Although the Char B1 bis was already a powerful tank, the French wanted to upgrade it to stay at the forefront of armor development.

At the start of the war, Germany had roughly 3,200 tanks, while France had some 4,000. Nearly 800 of France's arsenal were Char B1 or B1 Bis variants.

Summary: In May 1940, during intense fighting in Stonne, France, the Char B1 bis tank “Eure,” commanded by Capt. Pierre Billotte, showcased the formidable capabilities of French armor against ...

Suddenly, a squat green tank lumbered around a street block directly before of the German unit. This was Eure, a 31.5-ton Char B1 bis tank commanded by Capt. Pierre Billotte.

Famous French tanker, Captain Pierre Billotte, commanded a B1 Bis tank named Eure in this battle. Here is the story of tank battle at Stonne.