This is an akward (sorry for my spelling) piece of machinery. I wonder how useful that 75mm hull mounted gun is when hiding behind an object to ambush an enemy tank.....
Nice pics again - thanks. There's something wrong though. This tank has an opening turret hatch and French markings but as I understand it, only the ones taken into German service were fitted with opening hatches - therefore, this must be a German version retro-painted in the French style.
. The 75 was not made to ambush other tanks , it was made to destroy pill boxes and bunkers , that tank is like the PZKW IV an infantry tank or assault tank , there was not much thought about tank on tank until pretty late , most thinking was assaulting heavy fortifications lines with infantry support the fast tanks , cruiser tanks etc etc were made for pursuit and exploitation , very much light cavalry style . .
Oh, that explains a lot of the placement of the 75mm. I still don't see the good thing with the whole design in the B1 it looks kind of a hasty drawing just to have something to use on the battlefield, but what the hell, still better than a wheelchair
. A lot of thought , by a lot of very smart people went into designing the wrong tank for the wrong war at a great cost to the taxpayers .
A couple of pics from my website: Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion forum
I think it came from Saumur, but it was parked by the entrance to Eurosatory 2006 to the north of Paris. Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion forum
B1Bis prowed their worth on the battlefield. For those who deride tanks like B1Bis (from this forum): After Action Reports involving Renault B1bis tanks in 1940 Battle of Flavion Battle of Stonne (15-17 May 1940) Pic's of EURE: http://www.chars-francais.net/archives/b_1bis/archive-b1bis_eure.htm Whatever happened to David?????
