143-399: The Char B1 was a French heavy tank manufactured before World War II . The Char B1 was a specialised break-through vehicle, originally conceived as a self-propelled gun with a 75 mm howitzer in the hull; later a 47 mm gun in a turret was added, to allow it to function also as a Char de Bataille , a "battle tank" fighting enemy armour, equipping the armoured divisions of
286-591: A Clerget diesel. All of these systems would prove to be more unreliable than the original concept and were ultimately rejected. The three vehicles were not only used for technological, but also tactical experimentation. Together with the Char D1 pre-series, they represented the only modern tanks in France and the Army was naturally very interested in what lessons could be learned from them about future warfare, outlining
429-484: A "mechanic". Cost was reduced by omitting the complex Neader transmission and giving the hull gun a traverse of five degrees to each side instead. The first prototype was shown in 1937. Only three prototypes could be partly finished before the defeat of France. In May 1940 it was agreed to deliver nine Char B1s each month to Britain in exchange for a monthly British production of the "H 39" . The three prototypes were lost after having been evacuated on 17 June 1940, their ship
572-550: A battle was seen as secondary and best carried out by controlled and methodical movement to ensure superiority in numbers, so for the heavy tanks also mobility was of secondary concern. Although the Char B1 had a reasonably good speed for the time of its conception, no serious efforts were made to improve it when much faster tanks appeared. More important than the tank's limitations in tactical mobility, however, were its limitations in strategic mobility. The low practical range implied
715-554: A class largely neglected by the British. It would be Renault 's excellent small tank design, the FT , incorporating a proper climbing face for the tracks, that was the first tank to incorporate a top-mounted turret with a full 360° traverse capability. In fact the FT was in many respects the first truly 'modern' tank having a layout that has been followed by almost all designs ever since: driver at
858-672: A few German tanks but lacked enough organic infantry and artillery to function as an effective mobile reserve. A number of Char B1s (161) were captured by the Germans during the Fall of France . These were later pressed into service as second line and training vehicles under the name of Panzerkampfwagen B-2 740 (f), and were often used as turretless Munitionspanzer supply vehicles. Sixty became platforms for flamethrowers as Flammwagen auf Panzerkampfwagen B-2 (f). Sixteen were converted into 105 mm self-propelled artillery, armed with
1001-475: A further test programme on what was now officially called the Char B —the "B" not referring to Bataille but to a general classification code. The commission was largely satisfied with the vehicle, though many smaller problems were detected that had to be improved. The FCM prototype featured several alternative technologies: a Winterthur transmission, a Citroën clutch and a Sulzer diesel engine, later replaced by
1144-483: A large number of variants, including 195 self-propelled howitzers, 44 AMX-30 Pluton tactical nuclear missile launchers, 183 AMX-30Rs, 134 AMX-30Ds and 48 engineer vehicles (AMX-30EBG). The last 35 new battle tanks were in 1989 ordered by Cyprus and the last new variant vehicles, a batch of twenty GCTs, in 1994 by France. In the late 1990s, the French Army began to accept the new Leclerc main battle tank to replace
1287-419: A less powerful Panhard engine of 120 hp it still attained a speed of 18.2 km/h. Fuel reservoirs of just 230 litres limited its range to a mere seventy kilometres. The 75 mm howitzer was placed in the middle of the hull and steered by providing each snake track with its own hydraulic Jeanny transmission. On top there was a riveted machine gun turret with 25 mm armour. The lightest prototype
1430-490: A limited traverse of only one degree to the left or the right. It was laid onto target by the driver (provided with the gun sight) through the Naeder hydraulic precision transmission. The traverse had been made possible only in order to align the gun barrel precisely with the sight beforehand. The 75 mm gun had its own loader—the remaining two crew members were the radio operator and the commander, who had to load, aim and fire
1573-443: A matériel reserve of two tanks and regimental and brigade commanders in practice had personal tanks too, resulting in a total of 88 vehicles per division. Furthermore, 31 were present in the general matériel reserve, 49 in factory stocks and 26 were being processed for acceptance. These vehicles were later issued to several ad hoc units, such as the 4th DCR (commanded by Charles de Gaulle ) which received 39, part of 3e Cuirassiers ,
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#17327722566991716-486: A new tank based on the larger 75 hp Holt chassis in a very short period of time, the first French tanks were poorly designed with respect to the need to cross trenches and did not take the sponson-mounting route of the British tanks. The first, the Char Schneider CA equipped with a short 75 mm howitzer, had poor mobility due to a short track length combined with a hull that overhung front and rear. It
1859-427: A project for such a vehicle. To limit costs, it had to be built like a self-propelled gun , with the main weapon in the hull. To minimise the vehicle size this gun should be able to move only up and down, with the horizontal aiming to be provided by turning the entire vehicle. The specifications included: a maximum weight of thirteen tonnes; a maximum armour thickness of 25 millimetres; a hull as low as possible to enable
2002-525: A radio set would have to be fitted to better direct and coordinate its actions; therefore a fourth crew-member was needed. On 18 March 1927, the contracts for the three prototypes were signed. The hull of first Renault vehicle, made of soft boiler plate instead of armour steel to simplify changes, was finished apart from the armament in January 1929; it was delivered in March. The separately produced cast turret
2145-410: A range of 140 kilometres. The SRB, also using leaf springs, was a somewhat larger vehicle, six metres long, 2.28 metres high and 2.5 metres wide. It was nevertheless lighter at 18.5 tonnes, a result of having a smaller 47 mm gun—it thus was the antitank version. Using the same engine, its speed was accordingly slightly higher at 18 km/h. More limited fuel reservoirs holding 370 litres decreased
2288-521: A result, we inevitably suffered sadly heavy casualties." The French favoured small turrets despite their shortcomings, as they allowed for much smaller and thus cheaper vehicles. Although the French expenditure on tanks was relatively larger than the German, France simply lacked the production capacity to build a sufficient number of heavier tanks. The Char B1 was expensive enough as it was, eating up half of
2431-515: A single Char B1 "Eure" was able to destroy thirteen German tanks within a few minutes in Stonne on 16 May 1940, all of them Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks. The 37mm and 20mm guns the Germans used were ineffective at penetrating the thick armour of the B1, which was able to return safely despite being hit a large number of times. Even German General Rommel was surprised at how the French tanks withstood
2574-666: A single 36-ton B1 ter prototype were directly recovered from the FCM factory, of which an unknown number were to be destined for Italy. Six vehicles in Italian service were known as Semovente B1-bis, and lacked turrets, but were used in trials until 1943, after which they were used as target practice, and ammunition carriers. After the Allies had invaded France in 1944, some B1s were recaptured. Several were used on an individual and incidental basis by resistance forces , such as those fighting
