501e Régiment de chars de combat
# 501e Régiment de chars de combat

The $501^e$ Régiment de chars de combat $501^e$ RCC in French, $(501^e$ R.C.C, or 501st Combat Tank Regiment) is an armoured tank unit of the French Army created on 13 May 1918, and which took part in the two world wars, the Russian Civil War, the Indochina war, and the Algerian war.

The regiment participated to the campaigns of Free France, then the liberation of Europe at the corps of the 2nd Armoured Division $2^e$ DB of général Philippe François Marie Leclerc de Hauteclocque.

Merged with the $503^e$ Régiment de chars de combat $503^e$ RCC to form the $501^e-503^e$ Régiment de chars de combat $501^e-503^e$ RCC, the regiment was redesignated as $501^e$ RCC on 23 June 2009.

## Creation and different nominations

* 1916 : creation of the assault artillery.
* 1918 : creation of the 501st Special Artillery Regiment (French: $501^e$ Régiment d'artillerie spéciale, $501^e$ RAS).
* 1920 : became the $501^e$ régiment de chars de combat $501^e$ RCC.
* 1939 : the regiment became the 501st Tank Battalion Group (French: $501^e$ Groupe de bataillons de chars, $501^e$ GBC).
* 1940 : dissolution of GBC
* 1940 : 1st Tank company of Free France.
* 1943 : creation of the $501^e$ RCC.
* 1944 : merged with the $503^e$ RCC, was designated as $501^e-503^e$ RCC.
* 2009 : dissolution of GE 503, regiment redesignated as $501^e$ RCC.

## History

### World War I

On 16 April 1917, 132 Schneider CA1 mounted an assault on Berry-au-Bac. Considered the first mounted tank assault in times. From this tank groupment, the 501st Assault Artillery Regiment (French: $501^e$ Régiment d'artillerie d'assaut, $501^e$ RAS.) was created on 20 May 1918.

the $501^e$ RAS, designated RCC, would be the first unit formed with the new organization of the armoured troops in the beginning of 1918.

Initially composed of the first Groupment of Schneider tanks and of the 1st and 2nd battalions of light tanks, (the $1^{er}$ and $2^e$ BCL), created respectively on 19 February and 18 March 1918 and equipped with Renault FT. the 3rd battalion, formed on 27 March, was initially assigned to the $508^e$ Régiment de chars de combat $508^e$ RCC then transferred to the $501^e$ RCC since 29 May 1918.

Each light tank battalion was composed of three companies numbered from the 301.

### Interwar period

The $501^e$ was engaged in outre-mer at the corps of the army of the Orient. The 303rd Company of the 501st supported French and Greek forces around Odesa and Kherson, where they fought Nikifor Hryhorev's partisans. On 13 May 1920 the 501 was designated as the 501e Régiment de chars de combat.

### World War II

With the outbreak of the World War II, the regiment formed four combat tank battalions: the $1^e$ and $2^e$ BCC were respectively issued from the 1st and 2nd battalions of the $501^e$ RCC and each comprised 45 Renault R35 tanks while the $30^e$ and $31^e$ BCC were respectively formed and equipped of 63 FT tanks from the reserves. While the $1^e,$ $2^e$ and $31^e$ BCC remained at the corps of GBC 501 and were assigned to the Vth Army, the $30^e$ BCC joined the GBC 502 of the IIIrd Army. These companies were engaged individually.

With the $342^e$ autonomous company back from Narvik out of which a dozen of volunteers joined the Free France, the 1st autonomous tank company of Free France was formed.

The company later served within the ranks of the VIIIth British Army, equipped with British combat Crusader tank. This company was part of the "colonne volante" with the 1st Spahi Regiment.

Two other companies created in 1940 and 1941 merged then with the later to constitute a regiment (the regiment was articulated accordingly into four combat companies).

After having joined the United Kingdom with the 2nd Armoured Division $2^e$ DB, in April 1944, the $501^e$ embarked on August 3 to the Bancs de Grande Vey, on the north-east coast of Carentan. The regiment partook in the liberation of Paris, the tank battle of Dompaire, then Strasbourg and finished the events of campaign series engagements on 5 May 1945. The American command awarded the regiment, the « U.S. Presidential Unit Citation ».

