Editing Operation Dragoon (section)

==Operation==

===Preliminary operations===
[[File:Preparing for Operation Dragoon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|US paratroopers of the [[517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team]] prepare for the landings]]
To ensure the success of Dragoon and support the initial landings, preliminary [[commando]] operations had to be carried out. The first target was the [[Îles d'Hyères|Hyères Islands]], specifically [[Port-Cros]] and [[Île du Levant|Levant]]. The guns of the German garrisons on both islands could reach the proposed Allied landing area and the sea lanes that the troops would follow. The [[First Special Service Force]], a joint US-Canadian special forces unit trained in amphibious assault and mountaineering and consisting of three regiments, received the order to take the islands as part of Operation Sitka.{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=36–41}}{{sfnp|Vogel|1983|p=597}}

The landings on Port-Cros and Levant started simultaneously on 14{{nbsp}}August. On Levant, the 2nd and 3rd regiments of the First Special Service Force faced sporadic resistance that became more intense when the German garrison forces came together in the area of the port. The men of the First Special Service Force gained the upper hand and discovered that the "coastal defense [[Artillery battery|battery]]" the Allied naval forces were worried about was actually several well-camouflaged dummy weapons.{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=36–41}}{{sfnp|Vogel|1983|p=597}}

On Port-Cros, the 1st Regiment drove the German garrison to the western side of the island to an old fort. Fighting continued through 16{{nbsp}}August. When darkness fell, German guns on the French mainland at [[Cap Bénat|Cap Benat]] shelled Port-Cros. HMS ''Ramillies'' took aim at the fort where the Germans were barricaded. The German garrison surrendered on the morning of 17{{nbsp}}August. With both islands in Allied hands, the men of the First Special Service Force transferred to the mainland, where they were attached to the [[1st Airborne Task Force (Allied)|First Airborne Task Force]].{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=36–41}}{{sfnp|Vogel|1983|p=597}}

Meanwhile, at [[Cap Nègre]], to the west of the main invasion, a large group of French commandos destroyed German artillery emplacements as part of [[Operation Romeo]]. Their main effort was supported by diversionary flank landings by other commando teams. While the main mission succeeded, 67 French commandos were taken prisoner after they ran into a minefield. In addition to the commando operations, another operation was carried out, named "[[Operation Span]]". This was a deception plan, aimed to confuse the German defenders with fake landings and paratroopers, to disperse them from the actual landing zones.{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=36–41}}{{sfnp|Vogel|1983|p=597}}

===Airborne landings===
The first to land in the early hours were the airborne and glider troops. The [[1st Airborne Task Force]] landed in the [[River Argens]] valley around the area of [[Le Muy]] with the objective of preventing German reinforcements from reaching the landing beaches. The American component being the largest, consisted of the air dropped Mission ''Albatross'', followed by the glider-borne Mission [[Mission Dove|''Dove'']]. Later, the missions ''Bluebird'' and ''Canary'' would bring in the reinforcements.

The British landings, codenamed "[[2nd Parachute Brigade in Southern France|Operation Rugby]]," consisted of the [[2nd Parachute Brigade (United Kingdom)|2nd Parachute Brigade]]. Fog and low clouds resulted in many paratroopers landing ten or fifteen miles away, while others were closer.{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|p=39}} The British took the villages of Le Mitan, [[La Motte, Var|La Motte]], Clastron and Les Serres and then assaulted and captured the bridge over the River Naturby, which carried the road to Le Muy. Soon after, they secured the high ground to the east and north of Le Muy, while the Americans did the same in the west and south.

