On 15 August 1944, Allied forces carried out Operation Dragoon, a set of simultaneous amphibious landings by three US infantry divisions followed by four Free French divisions along the Mediterranean coast of France. The main landings were preceded by nighttime paratroop drops and commando beach landings. This was a phase of the European Theatre of World War II.
Originally called Operation Anvil, these landings had been intended to take place at the same time as the Normandy landings of Operation Overlord, commonly called D-Day, but were postponed because the necessary shipping was committed to the Normandy operation.Morison, pp. 223-225
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill strenuously objected to the invasion of Southern France, strongly preferring an operation in the Adriatic Sea.Morison, p. 223 The American high command, however, particularly SHAEF commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower, insisted on opening a port on the Southern French coast even after the lodgment in Normandy was obtained. The ports of Normandy were overwhelmed handling the cargo to support the Overlord invasion forces and another high-capacity port closer to the German frontier was vital if more men and supplies were to be delivered to the continent.Morison, p. 226 Additionally, the high command of the French Liberation Army pushed for a landing on the coast of Provence that would include the large numbers of Free French troops that were being trained.Morison, p. 223 Churchill finally relented only five days before the date set for the landings.Morison, p. 221
In the Alpha and Delta areas, Allied air assault and naval bombardment had either destroyed the German gun emplacements or driven their crews to abandon them.Morison, pp. 263-264, p. 265 Only in the Camel zone did the landing forces experience any serious resistance.Morison, p. 267
The Americans considered Operation Dragoon a success. It enabled them to liberate most of Southern France in just four weeks while inflicting heavy casualties on the German forces (although a substantial part of the best German units were able to escape), and the ports of Marseille and Toulon were soon in operation.
Allied command structure
Ground forces
US Seventh Army
Lieutenant General Alexander McC. Patch Detachment, Army HQ & HQ Company & Special Troops Detachment, HQ Seventh Army (For Beach Control HQ)
Engineer Company D (rem Map Plat), 378th Engineer Battalion (Separate) 697th Engineer Petroleum Distribution Company Mobile Laboratory, 701st Engineer Petroleum Distribution Company Survey Platoon, 649th Engineer Topographic Battalion Company A, Engineer Camouflage Battalion 1202nd Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon 1204th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon 1711th Engineer Map Depot Detachment Special Platoon, 460th Engineer Depot Company
Military Police 204th Military Police Company 372d Military Police Escort Guard Company 377th Military Police Escort Guard Company (-3 Sections) 504th Military Police Battalion (-2 Companies) HQ & HQ Detachment, 759th Military Police Battalion
Medical 1st Advance Section, 7th Medical Depot Company
Quartermaster 94th Quartermaster Railhead Company (-2 Platoons) 138th Quartermaster Truck Company 144th Quartermaster Truck Company Detachment, 202nd Quartermaster Car Company (-) HQ & HQ Detachment, 528th Quartermaster Battalion 3357th Quartermaster Truck Company
Signal Army Signal Battalion 226th Signal Operation Company Detachment, 163rd Signal Photo Company 982nd Signal Service Company
Miscellaneous Detachment 72nd Liaison Squadron 11th Postal Regulating Unit Special Service Staff (Office of Strategic Services) Twenty-eight Port Companies and Seven Battalion HQ Detachments.