2717-538: A standardised common tank project. In 1963, both West Germany and France declared that they would produce purely national tanks. Development towards main battle tank projects such as the AMX-30 occurred soon afterwards. AMX-30 production occurred at the Atelier de Construction de Roanne in the town of Roanne . This heavy manufacturing factory was built during World War I to produce artillery shells, although by 1952
2860-596: 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. The operational range was about 180 km (110 mi) which was similar to other tanks of the period. At 20 km/h (12 mph) the three fuel tanks (total capacity of 400 L (88 imp gal)) would be exhausted in six hours. To improve matters, at first, trailers with an 800-litre auxiliary fuel tank were towed but this practice
3003-407: A total of eighty were stowed) in the engine room to the right of the engine, which was officially rated at 250 hp (190 kW), but had an actual output of 272 hp (203 kW). Each tank had its own team of three mechanics; in battle some of these might join the regular crew. The suspension was very complex with sixteen road wheels per side. There were three large central bogies, sprung by
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#17327722566993146-578: A total order for 2,300 at least 1,601 had been produced until 1 June 1940 serial numbers known to be actually used indicate a production of at least 1670 vehicles. In the Battle of France , despite an advantage in number and armour against the Germans, the French tanks were not used to good enough effect. Ironically, cooperation with the infantry was poor. The Cavalry units alone were too few in number. In armour and firepower, French tanks were generally not inferior to their German counterparts. In one incident,
3289-429: A vertical coil spring. Each central bogie carried two smaller ones. The three vertical springs moved through holes in a horizontal beam, to both extreme ends of which road wheels were attached by means of leaf springs: three at the front and one at the back. The high track run gave the tank an old fashioned look, reflecting its long development time. It had a maximum speed of 28 km/h and a weight of 28 tonnes. The range
3432-409: A weak spot in the armour, based on a single incident on 16 May near Stonne where two German 37 mm PAK guns claimed to have knocked out three Char B1s by firing at the intakes at close range. The air intake was a 6-inch (150 mm) thick assembly of horizontal slits alternately angled upwards and downwards between 28 mm thick armour plates, and as such intended to be no more vulnerable than
3575-598: The Divisions Légères Mécaniques (mechanised light divisions) of the cavalry, equipped with the SOMUA S35 . The First and Second DCR had 69 Char B1s each; the Third 68. The 37th Bataillon de Chars de Combat , serving with 1DCR, was at first equipped with the original B1; these vehicles were refitted with the longer SA 35 gun in the spring of 1940 and the turret renamed to APX1A. The battalion
3718-497: The 10.5 cm leFH 18 light howitzer. Ordinary tank versions also underwent some revision, as their wireless radios were replaced with the German model. A number of tanks also had an access hatch added to the turret top, and a concrete block added to the right hull front to prevent shot ricochet. Other differences to the French Army version included a jack and hoist arm carried outside the tank, with additional German equipment mounted on fenders. One unit, Panzer-Abteilung 213,
3861-526: The 3rd Indian Motor Brigade had been annihilated, and two weakened British brigades - the 4th and the motorized 7th Armoured - were forced to retreat to Bir-el-Gubi and to The El-Adem, leaving Bir-Hakeim and the Free French Forces to fight the full brunt of Rommels forces. Rommel's success in the north was very costly, and Rommel's wide flanking plan was proving riskier because of the resistance at Bir Hakeim (his right flank and supply route
4004-478: The 4e Cuirassiers . At the end of 1937 the SA 35 gun became available and deliveries of the main production series could begin. By mid 1938 a hundred had been produced, 270 on 1 September 1939 and 246 delivered. On this date 191 served with the troops, 51 were in depot and four had been sent back to the factory for overhaul. After the outbreak of war a fourth order of 200 was made, bringing the ordered total to 700. Later it
4147-456: The Allied siege of La Rochelle . The tanks were effective in the attack on Royan on 15 April 1945, using their 75 mm guns for fire support, while targeting pillboxes with their 47 mm guns. After that, 2nd Company accompanied troops on an assault on Pontaillac on 17 April, followed by an attack on the German stronghold at La Rochelle between 29 April and 8 May. Voillaume was awarded
4290-513: The Ariete Armoured Division - to attack Bir Hakeim from the southeast. This division - formed of the 132nd Armoured Regiment, equipped with M13/40s , of the 8th Reggimento bersaglieri and of the 132nd Artillery Regiment - attacked the French position from the rear in two successive waves. The Italian tanks and armoured vehicles attacked without infantry support and tried to cross the minefield. Six tanks managed to infiltrate
4433-585: The Atelier de Rueil for repairs. In September they took part in the summer manoeuvres in Champagne as a Détachement Mécanique de Combat ; from 4 May 1933 No. 102 and 103 together formed a Détachement d'Engins Blindés to perform tactical experiments in the army bases of Coëtquidan and Mourmelon as part of a motorised light division, followed by comparable experiments in April 1934 at Sissonne . Technical aspects were not forgotten during these tests and it
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4576-481: The Atelier de Rueil , where they were compared, each having to drive over a twenty kilometre test course. Immediately it became evident that their technical development had been insufficient, most breaking down; the SRA even started to fall apart. Maintenance was difficult because the engines were inaccessible. All projects used a three-man crew but differed considerably in size, form and the solution chosen to laterally point
4719-654: The Distinguished Service Cross for his actions. After the war, the 13th Dragoon Regiment was stationed in the French occupation zone of Allied-occupied Germany as part of the French 3rd Armoured Division . It was eventually disbanded in the German town of Wittlich in April 1946. Today eleven vehicles survive, one Char B1 and ten Char B1 bis. The last surviving Char B1 can be seen at the Association pour la Sauvegarde du Patrimoine Historique et Militaire (ASPHM), near Strasbourg , in France. It
4862-599: The Fall of France , work on new designs, such as the Char G1 , officially halted, although there was some clandestine designing done. One of the first key battles the Free French forces fought after they joined the Allies was at Bir Hakeim where they defended against the attack by the Italian Ariete Division in the first phase of the battle of Gazala , and later under attack by a combined force of
5005-626: The Mechanical Warfare Department 's grounds at Dollis Hill , identified that a more powerful engine and a sprung suspension would be needed. He had experimentally fitted leaf springs to both a Mark IV heavy tank and a Medium Mark A "Whippet" and also fitted powerful Rolls-Royce Eagle aeroplane engines to a Whippet To give a suspension that could flex without adding the weight of individual springs for each roller, Johnson, based on his pre-war experience with Fowler ploughing engines , used steel cable ropes wound between
