Paris '44: The City of Light Redeemed

by Mortimer Moore, William

  Returning from the Palais Bourbon via the Place de la Concorde, Philippe de Gaulle noticed people gathered around the “liberated” Navy Ministry. Inside, a French Navy cover-up operation was under way. Various officers were searching filing cabinets and throwing papers down into the courtyard where an incinerator burnt vigorously. “We’re destroying papers which could compromise those of our comrades who merely obeyed orders,” said a naval officer. Philippe was told to mind his own business. Admiral Darlan’s intrigues would embarrass France for decades to come.24

  Returning to the Gare Montparnasse, Philippe found little left of the 2e DB’s presence that day but a First Aid post staffed by white-clad nurses. Setting out to find his unit, he was astonished to see a petit voyou (little thug) holding a dozen Germans at gunpoint while rifling through their personal effects. Philippe drew his 45 automatic on the youngster, forcing him to drop both his pistol and his swag. He ran away yelling obscenities in a low Parisian brogue. Shortly after rejoining his troop Philippe was approached by a terrified girl who recognised him from schooldays and needed help rescuing her brother, another Stanislas alumnus. With a few sailors for back-up, Philippe visited her apartment where her brother sat collapsed on a chair, surrounded by thugs in remnants of franciste uniform, attempting to cover their collabo tracks by purporting to “arrest” an introverted youth. After securing the apartment’s keys, Philippe sent the francistes packing but advised the vulnerable youth to prendre le large—get out more.25

  OF THOSE TAKING THE SURRENDER of German strongpoints, Colonel Jean Crépin’s task was among the hardest, at the Palais du Luxembourg where Panzers manned by SS remained in the gardens. During the morning they destroyed a Sherman from Captain Witasse’s 2e Compagnie 501e RCC and inflicted losses on both 3/RMT and Colonel Fabien’s FFIs. Sub-group Putz had the Luxembourg surrounded, but hopes of evicting the SS without destruction seemed slim. Crépin approached from the Rue de Vaugirard brandishing a white flag.26

  Once Putz’s men ceased firing, Crépin and his homologue allemand entered the Senate courtyard, quickly finding several guns trained on them. Crépin’s German received several slurs about 20 July. They were led to the office of a Standartenführer, a full colonel, who perused von Choltitz’s surrender order in stony silence for several minutes.

  “This order seems genuine,” he said. “We will lay down our weapons at 1830hrs.”

  But his men continued shooting to the very last moment. Many were in tears; one shot himself. The rest assembled smartly behind their colonel and marched out along the Rue de Tournon where Allied flags fluttered from the windows.27

  The Place de la République’s Prinz Eugen barracks and its supporting network of pillboxes also held out all week. The FFIs’ final attack was supported by former tank Lieutenant Aubry in a captured German armoured car. Unfortunately its machine-gun lacked the punch to knock out pillboxes.28

  Supported by his homologue allemand, Lieutenant de vaisseau Vivier radioed the garrison inviting them to surrender. But thanks to undisciplined FFIs it took several attempts for a ceasefire to hold so that Vivier and his captured interpreter could enter. After an hour’s negotiation they requested medical provision for the German wounded. Reassured by the arrival of a French doctor with battle trauma experience, the five-hundred-man garrison surrendered.29

  At 8pm GT Langlade’s Captain Hargous approached the Kriegsmarine barracks on Boulevard Lannes. The German sailors soon surrendered, marching docilely enough along the Avenue Victor-Hugo towards the Étoile until FFI machine-gun bursts forced them to lie prostrate on the cobbles, praying for their lives. Some Parisians dipped their handkerchiefs in the blood of the few who were killed.30

  At the eastern banlieue of Fontenay sous Bois, von Choltitz’s former information officer, Dr. Eckelmann, accompanied by a French officer and a resistant, approached the Wehrmacht-controlled mairie requesting their surrender. They refused, saying that von Choltitz had signed the order under enemy duress. At Army Group B, Model issued an order that von Choltitz’s surrender was “false” and that German resistance should continue “to the last man”. At this stage OKW believed that the situation in Paris needed “clarification”.31

  Near the Place Chatelet a Parisian lunged at a column of German prisoners with a knife screaming, “I’ve got to kill one!” After their FFI guards disarmed him, he turned out to be a known Les Halles meat dealer who survived the Occupation by trading with the Germans.32

