B1 bis

B1 bis

D2

2C

B1 bis

D2

2C

France

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
2.3	2.3	2.3

Class:

Heavy tank

Research:7 900

Purchase:10 000

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This page is about the French heavy tank B1 bis. For the premium version, see B1 ter.

Description

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). It was introduced in Update 1.75 "La Résistance". With arguably the best armour at its BR, this tank is a beast in long-range engagements since it is hard to penetrate at distances. While not having the best armament, it should do the job taking care of these dangerous early SPGs and light tanks. The "bis" suffix is a French way of marking an improved version.

General info

Survivability and armour

In order to effectively use this tank's armour, there is a few things to consider. First of all, there a lot of shot traps, the main ones being the turret ring and the hull gun mount, in order to minimize your enemies' chance to hit these weak spots, stay away from them. Second, even if your armour is very strong for the BR, do not completely rely on it by sitting around in an open field: you will eventually get hit where it hurts. The third thing to consider is your small and thick turret: hide that big clumsy hull behind a hill and pop out only your hard "head", take a shot, fall back, reload, repeat. If something goes wrong (i.e. getting shot in the turret ring), there is usually enough men left to take the job left by their dead "camarade". Do not bother getting spotted: it is your job to stay in the enemies' sights while your lighter teammates do what they ought to. In some situations, it can even be used as a breakthrough tank, rely on your own experience to guess when it is time to do so.

When fighting the B1 bis, due to the extremely heavy frontal armour, one should try to use mobility to flank the B1. However, if that isn't possible, you'll want to try and hit the "mailslot" of the turret ring. It may be a tricky shot, but there's only ~40 mm of armour there.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, 47 mm gun mantlet)
• Cast homogeneous armour (turret, 75 mm gun mantlet)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	60 mm (7-62°) Front glacis 60 mm (32-48°) Lower glacis	55 mm Center Mass 55 + 55 mm Border	50 mm (1-47°)	25 mm (77-89°)
Turret	56 mm (0-46°) Turret front 56 mm (1-85°) Gun mantlet 56 mm (0-49°) Machine gun cover	56 mm (2-19°)	56 mm (18-19°)	30 mm (62-89°)
Cupola	48 mm (cylindrical)			30 mm (spherical)

Notes:

• Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
• Lower turret ring armour 40 mm thick, while upper turret ring armour is 25 + 40 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 20 mm thick.

Mobility

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	30	4	31.1	396	586	12.73	18.84
Realistic	28	4		272	307	8.75	9.87

This tank's mobility won't allow you to position fast enough. Taking time is the only way to get where you want safely. Since this tank is pretty long and narrow, do not engage in cramped spaces since you will not be allowed to manoeuvre as you wish. Your reverse speed won't allow you to retreat if things get bad around you, stay behind the frontlines, making good use of your armour.

Armaments

Main armament

With the same gun as most other Rank 2 French tanks, the B1 bis will never be recognized for having a fearsome armament: penetration rates are even lower than most reserve tanks. The turreted armament is only good at firing light targets such as SPGs and light tanks. Elevation and depression angles are amazing but turret slewing rate is a bit slow: this tank has been designed to be hull-down.

47 mm SA35 L/32					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	50	±18°	±180°	Shoulder	8.1	11.2	13.6	15.0	16.0	5.20	4.60	4.24	4.00
Realistic					6.0	7.0	8.5	9.4	10.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
Mle1935	APC	62	59	47	36	27	20
Mle1935 HE	HE	4	4	4	4	4	4

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
Mle1935	APC	660	1.62	N/A	N/A	N/A	48°	63°	71°
Mle1935 HE	HE	590	1.41	0.4	0.1	143	79°	80°	81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the B1 bis

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	7th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
50	39 (+11)	27 (+23)	25 (+25)	23 (+27)	21 (+29)	11 (+39)	1 (+49)	No

Note:

• As they are modeled by sets of 2 to 4, shells disappear from the rack only after you've fired all shells in the set.

Additional armament

The hull-mounted gun should only be used as a close range defence device, as it has poor penetration rates and high drop. Exposing your hull-mounted gun for long range engagements not only makes you vulnerable, it is also mostly ineffective.

75 mm SA35 L/17					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	74	-20°/+25°	±1°	N/A	3.2	4.5	5.4	6.0	6.4	14.9	13.1	12.1	11.4
Realistic					2.4	2.8	3.4	3.8	4.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
Mle1910M	APHE	64	62	55	47	41	35
Mle1915	HE	11	11	11	11	11	11

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
Mle1910M	APHE	500	6.4	1.2	14	90	47°	60°	65°
Mle1915	HE	500	5.55	0.4	0.1	740	79°	80°	81°

Ammo racks

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	7th rack empty	8th rack empty	9th rack empty	10th rack empty	11th rack empty	12th rack empty	13th rack empty	14th rack empty	15th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
74	68 (+6)	64 (+10)	62 (+12)	60 (+14)	56 (+18)	53 (+21)	38 (+36)	36 (+38)	25 (+49)	23 (+51)	21 (+53)	14 (+60)	9 (+65)	3 (+71)	1 (+73)	No

Ammo racks of the B1 bis

Note:

• As they are modeled by sets of 2 to 4, shells disappear from the rack only after you've fired all shells in the set.

