destroyed most of the machine-gun nests. The German infantry of the 10th Company, IR 217 ran when they saw that the had little effect on the French heavy tanks, claiming to have been attacked by French bombers and Char 2C (giant tanks). When the Char B1s continued their advance towards the Abbeville bridges, French infantry failed to keep up; indecision led the French tank crews to retire at dusk to their jumping-off positions and regroup. Eighteen Char B1s had been put out of action, three of which were repaired during the night. The German 9th Company, in reserve, was ordered to counter-attack immediately on the west flank of the French penetration, to close the gap and destroy the French forces which had broken through. While the company was concentrating near Caumont, it was surprised by the arrival of a new wave of French tanks of the 44e BBC, a R35 tank battalion. The company engaged the tanks with four Pak 36 anti-tank guns but one was destroyed by from a R35, another was smashed by a tank and the crews of the other two were killed by machine-gun fire from the tanks. The German company was overrun but the French infantry failed to keep up and the tanks retreated during the night. The , a cavalry unit was attached to the and at about attacked the eastern flank of the bridgehead with its Hotchkiss tanks, joined by the SOMUA S35s around The tanks had great difficulty overcoming French barricades at Bellevue and were harassed by accurate German howitzer fire, which could crack the deck armour with direct hits. At about the tanks retired, having lost ten SOMUA S35s knocked out and thirteen Hotchkiss tanks which had broken down, suffered suspension damage or ditched. By the time that most of the French armour had withdrawn, the French infantry had advanced about into the bridgehead, more than half the distance to the bridges and taken about two hundred prisoners. The German III Battalion on the eastern flank had been routed, spreading panic in the Caubert area with tales of French (monsters) and (steel fortresses). It was estimated that only about 75 men still had sufficient morale to defend themselves and the bridgehead collapsed, as the western flank had to be withdrawn to avoid it being encircled, reducing the area held by the Germans to about a sixth of its original extent. Whilst