2nd Parachute Brigade in Southern France
Encyclopedia
The British 2nd Parachute Brigade was part of the Operation Rugby airborne landings in August 1944. The operation was carried out by an ad-hoc airborne formation called the 1st Airborne Task Force. Operation Rugby was itself part of the Operation Dragoon
invasion of Southern France by the American 7th Army
. The airborne task force, landed in the River Argens valley with the objective of preventing German reinforcements from reaching the landing beaches. The landings were mainly an American operation and the brigade
was the only British Army
formation involved.
The brigade's pathfinders landed accurately and set up their homing beacons, but the main body of the brigade landed over a large area, some 20 miles (32.2 km) away. The following glider
force also had problems; weather conditions forced the brigade's anti-tank unit to turn back for Italy and return with the second wave later that day. Eventually the brigade captured their primary objectives, but the lack of manpower meant that their secondary objective of Lu Muy was given to the American airborne forces. The seaborne and airborne landings linked up within two days, and the brigade became the reserve formation for the operation.
As a British withdrawal from France at the earliest opportunity had been the original intent, the brigade boarded ships bound for Italy eleven days after landing. The operation had cost the brigade 362 casualties, but this did not hinder their next mission in Greece two months later. Only 126 replacements were required to bring the brigade back up to full strength.
Charles Hilary Vaughan Pritchard, the 2nd Parachute Brigade formed in 1942 and was assigned to the 1st Airborne Division. It comprised three parachute battalions, with their own artillery and engineer support. Although the brigade had not been involved in the division's operations in Sicily, it took part in Operation Slapstick
, the landing at Taranto
in Italy. At the end of 1943, when the 1st Airborne Division returned to the United Kingdom, the brigade remained behind fighting in the Italian Campaign
. Since then, the brigade had taken part in patrols probing German lines, and the battles at Cassino and along the Sangro river at the Bernhardt Line
. Previously, their only parachute mission had been Operation Hasty
, which required only sixty men from the brigade.
during the Second World War was given the code name
Operation Dragoon
. It would take place in the South of France, between Cannes
and Toulon
in August 1944. The landings would be undertaken by the American 7th Army, with the Free French First Army landing after the beachhead was secure. Following the success of the Normandy airborne landings, Allied planners wanted to use an airborne force to support the invasion. However the airborne divisions in Europe, the American 82nd and 101st
, had participated in the Normandy landings and were refitting for further operations to support the advance in France and the Low Countries
. The two British divisions were also unavailable; the 1st Airborne Division was preparing for operations in Northern Europe and the 6th Airborne Division was still fighting in Normandy.
The only other Allied airborne divisions were three American units. However, the 11th Airborne Division was in the Pacific, while the 13th and the 17th were back in the United States training.
and Le Luc
to prevent any German reinforcements reaching the landing beaches.
The task force initially comprised the American 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team
, reinforced by the 509th, and the 1st/551st parachute infantry battalions and their only glider infantry
battalion, the 550th. Command of the task force was given to Brigadier General
Robert T. Frederick
, who had previously commanded the 1st Special Service Force. To provide additional manpower, the experienced 2nd Parachute Brigade, was attached to the task force. But they would only stay in France until the beachhead had been established and the seaborne and airborne elements had linked up. Initially two Free French parachute battalions had been assigned to the task force, but they were withdrawn for a potential French airborne landing in the Massif Central
. When the Americans and British refused to endorse the French plan, as it offered no support to operations in Normandy or to Dragoon, the French commander General de Gaulle
would not allow them to be used in the landings.
In the initial plan for Operation Rugby, the codename for the airborne landings, the 2nd Parachute Brigade would land to the west of Le Muy, only 10 miles (16.1 km) from the coast. The American 517th Regimental Combat Team would land beside Le Luc, and the 509th and 551st Battalions near Carnoules
. They would then hold the high ground and junctions along the main road through the Argens valley from Frejus
to Toulon
. This plan had the units widely separated and any German resistance or counter attack could cut off and destroy the task force piecemeal before help arrived from the landing beaches.
