David Lehmann
06-01-2004, 07:46 PM
COMPOSITION OF A B1bis TANK BATTALION IN 1940 :
A French BCC (= Bataillon de Chars de Combat) equiped with B1bis heavy tanks in 1940 is grossly composed of :
o One HQ company :
1x Renault YS armored command car
3x VL = voiture de liaison = liaison car (Peugeot 402, Simca 5, Citroën 11BL, Renault Primaquatre)
1x VLTT Radio (Citroën-Kégresse P19 radio halftrack)
2x Radio light trucks
2x Light/medium trucks
3x Motorcycles (French reglementary 350 cm3 or Belgian Sarolée 650 cm3 motorcycles)
1x Motorcycle with side-car (René-Gillet G1 750 cm3)
1x Kitchen/food truck
o Three combat companies each with :
· HQ platoon :
1x VL = voiture de liaison = liaison car (Peugeot 402, Simca 5, Citroën 11BL, Renault Primaquatre)
1x VLTT = voiture de liaison tout terrain = liaison halftrack = Citroën-Kégresse P19 halftrack
1x Radio light truck
1x Light/medium truck
2x Motorcycles
· Three tank platoons :
1x company leader B1bis (with a radio)
- 1st platoon :
3x B1bis (with a radio for the platoon leader)
1x Motorcycle with side-car
1x Light/medium truck
- 2nd platoon :
3x B1bis (with a radio for the platoon leader)
1x Motorcycle with side-car
1x Light/medium truck
- 3rd platoon :
3x B1bis (with a radio for the platoon leader)
1x Motorcycle with side-car
1x Light/medium truck
· One "section d'échelon" (= supply platoon) :
6x Lorraine 37L TRC (= tracteur de ravitaillement en carburant = fuel supply tractor) carrying ammo in the skip and 565l fuel + oil reserves in the trailer tank
1x Fuel tank truck
1x Ammo truck
1x Radio light truck
1x Light/medium truck
1x Kitchen/food truck
2x Motorcycles
6x Motorcycles with side-car
(possibly 1x VL more)
o One "compagnie d'échelon" (= supply/repair company) :
- 1st platoon : services
3x Light/medium trucks
1x Ambulance truck
1x Kitchen/food truck
1x Fuel tank truck
3x Motorcycles with side-car
- 2nd platoon : repair/engineer
2x VLTT = voiture de liaison tout terrain = liaison halftrack = Citroën-Kégresse P19 halftrack
3x Light/medium truck
2x Motorcycles
3x Somua MCL5 tow trucks
3x 30t trailer (tank transporter)
9x Heavy trucks (Panhard, Renault, Rochet-Schneider)
- 3rd platoon : replacements
3x Replacement B1bis
2x Radio light truck
- 4th platoon : supplying/refuelling
1x VL
2x Motorcycles
5x Light/medium trucks
9x Heavy trucks (Panhard, Renault, Rochet-Schneider)
3x Heavy trucks carrying 50l fuel barrels
TOTAL :
1x Renault YS armored command car
7-10x VL = voiture de liaison = liaison car (Peugeot 402, Simca 5, Citroën 11BL, Renault Primaquatre)
5x VLTT = voiture de liaison tout terrain = liaison halftrack = Citroën-Kégresse P19 halftrack
1x VLTT Radio (Citroën-Kégresse P19 radio halftrack)
1x Ambulance truck
10x Radio light trucks
28x Light/medium trucks
18x Heavy trucks (Panhard, Renault, Rochet-Schneider)
4x Fuel tank trucks
3x Heavy trucks carrying 50l fuel barrels
3x Ammo trucks
5x Kitchen/food/supply trucks
18x Lorraine 37L TRC (= tracteur de ravitaillement en carburant = fuel supply tractor)
3x Somua MCL5 tow trucks
3x 30t trailer (tank transporter)
22x Motorcycles for liaison tasks (French reglementary 350 cm3 or Belgian Sarolée 650 cm3 motorcycles)
22x Motorcycles with side-car (René-Gillet G1 750 cm3)
33x B1bis tanks (3 companies of 10 tanks + 1 replacement tank)
The field repair/supply elements were organized at the battalion level in the French army in 1939-1940.
Until 1935/1937 most of the tank carriers were simply trucks with an embarcation ramp allowing the truck to carry the tank. This solution had been adopted in the 20's for strategical movements.