5148-603: The Mécanicien Principal Carvin being bombed by the Germans in the Gironde on 21 June. However, some believe that another prototype was obtained by Italy. The Char B1 served with the armoured divisions of the infantry, the Divisions Cuirassées (DCr). These were highly specialised offensive units, to break through fortified positions. The mobile phase of a battle was to be carried out by
5291-485: The Renault R 35 , which followed the FT concept quite closely with its very small size, two-man crew, and short 37 mm gun armament. It was, however, heavily armored. The R 35 was mostly used to equip the independent tank battalions, an armoured reserve allocated at army level and intended to reinforce infantry divisions in breakthrough operations. French infantry divisions normally had no organic tank component. The R 35
5434-408: The bis with the intention of providing a tank armoured to 75mm. A design with sloped and welded 70 mm armour, weighing 36.6 tonnes and powered by a 350 hp (260 kW) engine was meant to replace the B1 bis to accelerate mass production, a change first intended for the summer of 1940 and later postponed to March 1941. In the course of the redesign, space was provided for a fifth crew member,
5577-415: The "Methodical Battle" concept, adopted because wargaming showed it to be superior. The role of small unit leaders was to execute plans, not to take the initiative in combat. This was nearly the opposite of German doctrine, which stressed initiative and decision-making at low command levels ( Auftragstaktik ). In 1939 a belated effort was made to improve flexibility and increase the number of radios Despite
5720-508: The 47 mm gun while commanding the vehicle (and in the case of platoon leaders, command other vehicles as well). The fighting compartment had the radio set on the left and an exit hatch in the right side. All vehicles had the ER53 radiotelegraphy set so all communication was in Morse code only. A hatch in the rear bulkhead gave access to a corridor (under which nineteen 75 mm rounds out of
5863-455: The 4th DLM (10), and some Corps-francs Motorisés (about 25). Also the destroyed 1st, 2nd and 3rd DLM were reconstituted with a small number of tanks, the first two divisions received ten S 35s, the third twenty; S 35s further served with the 7e Cuirassiers (25) and a platoon of three was present in the 3e RAM of the 3e DLC . In May 1940 during the Battle of France the DLMs were tasked with
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6006-463: The 75 mm St Chamond M 21 from FAMH. Testing on the first prototype had already begun before the other two were delivered, or even its main armament was fitted. At 24,750 kg (24.36 long tons) the weight was more than specified but could nevertheless reach a top speed of 24 km/h (15 mph). From 6 May until August 1930 the Commission d'Experiences des Matériels de Chars carried out
6149-474: The 75 mm gun, a Holt-track to be developed by FCM, which company had completed a special research programme aimed at optimising weight distribution, and the FAMH-suspension (later this would again be discarded). Estienne also had some special requirements: a track tension wheel should be fitted, adjustable from the inside, and a small gangway from the fighting room should improve the accessibility of
6292-499: The 75 mm howitzer in the middle of the hull. It used the same Panhard engine as the FAHM type and its speed was the lowest of all at 17.4 km/h. However, its 500-litre fuel tanks allowed for the best range at 175 kilometres. In March 1925, Estienne decided to base the future production type on the SRB, as regarded the general form and mechanical parts. However, it would be fitted with
6435-642: The AMX-40 began in 1980 as a clean sheet design. In 1983 the first prototype was finished and presented at the Satory Exhibition of that year. Two further prototypes were produced in 1984; the last, fourth, was fabricated in 1985. The design was not intended for service in France, but as a successor to the AMX-32 , the improved export version of the AMX-30 . However the efforts to obtain foreign orders failed,
6578-436: The Army, which would be free to combine all projects into a single type. In exchange, to the industry very large orders of no less than a thousand vehicles were promised. On these conditions four projects were started in 1921: two by a cooperation between Renault and Schneider : the SRA and the SRB, one by Forges et Aciéries de la Marine et d'Homécourt (FAMH), more commonly known as "Saint Chamond" from its location , and
6721-699: The Char B1 bis: Italy independently from Germany captured eight Chars B1 bis when in October 1940 an Italian worker disclosed to the Italian Armistice Commission that they had been hidden in a cave near Les Baux-de-Provence in July 1940. These vehicles, six of which lacked the turret, were tested, but probably not used operationally by Italy. The Italian armour historian Nicola Pignato in contrast stated in 1989 that some twenty B1 bis, in various stages of preparation and construction, along with
6864-614: The Char B1 less formidable in actual combat than a review of its impressive statistics suggests, is difficult to ascertain. In 1940, the vast majority of Char B1 combat losses were inflicted by German artillery and anti-tank guns. In direct meetings with German tanks the Char B1 usually had the better of it, sometimes spectacularly so as when on 16 May a single tank, Eure (commanded by Captain Pierre Billotte ), frontally attacked and destroyed thirteen German tanks lying in ambush in Stonne , all of them Panzer IIIs and Panzer IVs , in
7007-465: The Char B2, B3 and B B. The Char B1 was manufactured by several firms: Renault (182), AMX (47), FCM (72), FAMH (70) and Schneider (32). Although it was the main producer, Renault had not exclusively designed the tank. Therefore, the official name was not Renault B1 as often erroneously given. It was a very expensive tank to build: the cost per vehicle was about 1.5 million French francs . In France at
7150-509: The ER53 radio was replaced by the ER51 which allowed spoken wireless communication. The company and battalion command tanks also had an ER55 for communication with higher command. The crews of the 1re DCR kept their old sets however, preferring them because the human voice was drowned by engine noise. Development of the Char B1 ter was started at the same time as production funds were given for
7293-729: The French camp. and the Free French Forces fought their way back to the British lines, The French 2nd Armoured Division (French: 2e Division Blindée, 2e DB ), was commanded by General Philippe Leclerc , one of the best French tank commanders. General Leclerc joined the Free French forces after the fall of France and adopted the Resistance pseudonym "Jacques-Philippe Leclerc". Charles de Gaulle upon meeting him promoted him from Captain to Major ( commandant ) and ordered him to French Equatorial Africa as governor of French Cameroon from 29 August 1940 to 12 November 1940. He commanded
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#17327722566997436-524: The French lines, avoiding mines and anti-tank fire, but they were eventually destroyed by very close range 75 mm fire, and the crews were captured. The Ariete Division, reduced to only 33 tanks in 45 minutes, had to retreat. The remaining tanks then tried to outflank the French forces by attacking through the V ;zone minefield protecting that face. They eventually regrouped and retreated, leaving behind 32 destroyed tanks. However north of Bir Hakeim,
7579-530: The French used tanks for the first time on 16 April 1917, during the Nivelle Offensive , they had four times more tanks available. But that would not last long as the offensive was a major failure; the Schneiders were badly deployed and suffered 50% losses from German long-range artillery. The Saint-Chamond tanks, first deployed on 5 May, proved to be so badly designed that they were unable to cross
