Char b1 bis

Дальнейшее развитие

Танки улучшенной конструкции получили название В1 bis. Их вес увеличился до 32 т, усилено вооружение и толщина брони доведена до 60 мм. При этом сам танк собирался из литых деталей. Ещё одним новшеством было применение гидравлической системы с использованием касторового масла. В 1937 году был изготовлен опытный образец В1ter, получивший дополнительную броню, систему горизонтальной наводки 75 мм орудия. После серий испытаний танк пустили в производство в мае 1940 года. Было изготовлено три ходовых прототипа. Однако было поздно начинать крупносерийное производство ввиду капитуляции Франции.

History

Development

The Char B was the result of a proposal made by General Estienne in 1919 in his concept of «Char de Bataille» (Battle Tank) that could break through enemy line destroying all opposition like fortifications, tanks and gun emplacements. Four project were started in 1921, the SRA and SRB by Renault-Schneider, one by Forges et Aciéries de la Marine et d’Homécourt and the FCM 21 by Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée. The prototypes were presented on May 13, 1924 and in the end the SRB design was chosen by Estienne as base of the future production in March 1925 fitted with a 75mm gun, a FCM developed Holt-track, a FAMH-suspension with a front armor of 40mm. A wooden mock-up wasbuilt in early 1926 and the first prototype by Renault was delivered weaponless on March 1929 (the howitzer was fixed on April) while FCM and FAMH were deliver soon after, the prototypes were widely tested until April 1934 when the first order for seven B1 tank was made.

In the end the original B1 had a 40mm frontal and side armor, with an one-man APX1 turret with a 47mm SA 34 L/27.6 gun and a 75mm ABS 1929 SA 35 gun mounted in the right-hand side of the hull front and a top speed of 28 km/h, thirty-four were made. However the B1 was quickly abandoned in favor of the B1 bis which was upgraded with a thicker 60mm armor, a new APX4 turret with a longer 47mm SA 35 L/32 giving it better anti-tank capabilities, a more powerful engine and an increased fuel capacity, this model of the B1 bis were made. At the same time as the B1 bis development of the B1 ter started on 1937, giving the tank an upgraded a sloped and welded armor (instead of bolted armor) to 70mm to accelerate mass production and a 350 hp engine, the supression of the Naeder transmission in favor of the BDR gave enough room for a fifth crew member and the tracks were protected by the top armor but the project was put on side in favor of the B1 bis mass production, three prototypes were made before the Fall of France and were lost on June 21, 1940 when the ship evacuating the prototypes was bombed and sunk.

Operational History

Despite many flaws such as requiring too much maintenance, its poor autonomy and speed, its delicate transmission, its one-man turret and the disposition of its armament, the B1-bis was a remarkable tank combining fire power and strong armour. It made a great impression on German soldier (nicknamed it Kolosse), the tank was unmatched by German tanks such as the Panzer III and IV which were unable to pierce its armor and couldn’t withstand a hit from the B1 bis. The only things that could destroyed it was the mighty FlaK 88mm AA gun or the Stuka dive-bombers. However this advantage was wasted by the incapacity of French tactician who prefered using tanks by small groups instead of large scale division backed-up by the Luftwaffe and couldn’t handle the German tsunami.

The most known engagement of the B1 bis was during the Battle of Stonne, when on May 16, 1940 the B1 bis Eure commanded by Pierre Bilotte destroyed a column of two Panzer IV and eleven Panzer III, totally impervious to everything German tank fired on it.

161 B1s captured by Germany after the France was defeated and used them under designation Panzerkampfwagen B-2 740(f), some were converted in flamethrower tank designated Flammwagen auf Panzerkampfwagen B-2(f) and others were converted into SPG designated 10.5 cm leFH18/3 (Sf) auf Geschützwagen B-2(f). The captured tanks were mostly used on police operation in occupied France, some were deployed on Channel Islands, four were deployed on the eastern front, seven were deployed in the Balkans and Flamethrower version were used during Operation Market Garden.

Kingdom of Italy (1941) 1 Prototype

The French Char B1 bis is probably one of the most recognizable tanks ever made. An impressive union of a hull-mounted 75mm gun, thick armor, and a 47mm gun in the turret made this tank a formidable enemy in 1940. Despite its less than handsome appearance, this was a technologically advanced tank and was the product of a huge amount of time and money invested in its development. In 1940, it was the most powerful tank fielded by any army during the battle for France.
Despite its many advantages though, the Char B was unable to prevent the collapse of France. When the country was occupied, huge stocks of war material in factories plus those captured in the field, came into the hands of the Germans and her allies. While the Germans made good use of a lot of captured tanks, a large amount was also supplied or permitted to be taken by her allies and the Kingdom of Italy was no exception to this.

