Char B1 (bis)

This model is a 15mm (1/100 scale) resin and metal offering from Battlefront. They sell it as a flame-throwing beutepanzer (captured tank in German service), but fortunately they also provide the original 75mm hull-mounted howitzer so that I could return it to French service.

The Char B1 (bis) was a French heavy tank, designed between the wars in the early '30s along WW1 lines. It was a potent fighting vehicle for its day, but let down by antiquated design and tactical principles. After the fall of France in 1940, the Germans (as was their habit) inducted quite a few of them into their own second-line forces. The Char B1 was often refitted as a flamethrower tank, replacing the hull 75mm howitzer with the flamethrower nozzle.

I rather like this French 3-colour camouflage scheme, but I thought I had painted it better before I saw it in the harsh glare of close-up photography.  Apart from anything else, the green is too viridian, especially in the photo — it does look a little better in real life, but it really should be a bit more olive.

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Note:  that cylindrical thing with the two lugs one the top of the hull just in front of the exhaust pipes is actually supposed to be the front-right idler axle. I've since moved it to where it's supposed to be.