The American 550th Glider Infantry Battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Edward Sachs then attempted to seize the town that evening but were repulsed. Only in the afternoon of the following day after reinforcements arrived did they succeed in capturing Le Muy, along with 700 prisoners. The First Airborne Task Force then waited for the arrival of ground troops while holding off a number of counterattacks. Overall the landings were successful, with  104 dead, 24 of which were caused by glider accidents and 18 by parachute accidents.{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=36–41}}{{sfnp|Vogel|1983|p=597}}

===Main invasion force landings===
[[File:Anvildragoon.png|thumb|Operation Dragoon landings]]
The preceding bombing missions, together with resistance sabotage acts, hit the Germans heavily, interrupting railroads, damaging bridges, and disrupting the communication network. The landing started on the morning of 15{{nbsp}}August.{{sfnp|Pogue|1986|p=227}} Ships of the Western Naval Task Force approached under cover of darkness and were in position at dawn. The first of 1,300 Allied bombers from Italy, Sardinia, and Corsica began aerial bombardment shortly before 06:00. Bombing was nearly continuous until 07:30, when battleships and cruisers launched spotting aircraft and began firing on specific targets detected by aerial surveillance. Naval gunfire ceased as the landing craft headed ashore at 08:00. The relatively steep beach gradients with small tidal range discouraged Axis placement of underwater obstacles, but landing beaches had been defensively mined. [[Landing Craft Infantry|LCIs]] leading the first wave of landing craft fired rockets to explode [[land mine]]s on the beaches to be used by following troops.{{sfnp|Potter|Nimitz|1960|pp=588–598}}

The main landing force consisted of three divisions of the VI Corps. The [[U.S. 3rd Infantry Division|3rd Infantry Division]] landed on the left at Alpha Beach ([[Cavalaire-sur-Mer]]), the [[45th Infantry Division (United States)|45th Infantry Division]] landed in the center at Delta Beach (Le Muy, [[Saint-Tropez]]) and the [[U.S. 36th Infantry Division|36th Infantry Division]] landed on the right at Camel Beach ([[Saint-Raphaël, Var|Saint-Raphaël]]).{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=41–50}}

The landings were overwhelmingly successful. On Delta and Alpha beaches, German resistance was low. The ''Osttruppen'' surrendered quickly, and the biggest threats to the Allies were the mines. A single German gun and a mortar position were silenced by destroyer fire. The Allied units in this sector were able to secure a beachhead and quickly linked up with the paratroopers, capturing Saint-Tropez and Le{{nbsp}}Muy.{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=41–50}} The most serious fighting was on Camel Beach near the town of Saint-Raphaël. This beach was defended by several well-emplaced coastal guns, as well as flak batteries. Through heavy German fire, the Allies attempted to land at the shore. However, at Sector Red of the Camel Beach landing zone, the Allies were not successful. A bombing run of 90{{nbsp}}Allied [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator|B-24 bombers]] was called in against a German strongpoint there. Even with the assistance of naval fire, the Allies were not able to bring the landing ships close to the shore. They decided to avoid Camel Red and land only at the sectors of Camel Blue and Camel Green,<ref>Vast pebble beach at formed by the cobbles left over from sixty years of quarrying of [[Esterellite#World War II|Esterellite]]. It was dubbed the "quarry beach".</ref> where both landings were successful.{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=41–50}}

The Allied casualties at the landings were very light, with 95{{nbsp}}killed and 385 wounded; 40 of those casualties were caused by a rocket-boosted [[Henschel Hs 293]] guided gliding bomb launched from a [[Dornier Do 217|Do 217]] bomber aircraft with a rare appearance of the bomber wing [[KG 100]], which sank the tank landing ship {{USS|LST-282}}.{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=41–50}}

