War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

15cm sIG 33 B Sfl

2021-12-05T16:40:32Z

U51997491: Fixed an error in describing the B1 ter

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_sturmpanzer_II
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.67 "Assault"]]. Based on the Panzer II chassis, it mounted a 150 mm cannon and was used during the North African campaign.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
!Armour
!Front (Slope angle)
!Sides
!Rear
!Roof
|-
|Hull
|35 mm (11°) ''Front plate'' 20 mm (73°) ''Front glacis'' 35 mm (14°) ''Lower glacis''
|15 mm
|15 mm
!
|-
|Superstructure
|30 mm (12°) ''Gun mantlet''
|15 mm
|15 mm
!
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 10 mm thick while tracks are 15 mm thick.
* Hull underside right above tracks is 15 mm thick and belly armour is 5 mm thick.

The Sturmpanzer II does have enough armour to stop low BR tank rounds, however it should not be relied upon to stop high velocity or high penetration rounds, especially from other SPGs. It is an open-topped vehicle, and since it has no machine guns, it is very vulnerable to air attack.

Despite having very little armour, it does have a lot of empty space in the tank to resist multiple penetrating hits before being destroyed. However, it is hull-breakable against 75 mm or larger guns with sufficient AP velocity or HE capability.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=220|rbMinHp=137}}

The Sturmpanzer II can go up to 45 km/h, but due to the low power-to-weight ratio of 17.04 hp/ton in AB and 9.74 hp/ton in RB, the practical top speed is significantly less. Reverse speed is decent, up to -8.4 km/h. It has a decent turning capability when moving at higher speeds, but when stopped it can barely turn due to its weight.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|s.I.G.33 (150 mm)}}

The Sturmpanzer II mounts a s.I.G.33 infantry support cannon, which can fire HEAT or HE rounds. The shell velocity is very slow (240 m/s), so slow that it can be awkward to target moving targets or those at long ranges, especially with HE rounds. The calibre of the gun is 15 cm (150 mm/5.9 in). The Sturmpanzer does not have any other weapons.

The J.Gr.38 HE shell penetrates 61 mm against all armour angles. The 8.6 kg explosive mass ensures that anything that gets penetrated is instantly knocked out or is so badly crippled that a follow-up shot is guaranteed.

* Note: the HE on this is so powerful that it can even one-shot top rank tanks reliably, but due to the huge mobility disadvantage, this is not recommended unless you know exactly what you are getting yourself into.

The J.Gr.39 HI/A HEAT shell penetrates 185 mm against vertical armour and still has a 4.16 kg TNT equivalent of explosives behind it, giving it effectively 40-45 mm penetration from the explosion splash on top of the HEAT superplastic copper jet penetration. In one of the minor updates, 120 mm and larger HEAT rounds were altered to act more like HE shells to benefit top rank vehicles - tanks such as the Sturmpanzer are unintentional beneficiaries of this change.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[s.I.G.33 (150 mm)|150 mm s.I.G.33]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 18 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+40° || rowspan="2" | -1°/+6° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 5.3 || 7.3 || 8.9 || 9.8 || 10.4 || rowspan="2" | 17.29 || rowspan="2" | 15.30 || rowspan="2" | 14.10 || rowspan="2" | 13.30
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 3.6 || 4.2 || 5.1 || 5.6 || 6.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''J.Gr.38 (HE):''' This round is extremely powerful, and can destroy pretty much every tank at the same battle rating as the {{PAGENAME}}. It requires only a hit on the tank, underneath it, or in close proximity to be effective. It completely ignores the armour of most tanks you will face, and is very good at destroying a tank in one shot. It is likely that you will knock out several crew members and/or detonate their ammunition.
* '''J.Gr.39 HI/A (HEAT):''' This round is effective, just as is the high-explosive round, but unless you are up-tiering the vehicle, the HEAT round is likely a worse choice. It has more penetration, but that penetration is unlikely to be useful at this BR. Plus, the HEAT does not have near as much post-penetration damage as the HE round, meaning you may waste 2 shots on 1 tank, whereas the HE round may have knocked it out in 1 shot. As such, unless you are up-tiering the tank you will not need HEAT, and you should probably only take a few rounds (if any), just in case you run across something like a B1 Bis.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| J.Gr.38 || HE || 61 || 61 || 61 || 61 || 61 || 61
|-
| J.Gr.39 HI/A || HEAT || 185 || 185 || 185 || 185 || 185 || 185
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| J.Gr.38 || HE || 240 || 38 || 0 || 0.1 || 8,600 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| J.Gr.39 HI/A || HEAT || 280 || 24.58 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 5,320 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo part
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''18''' || ''Projectiles'' ''Propellants'' || 9 ''(+9)'' 10 ''(+8)'' || 5 ''(+13)'' 6 ''(+12)'' || 0 ''(+18)'' 0 ''(+18)'' || No
|-
|}

'''How much ammo to carry?'''

The most logical ammo loadout would probably either be 18 shells or 9 shells. 18 shells would be logical if you expect to be in the battle for a long time where you might run out of ammunition otherwise. If you don't expect to be firing as much or for as long, then you might consider taking only 9 shells. Taking only 9 shells removes all the ammo from the right side of the tank, which could possibly save your life. 9 shells is probably the most balanced ammunition loadout in terms of survivability and endurance. Of course, you can also take an amount of shells between 9 and 18 in order to partially (but not completely) deplete this first ammo rack. This would be useful if the user desires a longer firing time but still wishes for better survivability. At higher BRs 3.0 or more, recommended amount of shells is 18 or any number of them, since even if your ammunition doesn't detonate, you are still likely to be destroyed relatively quickly.

