When the front of the attack, launched by the Germans, on July 15, became known to the French Higher Command, a Light Regiment of tanks, consisting of the 4th and 6th Battalions, was hurriedly dispatched from the Sixth French Army area to the Fourth Army east of Reims. The 5th Battalion engaged one company with the 73rd Infantry Division of the Sixth French Army in the recapture of Janvier wood, south of Dormans, on July 15, and two companies on July 16 and 17, in “mopping up” in the direction of Bois de Conde, east of Château-Thierry.
When it was realised that the German attack east of Reims had failed, the 4th and 6th Battalions were hurriedly transported by road, between July 16 and 19, south of the Marne, south-west of Reims, to take part in local counter-attacks. These attacks were entrusted to the Ninth French Army, which had taken over command of all French troops south of the Marne, and had at its disposal the 4th, 5th, and 6th Light Tank Battalions, and two companies of heavy tanks, which had been rapidly sent up by train from St. Germaine between Epernay and Reims.
Two sections of the 4th Light Battalion were engaged on July 18 with two battalions of the 7th Infantry Regiment; two on July 20, with the 97th and 159th Regiments; and one on the 19th, with the 131st Division--all in the neighbourhood of the Bois de Leuvrigny south of the Marne. Later, on July 23, sections of the 4th Battalion were employed with British troops--the 186th Infantry Brigade in the attack on Marfaux and with the 56th and 60th Battalions of the chasseurs-à-pied at Connetreuil, whilst, on the same date, two sections of the 6th Battalion attacked with units of the 15th British Division between Espilly and Marfaux, and two more were employed unsuccessfully with the 37th Infantry Regiment against Fauants farm.
So ends the account of the tank actions in the battle of Soissons.
This great victory, from a tank point of view, had a stupendous influence on succeeding operations, owing to:
(i) The eagerness with which Infantry Commanders now clamoured for tanks.
(ii) The speeding up of the formation and training of new tank battalions.
From this date on, battalions of Renault tanks became available at the rate of one a week; this resulted in tired battalions being speedily replaced by fresh ones, consequently they were never so completely worn out as was the case in the British Tank Corps, which only received two fresh battalions between August and November 1918, one of which arrived too untrained ever to go into action.