In the meantime, the Germans tried to continue with the evacuation through Lyon. The 11th Panzer Division started several feint attacks toward Aix-en-Provence to discourage any further Allied advance. All agreed to support Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy. Pushing forward, the final plan for Operation Dragoon was approved on July 14, 1944. Given the precarious situation, Adolf Hitler moved away from his "no step backwards" agenda and agreed to an OKW plan for the complete withdrawal of Army GroupsG and B. 08-02-2010, 07:23 PM . Coalition Forces Land Component Command [ edit] Emblem of the Coalition Forces Land Component Command during the Iraq War The OKW plan was for all German forces (except the stationary fortress troops) in southern France to move north to link up with Army GroupB to form a new defensive line from Sens through Dijon to the Swiss frontier. 1st Airborne Task Force (Allied) | Detailed Pedia For the full order of battle for Operation Dragoon, see Steven T. Ross, eds., U.S. Army War Plans 1938-1945 (Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc., 2002), 239. Over the next few days, a stalemate emerged, with the Allies unable to block the retreat route and the Germans unable to clear the area of the Allied forces. The division surrounded the town of LesArcs, recently reoccupied by vonSchwerin's troops, and attempted to isolate the German forces there. The treaty that Hitler hated even more than the Treaty of Versailles and one of the most important treaties you have probably never heard of. The proximity of the landing area to Corsica (recaptured from the Germans in September 1943) was also advantageous, since additional tactical air-support assets were based there. 53, 1 August 1944 [36th Infantry Division] Originally titled Operation Anvil and then re-designated to Operation Dragoon, this is a collection of reports, annexes, maps and overlays used by the 36th Infantry Division for planning purposes. The Naval Forces detailed order of battle for operation Anvil Dragoon, the southern France landings. Conversely, the American forces lacked the manpower and supplies to regain the initiative. On 15 August 1944, Allied forces carried out Operation Dragoon, a set of simultaneous amphibious landings by three US infantry divisions followed by four Free French divisions along the Mediterranean coast of France. The original idea of invading southern France had come in 1942 from General George Marshall, the U.S. Army Chief of Staff. In spite of its uncertain antecedents, Dragoon was soundly conceived, based on hard lessons learned in previous amphibious operations. MARKET GARDEN -ORDER OF BATTLE 52nd TROOP CARRIER WING Brigadier General Harold L. Clark HQ at COTTESMORE (Station 489) 61st TROOP CARRIER GROUP BARKSTONE HEATH (Station 483) 14th Squadron (3I) 15th Squadron (Y9) 53rd Squadron (3A) 59th Squadron (X5) 313th TROOP CARRIER GROUP FOLKINGHAM (Station 484) 29th Squadron (Z7) 47th Squadron (N3) Landing craft convoys (LCIs and LCTs) staged from Ajaccio, Corsica. The German troops in this area were exhausted and demoralized from the fighting against the FFI, so Taskforce Butler was also able to advance at high speed. [43][44] On 17 August, off La Ciotat, a force of two German warships encountered a force of PT boats and gunboats staging a diversionary attack. On 27August, most of the city was liberated, with only a few small strongpoints remaining, and on 28August, German troops issued the official surrender. The Allies struck back and retook the hills north of Montlimar, and were able to establish a temporary roadblock on the German escape route. one of five knocked out in the village of Lingevres by a single Sherman Firefly of 4th/7th Dragoon Guards on 14 June 1944. The 2nd (Independent) Brigade parachuted into Southern France in August 1944 as part of Operation DRAGOON and occupied Athens in the autumn and winter of 1944-5, before returning to Italy. The French Resistance played a major role in the fighting. While the Germans were retreating, the French managed to capture the important ports of Marseille and Toulon, soon putting them into operation. During the retreat, about 19,000 men were captured by the Allies and 60,000 men reached Army GroupG's line, where they were integrated into the defense of the Vosges Mountains. At the same time, Monsabert swung around the city, enveloped it, and cut off the highway between Toulon and Marseille. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/world-war-ii-operation-dragoon-2361477. Operation Dragoon was conducted from August 15 to September 14, 1944, during World War II (1939-1945). Rather, it shows how the opinions of individuals and the alteration of carefully laid plans can test the bonds of alliance. Advancing inland, Allied troops relieved the airborne at Le Muy the next day. From documents from the National Archives. However, it was originally planned to coincide with Operation Overlord in Normandy in order to create a "hammer and anvil" campaign against the Axis forces in France. Albin Dearing2 Regimental S-3 : Maj. Forest S. Paxton3 Courtesy Naval History and Heritage Command. The US 45th and 3rd Divisions were pressing to the north-west with uncontested speed, undermining Wiese's plan for a new defense line. After protracted fights, both cities were liberated on August 27. But as the Allies drove inland steadily from the Normandy bridgehead, Britain's . In fact, when Dragoon occurred, its effects were the opposite of its original intention. (RDG) Cavalry regiments of the British Army 1992: 4/7 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards 5 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards 20 . Of its units, only Lieutenant General Wend von Wietersheim's 11th Panzer Division remained as an effective mobile force, though all but one of its tank battalions had been transferred north. Admiral Hewitt's naval support for the operation included the American battleships Nevada, Texas,[24] and Arkansas, the British battleship Ramillies, and the French battleship Lorraine, with 20 cruisers for gunfire support and naval aircraft from 9 escort carriers assembled as Task Force88.[25]. The next day, Lyon was liberated and 2,000 Germans were captured, but the rest had already continued their retreat north. Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France, began. Long a rear area, the defense of southern France was tasked to Colonel General Johannes Blaskowitz's Army Group G. Largely stripped of its frontline forces and better equipment over the previous years, Army Group G possessed eleven divisions, four of which were dubbed "static" and lacked transportation to respond to an emergency. Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower, with Roosevelts backing, supported an invasion of southern France. While Operation Anvil/Dragoon did not have the titanic struggles present in Operation Overlord or the Battle of the Bulge, it has many valuable lessons and fascinating stories for those interested in the war to evaluate. After their military take-over in November 1942, the Germans improved the coastal defense further by repairing damaged and outdated turrets, as well as moving in additional guns. Amazingly, despite the expectation of some air attacks by the weakened German Luftwaffe, the huge assemblies of shipping remained unmolested. The German garrison surrendered on the morning of 17August. In the aftermath of the Battle of Kasserine Pass, US II Corps passed to the command of General Harold Alexanders 18th Army Group. Lyon celebrated for two days with the Americans. The rapid Allied advance posed a major threat for the Germans, who could not retreat fast enough. Taskforce Butler the Allied mechanized component of the landings was pushing north of Draguignan. Posts: 0 Threads: 0 Joined: Mar 2007 #1. General William H. Simpson, commander of Ninth Army, has received little attention in the historiography of World War II. [6] Only in the Camel zone did the landing forces experience any serious resistance.[7]. Two days after the landing, the Germans proceeded to dismantle the French State. The U.S.-British Quadrant Conference, held in Quebec in August 1943, which set the time frame for the 1944 invasion of Normandy (Operation OverlordD-Day), also discussed the proposed Anvil, a concurrentinvasion of southern France. [58][59], The next day, the first units of the 36th Division arrived, reinforcing Taskforce Butler. [12], Operation Dragoon was controversial from the time it was first proposed. The supreme operation of Anvil got dropped. He has appeared on The History Channel as a featured expert. Four of the German divisions were designated as "static", which meant that they were stripped of all of their mobile capabilities and unable to move from their positions. guns need for gliders, it went in first. Thus, premised on the Germans sighting the invasion force by 14 August, a heavy naval bombardment, particularly of several coastal fortification complexes, was carried on for an hour prior to the first landings at 0800. This attack, however, was fruitless. However, on seeing the heavy terrain and shattered forces, he refrained and left the headquarters again. Allied Units. The Allied mobile forces of the 45thDivision went out against the German forces themselves. However, the Allies failed to cut off the most valuable units of the retreating Army Group G, which retreated over a distance of 800km (500mi) in good order, into the Vosges Mountains on the German border, with the capability of continuing the fight. With the collapse of the Vichy regime, troops of the