== Usage in battles ==


The Sturmpanzer has no air defence weapons, therefore partnering with an SPAA tank at the back of the map is a viable option. For those operators who prefer to close-range brawl with other low-tier tanks, then sticking with another tank is a good idea, mainly due to the long reload time, allowing your partner tank to help fend off any enemy advancers. It has the capability to knock out much higher battle rated tanks, so if you're up-tiered, there is still a good chance of survival. However, it is imperative to get a shot off first, because if you come across a higher tier tank, there may not be a second chance. Stay on the move after firing, fall back to safety to reload and then re-engage. Another tactic is to try facing down a street while partly undercover. The Sturmpanzer is a relatively small vehicle and many beginning players will not notice the tank, especially if only part of the vehicle is exposed. Patiently wait for an easy target to turn onto the street then fire before they realize where they are being fired from. It is critical to remember the shell drop of the tank cannon after being fired, compared to other tanks, the shell drop is significant over any distance. It is advisable to always fire just above where other tanks would typically target to allow for shell drop and hitting of the enemy vehicle where intended instead of lower than expected.

Due to the huge HE splash ability and sheer calibre of the gun, it can even be used to battle high-rank IFVs - BMP-1s at 7.3 are especially common to encounter. It does the same thing to BMP-2s, M3 Bradleys, Warriors, Centauros, and many other vehicles. The HE splash, however, is strong enough that it can one-shot the light vehicles such as the M41A1 Bulldog, any AMX-13 variation, Crusaders in lower ranks, and many others. Purposely up-tiering it can be a very effective way to earn Silver Lions with the "God Mode!" award - destroying an enemy vehicle 5.0 BR ranks higher (BR 7.0+) than you which nets 20,000 Silver Lions.

'''Notable Opponents'''

'''[[B1 bis]]''': This is one of the few tanks that you will face while playing at your original BR that you may struggle to destroy. These tanks are heavily armoured and much of their hulls can withstand a shot from your gun, even from the side. If you are facing one of these tanks, aim for the turret. The turret is one of the only places you can reliably do damage to the B1 bis, and you can often get a 1 shot kill if you hit the turret. Note: The B1 bis looks extremely similar to its much more heavily armored successor, the B1 ter, and it can be incredibly hard to tell which variety it is except at closer ranges. The B1 ter has thicker armor and so both HE and HEAT shells must be aimed much more carefully in order to cause damage.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Deadly HE with 65 mm penetration and 8.6 kg TNT filler destroys anything at its rank (eg. [[B1 bis]], [[M5A1]], [[T-50]]) or even in a purposely up-tiered battle (eg. [[Leopard 1 (Family)|Leopard 1]], [[AMX-30 (Family)|AMX-30]] or even the [[M1 Abrams (Family)|M1 Abrams]])
* HEAT offers 185 mm penetration, posing a great threat against WW2 heavy targets like [[M4A3E2]], [[IS-1]], [[KV-1E]], etc
* Adequate mobility: moderate top speed and fast hull traverse when driving allows it to deliver heavy blows from unexpected positions
* Low and small profile makes it easy to hide behind bushes or covers
* Can withstand a few hits on certain parts of frontal armour, which may bounce low-penetrating tanks like [[M16 MGMC]] or [[P.7.T AA]]

'''Cons:'''

* Very long reload means close-range combat is impossible without allied support, as it will be defenceless for around 20 seconds
* Quite hard to find a chance to fire: limited gun traverse and extremely curved trajectory means it's hard to track and hit moving/distant targets
* HE and HEAT get detonated by various obstacles like fences and brick walls, making some positions difficult to shoot from
* Poor survivability overall: thin armour can get penetrated by anything, especially heavy MG found on [[M16 MGMC]], and the open top means it is vulnerable to strafing aircraft, nearby bombs and exploding artillery shells
* Very slow at turning on the spot, might not be able to get gun on target in time
* Although speed is decent, most opponents still outrun it easily, for example [[M5A1]], [[T-50]], [[M22]]

== History ==

{{main|Pz.II C#History|l1=History of the Panzer II}}

=== Design ===
The Sturmpanzer I Bison was a self-propelled gun, consisting of a 150 mm sIG 33 heavy infantry gun mounted on top of a Panzer I chassis, together with a lightly armoured casemate to protect the gun servants. It was stop-gap vehicle used as an infantry support vehicle and showed its limits during the invasion of France and the Low Countries. The weight of the gun and the additional armour strongly hindered the mobility of the tank and caused premature mechanical wear. The gun installed very high on the chassis together with the casemate made the Sturmpanzer I a target of choice on the battlefield due to its very tall silhouette. The casemate did not protect all gun servants: the gunner and the commander were protected but loaders were extremely exposed as the casemate wasn't designed long enough to cover the rear of the vehicle. The extremely cramped layout of the vehicle made it impossible to stow ammunition: it had to be brought by a separate dedicated tank.

The need for the Sturmpanzer II was born early in 1941 when Rommel requested self-propelled guns to support his armoured divisions in North Africa.
This led the German Army to consider mounting the heavy gun sIG 33 on a vehicle chassis more fit to the task. The requirements for the new vehicle were to provide a less cramped layout for the gun and the crew to operate in optimal conditions, to give a silhouette as small as possible and to carry its own ammunition onboard, while maintaining the crew count, operational range and top speed of the previous Sturmpanzer.

=== Development ===
After the battle of France, the German Army focused on equipping their tank divisions with Panzer III and IV. The Panzer II tanks were recycled into other vehicles to assume different combat roles: tank destroyers, self-propelled guns, training vehicles or reconnaissance tanks. The availability of the Panzer II made it a natural successor of the Panzer I for the project. The first prototype used the standard chassis of a Panzer II, which revealed a similarly cramped layout. To remedy the issue, the chassis was widened by 32 cm, lengthened by 60 cm and a 6th roadwheel added along with track links.
The new casemate was open-topped but effectively surrounded the crew compartment, with a reinforced frontal gun shield. The {{PAGENAME}} also carried 30 rounds. The loaders were still slightly exposed to gun fire when fetching ammunition around the vehicle but the emphasis was put on keeping a silhouette as small as possible. The operational range was increased and the crew count of 4 maintained together with the top speed.
12 vehicles were built in November and December 1941.

