Photo de stock - World War II - FRANCE. Tanks, B1 bis, B1 bis 260 named Ouragan of the 8e BCC – Guise France 1940, rear. The B1 bis was a heavy French tank used mainly by the French Army during World War II. It was the mainstay of the French army's armoured forces and was the only tank built for the French army in significant numbers prior to the German invasion of 1940. The B1 bis was used for armoured warfare, often as the spearhead of offensives. The B1 bis was also used in defence, as well as for support missions. It was armed with a 75 mm gun, but its main weapon was its powerful thick armour, which made it one of the most modern and advanced tanks of its era. The 8e BCC (8th Armoured Cavalry Brigade) used the B1 bis during the Battle of France in 1940. One of the most famous tanks of that brigade was the B1 bis named Ouragan (""Hurricane"") which was destroyed during the Battle of the Somme.