August 1944

Western Front

The US 7th Army, under control of AFHQ, begins preliminary operations to isolate the main DRAGOON invasion beaches on the French Mediterranean coast about midnight during the night of the 14th. To secure the left flank of the assault area, SITKA Force (US Special Service Force) invades the small islands of Levant and Port Cros, clearing the former and part of the latter while ROMEO Force (French Commandos) lands on the mainland at and east of Cap Nègre and soon clears the coastal defenses and blocks the coastal highway. ROSIE Force (French Naval Assault Group) lands southwest of Cannes in the Theoule-sur-Mer area to secure the right flank of the assault area, but is unable to accomplish its mission and suffers heavy casualties. RUGBY Force (1st ABTF) drops in the rear of the assault beaches, beginning at 0430, and accomplishes its task of blocking off the invasion coast from the interior along the 'Blue Line' in the Le Muy-Le Luc area before H-Hour. RUGBY Force is unable to clear Le Muy but overruns a number of villages. These ground operations, plus the final pounding of the assault zone by aircraft and naval gunfire, leave the enemy incapable of offering much resistance.

The VI Corps (Gen Truscott) lands, 3 divisions abreast, between Nice and Toulon at H-Hour (0800) and moves inland against light, scattered resistance. The 3rd Division (ALPHA Force) lands on the left flank between the Bay of Cavalaire and the Bay of Pampelonne. The troops move quickly west and north, with the left flank forces overrunning Cavalaaire and making contact with the French Commandos, who are placed under the 3rd Division, at Cap Nègre. The right flank troops reach St Tropez as the 1st ABTF elements and the FFI are completing its capture and join in the attack that clears the town and the St Tropez Peninsula. Other towns taken by the 3rd Division are La Môle, Congolin, Grimaud, and La Croix. In the center of the corps, the 45th Division (DELTA Force) lands near Ste Maxime and quickly secures the beaches, although the town of Ste Maxime holds out until later in the afternoon. The troops move rapidly inland toward La Muy and Frèjus. Contact is made with the 1st ABTF and with friendly forces on each flank. The 179th Infantry is held in reserve. On the right flank of the VI Corps, the 36th Division (CAMEL Force) lands east of St Raphaël, with the 141st Infantry landing at H-Hour and the 143rd following soon afterwards. The 141st Infantry overruns Drammont and the coastal fortifications near Agay and pushes rapidly northward. The 143rd drives westward toward St Raphaël. The 142nd RCT, scheduled to land at 1400 west of Fréjus and take that town, is forced to land 10 miles east of the town instead when obstacles at the planned site cannot be breached. The unit starts ashore at 1532 and moves to the heights northeast of Fréjus.