The Germans renew their attack at daybreak with repeated air and tank attacks. The French are finding it harder and harder to maintain ammunition supplies.

Along the Ailette, at Coucy and Anizy-le-Château, the 7th and 28th Divisions put up fierce resistance but suffer heavily. Gradually the defense gives way. The Germans move on in the direction of Soissons and Vailly. Since the position is becoming untenable in the afternoon, Gen Touchon decides to pull his forces back to the Aisne during the course of the night.

On the far left, in the 10th Army sector, there are early reports of faltering. Despite the High Command's categorical orders to 'hold on without thought of withdrawal'. The British 51st Division under Gen Fortune falls back on to the Bresle under pressure from the enemy. The French 31st Division, which was holding the waterways of Abbeville on its right, is caught up in the withdrawal. Orders are sent to Gen Altmayer to do everything to re-establish the position along the Bresle. Pétiet's groupement de maneuvre is placed at his disposal. This unit makes a vigorous intervention in the Poix area, but is unsuccessful in freeing the encircled strongpoints. By evening the Army Commander wants to engage the remains of the 5th Cavalry Division in the same area, but is not able to bring it up in time. As a result, he is compelled to deploy the reserves in the second defensive position.

It is in the center, in the sector held by Frère's 7th Army, that the situation is at its worst, as a result of the faltering of the 6th Army along the Ailette. In front of Péronne, where the 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions are operating, the Germans - reported to be nearing Roye the day before - have enlarged the pocket stretching toward Ham and Harbonnières. French bombers make three attempts to upset these formations, but they meet with little success. The 1st Armored Division, now reduced to one battalion of 'B' tanks and one battalion of 'R.35' tanks, tries to intervene. Having no air support, however, it suffers heavy attacks by enemy dive-bombers. At 11am the armored division is force to fall, having lost half its total strength.

At 6pm the Commander-in-Chief sends his congratulations to the 6th, 7th and 10th Armies on the fine bearing of the troops and asks them to resist with the same obstinacy along the second position. 'The battle is only just beginning,' he says. 'We must not lose a minute in organizing, perfecting, encouraging.'

By the evening of June 6th, however, the 3rd Group of Armies is falling back along the whole front. The 10th Army is withdrawing to the Bresle, the 7th toward Davenescourt and Ribécourt, the 6th toward the Aisne between Attichy and Vailly. Nothing is lost yet. The battle will have to be continued in depth, but there are no reserves. Also, the second defensive position is unfortified.

'Thus,' writes Gen Weygand, 'at the end of the second day the enemy was forcing us to conduct the battle quite differently from the way we had planned. The system of defense as originally laid consisted of holding on along the Somme-Aisne line by means of unlimited resistance from strongpoints that were to go on fighting even if overrun or encircled.'