2C bis

2C bis

2C bis

France

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.7	1.7	1.7

Class:

PREMIUM

Heavy tank

Purchase:2 100

Show in game

Description

The Char FCM 2C bis is a premium rank I French heavy tank with a battle rating of 1.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Apex Predators". Often called a "super heavy" tank, the 2C bis is a modification of the FCM 2C. It differs from the standard 2C primarily in that it mounts a cast turret housing a 155 mm howitzer. It also lacks the machine gun mounts on the sides of the vehicle. Only one FCM 2C was modified in this way: No. 99 "Champagne".

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull45 / 22 / 22

Turret35 / 35 / 35

Crew12 people

Visibility750 %

Being comprised of large, flat, vertical armor plates, the 2C bis does not have a revolutionary armor scheme. Many dedicated anti-tank guns such as the Soviet 45 mm 45K, the US 37 mm M5/M6 guns, and the British 40 mm 2-pounder can penetrate this tank frontally from medium to short range without any problem. Larger cannons will have no issue dealing with the 2C bis. Autocannons can also be a threat, especially from the thinly armored sides. However, some slight angling can somewhat mitigate this issue. The large tracks of the 2C bis can obscure the front plate and make it harder to penetrate.

The 2C bis' true survivability lies in it's crew count. 12 crew members are place throughout the vehicle, meaning that even if the crew up front is entirely knocked out with an APHE shell, there are a number of aft-facing members ready to replace them. This can give the 2C bis a near comical amount of survivability as it can be continuously penetrated, seemingly disabled, and suddenly it can return to battle.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, side, side skirts, roof)
• Cast homogeneous armour (turret, 155 mm gun mantlet, cupola)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	49 mm (0°) Front plate 22 mm (69°) Front glacis 15 mm (73°) Lower glacis	22 mm (0°)	15 mm (62°) Top 22 mm (0°) Bottom	13 mm (0°)
Turret	35 mm Turret front 35 mm Gun mantlet	35 mm	35 mm	35 mm
Cupola	30 mm	30 mm	30 mm	30 mm

Notes:

Mobility

Reverse gearbox

Forward and backward movement is possible at the same maximum speed

Speedforward / back

AB16 / 16 km/h

RB and SB16 / 16 km/h

Number of gears5 forward

5 back

Weight70.0 t

Engine power

AB954 hp

RB and SB500 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB13.6 hp/t

RB and SB7.1 hp/t

The 2C bis utilizes a diesel-electric hybrid drive system. Two Sautter-Harlé inline 6 diesel engines power electric generators which then engage with electric motors at the rear sprocket. Like the Pz.Bef.Wg.VI P, this means that the 2C bis can neutral steer and theoretically go just as fast in reverse. In addition, the 2C bis accelerates to it's top speed quickly, but this is only 15 km/h. The 2C will certainly be the last tank to the fight, but on the other hand the quick reverse acceleration can prove helpful in close quarters.

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	16	16	70	_,___	954	__.__	13.63
Realistic	16	16		_,___	500	__.__	7.14

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB2 086

RB328

SB406

Crew training1 400

Experts9 000

Aces75

Research Aces270 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 30 / 30 / 40 %

2 × 106 / 106 / 106 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Suspension Brake System Filters Transmission Engine	Improved Parts Improved FPE Crew Replenishment	Horizontal Drive Adjustment of Fire Elevation Mechanism

Armaments

Main armament

155 mm Schneider 155 C howitzer

Ammunition24 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

22.4 → 17.2 s

Vertical guidance-10° / 10°

Horizontal guidance-100° / 100°

The 2C bis has a 155 mm Schneider howitzer in it's two man cast turret. It's velocity is extremely low and it's reload rate is abysmal. The armament takes time and practice to utilize effectively, especially with it's limited elevation and depression angles. However, with 58 mm of HE penetration, the Mle1915 shell will obliterate whatever it touches at the BR of the 2C bis. As long as the shell makes contact anywhere, it is almost guaranteed to knock a vehicle out. Open topped vehicles can even be knocked out by splash damage, as this is basically a ln artillery piece on tracks.

Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: {{main|Name of the weapon}}. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.

155 mm Schneider 155 C					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	24	±10°	±100°	N/A	__._	__._	__._	__._	__._	_.__	_.__	_.__	_.__
Realistic					__._	__._	__._	__._	__._

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
Mle1915	HE	58	58	58	58	58	58

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
Mle1915	HE	240	43.2	0	0.1	7.65	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	Visual discrepancy
24	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__

Machine guns

2 x 8 mm Hotchkiss Mle 1914 machine gun

Ammunition6 000 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

6.5 → 5.0 s

Fire rate450 shots/min

The rear turret has decent horizontal arcs but suffers from rather poor vertical arcs and slow rotation speed, making this turret very situational. The frontal machine gun can be used to knock small obstacles out of the way as to prevent the HE shell from detonating on them.

8 mm Hotchkiss Mle 1914
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Hull	5,000 (250)	450	__°	__°
Rear	5,000 (250)	450	__°	-130°/+120°

Usage in battles

As stated before, slight angling at longer ranges can increase survivability and make the armor somewhat useful. If you are not sure about how far a target is, use the rangefinder, even at close range. It is actually rather fast in the 2C bis, and a miss will have you waiting a long time to reload. The dreadful top speed will sometimes work in your favor, being that the "first wave" of enemy vehicles has already been dealt with. The 2C bis does not do well against multiple vehicles. The quick reverse acceleration can work in your favor in urban environments.

Sitting in the rear and lobbing artillery at the enemy is a possible strategy, but the low velocity and high arc of the rounds make this difficult. Eventually, a dedicated anti-tank SPG will likely disable or knock out the vehicle. The 2C bis performs better at mid-range encounters where tracking targets can be easier. Surprisingly despite it's size, getting "Shadow Strikes" is possible in urban areas. Use your machine guns to clear obstacles that may trigger the HE fuse.

Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Pros and cons

Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".

Pros:

• Has a dozen of crew members, highly survivable
• 155 mm howitzer will decimate anything even above its BR
• Neutral steering gives the tank decent reflex mobility
• Can climb over rough terrain with ease due to its World War I design

Cons:

• Extremely huge, easily spotted and targeted by any enemy
• 155 mm howitzer has very long reload time and awful shell velocity
• Awfully slow top speed
• Armour is mediocre at best
• Limited turret traverse, very prone to flanking
• Poor elevation and depression angles

History

<ref>The FCM 2C was a French "super heavy" tank designed to conquer the "no man's land" of WW1. It was the dimensionally largest tank ever produced, and for a time the heaviest. Ready for production by February 1918, the war ended before any of the vehicles were completed, and so the order of 300 was eventually reduced to just 10, finished in 1921. The standard 2C mounted a 75 mm APX 1897 field gun, similar to the cannon which would be mounted on the M3 GMC tank destroyer. The 2C had many innovative design features for the time, including a hybrid drive, leaf spring suspension, the world's first three man turret, and stroboscopic cupolas. All of the 2C's were named after ancient regions of France.

One 2C, No. 99 "Champagne" was given a new two man cast turret with a 155 mm howitzer. The commander was given his own compartment behind the turret. The side machine gun ports were also removed. This variant would be known as the 2C bis. Eventually, Champagne would be returned to it's original configuration and it's turret would be used as a makeshift static emplacement in the Mareth Line. Champagne would be the only 2C to survive the invasion of France, with the other nine tanks either being scuttled by their own crew to prevent capture, or breaking down.</ref> https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/france/fcm-2c.php

Media

https://youtu.be/QmaE2bomv14

https://warthunder.com/en/news/8033-development-char-2bis-the-beast-of-champagne-en

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the vehicles;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/france/fcm-2c.php

https://youtu.be/vdHmTGTPa20



Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.

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