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Transcript
Conference
23 août 2024
The race to the Seine
Presentation: Yves Prevost-Saint-Val(A.R.H) Patrick Boron (Town Hall)
Introduction
Winston Churchill
Joseph Staline
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Adople Hitler
Hirohito
Charles De Gaulle
Wesley Johnston
Benito Musollini
Mein Kampf (or My Struggle in English) is a book written by Adolf Hitler between 1924 and 1925
- France and the Treaty of Versailles
- Economy and independence
- Race, strength, and violence
- Marxism, the Jews
Camp Shanks New York
june 13, 1944 Greenok, Ecosse
August 1943 Fort Benning, Géorgie
Camp Coxcomb Californie
The 7th US Armored Division
From its creation to its departure for Europe
March 1, 1942 Camp Polk, Louisiane
june 05, 1944 Queen Mary
june 13, 1944 Greenok, Ecosse
august 7, 1944 Portsmouth
Tidworks Barracks, Wiltshire
The 7th US Armored Division
From Scotland to the beaches of Normandy
august 10, 1944 Utha et Omaha, France
Général Dwight D. Eisenhower
Général Omar N. Bradley
Général George S. Patton
La 7ème Division Blindée US
Organisation
Wesley Johnston
General Lindsay McD. Silvester
Général Walton H. Walker
CCB
CCR
CCA
10
12
13
14
15
16
11
Chartres du 15 au 19 août 1944
17
Dreux 16 août 1944
Paris
Le Ferté Bernard 11 août 1944
Le Mans
Laval
Avranches
Coutances
La Haye du puit
10 août 1944 Utha et Omaha, France
Louvigné-du-Désert
Wesley Johnston
La 7ème Division Blindée US
Se déplacer vers l’action
La 7ème Division Blindée US
La bataille de Chartres
Paris
17
Dreux 16 août 1944
Wesley Johnston
Wesley Johnston
Nogent le Roi
cca
Epernon 18 août 1944
Arpajon 22 août 1944
cca
Orphin
Le Val St Germain
St Arnoud
cca
CCR
cca
Melun
cca
cca
Tilly
18
Ballancourt 22 août 1944
18
ccr
cca
cca
ccr
ccr
Maintenon 18 août 1944
ccr
ccr
Auvernaux
St Symphorien
Ablis
Etrechy 22 août 1944
La Ferté Alais 22 août 1944
Journée du 1er août 1944 Notre ville bombardée
Sainte-Assise
Usine Leroy
Maisons Leroy
Parc des bordes
Moulignon
Journée du 17 août 1944 La resistance prend le contrôle
Lieu de rassemblement
Journée du 20 août 1944 Destruction du pont
Pont de Sainte-Assise
August 21, 1944 The first Americans
Wesley Johnston
August 22, 1944The Americans arrive
CCR
CCA
Journée du 23 août 1944 à Melun
August 23, 1944 Ponthierry
August 23, 1944 Ponthierry
August 23, 1944 Ponthierry
17:30In Tilly, Company B of the infantry regiment, which had initially been positioned further back in the assembly area, moves to the southern site. There, it must board the boats that had already been used to transport the soldiers of Company C.
Journée du 23 août 1944 Ponthierry
August 23, 1944 Ponthierry
August 23, 1944 Ponthierry
August 23–24, 1944—Ponthierry—construction of the bridge
La 7ème Division Blindée US
Un épisode oublié
August 26, 1944—A second bridge at Saint-Fargeau
Wesley Johnston
Plan created by Captain Freddy
August 26, 1944General Patton in Tilly
Wesley Johnston
Wesley Johnston
Wesley Johnston
Wesley Johnston
Wesley Johnston
Wesley Johnston
La 7ème Division Blindée US
Organisation Logistique
After its success in Melun, the 7th Division withdrew and crossed the Seine near Fontainebleau. The 5th Infantry Division relieved the 7th Armored Division to consolidate and clear the town. The 7th Armored Division returned west of the Seine and then south of Fontainebleau, where they crossed the Seine again to regroup at La Chapelle-Gauthier. They then headed north towards the Aisne, avoiding Reims to the north and leaving the troops to carry out the necessary mopping-up operations. They suffered heavy fighting while crossing the Moselle near Metz, then on September 25, they were transferred to Holland to protect the eastern flank of the breach opened during Operation Market Garden in Holland. They were pushed into battle, the only division in an attack planned for two divisions. This led to a costly period of stalemate. They faced a German attack intended to force the Allies to move from the Seine estuary far to the west, but the 7th Division held its ground and no force succeeded in moving it. They fought in Germany before a relatively quiet period near Aachen. The Germans attacked on December 16 in order to get closer to Saint-Vith in Belgium, where they experienced another episode of heroic combat against forces far more numerous than those encountered before. In January 1945, they recaptured Saint-Vith. They advanced into Germany toward the Rhine north of Remagen and south of Cologne. On March 25, they crossed the Rhine. After regrouping east of the Rhine, they began a 200-kilometer march in a few days to complete part of a double encirclement of the Ruhr pocket. They then attacked the Ruhr pocket in a series of costly battles as they advanced day after day. After a pause, they advanced north to the Baltic Sea with the mission of preventing Soviet forces from entering Denmark. There was very little fighting during this march, but they saw the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, just one month after the death of Anne Frank. On VE Day (Victory in Europe) on May 8, they were on the shores of the Baltic Sea.