Colonel Keller (the Italian Inspector General of Tanks) had already reported on the advantages of the Char B (referred to as the ‘Carro B’) back in 1935. In 1940, after the fall of France, the Italians, occupying parts of the south of France, took the opportunity to seize some of these tanks when they could get their hands on them. The Italian author Nicola Pignato states that some twenty B1 Bis’, in various stages of preparation and construction, along with a single 36-tonne B1 Ter prototype were recovered from the FCM factory, of which an unknown number were to be destined for Italy. An official report, however, from 1943 related that just 2 turretless B1 tanks were taken directly from the factory along with an additional 4 which had their turrets, and the single experimental 36-ton vehicle along with a quantity of engines, parts, and armor plate.

The French author Pascal Danjou states that the Italians got hold of only 8 Char B1 bis tanks though, six made by FCM (Compagnie des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée) and two made by FAMH (Compagnie des Forges et Aciéries de la Marine et d’Homécourt). These vehicles had been rapidly pushed by the French into action in June 1940, half of which had no turrets (which would make 4 tanks although which turretless vehicles of those 8 came from which factory is not clear) and none of these vehicles were captured but were instead hidden by workers in a cave. Their hiding place was later revealed by an Italian worker to the Commission d’Armistice Italienne pour la France, the CAIF (Italian Commission for Disarmament in France), who then seized them in October 1940 for Italy. Whatever account of how these vehicles or even exactly how many came into the possession of Italians is correct, the Italians got hold of some Char B1 bis tanks of their own.
The exact number shipped to Italy cannot be determined as not all of them received official army registration numbers, but at least two vehicles did receive registration numbers R.E. 508 and R.E. 750 on 30th April 1941.Turretless B1 bis with an armored plate covering turret ring undergoing trials in Italy 1941. Source: Pignato

Гайд по BDR G1 B

BDR G1 B – достаточно мощный танк, но назвать его «имбой» было бы кощунством. У него действительно сравнительно много брони во лбу, высокий разовый урон и хорошее пробитие. Однако тонкие борта и низкая скорость поворота техники.

Снаряжение, амуниция, оборудование

Как известно, на 5-м уровне доступны только 2 слота для амуниции, а сами предметы амуниции – только низкого качества. Выбирать особо не приходится, поэтому устанавливаем Стандартное топливо для скорости и Паштет в банке для поднятия характеристик.

Снаряжение – стандартный для ТТ набор: Адреналин для стрельбы, Универсальный восстановительный комплект и Ремкомплект для ремонта / лечение / тушения пожаров.

С оборудованием также все просто.

• 1-я строка: Калиброванные снаряды, Защитный комплекс +, Улучшенная оптика;
• 2-я строка: Усиленные приводы наводки, Усиленная броня, Подкрученные обороты двигателя;
• 3-я строка: Сбалансированное орудие, Усиленные шарниры ходовой, Система подачи снаряжения.

В первой строке мы поднимаем бронебойность снарядов, защищаем экипаж от ранений и повышаем обзор. Во 2-й строке сокращаем сведение, бронируем корпус и немного ускоряемся (в том числе поворот). В 3-й строке мы уменьшаем разброс орудия, укрепляем ходовую и ускоряем перезарядку снаряжения.

Saved from the brink of cancellation

Luckily for the B1 Ter, the report of the trials commission did not end up in the tank being cancelled. A series of different reasons can be found that allowed the ARL tank to survive its terrible trials.

The first can be found in the very nature of the B1 Ter prototype. Based on the hull of the very old n°101, it could in no way, shape of form conform to what a more mature version of the design would have been like, and remained little more than a demonstrator or mule for experimentation of different systems which would be mounted into more mature B1 Ter prototypes.

In order to provide more mature B1 Ter prototypes, three different pre-production prototypes were ordered from three different manufacturers: one from ARL, one from Fives-Liles (FL) and one from FCM. When exactly this order was passed is unclear, but it appears to potentially have been as early as the B1 Ter being presented to Daladier in 1937.