=== Combat action ===
The {{PAGENAME}} served in North Africa, in the German 707th and 708th Heavy Infantry Gun Companies Heavy Infantry Gun Company until their destruction or surrender in 1943.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=tank_destroyer&vehicle=germ_sturmpanzer_II Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|iE4wTuJbe2I|'''The Shooting Range #40''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 02:43 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|_xCgMBOiA8U|'''High-explosive power''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 6:06 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[Panzer II]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[SU-122]]
* [[Ho-Ro]]
* [[fm/43-44]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:15_cm_sIG_33_auf_Fahrgestell_Panzerkampfwagen_II_(Sf)|[Wikipedia] 15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf)]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/15-cm-sig-33-auf-fahrgestell-panzerkampfwagen-ii-sf/ <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> 15cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf)]

{{Germany tank destroyers}}

B1 bis

2020-09-22T18:32:59Z

U51997491: /* See also */

{{Specs-Card|code=fr_b1_bis}}
{{About
|about=heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage=the pack version
|link=B1 ter
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_B1bis.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (Battle tank B1 "repeated") is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} French heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]]. With arguably the best armour at its BR, this tank is a beast in long-range engagements since it is hard to penetrate at distances. While not having the best armament, it should do the job taking care of these dangerous early SPGs and light tanks. The "bis" suffix is a French way of marking an improved version.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

In order to effectively use this tank's armour, there is a few things to consider. First of all, there ''a lot'' of shot traps, the main ones being the turret ring and the hull gun mount, in order to minimize your enemies' chance to hit these weak spots, stay away from them. Second, even if your armour is ''very strong'' for the BR, do not completely rely on it by sitting around in an open field: you will eventually get hit where it hurts. The third thing to consider is your small and thick turret: hide that big clumsy hull behind a hill and pop out only your hard "head", take a shot, fall back, reload, repeat. If something goes wrong (i.e. getting shot in the turret ring), there is usually enough men left to take the job left by their dead "camarade". Do not bother getting spotted: it is your job to stay in the enemies' sights while your lighter teammates do what they ought to. In some situations, it can even be used as a breakthrough tank, rely on your own experience to guess when it is time to do so.

When fighting the B1 bis, due to the extremely heavy frontal armor, one should try to use mobility to flank the B1. However, if that isn't possible, you'll want to try and hit the "mailslot" of the turret ring. It may be a tricky shot, but there's only ~40 mm of armor there.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull)
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 60 mm (7-62°) ''Front glacis'' 60 mm (32-48°) ''Lower glacis'' || 55 mm ''Center Mass'' 55 + 55 mm ''Border'' || 50 mm (1-47°) || 25 mm (77-89°)
|-
| Turret || 56 mm (0-46°) ''Turret front'' 56 mm (1-85°) ''Gun mantlet'' 56 mm (0-49°) ''Machine gun cover''|| 56 mm (2-19°) || 56 mm (18-19°) || 30 mm (62-89°)
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 48 mm || 30 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Lower turret ring armour 40 mm thick, while upper turret ring armour is 25 mm plus 40 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 20mm thick.
* Gun barrel is 15mm thick.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 396|rbMinHp= 272}}

This tank's mobility won't allow you to position fast enough. Taking time is the only way to get where you want safely. Since this tank is pretty long and narrow, do not engage in cramped spaces since you will not be allowed to manoeuvre as you wish. Your reverse speed won't allow you to retreat if things get bad around you, stay behind the frontlines, making good use of your armour.

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|SA35 L/17 (75 mm)}}

With the same gun as most other Rank 2 French tanks, the B1 bis will never be recognized for having a fearsome armament: penetration rates are even lower than most reserve tanks. The turreted armament is only good at firing light targets such as SPGs and light tanks. Elevation and depression angles are ''amazing'' but turret slewing rate is a bit slow: this tank has been designed to be hull-down. As for the hull-mounted gun, it should only be used as a close range defence device, as it has poor penetration rates and high drop. Exposing your hull-mounted gun for long range engagements does not only makes you vulnerable, it is also mostly ineffective.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[SA35 L/17 (75 mm)|75 mm SA35 L/17]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 74 || -20°/+25° || ±1° || N/A
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' ||3.2||3.9||5.4||6.0|| __.__
|-
| ''Realistic'' ||2.8||2.9||3.4||3.8|| __.__
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
|14.9||13.1||12.1|| __.__
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| Mle1910M || APHE || 57 || 55 || 52 || 47 || 44 || 37
|-
| Mle1915 || HE || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| Mle1910M || APHE || 500 || 6.4 || 1.2 || 25 || 90 || ° || 43° || 30° || 25°
|-
| Mle1915 || HE || 500 || 5.6 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 740 || +0° || 11° || 10° || 9°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_B1bis.png|right|thumbnail|350px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the B1 Bis.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |7th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |8th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |9th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |10th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |11th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |12th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |13th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |14th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |15th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''74''' || 68 ''(+6)'' || 64 ''(+10)'' || 62 ''(+12)'' || 60 ''(+14)'' || 56 ''(+18)'' || 53 ''(+21)'' || 38 ''(+36)'' || 36 ''(+38)'' || 25 ''(+49)'' || 23 ''(+51)'' || 21 ''(+53)'' || 14 ''(+60)'' || 9 ''(+65)'' || 3 ''(+71)'' || 1 ''(+73)'' || style="text-align:left" | no
|-
|}