Wesley Johnston
La 7ème Division Blindée US
L'après traversée de la Seine
Thank you
Historian of the 7th Armored Division - Wesley Johnston For research work and links with families - Grégory Turbelin - Patrick Guiot - Philippe Cerda - Frederic Fercot - Alain Martin - Les membre de L'ARH For translations - Gerald Béhuret - Sally Pillard Dichenson Country Historical Society - William Kelley American families - Richard Albright Junior (fils de Richard Albright Senior) - Franck Pologruto (neveu) - Lisa Vilnonis (Cousin de Bruno Soltys) - Debra Smith (Cousine de Donald Hertel) - Jeff Ward (Cousin de John Richards) - Donna Guarino (Cousin de Bruno Soltys) - Bob Guarino (cousin par alliance de Bruno Soltys)
Marxism, the Jews
"...the conviction that the problem of the future of the German nation is the problem of the destruction of Marxism ...whereas Marxism itself deliberately aims to put this world back in the hands of the Jews. For if, at that time, a single general had decided to shoot down all the red rags... But in order for the Marxist troops fighting on behalf of international Jewish capital to definitively break the back of the German nation state, they need friendly assistance from outside. Therefore, the armies of France must strike blows against the German state until the Reich, shaken to its foundations, succumbs to the attacks of the Bolshevik troops in the service of international Jewish finance...
What was the point of American troops crossing the Seine south of Paris? WJ: "Obviously, it was to get to the other side of the river so they could head east and continue on to Germany. Other American and French forces had orders to work together towards Paris and other parts of France north of the region. The Third Army was to follow eastward and continue on.".
Wesley Johnston
Resistance attack
The FFI hold back the Germans at Seine-Port
Louis Pieronne
Eugène Boisset
Jacques Emery
Marcel Verdon
André Chinotti
André Deligne
Robert Thouvenin
Jean Lamoureux
Local resistance takes control of the city
On August 17, 1944, at the request of Alphonse Fercot, the local resistance movement organized itself. A meeting was held in the hamlet of Villers, attended by around 150 people (FFI and auxiliaries). A lookout was posted on the water tower. An inventory of available weapons was drawn up and it was decided to set up patrols to secure the town. An attack group was created. The resistance fighters began to take possession of key infrastructure in the town, including the town hall, water towers, post office, and other public services that had been abandoned by German forces.
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Leader of the resistance
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Reconnaissance group
Strike force
Alphonse Fercot
Eugène Hourtick
Raymond Sachot
Robert Limoge
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Bombing of Sainte-Assise
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On the afternoon of August 1, American planes bombed the Villaroche airfield, and the residents of Sainte-Assise watched the bombs fall. Suddenly, a dozen fortresses broke away from the formation and headed for the Broadcasting Center. The Germans had set up an aircraft engine assembly workshop (Daimler-Benz Mercedes) at the Papiers Peints Leroy factory, and the test benches were located at the Château des Bordes: the Americans also came to bomb these facilities. Three successive waves of planes attacked the Sainte-Assise, Pavillon de Choiseul, Leroy factories, Salmon factory, and Château des Bordes with explosive and incendiary bombs. The first bomb fell on a building in the Commons, another blew a huge hole in the road near the bridge, ... . The inhabitants of Sainte-Assise had taken shelter when the planes first flew over the center and were returning to their homes when the fortresses returned. Excerpt from the Master's thesis prepared under the supervision of Professor Duroselle, University of Paris I - Sorbonne-Panthéon, CHAMBON Céline - Year 1971-1972
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11-Moving on, how were ammunition, fuel, food, spare parts, and various repairs for heavy weapons and vehicles distributed? • WJ: "The 7th Armored Division ‘Trains’ organized supply points where battalions could send men to collect supplies, as well as specific points where they could bring their dead. • The 7th Armored Division had an armored management and maintenance battalion with heavy transport equipment that carried out repairs (Editor's note: 129th Supply and Maintenance Battalion)."
Wesley Johnston
General Patton in Tilly on August 26, 1944 To return to Pithiviers, Patton crossed the Seine again at Tilly (a hamlet of Saint-Fargeau-Ponthierry), heading from the Seine port towards Tilly. It was this moment that was immortalized by Signal Corps photographers. The photo was presented by the US Army press service as showing Patton crossing the Seine at Melun and becoming the first American commander to set foot on the north bank of the Seine: Because of this misinformation, there was long doubt about the exact location of this photo (moreover, Tilly was not recognizable in the background, which was logical since it was Seine-Port). The doubts were dispelled when the video of this crossing was rediscovered.
Camp Shanks, New York
17h50Depuis Moulignon, on entend l’artillerie qui « crache à nouveau ». 18H00Soldat du Génie en plein assemblage. Les photos n’ont pas été prises à Tilly.Sur le site d’assaut Nord, la compagnie A du 33rd Armd Engr Bn débute la construction du pont de type « Steel-treadway bridge M2 C1 ».
18h30 Alors que ces soldats se restaurent à proximité de leur camion, un drame survient : des obus de 88mm s'abattent sur la zone. Le camion est touché et quatre soldats sont tués instantanément dans cette frappe : Richard H. Sr. Albright, un Sergent Major de 32 ans marié, Frank B. Pologruto, un jeune soldat de première classe de 19 ans, Bronislaus D. Soltys, un Sergent Major âgé de 24 ans, Adam Jr. Venters, un soldat de première classe de 20 ans. Quatre autres soldats sont gravement blessés lors de ce bombardement : le soldat James W. Travis, le soldat de première classe John W. Richards, Harold R. Carling et le soldat Lauren B. Haverfield.Travis, 19 ans, et Richards, 29 ans, succomberont malheureusement à leurs blessures dans les jours qui suivent. En urgence, les troupes évacuent immédiatement la zone et cherchent refuge dans les environs d'Auxonnettes.
