LXVI Corps
15th Panzergrenadier Division
16th Infantry Division
21st Panzer Division (elements)
LXIV Corps
189th Reserve Infantry-Division (remnants)
716th Infantry Division
IV Luftwaffe Field Corps
159th Reserve Infantry Division
198th Infantry Division
338th Infantry Division
LXXXV Corps
11th Panzer Division
3.4. Order of Battle, 20 January 1945
19th Army, General der Infanterie Siegfried Rasp:
2nd Mountain Division
106th Panzer Brigade
LXIII Corps, Generalleutnant Erich Abraham:
159th Infantry Division
338th Infantry Division
716th Infantry Division
LXIV Corps, Generalleutnant Max Grimmeiss:
189th Infantry Division
198th Infantry Division
16th Volksgrenadier Division
708th Volksgrenadier Divisions
4. Units lost by Army Group G to the Battle for Normandy
In total, Army Group G saw a total of thirteen divisions redeployed before Operation Dragoon commenced; these included elements of six infantry divisions, six panzer divisions and one panzergrenadier division.
1st Army:
LXXX (80th) Corps
708th Infantry Division (by 30 July)
LXXXVI (86th) Corps
276th Infantry Division (mid-June)
19th Army:
IV Luftwaffe Field Corps
271st Infantry Division (mid-July)
272nd Infantry Division (mid-July)
277th Infantry Division (29 June)
LXXXV (85th) Corps
338th Infantry Division (mid-August)
XLVII (47th) Panzer Corps plus LXVI (66th) Reserve Corps
2nd Panzer Division (mid-June)
19th Panzer Division (returned to the Eastern Front in July)
21st Panzer Division (went into action 6 June)
116th Panzer Division Windhund (24 July)
LVIII (58th) Reserve Panzer Corps
2nd SS-Panzer Division Das Reich (mid-June)
9th Panzer Division (6 August)
I SS Panzer Corps
17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen (8 June)
5. French Unit Histories
1st Armoured Division
The French 1st Division Blindée was raised in May 1943, based on Colonel Vigier’s Brigade Legere Mecanique which had served in the Vichy French garrison of North Africa and fought against the Axis forces in the Tunisian campaign. As part of French Army B (later redesignated the French 1st Army), the division sailed to southern France and landed in the follow-up of Operation Anvil/Dragoon.
1st Free French Division
(Motorised Infantry) The 1st Française Libre came into being at the beginning of February 1943 under General Koenig, drawing on Free French units that had seen action during the Libyan campaign. The division fought in Tunisia in April 1943 and was deployed to Syria in June 1943. It was subsequently redesignated the 1st Motorised Infantry Division or Motorisée d’Infanterie serving in Italy, France and Germany.
5th Armoured Division
The French 2nd Armoured Division, formed on 1 May 1943, was redesignated the 5th Armoured Division on 16 July 1943 (thus allowing the 2nd Free French Division to convert to the 2nd Armoured) in North Africa. Originally comprising a tank brigade and a support brigade, the 5th Armoured Division was re-equipped and reorganised to American standards with three combat commands that were commonly detached to support French infantry divisions.
2nd Moroccan Division
The French 2nd Moroccan Division was formed in Morocco in May 1943 from elements of the Meknes Division of the garrison of French North Africa. It moved to Italy in November 1943, campaigned as far north as Florence with the French Expeditionary Corps and then moved to southern France shortly after the Operation Anvil/Dragoon landings. It fought with the French 1st Army from Provence to the Rhine and the Danube.
3rd Algerian Division
The French 3rd Algerian Infantry Division was created in Algeria on 1 May 1943 from elements of the Constantine Division of the garrison of French North Africa. It moved to Italy in December 1943 and campaigned as far north as Siena as part of the French Expeditionary Corps, before withdrawing to prepare for the landings in southern France.
4th Moroccan Division
The French 4th Division Marocaine de Montagne was created at Casablanca in June 1943 from the redesignated 3rd Moroccan Infantry Division. Originally formed with three regiments of Moroccans, the 2nd Régiment de Tirailleurs Marocains was replaced by the 1st Régiment de Tirailleurs Algériens on 15 August 1944. The 27th Infantry Regiment joined the division in March 1945 and the 1st RTA was detached in April of that year.
The 4th DMM served with the French Expeditionary Corps in Italy in 1944, with two of its regiments temporarily assigned to the French Corps de Montagne. Following its arrival in southern France in September 1944, the division was separated into several tactical groups. Divisional Headquarters, the 1st RTM and other divisional assets moved to stabilise the situation in the Alps on the Franco-Italian border. The 6th RTM was detached to the Belfort-Vosges sector. Meanwhile, some elements of the 1st RTA garrisoned Marseilles while other elements of the regiment remained in Italy. The division was not reunited until December, after which time it continued to campaign in France and Germany.