US VI Corps
Major General Lucian K. Truscott, Jr. VI Corps consisted of the US 3rd, 45th and 36th Infantry Divisions; these units are detailed in the Alpha Force, Delta Force and Camel Force sections, respectively, below. HQ & HQ Company, VI Corps Combat Command Combat Command Sudre 1ere Division Blindee Attached 1ere Cie, 9e Regt Chasseurs d'Afrique Det, 661/2 Cie De Reparation Engines Blindee 66e Cie de Munitions (-) Det, 705 Cie de Ravitaillement en Essence
Field Artillery HQ & HQ Battery, VI Corps Artillery HQ & HQ Battery, 6th Field Artillery Group HQ & HQ Battery, 35th Field Artillery Group HQ & HQ Battery, 36th Field Artillery Group 2nd Field Artillery Observation Battalion 36th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Gun) 59th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer SP) 69th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer SP) 93rd Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer SP) 141st Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer) 634th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer) 937th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer) 938th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer) 976th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Gun) 977th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Gun)
Antiaircraft Artillery HQ & HQ Battery, 35th Antiaircraft Artillery Brigade HQ & HQ Battery, 5th Antiaircraft Artillery Group HQ & HQ Battery, 68th Antiaircraft Artillery Group HQ & HQ Battery, 105th Antiaircraft Artillery Group 68th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion (Mobile) 72nd Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion (Mobile) 106th Antiaircraft Artillery (Automatic Weapons) Battalion (SP) 107th Antiaircraft Artillery (Automatic Weapons) Battalion (Mobile) 108th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion (Mobile) 216th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion (Mobile) 433rd Antiaircraft Artillery (Automatic Weapons) Battalion (Mobile) 441st Antiaircraft Artillery (Automatic Weapons) Battalion (SP) 443rd Antiaircraft Artillery (Automatic Weapons) Battalion (SP) 451st Antiaircraft Artillery (Automatic Weapons) Battalion (Mobile) 534th Antiaircraft Artillery (Automatic Weapons) Battalion (Mobile) 895th Antiaircraft Artillery (Automatic Weapons) Battalion (Mobile) 102nd Antiaircraft Artillery Barrage Balloon Battery (VLA) 103rd Antiaircraft Artillery Barrage Balloon Battery (VLA) 104th Antiaircraft Artillery Barrage Balloon Battery (VLA)
Armor 191st Tank Battalion 753rd Tank Battalion 756th Tank Battalion
Tank Destroyer 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion 636th Tank Destroyer Battalion 645th Tank Destroyer Battalion
Cavalry 117th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron
Chemical Warfare 2nd Chemical Battalion Motorized (-1 Company) 3rd Chemical Battalion Motorized 83rd Chemical Battalion Motorized (-1 Company) 6th Chemical Depot Company 11th Chemical Maintenance Company 21st Chemical Decontamination Company (-3 platoons) (Smoke Troops)
Engineer 343rd Engineer General Service Regiment 344th Engineer General Service Regiment Company C, (Bailey bridge), 378th Engineer Battalion (Separate) Company D, (Treadway Bridge), 378th Engineer Battalion (Separate) 1st Platoon, 424th Engineer Dump Truck Company Contact Platoon, 469th Engineer Maintenance Company Survey Platoon, 661st Engineer Topographic Company 6617th Engineer Mine Clearance Company
Military Police 206th Military Police Company
Medical 2nd Auxiliary Surgical Group 14 General Surgical Teams 3 Shock Teams 1 Gas Team 3 Orthopaedic Teams 2 Thoracic Teams 2 Neurosurgery Teams 3 Dental Prosthetic Teams 2 Maxillofacial Teams 10th Field Hospital 6703rd Blood Transfusion Unit 11th Field Hospital 11th Evacuation Hospital (Semimobile) (400 bed) 93rd Evacuation Hospital (Semimobile) (400 bed) 95th Evacuation Hospital (Semimobile) (400 bed)