18h30 L'artillerie allemande intensifie ses tirs en direction de la rive gauche, touchant Tilly, Moulignon, les Bordes, et Maison Rouge. Pendant ce temps, les soldats de la compagnie A du 179th Engineer Combat Battalion, responsables de la traversée réussie de l'infanterie sur le site nord, ont regagné la zone de rassemblement à l’ouest de Tilly.
Richard H. Sr. Albrigth
Bronislaus D. Soltys
James W. Travis
19H00 À mesure que la nuit approche et que la pluie tombe, les soldats du Génie qui ont réussi la traversée, préparent, sous la direction du Colonel Robinson et de l’officier Mc Feely, l’arrivée du pont. Le pont n’étant pas encore prêt, le Génie fait traverser des canons de 57 mm et des camions. Cette décision vise à renforcer les positions défensives et à préparer une réponse adaptée en cas de contre-attaque ennemie sur la rive opposée. Le gros des troupes du 179th ECB s’est réfugié entre Moulignon et Auxonnettes.
Adam Jr. Venters
Franck B. Pologruto
Wesley Johnston
My name is Wesley Johnston, and I am the historian for the 7th Armored Division Association of the US Army. For the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Saint-Fargeau-Ponthierry area, the ARH asked me 12 historical questions. This presentation answers their questions.
Race, strength, and violence
“...in war... the most brutal methods of combat were the most humanitarian. Germany above all else in the world.” “The world belongs only to the strong who practice total solutions.” “We should therefore, willingly or unwillingly, resolutely decide to wage war in order to achieve the reign of pacifism.” “In fact, the idea of pacifism and humanitarianism may be excellent once the superior man has conquered and subjugated the world to such an extent that he is the sole master on this earth.” “...the final decision belongs to violence...” “...to overthrow the current democratic regime...”
Battles in Ponthierry on August 22, 1944
La résistance locale prend le contrôle de la ville
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During the day, the Ponthierry resistance fighters who had traveled to Nainville-les-Roches made initial contact with the American scouts. They guided them to the town. The Americans, preceded by Dr. Limoge, arrived via Pringy. No sooner had they arrived and been cheered than they turned back. In the turmoil of these troop movements, Roger Fadin, a 25-year-old resistance fighter and corporal in the Ponthierry fire brigade, was killed by a bullet to the head as his group attempted to intercept a German motorcade. After eight hours of direct engagement with enemy forces, the CCA finally managed to repel the Germans, who withdrew permanently from Ponthierry during the night. During the fighting, Elmer G. Morton, a private second class with Company B of the 40th Tank Battalion, was killed. Other soldiers were seriously wounded: Nelson H. Russell, Leaster L. Linberry, Zigmund Osuch, Arthur G. Rogers, as well as technician fifth class Edward J. Clinton and Corporal David H. Harrod. During the night, CCA troops set up camp in the immediate vicinity of Ponthierry. These troops are accompanied by an engineering company specializing in the construction of temporary Treadway Bridges, as well as combat engineering battalions..
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Le 17 août 1944, à la demande d'Alphonse Fercot, La résistance locale s’organise. Une réunion, organisée au hameau de Villers, regroupe environ 150 personnes. Un guetteur est posté sur le château d’eau. Un inventaire des armes disponibles est dressé et il est décidé de mettre en place des patrouilles pour sécuriser la ville. Un groupe d'attaque est créé. Les résistants commencent à prendre possession des infrastructures clés de la ville, notamment la mairie, les châteaux d'eau, le bureau de poste et d'autres services publics qui ont été abandonnés par les forces allemandes.
Robert Limoge
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Roger Fadin
Elmer G. Morton
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According to daily reports, the first American troops were stationed in our town as early as August 20, 1944. Was there a particular objective to be closely monitored in the area, or was it, as everywhere else, a reconnaissance and security group? "On August 20, the 7th Armored Division was far to the west in Dreux. Perhaps it was the 3rd Cavalry Reconnaissance Group of the US Army that was in Saint-Fargeau at that time. The two squadrons of this group often carried out reconnaissance missions ahead of the main body of the 3rd US Army."
Wesley Johnston
Events on Wednesday, August 23 in Melun
La résistance locale prend le contrôle de la ville
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In Melun, German troops retreated to the right bank of the Seine and destroyed the two main bridges, the iron bridge and the stone bridge. This meant that the CCR could no longer cross the Seine, as it was not equipped with assault boats. Nevertheless, General Walker, commander of the XX Corps, issued a new order to attack. In Melun, the CCR, still blocked at Dammarie, prepared its assault and bombarded the station district. Large buildings and industrial sites were on fire. At the end of the afternoon, the CCR arrived at the docks and a long artillery exchange began with the Germans stationed on the other side of the river. It lasted until 8:00 p.m. Using the remains of the iron bridge that had fallen into the water, a company from the 38th Armored Infantry Battalion managed to reach the island in the middle of the Seine, but failed to reach the right bank. This failure nevertheless allowed the Germans to be pinned down south of Melun, enabling the CCB to be called in as reinforcements to attack Melun from the northeast and liberate the town on August 25.
