European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 14, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                When the allies push came to shove a Amy after Landing in the Saint Tropez area troops of the 3rd div move along a cleared mine strip on aug. 15. Dolf hitlers once powerful War machine was already on the run when the allies landed on the beaches of Normandy on june 6,1944. A v a a a. The germans were pulling Back from Eastern Europe after a disastrous defeat at the hands of the red army in Stalingrad and now had to Deal with the allies in the West. Normandy was Only a Start. On came aug. 15, 1944. The allies landed on the beaches of Southern France. Less than a month later those same troops had chased the German 9th army and 11th Panzer a a ghost a division up Frances Rhine Valley plus had run after other units through the Alps and met finally with Gen. Dwight Eisenhower a forces coming from Normandy they had taken More than 70,000 German prisoners. But while in the planning stages not All the allies agreed that operation Dragoon was the prudent a strategic move. The operation was a matter of controversy. President Roosevelt and the soviet Leader Josef Stalin pushed for it. British prime minister Winston Churchill stood against it. At the Teheran conference from nov. 28 to dec. 1,1943, All three leaders agreed that overlord the Normandy invasion should be accompanied by an attack on Southern France they christened it operation Anvil. The idea was to draw German forces from Normandy to the South. But Anvil hinged on the allies taking Rome before the Normandy Landing so they could release units for the Anvil operation. The code name Anvil was then changed to Dragoon for Security reasons. According to Churchill Stalin placed great importance on Dragoon but the British Leader feared it would weaken the Italy Campaign and pleaded with Roosevelt to reconsider. Roosevelt and Stalin prevailed. Under the command of Gen. Alexander patches 7th army the allies unleashed operation Dragoon which consisted of seven French and three . Divisions together with a mixed american and British airborne division. The three american divisions came from Brig. Gen. Lucian Truscott Svi corps formerly an important part of Gen. Mark Clarks fifth army in Italy. Dragoon was mounted from Italy North Africa and Corsica after months of preparations. The naval attack was entrusted to vice adm. Henry Kent Hewitt who had much experience in a similar operation in the Mediterranean. It.  Eaker commanded the air forces with British air marshal sir John Slessor As Deputy. The americans led the first seaborne landings of three divisions. German Shore defences were weak in numbers and some a were of poor Quality a according to Churchill who witnessed the landings from a battleship. By a poor Quality he meant they were men from the soviet satellite countries who did no to really want to fight against the West but joined the germans to fight against Stalin in the East. In june the germans had 14 divisions in Southern France but sent four of them to help against the Allied invasion of Normandy. That left 10 divisions to guard the 200 Miles of coastline and Only three divisions were positioned near the beaches where the allies landed. The germans were also As Short of planes As they were in Normandy. They had 200 aircraft against the allies 5,000 in the Mediterranean Region. Churchill noted that amid the germans stationed. In Southern France were also some 25,000 armed men of the French resistance ready to revolt. The allies bombed the coast for Quot two weeks before the Landing. Then it came no less than 1,300 land based air Craft six battleships 21 cruisers 100 destroyers 150,000 men in the assault the first two weeks. Three . Divisions with american and French commandos on their left landed Early aug. 15 Between Cannes and Hercs. A special service Force of american and Canadian units seized the offshore islands of Levant and port Cros. They received cover fire from the battleship Lorraine and other vessels. The 3rd inf div landed in the baie de Cavalire and received cover fire from the battleship Ramiles and others. The fire support for the 45th inf Landing in the baie de Bugnon was provided by the battleships Texas and Nevada. On the left flank the 36th inf div moved with support from the battleship Arkansas air support came from five British and two american escort carriers. More firepower came from 20 cruisers and 31 Der Stroyer. Another four cruisers and 60 destroyers performed escort duties. There was almost no resistance to the landings. The allies suffered 183 casualties  off Cial army reports. Farther Inland and 22 Miles West of Cannes the 1st airborne task Force consisting of american and British airborne units dropped from the sky. Some 5,000 men were involved in the air drop on the Plain of la Motte near the Village of be Muy. Before the operation ended More than 9,000 men had taken part in the breakthrough of German de Fenics and entered Provence. The paratroops secured Road Crossings and other vital positions making la Motte the first town to be freed in Provence. They were soon joined by the troops that landed on the beaches. By noon on aug. 16, three american divisions were ashore. One had moved to sister on. The other two struck Northwest toward Avignon. The French ii corps landed immediately behind them and made for Toulon and Marseille. In the meantime the americans were moving fast and by aug. 28 had proceeded beyond Grenoble and Valence. Eisenhower a Pursuit from Normandy was cutting in behind the germans. The americans reached the Seine at Fontainebleau and shot past troyes on aug. 25, no one was surprised that the surviving elements of the German 19th army amounting to a nominal five divisions were in full Retreat leaving 50,000 prisoners in Allied hands. Lyon was taken on sept. 3, Besancon on the 8th and Dijon liberated by the resistance movement on the 11th. A Quot on that Day Dragoon and overlord joined stands at the town of Sombelon West of Dijon and the command was assumed by Eisenhower. In the Triangle of Southwest France trapped by these thrusts by the allies were the isolated remnants of the German 1st army Over 20,000 Strong who freely gave themselves up. Operation Dragoon had successfully completed its Mission before the soldiers were faced with new and even tougher jobs such As the Battle of the bulge. De Reavis operation Dragoon August 1944 attacking from bases in Italy arid North Africa 350,000 Allied servicemen landed by Parachute and ship on the French Riviera meeting relatively Little resistance. The French followed the next Day and captured the key ports of Marseille and Toulon within 12 Days securing Allied Supply lines. They pushed North to Lyon while the americans took the Alpine passes and headed North along Frances Eastern Border. Dates indicate Day of Landing and troop movement sunday August 14, 1994