 bis tank destroyed by internal explosion

Destroyed Char B1 bis and turret - 1940

Destroyed Char B1 bis tanks during French campaign in 1940

Destroyed Char B1 bis tanks rest in an armor junkyard somewhere in France

Destroyed Char B1 bis, french heavy tank 4

Destroyed French heavy tank Char B1 bis on city street

Destroyed French tank Char B1 bis and Kradmelder, 1940

Detail of the turret of Char B1 bis coded "White 1"

Flamm Panzerkampfwagen B2 740 (f) 6

Flammpanzer Panzerkampfwagen B2 740 (f)

Flammpanzer Panzerkampfwagen B2 740(f)

Flammpanzer Panzerkampfwagen B2 740(f) code 33

Flammpanzer Panzerkampfwagen B2 740(f) in action 14

Flammpanzer Panzerkampfwagen B2 740(f) 7

Flammpanzer, flame thrower tank Panzerkampfwagen B2 740(f) 7

French B1 bis tank destroyed by internal explosion

French Char B1 bis 270 named TYPHON of 8th BCC

French Char B1 bis during field trials

French Char B1 bis tank

French Char B1 bis tank #463 "G" of the 28th BCC named Davout

French Char B1 bis Tank 203 named MAROC of 15th BCC on street 1940

French Char B1 bis tank BEARN II in Beaumont

French Char B1 bis tank Beaumont

French Char B1 bis tank number 391 of the 46th BCC named Craonne

French Char B1 bis tank named Craonne. Tank fell in german hands during the german Invasion of France in May 1940

French Char B1 bis tank number 246 of the 8th BCC named Temeraire

French Char B1 bis tank number 246 of the 8th BCC named Temeraire - frontal view

French Char B1 bis tank number 379 of the 49th BCC named Maury

French Char B1 bis tank number 421 of the 46th BCC named Vauban

French Char B1 bis tank of the 15th BCC named Bourrasque

French Char B1 bis tank Verdun II Moulounge

French Char B1 tank number 112 named Mulhouse

German Char B1 bis Panzerkampfwagen B-2 740 (f)

German Char B1 bis Panzerkampfwagen B-2 740 (f) number 232

German Char B1 bis Panzerkampfwagen B2 740 (f) Flammpanzer

German flame thrower tank Panzerkampfwagen B2 740 (f) 2

Flammpanzer Panzerkampfwagen B2 740(f) 23

German flammpanzer Panzerkampfwagen B2 740(f) coded white 23

German Flammwagen auf Panzerkampfwagen B-2 740 (f)

German Panzerkampfwagen B-2 740 (f) during field exercises

German Renault Char B1 bis number 111 Beutepanzer with Balkenkreuz

German Renault Char B1 bis number 33 Panzerkampfwagen B2 740 (f)

German soldier near the tank Char B1 bis

German soldier posing atop a Char B1 bis tank, somewhere in France

German soldier posing beside a Char B1 bis, 1940

French Char B1 tank number 112 named Mulhouse

German soldier posing beside a Char B1 tank number 112 named Mulhouse

German soldiers examines a abandoned French B1 bis Tank during the attack on France in May/June 1940

German soldiers examining knocked out Char B1 bis tank

German soldiers examining knocked out Char B1 bis tank 1940

German soldiers examining knocked out Char B1 bis tank 2

German soldiers examining knocked out French Char B1 bis

French Char B1 bis tank and Wehrmacht soldiers

German soldiers posing with captured French Char B1 bis tank

Heavy combat tank Char B1 bis

Heavy tank Char B1 bis tank number 256, named "Pirate", 1940

Immobilized B1 bis tank, 1940

Char B1 bis tank 257 named BOURRASQUE of 15th BCC

Immobilized Char B1 bis tank 257 named BOURRASQUE of 15th Bataillon de Chars de Combat

Immobilized Char B1 tank on road

Immobilized French Char B1 bis tank

Knocked out and abandoned Char B1 bis tank, front view

knocked out Char B1 bis

knocked out Char B1 bis tank

knocked out Char B1 bis tank rear view

Knocked out Char B1 bis tank, being examined by a German troops

knocked out french Char B1 bis tank

Knocked-out french B1 bis heavy tank, France 1940.

Panzerkampfwagen B2 740 (f)

Panzerkampfwagen B2 740 (f) 4

Panzerkampfwagen B2 740 (f) white 11

Panzerkampfwagen B2 740 (f) white 21

Panzerkampfwagen B2 740 f

RENAULT Char B1 tank number 107 of the 511st RCC named Reims

Several Flammpanzer B2 740(f) of the 7. SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Division "Prinz Eugen"