Le 17 août 1944, à la demande d'Alphonse Fercot, La résistance locale s’organise. Une réunion, organisée au hameau de Villers, regroupe environ 150 personnes. Un guetteur est posté sur le château d’eau. Un inventaire des armes disponibles est dressé et il est décidé de mettre en place des patrouilles pour sécuriser la ville. Un groupe d'attaque est créé. Les résistants commencent à prendre possession des infrastructures clés de la ville, notamment la mairie, les châteaux d'eau, le bureau de poste et d'autres services publics qui ont été abandonnés par les forces allemandes.
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Melun railway bridge
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The 1139th near Melun, August 23
German tank destroyed
17:50From Moulignon, you can hear the artillery “firing again.” 18:00Engineer soldier assembling a bridge. The photos were not taken in Tilly. At the northern assault site, Company A of the 33rd Armored Engineer Battalion begins construction of an M2 C1 steel treadway bridge.
18:30 As these soldiers were eating near their truck, tragedy struck: 88mm shells rained down on the area. The truck is hit and four soldiers are killed instantly in the strike: Richard H. Sr. Albright, a 32-year-old married Sergeant Major; Frank B. Pologruto, a 19-year-old private first class; Bronislaus D. Soltys, a 24-year-old Sergeant Major; and Adam Jr. Venters, a 20-year-old private first class. Four other soldiers were seriously wounded in the bombing: Private James W. Travis, Private First Class John W. Richards, Harold R. Carling, and Private Lauren B. Haverfield. Travis, 19, and Richards, 29, sadly succumbed to their injuries in the days that followed. The troops immediately evacuated the area and sought refuge in the vicinity of Auxonnettes.
18:30 German artillery intensified its fire toward the left bank, hitting Tilly, Moulignon, Les Bordes, and Maison Rouge. Meanwhile, soldiers from Company A of the 179th Engineer Combat Battalion, responsible for the successful crossing of the infantry on the northern site, returned to the assembly area west of Tilly.
Richard H. Sr. Albrigth
Bronislaus D. Soltys
James W. Travis
19:00 As night falls and rain begins to fall, the engineers who have successfully crossed the river prepare for the arrival of the bridge under the command of Colonel Robinson and Officer McFeely. As the bridge is not yet ready, the Engineers bring across 57 mm guns and trucks. This decision is intended to strengthen defensive positions and prepare an appropriate response in the event of an enemy counterattack on the opposite bank. The bulk of the 179th ECB troops have taken refuge between Moulignon and Auxonnettes.
Adam Jr. Venters
Franck B. Pologruto
Portmouth, Angleterre
Approach and attack on Melun on August 22, 1944
La résistance locale prend le contrôle de la ville
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Learning that the two bridges in Melun were still intact, General Silvester ordered the CCR to attempt to take the Germans by surprise and enter the town. After two assault attempts (the second taking place after sunset), the CCR failed to cross the tunnel that passes under the railroad tracks near the Melun train station, leaving American troops stuck in Dammarie-les-Lys on the left bank of the river. A new attack planned for 9:00 a.m. the following day would allow the infantry and tanks to finally cross the bridge under the railroad tracks and advance toward the Seine, reaching the island but unable to cross beyond it.
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Le 17 août 1944, à la demande d'Alphonse Fercot, La résistance locale s’organise. Une réunion, organisée au hameau de Villers, regroupe environ 150 personnes. Un guetteur est posté sur le château d’eau. Un inventaire des armes disponibles est dressé et il est décidé de mettre en place des patrouilles pour sécuriser la ville. Un groupe d'attaque est créé. Les résistants commencent à prendre possession des infrastructures clés de la ville, notamment la mairie, les châteaux d'eau, le bureau de poste et d'autres services publics qui ont été abandonnés par les forces allemandes.
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Treadway Bridge - Technical Specifications - Type M2 According to the US War Department on May 9, 1944The floating bridge consists of two continuous metal treads formed by 12-foot lengths rigidly connected to each other by pins. The treads are supported by pneumatic pontoons spaced 12 feet apart from center to center. Connections to the shore are made by resting the ends of the treads on the edges of the shore or by adding one or more pinned connections. This depends on the quality of the shore at the water's edge, its height, and its slope. The end elements sometimes require firm foundations, which can take a considerable amount of time to build.
The Treadway Bridge - Type M2 - built over the Seine River in TillyConstruction workThe estimated time required to build such a bridge is approximately 3 hours during daylight hours for a length of 432 feet (131 meters) or 4½ hours in darkness, requiring the use of 36 pneumatic floats. For information, the width of the Seine at Tilly is approximately 125 meters. It is clear that these construction times depend on many factors. A metal floating bridge unit is equipped to build 864 feet of bridge (262 meters), which corresponds to 72 pneumatic floats. For Tilly, the heavy equipment and personnel required include: - 36 pneumatic floats, each 10 meters long - 72 treads, their metal supports, and the saddle and floor of each boat - 3 service boats (push boats) and their engines - All necessary accessories and equipment such as tools, air compressors, lighting, etc. - 18 heavy trucks with hydraulic cranes to transport the equipment and 7 vans to transport the accessories - 1 bulldozer - 1 truck-mounted crane - 215 men and 16 officers, plus additional service personnel
Greenock, Ecosse
Treadway Bridge - Technical Specifications - Type M2 According to the US War Department on May 9, 1944The floating bridge consists of two continuous metal treads formed by 12-foot lengths rigidly connected to each other by pins. The treads are supported by pneumatic pontoons spaced 12 feet apart from center to center. Connections to the shore are made by resting the ends of the treads on the edges of the shore or by adding one or more pinned connections. This depends on the quality of the shore at the water's edge, its height, and its slope. The end elements sometimes require firm foundations, which can take a considerable amount of time to build.