===German counterattacks===
French sabotage by the FFI, together with the Allied bombing, severed German communication lines, causing initial confusion among the troops. German field commanders were not able to communicate with Army Group{{nbsp}}G's headquarters. Despite the hampered communications, German commanders acted independently to put measures in effect to counter the Allied invasion. Directly facing the brunt of the Allied landings was the German [[LXII Army Corps|LXII Corps]] at Draguignan, commanded by [[Ferdinand Neuling]]. Allied paratroopers interrupted his communication lines and trapped his headquarters in the city. He therefore ordered the nearby [[148th Reserve Division (Germany)|148th Infantry Division]] to counterattack against the beaches at Le{{nbsp}}Muy, just before the Allied paratroopers cut him off completely. Wiese, as commander of the 19th Army, was also unable to contact Blaskowitz's Army Group{{nbsp}}G headquarters, but implemented a plan to push the Allied forces in the Le{{nbsp}}Muy{{snd}}Saint-Raphaël region back into the sea unilaterally. With almost no mobile reserves to react against the beach landings, he ordered the commander of the [[189th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|189th Infantry Division]], [[Richard von Schwerin]], to establish an ''ad hoc'' battle group (''Kampfgruppe'') from all nearby units to counterattack the Allied beachheads in this area. While von{{nbsp}}Schwerin assembled all the men he could find, the 148th Infantry Division near Draguignan encountered heavy resistance from the FFI, which had been reinforced by British paratroopers, upsetting the plan for a swift counterattack toward the beaches.{{sfnp|Clarke|Smith|1993|pp=105–107}}{{sfnp|Vogel|1983|pp=597–599}}

While the Germans were unable to mount a counterattack against the Allied beachheads on 15{{nbsp}}August, by the morning of 16{{nbsp}}August, von{{nbsp}}Schwerin had finally assembled a force about the size of four infantry battalions. With this force, he launched a two-pronged assault towards Le{{nbsp}}Muy and the Allied beachhead, as well as toward Draguignan to relieve the LXII{{nbsp}}Corps headquarters there. By that time, the Allies had already landed a significant number of troops, vehicles, and tanks. The Allied mobile forces of the 45th{{nbsp}}Division went out against the German forces themselves. The division surrounded the town of [[Les Arcs, Var|Les{{nbsp}}Arcs]], recently reoccupied by von{{nbsp}}Schwerin's troops, and attempted to isolate the German forces there. After heavy fighting throughout the day, von{{nbsp}}Schwerin ordered his troops to retreat under cover of night. At the same time, heavy fighting occurred at Saint-Raphaël. Mobile units of the 148th Infantry Division finally had arrived there and encountered the U.S. 3rd Division, which was trying to take Saint-Raphaël. This attack, however, was fruitless. By 17{{nbsp}}August, the German counter-attacks had been largely defeated, Saint-Raphaël was secured together with a large beachhead along the coastline, and mobile forces had linked up with the airborne troops in Le{{nbsp}}Muy.{{sfnp|Vogel|1983|pp=597–599}}{{sfnp|Clarke|Smith|1993|pp=118–125}} French troops had been pouring ashore since 16{{nbsp}}August, passing to the left of the American troops with the objective of Toulon and Marseille.{{sfnp|Vogel|1983|pp=597–599}}

By the night of 16/17 August, Army Group G headquarters realized that it could not drive the Allies back into the sea. Simultaneously in northern France, the encirclement of the [[Falaise pocket]] threatened the loss of large numbers of German forces. Given the precarious situation, [[Adolf Hitler]] moved away from his "no step backwards" agenda and agreed to an OKW plan for the complete withdrawal of army groups{{nbsp}}G and B. The OKW plan was for all German forces (except the stationary fortress troops) in southern France to move north to link up with Army Group{{nbsp}}B to form a new defensive line from [[Sens]] through Dijon to the Swiss frontier. Two German divisions (the 148th and [[157th Reserve Division (Germany)|157th]]) were to retreat into the French-Italian [[Alps]]. The Allies were privy to the German plan through [[Ultra (cryptography)|Ultra]] interception.{{sfnp|Vogel|1983|pp=597–599}}{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|p=55}}{{sfnp|Clarke|Smith|1993|pp=128; 134–137}}