A number of additional factors made the need for a more heavily armored version of the B1 Bis apparent at this time. This meant that, even if the B1 Ter was far from being ready for production, continuing to study it would be a worthy endeavour. Notably, the adoption and beginning of mass-production of the 47 mm SA 37 gun for the French army, demonstrated that field anti-tank guns powerful enough to defeat a B1 Bis could be somewhat commonplace in militaries fairly soon.

Two crewmen in front of the B1 Ter prototype during trials in 1939, showing the diamond-shape folded side armor plates as well as the general structure of the vehicle. Source: Tank Archives

Trials of the B1 Ter thus continued beyond May of 1938, with the prototype undergoing further trials. In June, it even received additional weights, as it was found that a mature B1 Ter would likely weigh more than 33 tonnes, and went through mobility trials with these, with, unsurprisingly, poor results. The suspension was not strong enough, with the coils of the tender wheels’ suspension arms breaking. After running for 35 km, the gearbox was damaged. As a result of these trials, a number of additional modifications were performed, and the prototype slowly but steadily became more reliable. Towards the end of its trials service in the autumn of 1939, 500 km were run without failures of the gearbox, for example. The B1 Ter prototype was finally returned to ARL in early 1940, after running through 2,038 km in a variety of trials. Though imperfect, it had vastly improved in terms of reliability. By this point though, a whole new generation of B1 Ter prototypes was on the way.

Description

The Char de bataille B1 ter (Battle tank B1 «tertiaire») is a premium rank II French heavy tank
with a battle rating of 2.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.75 «La Résistance» as a premium pack vehicle and eventually discontinued from the store after War Thunder’s 6th Anniversary sale, but was later reintroduced for War Thunder’s 7th anniversary as a premium purchasable in-game for Golden Eagles . It has also been obtainable several times through the Warbond shop since January 2020.

With the best armour at its BR, this tank is a beast in engagements since it is hard to penetrate at a distance. While not having the best armament, it should do the job taking care of these dangerous early SPGs and light tanks. The «ter» suffix to its name is a Latin abbreviation which means «third», referring to the series, just as the suffix «bis» identified the previous second B1 production series. Its most noticeable features from its predecessor (B1 bis) are an increased horizontal traverse for the hull gun, thicker armour and an extra crew member.

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. You reverse speed won’t allow you to retreat if things get bad around you, stay behind the front-lines, making good use of your armour.

In order to effectively use this tank’s armour, there is a few things to consider. First of all, there is some shot traps,most noticeably 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 knocked out crew. 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.

With the same gun as most other rank 2 French tanks, the B1 ter will never be recognized for having a fearsome armament: penetration rates are even lower than most reserve tanks while reload time is twice as long (a known feature of early French 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 sewing rate is a bit slow: this tank has been designed to be hull-down. As for the hull-mounted gun, it 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 does not only makes you vulnerable, it is also mostly ineffective.

Production

CharB1 BIS

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 per unit cost was about 1.5 million French francs. In France at the time two schools of thought collided: the first wanted to build very strong 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, with a third of the cost of the Char B1 bis, but armed with the same 47 mm gun.

Trivia

• The Char B1 Bis is featured in World of Tanks as B1, a French Tier IV heavy tank; it’s also present (as a premium tank of the same Tier) the German-captured variant as the Pz.Kpfw. B2 740 (f). The latter has no hull gun and the mantlet for it was armored/covered.
• Along with the SOMUA S35, the Char B1 bis was considered by many historians as the best French tank or even the best tank of 1940.
• The Char B1 Bis is the only tank known so far to be used by three different schools, Ooarai, Maginot and BC Freedom.
• The myth of its weak point is based on an isolated incident when, during the (May 16, 1940), gunners of two 37mm Pak 35/36 claimed to have taken down three B1 Bis by firing into the air duct at close range. The air intake was a 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 the normal 55 mm side plates. Despite this, in battle against the Maginot Rabbit team destroyed the tank this way and Mallard Team was also destroyed this way during match against Chi-Ha-Tan by the Ka-Mi.
  • During the same battle, Captain Pierre Billotte

    The Billotte Medal achievement in WoT was named after him.

    commanding the B1 Bis «Eure» destroyed thirteen tanks (two Panzer IV and eleven Panzer III) lying in ambush in Stonne and two Pak 35/36. After the skirmish, the crew counted approximately 140 impacts on the hull.