7722-474: The German 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions. This was necessitated by the local tactical situation and did not reflect some fundamental difference in doctrine between the use of the DLMs and the Panzerdivisionen . Both types of units were very similar in equipment, training and organisation, as the German armoured divisions too were primarily intended for strategic exploitation, while the breakthrough phase
7865-666: The German defences, destroy lines of communication crippling the German army and thus end the war. The Armistice ended the war in 1918 and it would never be tested in combat but development continued for the post-war needs of the British Army . The unusual suspension proved problematic and the earlier tanks were replaced by a Vickers design - the Medium Mark I - in the 1920s It should not be confused with export Vickers Medium Mark D tank, built in one unit for Ireland in 1929. J F C Fuller 's plan 1919 (circulated in mid-1918)
8008-851: The German garrison of Paris in August 1944. On 7 October 1944, the Provisional Government of the French Republic formed the 13th Dragoon Regiment of the Free French Forces . The majority of the regiment fielded SOMUA S35 cavalry tanks , but Captain Edmond Voillaume's 2nd Company was equipped with 19 B1 bis tanks, which included a mixture of standard and German modified B-2s. They were stationed in Orléans until 2 April 1945, when they were mobilized for
8151-799: The German military governor of Paris, capitulated at the Hôtel Meurice . After the division liberated Paris, it defeated a Panzer brigade during the armoured clashes in Lorraine, forced the Saverne Gap, and liberated Strasbourg. After taking part in the Battle of the Colmar Pocket , the division was moved west and assaulted the German-held Atlantic port of Royan , before recrossing France in April 1945 and participating in
8294-458: The German tank shells and had to resort to using the German 88 artillery as antitank guns against the French tanks to knock them out. Setbacks the French military suffered were more related to strategy, tactics and organisation than technology and design. Almost 80 percent of French tanks did not have radios, since the battle doctrine employed by the French military was more a slow-paced, deliberate conformance to planned maneuvers. French tank warfare
8437-407: The German tanks. The R 35 was intended to replace the FT as standard light infantry tank from the summer of 1936, but even by May 1940 not enough conscripts had been retrained and therefore eight battalions of the older tank had to be kept operational. On 1 September 1939, at the outbreak of war, 975 vehicles had been delivered out of 1,070 produced; 765 were fielded by tank battalions in France. Of
8580-509: The Infantry Arm. Starting in the early twenties, its development and production were repeatedly delayed, resulting in a vehicle that was both technologically complex and expensive, and already obsolescent when real mass-production of a derived version, the Char B1 "bis", started in the late 1930s. A further up-armoured version, the Char B1 "ter", was only built in two prototypes. Among the most powerfully armed and armoured tanks of its day,
8723-878: The Infantry or the Cavalry. The Renault FT had a long life and saw use in World War II and even later in Indochina. It was utilised as far away as in China, during the Chinese Civil wars, and versions of the tank were used both against and by the Japanese during the invasion of China. A large number found their way into both Republican and Nationalist hands during the Spanish Civil War. They were used in
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#17327722566998866-977: The Russian Revolution by both the Bolsheviks and the White Russians, and later by the Finns against the Soviets. France exported the FT right up to World War II . The design was also developed by the Italians as the Fiat 3000 and the USSR as the T-18 . By the mid-1930s the French Army was replacing the aging FT fleet with a mixed force of light tanks both in the Infantry and Cavalry branches, as well as medium and heavy tanks. The Infantry light tanks included
9009-428: The Schneider CA's faults with an even larger overhanging body. Its innovative petro-electrical transmission, while allowing for easy steering, was insufficiently developed and led to a large number of breakdowns. But industrial initiative also led to swift advances. The car industry, already used to vehicle mass production and having much more experience in vehicle layout, in 1916 designed the first practical light tanks,
9152-420: The Trieste and 90th Light Infantry Division. The battle at Bir Hakeim was at a remote oasis in the Libyan desert, and the former site of a Turkish fort. During the Battle of Gazala, the 1st Free French Division of Général de brigade Marie Pierre Kœnig defended the site from 26 May-11 June 1942 against much larger attacking German and Italian forces directed by Generaloberst Erwin Rommel . The battle
9295-433: The antiquated AMX-30. The first units to be outfitted with the new tank were the 501st and 503rd tank regiments, followed by the 6th and 12th Cuirassier Regiments. In the early 1980s the next in the GIAT manufactured, export-driven AMX series was designed. As the AMX-32 had failed to attract any potential sales, the company decided to produce yet another upgrade. This was the AMX-40 Main Battle Tank. The development of
9438-428: The appearance of the German PzKpfw IV Ausf. F2 and Soviet T-34 . The S 35 had a long 47 mm gun that could kill any tank then in service, as well as heavy cast armour and good speed. The French char de bataille Char B1 tank was a very formidable tank, with heavy cast and riveted armour, the same long 47 mm gun as in the S 35, and a hull-mounted 75 mm howitzer. All Char B1s were equipped with radio and
9581-438: The arrival of the rested British divisions: this grain of sand was Bir Hakeim." On the night of 26 May 1942, Rommel started a planned attack with the 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions, and the rest of the 90th Motorized Infantry Division, and the Italian Trieste and Ariete Divisions started the large encircling move south of Bir-Hakeim as planned. The British armoured units were taken by surprise and retreated. Rommel then sent
9724-421: The cannon by the Atelier de Construction de Bourges , the cupola and machine-gun by the Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne and the optics by the Atelier de Construction de Puteaux ; all these again used many subcontractors. In a series of corporate mergers under state guidance, most of these firms would eventually be concentrated into GIAT. Originally, 300 AMX-30s were ordered by the French Army, and by 1971
9867-441: The caterpillar tracks were too short for the tank's length and weight. The most significant French tank development during the war was the Renault FT light tank, which set the general layout for future tank designs and was used or redesigned by various military forces, including those of the United States. While the British began the design and use of tanks in World War I, France at the same time developed its own tracked AFVs, but
10010-405: The column which attacked Axis forces from Chad , and, having marched his troops across West Africa, distinguished himself in Tunisia . The French 2nd Armoured Division was formed around a core of units that had raided Italian Libya since the end of 1940 to entering Tripoli 1943 under Leclerc, but was known for its fight at Kufra in 1941; later renamed the 2nd Light Division, in August 1943, it
10153-411: 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 . It had to be a "Battle Tank" that would be able to accomplish a breakthrough of the enemy line by destroying fortifications, gun emplacements and opposing tanks. In January 1921 a commission headed by General Edmond Buat initiated
