August 15 to September 1, 1944
Page 17
Operation Dragon is the allied landing on the southern coast of France to successfully go up to Montelimar 125 miles north in less than 15 days. The US troops will approach Montelimar through Dieulefit.
Operation Dragoon was the code name for the landing operation of the Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France) on 15 August 1944. The goal of the invasion was to secure the vital ports on the French Mediterranean coast and increase pressure on the German forces by opening another front.
Hindered by total Allied air superiority and a large-scale uprising by the French Resistance, the weak German forces were swiftly defeated. The German forces withdrew to the north through the Rhone valley. Allied mobile units were able to overtake the Germans and partially block their route at the town of Montelimar. The battle was over by August 29, 1944.
The Germans were in full retreat abandoning so much equipment behind that was destroyed on the road. They could not progress quickly due to all the destroyed bridges, the resistance attacks behind their lines and the railways totally paralyzed and could not hold Dijon, they moved back north to their border.
The German had made plans to attack Dieulefit towards the end of August 1944 as they did in so many villages like Vassieux-en-Vercors and others. The rapid Allied advance is credited to have saved Dieulefit from this German attack. As seen above, the resistance blew off the bridge on the road from Montelimar to Dieulefit and prevented some lesser German forces to progress in that direction. Timing played a major role in saving the village from a German onslaught. Hidayat and his family along with all the inhabitants and the refugees were very lucky that instead of seeing the German army, they were able to welcome a huge parade of American troops who distributed chocolate to children. Inayat, Hidayat’s daughter, still remembers fondly the soldiers with her mother Lenny telling her that they were the “good” guys bringing them freedom.
On August 25, 1944, Paris was liberated and on August 26, 1944, mayor Colonel Pizot resigned from his position to be replaced by ex-mayor Justin Jouve, heading the new committee of liberation.
Index
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Operation Dragon
Operation Dragoon was the code name for the landing operation of the Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France) on 15 August 1944.
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Battle of Montelimar
To cut off the Germans and capture as many as possible, VI Corps commander Major General Lucian K. Truscott organized a mobile task force under his chief of staff, Brigadier General Frederick B. Butler, on 17 August. Its job was to drive north, link up with the French Resistance, and try to cut off General Friedrich Paul Wiese's retreating German Nineteenth Army.
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Bataille de Montelimar
The battle around Montélimar saw the heaviest fighting of the northerly advance.