• The B1 Bis is one of the few tanks with the Tiger II, Tiger I and BT-42 to possess a steering wheel.
• In the manga the B1 bis was fielded on match earlier in the Anzio match instead of the Pravda one, with Yukari, Erwin and Aya as crew instead of Mallard Team.

The first prototype/mockup: Recycling the first B1 prototype

A prototype of the B1 Ter was “manufactured” in 1937 in order to test the variety of technical solutions considered for the improved model of the B1 Bis. However, due to a lack of budget, this would not be an entirely new vehicle. Instead, the hull of B1 n°101 – the first B1 prototype that had been manufactured by Renault all the way back in 1929 – was used. The difference between a now more than half-a-decade old prototype and the features of a contemporary B1 series tank were tremendous. As such, a huge quantity of new components were added to the tank. In general, what remained of the original prototype was little more than the body and a few of the basic elements of the n°101, such as the drive sprockets, with the vast majority of other components being newly built and added to the vehicle. Nonetheless, the use of an older hull still made deep structural changes a struggle, and this prototype would still be massively different from a production B1 Ter. As such, it would be best described as somewhere between a true prototype and a mockup proof-of-concept.

A view of the first B1 Ter prototype, likely in Rueil. As can be seen, the vehicle differed significantly from the previous B1 Bis. However, unlike what many may imagine, the production B1 Ter would have looked vastly different. Source: World of Tanks forums

B1 в массовой культуре

Пехотный танк B1bis являлся частью первой миссии кампании за Германию в компьютерной игре «Противостояние 3».

Танк (под именем Pz Kpfw b1) встречается также в игре «В тылу врага. Чёрные бушлаты» (кампания «Большие пушки Манштейна», миссия «В погоне за Бруно»).

• B1bis встречается в стратегии R.U.S.E. в качестве французского танка и трофейного немецкого.
• Также трофейный танк B1bis ранее можно было увидеть среди немецких танков в MMO-игре World of Tanks под названием PzKpfw B2 740(f); впоследствии стал доступен и исходный французский вариант В1, причём работоспособна лишь расположенная в башне 47-мм пушка.
• Некоторая аллюзия на Char B1 присутствует в настольной игре по вселенной Warhammer 40,000, где танк «Леман Русс» сильно напоминает В1, только с гусеницами на манер британского Mark IV.
• B1ter представлен как премиумный тяжёлый танк в игре War Thunder. Так же присутствует модификация B1bis в основной ветке исследования.

First prototypes

The SRA prototype

The SRA prototype was the heaviest vehicle with 19.5 metric tonnes. Its length was 595 centimeters, its height 226 cm and its width 249 cm. 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—during tests this failed to provide the desired precision. Seen from the front it already was very similar to the final model, but its side view 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 12V aircraft engine) allowed for a maximum speed of 17.5 km/h; a four hundred litre fuel tank for a range of 140 kilometers.

The SRB prototype

The SRB prototypeThe FAHM prototype
The FAHM prototype

The FCM 21 prototype was the lightest prototype was 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 meters and width of 205 centimeters. A rather large riveted turret with a stroboscopic cupola, adopted from the Char 2C, brought its height to 252 centimeters. Like the super-heavy tank it had no real spring system for the twelve small wheels per side. Separate clutches for each snake track allowed to horizontally point 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, five hundred liter reservoirs allowed for the best range at 175 kilometers.

The ARL prototype: the most documented one

The ARL prototype is by far the most documented of the three pre-production vehicles, as well as the one that was the closest to completion. Two photos taken of the vehicle’s hull during manufacturing give us the best view known of what a pre-production or production B1 Ter hull would have looked like, with the new gun mount, driver’s post, enlarged turret ring, and top-mounted radiator grills.

Often referred to as a photo of the B40, this is actually the ARL B1 Ter hull during manufacturing – with no B40 ever being close to prototype status. This photo shows the hull front has little to nothing to do with the B1 n°101-based prototype, with redesigned driver’s position and gun mount. The turret ring is wider than on the previous B1-series vehicle, and the radiator grills at the rear-right of the vehicle can be clearly seen. Source: Tank ArchivesA rear view of the same hull during construction. It notably shows the very thick tunnel-like mudguards as well as 70 mm-thick folded steel side plates. Source: Tank Archives

The ARL B1 Ter appears to have been fully completed and trialed on the trial grounds for tanks in Rueil. The vehicle was only able to run for about 10 hours before the course of the French campaign forced the hand of fate. These trials were at some point interrupted by issues with the Naeder system and changing gears. Those were quickly fixed, and after these, the vehicle appears to have run fairly well and to have behaved quite well on road. With its 300 hp engine, it was only planned to reach a maximum speed of merely 26.5 km/h. The limited lengths of these trials remain insufficient to identify whether the changes applied from the first B1 Ter prototype would have made the pre-production prototypes sufficiently reliable in practice though.

