In May 1940, B1 bis tanks stood in the way of German armies determined to strike a crushing against France on her own soil. Introduced as an upgraded version of the original Char B1, which was developed in the nineteen twenties, the B1 bis entered production in 1937. The rivet-joined hull mounted a short-barrelled 75mm howitzer, while a small, one-man turret carried a longer-barrelled 47mm tank gun. The B1 bis was one of the most heavily armoured tanks of its time, with plating that was 60mm thick in places, more than capable of defending against anti-tank fire such as that from 37mm Pak guns. The B1 bis could more than hold its own against individual German tanks, and was greatly feared by enemy soldiers who encountered it.

About the Model

• 1/35 scale assembly model of the French B1 bis
• Realistically depicts tank's tall profile, 75mm gun and side armour panels covering suspension mechanisms
• Hull parts are made using slide moulding and feature accurately depicted hex bolts
• Newly-designed track parts require no cement to assemble and snap together easily by hand
• Commander's and driver's periscopes are moveable, as is the 75mm main gun
• Choice of two types of fenders and exhausts, combined with 4 sets of markings allows construction of each possible combination
• Includes realistic metal tow-chain, and 1 tank commander figure
• Comes with colourful painting guide and four types of marking decals
• Reverse side of painting guide features an exciting article about the exploits of B1 bis tanks facing German Panzers