10296-535: The concept of a Char de Manoeuvre . Neither Char de Bataille nor Char de Manoeuvre are official type designations; they refer to the tactical concepts only. In October 1931 a small unit was formed, the Détachement d' Experimentation in which the prototypes were united from December, using the Camp de Châlons as a base to see how they could be used in winter conditions. Afterwards, they drove on their own power to
10439-507: The course of a few minutes. The tank safely returned despite being hit 140 times. Similarly, in his book Panzer Leader , Heinz Guderian related an incident which took place during a tank battle south of Juniville: "While the tank battle was in progress I attempted, in vain, to destroy a Char B with a captured 47 mm. anti-tank gun; all the shells I fired at it simply bounced harmlessly off its thick armour. Our 37 mm. and 20 mm. guns were equally ineffective against this adversary. As
10582-476: The destruction of the historic city if the Germans sought to defend it. Leclerc and de Gaulle had to persuade Eisenhower to send Leclerc's 2nd Armored Division and they entered Paris, and the liberation by Leclerc help cement de Gaulle's claim as leader of the French. On 25 August, the 2nd Armoured and the U.S. 4th Division entered Paris and liberated it. After hard fighting that cost the 2nd Division 35 tanks, 6 self-propelled guns, and 111 vehicles, von Choltitz ,
10725-529: The difficult manoeuvre of carrying out a quick advance into the Low Countries , followed by a holding action to allow the infantry divisions following behind to dig themselves in. The 2nd and 3rd DLM were concentrated in the Gembloux gap between Louvain and Namur , where there were no natural obstacles to impede a German advance. They had to spread out somewhat to hold that sector against incursions by
10868-410: The driving position was displaced to the back of the fighting compartment with the driver under a small cupola. To improve the view forward the roof of the fighting compartment sloped down from the cupola. Because the track runs sloped forward, another feature to improve driver views, in order to cross taller obstacles the driver was expected to take them by reversing. Powered by a Siddeley Puma engine
11011-572: The engine compartment. Furthermore, the front armour should be increased to 40 millimetres. In November 1925 Renault was given the order to build a wooden mock-up, that was finished early 1926. On 27 January 1926, it was decided to build three prototypes of what was provisionally called a Tracteur 30 , a final design by engineer Alleaume of the Schneider company, cooperating with the Section Technique des Chars de Combat (STCC). The first
11154-454: The fact that the Char B1 was a specialised offensive weapon, a break-through tank optimised for punching a hole into strong defensive entrenchments, so it was designed with good trench-crossing capabilities. The French Army thought that dislodging the enemy from a key front sector would decide a campaign, and it prided itself on being the only army in the world having a sufficient number of adequately protected heavy tanks. The exploitation phase of
11297-466: The factory had begun producing armoured fighting vehicles. Before producing the AMX-30, for example, it had made 1,900 AMX-13s and variants. The Roanne factory was responsible for final assembly, most components were made elsewhere: the powerplant by the Atelier de Construction de Limoges , the full armour set by the Ateliers et Forges de la Loire , the turret by the Atelier de Construction de Tarbes ,
11440-681: The fall of France a number of S 35s (297 were captured according to some sources) were taken into service with the Wehrmacht as the Panzerkampfwagen 35-S 739(f) . The Germans modified the cupola by cutting its top off and installing a simple hatch. The 21st and 25. Panzerdivision in 1943 used some S 35s when reforming after having been largely destroyed. Some of these units fought in Normandy in 1944, and there were still twelve S 35s listed as in German service on 30 December 1944. After
11583-662: The final fighting in southern Germany. After the liberation of France, the next tank to be introduced would be the ARL 44 heavy tank, which came too late to participate in World War II , but was used post-war for a time. The ARL 44s equipped the 503e Régiment de Chars de Combat stationed in Mourmelon-le-Grand and replaced seventeen Panther tanks used earlier by that unit.Later, AMX-50 tank series will be introduced under rarely-known project 141, which developed around
11726-704: The first line of German trenches. The French used a very wide range of tanks, including many unique types. France was the second largest tank producer in the world, behind the Soviet Union (see French armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II ). French cavalry tank designs saw attempts to balance the needs of firepower, protection and mobility. They also fielded a heavy tank design, and several lighter types for scouting and infantry support. In addition to these types, they were also working on super-heavy breakthrough tanks ( FCM F1 ). The French didn't have an independent Tank Corps. All tanks belonged to either
11869-477: The front it was very similar to the final model, but its side-on profile was more like that of the British Medium Mark D , including the snake track -system, with the drive wheel higher than the idler in front. The suspension used leaf springs . A Renault six-cylinder 180 hp engine (a bisected V12 aircraft engine) allowed for a maximum speed of 17.5 km/h; a four hundred litre fuel tank for
12012-438: The front; main armament in a fully rotating turret on top; engine at the rear. Previous models had been "box tanks" with a single crowded space combining the role of engine room, fighting compartment, ammunition stock and driver's cabin. (A very similar Peugeot prototype, with a fixed casemate mounting a short 75mm cannon, was trialled in 1918, but the idea was not pursued.) The FT would have the largest production run of any tank of
12155-669: The gap was the German Schwerpunkt and tried to preserve their best tanks to block subsequent attacks by the rest of the Panzerwaffe . When it transpired the attack was really a feint and the forces in the north were in danger of being cut off by the German advance south of Namur, the 1st DLM that had very quickly moved 200 kilometres to the north to help the Dutch, was hurriedly rushed south again. The resulting disorder and breakdown of most of its S 35s rendered this unit,
12298-403: The gun to fire into the vision slits of bunkers; a small machine gun turret to fend off enemy infantry attacks, at the same time serving as an observation post for the commander and a crew of at most three men. Two versions should be built, one a close support tank armed with a 75 mm howitzer, the other an anti-tank vehicle with a 47 mm gun instead. French industry was very interested in
12441-414: The gun. The SRA was the heaviest vehicle at 19.5 tonnes. Its length was 5.95 metres, its height 2.26m and its width 2.49m. It had a 75 mm howitzer in the right side of the hull and a cast, 30 mm thick, turret with two machine guns. It was steered by an epicyclical transmission combined with hydraulically reinforced brake disks, which failed to provide the desired precision during tests. Seen from
12584-468: The gun. If he was a unit leader, he had to command his other tanks as well. This is in contrast with the contemporary German, British and to a lesser extent Soviet policy to use two or three-man turret crews, in which these duties were divided amongst several men. The other nations felt that the commander would otherwise be over-tasked and unable to perform any of his roles as well as the commanders of tanks with two or three-man turret crews. Whether this left
12727-531: The hold of the Vichy regime in that region. They were issued to the 12e régiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique that, after French West Africa had sided with the Allies, operated them against German and Italian forces during the Tunisia Campaign . After the liberation of France in 1944 an armoured unit was raised, the 13e Régiment de Dragons , using French matériel, among which were seventeen S 35s. After