The German navy's response was minimal. The Kriegsmarine had some 25 surface ships (mostly [[torpedo boat]]s and smaller) though the main anti-invasion force, 10th Torpedo Boat Flotilla based at [[Genoa]], had just four torpedo boats fit for service during ''Dragoon'' and this force took no action against the invasion fleet.{{sfnp|O'Hara|2009|p=248}} There were two actions against the Allied naval forces taken by other units.  On 15 August, off Port-Cros, the US destroyer {{USS|Somers|DD-381|6}} encountered two German warships and [[battle of Port Cros|in a short action]] sank both.{{sfnp|O'Hara|2009| pp=248-249}}{{sfnp|Roskill|1960 | p=96}} On 17 August, off [[La Ciotat]], a force of two German warships encountered a force of [[PT boat]]s and gunboats staging a diversionary attack. Their destroyer escort engaged both vessels, and after [[Battle of La Ciotat|an hour-long gun battle]] both German vessels were sunk.{{sfnp|O'Hara|2009| p=249}} The Kriegsmarine also had a [[U-boat]] force based at [[Toulon]] operating in the Western Mediterranean; by the summer of 1944 this had been reduced to eight U-boats, and in air-raids prior to ''Dragoon'' five were destroyed.{{sfnp|Blair|1998|p=526}}{{sfnp|Roskill|1960 |p=88}} On the night of 17 August one boat attempted to sortie, ran aground leaving harbor and was scuttled. The other two U-boats took no action, and were scuttled to avoid capture before the [[Battle of Toulon (1944)|fall of Toulon]].{{sfnp|Roskill|1960| p=101}}

===German withdrawal===
The Germans started the withdrawal, while the motorized Allied forces broke out from their beachheads and pursued the German units from behind. The rapid Allied advance posed a major threat for the Germans, who could not retreat fast enough. The Germans tried to establish a defense line at the Rhône to shield the withdrawal of several valuable units there. The US 45th and 3rd divisions were pressing to the north-west with uncontested speed, undermining Wiese's plan for a new defense line. [[Barjols]] and [[Brignoles]] were taken by the two American divisions on 19{{nbsp}}August, which also were about to envelop Toulon, as well as Marseille, from the north, cutting off the German units there.{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=57–59}}{{sfnp|Vogel|1983|pp=598–601}}

In the northeast, the German problems loomed as large. Taskforce Butler{{snd}}the Allied mechanized component of the landings{{snd}}was pushing north of Draguignan. On 18{{nbsp}}August Neuling's surrounded LXII Corps' headquarters, attempted an unsuccessful breakout and was finally captured with the rest of the city after some fighting. The German troops in this area were exhausted and demoralized from the fighting against the FFI, so Taskforce Butler was also able to advance at high speed. [[Digne]] was liberated on 18{{nbsp}}August. At [[Grenoble]], the 157th Reserve Infantry Division faced the Allied advance, and its commander decided to retreat on 21{{nbsp}}August toward the Alps. This decision would prove to be disastrous for the Germans, as it left a large gap in the eastern flank of the retreating Army Group{{nbsp}}G. Blaskowitz now decided to sacrifice the [[242nd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|242nd Infantry Division]] in Toulon, as well as the [[244th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|244th Infantry Division]] in Marseille, to buy time for the rest of Army Group{{nbsp}}G to retreat through the Rhône Valley, while the 11th Panzer Division and the [[198th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|198th Infantry Division]] would shield the retreat in several defense lines.{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=57–59}}{{sfnp|Vogel|1983|pp=598–601}}

===Liberation of Marseille and Toulon===

{{Main|Battle of Marseille|Battle of Toulon (1944)}}

[[File:Liberation of Marseille, August 1944.jpg|thumb|[[Jean de Lattre de Tassigny]] (in dark pants and shirt without jacket, behind [[André Diethelm]] in suit) reviewing troops in the liberated city of Marseille on 29 August 1944]]
Meanwhile, the disembarked French units started to head for Marseille and Toulon. The initial plan was to capture the ports in succession, but the unexpected Allied advance allowed the French commander de Lattre de Tassigny to attack both ports almost simultaneously. He split his forces into two units, with [[Joseph de Goislard de Monsabert]] given the task to take Toulon from the east while [[Edgard de Larminat]] drove north to encircle the city at the flanks. The Germans had a significant force stationed in both cities, but they lacked the time to prepare for a determined defense. After heavy fighting around [[Hyères]], which temporarily stopped the advance, French forces approached Toulon on 19{{nbsp}}August. At the same time, Monsabert swung around the city, enveloped it, and cut off the highway between Toulon and Marseille. On 21{{nbsp}}August, the French pressed into Toulon, and heavy fighting ensued. The heavy German resistance led to an argument between Larminat and de{{nbsp}}Tassigny, after which de{{nbsp}}Tassigny took over direct command of the operation, dismissing Larminat. By 26{{nbsp}}August, the remaining German units had surrendered. The battle for Toulon cost the French 2,700 casualties, but they captured all remaining German forces, which lost their entire garrison of 18,000 men.{{sfnp|Vogel|1983|pp=598–601}}{{sfnp|Clarke|Smith|1993|pp=137–140}}