9th Colonial Division
The 9th Colonial Division was officially activated on 16 July 1943 in Algeria, by which time some of its components had already suffered casualties: approximately 500 troops of the 4th RTS were lost on 20 April 1943 when their transport was torpedoed by U-565 while en route to French North Africa, and 35 troops of the 13th RTS were killed in a Luftwaffe air raid on Algiers on the night of 4/5 June 1943. The 9th Colonial Division assembled in October at Mostaganem, with lead elements departing from Oran for Corsica in April 1944 to assist in liberating the island. By May the entire division garrisoned the island. In June the 4th and 13th Régiments de Tirailleurs Sénégalais made the assault landing on Elba and then returned to Corsica; in their wake the 6th RTS moved to Elba for garrison duty. By mid-July the division was reassembled on Corsica. The 9th Colonial Division also served with French Armee B/1st Army in France and Germany.
References
Chapter One: Pleasing Stalin – the Balkans or Southern France
p. 1 ‘one of the longest …’ Dwight D. Eisenhower, Crusade in Europe (London, 1948), pp. 308–9
p. 2 ‘It developed that General …’ Dwight D. Eisenhower, At Ease: Stories I Tell to Friends (London, 1968), p. 263
p. 4 ‘I emphasised that I …’ Winston S. Churchill, The Second World War. Volume V: Closing the Ring (London, 1954), pp. 75–7
p. 6 ‘Our Chiefs of Staff …’ Elliot Roosevelt, As he saw it (New York, 1946), p. 185
p. 9 ‘Stalin thought it …’ Churchill, Closing the Ring, p. 313
p. 9 ‘The best course would be …’ Ibid, pp. 313–14
p. 10 ‘that we should continue …’ War Cabinet and Combined Chiefs of Staffs Papers, 88-3 Combined Chiefs of Staff, 132nd Meeting, cited in George Bruce, Second Front Now! The Road To D-Day (London, 1979), p. 148
p. 10 ‘he would like to …’ Eureka conference, Minutes of Plenary Session, between the USA, Great Britain and the USSR, 30 November 1943, p. 559
p. 11 ‘took note that Operation …’ The Tehran Conference, Declaration of the Three Powers, 1 December 1943
p. 11 ‘[Stalin] approved of Roosevelt’s …’ Arthur Bryant, A., Triumph in the West 1943–1946. Based on the Diaries and Autobiographical Notes of Field Marshal The Viscount Alanbrooke (London, 1960), p. 77
p. 12 ‘In order to give …’ Churchill, Closing the Ring, p. 362
p. 13 ‘I had not long …’ Field Marshal Sir William Slim, Defeat into Vict
ory (London, 1956), p. 213
p. 13 ‘Reverting to the Riviera …’ Ibid, p. 363
p. 14 ‘I had got the date of …’ Bryant, Triumph in the West, p. 91
p. 15 ‘Within three days of …’ Address of the President broadcast from Hyde Park, New York, 24 December 1943
p. 16 ‘I may say that …’ Ibid
Chapter Two: De Gaulle – ‘he is a very dangerous threat to us’
p. 17 ‘The future French government …’ Franklin D. Roosevelt’s statement on North African Policy, 17 November 1942
p. 19 ‘I am absolutely convinced …’ David Irving, The War between the Generals (London, 1981), p. 134
p. 19 ‘I am perfectly willing …’ Roosevelt’s Memorandum for General Marshall, 2 June 1944
p. 21 ‘Scotland Yard was waiting …’ Giles Whittell, Spitfire Women of World War II (London, 2008), p. 121
p. 21 ‘Now is the time …’ Winston Churchill, letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt, 16 December 1941
p. 21 ‘Churchill had made for …’ Charles de Gaulle, The Call to Honour (London, 1955), p. 145
p. 22 ‘In the region now …’ Eisenhower, Crusade, p. 102
p. 23 ‘However, there was nothing …’ Ibid, p. 90
p. 25 ‘While there are men like…,’ Graham Stewart, His Finest Hours: The War Speeches of Winston Churchill (Quercus, n.d.), p. 139
p. 27 ‘Ike had played a …’ Captain Harry C. Butcher, Three Years with Eisenhower: The Personal Diary of Captain Harry C. Butcher, USNR Naval Aide to General Eisenhower, 1942 to 1945 (London, 1946), p. 403
