Vassieux-en-Vercors

Hotbed of the French Resistance, the "Maquis" of Vercors became one of the largest groups of its kind in the early months of 1944, with countless young French recruits joining up. Resistance camps were established around many villages such as …

1944-07-24

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Hotbed of the French Resistance, the "Maquis" of Vercors became one of the largest groups of its kind in the early months of 1944, with countless young French recruits joining up. Resistance camps were established around many villages such as Vassieux, because of its geographical configuration and strategic importance. By July 14, 1944, the Resistance had completed the airfield - code-named "Taille-Crayon"(Pencil Sharpener) - and just received a drop from US flying fortresses when German planes appeared and bombed the village. On July 21 at 9:00 AM, French Resistance "maquisards", working to repair the airfield, were taken by surprise when 20 German planes and gliders came flying out of the morning mist. The gliders landed and German troops poured out, making for the houses in the village. The Resistance around Vassieux rushed to help their comrades and dislodge the Germans from the buildings, but all attacks through the day failed.

Vassieux, France

The Maquis du Vercors was a rural group of the French Forces of the Interior (FFI) (maquis) that resisted the 1940–1944 German occupation of France in World War II. The Maquis du Vercors used the prominent scenic plateau known as the Massif du Vercors as a refuge. Initially the maquis carried out only sabotage and partisan operations against the Germans, but after the Normandy Invasion on 6 June 1944, the leadership of an army of about 4,000 maquis declared the "Free Republic of Vercors," raised the French flag, and attempted to create a conventional army to oppose the German occupation.

Wikipedia: Maquis du Vercors

German

French

Game Type: Standard

Board Type: Countryside

Website Access: Classified