At the same time, Monsabert's attempt to liberate Marseille commenced. At first, a German force at [[Aubagne]] was defeated before French troops attacked the city directly. Unlike Toulon, the German commander at Marseille did not evacuate the civilian population, which became increasingly hostile. The resulting fighting with FFI troops further weakened the German units, which were exhausted from partisan fighting. The Wehrmacht was not able to defend on a broad front and soon crumbled into numerous isolated strongpoints. On 27{{nbsp}}August, most of the city was liberated, with only a few small strongpoints remaining, and on 28{{nbsp}}August, German troops issued the official surrender. The battle caused 1,825 French casualties, but 11,000 German troops were captured.{{sfnp|Clarke|Smith|1993|pp=140–142}} In both harbors, German engineers had demolished port facilities to deny their use to the Allies.{{sfnp|Vogel|1983|pp=598–601}}{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=70–71}}

The French Allied forces that helped liberate Toulon and Marseille consisted of large numbers of men from the Free French Colonial Infantry Division - Algerians, Malians, Mauritanians, and the Senegalese Tirailleurs, under General Charles de Gaulle.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pitts |first1=Johny |title=Afropean: Notes from Black Europe |date=6 June 2019 |publisher=Penguin Books |page=306 }}</ref>

===Battle at Montélimar===

[[File:Advance S France.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Allied advance until mid-September]]
While Marseille and Toulon were liberated, the German retreat continued. The 11th Panzer Division started several feints toward [[Aix-en-Provence]] to discourage any further Allied advance. By doing so, LXXXV{{nbsp}}Corps, as well as IV{{nbsp}}Luftwaffe Field Corps, were able to successfully retreat from the Allied advance at the Rhône. The Allies were unsure of German intentions, and Truscott decided to try to trap the Germans with a right flank movement while pursuing them with his three divisions from VI{{nbsp}}Corps. However, uncertainty at the Allied headquarters led to indecisiveness, and the Allies missed several opportunities to cut off the retreating LXXXV{{nbsp}}Corps.{{sfnp|Clarke|Smith|1993|pp=142–143}}

Through the decryption of German radio communications, the Allied headquarters became aware of the German withdrawal plan. They recognized the open German flank to the east of the Rhône at Grenoble due to the retreat of the 157th Infantry Division towards the Alps. To seize this opportunity, Taskforce Butler was ordered to advance in this direction, paralleling the German evacuation effort and ultimately cutting them off further north. While doing so, it fought some scattered German resistance, and finally, after turning left, found itself near [[Montélimar]], a small city on the east bank of the Rhône River. This town lay directly on the German escape route. Following Taskforce Butler was the 36th Infantry Division. Together, they were tasked on 20{{nbsp}}August with blocking the German force at Montélimar and continuing the northward advance to Grenoble, while VI{{nbsp}}Corps was pursuing the Germans from behind. However, after this speedy advance, the forward Allied forces now suffered  from a serious lack of fuel and supplies, which made this task difficult.{{sfnp|Vogel|1983|pp=598–601}}{{sfnp|Clarke|Smith|1993|pp=144–147}}{{sfnp|Tucker-Jones|2010|p=129}}