12870-444: The idea of creating an armoured force based on these vehicles; strong Army support for tanks would be a constant during the decades to come. Already in January and February 1916 quite substantial orders were made, at that moment with a total number of 800 much larger than the British ones. Army enthusiasm and haste would have its immediate drawbacks, however. As a result of the involvement of inexperienced army officers ordered to devise
13013-485: The idea that the large amount of armour required to protect against modern anti-tank threats would significantly affect maneuverability, and that a higher speed and more compact vehicle dimensions would be more effective in protecting the tank from potential threats. A rift formed between France and West Germany following Charles de Gaulle 's decision that France would no longer participate in NATO , with West Germany opposing
13156-435: The infantry tank budget. The original Char B1 had frontal and side armour up to 40 mm thick. The vehicle had a fully traversing APX1 turret with a 47 mm L/27.6 SA 34 gun. This had a poor anti-tank capability: the thirty Armour Piercing High Explosive (APHE) rounds among the fifty the tank carried had a maximum penetration of about 25 mm. In addition, it was armed with a 75 mm ABS 1929 SA 35 gun mounted in
13299-509: The largest tank forces in the world along with the Soviet, British and German (about 3000, majority of which were light tanks) forces. The French had planned for a defensive war and built tanks accordingly; many of their tanks - even those called léger ( "light") were well armoured. Within France and its colonies, roughly 5,800 tanks were available during the time of the German offensive, and some when they came into contact were effective against
13442-494: The last by Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée (FCM), the FCM 21. Renault and Schneider would each get to produce 250 units, FAMH and FCM each 125. A fifth producer, Delaunay-Belleville , whose project (an improved Renault FT ) had been rejected beforehand, would be allowed to make 83 tanks; the remaining 167 would be allotted at the discretion of the French State. On 13 May 1924, the four prototypes were presented at
13585-556: The lead in January 1915 and tried to build a first armoured vehicle based on the Baby Holt tractor but initially the development process was slow until in July they received political, even presidential, support by combining their project with that of a mechanical wire cutter devised by engineer and politician Jean-Louis Bréton. In December 1915, the influential Colonel Estienne made the Supreme Command very enthusiastic about
13728-510: The most powerful of all Allied divisions, impotent; it was defeated by the German 5th Panzerdivision on 17 May. The other DLMs fought a delaying battle, participated in the Battle of Arras and then disintegrated. Committing its only strategically mobile armour reserve early in the battle had made the French Army fatally vulnerable to a German strategic surprise. After the June 1940 armistice , S 35s were allowed to be sent to West Africa to bolster
13871-497: The most serious potential customer to have considered the design being Spain . In 1990 it was no longer offered for export. (Only tanks that were built in significant numbers are listed.) Caiti, Pierangelo (1978). Modern Armour — The world's battle tanks today . London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-412-X Background: History of the tank , Tank classification , Tanks in World War I Background: History of
14014-502: The need to refuel very often, limiting its operational capabilities. This again implied that the armoured divisions of the Infantry, the Divisions Cuirassées , were not very effective as a mobile reserve and thus lacked strategic flexibility. They were not created to fulfill such a role in the first place, which was reflected in the small size of the artillery and infantry components of the divisions. Another explanation of
14157-411: The normal 55 mm side plates. Over the production run the type was slowly improved. Tanks number 306 to 340 carried 62 47-mm rounds (and the old complement of 4,800 machine gun rounds); later tanks 72 and 5,250. However the B1 bis had fewer 75 mm rounds compared to the earlier B1 : 74 instead of 80, normally only seven of which were APHE ammunition. Early in 1940 another change was made when
14300-460: The order had been increased to 900, divided between eight batches, including all variants based on the chassis. Beginning in 1966, ten AMX-30s were assembled per month, and the first five were issued in August 1966 to the 501st Régiment de Chars de Combat . Monthly production grew to 15–20 tanks as new factories began to manufacture components of the vehicle and existing factories increased their production potential. However, in April 1969, production
14443-551: The project. In the past, this had led to much non-constructive rivalry. Estienne, who in the war had personally witnessed the dismal effects of such a situation, was determined to avoid a repetition. He used his position as Inspector-General of the Tanks to enforce the so-called "Estienne accord" on the industrialists, ordering them to "reach a mutual understanding, free from any spirit of industrial competition". To be allowed to join, they had to agree beforehand to relinquish any patents to
14586-458: The quick capture of important industrial areas, stall any attack until the French Army was fully mobilised, and allow the French to fight a "long war" which would wear down and defeat Germany whose capability to fight a protracted war was limited. If Germany went to the north of the line, it would be met by the French Army, assisted by Britain, in Belgium. At the start of the war, France had one of
14729-487: The range to 125 kilometres. It used an advanced hydraulic suspension system and the hydraulic Naeder-transmission from the Chaize company combined with a Fieux clutch and Schneider gear box. It used modified Renault FT tracks. The upper track run was much higher, creating enough room for a side door on the left. The FAHM prototype was 5.2 metres long, 2.4 m high and 2.43 m wide. It used a hydropneumatic suspension . Despite
14872-481: The right-hand side of the hull front and two 7.5 mm Châtellerault M 1931 machine guns: one in the hull and the other in the turret. The hull machine gun was to the right of the 75mm gun, in a fixed mount. It was invisible from the outside of the tank, and, due to being fixed, had very little use. The 75 mm L/17.1 gun, able to fire both a High Explosive and the APHE Obus de rupture Modèle 1910M round, had
15015-527: The rollers and terminated in springs. Wire ropes were also used to connect the track links together, allowing them to flex during turning manoeuvres and for the individual links to pivot on rough ground. This was tested on a converted Mark V, which reached 20 mph (32 km/h) With the end of the war the immediate need for the Mark D disappeared. Fuller was now at the War Office and continued to champion
15158-477: The same 47 mm anti-tank gun. The outer appearance of the Char B1 reflected the fact that development started in the twenties: like the very first tank, the British Mark I tank of World War I , it still had large tracks going around the entire hull and large armour plates protecting the suspension—and like all tanks of that decade it had no welded or cast hull armour. The similarity resulted partly from
15301-533: The same time when the Pacific campaign was still underway by spring or summer of 1945, which marked a new era of french tanks in post-war era when French tanks needed to be modernized. Various tank designs were built by France after World War II. Tank models such as the AMX-13 and AMX-30 were also exported to various other nations. Newer French tank designs sacrificed armour protection for increased mobility, due to