=== Additional armament ===

{{main|SA35 L/32 (47 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[SA35 L/32 (47 mm)|47 mm SA35 L/32]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 50 || ±18° || ±180° || Vertical
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 8.09 || 11.20 || 13.6 || 15.04 || 16.00
|-
| ''Realistic'' ||4.5||4.5||8.5||||
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert Qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace Qualif.
|-
| 9.75 || 8.62 || 7.95 || 7.5
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| Mle1935 || APC || 69 || 67 || 57 || 48 || 27 || 24
|-
| Mle1935 HE || HE || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| Mle1935 || APC || 660 || 1.6 || N/A || N/A || N/A || ° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Mle1935 HE || HE || 590 || 1.4 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 143 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |7th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''50''' || 39 ''(+11)'' || 27 ''(+23)'' || 25 ''(+25)'' || 23 ''(+27)'' || 21 ''(+29)''|| 11 ''(+39)''|| 1 ''(+49)''|| style="text-align:left" | No
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 5,100 (150) || 1,350 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Char B1, upon playing it for the first time will be slow in both acceleration, max speed and turret rotation speed. The hull gun takes more work to aim than that of the turret because of the limited firing arc it has. In order to aim it to any reasonable extent, the entire tank must be turned. However, careful use of it will reward a skilled tanker with devastating firepower compared to other Tier I tanks, with its high penetration and explosive filler. The best way to play the B1 bis is to hold down a position, preferably hull down (as its turret is thick and small, it will ricochet most shots it will take). Playing the B1 bis well, there is only 3 ways to get killed:

* Being outflanked by a light tank
* The enemy has been lucky enough to get a shot through a shot trap
* Meeting a ''dangerous'' gun

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! Firepower
|-
| I
| Tracks
|
| Parts
| Horizontal Drive
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
| Adjustment of Fire
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| Elevation Mechanism
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
|
|
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Overall good armour

:* Very heavy frontal armor for its rank.
:* Strong turret from the front
:* Good at sidescraping (thick sides)
:* Nearly impenetrable hull when angled
:* Armour is quite thick and curvy at the driver's port area
:* The MAC 31's large drum can sometimes absorb shell fragments or smaller shells

* Decent firepower

:* One of the best in-game depression (-18°, turret gun)
:* Has 2 main armaments
:* A rare feature on French tanks: it has APHE ammunition.
:* MAC 31 coaxial MG
:* Turret gun has LOCK, which makes stop-and-shoot tactics effective.

'''Cons:'''

* Armour has many shot traps, easing the task of killing it

:* Fuel tank behind the grille lights up very often when penetrated.
:* Large turret ring is weak (25-40 mm poorly sloped)
:* Hull gun mount is a weak spot and can be penetrated by most guns of the tier.
:* Crew is cramped
:* Turret rear is only 38 mm thick
:* Has a tall and "thin" cupola
:* Literally has an hallway full of ammo in the back

* Guns feel lacking

:* Lacking penetration from both of its guns
:* Abysmal traverse on 75 mm gun (~1° left to right)
:* Slow reload on the 75mm
:* Only stock ammo choices
:* APHE shell won't detonate when shooting at light targets (25 mm or less armour)
:* Hull gun is hard to master (not beginner-friendly)

* Mobility is subpar

:* Not very mobile due to weight.
:* Slow hull turning rate
:* Reverse speed is low (-3km/h)

== History ==


Intended originally as a heavy infantry-support tank, the first prototype of the Char B dates back to January, 1929. Testing and altered design requirements led to the Char B1, which entered army service in late 1935. In total 35 of this earlier model had been built, but by the onset of war had been replaced in service. The successor B1 bis had heavier armor, a bigger engine, and a more powerful gun in a new turret (same as the Somua S35). Sophisticated and powerful for its time, it suffered from the one-man turret, poor communications, slow speed, a small operational radius, and difficulties in achieving mass production. The driver aimed and fired the bow-mounted howitzer and MG, which due to a lack of lateral traverse, had to be aimed by turning the tank. The complex steering system that enabled this, through a hydrostatically controlled auxiliary differential, proved particularly prone to breakdowns.

In May 1940, 243 B1 bis were deployed in combat units, out of 368 built. They formed the main striking force of France's four armoured divisions, with two battalions in each division, as well as five other independent tank companies (10 tanks per company).

In the 1940 Battle for France, only the German 88 mm guns could reliably defeat the B1 bis. Most were lost due to breakdown or fuel shortage.

161 B1 bis were captured by Germany, who replaced the 75mm with a flamethrower in 60 of them, which served in France, Holland (including at Arnhem), the Balkans and Crimea. Another 16 were converted to self-propelled 105mm howitzers. The Free French 13th Dragoons employed a squadron of 17 recaptured B1 bis in combat in 1945.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=france&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=heavy_tank&vehicle=fr_b1_bis Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|e1e7dEJigJQ|'''The Shooting Range #74''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:47 discusses the origins of the B1.|woJWg8E03HM|'''The Shooting Range #75''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 04:13 discusses the B1 bis and B1 ter.|4_cJ1CpEatw|'''Best gun depression''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 3:01 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==
Tanks of a similar appearance and usage:

* [[M3 Lee]] and both [[Grant I]]
* [[Churchill I]]

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
* ''other literature.''