Machine guns

7.5 mm MAC 31
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	5,100 (150)	1,350	N/A	N/A

The small calibre of the MAC 31 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

Usage in battles

The Char B1, upon playing it for the first time will be slow in both acceleration, max speed and turret rotation speed. The hull gun takes more work to aim than that of the turret because of the limited firing arc it has. In order to aim it to any reasonable extent, the entire tank must be turned. However, careful use of it will reward a skilled tanker with devastating firepower compared to other Tier I tanks, with its high penetration and explosive filler. The best way to play the B1 bis is to hold down a position, preferably hull down (as its turret is thick and small, it will ricochet most shots it will take). Playing the B1 bis well, there is only 3 ways to get killed:

• Being outflanked by a light tank
• The enemy has been lucky enough to get a shot through a shot trap
• Meeting a dangerous gun

Enemies worth noting:

• M3 / M5 Stuart: as previously mentioned, light tanks can be a dangerous threat to the clumsy B1. The Stuarts have good acceleration, great top speed regardless of the terrain, and fast hull traverse, allowing them to sneak up or charge at a B1 without getting hit. When they are close, their 37mm cannons can easily penetrate your hull cannon mount, turret sides and hull sides, and their fast reload can knock out your crews one by one. To counter them, angle your hull for about 45 degrees, this way their small caliber shells tend to ricochet and will have a hard time to penetrate you. If they circle you, turn your hull and reverse at the same time to avoid them flanking, and if possible gain some separation. Target their hull, as their frontal turret is mostly covered by a curved gun mantlet which can cause non-penetrations.

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tracks		Parts	Horizontal Drive
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	Adjustment of Fire
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	Elevation Mechanism
IV	Transmission	Engine

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Overall good armour
  • Very heavy frontal armour for its rank
  • Strong turret from the front
  • Good at sidescraping (thick sides)
  • Nearly impenetrable hull when angled
  • Armour is quite thick and curvy at the driver's port area
  • The MAC 31's large drum can sometimes absorb shell fragments or smaller shells

• Decent firepower
  • One of the best in-game depression (-18°, turret gun)
  • Has 2 main armaments
  • A rare feature on French tanks: it has APHE ammunition
  • MAC 31 coaxial MG
  • Turret gun has a shoulder stabiliser, which makes stop-and-shoot tactics effective

Cons:

• Armour has many shot traps, easing the task of killing it
  • Fuel tank behind the grille lights up very often when penetrated
  • Large turret ring is weak (25-40 mm poorly sloped)
  • Hull gun mount is a weak spot and can be penetrated by most guns of the tier
  • Crew is cramped
  • Turret rear is only 38 mm thick
  • Has a tall and "thin" cupola
  • Literally has an hallway full of ammo in the back

• Guns feel lacking
  • Lacking penetration from both of its guns
  • Abysmal traverse on 75 mm gun (~1° left to right)
  • Slow reload on the 75mm
  • Only stock ammo choices
  • APHE shell won't detonate when shooting at light targets (25 mm or less armour)
  • Hull gun is hard to master (not beginner-friendly)

• Mobility is subpar
  • Not very mobile due to weight
  • Slow hull turning rate
  • Reverse speed is low (-3km/h)

History

Intended originally as a heavy infantry-support tank, the first prototype of the Char B dates back to January, 1929. Testing and altered design requirements led to the Char B1, which entered army service in late 1935. In total 35 of this earlier model had been built, but by the onset of war had been replaced in service. The successor B1 bis had heavier armor, a bigger engine, and a more powerful gun in a new turret (same as the Somua S35). Sophisticated and powerful for its time, it suffered from the one-man turret, poor communications, slow speed, a small operational radius, and difficulties in achieving mass production. The driver aimed and fired the bow-mounted howitzer and MG, which due to a lack of lateral traverse, had to be aimed by turning the tank. The complex steering system that enabled this, through a hydrostatically controlled auxiliary differential, proved particularly prone to breakdowns.

In May 1940, 243 B1 bis were deployed in combat units, out of 368 built. They formed the main striking force of France's four armoured divisions, with two battalions in each division, as well as five other independent tank companies (10 tanks per company).

In the 1940 Battle for France, only the German 88 mm guns could reliably defeat the B1 bis. Most were lost due to breakdown or fuel shortage.

161 B1 bis were captured by Germany, who replaced the 75mm with a flamethrower in 60 of them, which served in France, Holland (including at Arnhem), the Balkans and Crimea. Another 16 were converted to self-propelled 105mm howitzers. The Free French 13th Dragoons employed a squadron of 17 recaptured B1 bis in combat in 1945.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the B1 bis from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Best gun depression discusses the B1 bis at 3:01 - War Thunder Official Channel

B1 bis Tank Review - NUSensei

The Shooting Range #75 - Pages of History section at 04:13 discusses the B1 bis and B1 ter.

The Shooting Range #74 - Pages of History section at 03:47 discusses the origins of the B1.

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

• B1 ter

Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

• M3 Lee / M3 Medium (USSR)
• Grant I / Grant I (Great Britain)
• Churchill I

External links

• [Wikipedia] Char B1
• [Tanks Encyclopedia] Char B1/B1 bis
• [Military Factory] Renault Char B1

France heavy tanks
B1	B1 bis · B1 ter
2C	2C · 2C bis
ARL-44	ARL-44 (ACL-1)
AMX-50	Somua SM · AMX-50 Surbaissé · AMX-50 Surblindé
USA	▄M4A3E2