Tanks & other armored units.

Two French tanks are originaly planned for World War II Online: the B1bis and the R-35

The Renault B1bis:

The B1bis, named the Char or Invicichar by most of the players, was a monster in its time. The most powerfull & armored tank built in large numbers in 1940. Any German gun could pierce its armor, exepted the famous 88. A duel against it would be a suicide.

History & specifications.

Prefered by the Etat-Major to the BB, B2 and B3 projects in 1932, the B1 tank is a battletank. Officialy adopted in 1934, the B1 carry a 47 mm SA 1934 high velocity gun (pratical range: 400 m) and a coaxial 7,5 mm MG in its APX1 turret and a 75 mm gun with a 7,5 mm MG en casemate. It has a 40 mm of frontal armor, and weight 28 tons.

But in 1936, a new version appears: the B1bis. It's an upgrade. The frontal armor is now 60 mm, and even at close range, the PAK 37 AT gun won't be able to pierce it. Its offensive possibilities are upgraded too, thanks to the adjunction of the high velocity 47 mm SA 1935 gun (pratical range: 600 m) in the new APX4 turret. A more powerfull engine replace the B1 one.

If the B1bis is more armed and protected, it wins weigh (28 to 31,5 tons), its speed is still slow compared to the Panzers (28 km/h), and it losses autonomy (200 km to 180 km).

After the Armistice, France had to give all its tanks to Germany. Some B1bis lost their 75 mm gun for a flamethrower in the German army. Most of the the B1bis were used for policy tasks in France. In 1944, the resistants captured some B1bis and used it against atlantic pockets in France until their surrending at the 8th may 1945.

Industrialization.

Its production is really hard, because of the complexity of its 75 gun aiming system, and its armor. Its production will grow more and more, in may 1940, the production will still be at 50 B1bis/month (relatively good rate for an European industry in 1940). Produced in the Paris, Lille, Metz, Le Creusot, and Marseille areas, the B1bis production had more problems after the fall of the Northern pocket at the end of May 1940. Thanks to the establisment of a relatively stable front on the Somme and Aisne rivers from the May 28th to the 15th June, the production could continue, but France had lost its main iron production area, and urgently, the Navy arsenals had to produce some B1bis, with some ships armor like at Brest, Cherbourg or St-Nazaire.

In June 1940, France had enough steel to produce B1bis tanks until middle-July. The production could have continued thanks to a massive importation of US steel. Because of the lack of iron in the last days, some B1bis will be produced with a new turret, easier and faster to produce.

Until the 24th June 1940, about 403 B1 & B1bis were produced.

The B1bis at the battlefield.

Against a B1bis, a Panzer have only two ways to survive: to move or to pry :) . On the paper, a Pz III or Pz 38(t) can't kill and protect itself against the B1bis. Their armor is not able to resist to the 47 mm gun at a middle range, and their 37 mm gun is not able to pierce its armor anywhere. Anywhere, exepted at its lateral ventilation.

The B1bis is a battletank, and then is made for a direct fight. It overclasses any ennemy in this area. If of course the 75 mm gun has very good AT capacities tanks to the Obus de rupture de marine modèle 1910, it was mainly used like a destruction gun, against retranched areas/buildings.

The German tanks used at the maximum their speed advantage against the B1bis: it's a relatively slow tank (no more than 20-23 km/h in accidentate ground), and its turret is slower than the german ones. Its manoeuvrability is not good enough to lead a close and fast combat. The B1bis should be used like the Zerstörer concept. If it's not an exploitation tank, it's a great fire plateform, and should be used to get the superiority in a defined area, in group.

In may-june 1940, most of the B1bis were not lost because of the Germans, or of their 88 mm guns: a lot of them had to be abandonned because they were out of fuel... Their small autonomy (180 km) and huge cunsomation of fuel, the german bombing on french ressuply convoys, made that men had to burn their B1bis...

From the B1bis to the B1ter

In 1937, the Etat-Major wich knew the B1bis weeknesses, studied another evolution of the B1... The B1Ter. With 70 mm of frontal armor, but they thought that it would not be enough... the French AT 47 mm SA 1937 gun (used at 1000 exemplars for artillery) was able to pierce 80 mm at 400m. Armored dresses were added too, to cover the lateral areas, and hide the ventilation. The production of the B1Ter had to start in July 1940 at the FCM Lille factory with a 100/month rate... In June 1940, the 1st prototype was sent by ship to french Northern Africa, but it sunk. The parts of a 2nd prototype were hidden and used for a secret study of a new battletank during occupation of France.

The Renault R 35:

The R 35 is a light infantry tank. Its task is to support the infantry progression, to destroy the pockets of resistance, but it can engage tanks at close range too. If it has a good armor, that's a slow tank and with a poor 37 mm gun.

History & specifications

The R 35 comes from a 1933 plan: the Etat-Major required a light infantry tank, 20 km/h, 40 mm armor, and a 37 mm gun with a coaxial 7,5 mm MG, to replace the old FT 17.