{{France heavy tanks}}

B1 bis

2020-09-22T18:27:29Z

U51997491: /* Usage in battles */ Grammar, additional tips and tricks

{{Specs-Card|code=fr_b1_bis}}
{{About
|about=heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage=the pack version
|link=B1 ter
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_B1bis.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (Battle tank B1 "repeated") is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} French heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]]. With arguably the best armour at its BR, this tank is a beast in long-range engagements since it is hard to penetrate at distances. While not having the best armament, it should do the job taking care of these dangerous early SPGs and light tanks. The "bis" suffix is a French way of marking an improved version.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

In order to effectively use this tank's armour, there is a few things to consider. First of all, there ''a lot'' of shot traps, the main ones being the turret ring and the hull gun mount, in order to minimize your enemies' chance to hit these weak spots, stay away from them. Second, even if your armour is ''very strong'' for the BR, do not completely rely on it by sitting around in an open field: you will eventually get hit where it hurts. The third thing to consider is your small and thick turret: hide that big clumsy hull behind a hill and pop out only your hard "head", take a shot, fall back, reload, repeat. If something goes wrong (i.e. getting shot in the turret ring), there is usually enough men left to take the job left by their dead "camarade". Do not bother getting spotted: it is your job to stay in the enemies' sights while your lighter teammates do what they ought to. In some situations, it can even be used as a breakthrough tank, rely on your own experience to guess when it is time to do so.

When fighting the B1 bis, due to the extremely heavy frontal armor, one should try to use mobility to flank the B1. However, if that isn't possible, you'll want to try and hit the "mailslot" of the turret ring. It may be a tricky shot, but there's only ~40 mm of armor there.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull)
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 60 mm (7-62°) ''Front glacis'' 60 mm (32-48°) ''Lower glacis'' || 55 mm ''Center Mass'' 55 + 55 mm ''Border'' || 50 mm (1-47°) || 25 mm (77-89°)
|-
| Turret || 56 mm (0-46°) ''Turret front'' 56 mm (1-85°) ''Gun mantlet'' 56 mm (0-49°) ''Machine gun cover''|| 56 mm (2-19°) || 56 mm (18-19°) || 30 mm (62-89°)
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 48 mm || 30 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Lower turret ring armour 40 mm thick, while upper turret ring armour is 25 mm plus 40 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 20mm thick.
* Gun barrel is 15mm thick.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 396|rbMinHp= 272}}

This tank's mobility won't allow you to position fast enough. Taking time is the only way to get where you want safely. Since this tank is pretty long and narrow, do not engage in cramped spaces since you will not be allowed to manoeuvre as you wish. Your reverse speed won't allow you to retreat if things get bad around you, stay behind the frontlines, making good use of your armour.

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|SA35 L/17 (75 mm)}}

With the same gun as most other Rank 2 French tanks, the B1 bis will never be recognized for having a fearsome armament: penetration rates are even lower than most reserve tanks. The turreted armament is only good at firing light targets such as SPGs and light tanks. Elevation and depression angles are ''amazing'' but turret slewing rate is a bit slow: this tank has been designed to be hull-down. As for the hull-mounted gun, it should only be used as a close range defence device, as it has poor penetration rates and high drop. Exposing your hull-mounted gun for long range engagements does not only makes you vulnerable, it is also mostly ineffective.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[SA35 L/17 (75 mm)|75 mm SA35 L/17]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 74 || -20°/+25° || ±1° || N/A
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' ||3.2||3.9||5.4||6.0|| __.__
|-
| ''Realistic'' ||2.8||2.9||3.4||3.8|| __.__
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
|14.9||13.1||12.1|| __.__
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| Mle1910M || APHE || 57 || 55 || 52 || 47 || 44 || 37
|-
| Mle1915 || HE || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| Mle1910M || APHE || 500 || 6.4 || 1.2 || 25 || 90 || ° || 43° || 30° || 25°
|-
| Mle1915 || HE || 500 || 5.6 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 740 || +0° || 11° || 10° || 9°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_B1bis.png|right|thumbnail|350px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the B1 Bis.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |7th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |8th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |9th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |10th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |11th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |12th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |13th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |14th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |15th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''74''' || 68 ''(+6)'' || 64 ''(+10)'' || 62 ''(+12)'' || 60 ''(+14)'' || 56 ''(+18)'' || 53 ''(+21)'' || 38 ''(+36)'' || 36 ''(+38)'' || 25 ''(+49)'' || 23 ''(+51)'' || 21 ''(+53)'' || 14 ''(+60)'' || 9 ''(+65)'' || 3 ''(+71)'' || 1 ''(+73)'' || style="text-align:left" | no
|-
|}

=== Additional armament ===

{{main|SA35 L/32 (47 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[SA35 L/32 (47 mm)|47 mm SA35 L/32]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 50 || ±18° || ±180° || Vertical
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 8.09 || 11.20 || 13.6 || 15.04 || 16.00
|-
| ''Realistic'' ||4.5||4.5||8.5||||
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert Qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace Qualif.
|-
| 9.75 || 8.62 || 7.95 || 7.5
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| Mle1935 || APC || 69 || 67 || 57 || 48 || 27 || 24
|-
| Mle1935 HE || HE || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| Mle1935 || APC || 660 || 1.6 || N/A || N/A || N/A || ° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Mle1935 HE || HE || 590 || 1.4 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 143 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |7th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''50''' || 39 ''(+11)'' || 27 ''(+23)'' || 25 ''(+25)'' || 23 ''(+27)'' || 21 ''(+29)''|| 11 ''(+39)''|| 1 ''(+49)''|| style="text-align:left" | No
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 5,100 (150) || 1,350 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Char B1, upon playing it for the first time will be slow in both acceleration, max speed and turret rotation speed. The hull gun takes more work to aim than that of the turret because of the limited firing arc it has. In order to aim it to any reasonable extent, the entire tank must be turned. However, careful use of it will reward a skilled tanker with devastating firepower compared to other Tier I tanks, with its high penetration and explosive filler. The best way to play the B1 bis is to hold down a position, preferably hull down (as its turret is thick and small, it will ricochet most shots it will take). Playing the B1 bis well, there is only 3 ways to get killed:

* Being outflanked by a light tank
* The enemy has been lucky enough to get a shot through a shot trap
* Meeting a ''dangerous'' gun

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! Firepower
|-
| I
| Tracks
|
| Parts
| Horizontal Drive
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
| Adjustment of Fire
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| Elevation Mechanism
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
|
|
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Overall good armour

:* Very heavy frontal armor for its rank.
:* Strong turret from the front
:* Good at sidescraping (thick sides)
:* Nearly impenetrable hull when angled
:* Armour is quite thick and curvy at the driver's port area
:* The MAC 31's large drum can sometimes absorb shell fragments or smaller shells

* Decent firepower

:* One of the best in-game depression (-18°, turret gun)
:* Has 2 main armaments
:* A rare feature on French tanks: it has APHE ammunition.
:* MAC 31 coaxial MG
:* Turret gun has LOCK, which makes stop-and-shoot tactics effective.

