Montélimar Champaign for Southern France

The Montelimar battle square, bounded on three sides by rivers, covered ground that alternated between flat open farmland and rugged hills and woods. Route N-7, the main north-south artery, runs along the Rhone River and was vital to the German …

1944-08-25

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The Montelimar battle square, bounded on three sides by rivers, covered ground that alternated between flat open farmland and rugged hills and woods. Route N-7, the main north-south artery, runs along the Rhone River and was vital to the German forces. By August 22nd, Allied forces had moved quickly north from the Anvil/Dragoon landing beaches and now threatened supplies moving down N-7 and this important northern escape route. Skirmishes broke out in the area, as both sides tried to determine the strength of the other side. On the 24th, the fog of war for the German forces dissipated when a detailed copy of the Allies operational plans for August 25th fell into their hands. The German plan of attack on the 25th was ambitious, but with a coordinated effort, the plan would cut off American forces on Hill 300 and in the Condillac Pass. Groupe Thiem in the north took Grane, but failed to advance south. The attacks against Hill 430 never began and although the 326th Grenadiers did take Bonlieu, they were driven back by American Artillery. The American effort to cut the N-7 road, failed when a strong counterattack forced them to retire back into the hills. The action at Montelimar this day ended in a stalemate.

Montélimar, France

Operation Dragoon was the code name for the landing operation of the Allied invasion of Provence on 15 August 1944. The operation was initially planned to be executed in conjunction with Operation Overlord, the Allied landing in Normandy, but the lack of available resources led to a cancellation of the second landing. By July 1944 the landing was reconsidered, as the clogged-up ports in Normandy did not have the capacity to adequately supply the Allied forces. Concurrently, the French High Command pushed for a revival of the operation that would include large numbers of French troops. As a result, the operation was finally approved in July to be executed in August.

Wikipedia: Operation Dragoon

German

American

Game Type: Standard

Board Type: Countryside

Website Access: Available