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 May 13, 1918, and which took part in the two world wars, the Russian Civil War, the Indochina war, and the Algerian war.

501st Combat Tank Regiment
501^e Régiment de chars de combat
Regimental Insignia of the 501^e RCC
Active	1918 – present
Country	France
Branch	French Army
Part of	2nd Armoured Brigade 3rd Division
Engagements	World War I World War II First Indochina War Lebanese Civil War Multinational Force in Lebanon War on Terror (2001–present)
Battle honours	Aisne (1918) Soissonnais (1918) Champagne (1918) Belgique (1918) El-Alamein (1942) Paris (1944) Strasbourg (1944)
Commanders
Notable commanders	Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque

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 June 23, 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 April 16, 1917, 132 Schneider CA1 mount an assaut 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 May 20, 1918.

the 501^e RAS, designated RCC, would be the first unit formed with the new organization of the armoured troops in the beginning og 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 February 19 and March 18, 1918 and equipped with Renault FT. the 3rd battalion, formed on March 27, was initially assigned to the 508^e Régiment de chars de combat 508^e RCC then transferred to the 501^e RCC since May 29, 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.[1] On May 13, 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, then Strasbourg and finished the events of campaign series engagements on May 5, 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 in September 1, 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 September 1, 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 August 31, 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 June 23, 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

Insignia

Insignia type 1.

Regimental Colors

Regimental Colors of the 501^e Régiment de chars de combat, 501^e RCC.

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.

Honours

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

See also

• 31st Brigade

References

1. D. Bullock and A. Deryabin, Armored Units of the Russian Civil War: White and Allied, p. 13. Arthur Adams, Bolsheviks in the Ukraine, pp. 192-212 for the context.

Bibliographies

• Général Serge Andolenko, Recueil d'historique de l'arme blindée et de la cavalerie, Paris, Eurimprim, 1968.
• Adrien Bélanger, Auteur en autoédition - ISBN 2-9523027-1-5, 344 pages A5 - dépôt légal de septembre 2005 - Pour aller délivrer mes frères - Louis Michard (Chamblet, Allier [1914]- Grussenheim, Alsace [1945]- Compagnon de la Libération - 501e RCC de la 2e DB).
• 501e régiment de chars de combat. Le chemin le plus long Chronique de la compagnie de char de combat du général de Gaulle (1940–1945). (Éditions Maisonneuve & Larose)
• Avec les chars d'assaut Marcel Fourier. Hachette, 1919 (Témoins, p.|308-310)
• Sturmpionier - Passion histoire et militaria guerre 14-18. Au sommaire du numéro 52 (février/mars/avril 2011).