For the new light tanks (R35, FCM36, H35, H38, H39 ...) special lifting-transporter trucks (camions "leveurs-porteurs") were developped : the Berliet GPE 4 truck (only 32 produced) and the Willeme DW12A truck (only 5 produced). The theoretical strength was at first 3 lifting-transporter trucks for a battalion of 45 light tanks and later only 1 lifting-transporter truck complemented by 2 simple tank carrier trucks with no special device except a winch and an embarcation/disembarcation ramp (430 Bernard trucks had been ordered for that task but only 73 delivered).
Medium (D2, Somua S-35 ...) or heavy (B1 and B1bis) tanks needed a dedicated trailer towed by a tractor (Somua MCL5, Somua MCL6, Laffly S35T, Laffly S45T or Latil M4T). There were two types of trailers : 20t and 30t. These trailers are produced by Titan, Coder, Lagache & Glazmann ... Theoretically there should be one trailer for a company of 10 Renault B1bis and two trailers for a squadron of 20 Somua S-35 cavalry tanks. Only sixty 20t trailers and forty 30t trailers had been delivered to the French army. 300 White-Ruxtall 922 US tank carriers had also been ordered but only one vehicle could be delivered.
30t trailer characteristics :
- Weight : 10.5t
- Carry capacity : 30t
- Length : 9.15m
- Width : 2.68m
- Height : 0.83m.
From 1935 the typical tow truck was the Laffly MCL5, but this vehicle reached its limits with the B serie heavy tanks because of its only 90 hp engine. Therefore the Laffly S45T had been developped but only 12 vehicles were delivered, explaining that the Somua MCL5 was sometimes replaced by the Laffly S35T.
Laffly S45T characteristics :
- Weight : 8.2 t
- Length : 5.7 m
- Width : 2.25m
- Engine : 6232cc - 110 hp
- Maximum speed : 36 km/h
Laffly S35T characteristics :
- Weight : 8.05 t
- Length : 5.5 m
- Width : 2.35m
- Engine : 6232cc - 100 hp
- Maximum speed : 40 km/h
The Laffly S35 had been originally developped to tow the 155mm GPF, 155mm GPFT and 220mm C Mle1916 heavy mortar. Only 225 Laffly S35 had been delivered, 170 of them in the towing version with a winch. That means that the Somua MCL5 was still widely in use and that in the artillery units the heavy pieces were still mostly towed by vehicles like the Latil TARH2. All these wreckers should have been replaced by the huge Latil M4TX (8x8, 140 hp) but this one only rechaed the prototype level in 1940. The Latil M4TX could easily tow 100t, that is to say it could easily tow a B1bis tank with blocked or destroyed tracks.
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/Somua%20MCL5%20tow%20truck.jpg
Somua MCL5
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/Somua%20MCL5%20+%2030t%20trailer%20+%20Char%20B1bis.jpg
Somua MCL5 + 30t trailer + Renauklt B1bis (1.5t Citroën Type 23 truck behind)
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/30t%20trailer%20+%20B1bis.jpg
30t trailer + Renault B1bis
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/R40%20on%20truck.jpg
Renault R40 on trailer
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/fcm_36_02.jpg
FCM36 transported on a truck
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/Laffly%20S35_1.jpg
Laffly S35T with winch
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/S35T%20towing%20a%20220%20mm%20mortar.jpg
Laffly S35 towing a 220C Mle1916
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/Laffly%20S45T%20and%2030t%20trailer%20+%20B1.jpg
Laffly S45T + 30t trailer + B1 tank
About the fuel issue, each heavy tank company had the fuel required for "4 days" of operations without being supplied by units higher than the battalion level.
