Billotte’s ride
Despite the commonly held trope that the French did not fight during the Battle of France (May-June 1940) against the Germans, I give you the Battle of Stonne on 16 May.
There, Capt. Pierre Armand Gaston Billotte of the 1st Compagnie of the 41st Tank Battalion, used his Char B1 Bis tank nicknamed “Eure” in heavy action against the PzKpfw III and IV tanks of the German 8th Panzer Regiment, knocking out at least 13 of the Teutonic terrors on this day some 77 years ago today.
French “Char B1” heavy tank “EURE”. Destroyed 13 German tanks (2 Panzer IV’s and 11 Panzer III’s) during the Battle of Stonne (May 1940)
Eure was reportedly hit 140~ times by German guns, though they were not able to penetrate the 60mm armor of the Frank beast.
Billotte went on to escape the fall of France– after which the Germans eagerly pressed inherited Char B tanks into service as “Panzerkampfwagen B-2 740s.” He became assistant chief of staff of the French Army after liberation and later served as defense minister.