On 21 August, Taskforce Butler occupied the hills north of the town of Montélimar, according to revised orders from Truscott, as he considered it too weak to block the entire German force marching north. From this position, Taskforce Butler fired on the evacuating German troops, while waiting for further reinforcements. Troops from the FFI supported the Americans, harassing German troops through the entire battle. The sudden appearance of this new threat shocked Wiese and the German command. As a first countermeasure, Wietersheim's 11th{{nbsp}}Panzer Division was called in. The first of its units to arrive, together with several ''ad hoc'' Luftwaffe battle groups, were asked to deal with this new threat. This hastily-assembled force mounted an attack against Puy the same day, and the Germans were able to isolate Taskforce Butler from supplies. This success was, however, short-lived, and the Germans were soon pushed back.{{sfnp|Clarke|Smith|1993|pp=147–149}}{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=71–81}}

The next day, the first units of the 36th Division arrived, reinforcing Taskforce Butler. However, the Allied troops were still short of supplies and lacked enough men to directly attack the German escape route. During the next few days, more Allied men and supplies trickled in. At the same time, the US 45th{{nbsp}}Division took over positions at Grenoble, leaving the 36th{{nbsp}}Division free to fully commit its forces at Montélimar. Taskforce Butler was officially dissolved on 23{{nbsp}}August, and [[John E. Dahlquist]], commander of the now fully-arrived 36th{{nbsp}}Infantry Division, assumed direct control of its units. For the rest of the day, only small skirmishes occurred between German and Allied forces. Meanwhile, the Germans also struggled to bring the 11th{{nbsp}}Panzer Division through the chaos of the evacuation into position in the town. By 24{{nbsp}}August, a substantial number of the 11th{{nbsp}}Panzer Division had finally reached the battle area.{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=71–81}}{{sfnp|Clarke|Smith|1993|pp=150–154}}

With his newly reorganised units, Dahlquist attempted a direct attack against Montélimar, which failed against the newly-arrived German tank units. The subsequent German counter-attack gained some ground against the hills occupied by the Allies. Its aim was to push the Americans from the hills north of Montélimar and to force the American artillery to move back out of range.{{sfnp|Tucker-Jones|2010|p=129}} After the fighting, the Germans captured a copy of Dahlquist's operational plans, giving them a better picture of the Allied forces. As a result, Wiese planned a major attack for 25{{nbsp}}August by the 11th{{nbsp}}Panzer Division and the 198th Infantry Division, together with some ''ad hoc'' Luftwaffe battlegroups. This attack was, however, also a failure. The Allies struck back and retook the hills north of Montélimar, and were able to establish a temporary roadblock on the German escape route. Again, this Allied success also did not last long, as another attack led by Wietersheim reopened the passage at midnight.{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=71–81}}{{sfnp|Clarke|Smith|1993|pp=154–160}}

After the repeated German counterattacks prevented any lasting roadblock, Truscott finally allowed reinforcements from the 45th{{nbsp}}Division to support Dahlquist at Montélimar, as he felt the successful operations further south at the French ports allowed him to refocus to the north. At the same time, the Germans also reinforced their fighting force. Over the next few days, a stalemate emerged, with the Allies unable to block the retreat route and the Germans unable to clear the area of the Allied forces. Both sides became increasingly frustrated during the fighting, with attack, counterattack, and spoiling attacks, which made launching a decisive offensive hard for the 36th{{nbsp}}Division.{{sfnp|Tucker-Jones|2010|pp=129–130}}{{sfnp|Clarke|Smith|1993|pp=160–165}} While the 36th{{nbsp}}Division had surrounded the 19th{{nbsp}}Army, they themselves were almost surrounded, too, during the chaotic fighting, with only a thin supply route to the east open, resulting in their having to fight to the front and the rear.{{sfnp|Tucker-Jones|2010|p=130}} As the 36th{{nbsp}}Division was seemingly making no progress, an angry Truscott arrived at Dahlquist's headquarters on 26{{nbsp}}August to relieve him of command. However, on seeing the heavy terrain and shattered forces, he refrained and left the headquarters again. Finally, during 26–28{{nbsp}}August, the majority of the German forces was able to escape, leaving behind 4,000 burnt-out vehicles and 1,500 dead horses.{{sfnp|Tucker-Jones|2010|p=132}} On 29{{nbsp}}August, the Allies captured Montélimar, and the final German troops trying to break out surrendered. The Germans suffered 2,100 battle casualties plus 8,000 POWs, while the Americans had 1,575 casualties.{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=71–81}}{{sfnp|Clarke|Smith|1993|pp=160–165}} Total POW losses of the 19th{{nbsp}}Army now amounted to 57,000.{{sfnp|Tucker-Jones|2010|p=132}}

