Photo de stock - World War II - FRANCE. Tanks, B1 bis, Char B1 bis tanks of 37th BCC. The Char B1 bis was one of the most heavily armoured and best-armed tanks of the French Army during World War II. It was a two-man medium tank. It saw extensive action in the Battle of France in 1940 and was considered one of the most effective tanks of the war. The 37th Battalian Chars de Combat (BCC or Tank Battalion) was sent to defend France from the advancing German forces in 1940. It saw action in the battles of Stonne, Coulommiers, and the outskirts of Paris before being forced to withdraw. Its tanks were then sent to Aunay on the Cotentin peninsula where they held out for four days before being captured by the advancing German forces.