In late May of 1940, with German forces approaching ever closer to Paris, the three vehicles present at ARL’s facilities – the ARL and FL pre-production vehicles, as well as the original, n°101-based prototype – were evacuated to the harbor of Saint-Nazaire, on the estuary of the river Loire and the western coast of France. Trials were to be continued there. A variety of futures for the B1 Ter appear to have been pondered there, for example sending the vehicles to the United States to set up production there if France was to continue the war. Eventually, on the 17th of June 1940, all three vehicles were loaded onto a ship, the Mécanicien Principal Carvin, a cargo ship on its way to French North Africa, also carrying either one or two 380 mm guns for the battleship Jean Bart as well as two of her propellers. German bombers sunk the ship on the estuary of the Gironde river, way before it could hope to reach Africa. The transport sank in the estuary mud, where it remains to this day – carrying in its hold three of the four B1-ter-related vehicles ever manufactured.

Как играть на Concept 1B

Посмотрим на итоговую конфигурацию с учетом приведенных выше рекомендаций:

Обзор достиг максимального значения, точность хорошая, а сведение быстрое. Машина комфортная в управлении и ведении огня.

Сочетание характеристик делает Concept 1B универсальной машиной, которая может взять на себя роль типичного тяжа при позиционной игре или же поддержать средние танки за счет хорошей подвижности.

Небольшой разовый урон намекает на то, что не стоит играть от альфы, у большинства техники 9-10 уровня она по больше. В то же время высокая скорострельность позволяет вливать большое количество урона, в этом плане по геймплею он напоминает британского Conqueror.

В топе списка Concept 1B может доминировать, но даже против «восьмерок» нужно играть осторожно и не подставлять лобовую броню корпуса. Поэтому в условиях города на узких улицах ему приходится сложно, так что старайтесь искать укрытия, насыпи или используйте уничтоженную технику в качестве прикрытия

В середине списка лучше играть со второй линии, как танк поддержки. Многое зависит от карты, ищите возможности использовать крепкую башню и УВН. Играя на этом танке, нужно лишь помнить о слабом бронировании корпуса и стараться по максимуму использовать его сильные стороны:

• орудие комфортное во всех отношениях в умелых руках сможет настреливать много урона;
• хорошая подвижность позволит вначале боя занимать ключевые позиции, сменить фланг или вернуться на защиту базы. Поэтому всегда следите за мини-картой.

The FCM prototype: The surviving one

Not all B1 Ter tanks ended up in the Gironde’s estuary though, for one was never loaded on the transport ship to be expedited to French North Africa.

The third pre-production prototype was indeed to be manufactured by FCM, in its facilities of La-Seyne-Sur-Mer, on France’s Southern Mediterannean coast – way further south than German Panzers ever reached in 1940.

The FCM prototype was also different from the two others in one major element: the turret. FCM had indeed been designing a welded turret for a while by 1940, and had been given the right to outfit its B1 Ter with a turret design of its own. This turret would have been similar to the ARL 2 in terms of overall structure but remained different. Notably, while the ARL turret would still use cast turret masks, the FCM turret would likely have been entirely welded. While no view of the FCM B1 Ter nor its turret appear to have survived, FCM experimentally mounted a welded turret on a B1 Bis, n°234 “Marseille”, in 1938, and the turret found on the B1 Ter would likely have had a similar design.

The only known photo of B1 Bis n°234 “Marseille” with its welded turret, likely taken in Nancy. A similar turret would likely have been featured on FCM’s B1 Ter pre-production vehicle. Colorized by Jaycee “Amazing Ace” Davis. Source: char-français

By June of 1940, the FCM B1 Ter appears to have been in the early stages of assembly. At the time of the armistice, FCM’s facilities ended up in the unoccupied part of France, entirely under the rule of the Vichy regime. However, with studies on further armored vehicles restricted, there was seemingly no further work performed on the B1 Ter. Lavirotte is known to have continued operations during the occupation, working on some covert projects such as the SARL 42. It has been theorized he and his team may have used the B1 Ter as a reserve of spare parts or for some experimentation, but there has never been any evidence of this.

