Design Overview & Tactical Role
In May 1940, the French Char B1 bis was arguably the most heavily armored and terrifying combat tank in the world. Encased in impenetrable 60 mm steel armor on all sides, standard German 3.7 cm PaK 36 shells bounced harmlessly off its flanks. It combined dual-caliber armament: a 47 mm anti-tank gun in a one-man APX4 turret and a devastating 75 mm howitzer mounted directly into the hull.
Combat History & Battle Records
During the Battle of Stonne on May 16, 1940, a single Char B1 bis named 'Eure' under Captain Pierre Billotte charged headlong into the village, single-handedly destroying thirteen German tanks (two Panzer IVs and eleven Panzer IIIs) and two anti-tank guns while surviving over 140 direct hits without its armor being breached.
Related Armored Vehicles (WWI & Interwar)
Modern
2022
Cold War
1966
Cold War
1952
WWI & Interwar
1916