Was the Char B1 effective?
Among the most powerfully armed and armoured tanks of its day, the type was very effective in direct confrontations with German armour in 1940 during the Battle of France, but slow speed and high fuel consumption made it ill-adapted to the war of movement then being fought. …
What does BIS mean in B1 BIS?
The Char de bataille B1 bis (Battle tank B1 “repeated”) is a rank II French heavy tank with a battle rating of 2.3 (AB/RB/SB).
What does BIS mean in tank?
Bis means improved. it also appears on certain Soviet modules if you look. Mainly on the KV-1S IIRC. The Russian designation for upgrades is usually a “M” added on to the end, which is short for “Modernised” in Russian.
What was the top speed of a Char B1 bis?
The Char B1 bis had a top speed of 25 km/h (16 mph) provided by a 307 bhp (229 kW) petrol engine. The first batch of 35 Char B1 bis used the original engine but from 1938 to May 1940 they were slowly re-equipped. Its weight was about 31.5 tonnes.
What was the Char B1 used for?
After the defeat of France captured Char B1 (bis) would be used by Germany, with some rebuilt as flamethrowers or mechanised artillery. The Char B1 had its origins in the concept of a Char de Bataille conceived by General Jean Baptiste Eugène Estienne in 1919, e.g. in his memorandum Mémoire sur les missions des chars blindés en campagne.
How many Char B1 were there in WW2?
At that time the Char B1 and Char B1-bis were the most numerous and most powerful of all French heavy tanks and the basic version was the main battle tank of the few tank formations of the French Armed Forces. Until the armistice in June 1940, 35 Char B1, 365 Char B1-bis and 5 Char B1-ter were built.
What was the B1 bis like to operate in the 1940s?
However, as often with the French military of 1940, the reality is more complex and less glamorous, with the B1 Bis proving to be a troublesome beast to operate, maintain and produce. B1 Bis “Chambertin” of the 3ème DcR, France, May 1940. Source: EPCA D A major program of French armor through both the 1920 and 1930s was the Char de Bataille.