'''Cons:'''

* Armour has many shot traps, easing the task of killing it

:* Fuel tank behind the grille lights up very often when penetrated.
:* Large turret ring is weak (25-40 mm poorly sloped)
:* Hull gun mount is a weak spot and can be penetrated by most guns of the tier.
:* Crew is cramped
:* Turret rear is only 38 mm thick
:* Has a tall and "thin" cupola
:* Literally has an hallway full of ammo in the back

* Guns feel lacking

:* Lacking penetration from both of its guns
:* Abysmal traverse on 75 mm gun (~1° left to right)
:* Slow reload on the 75mm
:* Only stock ammo choices
:* APHE shell won't detonate when shooting at light targets (25 mm or less armour)
:* Hull gun is hard to master (not beginner-friendly)

* Mobility is subpar

:* Not very mobile due to weight.
:* Slow hull turning rate
:* Reverse speed is low (-3km/h)

== History ==


Intended originally as a heavy infantry-support tank, the first prototype of the Char B dates back to January, 1929. Testing and altered design requirements led to the Char B1, which entered army service in late 1935. In total 35 of this earlier model had been built, but by the onset of war had been replaced in service. The successor B1 bis had heavier armor, a bigger engine, and a more powerful gun in a new turret (same as the Somua S35). Sophisticated and powerful for its time, it suffered from the one-man turret, poor communications, slow speed, a small operational radius, and difficulties in achieving mass production. The driver aimed and fired the bow-mounted howitzer and MG, which due to a lack of lateral traverse, had to be aimed by turning the tank. The complex steering system that enabled this, through a hydrostatically controlled auxiliary differential, proved particularly prone to breakdowns.

In May 1940, 243 B1 bis were deployed in combat units, out of 368 built. They formed the main striking force of France's four armoured divisions, with two battalions in each division, as well as five other independent tank companies (10 tanks per company).

In the 1940 Battle for France, only the German 88 mm guns could reliably defeat the B1 bis. Most were lost due to breakdown or fuel shortage.

161 B1 bis were captured by Germany, who replaced the 75mm with a flamethrower in 60 of them, which served in France, Holland (including at Arnhem), the Balkans and Crimea. Another 16 were converted to self-propelled 105mm howitzers. The Free French 13th Dragoons employed a squadron of 17 recaptured B1 bis in combat in 1945.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=france&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=heavy_tank&vehicle=fr_b1_bis Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|e1e7dEJigJQ|'''The Shooting Range #74''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:47 discusses the origins of the B1.|woJWg8E03HM|'''The Shooting Range #75''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 04:13 discusses the B1 bis and B1 ter.|4_cJ1CpEatw|'''Best gun depression''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 3:01 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
* ''other literature.''

{{France heavy tanks}}

FCM.36

2020-09-22T18:20:17Z

U51997491: /* Usage in battles */ Extra information

{{Specs-Card|code=fr_fcm_36}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{specs|name}}''' (Light support tank FCM.36) is a Rank {{specs|rank}} French light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]]. Though affectionately nicknamed the "Cone" due to the turret's shape, the FCM.36 was removed as a researchable vehicle from the main tech tree during [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]] after the ammo update that rendered its armament feeble, though it is still unlockable after reaching rank II French ground vehicles.

Generally speaking, the main reason you'd play the FCM.36 is so it can unlock better vehicles like the [[AMR.35 ZT3]] to have better firepower at the rank. Bearing the awful SA18 L/21 cannon as the main armament with 40 mm of armour all around and bad mobility, this tank resembles the [[H.35]] in many ways. However, the FCM.36 does have well-sloped armour for the rank to be a tad useful during long range engagements, but the underperforming gun makes the FCM.36 act more like a shield rather than a spear.