A revised plan produced on 12 July had the 2nd Parachute Brigade landing at the same place, but all the Americans would land at a large drop zone
between Le Muy and Grimaud
, only 2 miles (3.2 km) to the west of St Tropez. The task force's staff were still not satisfied with the mission and on 15 July proposed a third plan. The new plan placed all the task force drop zones around 2 miles (3.2 km) from Lu Muy. In the first wave of landings, the 2nd Parachute Brigade drop zone was to the north of Lu Muy, with their objective to capture Le Muy and the surrounding area including the village of La Motte
. At the same time the 517th Regiment would land to the west of Lu Muy and the 509th Battalion to the southeast.
A shortage of aircraft played a role in transporting the task force to France, which had to be divided into two large groups and a small glider group for the British. On D-Day the first large group would be transported to France by 394 aircraft and eighty gliders. A second group of 325 aircraft and 270 gliders would arrive in the afternoon. The smaller British group consisting of the 2nd Parachute Brigade's glider forces would arrive shortly after the first group in the morning. In total 9,099 troops, 221 vehicles and 213 artillery guns would be delivered to France during Operation Rugby.
, and also divided between the 1st Army in the west and the 19th Army
in the east. In June 1944, these three headquarters commanded three panzer division
s, around thirteen infantry divisions and some smaller formations. By this stage of the war, many of these divisions were lacking modern equipment, inexperienced and under-trained. The troops were mainly elderly, or not fit for service in a first class division. Some divisions had several complete battalions formed by the Ostlegionen
(conscripted foreigners from Poland and Russia). Four of the divisions were static or garrison divisions and five were reserve formations that had only been used in an internal security
role against the French Resistance
.
After the Normandy landings many of these units moved north. Replacements that joined Army Group G came to refit after the fighting in Normandy or on the Eastern Front
. They were under strength, with little or no equipment.
By August 1944, the 19th Army comprised the 11th Panzer Division, the 198th, 242nd
, 244th
, 338th
, 716th infantry divisions and the 148th
, 157th
and 189th
reserve divisions, all of which were still under strength and lacking equipment. In the Argens valley area, where the 2nd Parachute Brigade would be landing, was the 242nd Infantry Division was commanded by Generalleutnant Johannes Baessler.
At 03:34 on 15 August 1944, the brigade's pathfinders from the 23rd Independent Parachute Platoon landed on Drop Zone 'O'. The brigade drop zone was in a valley 2 miles (3.2 km) long and around 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide running north to south, bordered on the south by the River Naturby. Their primary objective, Lu Muy, was only around 400 yards (365.8 m) from the southern edge of the drop zone, but they would have to cross the river to reach it.
By 04:30 the pathfinders had set up two Eureka beacons and landing lights to guide the transport planes to the correct drop zone. When the main force of C-47 aircraft arrived around 04:45 only seventy-three dropped their parachutists on the correct drop zone. The other fifty-three aircraft scattered their loads, mostly from the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion
, over the countryside, some landing 20 miles (32.2 km) away at Cannes
and Fayence
. Only Brigade Headquarters arrived at the drop zone in one piece, Brigadier Pritchard landing only 15 yards (13.7 m) from the Eureka beacons. The 4th Parachute Battalion had around forty per cent of its manpower and the 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion
sixty per cent. By 06:30 Brigade Headquarters was established at Le Mitan and radio contact made with the American 36th Infantry Division, which at the time was still on their transports out at sea. On the drop zone the pathfinders and Royal Engineers
of the 2nd Parachute Squadron were removing obstacles, preparing for the arrival of their gliders
later in the day, while the under strength parachute battalions headed for their objectives.
The 4th Parachute Battalion secured its first objectives, the high ground overlooking the village of Le Muy from the north and the village of Les Serres, by 04:30. However the men left defending the village had to fight off several small German counter attacks throughout the day. The battalion then assaulted and captured the bridge over the River Naturby, which carried the road to Le Muy, taking twenty-nine prisoners. The fighting cost the battalion seven dead and nine wounded.
Most of the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion landed in several groups, some distance from their drop zone. One large group comprised the commanding officer
, most of the battalion headquarters and 'C' Company. A second group was formed by 'D' Company. Twenty-one men, including the battalion intelligence officer, formed a third smaller group. The first group divided into three smaller units, all of which arrived at brigade headquarters by 22:30 on the same day.
The second group occupied the village of Tourettes
, and soon after attacked a German convoy, damaging several vehicles and causing heavy casualties among the occupants. Then they met with the 3rd Battalion of the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment and both units headed south towards Le Muy.