  At Palaiseau, two thousand Germans surrendered uneventfully except for a captain who left the column and blew himself up with a hidden hand-grenade. At Champigny a homologue allemand was gunned down amid cries of “Verater! ”—“Traitor!” And at Vincennes the Germans took a French emissary prisoner because “he had seen too much”. He was released to the American lines from Metz later that autumn.33

  WHILE TWO PLATOONS OF LA NUEVE STOOD GUARD outside the Hôtel de Ville, Roger Stéphane arranged his blue-clad FFIs smartly up the main staircase. “I know he’s General de Gaulle,” muttered Georges Bidault. “But he doesn’t have to keep us waiting half the day!”34

  All the dignitaries of the Résistance Interieure were waiting, including Georges Marrane of the CPL, Marcel Flouret, the new Prefect of the Seine, Henri Rol-Tanguy and Raymond Massiet, to hear de Gaulle’s first speech in Paris.

  “There are more people here than yesterday,” quipped Georges Marrane.

  “It’s easier today,” said Rol-Tanguy, smiling after finally meeting Raymond Dronne.35

  At 7.15pm de Gaulle arrived, walking through a multitude of ecstatic Parisians followed by Parodi, Le Troquer, Juin and Charles Luizet. The FFI honour guard smartly presented arms. At the foot of the stairs de Gaulle was welcomed by Georges Bidault as FFIs and Dronne’s Spaniards stood to attention, their eyes moistening with pride. To Roger Stéphane, de Gaulle resembled a returning king. “Under a thunder of cheers” the Constable was escorted to the main salon where Resistance leaders awaited him. The first speech of salutation came from Georges Marrane. Next came Georges Bidault who included a moving tribute to Jean Moulin. Then it was de Gaulle’s turn, giving one of his finest speeches with no draft or rehearsal whatsoever:

  “Why should we hide the feelings that fill us all, we men and women who are here in our own city, in Paris that has risen to free itself and that has succeeded in doing so with its own hands? No! Let us not hide this deep and sacred emotion. There are moments that go beyond each of our poor little lives. Paris! Paris outraged! Paris broken! Paris martyred! But Paris liberated! Liberated by itself, liberated by its people with the help of the armies of France, with the support and help of the whole of France, of fighting France, of eternal France.”36

  The Constable finished off by appealing for national unity during the war’s last months. Then Georges Bidault said, “Mon Général, here, all around you are the Conseil Nationale de la Résistance and the Comité Parisien de la Libération. We ask you to solemnly proclaim the Republic in front of the assembled people.”

  “The Republic has never ceased to exist,” replied de Gaulle. “Free France, Fighting France, the French Committee for National Liberation, have, in their turn, been part of it. Vichy always was and remains nul and void. I myself am the President of the Government of the Republic. Why should I have to proclaim it?”

  “Perhaps he was right, but it would have given us such pleasure,” wrote Edgard Pisani.

  De Gaulle approached the window to bathe in the crowd’s acclamation: “Vive de Gaulle! ” and—even if he refused to say it—“Vive la République!” Then, somewhat recklessly, he clambered onto the balcony seat to stand full height, showing his compatriots his immense, khaki-clad frame. Seeing that the railing was well below de Gaulle’s centre of gravity. Claude Guy prised two fingers under his belt, eliciting a flash of princely irritation. Fists clenched, de Gaulle raised his immense arms in a great V sign. The crowd roared.37

  PARISIANS WITH RELATIONS IN THE 2e DB were now out looking for them. On the Champs Élysées
Jean Massu asked a member of 2/RMT if he knew of his brother, Jacques.

  “Are you kidding?” replied the soldier. “He’s our battalion commander, the King of Noses!”

  Jean Massu found his brother near the Arc de Triomphe, manning his Jeep’s command radio. The brothers Massu were inseparable for hours. However, their family would remain incomplete until André and Henri were repatriated from imprisonment and STO in Germany.38

  In many instances members of the 2e DB with Parisian relations had alerted them by telephone of where they would be. But one family found their son crashed out asleep in his US uniform in a café’s backyard. Nudged awake by his little sister, he blearily rose to his feet and embraced his family. Siblings were reunited, young fathers rediscovered pretty but austerely dressed wives who had been left to raise young children under the Nazi boot. Most families understood why these young men had to get away to de Gaulle, but not all.