- "1 day" in the tanks of the company themselves (10x 400l for the 10 B1bis tanks)
- "1 day" thanks to the Lorraine 37L TRC of the company (6x565l = 3390l)
- "1 day" thanks to the fuel tank truck of the company (3600l)
- "1 day" for each combat company thanks to the fuel barrels provided by the battalion's supply company
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/Lorraine%2037L%20TRC%20(tracteur%20de%20ravitaillement%20de%20char%20=%20with%20a%20fuel%20tank)_1.jpg
Lorraine 37L TRC
Sources :
- F. Vauvilier et J.M. Touraine (Massin)
"1939-40 : L'Automobile sous l'uniforme"
- Stéphane Bonnaud et François Vauvillier (Histoire et Collections)
"Chars B au combat, hommes et matériels du 15e BCC"
Regards,
David
A French BCC (= Bataillon de Chars de Combat) equiped with B1bis heavy tanks in 1940 is grossly composed of :
o One HQ company :
1x Renault YS armored command car
3x VL = voiture de liaison = liaison car (Peugeot 402, Simca 5, Citroën 11BL, Renault Primaquatre)
1x VLTT Radio (Citroën-Kégresse P19 radio halftrack)
2x Radio light trucks
2x Light/medium trucks
3x Motorcycles (French reglementary 350 cm3 or Belgian Sarolée 650 cm3 motorcycles)
1x Motorcycle with side-car (René-Gillet G1 750 cm3)
1x Kitchen/food truck
o Three combat companies each with :
· HQ platoon :
1x VL = voiture de liaison = liaison car (Peugeot 402, Simca 5, Citroën 11BL, Renault Primaquatre)
1x VLTT = voiture de liaison tout terrain = liaison halftrack = Citroën-Kégresse P19 halftrack
1x Radio light truck
1x Light/medium truck
2x Motorcycles
· Three tank platoons :
1x company leader B1bis (with a radio)
- 1st platoon :
3x B1bis (with a radio for the platoon leader)
1x Motorcycle with side-car
1x Light/medium truck
- 2nd platoon :
3x B1bis (with a radio for the platoon leader)
1x Motorcycle with side-car
1x Light/medium truck
- 3rd platoon :
3x B1bis (with a radio for the platoon leader)
1x Motorcycle with side-car
1x Light/medium truck
· One "section d'échelon" (= supply platoon) :
6x Lorraine 37L TRC (= tracteur de ravitaillement en carburant = fuel supply tractor) carrying ammo in the skip and 565l fuel + oil reserves in the trailer tank
1x Fuel tank truck
1x Ammo truck
1x Radio light truck
1x Light/medium truck
1x Kitchen/food truck
2x Motorcycles
6x Motorcycles with side-car
(possibly 1x VL more)
o One "compagnie d'échelon" (= supply/repair company) :
- 1st platoon : services
3x Light/medium trucks
1x Ambulance truck
1x Kitchen/food truck
1x Fuel tank truck
3x Motorcycles with side-car
- 2nd platoon : repair/engineer
2x VLTT = voiture de liaison tout terrain = liaison halftrack = Citroën-Kégresse P19 halftrack
3x Light/medium truck
2x Motorcycles
3x Somua MCL5 tow trucks
3x 30t trailer (tank transporter)
9x Heavy trucks (Panhard, Renault, Rochet-Schneider)
- 3rd platoon : replacements
3x Replacement B1bis
2x Radio light truck
- 4th platoon : supplying/refuelling
1x VL
2x Motorcycles
5x Light/medium trucks
9x Heavy trucks (Panhard, Renault, Rochet-Schneider)
3x Heavy trucks carrying 50l fuel barrels
TOTAL :
1x Renault YS armored command car
7-10x VL = voiture de liaison = liaison car (Peugeot 402, Simca 5, Citroën 11BL, Renault Primaquatre)
5x VLTT = voiture de liaison tout terrain = liaison halftrack = Citroën-Kégresse P19 halftrack
1x VLTT Radio (Citroën-Kégresse P19 radio halftrack)
1x Ambulance truck
10x Radio light trucks
28x Light/medium trucks
18x Heavy trucks (Panhard, Renault, Rochet-Schneider)
4x Fuel tank trucks
3x Heavy trucks carrying 50l fuel barrels
3x Ammo trucks
5x Kitchen/food/supply trucks
18x Lorraine 37L TRC (= tracteur de ravitaillement en carburant = fuel supply tractor)
3x Somua MCL5 tow trucks
3x 30t trailer (tank transporter)
22x Motorcycles for liaison tasks (French reglementary 350 cm3 or Belgian Sarolée 650 cm3 motorcycles)
22x Motorcycles with side-car (René-Gillet G1 750 cm3)
33x B1bis tanks (3 companies of 10 tanks + 1 replacement tank)
The field repair/supply elements were organized at the battalion level in the French army in 1939-1940.
Until 1935/1937 most of the tank carriers were simply trucks with an embarcation ramp allowing the truck to carry the tank. This solution had been adopted in the 20's for strategical movements.