One result of the brigades' scattered landing was that several small groups of men caused havoc among the Germans, ambushing men and vehicles. One lone sergeant arrived at brigade headquarters with eighty prisoners, having convinced them that they were surrounded and should surrender. The 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion's 'B' Company, which had landed on the correct drop zone, ambushed a convoy of five trucks, killing twelve Germans, then assaulted a château, killing another thirty men before the surviving fifty surrendered.
The 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion lost some men to German fire as they descended and, once on the ground, had to fight their way to the battalion rendezvous. Then headed for their first objectives capturing La Motte
, which became the first village liberated in the South of France. By 12:00, they had taken all of their objectives, capturing over 100 prisoners.
The first of the brigade's glider units, forty Waco gliders carrying the 64th Airlanding Light Battery Royal Artillery
and their 75 mm pack howitzers
, landed at 09:20. The thirty-five larger Horsa gliders
, transporting the 300th Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery and its equipment, failed to arrive, turning back to Italy due to an overcast sky at the landing zone. The Horsas returned with the afternoon's second wave landing at 15:04.
By 22:15 the brigade had secured all of its day one objectives and some of the missing men had arrived in the brigade area. However, there were many still unaccounted for. The 4th Parachute Battalion numbered around 200 men with almost no heavy weapons. The 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion had 317 men. There were only enough men of the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion to guard the approach roads leading to the drop zone from the north.
, as part of the Allied deception plan, convinced the Germans another landing had taken place there.
The 2nd Parachute Brigade had a secondary objective of capturing Lu Muy. It was supposed to have been assaulted by the 4th Parachute Battalion with the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion providing fire support. With the forces he had at hand, Pritchard was unable to carry out the task. The objective was then given to the 550th Glider Infantry Battalion, which had arrived with the second wave of aircraft. At 02:15 16 August the American battalion moved through the British positions and assaulted the village. The village was defended in strength by the Germans and the attack failed, causing several casualties to the Americans. A second attempt at 11:40 was more successful, killing or wounding 300 Germans and taking 700 prisoners.
Further north, the missing men of the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion were still trying to reach the brigade area. The smaller group commanded by the battalion intelligence officer observed a German convoy heading south towards Lu Muy. They quickly set up an ambush and destroyed several vehicles before being forced to withdraw into the hills by the stronger German force.
On 17 August the leading units of the 36th Infantry Division reached Lu Muy, which should have effectively ended the brigade's participation in the operation; however, two of the brigade's companies defending roads in the area were attacked by retreating Germans and forced to withdraw to the high ground. The brigade sent reinforcements which successfully counter attacked the Germans, taking ninety-seven prisoners.
Early on 18 August the brigade elements to the north-east of Lu Muy were relieved by the 36th Infantry Division, and the brigade became the Operation Dragoon reserve formation. Then problems on the far right of the landings between Grasse
and Cannes
resulted in the brigade being sent to that area. Having no transport other them a small number of Jeeps
, mostly to tow their artillery guns, the brigade commandeered several trucks, tractors, buses and horse drawn wagons and was in place within twenty-four hours. Cannes was liberated on 25 August. On the next day, the brigade left France to return to Italy.
on 28 August. From there on the 3 September, they moved to Rome, and on 8 September, to a camp near Taranto in preparation for their next mission. During Operation Rugby the 2nd Parachute Brigade recorded 362 casualties; 51 dead, 130 wounded and 181 missing. Most of the missing eventually returned to the brigade and only 126 replacements were required to bring the brigade back up to strength.
The brigade's next mission was Operation Manna
. This time they would be landing in Greece. The Soviet
Red Army
advance in the east had forced the Germans to withdraw from the country or risk being cut off from any support or reinforcements. Over the night of 12/13 October 1944, the first of the brigade's units parachuted onto Megara
airfield near Athens
to prepare a landing zone for the follow-up waves from the rest of the brigade. The brigade moved into Athens and then over three months fought their way to Salonika and the border with Bulgaria
.
When the brigade left the 1st Airborne Task Force, the 1st Special Service Force replaced them. The task force advanced eastwards and reached the Franco-Italian border in the Menton
area and the French Alps
along part of what was the Maginot line
. Here they halted in a defensive position for three months before being pulled out. The task force was now surplus to requirements and was disbanded on 23 November 1944. Its surviving manpower was used as reinforcements for the other American airborne formations.