Compared to the reserve [[H.35]], the FCM.36 features a design with "better" armour and a more powerful engine, bringing the power ratio to a more manageable 12.4 HP/ton. With wider tracks than the H.35, this tank feels faster than other BR 1.0 French tanks. It turns quite smoothly and reaches its top speed fairly easily on road. 40 mm all around is enough to survive incoming rounds at long distances (~ 500+ m) but its bad angling makes it unreliable at close range, whereas your gun enters its actual combat ranges. Keeping the awful SA18 L/21 canon as the main armament, this gun is what makes an otherwise good tank so bad as it is. As the Devblog claims: "Wait Until You See The Whites of Their Eyes!", you will have to get up close and personal with this tank in order to penetrate another tank. With -17° of gun depression, this is actually a depressing gun.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 40 mm (25-37°) ''Front plate'' 40 mm (71°) ''Upper glacis'' 40 mm (25°) ''Lower glacis'' || 20 mm (45°) ''Top quarter (sponson)'' 8 mm (45°) ''Radiator grille'' 20 mm (0-8°) + 20 mm (43-45°) ''Upper quarter'' 20 mm (0-8°) + 20 mm (43-45°) + 20 mm (41°) ''Lower quarter'' 20 (0°) + 20 mm (36-41°) ''Bottom quarter'' || 20 mm (50-65°) ''Upper glacis'' 8 mm (65°) ''Radiator grille'' 20 mm (30-65°) ''Lower glacis'' || 15 mm (89°)
|-
| Turret || 40 mm (24-71°) ''Turret front'' 20 mm (4-45°) ''Gun mantlet'' 40 mm (18°) ''Cupola'' || 40 mm (12-28°) || 40 mm (36°) || 15 mm (77-89°)
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick while tracks are 30 mm thick.
* Belly armor is 12 mm thick.
* Turret ring is 34 mm thick.
* Gun barrel is 10 mm thick plus a small 25 mm thick sleeve.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 163|rbMinHp= 93}}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|SA18 L/21 (37 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[SA18 (37 mm)|37 mm SA18 L/21]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 102 || -17°/+20° || ±180° || Vertical
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 13.33 || 18.45 || 22.40 || 24.77 || 26.35
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 8.33 || 9.80 || 11.90 || 13.16 || 14.00
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| 4.03 || 3.56 || 3.28 || 3.10
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| Mle1937 || APCR || 36 || 33 || 24 || 16 || 8 || 5
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| Mle1937 || APCR || 600 || 0.5 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumbnail|250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''102''' || 43 ''(+59)'' || 1 ''(+101)'' || style="text-align:left" | Yes
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 3,000 (150) || 1,350 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

'''Bullet magnet''':

Sit down in an open field, angle yourself and stay at a good distance (500+ m) from any threat. Watch enemy shells ricochet of your armour, spot enemies for the team. Whenever a potent gun comes your way, '''flee''' and hope not to get shot at. Blind such big guns with your good MAC 31 coaxial machine gun and attempt a few shots on the move (big guns generally means poor armour at this BR).

If you intend to play in RB or SB, use brush or other objects to obscure your vehicle's outline, so that the enemy doesn't entirely know what you are, and therefore have a chance of not taking shots at your weak points such as your gun mantle or driver port.

One notable recent change is that due to the new volumetric shells, it is nearly impossible to hit the FCM.36's vulnerable turret ring. In addition, it is much harder to actually damage anything from shooting through the weak spot on the mantlet; The commander's right side is protected by the large drum of the MAC 31, and hits to his left will now often hit the breech. This makes the FCM much more well protected. Shots that penetrate will usually be absorbed by various parts inside the turret.

'''"Brawler":'''

''Never'' engage an enemy upfront: assist your allies in flanking manœuvres and don't bother stealing a score since it's all you can get with such a poor cannon. Feel free to turn you back anytime and flee when allies are lacking, go find friends and act as a bullet magnet for them as they attempt to flank enemies.

'''Not the size that matters its the technique'''

In the right hands, this tank can be used correctly to a degree. With practice with the gun and knowledge of enemy armour it can pen most enemy vehicles but anything above rank II tanks is nearly impossible to pen.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Tier
! colspan="2" |Mobility
!Protection
!Firepower
|-
|I
|Tracks
|
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|-
|II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire
|-
|III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism
|-
|IV
|Transmission
|Engine
|
|Artillery Support
|}

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Decent frontal armour with good sloping
* Relatively small
* -17° of depression
* Turret is 40 mm all-around
* Primitive "LOCK" stabiliser makes stop-and-shoot tactic easier.
* APCR can penetrate other tanks if aimed and used correctly

'''Cons:'''

* Very bad penetration
* As the same gun as the [[H.35]]
* Only 102 HP engine
* Max speed is 24 km/h
* Cannot angle properly without exposing a flat surface (driver's port)
* Only 2 crew members are cramped and lined-up makes one-shot easy
* Bad reverse speed : -3 km/h

== History ==

In 1934, the FCM company received an order from the French army to design a modern tank for their light tank regiments. FCM was an experienced tank manufacturer, having proved themselves with work on previous projects (such as the Char 2C and Char B1), and quickly developed a new light tank design. Just over a year after the initial wooden mockup was presented and approved by the Army, the first prototype was tested in April 1935. During the one year testing period, multiple changes were made to make the vehicle more reliable, lighter, and better protected.

In July 1936, the FCM 36 was declared the best of three competing vehicles (which included the Hotchkiss H35 and Renault R35), although all three vehicles were still produced. But due to the Rhineland crisis in May 1936, the FCM company received orders for 100 of the FCM 36 tanks before it was even proclaimed the winner of the competition. Production of the FCM 36 did not begin until 1937, after tests of an improved version failed to produce the desired results. The first FCM 36 tanks left the factory floor in May 1938, and joined the ranks of the Army the following year. After the initial order of 100 vehicles was fulfilled, production was discontinued in favour of the Char B1, (also manufactured by FCM).

During the Invasion of France in 1940, the 100 FCM 36s in service with the French army saw limited success against the latest German armour—most notably the Panzer III. Although both vehicles offered similar overall performance, long tank battles against the Panzer III often resulted with neither vehicle able to achieve a fatal blow against the other. Unfortunately, the welds of the FCM 36’s heavily angled and complex armour would eventually break from extensive and repeated battle damage, which left the Panzer III as the victor in the long run. During the German occupation, the FCM 36 was initially used by the German army as a training or reserve vehicle. In 1943/44, 37 captured FCM 36s were converted into tank destroyers or self-propelled artillery pieces.

