Char G1 - Tactical Function

Tactical Function

In 1939 the goal of the Char G1 project was no longer to provide tanks to be employed in organic infantry division battalions — for this rôle now the AMX 38 was planned, the Char d'accompagnement, that with its twenty tonne weight and 47 mm armament was indeed very close to the earlier "twenty tonne tank" concept — nor to replace the Char B1, as the threat of imminent war had dictated that most production capacity was to be used to increase the manufacture of existing types. In fact no official policy regarding the tactical function of some future Char G1 had been formulated. From a strategic point of view the only possible employment was during the third phase of the planned offensive campaign to defeat Germany: after the enemy would have been contained in 1940 with the help of the existing tank types and the Westwall would in 1941 have been either outflanked, or broken by the superheavy FCM F1, in 1942 or 1943 deep strategic exploitation by the new technologically superior Char G1 should have brought final victory.