Historical Background
In 1919, the French General Jean Baptiste Eugene Estienne wrote in his memo entitled
Mémoire sur les missions des chars blindés en campagne, the concept of
Char de Bataille (battle tank) that would be able to accomplish a breakthrough of the enemy lines by destroying fortifications, gun emplacements and the opposing tanks. In January 1921, a Government commission initiated a project for such a vehicle. The specifications include fixed armament (to save costs), a weight of 13 tonnes, maximum armour thickness of 25mm, a low hull so that the gun could fire into vision slits of bunkers and a small machine gun turret to ward off infantry attacks. It should also function as an armoured observation post. Two variants were envisaged - a close support tank with 75mm howitzer and an anti-tank version with a 47mm gun. The project attracted interest from the French industry and four prototypes were submitted : Renault and Schneider co-operated and submitted the SRA and SRB,
Forges et Aciéries de la Marine et d'Homécourt (FAMH, also known as Saint Chamond) submitted one and
Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée (FCM) submitted their FCM 21 design.
In the spirit of the so-called 'Estienne Accord' which discouraged industrial competition among the defence companies, FCM was asked to give up their patent rights to the Army. In return, they were promised a large order of 1,000 vehicles of which Renault and Schneider would build 500 each, FAMH and FCM 125 each, Delaunay-Bellville (of which their enlarged FT-17 design was rejected earlier on) 83 and the remaining 167 would be alloted at the Government's discretion. On 13 May 1924, all the prototypes were presented at the
Atelier de Rueil and in March 1925, General Estienne decided to base the production model on the SRB as regards the general form and mechanical parts with the gun and tracks developed from the FCM design and FAMH suspension. Armour was to be increased to 40mm. In November of the same year, Renault was ordered to build a wooden mock-up and in January 1926, three prototypes, each built by Renault, FAMH and FCM, were ordered.
These prototypes were built between January 1929 and September 1930 and were used in the test programmes. By that time, the vehicle was known as the Char B (the 'B' however merely refers to a general classification code rather than 'Bataille') and was used not only for technological experiments but also in tactical ones. In the course of the programme, the prototypes were extensively reworked to meet changes in specifications. And on 6 April 1934, the first order was made for seven Char B1 (again the B1 indicates that it was one of simultaneous projects to improve the Char B). The Char B1 were built by Renault (182), AMX (47), FCM (72), FAMH (70) and Schneider (32). However, with a unit cost of 1.5 million francs, the order had to be cut to 400.
The B1 had 40mm of armour on the front and sides. It was armed with a 75mm ABS 1929 SA 35 howitzer mounted on the right-hand side of the hull front, a 47mm L/27.6 SA 34 in a fully-rotating APX 1 turret and two Chatellerault M1931 7.5mm machine guns. Ammunition capacity was 50 rounds for the 47mm gun, 80 for the 75mm gun and 4,800 for the machine guns. The crew consisted of the driver, who also acted as the hull gunner and a loader serving the hull gun. The remaining two crewmembers were the radio operator and the commander, who also has to act as the loader and gunner for the turret gun. The commander was considerably overburdened especially if he is the platoon commander, commanding other tanks. A total of 35 B1 were built. The main production version was the B1 bis: 369 were built between April 1937 to June 1940. The B1 bis featured a thicker armour (60mm) and the APX1 turret was replaced with the APX4, armed with a longer-barreled L/32 SA 35 gun, improving its anti-tank capability.
The general appearance of the B1 reflected its long gestation period stretching back to the 1920s. Its large tracks, going over the hull was reminiscent of the rhomboid British heavy tanks of World War 1. This similarity was partly as a result of the requirement of the B1 as an assault tank (or
char de rupture), optimised for punching holes into the enemy's fortifications, including good trench-crossing abilities. Fuel consumption was bad, necessitating frequent refuellings and therefore limiting its operational capability. In actuality, despite its supposed role, the B1s formed part of the
Divisions Cuirassées de Réserve (DCR)
, which lacked strategic flexibility and thus were intended for the second phase of an attack. The 47mm turret while reasonably effective at the time, was an ergonomic nightmare (as mentioned beforehand). At the start of the Phoney War, the B1 were grouped within the DCR, forming the second echelon of an assault, while the initial assault was to be led by cavalry Somua S35 tanks. In May 1940, three DCRs, each with 69 tanks were mobilized and part of the 37
ᵉ Bataillon de Chars Combat (BCC) have their B1 tanks rearmed with the SA 35 guns.