p. 27 ‘Today, General Giraud, through …’ Eisenhower’s Address at the French Rearmament Ceremony, Algiers, 8 May 1943
p. 27 ‘French valour and French patriotism …’ Ibid
Chapter Three: Churchill and Monty take on Ike
p. 33 ‘My Chief was very …’ Major General Sir Francis de Guingand, Operation Victory (London, 1947), p. 337
p. 33 ‘Our course allowed us …’ Ibid, pp. 338–9
p. 34 ‘It is most undesirable …’ Public Records Office (CAB Series 120/420), cited by Carlo D’Este, Decision in Normandy: The Unwritten Story of Montgomery and the Allied Campaign (London, 1984), p. 57
p. 34 ‘Today, 1 January 1944 …’ Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, The Memoirs of Field Marshal The Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (London, 1958), p. 211
p. 34 He said he had …’ Ibid, p. 212
p. 34 ‘I asked for my …’ Ibid
p. 35 ‘decided, off the cuff, …’ Eisenhower letter to Ismay, 3 December 1960
p. 35 ‘he had only a …’ , Montgomery, Memoirs, p. 210
p. 35 ‘It had been arranged …’ de Guingand, Operation Victory, pp. 340–1
p. 36 ‘This can be done …’ Secret, Urgent Incoming Message, Montgomery to Marshall/Eisenhower, 10 January 1944, p. 1
p. 36 ‘Having recently returned from …’ Churchill, Closing the Ring, p. 517
p. 37 ‘We must remember that …’ Nigel Hamilton, Monty. Master of the Battlefield 1942–1944 (London, 1983), p. 517
p. 37 ‘Furthermore, there are certain …’ Irving, War between the Generals, p. 32
p. 38 ‘The news from the …’ Top Secret, Incoming Message, Marshall to Eisenhower, 16 January 1944, p. 1
p. 38 ‘It is my intention …’ Ibid, p. 2
p. 40 ‘I regard Anvil as …’ US Secret, Urgent Outgoing Message, Eisenhower to Marshal, 23 January 1944, p. 3, also cited ‘Overlord and Anvil must be … Churchill, Closing the Ring, p. 451
p. 40 ‘On this telegram I …’ Ibid, p. 452
p. 41 ‘They questioned the wisdom …’ Ibid
p. 41 ‘Had a long Chiefs of Staff meeting …,’ Bryant, Triumph in the West, p. 114
p. 42 ‘This campaign will provide …’ War Cabinet Military Planning Papers, WO 106-4150, COS(44) 35th Meeting, cited Bruce, Second Front Now!, p. 158
p. 42 ‘I had hoped that …’ Churchill, Closing the Ring, p. 432
p. 43 ‘I think we have ridden …’ Bryant, Triumph in the West, p. 118
p. 43 ‘During my absence on …’ Hamilton, Monty, p. 523
p. 43 ‘From an Army point …’ Ibid, p. 524
p. 44 ‘Luckily I had discovered …’ Bryant, Triumph in the West, pp. 121–2
p. 44 ‘I had a little difficulty …’ Ibid, p. 122
p. 44 ‘Ike, representing the US …’ Butcher, Three Years with Eisenhower, p. 422
p. 45 ‘Monty thinks Anvil should …’ Ibid
p. 45 ‘I am told by the …’ Hamilton, Monty, pp. 524–5
p. 45 ‘Under these circumstances, I …’ Ibid
p. 45 ‘As a result of what …’ Ibid
p. 47 ‘Following Ike’s representations to…’ Butcher, Three Years with Eisenhower, pp. 425–6
p. 48 ‘This is, at last …’ Hamilton, Monty, p. 541
p. 49 ‘A draft directive to the …’ SCAEF 10th Meeting, Top Secret, Minutes of Meeting Held in Conference Room (C4 –Room 8) Widewing, 1100, 20 March 1944, p. 1
p. 49 ‘I will be asked …’ Top Secret, Urgent Outgoing Message, Eisenhower to Marshall, 21 March 1944, p. 1
p. 50 ‘The fact has been …’ Ibid
p. 50 ‘Although convinced that Anvil …’ Ibid, p. 2
p. 51 ‘The Supreme Commander accordingly …’ Ibid
p. 51 ‘would contribute substantially to …’ SCAEF 12th Meeting, Top Secret, Lt Commander J.E. Reid, Minutes of Meeting Held in Conference Room, Widewing, 1430, 27 March 1944, p. 4
p. 51 ‘If we accept the …’ Ibid, p. 3
p. 52 ‘was not prepared …’ Ibid, p. 1
p. 52 ‘Sir Alan Brooke then …’ Ibid, p. 2
p. 53 ‘Sir Andrew Cunningham inquired …’ Ibid, p. 4
p. 54 ‘carefully worded answer to …’ Ibid
p. 54 ‘We cannot accept a …’ Top Secret, Incoming Message, from Marshal to Eisenhower, 31 March 1944, p. 1
p. 54 ‘Our view is that there …’ Ibid
p. 54 ‘17 April. Arrived back early in …’ Bryant, Triumph in the West, p. 147