The Treadway Bridge - Type M2 - built over the Seine River in TillyConstruction work The estimated time required to build such a bridge is approximately 3 hours during daylight hours for a length of 432 feet (131 meters) or 4½ hours in darkness, requiring the use of 36 pneumatic floats. For information, the width of the Seine at Tilly is approximately 125 meters. It is clear that these construction times depend on many factors. A metal floating bridge unit is equipped to build 864 feet of bridge (262 meters), which corresponds to 72 pneumatic floats. Pour Tilly, le matériel lourd nécessaire et le personnel affecté comprend : - 36 flotteurs pneumatiques de 10 mètres de longueur- 72 bandes de roulement, leurs supports métalliques ainsi que la selle et le plancher de chaque bateau- 3 bateaux de service (pousseurs) et leurs moteurs- Tous les accessoires et équipements nécessaires tels l’outillage, les compresseurs d’air, l’éclairage ……- 18 camions lourds avec grue hydraulique chargés d’apporter le matériel et 7 fourgons de transport pour les accessoires- 1 Bulldozer- 1 grue sur camion- 215 hommes et 16 officiers plus les personnels de service additionnels
tidworks barracks, wiltshire
Greenock, Ecosse
08:00 In the Ponthierry area, various units take up position in preparation for crossing the Seine. Artillery is deployed on the Jonville plain. The two combat battalions of the Engineers are bivouacking west of Moulignon.
10:00An artillery duel takes place between the Germans and US units. Meanwhile, reconnaissance is carried out in the Tilly area. 11:00 The Americans climb to the top of the bell tower in Saint Fargeau to observe the Ormeteau plain. 11:30 Reconnaissance is complete. Assault sites and bridge site are determined; an action plan is put in place..
09:00 In Ponthierry, Colonel Rosebaum is informed of the situation of the CCR in Melun. The objective is to determine assault sites across the Seine and decide on a location to build a pontoon bridge.
14:00A tragic event occurs: Claude Faure, aged 20, who had been patrolling the woods of Villers, decides to return to Saint-Fargeau along the railway line. Unfortunately, a German sniper positioned on the opposite bank takes aim at him. He is shot in the head and dies instantly. 15:00 Raymond Mouffron, a 28-year-old farm worker who was patrolling the banks of the Seine, was tragically shot dead by German fire at Citanguette. After returning from his last reconnaissance mission, Colonel Chappuis immediately summoned his staff and the commanders of the various infantry companies. He presented them with a detailed plan of action.
13:30American troops access the sites and take up their positions, notably the 179th and 206th Engineer Combat Battalions, which are specifically tasked with handling the assault boats. Next, the units that are to cross, such as the 48th Armored Infantry Battalion, take their places. In third position come the units responsible for building the bridge. Defenses are put in place.
Economy and independence
“Only sufficient space on this earth can guarantee a people's freedom of existence.” “...the right to soil and land can become a duty... And especially when it is not just any small people... but Germany, mother of all life, mother of all present civilization.” “But if we speak today of new lands in Europe, we cannot think first of anything other than Russia and the neighboring countries that depend on it.” “We all feel that, in the distant future, mankind will encounter problems that only a master race of the highest order, with all the means and resources of the entire world at its disposal, will be able to solve.” “...colonize the newly acquired regions...”
20:00A half-track command vehicle is transported across the Seine on a barge. It is then taken through the woods to the battalion's forward command post.
21h00 On the right bank, all companies are taking up defensive positions, actively working to reinforce and consolidate their existing shelters. 22h00 A sudden lull sets in: German artillery ceases fire, bringing a welcome respite to soldiers on the front lines and anxious residents.
22h30The 179th ECB withdraws from Auxonnettes and establishes a new bivouac closer to Ponthierry. Some members of the battalion remain at the crossing sites to facilitate the transfer of equipment to the right bank. The following day (August 24) Between 4:00 and 5:15 a.m., German artillery resumed its intensive bombardment of the site. Mortar fire repeatedly grazed the bridge. Construction was temporarily suspended. It was completed at 8:00 a.m. In the morning, tanks crossed the Seine, followed by all CCA troops. The bridgehead was established. The CCB, which had remained in reserve until then, was called in as reinforcement and received strategic orders to move towards Tilly. The mission was clear: use the new bridge to attack Melun from the northeast.
Following an excerpt from “1944 – War in the Paris Region”The VII Corps, with the trio of the 3rd Armored Division and the 1st and 9th Infantry Divisions, prepared to cross the Seine at Tilly on a new pontoon bridge. During the night, the 23rd Armored Engineer Battalion managed to launch another 540-foot (approximately 170-meter) pontoon bridge between Saint-Fargeau and Seine-Port. At dawn on August 26, 1944, Lt. Colonel Lawrence G. Foster was able to open it to traffic. Behind the 3rd Armored and its two Combat Commands followed the 1st and 9th Infantry Divisions. During the night, rafts had ferried light reconnaissance vehicles across.This is confirmed in the publication “Spearhead in the West”: "The 1st and 9th Infantry Divisions assembled with the 3rd Armored Division and prepared to follow the 3rd Armored Division in its advance across the Seine. The 3rd Armored Division began crossing the Seine at Tilly during the night of August 25-26 on the existing bridge. Meanwhile, the Engineer Division built a second pontoon bridge (Saint-Fargeau to Seine-Port), which was ready at dawn on August 26. Spreading out into multiple columns that same day, the Division broke through the enemy's stubborn defense around the bridgehead of the 4th Infantry Division and the 7th Armored Division east of the Seine and moved rapidly east and northeast.
