3e DLM An advance by the 3e DLM, to screen the right flank of the British force was also poorly prepared with insufficient liaison, the French not being told of the timing and direction of the British attack. In the confusion an exchange of
fire occurred between the French SOMUA S35s and British anti-tank guns near
Warlus. An anti-tank gun was knocked out, British soldiers were killed and several French tanks hit before the mistake was discovered. During the evening, the French force, with about six SOMUAs, engaged south of
Duisans. British troops were retreating and by the time the German tanks broke through, the British had escaped.
Right Column The time taken by the infantry to reach the assembly points for the attack, through the refugee traffic on the roads, left little time to study their orders or reconnoitre.
Marœuil was being bombarded when the 50th (Northumbrian) Motor Division began the advance. The Right Column advanced at and received small-arms fire from a wood. The column had to fight through Duisans, which was occupied by German infantry. French tanks on the right reported tanks of of the 7th Panzer Division to the west. Two companies of the 8th DLI and two troops of the 260th Anti-Tank Battery were left to garrison the village and then the depleted column captured Warlus against stronger opposition and had to leave another garrison behind.
Berneville to the south was also captured and a party of the 7th RTR and 8th DLI pressed on to the Arras–Doullens road, where they met part of and troops of the
SS-Totenkopf Division. The British were forced under cover by machine-gun and mortar fire and the attacked the Right Column for twenty minutes.
Junkers Ju 87 belonging to I, and III ,
Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 dive-bombed British forces at Arras. I
Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 is known to have bombed infantry positions north of Arras. The tanks kept going and then reached Wailly, where they met troops of the Division. The advanced guard suffered many casualties, retreated to Warlus and German tanks counter-attacked at Warlus and Duisans. The German attacks were repulsed but managed to cut the road between the villages and the Right Column was unable to advance further.
Left Column The Left Column also met resistance as soon as it advanced and fought its way through at
Dainville. Another further on at
Achicourt, six Matildas overran a line of anti-tank guns and then the column kept going to
Agny and
Beaurains, before a party reached
Wancourt on the Cojeul. Infantry garrisoned Agny and Beaurains and the 4th RTR repulsed German counter-attacks by tanks and , on the right flank of the 7th Panzer Division; the British then took ground south of Beaurains. Fighting went on all afternoon between Mercatel and
Tilloy, where the tanks ran into a line of
anti-aircraft guns and artillery, including
88 mm Flak guns and many of the tanks were knocked out. Individual tanks kept going but there were no reserves to consolidate and exploit the success and the advance was stopped in mutually-costly fighting. To the east of Arras, the
150th Infantry Brigade attacked across the Scarpe towards Tilloy and the 13th Infantry Brigade captured a bridgehead further east, ready for the second phase of the attack by Frankforce.
7th Panzer Division was attacked while advancing towards Agny by a British column advancing from Dainville, which knocked out several vehicles; more British tanks attacked from the north and caught the regimental convoys strung out along the road on their right flank. (42nd Anti-Tank Battalion) was rushed up to the area between Agny and Beaurains, but was overrun by the British tanks. After breaking through , they attacked the transport of between Mercatel and Ficheux and then pressed on, throwing the motorised Division into confusion and almost overrunning its headquarters. When the British tanks broke through the German anti-tank screen, the infantry stood their ground, encouraged by Rommel, even after the British tanks had rolled over their anti-tank guns. At around (German time) II Battalion, was attacked by about 40 British tanks, which were engaged by artillery on Hill 111, roughly north-west of Wailly. German guns knocked out several Matilda I tanks. Some larger Matilda II tanks among the Matilda Is advanced through the artillery and anti-tank fire unscathed, German shells bouncing off their armour. The tanks destroyed the German anti-tank guns with return fire and rolled over them, killing the crews. The British tanks were eventually stopped short of Hill 111 by fire from another artillery battery but other tanks bypassed the area on both sides. On the southern flank of the 7th Panzer Division, the Division was attacked and some SS troops fled in panic.
Allied retirement The maximum depth of the British advance was ; had been taken, many tanks and much equipment had been destroyed but two Matilda IIs had been knocked out. Only were still operational and both tank battalion commanders had been killed; during the evening, Franklyn ordered both columns to withdraw. French cavalry remained near Warlus, was surrounded during the night and only a few tanks managed to break out. The infantry of the Right Column in Warlus were rescued, because six French tanks arrived with two armoured infantry vehicles and broke out through the German position on the Warlus–Duisans road. The garrison in Duisans also retired after dark, in the
Bren carriers of the 9th DLI, covered by the anti-tank guns of the brigade reserve in Marœuil. The Left Column troops in Agny and Beaurains were bombed and then attacked by tanks as they retreated, one party missing the road (and eventually reaching Boulogne). The 7th Panzer Division
laagered overnight south of Dainville, with advanced parties of infantry close to the south bank of the Scarpe. ==Aftermath==