August 1944

Western Front

The US 7th Army directs that another trap be set for the retreating Germans before they reach the Belfort Gap. While the II Corps of French Army B drives northward along the west bank of the Rhône, the VI Corps is to move northward via Lyon, Beaune, and Dijon to make contact with OVERLORD forces and block off the enemy from the Rhine. FFI and TF Bilbo troops are driven from Briançon by the enemy. In the VI Corps area, the 3rd Division clear rear-guard opposition from Montélimar, enabling the 36th Division to seize the hill masses to the north and northeast. The Corps' attention shifts to the Drôme River line, where the final phase of the Montélimar battle is being fought. The 142nd Regiment, 36th Division, surrounds Livron, blocking Highway 7 north of the Drôme, but most of the German 19th Army has escaped northward through the Montélimar trap. TF Butler and the 143rd Infantry isolate Loriol, south of Livron. Withdrawing enemy traffic remains a lucrative target for aircraft and artillery. The 45th Division's 180th Infantry moves to Grenoble while the 179th Infantry continues northward toward Lyon.

In the French Army B's II Corps area, all resistance in Toulon comes to an end with the surrender of the San Mandrier Peninsula to the 9th Colonial Division. The Germans also surrender Marseille. Both German garrison commanders are captured. During the battle for these important ports, in which FFI forces have given valuable assistance, 2 German divisions have been eliminated. The 9th Colonial Division is given the temporary mission of guarding the Toulon-Marseille area. Other elements of the II Corps continue to cross the Rhône in the Avignon-Arles area.