After Operation Fall Gelb began, four more DCRs with 52 B1 each were constituted, together with five
Compagnie Autonome de Chars (Autonomous Tank Companies) with 56 B1s with another 34 in the 28
ᵉ Bataillon de Chars de Combat. The B1s were used in countering the German assault, but with inadequate air cover, the Allied vehicles became victims of Stuka attacks. Bad deployment also resulted in these tanks being used as plugs in the defensive gaps. Their sturdiness however resulted in some success against the German panzers such as the-then Colonel Charles de Gaulle's counter-attacks at Iaon and Montcornet and the defensive stand at Hanuut and Stonne. At the latter, a single B1, named
Eure, commanded by Captain Pierre Bilotte attacked and destroyed thirteen Panzer III and IV tanks before having to withdrew with 140 hits on his tank. Along with the British Matilda tanks, the B1 is the most feared tank by the Germans as the 37mm gun arming the Panzer IIIs and the anti-tank units were unable to pierce the frontal armour. The majority of B1s lost in the Battle of France however were not through enemy action but due to the lack of fuel and mechanical problems.
Following the fall of France, the Germans captured hundreds of Allied tanks, including 161 Char B1 bis tanks. These were absorbed into German service as the Panzerkampfwagen B-2 740(f) and were used in second line and training roles. Sixty were converted into flamethrowing tanks (Flammwagen auf Panzerkampfwagen B-2 740(f)) and sixteen converted to carry the leFH 18 105mm field gun. In German hands, the tanks took part in the Balkans Campaign and Operation Barbarossa. They also form part of the garrison units in France and the Channel Islands. When France was liberated in 1944, some of the B1s were recaptured. These were used provisionally by the French Resistance against pockets of German forces, such as those defending Paris. The B1 was also used by the 2nd Company of the 13th Dragoon Regiment of the Free French forces from October 1944 until its disbandment in April 1946.
The Kit
In 2006, Tamiya delighted the modeling community by announcing a new 1/35 kit of the Char B1 bis, in the wake of Hotchkiss H38/39 family from Bronco and Trumpeter. The kit contains 220 parts moulded in beige coloured plastic plus 130 sprue-less individual track links moulded in chocolate coloured plastic. Also included are a few poly caps, two lengths of heavy chain and the usual decal and instruction sheet plus a small sheet describing the action at Stonne. The colour guide is separate from the instruction sheet and is printed in full colour. Scanning through the parts and the instruction sheet shows that Tamiya missed the six boltheads on the 75mm gun mantlet and also the 'pig tail' lifting hook on top of the mantlet. The individual track links are of snap-together type and require only a minimal clean-up of the pour plug by light sanding. A sitting tank commander figure is also included, to be placed in the turret hatch. He looks rather emaciated though. Decals provide markings for four tanks:
- 257 'Bourrasque', 2nd Section, 1st Company, 15ᵉ BCC, 2nd Armoured Division, France 1940
- 481 'Vercingetorix', 3rd Company, 46ᵉ BCC, 4th Armoured Division, France 1940
- 467 'Nivernais II', 2nd Section, 3rd Company, 37ᵉ BCC, 1st Armoured Division, France 1940
- 205 'Indochine', 3rd Section, 3rd Company, 15ᵉ BCC, 2nd Armoured Division, France 1940
Selection for the markings has to be made partway through the build as the tanks feature different track guards and exhausts.
Construction starts with the roadwheels - 32 of them. Two halves each. Each half has excess sprue tags which needs to be cleaned. The wheels were then place d into a u-shaped gondola which would then be cemented onto the lower hull. I believe that this could be a recipe for disaster (or at least very tricky handling). So, although Tamiya recommends that the wheels are to be left unglued so that they could turn freely, I glued them with the sprue tags intact, but positioned so that they would be hidden inside the hull. The next step was concerned with the sprocket and idler wheels and also the forward suspension, which includes the 75mm howitzer assembly. The howitzer was secured with three poly caps, which allows it to traverse, elevate and depress, albeit at restricted angles, just like the real thing. The uprights together with the idler wheels (and the howitzer) were then need to cemented onto the lower hull, otherwise I won't be able to push them in if done later. The rest of the lower hull parts were then cemented.
Before working the one-piece upper hull, 26 1mm holes were drilled into the specified areas to fit various hull fittings. Then various fittings were added. including mud chutes, rear hull fittings, track guide and various hatches and access panels. About the mud chutes, the 'intake' apertures are actually moulded shut and detailers might want to drill them out for that extra detail. The upper hull assembly was then cemented (I used Tamiya Extra Thin Cement) onto the lower half. They fit perfectly with no gaps present. The basic hull construction was then finished with the addition of the glacis plate and the mantlet for the howitzer. As mentioned before Tamiya omitted the six boltheads and the 'pig's tail' on top of the mantlet. There should also be weld beads surrounding the mantlet cover. While I did notice those omissions, I entirely forgot about them in the euphoria of the build and only realised after the model has been painted!