15444-483: The similarity to the British Mark I lies in the Char B1's original specification to create a self-propelled gun able to destroy enemy infantry and artillery. The main weapon of the tank was its 75 mm howitzer, and the entire design of the vehicle was directed to making this gun as effective as possible. When in the early 1930s it became obvious that the Char B1 also had to defeat counterattacking enemy armour, it
15587-477: The situation there was very different. In Britain a single committee had coordinated design, while the major industries remained passive. Almost all production effort was thus concentrated into the Mark I and its direct successors, all very similar in shape. In France, on the other hand, there were multiple and conflicting lines of development which were badly integrated, resulting in three major and quite disparate production types. A major arms producer, Schneider, took
15730-522: The speed was in excess of Fuller's specification. Swimming trials were carried out with two modified tanks; the Mark D* which was widened to 8 ft 5 in (2.57 m) and the Mark D** at 9 ft (2.7 m); the latter swimming well in a river test. Sufficient funds were provided for production of 45 tanks complete with Rolls-Royce engines, later cut to 20 of which only three were built - by
15873-510: The stalemate of trench warfare , and largely at the initiative of the manufacturers. The Schneider CA1 was the first tank produced by France, and 400 units were built. The French also experimented with various tank designs, such as the Frot-Laffly landship , Boirault machine and Souain experiment . Another 400 Saint-Chamond tanks were manufactured from April 1917 to July 1918 but they were underpowered and were of limited utility because
16016-618: The tank , Tank classification , interwar period Background: History of the tank , Tank classification , Tanks in the Cold War Medium Mark D Medium Mark D was a British medium tank developed at the end of the First World War . It was envisaged as a vehicle to be used in " Plan 1919 " an offensive on the Western Front which would use large numbers of heavy and medium tanks to break through
16159-456: The tank a real anti-tank capability. It was the main production type: from 8 April 1937 until June 1940, 369 units were delivered out of a total order for 1144, with series numbers 201 to 569. Before the war, production was slow: only 129 had been delivered by 1 September 1939. The monthly delivery was still not more than fifteen in December; it peaked in March 1940 with 45. The Char B1 bis had
16302-469: The tank adding on a requirement for amphibious use. Before the war a wooden mockup of the Mark D had been built and shown to members of the Tank Corps and an orders for ten prototypes placed (four from Fowler and six from Vickers ). The tank as built was relatively long and narrow with a cylindrical fighting compartment at the front with machine gun ports to the front and sides. As it was so narrow
16445-468: The tank was nearly invulnerable to most tanks and towed antitank guns. They equipped the armoured divisions of the Infantry, which were specialised breakthrough units. The French plan of 1926, calling for the creation of a Light Infantry Support Tank, led to the development of the existing Renault NC1 prototype into the Char D1. On 23 December 1930 a first order of 70 main production series of Char D1 tanks
16588-530: The time of D-Day (6 June 1944). Panzer-Kompanie 224, a training unit, was outfitted with several flamethrower-equipped B-2s. They were stationed in Arnhem during Operation Market Garden , losing six tanks to anti-tank weaponry when they were sent to attack the Oosterbeek perimeter on 20–21 September 1944. In German service the tanks received the following designations. The principal German units that used
16731-409: The time two schools of thought collided: the first wanted to build very powerful heavy tanks, the other a lot of cheap light tanks. Both sides managed to influence procurement policy to the end that not enough tanks were built of either category, to the exasperation of men like Colonel Charles de Gaulle , who wanted to build more of the medium Char D2 at a third of the cost of the Char B1 bis, but with
16874-405: The type was very effective in direct confrontations with German armour in 1940 during the Battle of France , but low speed and high fuel consumption made it ill-adapted to the war of movement then being fought. After the defeat of France, captured Char B1 (bis) would be used by Germany, with some rebuilt as flamethrowers, Munitionspanzer , or mechanised artillery. The Char B1 had its origins in
17017-509: The vaunted Char B1 had a commander who was tasked with commanding the vehicle, aiming the main gun, and loading the main gun. If he were a platoon leader or company commander, he had the additional tasks of controlling his other units. Such a heavy set of tasks was overwhelming, and greatly reduced the effectiveness of the tanks. The lack of radios with the light tanks was not seen as a major drawback, since French doctrine called for slow-paced, deliberate manoeuvers in close conformance to plans:
17160-408: The very small number of just ten, but it would be the first tank with a three-man turret; the heaviest to enter service until late in World War II and still the largest ever operational. French production at first lagged behind the British. After August 1916 however, British tank manufacture was temporarily halted to wait for better designs, allowing the French to overtake their allies in numbers. When
17303-552: The views of Estienne and later Charles de Gaulle , the French general staff failed in defining an effective military doctrine regarding their use, due to the division of labour between infantry and cavalry tanks. The French strategy was informed by its experience of the First World War. The long French border with Germany was protected by the Maginot Line , a series of supporting defensive measures, which would prevent
17446-468: The war with over 3,700 built, more numerous than all British tanks combined. That this would happen was at first far from certain; some in the French army lobbied for the alternative mass production of super-heavy tanks. Much design effort was put in this line of development resulting in the gigantic Char 2C , the most complex and technologically advanced tank of its day. Its very complexity ensured it being produced too late to participate in World War I and in
17589-401: Was about two hundred kilometres. A total of 34 vehicles were built from December 1935 until July 1937. They had series numbers 102 to 135. Chassis number 101 was kept apart to build the Char B1 ter prototype. The Char B1 bis was an upgraded variant with thicker armour at 60 mm maximum (55 mm at the sides) and an APX4 turret with a longer-barrelled (L/32) 47 mm SA 35 gun, to give
17732-498: Was again reduced to ten per month. By 1971 about 180 vehicles were in service; in 1975 delivery began of the last 143 units of the final eighth batch of the original order. In 1985 the number of AMX-30s had risen to 1173. By the end of production, France had accepted 1,355 AMX-30s into service, including 166 brand-new AMX-30B2s. Another 493 tanks were refitted and modernized to AMX-30B2 standards; originally 271 new and 820 refitted vehicles had been planned. The French Army also accepted
17875-601: Was decided that from the 451st vehicle onward the tanks would be of the improved S 40 type. Production in fact totalled 430 by June 1940, including the prototype and the preseries. Of these about 288 were in front-line service at the beginning of the Battle of France , with the three armoured divisions of the Cavalry, the Divisions Légères Mécaniques or Mechanised Light Divisions ("light" here meaning "mobile"). Each of these had an organic strength of eight squadrons with ten S35s; each squadron however had
