503e Régiment de chars de combat

503e Régiment de chars de combat
Regimental Insignia of the 503e RCC
Active	1918 – 2009
Country	France
Branch	French Army
Motto(s)	« Feux et foi »(Fr) « Du chic et du cran »(Fr)
Engagements	World War I World War II
Battle honours	Soissonnais 1918 Montdidier 1918 Bataille de l'Aisne (1918) La Lys 1918

« Feux et foi »(Fr)

The 503^e régiment de chars de combat 503^e RCC in French, (503^e R.C.C, or 503rd Combat Tank Regiment) was an armoured tank unit of the French Army created on June 4, 1918 and which took part in the two world wars. The regiment merged with the 501^e Régiment de chars de combat 501^e RCC to form the 501^e-503^e Régiment de chars de combat 501^e-503^e RCC, a unit equipped with 80 Leclerc tanks. The regiment was dissolved on June 23, 2009.

The 503rd Special Artillery Regiment issued from the assault artillery was created in 1916. Enacted on June 4, 1918 by the merger of three Light Tank Battalions each formed of three artillery groups.

The regiment was engaged in the battle of the Marne to cover the pocket of Château-Thierry. In three days of combat in the Soissonnais, the battalions contributed 40 hours of march out of which 30 in combat. The regiment was accordingly sent to Picardie and was successful at Montdidier. In August 1918, making way back to Soissons, the regiment participated within the cadre and corps of the 10^e Armée to the counter-attack of Mangin. While clearing Soissons, the three battalions adopted Vauxaillon as a marching axe and pushed back towards Chemin des Dames. From October to November 1918, the regiment was seen ending campaign in la Lys in Belgium.

During dissolution on August 25, 1939, the 503^e RCC gave formation to four combat tank battalions which were ventilated into different tank groups:

The newly redesignated GBC 503 was constituted of the three light combat tank battalions, all of which were assigned to the 2^e Armée:

On May 10, 1940, two battalions of GBC 503 equipped each with 45 FCM 36, were deployed within proximity of verrou de Stonne and in Argonne. The 4^e BCL and 7^e BCL battled to clear the encircled French infantry. Both battalions disappeared. On the 9 and 10, the 4^e BCC combat engaged on Aisn, Voncq, in front of Vouziers and South of Ardennes.