The Big Picture | Command Decision: Invasion of Southern France, 1944

About this video

In this episode of The Big Picture, the story of the United States 7th Army and the invasion of Southern France in August 1944, a feat which “broke the back” of the Axis Powers. This invasion included the 1st and 2nd French Corps. The episode opens by providing context on Operation Dragoon. It then depicts the formation of a marshaling area at the Bay of Naples, from which men and materiel traveled toward Southern France. A brief summary of the preliminary landings at Levant and Port Cros follows, as well as footage of Allied air support and the descent of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion into the French countryside. Next, the episode features large-scale amphibious landings along the coast, and the Allies subsequent push inland. Scenes include the capture of German prisoners, the roundup of suspected Axis spies, and the capture of important locales such as Marseilles and Montelimar. Civilians and soldiers alike are shown celebrating the Allied victory. The program concludes with an interview of war correspondents Doug Larson and Sgt. Francis Porter discussing the positive impact of press coverage on combat units in the Korean Conflict. Story of "Operation Dragoon" in World War II. The film also covers the Infantrymen of the 3rd ID, 45th ID, and 36th ID, Infantry Divisions. A large amount of aircraft and naval ship film footage. 02:30 7th Army and the invasion of Southern France in August 1944 03:07 Bay of Naples, open air marshalling area for 3rd ID, 45th ID, and 36th ID, which became the 7th Army 04:27 General Alexander M. Patch, Vice Admiral Hewitt, and Secretary of the Navy Lemonier(of the French Naval Commission) 04:50 14 August 1944, First Special Service Force at Port Cros and Levant 05:05 Bombers 06:30 C-47s and C-54s in formation 06:50 Airborne, air drop, operations 07:12 Gliders near Le Muy 07:50 Strafing run on Nazi positions along the coast 08:00 Allied warships and crews at their battle stations, naval gunfire, Landing craft, PT Boats 09:10 Troops landing on the beaches unopposed other than rearguard snipers 10:00 Mine detector squads 10:10 Nazi prisoners on the beaches 10:20 Map of invasion and beachhead followed by assorted artillery fire 11:00 19 Aug 1944, map of region 11:15 Medical treatment of soldiers and Nazi prisoner evacuation 11:24 General patch and French General de Tassigny, Commander of French B Army, present Silver Star of Marc Rhino, leader of the French patriots in the area 11:40 Third Division, 3 ID, en route to Brignol, 15th Regiment, treating wounded soldiers, Le Muy 12:19 Calais – round up of French who spied for the Germans 12:35 Monok, France liberated on 21 August 1944 12:54 Avignon and destruction caused by Allied bombing, French Forces of the Interior (FFI) 13:14 Marseilles occupied on 23 August 1944 with the 3rd Algerian Division, Fort Saint Nicholas, street defenses, destroyed harbor, Marignane Airport, French planes remarked for German use, 14:50 French Algerian Division Commander, General Joseph Jean de Goislard de Monsabert 15:05 Toulon Occupied, 28 August 1944, Naval base and damaged warships, the destroyed ship the Dunkirk (Dunkerque), submarine and torpedo plant, 320mm guns, Germans in forts near Toulon 16:52 Map of advance VI Corps (6th Corps), 3rd, 45th, and 36th Divisions, troops on the march and liberating towns, Grenoble, Lamar on the Rhone River, 17:48 POWs, prisoners of war (17,000) Czechs, Poles, and Russians who had been forced into the German Army 18:10 FFI rounds up Nazi sympathizers 18:25 2nd Bn, 29th Infantry Regiment on 29 Aug 1944, near Montelimar and more 15,000 POWs 18:56 Task Force Butler, artillery fire, German artillery fire and equipment, more German POWs, tanks 20:45 Lyons Liberated 3 Sep 1944, destroyed bridges and highways, MG John W. O’Daniel commander of the 3rd ID 21:28 First French Armored Division enters Dijon on 11 September 1944, 21:43 Forces link up at Sombernol, France, French elements of the 7th Army join French Elements of the 3rd Army, this linked the D-Day forces with the Southern France invasion forces 22:28 Interview with war correspondents Doug Larson of Scripps Howard and SGT Francis Porter, US Army (1952), regarding experiences in Korea 28:35 Conclusion

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