Henri Lecuyer
Teacher, then headmaster of the boys' school (now the library) from 1927 to 1949. During the war, Mr. Lecuyer was a communist. In class, he refused to teach his students the song “Maréchal, nous voilà,” even though it was mandatory. Much loved by his students, he helped many of them find work and supplies and gave them valuable advice. In May 1944, at the request of Mrs. Cotelle (a member of the Resistance in contact with the intelligence service), he reproduced the plans of the town, indicating all the strategic locations. Mr. Lecuyer had the idea of asking the mayor at the time for the land registry and tax records for a lesson for his students. The mayor, Mr. Verdy (a notorious collaborator), agreed, but only for half a day. He copied the map of the town onto tracing paper, marking the locations where the Germans were (factories, including Leroy and Cotelle). Three days later, he heard on Radio London, “La Mée Roustintin couche dans les Verdiaux” (La Mée Roustintin sleeps in Les Verdiaux), which confirmed that the map had arrived safely. The bombing took place on Thursday, August 1, 1944. This action certainly saved the lives of many people in the town, since, according to him, the bombing was very precise. A few days before the end of the war, Mrs. Cotelle received a visit from two civilians who spoke French, but she did not know whether they were German or French. They beat her so badly that she died in hospital the next day. Source: Ici Saint-Fargeau-Ponthierry – My residents talk to residents.
Can you remind us of the route taken by the 7th Armored Division between Omaha Beach and Melun/Ponthierry? The 7th Armored Division landed on Omaha and Utah beaches. The map below shows various elements reassembled. The Division advanced into combat before all units had landed. Some elements caught up with the main body of the Division a week later. They advanced through Laval and Le Mans. At La Ferté-Bernard, the Combat Command unit split into several columns. One column bypassed Chartres, while two others attacked from the north. When they left Chartres, they headed for Dreux to support other units crossing the Seine west of Paris. On August 21, two Combat Command units headed for their objectives of Tilly and Melun. Combat Command B, initially stationed at Rambouillet, was then to follow Combat Command A and head for Tilly. The plan was for Combat Command A and B units to cross the Seine at Tilly and then encircle Melun from the rear while Combat Command R diverted German attention to Melun until they were surrounded.
Wesley Johnston
17:30 Willie C. Kelley, a 19-year-old from Company C of the 179th ECB, and John I. Kanyo, a 29-year-old corporal from Company B of the 179th ECB, were fatally wounded. Petty Officer Fifth Class Funke of Company B, 179th ECB, and Privates Sissonack and Hertel of Company C were seriously wounded. Donald W. Hertel, aged 21, succumbed to his injuries the following day.
Willie Kelley
John Kanyo
Donald Hertel
Construction work: The estimated time required to build such a bridge is approximately 3 hours during daylight hours for a length of 131 meters, or 4.5 hours in darkness, and requires the use of 36 pneumatic floats. For information, the width of the Seine at Tilly is approximately 125 meters. For Tilly, the heavy equipment required includes: - 36 pneumatic floats, 10 meters long - 72 treads, their metal supports, and the saddle and floor of each boat - 3 service boats (push boats) and their engines - All necessary accessories and equipment such as tools, air compressors, lighting, etc. - 18 heavy trucks with hydraulic cranes to transport the equipment and 7 vans to transport the accessories - 1 to 3 bulldozers - 1 truck-mounted craneAll of this, organized and assembled by - 215 men and 16 officers - Plus additional service personnel
Leroy houses
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For a long time, it was believed that the bombing on August 1, 1944, was an operation planned by the Americans to destroy German infrastructure in the town (in particular, the Mercedes-Benz aircraft engine assembly line that had been set up in 1943 in part of the Leroy wallpaper factory). American archives show us that the reality was quite different. On August 1, 1944, the Eighth Air Force (8 AF), a bombing unit of the US Air Force, launched a large-scale operation over eastern and central France (mission number 508). From their bases in England, several hundred B-17 and B-24 flying fortresses were sent to bomb strategic targets (airfields, fuel depots, and railway facilities mainly located east and north of Paris).Due to weather conditions, some squadrons of the 2nd Bomb Division (59 B-17s and 55 B-24s) fall back on their secondary target: the Melun-Villaroche airfield.The airfield was already under bombardment. At an altitude of 6.4 km (21,200 feet), the squadron was unable to drop its payload. As a last resort, the squadrons were allowed to target “opportunity targets,” provided they were not adjacent to urban areas. Ignoring this last instruction, and spotting the Ponthierry bridge (“a road bridge west of Melun”) and the surrounding railway facilities, 10 B-24s from the 448th Bomb Group break away from the formation and drop their bombs along a line from Sainte-Assise to the Leroy factory. Within minutes, 25 tons of explosive bombs and 5 tons of incendiary bombs fell on the town. They did not hit the bridge, but instead struck the hamlet of Sainte-Assise, the railway line, the station, the factory, the housing estates, and the Leroy hotel.
