For his military service in 1938, Jean Delpech asked to be assigned to the Armoured Cavalry. His request was refused for health reasons and he was sent to the 15^th Alpine Hunters Battalion, barracked in Barcelonnette. During the French campaign in 1940, he was confronted with the French Army’s powerlessness in the face of German tanks. The same year, he writes to his mother, telling her that he has asked to join the anti-tank defence. It seems that his request was not accepted as he stayed with the Alpine Hunters until he was demobilised. War tanks are a common theme in Jean Delpech’s work. He features them in several battle scenes, as key factors in their outcome. This dual relationship of fascination and repulsion is particularly evident in his depictions of “écorchés of tanks”, in which, like an entomologist, he “dissects” the vehicles, revealing their insides to beholders. Several such works, such as the “Courroux” Sherman tank (Inv. 2019.58.135) and the “Dinosaure” 105 mm self-propelled gun, (Inv. 2019.58.134) are published in L’Armée Française au Combat, no.5 in March 1946.