Provisional Government of the French Republic re-established control of the French political institutions. Britain and France declared war in response but could do little to help the Poles. Hickman, Kennedy. The Germans had a significant force stationed in both cities, but they lacked the time to prepare for a determined defense. [28], Opposing the Allies was the German Army Group G (HeeresgruppeG). The Germans withdrew to the north through the Rhne valley, to establish a stable defense line at Dijon. Fighting the Allies during the North African campaign of 1942-1943, German Field Marshal Erwin Rommels Afrika Korps (DAK) was resupplied by a concerted air and sea lift effort. "World War II: Operation Dragoon." Displayed here are the main battle/fighting formations; the infantry- and tank divisions and independent tank brigades. The main ground force for the operation was the US Seventh Army commanded by Alexander Patch. After the Allies established a successful lodgment in Normandy following Overlord in June 1944, the Allies had enough shipping capacity to undertake another amphibious operation. About 88,000 men moved north, leaving 20,000 in southwestern France behind. (Torch, the 1942 invasion of French North Africa, with Dragoon were the only two operations in the European and Mediterranean theaters that included the employment of U.S. Navy carrier forces.) Overwhelming the garrisons on Port-Cros and Levant, they secured both islands. Originally called Operation Anvil, these landings had been intended to take place at the same time as the Normandy landings of Operation Overlord, commonly called D-Day, but were postponed because the necessary shipping was committed to the Normandy operation. Operation Dragoon order of battle These atrocities did not help to subdue the French uprising. Seventh Army commander; Vice Admiral Henry Hewitt, Western Naval Task Force commander; James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy; Rear Admiral A. G. Lemonnier, chief of staff of the French navy. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1957. Fog and low clouds resulted in many paratroopers landing ten miles away, others were closer, but some ended up fifteen miles away. Antisubmarine and Convoy Control Group (Task Group 80.6), Later successfully led French forces against the. In Churchills postwar memoires, he continued to ridicule the operation. The resulting fighting with FFI troops further weakened the German units, which were exhausted from partisan fighting. Operation Dragoon - Wikipedia The two operations would act as a pincer that clamped down on German forces in France. [23][31] The German defense was aided by extensive coastal artillery placements which had been constructed in the years before the landing. The German Response to D-Day | Imperial War Museums [72], Operation Dragoon was considered a success by the Allied forces. After a successful initial landing, units of the French ArmyB were to land, given the task of taking the French ports of Toulon and Marseille. Fighting continued through 16August. This included the 340 millimetres (13in) guns taken from the dismantled French battleship Provence. Operation Dragoon took place on August 15, 1944 just two months after the Allied invasion of Normandy. These missions were conducted with steadily increasing intensity as of mid-May, with care taken not to give the Germans any indications of linkage between specific targets and impending landing operations. The carriers sailed from Malta, while bombardment and fire-support forces were concentrated at Malta, Palermo, Taranto, and Naples. The battle caused 1,825 French casualties, but 11,000 German troops were captured. This again posed a threat to the German evacuation. London: Admiralty, 1950 (declassified copy available in the Navy Library, Navy Yard, Washington, DC). Many of the German forces in the area were Osttruppen, drawn from German-occupied territories, who quickly surrendered. This was a deception plan, aimed to confuse the German defenders with fake landings and paratroopers, to disperse them from the actual landing zones.[33][34]. Washington, DC: Center of Military History, 2014. [2] The American high command, however, particulary SHAEF commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower, insisted on opening a port on the Southern French coast even after the lodgment in Normandy was obtained. Much of the Western Naval Task Force itself was assembled and loaded in various port facilities surrounding the Bay of Naples, although the French armored formations sailed from Oran, Algeria. [52] In both harbours, German engineers had demolished port facilities to deny their use to the Allies. "World War II: Operation Dragoon."
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operation dragoon order of battle