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17:30In Tilly, Company B of the infantry regiment, which had initially been positioned further back in the assembly area, moved to the southern site. There, they were to board the boats that had already been used to transport the soldiers of Company C. Lieutenant Frank J. Green (32) and Private Joseph H. Thomas (25) of Company A of the 206th ECB were fatally wounded by gunfire. They were the first casualties of the day.
Frank Green
Camp Coxcomb, Californie
10-Logistics was a problem in the race towards the Seine and Germany. Was the logistics of the 7th Armored Division the responsibility of the division itself or of the 3rd Army? • WJ: “The supply of combat units was shared throughout the chain of command: Army Group, Army, Corps, and Division. Logistics were shared by everyone at every level. • Personnel replacements were handled in a similar manner.”
Wesley Johnston
How many soldiers do you estimate crossed the Seine on the two bridges built at Saint-Fargeau-Ponthierry in 1944? Estimates range from 400,000 to 700,000? WJ: "The 7th Armored Division had only 10,000 men, and only about two-thirds of them would have crossed at Saint-Fargeau-Ponthierry. The figures of 400,000 to 700,000 may have been reached later over a very long period. I have no way of verifying this. Probably no more than 6,000 men from the 7th Armored Division, and probably fewer than that. These figures are equivalent to 40 to 70 divisions, and there were not that many divisions. Support personnel would have had to be included, but I find the figures far from realistic, as this was not the only place where troops crossed the Seine. For example, after the success at Melun, the troops of the 7th Division were replaced, withdrew, and crossed the Seine again near Fontainebleau a few days later.
Wesley Johnston
Jean Lamoureux
Suzanne Beaujan
François Bodelet
Eugène Boisset
André Chinotti
Louis Passera
Claude Faure
Charles Turquois
Marie-Rose Turquois
Marcel Verdon
Poupard André
Jacques Emery
Henri Lecoutre
Bernard Fromentin
Robert Touvenin
André Deligne
Louis Pieronne
Pierre Bianchi
Michael Manzolillo He served as a corporal in the anti-aircraft artillery of the 203rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion of the 7th Armored Division. On August 24, 1944, he was vigilantly guarding the temporary bridge at Tilly, repelling German air threats. Unfortunately, he lost his life when his battery was hit by German artillery fire. After a brief rest in Villeneuve-sur-Auvers, he found his final resting place at Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.
Camp Shanks, New York
Wesley Johnston
How many men were involved? How was it organized? • The 7th Division had about 10,000 men • The Combat Command units were divided into three commands: A, B, and R. Each Combat Command had a tank battalion, an armored infantry battalion, and an artillery battalion, plus an engineer company, an anti-tank company, and elements of a Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron. • There was also an anti-aircraft artillery battalion and a Military Police platoon. • Support units included a “train” division, a signal company, supply and maintenance units, and the Armored Medical Battalion.
Bridge destroyed
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On August 20, 1944, in Ponthierry, following a misunderstanding, the Germans, believing they heard American tanks approaching, “torpedoed” the Sainte-Assise bridge. The historical approach allows us to add the following element: - On August 19, among other instructions, the Führer ordered that the Allied armies be prevented from crossing the Seine towards the lower part of Paris, which would delay the Allied advance by holding the Seine-Yonne line for as long as possible and, during that time, establishing a Somme-Marne defense line called the “Kitzinger Stellung. "The bridge was mined by the Germans using torpedoes. There were three torpedoes on each pier, then two above, then one, forming a triangle. The result of the destruction can be clearly seen in the photos. It killed the fish I had caught. On my way back, someone told me that I could throw my fish away because they had been killed by the explosion and could have harmful effects. "Source: Mr. Courtier
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16:10Infantry Companies A and C moved a relatively short distance to reach the assembly area assigned to the engineers, located 400 meters west of Tilly. Once there, they joined forces with members of the 179th and 206th Engineer Combat Battalions. Together, they transported the M-2 assault boats to the designated crossing sites. Each squad is responsible for moving its own boat.
15:45 German aircraft suddenly appear over Saint-Fargeau-Ponthierry and begin strafing the area. In response to this air attack, the American anti-aircraft artillery, namely the 203rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, opens fire to repel the assault. 16:00Major Frazier takes charge and personally guides the infantry soldiers across to a secure assembly point behind the hamlet of Tilly.
16:15As the troops move toward the designated crossing points, three American P-47 aircraft fly over the area. Suddenly, they dive toward enemy positions, opening fire with their machine guns. Then the artillery goes into action.
16:40 The troops in the assault boats are advancing rapidly.
17:00 The first companies manage to reach the woods about 150 meters inland. The resistance put up by German forces ultimately proves relatively weak. Preparations begin for the access routes to the bridge.
Leroy Factory
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The siren had sounded three times some time ago, the planes had passed, and as usual, everyone went about their business, except for the Germans, who were still returning to their shelters. I had met a friend of my father's and we were chatting quietly in front of the bakery on Avenue de la Gare (that's what it was called at the time) when we heard the whistling of bombs. I could see them hitting the bridge over the Seine. They were incendiary bombs, and thinking that the avenue was about to come under fire, I ran (as fast as I could) to take cover behind a house. As I ran, I saw large black clouds rising into the sky, mixed with debris of all kinds. Then silence fell, a long silence, as if life had stopped. Finally, a door opened behind me, and the owner of the house offered me a glass of water. She probably thought I was scared, but no, it had all happened so quickly and I had only one thought in my mind: to get to safety. On the completely congested Route 7, there was utter chaos. Everyone was coming to find out what was happening, and the people passing through had only one idea in mind: to leave Ponthierry, especially the German officer (no doubt a superior, given all the gold braid on his epaulettes)Sitting in the back of his convertible, he was giving his driver a dressing-down for not driving fast enough to his liking to make a U-turn on the sidewalk. I was in front of the train station when the gym teacher asked me to help clear debris from a neighborhood that had been hit by a bomb. Quickly, among the rubble, I discovered a shoe, then an ankle... The man I was helping (in his fifties) said to me, “How old are you, young man?” “Fourteen, sir.” “You're big for your age,” he added. “Now you have to go. Go find your friends.” It was better that way. Under the rubble, with the help of other adults, he pulled out the body of a young woman (Ms. Jeanine Varin, mother of a 4-year-old girl). Source: Ici Saint-Fargeau-Ponthierry – My residents talk to residents.