When German and Italian forces entirely occupied Southern France in November of 1942, FCM’s facilities ended up in Italian hands. An Italian report from June of 1943 mentions, alongside a small number of B1 Bis in various stages of completion, the presence of a “36-tons prototype tank” in FCM’s facilities. This was likely the FCM B1 Ter pre-production vehicle. This report is also the last evidence of it being in existence. The report requested the vehicle to be moved to Genoa, Italy, to the Ansaldo Fossati factory, in order to be studied there. This does not appear to have been performed before Italy signed an armistice and was then occupied by Germany in September of 1943.

The prototype enters trials

The B1 n°101-based prototype entered trials following its completion in 1937. In the following months, a variety of different trials would be performed, though these would generally not be satisfactory.

The vehicle’s first road journey, from ARL’s facilities in Rueil to the French army’s testing facilities in Satory, resulted in issues with the cooling system which would forcibly stop the vehicle. At Satory, the vehicle was presented to the at-the-time War Minister, future Président du Conseil (ENG: Council President – The leader of French governments under the 3rd and 4th Republic, with a role roughly similar to a British PM) Edouard Daladier. Though it appears this first presentation may have been when orders for pre-production B1 Ter prototypes were secured, the B1 Ter prototype would continue going through a variety of trials in the following months – which would generally not be glorious for the new heavy tank.

In December 1937, a 200-km long trip from Rueil to Bourges was planned, in three different steps. During the first step, the vehicle suffered oil and water leakages, as well as to the exhaust collection system. During the second step, starting up the vehicle proved difficult, while the exhaust collection had to be replaced. Finally, during the third step, the same exhaust collection system deteriorated again. The vehicle had suffered a number of breakdowns which required replacement of parts and emergency repairs during the trip, and had overall proved to be very unreliable.

At Bourges, the vehicle underwent firing trials. A hundred 75 mm shots were fired before the gun mount was dismounted for examination and tweakings.

Further trials in 1938 were once again met with difficulties. Intensive trials started in April of 1938 with the goal of determining whether the vehicle would be worth adopting or not by late May. During those, the prototype once again performed terribly. The air and oil cooling proved poor, with both reaching worryingly high temperatures at various points. The exhaust collection system was once again deteriorated. Starting up the engine was also difficult. The trial commission’s report on this B1 Ter prototype ended up very critical. The vehicle was found not only unable to solve most issues of the B1 and B1 Bis, but also to create several of its own. Notably, it had lackluster cooling and braking systems, problems with the exhaust collection, but also fragility of the new gearbox and drivetrain, which, despite being reinforced, struggled with the heavier weight. The commission’s report ended in a very dry comment:

“Dans ces conditions, la commission émet les avis suivants:
Le char B1 Ter présente peu d’intérêt dans son état présent;
Sa fabrication ne peut être envisagée actuellement, même à assez longue échéance”

In these conditions, the commission emits the following opinion:
The B1 Ter tank offers little interest in its current state
Its production cannot currently be considered, even at relatively long term.

Заключение

Несмотря на всю эту возьню с мелочами, сборка очень понравилась. Хочу собрать ещё один – на этот раз союзническую версию. Вообще странно, что никто не выпускает интерьера для данной модели. Он туда так и просится. С правого борта есть большая дверь для экипажа, плюс оставить люки командира и водителя открытыми. Можно, конечно, и самому сделать, но там уже посмотрим.
Для тех, кто собирается строить данный агрегат, очень рекомендую вот эти две книги. Там есть практически всё, что Вам может понадобиться.

На интернете также много информации и ч/б фото этого танка. Не забывайте только, что производился он на нескольких заводах, и кое-какие детали могут отличаться. Также будьте осторожны с walkaround-ами. Например, танк в музее в Saumur – немецкий вариант, который был просто перекрашен. Отличается командирской башенкой, креплением инструментов, нет кожухов на выхлопных трубах

Во всём же остальном, уверен, что получите большое удовольствие от сборки, как и я.
Спасибо за внимание!
P.S. Рассматривая фото крупным планом, подумалось, что вполне можно было добавить кое-где побольше потёртостей и сколов…