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
invasion of Southern France by the American 7th Army
United States Army Europe
United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army and the land component of United States European Command. It is the largest American formation in Europe.-Invasion of Sicily:...
. The airborne task force, landed in the River Argens valley with the objective of preventing German reinforcements from reaching the landing beaches. The landings were mainly an American operation and the brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
was the only British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
formation involved.
The brigade's pathfinders landed accurately and set up their homing beacons, but the main body of the brigade landed over a large area, some 20 miles (32.2 km) away. The following glider
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
force also had problems; weather conditions forced the brigade's anti-tank unit to turn back for Italy and return with the second wave later that day. Eventually the brigade captured their primary objectives, but the lack of manpower meant that their secondary objective of Lu Muy was given to the American airborne forces. The seaborne and airborne landings linked up within two days, and the brigade became the reserve formation for the operation.
As a British withdrawal from France at the earliest opportunity had been the original intent, the brigade boarded ships bound for Italy eleven days after landing. The operation had cost the brigade 362 casualties, but this did not hinder their next mission in Greece two months later. Only 126 replacements were required to bring the brigade back up to full strength.
2nd Parachute Brigade
Commanded by BrigadierBrigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Charles Hilary Vaughan Pritchard, the 2nd Parachute Brigade formed in 1942 and was assigned to the 1st Airborne Division. It comprised three parachute battalions, with their own artillery and engineer support. Although the brigade had not been involved in the division's operations in Sicily, it took part in Operation Slapstick
Operation Slapstick
Operation Slapstick was the code name for a British landing from the sea at the Italian port of Taranto during the Second World War. The operation, one of three landings during the Allied invasion of Italy, was undertaken by the British 1st Airborne Division in September 1943.Planned at short...
, the landing at Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
in Italy. At the end of 1943, when the 1st Airborne Division returned to the United Kingdom, the brigade remained behind fighting in the Italian Campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
. Since then, the brigade had taken part in patrols probing German lines, and the battles at Cassino and along the Sangro river at the Bernhardt Line
Bernhardt Line
The Bernhardt Line was a German defensive line in Italy during World War II. Having reached the Bernhardt Line at the start of December 1943, it took until mid-January 1944 for U.S. 5th Army to fight their way to the next line of defenses, the Gustav Line. The line was defended by XIV Panzer Corps...
. Previously, their only parachute mission had been Operation Hasty
Operation Hasty
Operation Hasty was a mission behind German lines in Italy, during the Second World War. The operation was carried out in June 1944, by a small force of 60 men drawn from the 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade....
, which required only sixty men from the brigade.
Operation Dragoon
The Allied invasion of Southern FranceSouthern France
Southern France , colloquially known as le Midi is defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Gironde, Spain, the Mediterranean, and Italy...
during the Second World War was given the code name
Code name
A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage...
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
. It would take place in the South of France, between Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
and Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
in August 1944. The landings would be undertaken by the American 7th Army, with the Free French First Army landing after the beachhead was secure. Following the success of the Normandy airborne landings, Allied planners wanted to use an airborne force to support the invasion. However the airborne divisions in Europe, the American 82nd and 101st
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
, had participated in the Normandy landings and were refitting for further operations to support the advance in France and the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
. The two British divisions were also unavailable; the 1st Airborne Division was preparing for operations in Northern Europe and the 6th Airborne Division was still fighting in Normandy.
The only other Allied airborne divisions were three American units. However, the 11th Airborne Division was in the Pacific, while the 13th and the 17th were back in the United States training.
1st Airborne Task Force
Lack of an available airborne division forced the Allies to assemble an ad-hoc formation, the 1st Airborne Task Force, in Italy on 1 July 1944. Its objective was to land in the River Argens valley between Le MuyLe Muy
Le Muy is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It was one of the first places to be liberated in the Allied invasion of Southern France in August 1944.It lies near Draguignan and Saint-Tropez....
and Le Luc
Le Luc
Le Luc is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Le Luc is the capital of its own canton Canton of Luc.Residents of Luc are called the Lucois....
to prevent any German reinforcements reaching the landing beaches.