The R 35 was choosen with the FCM 36 to get this role. It will be the most numerous tank in use in the French army in 1940. With a weight of 10.6 tons, 4.02x1,87x2.13, it was a small tank, easy to hide on the battlefield. Its supposed speed on road was 18 km/h. Strangely, if the R 35 could have been re motorized with a more powerfull engine, the Etat-Major didn't want it: 18 km/h was enough for a tank made to support the infantry, and wich had to advance with it. The task of a high speed tank came to the Hotckiss H 39 and Somua S-35, wich could advance at 40 km/h.

Its 37 mm SA18 gun was choosen because an huge stock of these guns were avaiable on the 3500  WW1 FT 17. If it was a good gun against infantry or retranched areas, it was not effective against the 1940 german armors... 25 mm at 600 m... In april 1940, the 37 mm SA18 gun will be replaced by the 37 mm SA38, in use on H 39 tanks. Its AT capacities were increased by 2. 250 R 35 with a SA 38 gun will be produced until may 1940. A new version, the R 40, with an armored protection of the AMX chassis will be produced from march to june, 224 were produced, and given to free-polish units fighting in France (Maczek Brigade).

The General Estienne, father of the tanks in France still WW1, did not want of this light infantry tank: it would be quickly vulnerable to the AT guns, and its speed would not allow them to be used in a armored task force. But the Etat-Major,which still had on mind the heavy  infantry losses of WW1, wanted a special support for the men.

Industrialization

The production of the R 35 began in 1936, in the Renault factories of Paris' suburb in 1935. 1070 R 35 were built at the declaration of war at the 09/1/1939, and finally, 1630 were produced until may 1940. 

The R 35 was relatively fast to build, and in may 1940, we'll get a range of 122 R 35 produced/month. But the production of the APX turret will be retarded, and that will handicap the production.

The introduction of the SA 38 gun in the APX turret caused no real problem in march 1940, and the APX chassis of the R 40 could be quickly adopted by a part of the production chains. In may 1940, 3,5 R 40 chassis were produced everyday.

France had to give/sell some R 35 to its allies: 50 to Poland before the declaration of war (they did not take part to the operations), 40 to Romania, 100 to Turkey in march 1940 and Yugoslavia 50. In january 1940, the opinion forced the government to send 40 R 35 to Finland in its war against USSR, but Finland signed the armistice before that they arrived.

The R 35 at the battlefield

With our Y2K eyes, we would wonder "So what does that R 35 is able to do against panzers?" But in 1940, we does not have to forget that the R 35 was considered like an infantry tank, not made for AT tasks. The battletanls like the B1bis, D2 or cavalry tannks like the S-35 & H 39 were there for that. 

Of course, because of the evolution of the situation and the german tactic, the R 35 was engaged in tank vs tank combats. Against the Panzers I and II wich composed 65% of the german tanks, the R 35 was from far superior: the 20 mm gun of the Pz II was nothing else than an heavy MG, unable to pierce 40 mm of steel.

The real problem was against the Pz III, IV and 38 (t). Those tanks had sensibly the same armor than the R 35, and their 37 mm gun was just able to pierce 35+ mm of armor in a close combat... And their speed helped them a lot to evite the R 35 ineffective fire on their frontal armor...

So...? Yes, the Pz III & 38 (t) have an advantage on the R 35: its gun is not enough powerfull to pierce their frontal armor. But don't forget that the Panzers have nice aeration holes on their back: the R 35 has not. The goal of the game is to be able to find their holes before that they finished by killing your crews.

In the future...

...what can we hope?

Actually, only the B1bis and the R 35 have been modelized, but everyone know that those two tanks does not represent the real panel of the french armored units of 1940. The S-35 and H 39 are not here, the D2 and  P178 rcon car are still absent and handicap the French...mobility, whereas the these very mobile units represent a good half of the french units...

Here is a small preview of what we can hope to see later in World War II Online.

The AMD Panhard 178

The Panhard 178 is the main reconnaissance car of the french army. About 500 were used. 72 km/h, good manoeuvrability, an effective 25 mm gun and a 7,5 mm MG, the P178 made a so impressive job during the campaign that the Germans will use it until 1945 in SS units. 

The SOMUA S-35

The S-35 is considered by many people like the best french tank of 1940. 40 km/h, 40 mm of armor, and the high velocity 47 mm SA 1937 gun with its coaxial 7,5 mm MG. With a good manoeuvrability, the S 35 have all the advantages of the panzers with a better gun. 500 were produced, and it was used by Germany until 1945.

The Hotchkiss H 35 & H 39

The H 35 and 39 is a light cavalry tank: 12 tons. Protected by 40 mm of armor, but with a bad SA18 37 mm gun for the H 35, the first H tanks were not sufficiently armed against the panzers. A new version, the H 39 brang a SA 38 gun, with a similar power than the german PAK 37 gun. Manoeuvrable & fast with 38 km/h, the H 39 engine is more powerfull than the H 35 (120 horses against 85). The H 35 & 39 represent the most numerous cavalry tanks, with 1100 produced. Used by the Germans for  policy & anti-partisants operations.