  There were also tragedies. The same telephone system that reunited loved ones also intensified pain. Around midday the 12e Cuirassiers’ Lieutenant Bureau telephoned his family to let them know he would soon be home. Later that afternoon they discovered he had been killed when his Sherman, Quimper, was knocked out as it approached the Quai d’Orsay shortly after his telephone call.39

  One of the saddest occurrences was in western Paris where the 12e RCA’s Arthur Kaiser witnessed the following heart-breaking incident: “The crew of Bordelais II dismounted onto the pavement to stretch our legs. No sooner were we on our feet than a lady, elegant, wearing a black dress and visibly anguished, took me to one side and asked me somewhat shyly and discreetly: ‘Young man, you appear to be with the Chasseurs d’Afrique?’”

  “Yes, Madame,” Kaiser replied.

  “Do you know Lieutenant Zagrodski and an aspirant of the same name?”

  “I was taken back and extremely embarrassed by this question,” Kaiser wrote, “because I knew at once that I was talking to the mother of the brothers Zagro. The eldest had been killed during out first engagement at Mézières, and the younger one had met his end at Jouy en Josas, on entering Paris. Very moved by this elderly mother, I directed her to the commandant so as not to have to tell her such terrible news.”40

  AS THAT MOMENTOUS DAY BECAME AN EVENING OF CARNIVAL, Leclerc arrived at the Ministry of War, bringing de Gaulle early casualty figures. The 2e DB had lost twenty-eight officers and six hundred other ranks killed and wounded. FFI casualties, according to Louis Vallery-Radot’s early estimate, stood in the region of two thousand five hundred killed and wounded with about a thousand civilian casualties.41

  Paris was still endangered, said Leclerc. German forces around Saint-Denis and La Villette were refusing to surrender since they had never came under von Choltitz’s authority. Elements of the German 47th Infantry Division were taking positions around Le Bourget airport and Montmorency. US V Corps commander, General Gerow, was already ordering the 2e DB to keep the Germans on the run.42

  “Tomorrow I will walk down the Champs Élysées,” de Gaulle told Leclerc. “You will position your tanks along the route.” While it was entirely understandable that France’s liberation leader would want this, fighting continued. That same evening the SS massacred twenty-seven résistants at Chatou. General Gerow could be forgiven for regarding this parade as premature.43

  Roumiantzoff’s Spahis were sent northeast to provide a screen. In the meantime the bulk of the 2e DB laagered for the night. GT Langlade parked their vehicles around the Étoile. Billotte positioned his battlegroup from the Place de la Concorde to Chatelet, while GT Dio cantoned themselves along the quais eastwards from Notre Dame.44

  Les Invalides was also back in French hands, and General Koenig arranged a great dinner in the governor’s dining room to which those senior officers not dining with de Gaulle were invited. Arriving at the gates with Alain de Boissieu, a radiantly smiling Leclerc exclaimed, “Look, Boissieu! It’s extraordinary to have liberated Paris without any destruction of her treasures; all the bridges, all the buildings, all the artistic treasures of the capital are intact. Look at Les Invalides! What luck we have had!” Then Leclerc pulled from his wallet a piece of well-fingered writing paper. “Do you remember the day you brought me this letter from de Gaulle awarding me the mission of liberating Paris and appointing me interim military governor?” Boissieu nodded. “Well,” continued Leclerc, “that document, which I keep with me all the time in my wallet, along with another letter from de Gaulle, whenever I felt down or in doubt, I always re-read them.”45

  Broadly smiling, Koenig greeted Leclerc, Jacques Chaban-Delmas, Colonel Lizé, Colonel Paul de Langlade and Navy Commissioner Rolin along with their ADCs. As they took their places at the beautifully laid table there was a rumpus in the rooms above where Gardes Républicaines had caught German stragglers. After being guided past undismantled barricades by his brother Jean, Jacques Massu arrived slightly late, but cheerfully pointed out that his men took the Pont de Sèvres before la Colonne Dronne reached the Hôtel de Ville. As he sat down, Massu noticed oil on his combat trousers and draped a knapkin over his chair’s embroidered seat. Chaban-Delmas explained how Nordling’s truce bought time for the Préfecture and demonstrated that von Choltitz could be trusted. On the other hand many FFI, both FTP and Gaullist, including those under Colonel Lizé’s command, had not respected it. Irrespective of their sensibilities, General Marie-Pierre Koenig declared, “We have narrowly avoided a new Paris Commune!”46