The task force initially comprised the American 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team
517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team
The 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team , one of the U.S. Army's first elite combat units, began its existence in March 1943, training at Camp Toccoa in the backwoods of Georgia...
, reinforced by the 509th, and the 1st/551st parachute infantry battalions and their only glider infantry
Glider infantry
Glider infantry was a type of airborne infantry in which soldiers and their equipment were inserted into enemy controlled territory via military glider rather than parachute...
battalion, the 550th. Command of the task force was given to Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Robert T. Frederick
Robert T. Frederick
Robert Tryon Frederick was a highly decorated American combat commander during World War II, who commanded the 1st Special Service Force, the 1st Airborne Task Force and the 45th Infantry Division.-Career:...
, who had previously commanded the 1st Special Service Force. To provide additional manpower, the experienced 2nd Parachute Brigade, was attached to the task force. But they would only stay in France until the beachhead had been established and the seaborne and airborne elements had linked up. Initially two Free French parachute battalions had been assigned to the task force, but they were withdrawn for a potential French airborne landing in the Massif Central
Massif Central
The Massif Central is an elevated region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaux....
. When the Americans and British refused to endorse the French plan, as it offered no support to operations in Normandy or to Dragoon, the French commander General de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
would not allow them to be used in the landings.
In the initial plan for Operation Rugby, the codename for the airborne landings, the 2nd Parachute Brigade would land to the west of Le Muy, only 10 miles (16.1 km) from the coast. The American 517th Regimental Combat Team would land beside Le Luc, and the 509th and 551st Battalions near Carnoules
Carnoules
Carnoules is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France....
. They would then hold the high ground and junctions along the main road through the Argens valley from Frejus
Fréjus
Fréjus is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, effectively forming one town...
to Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
. This plan had the units widely separated and any German resistance or counter attack could cut off and destroy the task force piecemeal before help arrived from the landing beaches.
A revised plan produced on 12 July had the 2nd Parachute Brigade landing at the same place, but all the Americans would land at a large drop zone
Drop zone
A drop zone is a place where parachutists or parachuted supplies land. It can be an area targeted for landing by paratroopers, or a base from which recreational parachutists and skydivers take off in aircraft and land under parachutes...
between Le Muy and Grimaud
Grimaud, Var
Grimaud is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It is located on the French Riviera. The village of Grimaud is a perched village, with historical links to the Grimaldi family. Gibelin de Grimaldi aided William the Good drive the Saracens of...
, only 2 miles (3.2 km) to the west of St Tropez. The task force's staff were still not satisfied with the mission and on 15 July proposed a third plan. The new plan placed all the task force drop zones around 2 miles (3.2 km) from Lu Muy. In the first wave of landings, the 2nd Parachute Brigade drop zone was to the north of Lu Muy, with their objective to capture Le Muy and the surrounding area including the village of La Motte
La Motte, Var
La Motte is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
. At the same time the 517th Regiment would land to the west of Lu Muy and the 509th Battalion to the southeast.
A shortage of aircraft played a role in transporting the task force to France, which had to be divided into two large groups and a small glider group for the British. On D-Day the first large group would be transported to France by 394 aircraft and eighty gliders. A second group of 325 aircraft and 270 gliders would arrive in the afternoon. The smaller British group consisting of the 2nd Parachute Brigade's glider forces would arrive shortly after the first group in the morning. In total 9,099 troops, 221 vehicles and 213 artillery guns would be delivered to France during Operation Rugby.
German forces
The German forces in the area of the landings were under the command of Army Group GArmy Group G
The German Army Group G fought on the Western Front of World War II and was a component of OB West.When the Allied invasion of Southern France took place, Army Group G had eleven divisions with which to hold France south of the Loire...
, and also divided between the 1st Army in the west and the 19th Army
19th Army (Germany)
The 19th Army was a World War II field army of the German Army .-History:Formed in August 1943 in occupied southern France from Armeegruppe Felber The 19th Army (German: 19. Armee) was a World War II field army of the German Army (Wehrmacht Heer).-History:Formed in August 1943 in occupied southern...
in the east. In June 1944, these three headquarters commanded three panzer division
Panzer Division
A panzer division was an armored division in the army and air force branches of the Wehrmacht as well as the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II....
s, around thirteen infantry divisions and some smaller formations. By this stage of the war, many of these divisions were lacking modern equipment, inexperienced and under-trained. The troops were mainly elderly, or not fit for service in a first class division. Some divisions had several complete battalions formed by the Ostlegionen
Ostlegionen
Ostlegionen or Osttruppen were conscripts and volunteers from the occupied eastern territories recruited into the German Army of the Third Reich during the Second World War....