18018-474: Was delivered on 23 April. The howitzer could only be fitted in April 1930. This prototype was allotted the series number No. 101. No. 102, the production of which FAMH had shifted to Renault, was delivered soon after; in September 1930 FCM delivered No. 103, constructed by the Atelier de Mépanti at Marseille . One of the vehicles was fitted with an alternative 75 mm Schneider gun instead of
18161-712: Was equipped with the Char B1 bis and deployed on the Channel Islands from 1941 to 1945. One of their tanks is displayed by the Bovington Tank Museum , though repainted in French colours. In German service, the tank saw action in the Balkans campaign and the Eastern Front , initially during Operation Barbarossa , the flamethrower version from 1942 onwards. Some Char B turrets were removed and installed on German bunkers defending Normandy beaches at
18304-429: Was established they could attain an average road speed of 19 km/h, cross a trench 2.4 m (7.9 ft) wide, and wade through a 105 cm (41 in) deep stream. The prototypes were again extensively altered to meet changes in specifications. On 6 April 1934, the first order was made for seven tanks of a Char B1. The "B1" refers to the fact that there were other simultaneous projects to develop improved types:
18447-493: Was exported to Poland and Romania. The cavalry had the similar Hotchkiss H 35 , armed with the same 37 mm, as well as light recon tanks such as the AMR 35 . France also produced what may have been the best tank of the 1930s, the SOMUA S35 . This tank equipped the armoured divisions of the Cavalry which had to execute the exploitation phase of a battle and was probably the best combination of armour, firepower and mobility prior to
18590-490: Was for the heavy tanks to engage and pin the German troops allowing faster tanks to penetrate the flanks and encircle the enemy isolating them from the chain of command precipitating a breakdown of morale and fighting capacity. Fuller calculated this fast tank, which he called Medium Mark D in the text, would have to manage 20 mph (32 km/h) - substantially faster than any tank then in service - and that it would be no more than 20 tons in weight. Major Johnson, working at
18733-452: Was later greatly used for propaganda purposes by all involved parties. Tobruk was taken 10 days later by Rommel's troops. Rommel continued to advance against delaying actions by the British until halted at First Battle of El Alamein in July. Général Bernard Saint-Hillier said in an October 1991 interview: "A grain of sand had curbed the Axis advance, which reached Al-Alamein only after
18876-432: Was made, followed on 12 July 1932 by a second order of 30; the last order on 16 October 1933 was of 50 vehicles, for a total of 150, delivered between January 1932 and early 1935. In general, French tanks of the 1930s were well-armoured, innovative vehicles that owed little to foreign designs. However, the light tanks lacked firepower, tended to be slow, and almost all French tanks were weakened by their one-man turrets. Even
19019-470: Was often restricted with tanks being assigned for infantry support. Unlike Germany, which had special Panzerwaffe divisions, France did not separate tanks from the Infantry arm, and were unable to respond quickly to the Blitzkrieg tactics employed by the Germans, which involved rapid movement, mission-type orders and combined-arms tactics. The S35 medium tank entered service in January 1936 with
19162-577: Was organized under the US light armoured division organization. After landing in Normandy on 1 August 1944, his 2nd Armoured Division participated in the battle of the Falaise Pocket (12 to 21 August) where they all but destroyed the 9th Panzer Division and went on to liberate Paris . Allied troops were avoiding Paris, moving around it clockwise towards Germany. This was to minimize the danger of
19305-490: Was preferably left to the infantry. The resulting tank battle from 13 to 15 May, the Battle of Hannut , was with about 1700 AFVs participating the largest until that day and is still one of the largest of all time. The S 35s gave a good account of themselves, proving to be indeed superior to the German tanks in direct combat, but they were rather hesitantly deployed as the French High Command mistakenly supposed
19448-699: Was previously at the Fort de Seclin. It is in a bad condition, with parts like the main gun missing. It was salvaged from a firing range, and will be restored by the owner. Ten Char B1 bis can be seen in various places in Great Britain and in France: Background: History of the tank , Tank classification , interwar period Tanks in France French development into tanks began during World War I as an effort to overcome
19591-447: Was re-equipped with the Char B1 bis and in late May reinforced by five of the original tanks. After the German invasion several ad hoc units were formed: the 46th Bataillon de Chars de Combat ( 4e DCR ) with 52 Char B1s and five autonomous companies (347e, 348e, 349e, 352e and 353e Compagnie Autonome de Chars ) with in total 56 tanks: 12 B1s and 44 B1 bis; 28BCC was reconstituted with 34 tanks. The regular divisions destroyed quite
19734-467: Was soon abandoned. Instead Char B1 units included a large number of fuel trucks and TRC Lorraine 37 L armoured tracked refuelling vehicles specially designed to quickly refuel them. The last tanks to be produced in June had an extra internal 170 L (37 imp gal) fuel tank. To cool the more powerful engine the Char B1 bis had the air intake on the left side enlarged. It is often claimed this formed
19877-526: Was the FCM 21 at 15.64 tonnes. It resembled a scaled-down Char 2C , the giant tank produced by the same company. It was very elongated with a length of 6.5 metres and width of 2.05 metres. A rather large riveted turret with a stroboscopic cupola , adopted from the Char 2C, brought its height to 2.52 metres. Like the superheavy tank it had no real spring system for the twelve small wheels per side. Separate clutches for each snake track enabled it to horizontally point
20020-515: Was threatened by this position). The Afrika Korps had to take Bir Hakeim. So Rommel sent the Trieste division, the 90th Light Infantry Division, and 3 recon armored regiments from the Pavia division against Bir Hakeim. The German infantry launched a full attack, supported by the 15th Panzerdivision, with heavy barrages from the artillery. A breach was made and on 9 June, the evacuation order reached
20163-536: Was to be delivered by Renault, the other two by FCM and FAHM respectively. The same year, the Direction de l'Infanterie in the Plan 1926 redefined the concept of a Char de Bataille . There would be a greater emphasis on infantry support, implying that the antitank-capacity was secondary and no armour increase was necessary. The weight was to be limited to 22 tonnes and the speed might be as low as 15 km/h. However,
20306-514: Was too late for a complete redesign. The solution was to add the standard cast APX-1 turret which also equipped the Char D2 . Like most French tanks of the period (the exception being the AMC 34 and AMC 35 ) the Char B thus had a small one-man turret. Today this is typically seen as one of their greatest flaws. The commander, alone in the turret, not only had to command the tank, but also to aim and load
20449-470: Was unreliable as well; a maximum of only about 130 of the 400 built were ever operational at the same time. Then industrial rivalry began to play a detrimental role: it created the heavy Char Saint-Chamond , a parallel development not ordered by the Army, but approved by government through industrial lobby, which mounted much more impressive weaponry — its 75 mm was the most powerful gun fielded by any operational tank up till 1941 — but also combined many of
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