p. 55 ‘to give the greatest possible …’ Ibid, p. 148
p. 55 ‘19 April. At last all our troubles …’ Ibid
Chapter Four: Ike says ‘No’ to Churchill
p. 57 ‘Today we did nothing …’ Raleigh Trevelyan, R., Rome ’44. The Battle for the Eternal City (London, 1981), p. 314
p. 57 ‘It is also significant…’ Address of the President on the Fall of Rome, 5 June 1944
p. 58 ‘No great effort like …’ Ibid
p. 58 ‘The Boche is defeated …’ General Mark Clark, Calculated Risk (New York/London, 1951), p. 358
p. 59 ‘I have also to announce …,’ Stewart, His Finest Hours, p. 169
p. 61 ‘the need for an …’ General Wilson’s Report to the Combined Chiefs of Staff on the Italian Campaign, p. 34
p. 64 ‘I attach such importance …’ Hamilton, Monty, p. 703
p. 64 ‘Want to make it …’ Ibid, p. 704
p. 64 ‘COS met at 10.30am …’ Bryant, Triumph in the West, p. 181
p. 64 ‘Although in the planning …’ Eisenhower, Crusade, p. 312
p. 65 ‘It quickly became obvious…’ Eisenhower, At Ease, p. 273
p. 65 ‘He said that he could …’ Bryant, Triumph in the West, p. 150
p. 66 ‘We had a long evening …’ Ibid, p. 223
p. 66 ‘France is the decisive theatre….’ Clive Ponting, Churchill (London, 1994), p. 626
p. 66 ‘Let’s not wreck one …’ cited Carlo D’Este, Eisenhower Allied Supreme Commander (London, 2003), p. 551
p. 67 ‘You emphasised to me …’ cited Martin Gilbert, Churchill. A Life (London, 2000), p. 781
p. 67 ‘What can I do, Mr President …’ Ibid
p. 68 ‘strategically most attractive …’ Slim, Defeat into Victory, pp. 374–5
p. 68 ‘This obviously cannot continue, …’ cited Ponting, Churchill, p. 626
p. 69 ‘This argument, beginning
almost …’ Eisenhower, Crusade, p. 309
p. 69 ‘It was a great pity …’ Bryant, Triumph in the West, p. 204
p. 70 ‘the maintenance and administrative …’ Chester Wilmot, The Struggle for Europe (London, 1952), p. 456
p. 70 ‘The Prime Minister had …’ Butcher, Three Years with Eisenhower, p. 545
p. 71 ‘Ike said no, continued …’ Ibid, p. 546
p. 71 ‘Thus the PM also …’ Ibid
p. 71 ‘The PM was still …’ Ibid, p. 548
p. 72 ‘Ike has been increasingly …’ Ibid, p. 549
p. 72 ‘To say that I …’ Carlo D’Este, Eisenhower, p. 566
p. 73 ‘a cantankerous yet adorable …’ Ibid
Chapter Five: The Second Front – Blaskowitz’s Lost Divisions
p. 76 ‘One recognises the perplexity …’ MS B-516 (Sodenstern, R.G. 338, N.A., also cited Richard Giziowski, The Enigma of General Blaskowitz (Barnsley, 1997), p. 276
p. 83 ‘there was no military …’ MS 882 (Wilutzky), R.G. 338, N.A., also cited Giziowski, General Blaskowitz, p. 284
p. 83 ‘release of men and …’ Giziowski, General Blaskowitz, p. 285 and A.F. Wilt, The French Riviera Campaign of August 1944 (Southern Illinois University, 1981), p. 45
p. 84 ‘It’s time to abandon …’ Giziowski, General Blaskowitz, p. 294
Chapter Six: Dragoon Hots Up
p. 87 ‘An estimate is required …’ cited John Frayn Turner and Robert Jackson, Destination Berchtesgaden, The Story of the US 7th Army in World War II (London, 1975), p. 28
p. 100 ‘systematic, especially heavy air attacks …’ Wilt, French Riviera Campaign, p. 75
p. 101 ‘After all, he is a …’ Gilbert, Churchill, p. 787
p. 102 ‘They did not know …’ Ibid
Chapter Seven: Dragoon – ‘irrelevant and unrelated’
p. 106 ‘Life has a quiet …’ Bryant, Triumph in the West, p. 200
p. 107 ‘One of my reasons …’ Winston S. Churchill to Clementine Churchill, 17 August 1944, cited Carlo D’Este, Eisenhower, p. 567
p. 107 ‘Here we saw long rows of …’ Winston S. Churchill, The Second World War. Volume VI: Triumph and Tragedy (London, 1955), p. 95
p. 107 ‘we found ourselves in …’ Gilbert, Churchill, p. 788
p. 107 ‘Your majesty knows my …’ Ibid
p. 107 ‘To-day is D-Day for … Butcher, Three Years with Eisenhower, p. 554
p. 108 ‘As usual the Prime …’ Eisenhower, Crusade, p. 312
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