Tank Char B1 bis number 452 named "Verdun II" of 1st DCR, 1940

Tank of the 4th DCR in Beaumont

Tank Renault Char B1 number 114 named Bretagne of 511st RCC

The charred remnants of a French Char B1 bis tank

The charred remnants of a B1 bis

The remnants of a french Char B1 bis, somewhere in France 1940

Char B1 was designed in the 1920s but the first prototypes did not appear until 1932, when extra armour was requested and speed and cross country performance had to be improved. The Char B1 came into servire in 1935, it weighed 31 tons had a crew of 4 and was armed with 37 mm gun and machine gun in turret. B1 was the first French tank to have electric power traverse in addition to normal hand operated traverse. Mounted in the hull next to driver was a short barrelled 75mm gun. Next version Char B1 bis weighed 32 tons had more powerful 300hp engine which improwed the hp/ton ratio to 9.4, giving the tank a better off road performance. Tank also had 47 mm gun fitted in the turret in place of the 37mm. The third version Char B1 ter weighed 34t had a 330 hp engine. Only five B1 ter were built but in total there were 300-320 Char B1 in service by 1940 mainly with in the Division Cuirassée de Réserve (DCR - french armoured division). These most powerful of French tanks were impervious to all German anti-tank guns except 8,8 cm Flak. Due to the strong armor and armament of the Char B1 bis, which was capable of destroying any German combat vehicle used in the 1940s, it was a psychological shock for German soldiers. However, its potential was not fully exploited, on the one hand, because of the dispersal of these machines on the long line of the front, and on the other, due to their high sensitivity to failures and damage (many of these tanks got into the enemy’s hands because they were abandoned by their own crew). The heavily armed tank proved to be a major threat in theory. Once again, the French concept did not work, according to which the tank commander was to operate the vehicle’s main armament. In a rapidly changing battlefield, commanding a tank, searching and attacking targets overwhelmed the capabilities of one man. An additional drawback was the poorly designed 75 mm cannon nest in the hull. Due to the lack of space in the hull, it was practically impossible to aim at a horizontal plane. Although most of the B1 and B1 bis were destroyed by German artillery and AT fire, they were able to beat the German tankers in a direct armored combat. On May 16, 1940, under a Stonne single vehicle of this type, named “Eure” (under the command of Captain Billotte), attacked a group of German tanks and destroyed 13 of them (Panzer III and IV). Despite receiving 140 hits, he withdrew from the battle unchasted. General Heinz Guderian recognized that the 47mm anti-tank gun was completely ineffective against the thick armor of the French tank. Main gun: 75 mm ABS SA 35 howitzer. Second gun: 47 mm SA 35 or SA34. Max armor: 60 mm.

Specifications:

crew	4
armor	hull: front - 60 mm /30° sides - 60 mm rear - 55 mm top - 25 mm /80° and 90° turret: front - 56 mm mantlet - 56 mm sides - 46 mm /22° rear - 46 mm /22° top - 30 mm / 72° and 90°
main armament	75 mm ABS SA 35 howitzer, 74 rounds, elevation: -15° +25°, traverse: none; 47 mm SA 35 or SA34, 50 rounds, elevation: -18° +28°, traverse: 360°
weight (kg)	31500
length (mm)	6520
width (mm)	2500
height (mm)	2790
engine	Renault Deutch In 6 6 cylinders, 16500 cm³ 272 hp at 1900 rpm, water-cooling
transmission	5 forward, 1 reverse gear
fuel capacity (l)	400 or 570 (with external tank)
range (road km/ off-road km)	150 / 90
speed (km/h)	28 (10 off-road)
trench crossing (mm)	2740
vertical obstacle (mm)	930
fording ability (mm)	1470
climbing ability (degrees)	26
production	405

Plastic model kits: 1/35: Tamiya 30058 French Battle Tank B1 bis (w/Single Motor) 1/35: Tamiya 35282 French Battle Tank B1 bis 1/35: Tamiya 35287 B1 bis German Army Panzerkampfwagen B2 740(f) 1/72: Trumpeter 07263 French Char B1 bis 1/76: Matchbox PK-176 Char B.1 bis/Renault FT.17 1/76: Revell 03220 Char B.1 bis & Renault FT.17

Reference:

Captured French Tanks Under the German Flag - Werner Regenberg, Horst Scheibert - Schiffer Military History 1997
FRENCH TANKS OF WORLD WAR II (1), Infantry and Battle Tanks - Steven J. Zaloga - Osprey NEW VANGUARD 209
French Infantry Tanks: Part I (Chars 2C, D and B) – AFV Weapons 58
Panzer IV vs Char B1 BIS: France 1940 - Steven J. Zaloga, Osprey Duel 33
Les Chars B B1 - B1 bis - B1 ter - Trackstory No 3 (french)
Char B1 bis - Fumio Miyawaki, AVF Super Detail Book 2
Char B Bis - Pascal Danjou Focus No. 4 (french)
Le Char B1 - Pascal Danjou Trackstory No 13 (french)
World War II Album Volume 10: French Tanks Char B1 - Char D1 - Char D2 - Char 2C; Ray Merriam
Panzer Tracts No. 19-1: Beute-Panzerkampfwagen Czech, Polish and French Tanks Captured from 1939 to 1940 - Thomas L. Jentz and Werner Regenberg
Les véhicules blindés français 1900-1944 - Touzin Pierre (french)