bigpigeon.us webpage WW II - Germany > ETO > France Liberated > Northern France, updated by RAC 7 Sep 2020.
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August 1944 - The Normandy Breakout Exploited
As the German effort to contain the Normandy Breakout crumbled, German forces began withdrawing across the lower Seine River. Allied forces sped northeastward and eastward.
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25 August 1944 - The Normandy Breakout Exploited
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August 1944 - The Liberation of Paris
General Eisenhower wanted to bypass Paris on the drive east through Northern France. However, a Resistance uprising on August 19 forced his hand. An advanced column of French troops entered Paris on the evening of August 24, and the following day the German garrison surrendered. Paris suffered little damage except from small arms fire and damage from barricade construction. Around 1,000 Parisian partisans died. If you visit Paris, look for Ici Tombe (Here Died) signs on the walls in central Paris marking the spots where individual Resistance fighters died. |
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25 August - mid September 1944 - The Allied Advance Continues
By 11 September, most of northern France and Belgium had been liberated.
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11 September 1944 - The Allied Advance Continues
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The Allied Advanced Stalls
In mid-September 1944, some Allied commands, giddy with the successes of the last month, foresaw a 1944 ending to the war on the Western Front. How wrong they were!
Three months of heavy casualties but little progress followed. This was accompanied by supply shortages, partially due to inadequate port facilities.
After logistic issues were resolved, our forces would suffer through the deadliest battle in the ETO. Only in February 1945 would major progress resume, but this progress would be accompanied by heavy losses.
In mid-September 1944, some Allied commands, giddy with the successes of the last month, foresaw a 1944 ending to the war on the Western Front. How wrong they were!
Three months of heavy casualties but little progress followed. This was accompanied by supply shortages, partially due to inadequate port facilities.
After logistic issues were resolved, our forces would suffer through the deadliest battle in the ETO. Only in February 1945 would major progress resume, but this progress would be accompanied by heavy losses.
Sources for the WW II - Northern France Liberated webpage
Pottawattamie County, Iowa Area WW II Dead - Northern France Liberated
(taken from the bigpigeon.us WW II Dead webarea)
03-02 - Liberation of France - Northern France Liberated: (eleven dead, updated 26 Jul 2020)
† Crockett, Oliver Eldon, SN 37-490-415, US Army, Pott. Co. & Gentry Co., MO
23rd Inf. Regt., 2nd Inf. Div.; KIA 11 Sep 1944 near Brest, Brittany, France.
† Johnson, Frank Allen, SN 37-189-738, US Army, Pott. Co.
Co. D, 67th Armored Regt., 2nd Armored Div.; KIA 26 Aug 1944 near Seine River, NW of Paris, France.
† Kreger, Lewis Elwin, SN 37-261-801, US Army, Pott. Co.
28th Inf. Regt., 8th Inf. Div.; KIA 31 Aug 1944, near Brest, Brittany, France.
† Logan, Robert J., SN 20-743-488, US Army, Pott. Co.
Troop B, 113th Cavalry Recon. Sqdn., 113th Cavalry Recon. Gp.; DOW 2 Sep 1944, Northern France.
† Marshall, Warren B., SN O-533621, US Army, Pott. Co.
Co. C, 104th Med. Bn., 29th Inf. Div.; WIA 14 Aug 1944 France; DOW 29 Aug 1944 England.
† Nelson, Chester Raymond, SN 17-040-689, US Army, Burt & Washington Cos., NE
759th Tank Bn. (light); DNB 20 Aug 1944 Orne, Normandy; accident during 48-mile night movement eastward of battalion.
† Powell, Oliver Preston Jr., SN 37-420-870, US Army, Harrison Co.
38th Inf. Regt., 2nd Inf. Div.; KIA 9 Sep 1944, near Brest, Brittany, France; Battle of Brittany.
† Rihner, John Jerome, SN 37-422-955, US Army, Shelby Co.
