Photo de stock - World War II - FRANCE. Tanks, B1 bis, French Char B1 bis tank. The French Char B1 bis tank was one of the most important tanks used by the French Army during World War II. It was a heavily armoured medium tank based on the first generation Char B1, but with several improvements. It was much more successful than its predecessor, and played a major role in stopping the German blitzkrieg during the Battle of France in 1940. The Char B1 bis was armed with a 47 mm SA 35 main gun and three machine-guns, and was protected by 35 mm of armour. It was powered by a 143 hp engine, which gave it a top speed of 17 km/h. It weighed 28 tonnes, which was a lot for the era. It was much heavier than its contemporary, the German Panzer IV, and this gave it an advantage in durability and armour protection. The Char B1 bis served in the Battle of France, and later in the confusing river battles of the Battle of the Alps and the Battle of the Rhine. It was also used in the D-Day landings, and in the Battle of Normandy. After the fall of France, however, the Char B1 bis was retired from service.