(conscripted foreigners from Poland and Russia). Four of the divisions were static or garrison divisions and five were reserve formations that had only been used in an internal security
Internal security
Internal security, or IS, is the act of keeping peace within the borders of a sovereign state or other self-governing territories. generally by upholding the national law and defending against internal security threats...
role against the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
.
After the Normandy landings many of these units moved north. Replacements that joined Army Group G came to refit after the fighting in Normandy or on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
. They were under strength, with little or no equipment.
By August 1944, the 19th Army comprised the 11th Panzer Division, the 198th, 242nd
242nd Infantry Division (Germany)
The 242nd Infantry Division was a division of the German Army in the World War II.In 1944, the division was in southern France, and fought against the Western Allies in Operation Dragoon.-Order of Battle 1944:Commanders*Generalleutnant J...
, 244th
244th Infantry Division (Germany)
The 244th Infantry Division was a division of the German Army in the World War II.In 1944, the division was in southern France, and fought against the Western Allies in Operation Dragoon.-Order of Battle 1944:*932nd Grenadier Regiment...
, 338th
338th Infantry Division (Germany)
The 338th Infantry Division was a division of the German Army in World War II.In 1944, the division was in southern France, and fought against the Western Allies in Operation Dragoon.-Order of Battle 1944:*757th Fortress Grenadier Regiment...
, 716th infantry divisions and the 148th
148th Reserve Division (Germany)
The German 148th Reserve Division was a German reserve infantry division during the Second World War, made up of three infantry regiments and an artillery regiment.- History :...
, 157th
8th Mountain Division
8th Mountain Division or 8. Gebirgs-Division was formed on 27 February 1945 by the redesignation of the 157th Mountain Division. Which itself had been formed from the 157th Infantry Division in September 1944. The division was stationed in France until the Italian surrender when it then moved to...
and 189th
189th Infantry Division (Germany)
The 189th Infantry Division was a reserve division of the German Army in the World War II.In 1944, the division was in southern France, and fought against the Western Allies in Operation Dragoon.-Order of Battle 1944:Units...
reserve divisions, all of which were still under strength and lacking equipment. In the Argens valley area, where the 2nd Parachute Brigade would be landing, was the 242nd Infantry Division was commanded by Generalleutnant Johannes Baessler.
D-Day
By 04:30 the pathfinders had set up two Eureka beacons and landing lights to guide the transport planes to the correct drop zone. When the main force of C-47 aircraft arrived around 04:45 only seventy-three dropped their parachutists on the correct drop zone. The other fifty-three aircraft scattered their loads, mostly from the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion
5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion
The 5th Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, raised by the British Army in 1942.The four proceeding British parachute battalions had been raised by volunteers from all ranks of the army...
, over the countryside, some landing 20 miles (32.2 km) away at Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
and Fayence
Fayence
Fayence is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Fayence is one of a series of "perched villages" overlooking the plain between the southern Alps and the Esterel massif, which borders the sea between Cannes and Saint-Raphaël. Fayence is a...
. Only Brigade Headquarters arrived at the drop zone in one piece, Brigadier Pritchard landing only 15 yards (13.7 m) from the Eureka beacons. The 4th Parachute Battalion had around forty per cent of its manpower and the 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion
6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion
The 6th Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment raised by the British Army during the Second World War....
sixty per cent. By 06:30 Brigade Headquarters was established at Le Mitan and radio contact made with the American 36th Infantry Division, which at the time was still on their transports out at sea. On the drop zone the pathfinders and Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
of the 2nd Parachute Squadron were removing obstacles, preparing for the arrival of their gliders
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
later in the day, while the under strength parachute battalions headed for their objectives.
The 4th Parachute Battalion secured its first objectives, the high ground overlooking the village of Le Muy from the north and the village of Les Serres, by 04:30. However the men left defending the village had to fight off several small German counter attacks throughout the day. The battalion then assaulted and captured the bridge over the River Naturby, which carried the road to Le Muy, taking twenty-nine prisoners. The fighting cost the battalion seven dead and nine wounded.