For the new light tanks (R35, FCM36, H35, H38, H39 ...) special lifting-transporter trucks (camions "leveurs-porteurs") were developped : the Berliet GPE 4 truck (only 32 produced) and the Willeme DW12A truck (only 5 produced). The theoretical strength was at first 3 lifting-transporter trucks for a battalion of 45 light tanks and later only 1 lifting-transporter truck complemented by 2 simple tank carrier trucks with no special device except a winch and an embarcation/disembarcation ramp (430 Bernard trucks had been ordered for that task but only 73 delivered).
Medium (D2, Somua S-35 ...) or heavy (B1 and B1bis) tanks needed a dedicated trailer towed by a tractor (Somua MCL5, Somua MCL6, Laffly S35T, Laffly S45T or Latil M4T). There were two types of trailers : 20t and 30t. These trailers are produced by Titan, Coder, Lagache & Glazmann ... Theoretically there should be one trailer for a company of 10 Renault B1bis and two trailers for a squadron of 20 Somua S-35 cavalry tanks. Only sixty 20t trailers and forty 30t trailers had been delivered to the French army. 300 White-Ruxtall 922 US tank carriers had also been ordered but only one vehicle could be delivered.
30t trailer characteristics :
- Weight : 10.5t
- Carry capacity : 30t
- Length : 9.15m
- Width : 2.68m
- Height : 0.83m.
From 1935 the typical tow truck was the Laffly MCL5, but this vehicle reached its limits with the B serie heavy tanks because of its only 90 hp engine. Therefore the Laffly S45T had been developped but only 12 vehicles were delivered, explaining that the Somua MCL5 was sometimes replaced by the Laffly S35T.
Laffly S45T characteristics :
- Weight : 8.2 t
- Length : 5.7 m
- Width : 2.25m
- Engine : 6232cc - 110 hp
- Maximum speed : 36 km/h
Laffly S35T characteristics :
- Weight : 8.05 t
- Length : 5.5 m
- Width : 2.35m
- Engine : 6232cc - 100 hp
- Maximum speed : 40 km/h
The Laffly S35 had been originally developped to tow the 155mm GPF, 155mm GPFT and 220mm C Mle1916 heavy mortar. Only 225 Laffly S35 had been delivered, 170 of them in the towing version with a winch. That means that the Somua MCL5 was still widely in use and that in the artillery units the heavy pieces were still mostly towed by vehicles like the Latil TARH2. All these wreckers should have been replaced by the huge Latil M4TX (8x8, 140 hp) but this one only rechaed the prototype level in 1940. The Latil M4TX could easily tow 100t, that is to say it could easily tow a B1bis tank with blocked or destroyed tracks.
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/Somua%20MCL5%20tow%20truck.jpg
Somua MCL5
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/Somua%20MCL5%20+%2030t%20trailer%20+%20Char%20B1bis.jpg
Somua MCL5 + 30t trailer + Renauklt B1bis (1.5t Citroën Type 23 truck behind)
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/30t%20trailer%20+%20B1bis.jpg
30t trailer + Renault B1bis
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/R40%20on%20truck.jpg
Renault R40 on trailer
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/fcm_36_02.jpg
FCM36 transported on a truck
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/Laffly%20S35_1.jpg
Laffly S35T with winch
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/S35T%20towing%20a%20220%20mm%20mortar.jpg
Laffly S35 towing a 220C Mle1916
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/Laffly%20S45T%20and%2030t%20trailer%20+%20B1.jpg
Laffly S45T + 30t trailer + B1 tank
About the fuel issue, each heavy tank company had the fuel required for "4 days" of operations without being supplied by units higher than the battalion level.
- "1 day" in the tanks of the company themselves (10x 400l for the 10 B1bis tanks)
- "1 day" thanks to the Lorraine 37L TRC of the company (6x565l = 3390l)
- "1 day" thanks to the fuel tank truck of the company (3600l)
- "1 day" for each combat company thanks to the fuel barrels provided by the battalion's supply company
http://spwawfiles.free.fr/Lorraine%2037L%20TRC%20(tracteur%20de%20ravitaillement%20de%20char%20=%20with%20a%20fuel%20tank)_1.jpg
Lorraine 37L TRC
Sources :
- F. Vauvilier et J.M. Touraine (Massin)
"1939-40 : L'Automobile sous l'uniforme"
- Stéphane Bonnaud et François Vauvillier (Histoire et Collections)
"Chars B au combat, hommes et matériels du 15e BCC"
Regards,
David