  LIEUTENANTS SORRET AND GUIGON FINALLY MADE IT TO FOUQUET’S where, for one evening, that great eatery allowed their liberators to dine free. Also dining, while his friend Sacha Guitry languished in the Vélodrome d’Hiver, was the great actor Jules Auguste Muraire, aka Raimu. “Enjoy it while you can,” Raimu told the young officers. “It won’t last long.”47

  Around the Étoile, many of GT Langlade’s rankers entertained Parisiennes under groundsheets and tarpaulins. Jacques Massu was no prude but wrote in his memoirs that he had “to throw a voile pudique (discreet veil) over what happened near the Soldat Inconnu”.48

  While sleeping beside his Tank-Destroyers, Philippe de Gaulle was woken around 10pm. A friend needed help to find a senior officer who was “making scandal in a disreputable place”. On a night when many threw conventional morality aside, this officer needed saving from himself. Four RBFM lieutenants joined the search, which ended up at 122 Rue de Provence, a famous upmarket brothel. Fascinated, Philippe took in the quasi top-drawer décor, reproductions of suggestive paintings by Boucher and Fragonard, and the respectable looking couple who owned the place. It was all very gracious until la patronne remarked that the 2e DB’s practical American uniforms were less chic than German ones. Having found the missing officer in an ornate salon, his pistol on the table—with which he had fired a few shots at the ceiling, watched by a handful of well-presented tarts—Philippe and his comrades drank champagne for a while before heaving him away to the Hôtel Claridge.49

  Jacques Branet also found Parisians commenting on his American uniform. Unable to believe that he was a captain, someone asked if having all ranks similarly dressed undermined discipline. After being patched up at the Comédie Française aid post, Branet acquired walking wounded status and spent the evening with his men around the Rue de Rivoli, admiring pretty girls, drinking wine, answering silly questions and telling FFIs not to injure German prisoners. Towards midnight he booked himself into the nearby Hôtel Sainte-Marie. “We’ve taken Paris,” Branet murmured as his head hit the pillow. “Tomorrow I will sleep in my own bedroom on the Avenue Hoche.”50

  Raymond Dronne was collared by his old student friend Gérard, with whom he dined at Polidor’s on the Quartier Latin’s Rue Monsieur le Prince, owned by Albert Bony, another old friend. The well-respected Bony kept his restaurant running for his usual intelligentsia clientele without using the black market throughout the Occupation. After they finished eating Bony locked his doors and told Dronne what had happened to their old crowd during the Occupation. Avocat Bouin, a
barrister he knew well, was among over a million French soldiers captured in 1940 and died in Germany. The Penet brothers, both doctors, were arrested by the Gestapo. Other friends had fled to la France profonde. As Bony spoke, young FFIs banged on the doors, hoping for a liberators’ free meal. Bony gestured that he was closed and would remain so. Besides, with El Kapitan in there, no one would give him trouble.51 The last thing Dronne mentions in his Carnets for that extraordinary day is seeing Hemingway carousing with his irregulars. Dronne considered introducing himself, then decided he would prefer to do that when the great Ernest was sober enough to remember.52

  Captains Gribius, Compagnon and Gachet manned the 2e DB’s CP through the night. Jean Compagnon, a future general and historian, told the 1994 Colloque, “It was quite a disturbed night because, by 8pm only the southern half of Paris had been liberated, up to a line level with the Opera and the great boulevards. The north was still not free. Hence, throughout the night Gribius, Gachet and myself received telephone calls from the northwest suburbs of Paris who weren’t yet liberated, on behalf of FFIs and FTPs wanting to know when we were coming to help. We could do nothing because everything was positioned (for the night). We knew that towards the northwest sub-group Rémy was around Neuilly, but that was all. So one had to calm them and say, ‘Wait until tomorrow’.”53

  SINCE IT WAS PROTOCOL THAT A GENERAL entered captivity via the HQ of an officer of equivalent rank, General von Choltitz was handed over to US V Corps commander General Leonard Gerow. Gerow questioned him at length, discovering that von Choltitz had no intention and probably insufficient means to destroy Paris; information which contributed to American beliefs that Paris was never really endangered at all. Gerow subsequently insisted that von Choltitz surrender to US V Corps, and he set up his CP in an office at Les Invalides formerly used by Marshal Pétain.54