48056 40’ FRENCH TANK REPAIR CREW NO.1

The French army, joining the Second World War, was prepared and trained on the basis of the experiences resulting mainly from the Great War. Thus, it adhered to the defensive doctrine of war, which placed particular emphasis on the methodical preparation of operations, their careful planning, as well as ensuring the strongest possible artillery support. In this doctrine, armored weapons were perceived as support for infantry units, which was reflected in the French armored structures of that time - they focused primarily on thick armor, possibly strong armament, and maneuverability was treated rather of secondary importance. A great example is the Char B1 bis or Somua S-35 tanks. Fatal communication in French tanks turned out to be a big problem, as it was clearly inferior to the solutions used in the German army. A serious drawback in the period 1939-1940 was also the dispersion of the French armored forces among infantry divisions, and although statistically the French army had many more tanks than the Wehrmacht, it deployed fewer mechanized and armored divisions. Moreover, their organization and structure were inferior to those used in the German army.