Co. G, 116th Inf. Regt., 29th Inf. Div.; KIA 3 Sep 1944 Brittany, France; Battle of Brittany.
† Thompson, Albert Bernard, SN 37-394-633, US Army, Pott. Co. & Howell Co., MO
Co. A, 12th Engineer Combat Bn., 8th Inf. Div.; KIA 30 Aug 1944 near Brest, Brittany, France.
† Wilcken, Ono Ain, SN 37-472-752, US Army, Pott. Co.
2nd Inf. Regt., 5th Inf. Div.; KIA 15 Aug 1944 near Chartres, Eure-et-Loir Department, France.
† Wright, Bruce Ware, SN 39-161-053, US Army, Pott. Co. & Los Angeles Co., CA
13th Inf. Regt., 8th Inf. Div.; KIA 31 Aug 1944 near Brest, Brittany, France.
- The webpage header photo shows General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French, returning from laying a wreath at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on 26 August 1944. Paris had been liberated the previous day by members of the French resistance and the French 2nd Armored Division. This photo is courtesy of historynet.com.
Pottawattamie County, Iowa Area WW II Dead - Northern France Liberated
(taken from the bigpigeon.us WW II Dead webarea)
03-02 - Liberation of France - Northern France Liberated: (eleven dead, updated 26 Jul 2020)
† Crockett, Oliver Eldon, SN 37-490-415, US Army, Pott. Co. & Gentry Co., MO
23rd Inf. Regt., 2nd Inf. Div.; KIA 11 Sep 1944 near Brest, Brittany, France.
† Johnson, Frank Allen, SN 37-189-738, US Army, Pott. Co.
Co. D, 67th Armored Regt., 2nd Armored Div.; KIA 26 Aug 1944 near Seine River, NW of Paris, France.
† Kreger, Lewis Elwin, SN 37-261-801, US Army, Pott. Co.
28th Inf. Regt., 8th Inf. Div.; KIA 31 Aug 1944, near Brest, Brittany, France.
† Logan, Robert J., SN 20-743-488, US Army, Pott. Co.
Troop B, 113th Cavalry Recon. Sqdn., 113th Cavalry Recon. Gp.; DOW 2 Sep 1944, Northern France.
† Marshall, Warren B., SN O-533621, US Army, Pott. Co.
Co. C, 104th Med. Bn., 29th Inf. Div.; WIA 14 Aug 1944 France; DOW 29 Aug 1944 England.
† Nelson, Chester Raymond, SN 17-040-689, US Army, Burt & Washington Cos., NE
759th Tank Bn. (light); DNB 20 Aug 1944 Orne, Normandy; accident during 48-mile night movement eastward of battalion.
† Powell, Oliver Preston Jr., SN 37-420-870, US Army, Harrison Co.
38th Inf. Regt., 2nd Inf. Div.; KIA 9 Sep 1944, near Brest, Brittany, France; Battle of Brittany.
† Rihner, John Jerome, SN 37-422-955, US Army, Shelby Co.
Co. G, 116th Inf. Regt., 29th Inf. Div.; KIA 3 Sep 1944 Brittany, France; Battle of Brittany.
† Thompson, Albert Bernard, SN 37-394-633, US Army, Pott. Co. & Howell Co., MO
Co. A, 12th Engineer Combat Bn., 8th Inf. Div.; KIA 30 Aug 1944 near Brest, Brittany, France.
† Wilcken, Ono Ain, SN 37-472-752, US Army, Pott. Co.
2nd Inf. Regt., 5th Inf. Div.; KIA 15 Aug 1944 near Chartres, Eure-et-Loir Department, France.
† Wright, Bruce Ware, SN 39-161-053, US Army, Pott. Co. & Los Angeles Co., CA
13th Inf. Regt., 8th Inf. Div.; KIA 31 Aug 1944 near Brest, Brittany, France.