THE BATTLE OF MONTÉLIMAR: AUGUST 1944

Shortly after the Provence landings, the Battle of Montélimar marked the attempt to annihilate the retreating German troops in the Rhône valley. American divisions trapped them in a pocket formed to the east by the Rhône and to the north by the Drôme, whose bridges had been destroyed by the Resistance. On 28 August, fierce fighting broke out against the 11th Panzerdivision and two infantry divisions, hard pressed by the Americans. The battle ended on 31 August with the liberation of Montélimar and Valence. It cost the Germans heavily in men and materiel, but the bulk of their troops managed to escape towards Lyon.

Table of contents

• The Provence landings.
• The 11th Panzerdivision.
• The Livron bridge.
• Task Force Butler.
• The ride of Task Force Butler.
• The Texans are coming!
• TFB reactivated, the 36th Division organises.
• Monday 28 August.
• Tuesday 29 August.
• Wednesday 30 August.
• Thursday 31 August.
• Conclusion.
• Appendices.

The authors

They both live in the Rhône-Alpes region and are passionate about local history. Stéphane Lavit has already published 4 books, on the American divisions of the Liberation and the Maquis of the Ain; Vincent Sniprat has written several articles on history through objects in Militaria Magazine.