* $1^{er}$ BCC
* $2^e$ BCC
* $31^e$ BCC
* Général Leclerc holding talks with soldiers of the $501^e$ RCC.

### 1945 to present

Formed on 1 September 1945, a marching company embarked for Indochina.

The regiment was engaged in Central Europe, Senegal (1982), Lebanon (1984), Central African Republic (since 1985) and Yugoslavia.

On 1 September 1990 the chef d'état major de l'armée de terre CEMAT, created from the $4^e$ Régiment de dragons $4^e$ RD and the $503^e$ Régiment de chars de combat, a regiment composed of 80 Leclerc tanks in two squadron groups (GE).

On 31 August 1994 the $501^e$ Régiment de chars de combat was dissolved. Simultaneously, the squadron group of the $4^e$ RD was designated squadron group 501. This evolution was remarked in the order of battle of the French Army, the $501^e-503^e$ Régiment de chars de combat.

On 23 June 2009 the 503 GE was dissolved and formed a fourth combat squadron in the corps of the $501^e$ which became the $501^e$ RCC. Accordingly, the regiment was integrated at the corps of the 2nd Armoured Brigade $2^e$ BB.

## Traditions

### Regimental Song

Dans le vent, la pluie et l'orage Chevaux de fer monstres d'aciers canons pointés Meilleur des chars toujours avec courage Marche au combat sous les rafales avec fierté

Au 501 soyons toujours fidèles De la DB les cœurs plus valeureux Faisant flotter cette devise belle Nous resterons toujours fiers et heureux

Prends garde aussi devant sa lunette Un jour tu passe il restera trois secondes Pour qu'a jamais ta propre vie s'arrête Le béret noir t'envoie dans l'autre monde

L'éternité te sera moins pénible Tu te diras ce n'est pas le hasard C'est sans retour si l'on devient la cible Du 501 toujours premier des chars

Au baroud après la bagarre Si tu reviens avant de partir au pays Tête levée pense à ton étendard Car son serment d'Afrique n'a plus jamais trahi

Pense à celui qui reste sur la piste Dans la fournaise le cœur dans sa tourelle S'en est allé la haut vers les tankistes Pour que la vie soit ici moins cruelle

### Decorations

The regimental colors of the $501^e$ RCC are decorated with:

* Croix de guerre 1914–1918 with :
   * 2 palms titled to the 1st Light Tank Battalion of the 501st Special Artillery Regiment
* Croix de guerre 1939–1945 with:
   * 2 palms
* Croix de la Libération.

Fourragere:

* The regiment is entitled to bear wearing the fourragere with colors of the Croix de guerre 1914–1918 with olive colors of the Croix de guerre 1939–1945 and colors of the Croix de la Libération.
* Fourragere with colors of the Croix de guerre 1914–1918 and olive colors of the Croix de guerre 1939–1945.
* Fourragere with colors of the Ordre de la Libération.

In 1939, six companies were entitled to wear the fourragere with colors of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918. In total, 15 palms were awarded to six companies. Three companies of the 3rd battalion of the $501^e$ RCC were awarded the fourragere cited at the orders of the Médaille militaire for four citations at the orders of the armed forces.

### Battle Honours

* Aisne (1918)
* Soissonnais (1918)
* Champagne (1918)
* Belgique (1918)
* El-Alamein (1942)
* Paris (1944)
* Strasbourg (1944)

## Regimental Commanders

| (1918–1976) 1918 : chef d'escadrons then lieutenant-colonel Velpry 1939 : colonel Salvagnac 1958 : lieutenant-colonel de Torquat 1961 : Lalo 1963 : Fournier 1965 : Y. Michaut 1968 : Philiponnat 1970 : Lewin 1972 : de la Rochette de Rochegonde | 1974 : Courtois 1976 : Espieux 1978 : Arnold 1980 : Bouche 1982 : Genest 1984 : Guinard 1986 : Roux 1988 : de Fontaine 1990 : Aumonier 1992 : colonel Cuche |
| - | - |
| GE 501 (1976–1994) 1994 : Vauvillier 1996 : Proust 1998 : de Castelbajac 2000 : Maguin 2002 : Temporel 2004 : Pesqueur 2006 : Bossion 2008 : Gelfi | $501^e$ RCC (1994–present) 2009 : Nimser 2010 : Reichert 2012 : Charpy 2014 : Mary |