Most of the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion landed in several groups, some distance from their drop zone. One large group comprised the commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
, most of the battalion headquarters and 'C' Company. A second group was formed by 'D' Company. Twenty-one men, including the battalion intelligence officer, formed a third smaller group. The first group divided into three smaller units, all of which arrived at brigade headquarters by 22:30 on the same day.
The second group occupied the village of Tourettes
Tourrettes, Var
Tourrettes is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Tourrettes is one of a series of "perched villages" overlooking the plain between the southern Alps and the Esterel massif, which borders the sea between Cannes and Saint-Raphaël....
, and soon after attacked a German convoy, damaging several vehicles and causing heavy casualties among the occupants. Then they met with the 3rd Battalion of the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment and both units headed south towards Le Muy.
One result of the brigades' scattered landing was that several small groups of men caused havoc among the Germans, ambushing men and vehicles. One lone sergeant arrived at brigade headquarters with eighty prisoners, having convinced them that they were surrounded and should surrender. The 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion's 'B' Company, which had landed on the correct drop zone, ambushed a convoy of five trucks, killing twelve Germans, then assaulted a château, killing another thirty men before the surviving fifty surrendered.
The 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion lost some men to German fire as they descended and, once on the ground, had to fight their way to the battalion rendezvous. Then headed for their first objectives capturing La Motte
La Motte, Var
La Motte is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
, which became the first village liberated in the South of France. By 12:00, they had taken all of their objectives, capturing over 100 prisoners.
The first of the brigade's glider units, forty Waco gliders carrying the 64th Airlanding Light Battery Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
and their 75 mm pack howitzers
M116 howitzer
The 75mm Pack Howitzer M1 was designed in the United States in 1920s to meet a need for an artillery piece that could be moved across difficult terrain. The gun and carriage was designed so that it could be broken down into several pieces to be carried by pack animals...
, landed at 09:20. The thirty-five larger Horsa gliders
Airspeed Horsa
The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was a British World War II troop-carrying glider built by Airspeed Limited and subcontractors and used for air assault by British and Allied armed forces...
, transporting the 300th Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery and its equipment, failed to arrive, turning back to Italy due to an overcast sky at the landing zone. The Horsas returned with the afternoon's second wave landing at 15:04.
By 22:15 the brigade had secured all of its day one objectives and some of the missing men had arrived in the brigade area. However, there were many still unaccounted for. The 4th Parachute Battalion numbered around 200 men with almost no heavy weapons. The 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion had 317 men. There were only enough men of the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion to guard the approach roads leading to the drop zone from the north.
Link up with seaborne landings
The scattered nature of the airborne landings caused some confusion among the German high command. At the LXII Corps headquarters, several reports of the landings exaggerated their strength, causing the Germans believe they were faced with a far greater force. Also, 600 dummy paratroops that had landed to the north and west of ToulonToulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
, as part of the Allied deception plan, convinced the Germans another landing had taken place there.
The 2nd Parachute Brigade had a secondary objective of capturing Lu Muy. It was supposed to have been assaulted by the 4th Parachute Battalion with the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion providing fire support. With the forces he had at hand, Pritchard was unable to carry out the task. The objective was then given to the 550th Glider Infantry Battalion, which had arrived with the second wave of aircraft. At 02:15 16 August the American battalion moved through the British positions and assaulted the village. The village was defended in strength by the Germans and the attack failed, causing several casualties to the Americans. A second attempt at 11:40 was more successful, killing or wounding 300 Germans and taking 700 prisoners.
Further north, the missing men of the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion were still trying to reach the brigade area. The smaller group commanded by the battalion intelligence officer observed a German convoy heading south towards Lu Muy. They quickly set up an ambush and destroyed several vehicles before being forced to withdraw into the hills by the stronger German force.
On 17 August the leading units of the 36th Infantry Division reached Lu Muy, which should have effectively ended the brigade's participation in the operation; however, two of the brigade's companies defending roads in the area were attacked by retreating Germans and forced to withdraw to the high ground. The brigade sent reinforcements which successfully counter attacked the Germans, taking ninety-seven prisoners.