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It is known that General Patton's 7th Armored Division wanted to cross the Seine between Melun and Montereau. Was the crossing at Tilly part of the initial plans or was it a last-minute option? "It was planned. As you can see in the after-action report. Late in the afternoon of August 20, General Walker went to the Division Headquarters where he briefed the members of the General Staff on the situation and explained the overall military situation in Europe, showing the positions of the American and British armies and army corps. He also said that he was considering moving his Division from its current position eastward across the Seine River near Melun. Combat Command B was to relieve Combat Command A in its defensive position on the exposed flank of the division, with both moving in two columns and becoming bridgeheads in the vicinity of Melun. Combat Command R moved from its current position near Marville towards Saint-Chéron – Maintenon – Saint-Symphorien – Ablis – Dourdan – Chauffour – La Ferté-Alais and then Melun. Combat Command A moved from its position in Dreux, in contact with the enemy, to Nogent-Le-Roi – Épernon – Orphin – Saint-Arnoult – Le Val-Saint-Germain – Arpajon – Ballancourt – Auverneaux – Tilly, where it crossed the river under enemy artillery fire. The 7th Armored Division continued to advance. Along the Seine River west of Paris, they were ordered to advance in two columns, one to reach Melun and the other specifically toward Tilly.
Wesley Johnston
We know that General Patton passed through Saint-Fargeau-Ponthierry on August 26, 1944, however, some residents who were present have always said they saw him as early as August 23. Several of them say they shared a meal with him, particularly at a farm and at the Château de Tilly. WJ: "Patton's schedule places him at his headquarters and far to the west in Laval, where he had a meeting. Perhaps it was General Silvester MacDonald of the 7th Armored Division or the Commander General of the XX Corps Walton Walker, who was definitely in Melun that morning."
Wesley Johnston
On the town's memorial, it says: General Patton's 5th Division instead of the 7th. Do you have an explanation for this error? a. WJ: "The 7th Armored Division was the first to arrive in town and made the first crossing. b. After the 7th Armored Division liberated Melun, the 5th Infantry Division followed behind and took over the positions so that the 7th Armored Division could continue its movement eastward. This was the usual procedure for a rapid advance. The Armored Division secured the objective and gave way to the 5th Infantry Division to consolidate and free up the 7th Armored Division for another advance. I have no idea why the monument does not mention the 7th Armored Division; it absolutely should have. Perhaps after the battle, a local resident returned and found the troops of the 5th Infantry Division and thought that they were the ones who had liberated the area. But that was not the case.
Wesley Johnston
Camp Polk, Louisiane
Brigadier Général Silvester
La résistance locale prend le contrôle de la ville
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The U.S. 7th Armored Division (7th AD), like many other divisions, is organized into three separate combined arms groups known as Combat Commands (CCA, CCB, and CCR). Each of these groups consists of a tank battalion, an infantry battalion, and an artillery battalion. Advancing from Dreux and passing through the towns of Nogent-le-Roi and Épernon: • The CCA, on the left flank, approaches Arpajon (Ollainville). • The CCR, on the right flank, approached the town of Dourdan. • The CCB remained in reserve near Rambouillet. On August 21, a company from the 40th Tank Regiment arrived in Auxonnettes, likely a reconnaissance group. Faced with this imminent threat, panic seized the German forces stationed in the town, and they desperately attempted to evacuate by any means possible.
Le 17 août 1944, à la demande d'Alphonse Fercot, La résistance locale s’organise. Une réunion, organisée au hameau de Villers, regroupe environ 150 personnes. Un guetteur est posté sur le château d’eau. Un inventaire des armes disponibles est dressé et il est décidé de mettre en place des patrouilles pour sécuriser la ville. Un groupe d'attaque est créé. Les résistants commencent à prendre possession des infrastructures clés de la ville, notamment la mairie, les châteaux d'eau, le bureau de poste et d'autres services publics qui ont été abandonnés par les forces allemandes.
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France and the Treaty of Versailles
“The mortal enemy, the merciless enemy of the German people is and remains France.” “Crush the French hydra once and for all...” “We are all convinced today of the need to settle accounts with France.”
During the exchange of fire and the crossing, Tennyson R. Waldren, aged 34, belonging to Company B of the 48th Armored Infantry Battalion, also lost his life.
Tennyson Waldren
12-Finally, did the logistics units follow the combat units very closely, or did they set up specific locations in areas predefined in the plans? • WJ: "The 7th Armored Division ‘Trains’ organized supply points and points for evacuating the bodies of those who had been killed. • This was not part of the strategic plans but was taken into account in the plans of the 7th Armored Division “Trains,” which it then communicated to the elements of the Division."
Wesley Johnston