【質問】 Char B1とは？

アプロ @rUyaCVtIiRxgC9M

#このツイートを見た人は武器ならなんでもいいから好きな武器晒しなさい シャールB1重戦車 お前、なんかジブリ映画に出てきそうな面構えだよな（偏見 菱形戦車の末裔にしか見えないフランス重戦車。いかにも旧式な足回りが味があって素敵 なお、強力な47mm砲と75mm砲を備え装甲も厚いので（続く pic.twitter.com/SQi3LIvmUF

拡大

アプロ @rUyaCVtIiRxgC9M

初期のドイツ戦車だとまともに戦っては歯が立たなかった。 なお、シャールB1戦車は1台1台名前がついており、この子は「マルヌ号」である。 こういうところも、古いスタイルの戦車っぽい(*´ω｀*) pic.twitter.com/z4QiUtjaUW

拡大

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

It's #TankTuesday and here's a long thread dedicated to the unusual Char B1 bis in the Tank Museum in Bovington. Or should I say, the Panzerkampfwagen B2 740(f). 1/ pic.twitter.com/b23x2namxR

拡大

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

The Char B1 bis was the 2nd ('bis') version of the French heavy tank, the Char B1. The B1 was a design from the late 1920s which only entered production in early 1936. It had a 47mm gun & MG in the turret, a 75mm howitzer & MG in the hull, a max. speed of 28kmh & 4 crew. 2/ pic.twitter.com/q0ONEe0IX5

拡大

拡大

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

Its maximum armour of 40mm was excellent by 1920s standards, but by 1936, it was no longer sufficient. So an improved version, the B1 bis, was rushed into production. This version had a maximum armour thickness of 60mm. 3/ pic.twitter.com/aS7WlK33X5

拡大

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

Other improvements included a new turret gun (47mm SA35) with much greater muzzle velocity, a better radio (now capable of voice transmission) & an improved engine. However, the weight rose from 27.2 to 31.3 tonnes & the maximum speed fell to 25kmh. 4/ pic.twitter.com/aEWlKdaevR

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

Visually, the B1 bis was an impressive tank. However, it was seriously flawed. The 75mm howitzer had no traverse, so the driver had to manoeuvre the whole tank to aim it. This was done using a rather complex steering system to achieve the precise movements required. 5/

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

In addition, there were just 4 crew who had to load & fire the turret gun, the howitzer & 2 MGs, as well as operate the radio, drive & command the vehicle. As with most French tanks of the time, the commander sat in a 1-man turret & had far too many tasks to be effective. 6/

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

Despite these flaws & various mechanical issues, its crews fought bravely & often very effectively against the Germans in May 1940. Its most notable action was at Stonne; Capt. Pierre Billotte destroyed 13 PzKw III & IV tanks & 2 anti-tank guns with his B1 bis, 'Eure'. 7/ pic.twitter.com/hbUUbiZnFZ

拡大

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

After the fall of France, the Germans collected around 160 B1 bis & a small number of B1 tanks. Both types were reconditioned at the Renault factory in Boulogne-Billancourt near Paris. The finished vehicles were designated PzKw B2 740(f), or B2. 8/ pic.twitter.com/yPtzs1En6C

拡大

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

The problem for the Germans was that these slow thickly armoured tanks didn't fit their doctrine of rapid armoured units. Additionally, the Germans preferred a 3-man turret, with crew responsibilities divided between commander, gunner & loader. A 1-man turret was no good. 9/

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

The question was then, what to do with these vehicles? In typical fashion, the majority were converted to become vehicles the Germans could use. 16 were converted to SPGs in 1941/42. The turret was removed & a 10.5cm howitzer & new superstructure were added. 10/ pic.twitter.com/8JSqMHpjI1

拡大

拡大

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

At least another 84 were fitted with flamethrowers in place of the howitzer, as the PzKw B2 Flamm. In mid 1941, 24 B2s were fitted with 1 of 2 interim solutions; either a non-traversable flamethrower (Koebe) or with the small Flamingo flame projector turret (Wegmann). 11/ pic.twitter.com/lf5rD0J8Co

拡大

拡大

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

The final production version of the PzKw B2 Flamm had a ball-mounted flamethrower in place of the howitzer. The front plate above the flame projector was replaced with a small compartment with visor for the flame gunner. The radio antenna was also moved to this area. 12/ pic.twitter.com/IEGj8oJKN9

拡大

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

At least 60 B2s were converted to this version of flamethrower tank. These saw service in the USSR, Yugoslavia, France, the Netherlands & the Channel Islands. 13/ pic.twitter.com/nx6DYRA0jH

拡大

拡大

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

The remaining B2 tanks retained their guns & were distributed to units in secondary theatres. Which brings us to the unique example at Bovington. /14

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

This is a B1 bis captured in 1940 & reconditioned at Renault. It wasn't converted to a flamethrower tank & thus retained its howitzer. At Renault, these tanks had minor modifications such as 2 hooks on the front plate for spare track links & tool stowage on the fenders. 15/ pic.twitter.com/o37jYqYCLW

拡大

拡大

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

All of the reconditioned B2 tanks also had German FuG2 radio receivers fitted, while command tanks had FuG5 transceivers. They also had a numbered Renault brass plaque applied. Vehicles inspected & approved for service had the Waffenamt eagle stamped into this plaque. 16/ pic.twitter.com/arWbNmE5Fn

拡大

拡大

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

The original French cupola could not be opened. In line with other captured French tanks, a number of tanks were modified adding a 2-piece hatch to the cupola - see photo. The cupola of the Bovington vehicle was left unmodified. 17/ pic.twitter.com/27ssXMxXH7

拡大

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

This tank was then issued to Panzer-Abteilung 213. This was an independent tank unit, created in late 1941, then sent to the Channel Islands in March 1942. Its purpose was to provide armoured support to 319. Infanterie Division in the event of an Allied invasion. 18/

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

Pz.Abt. 213 was headquartered in Guernsey. It had 36 B2 tanks in total. 2 B2s were allocated to Abteilung HQ. Each of the 2 companies had 2 HQ tanks, 2 platoons of 5 gun tanks & 1 platoon of B2 Flamm tanks. 1. Kompanie was based on Jersey, 2. Kompanie on Guernsey. 19/

Rivets and Pins @RivetsAndPins

There are 2 other modifications that the Bovington B2 features, both of which are unique to Pz.Abt. 213 B2s. Firstly, in the space where the flame gunner sat in the B2 Flamm tanks, there is an additional armoured section filled with concrete on some gun tanks. 20/ pic.twitter.com/AzhUWxWzvV

拡大

拡大

拡大