Early on 18 August the brigade elements to the north-east of Lu Muy were relieved by the 36th Infantry Division, and the brigade became the Operation Dragoon reserve formation. Then problems on the far right of the landings between Grasse
Grasse
-See also:*Route Napoléon*Ancient Diocese of Grasse*Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department-External links:*...
and Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
resulted in the brigade being sent to that area. Having no transport other them a small number of Jeeps
Willys MB
The Willys MB US Army Jeep and the Ford GPW, were manufactured from 1941 to 1945. These small four-wheel drive utility vehicles are considered the iconic World War II Jeep, and inspired many similar light utility vehicles. Over the years, the World War II Jeep later evolved into the "CJ" civilian...
, mostly to tow their artillery guns, the brigade commandeered several trucks, tractors, buses and horse drawn wagons and was in place within twenty-four hours. Cannes was liberated on 25 August. On the next day, the brigade left France to return to Italy.
Aftermath
The 2nd Parachute Brigade arrived by sea at NaplesNaples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
on 28 August. From there on the 3 September, they moved to Rome, and on 8 September, to a camp near Taranto in preparation for their next mission. During Operation Rugby the 2nd Parachute Brigade recorded 362 casualties; 51 dead, 130 wounded and 181 missing. Most of the missing eventually returned to the brigade and only 126 replacements were required to bring the brigade back up to strength.
The brigade's next mission was Operation Manna
Operation Manna
Operations Manna and Chowhound took place from 29 April to the end of World War II in Europe on 8 May 1945. These two operations—Manna by the Royal Air Force and Chowhound by the U.S...
. This time they would be landing in Greece. The Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
advance in the east had forced the Germans to withdraw from the country or risk being cut off from any support or reinforcements. Over the night of 12/13 October 1944, the first of the brigade's units parachuted onto Megara
Megara
Megara is an ancient city in Attica, Greece. It lies in the northern section of the Isthmus of Corinth opposite the island of Salamis, which belonged to Megara in archaic times, before being taken by Athens. Megara was one of the four districts of Attica, embodied in the four mythic sons of King...
airfield near Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
to prepare a landing zone for the follow-up waves from the rest of the brigade. The brigade moved into Athens and then over three months fought their way to Salonika and the border with Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
.
When the brigade left the 1st Airborne Task Force, the 1st Special Service Force replaced them. The task force advanced eastwards and reached the Franco-Italian border in the Menton
Menton
Menton is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Situated on the French Riviera, along the Franco-Italian border, it is nicknamed la perle de la France ....
area and the French Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
along part of what was the Maginot line
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line , named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defences, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I,...
. Here they halted in a defensive position for three months before being pulled out. The task force was now surplus to requirements and was disbanded on 23 November 1944. Its surviving manpower was used as reinforcements for the other American airborne formations.
Brigade order of battle
- Brigade headquarters
- 4th Parachute Battalion
- 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion5th (Scottish) Parachute BattalionThe 5th Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, raised by the British Army in 1942.The four proceeding British parachute battalions had been raised by volunteers from all ranks of the army...
- 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion6th (Royal Welch) Parachute BattalionThe 6th Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment raised by the British Army during the Second World War....
- 127th (Parachute) Field Ambulance127th (Parachute) Field AmbulanceThe 127th Field Ambulance was a Royal Army Medical Corps unit of the British airborne forces during the Second World War.The 127th Field Ambulance was originally a pre war Territorial Army unit converted to parachute duties, becoming the second parachute field ambulance in the British Army...
- 64th Airlanding Light Battery Royal ArtilleryRoyal ArtilleryThe Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
- 300th Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery Royal Artillery
- 2nd Parachute Squadron Royal EngineersRoyal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
- 751st Parachute Brigade Company Royal Army Service CorpsRoyal Army Service CorpsThe Royal Army Service Corps was a corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery ; administration of...
- 2nd Parachute Brigade Group Workshop Royal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersRoyal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersThe Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
- 2nd Parachute Brigade Group Signals Royal Corps of SignalsRoyal Corps of SignalsThe Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
- 1st Independent Glider Pilot SquadronGlider Pilot RegimentThe Glider Pilot Regiment was a British airborne forces unit of the Second World War which was responsible for crewing the British Army's military gliders and saw action in the European Theatre of World War II in support of Allied airborne operations...
Army Air Corps - 23rd Independent Parachute Platoon