Ordnance HQ & HQ Detachment, 43rd Ordnance Battalion HQ & HQ Detachment, 44th Ordnance Battalion HQ & HQ Detachment, 45th Ordnance Battalion 14th Ordnance Medium Maintenance Company 45th Ordnance Medium Maintenance Company 46th Ordnance Medium Maintenance Company 87th Ordnance Heavy Maintenance Company (Field Artillery) 261st Ordnance Medium Maintenance Company (Anti Aircraft) 3406th Ordnance Medium Automotive Maintenance Company 3408th Ordnance Medium Automotive Maintenance Company 3432nd Ordnance Medium Automotive Maintenance Company 64th Ordnance Ammunition Company 66th Ordnance Ammunition Company 680th Ordnance Ammunition Company 143rd Ordnance Bomb Disposal Squad 144th Ordnance Bomb Disposal Squad 145th Ordnance Bomb Disposal Squad 146th Ordnance Bomb Disposal Squad
Quartermaster 46th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company (-1 Platoon) Platoon, 549th Quartermaster Laundry Company 3426th Quartermaster Truck Company
Signal 1st Signal Center Team 57th Signal Battalion 3201 SIS Detachment 4 Detachments, 163rd Signal Photo Company Detachment A, 117th Radio Intelligence Company
Naval 3 Naval Combat Intelligence Teams Naval Gunfire Liaison Personnel 15 Naval Shore Fire Control Parties
Armee "B"
Armee B constituted the follow-up landing force
Général d'armée Jean de Lattre de Tassigny Etat-major de l'Armée "B", compagnie de quartier général 162/27 (-)
2ème Corps d'Armee Général de corps d'armée Edgard de Larminat Etat-major du 2ème Corps d'Armée et compagnie de quartier général 75
Divisions 1ère Division de Marche d'Infanterie - gen. Diego Brosset 1ère Division Blindée (-2 CC) - gen. Jean Touzet du Vigier 3ème Division d'Infanterie Algérienne - gen. Joseph de Goislard de Monsabert 9ème Division d'Infanterie Coloniale - gen. Joseph Magnan 2ème Régiment de Spahis Algériens (Reconnaissance Battalion) 1er Groupe de Tabors Marocains 3ème Groupe de Tabors Marocains 4ème Groupe de Tabors Marocains
Field Artillery Etat-major du Groupement d'artillerie No. 1 Detachment, 1st Field Artillery Observation Battalion (US) 1er groupe du Régiment d'Artillerie Coloniale du Levant 3ème groupe du 65e Régiment d'Artillerie
Antiaircraft Artillery Detachment, HQ & HQ Battery, 34th AAA Brigade (US) 62nd AAA Gun Battalion (US) Detachment, HQ & HQ Battery, 80th AAA Group (US) 893rd AAA (AW) Battalion (SM)
Tank Destroyer Chasseurs d'Afrique 7ème Régiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique 8ème Régiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique
Engineer Compagnie Topographique du Génie No. 31 101ème Régiment du Génie
Military Police 521ème Regulatrice Routiere 2e compagnie du 11e groupe de la Garde
Medical 401ème Hôpital d'Evacuation Organe de Réanimation et de Transfusion No. 441/3 405ème Hôpital d'Evacuation 432ème Bataillion Médical 451/1 Depot Avancé 422e Hôpital de Campagne
Ordnance Etat-major du 651ème Bataillon de Réparation Compagnie Moyenne de Réparation du Materiel No. 652/1 Compagnie Moyenne de Réparation Automobile No. 651/3 Compagnie Moyenne de Réparation Automobile No. 652/3 64e Compagnie de Munitions 65e Compagnie de Munitions
Quartermaster 1er bataillon du 8ème Régiment de Tirailleurs Sénégalais, Pioniers Gestion de Subsistance d'Etapes No. 323 Gestion de Subsistance d'Etapes No. 325 Compagnie Mixte de Ravitaillement en Essence No. 704 (2 detachments)
Signal 61ème Bataillon de Transmissions de Corps d'Armée 6693rd Signal Detachment (Provisional) (US) 3 Detachments, 163rd Signal Photo Company (US) 806ème Bataillon de Construction Detachment, Trans Armée "B" Compagnie d' Exploitation 827/1 Station d'Ecoutes 828 Groupe de télégraphie militaire 829 Détachement du Parc de Transmissions No. 810 & Détachement de la Compagnie Technique de Transmissions No. 841
Transportation 11ème compagnie du Groupe de Transport No. 501
Naval forces
US Eighth Fleet
Vice Admiral H. Kent Hewitt in amphibious force command ship CatoctinMorison, p. 338
Control Group Vice Admiral Hewitt 1 amphibious force flagship: 1 Gleaves-class destroyer (4 × 5-in. main battery): 9 minesweepers 8 s: , , , , , , , 1 : Special Operations Group Captain H.C. Johnson Western Diversionary Unit (Captain Johnson) Landings west of Alpha beaches 1 Gleaves-class destroyer (4 × 5-in. main battery): 4 minelayers 8 PT boats 12 ASRC Eastern Diversionary Unit (Lieutenant Commander Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., USNR) Landings east of Camel beaches