Next I assembled the tracks - I wish every model company could have this kind of track for all their models. The links came off the sprue and simply click together. The basic assembly took just 10 minutes with just that light moulding pips to be cleaned up. The tracks however were a tight fit around the hull, so I checked the drape of the tracks around the hull, subtracting the excess when necessary (it took 61 links for each run actually). The tracks were then removed for painting and to be added later. Turning my attention back to the hull, the track guards were attached. This is where the decision to build which marking was made - I decided to build Option B - 'Vercingetorix', which have the track guards without gaps where they meet the hull. There are also two choices for the exhausts; as I have already chosen 'Vercingetorix', the extended exhausts with their appropriate ends were used. The exhaust shrouds were cemented to the piping but I only dry fit the exhaust assembly to the hull to ease painting.
The final step before the painting stage was the assembly of the turret. First, the sub-assembly of the 47mm gun and the commander's (or was it just the periscope's?) cupola. The latter came in two halves which need to be cemented carefully to avoid visible seams. I simply add a bit more cement than usual and when the halves were mated together, the excess cement oozed out and left to dry. It was then scraped off using the hobby knife and the leftover was sanded. The turret was then assembled with the turret hatch in the open position as I intend to use the commander's figure. The cupola was then put on the turret unglued as it was designed to be rotateable. It is now time for painting.
'Vercingetorix' was painted in a 3-colour (4 if you count the demarcation line between the colours) called
Puzzle 1er Type which consists of
vert olive mat foncé (matt dark olive green),
brun (brown) and
ocre jaune (very light brownish sand). Tamiya's interpretation of those colours are XF-58 Olive Green, XF-9 Hull Red and 2 parts XF-59 Desert Yellow mixed with 1 part XF-60 Dark Yellow. The demarcation line was XF-69 NATO Black. I first painted the tank overall
ocre jaune. This was followed by hand-painting the camouflage colours. The demarcation line should be a relatively thin line, but as you can see, some are quite wide. This caused by the paintbrush I used, which was not small enough for such application. On hindsight, I should have used a felt-tip marker pen for those lines, or overpaint the excess using any of the base colours where appropriate.
The decals were then applied. They were of the usual Tamiya quality, which is rather thick. They were subjected to repeated applications of Mr Mark Softer especially those running over rivets, hatches and panel lines. For positions against the latter two, the decals were 'persuaded' to get into the recesses using a suitable tool such as a (discarded) ball-point pen tip. To unify the colours, the model was then subjected to a filter wash of XF-57 Buff. Once dry, it was subjected to a pin wash to help pop-out the raised details. The tracks were painted XF-64 Red Brown and then washed with AK Interactive's Track Wash. It was then dry brushed silver at the contact points with the ground. The heavy tow chains were also washed with the Track Wash, as I do not have any blackening / 'antiquing' liquid in my arsenal - I think the effect was the same though. The exhaust pipes were painted XF-64 and once dry were randomly dabbed with Tamiya Weathering Master Rust. BTW, the tank was named after Vercingetorix, the Gallic chieftain leading their revolt against the Roman Empire from 52BC to 46BC.
The remaining loose parts can now be permanently attached. Not many of those, just the aerial base, turret guard rail, the exhaust assembly and the tracks (the tow chains are to be attached later). I then moved on to the weathering stage. I have seen photos of B1 tanks with dirty staining on the hull, probably from the oil used in lubricating the tracks, sometimes looking quite severe. I simulated this staining using a combination of Tamiya X-19 Smoke and Tamiya weathering Master Soot. These were applied in vertical streaks down the upper half of the hull and also around some maintenance hatches. X-19 Smoke was also used to mimic lubricant leak around the hub of the sprocket wheels. Next, I applied AK Interactive Earth Effects wash at the lower hull, wheels, tracks and the mud chutes. This was followed by a 'wet' application of Mig Productions' European Dust pigment; the excess of which was removed using a stiff brush. The chains were then hooked onto the towing eye and hung over the hooks at the rear of the hull using Tamiya's instructions as guidance. The commander's figure was assembled and painted using Tamiya acrylics as instructed although I substituted X-9 (Gloss) Brown with X-22 Clear to mimic the sheen of the tanker's leather jacket. He was then placed inside the turret hatch. Finally, a length of copper wire was cut, painted black and attached to the aerial base, finishing the build. And yes, I notice that the aerial is not straight!
I believe Tamiya's Char B1 bis is among the easiest kit I have ever built. While it was easy to build, the kit did not sacrifice the details (OK, there are some omissions, but those are relatively minor and easily corrected). It already looked good when built OOB and I think all it needs to look great was just the addition of PE track guards, PE (or home-made) exhaust guards and the addition of a bit more rivets, boltheads and weld beads. For those who must have a black crossed tank in their collection, this kit allows easy conversion to PZkPfw B-2 standard, or use Tamiya's follow-on PzKpfw B-2 kit. While it costs a bit more, I think it was quite justified. A must-have kit for anyone who wants to complete his/her collection of World War2 tanks. Now, how about a better-detailed, modern moulding technology Somua S35 tank?
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