''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5190-development-fcm-36-wait-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes-en Devblog]''

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|rpvKhy22Erc|'''The Shooting Range #85''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:54 discusses the FCM-36.|g4iFbrxQsj8|Attack of the Cones <nowiki>|</nowiki> War Thunder ''By: ConeOfArc''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5190-development-fcm-36-wait-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> FCM 36 - Wait Until You See The Whites of Their Eyes!]
* [http://www.chars-francais.net/2015/index.php/liste-chronologique/de-1930-a-1940?task=view&id=801 Char-francais page on FCM.36]

{{France light tanks}}

Pz.Sfl.Ic

2019-11-20T00:22:07Z

U51997491: /* Mobility */

{{Specs-Card
|code = germ_pzkpfw_II_ausf_H
|store = 4634
}}

== Description ==


The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.43]] as the ''Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. H'' (''Pz.II H'' for short) as part of the "Heavy Armor advanced pack". In [[Update_1.89_"Imperial_Navy"#Ground_vehicles_2|Update 1.89]], the vehicle was renamed to the current designation.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

Having 30 mm of frontal armour, this tank isn't made for the frontlines. The three crew members mean that 1-shot destruction is a common possibility. Worse still, this tank has no roof protection with the cloth covering being only cosmetic. Unfortunately, this also means that you are very vulnerable to aircraft attacks too. Your demure silhouette will let you easily hide in the small nooks and crannies of maps and lets you cover your entire tank with bushes for extra concealment.

=== Mobility ===

This vehicle has a horsepower-to-ton ratio of nearly 20 which translates to a very mobile and nimble tank. The top speed of 56 km/h is good but still pales in comparison next to the 90 km/h of the Puma armoured cars. However, it's tracks handle much better at high speeds than the Puma's wheels, and it is able to make far tighter turns and faster stops. The maximum reverse speed is 10 km/h, which for a tank is decent and will let you easily get out of perilous situations where other tanks of the rank struggle when retreating.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Mobility characteristics
|-
! Weight (tons)
! Add-on armour weight (tons)
! Max speed (km/h)
|-
| rowspan="2" | 10.5 || rowspan="2" | N/A
| 62 (AB)
|-
| 56 (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
|-
! Mode !! Stock !! Upgraded
|-
| ''Arcade'' || ??? || ???
|-
| ''Realistic/Simulator'' || ??? || 200
|-
! colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
|-
! Mode !! Stock !! Upgraded
|-
| ''Arcade'' || ??.?? || ??.??
|-
| ''Realistic/Simulator'' || ??.?? || 19.05
|-
|}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|PaK 38 (50 mm)}}

The PaK 38 is probably the best gun you can find at this battle rating range. The shells have decent penetration, good post pen damage and an incredible APCR round makes this tank able to punch way above its weight. Don't be afraid to take this tank into higher rank battles. Beware, though, it will struggle against the upper front plate of T-34s and Shermans, so remember their frontal weak spots. Not that you should be engaging those tanks frontally anyway. Always bring high explosive rounds, as the lack of any secondary armament makes lighter vehicles harder to fight effectively.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[PaK 38 (50 mm)|50 mm PaK 38]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Capacity
! Vertical guidance
! Horizontal guidance
! Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 40 || -5°/+18° || ±180° || N/A
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! Mode
! Stock
! Upgraded
! Prior + Full crew
! Prior + Expert qualif.
! Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || ??.?? || ??.?? || ??.?? || ??.?? || ??.??
|-
| ''Realistic'' || ??.?? || ??.?? || ??.?? || ??.?? || ??.??
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Stock
! Prior + Full crew
! Prior + Expert qualif.
! Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ??.?? || ??.?? || ??.?? || ??.??
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| PzGr 39 || APC || 95 || 92 || 76 || 61 || 49 || 39
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 126 || 119 || 83 || 53 || 34 || 21
|-
| PzGr 40/1 || APCR || 128 || 121 || 90 || 62 || 43 || 29
|-
| Sprgr. 38 || HE || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! rowspan="2" | Normalisation at 30° from horizontal
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| PzGr 39 || APC || 835 || 2.05 || 1.2 || 9.0 || 28.9 || +4.0° || 48° || ??° || 71°
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 1,130 || 0.9 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| PzGr 40/1 || APCR || 1,130 || 1.07 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| Sprgr. 38 || HE || 550 || 1.81 || 2.0 || 0.1 || 170 || +0.0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''40''' || ?? ''(+??)'' || ?? ''(+??)'' || ?? ''(+??)'' || ?? ''(+??)'' || ?? ''(+??)'' || ?? ''(+??)'' || ??
|-
|}

==== [[Optics]] ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} Optics
|-
!
! Default magnification
! Maximum magnification
|-
! Main Gun optics
| X1.9 || X3.5
|-
! Comparable optics
| colspan="2" | ???
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! colspan="2" | Firepower
|-
| I
| Tracks
|
| Parts
| Horizontal Drive
| PzGr 40/1
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
| Adjustment of Fire
| Airstrike
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| Elevation Mechanism
| PzGr 40
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
|
| Artillery Support
| Improved optics
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has a gun which will reliably penetrate pretty much any of its expected enemies
* Is very, very fast (Max speed off-road of around 56 km/h)
* Has a decent reload speed
* Has the scouting ability, can earn you some extra silver lions and valuable intel for your team
* Because of lack of armour, some shells will pass right through you
* Can change positions very quickly if needed
* Can get to the cap points and good positions early in the match

'''Cons:'''

* Weak armour - trade-off of speed for less weight
* Open top, planes can destroy the vehicle with machine guns when strafing very easily
* No stabiliser, which means that the gun will take a moment to settle after stopping the tank
* Has very bad depression angles
* If your tracks or engine are knocked out, you are a basically a sitting duck

== History ==
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

=== In-game description ===
In July, 1940 Armament Command ordered two light tank prototypes with enhanced weaponry from the company MAN. Rheinmetall-Borsig built the cannons and the bulkheads comprising the body.

In January, 1942 four tanks were produced and immediately sent to the Eastern Front as part of the 1st and 3rd squads of the 559 Antitank Battalion.

An open-top rotating hexagonal turret with no rear wall was installed. Its primary weapon was a 50mm KwK 39.

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Germany light tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}