===Final German retreat===
The VI Corps, together with units from the [[II Corps (France)|French II{{nbsp}}Corps]] at its flank, pursued and tried to cut off the German forces on their way toward the town of Dijon, while the Germans planned to prevent another Montélimar with a defensive shield by the 11th{{nbsp}}Panzer Division. The Allied 45th and 3rd{{nbsp}}divisions, as well as the 11th{{nbsp}}Panzer Division, were racing north to fulfill their objectives. In the meantime, the Germans tried to continue with the evacuation through Lyon. Behind their flight, the Germans destroyed bridges, hoping this would slow down the Allied advance. However, the 45th{{nbsp}}Division was able to bypass the German forces, taking the town of [[Meximieux]] on 1{{nbsp}}September. This again posed a threat to the German evacuation. After some initial skirmishes, the 11th{{nbsp}}Panzer Division launched a heavy attack into the city, causing 215 American casualties and destroying a number of tanks and vehicles.{{sfnp|Clarke|Smith|1993|pp=175–180}}{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=85–88}}{{sfnp|Vogel|1983|pp=600–602}}

At the same time, the main German units retreated through Lyon. On 2{{nbsp}}September, the 36th{{nbsp}}Infantry Division arrived at Lyon to find the [[Maquis (World War II)|Maquis]] fighting the [[Milice]] with much of the factory areas on fire. The next day, Lyon was liberated and 2,000 Germans were captured, but the rest had already continued their retreat north. Lyon celebrated for two days with the Americans.{{sfnp|Tucker-Jones|2010|p=133}} The Allies made a last-ditch attempt to cut off the Germans with an offensive towards [[Bourg-en-Bresse]] by the 45th{{nbsp}}Division and the 117th{{nbsp}}Cavalry [[Squadron (army)|Squadron]] from the original Taskforce Butler. However, the 45th{{nbsp}}Division was not able to overcome the German defenses near the town. The 117th{{nbsp}}Cavalry Squadron had more success, bypassing Bourg-en-Bresse and taking [[Montreval]] and [[Marboz]] north of Bourg-en-Bresse, instead. By 3{{nbsp}}September, Montreval was secure, but the squadron soon found itself trapped by units from the 11th{{nbsp}}Panzer Division, which surrounded the town. As a result, the squadron was almost annihilated, and the German escape route was again open. The American units then retired to Marboz.{{sfnp|Clarke|Smith|1993|pp=175–180}}{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=85–88}}

Over the next two weeks, more skirmishes occurred and the Allies were not able to cut off a major portion of the German forces, but the Germans were also not able to maintain any stable defense line as planned. On 10{{nbsp}}September, forward units of the VI Corps were able to establish contact with units from [[George S. Patton|Patton's]] [[United States Army Central|Third Army]]. Truscott hoped to be able to push through the [[Belfort Gap]], but on 14{{nbsp}}September, he received orders from the [[SHAEF|Allied high command]] to halt the offensive. Army Group{{nbsp}}G was finally able to establish a stable defense line at the [[Vosges|Vosges Mountains]], thwarting further Allied advances. This, combined with the Allied need to reorganise their command structure as the forces from Northern and Southern France linked up, forced the Allies to stop their pursuit of the Germans, ending the offensive there.{{sfnp|Zaloga|2009|pp=85–88}}{{sfnp|Vogel|1983|pp=600–602}}

During their fighting retreat up the Rhône, the Germans also withdrew their remaining forces from their garrisons in southwestern France. These divisions raced north along the Atlantic coast and then swung towards the east at the [[Loire]] to link up with the rest of Army Group{{nbsp}}G at [[Burgundy]]. While they did not have to fight the Western Allies as much as the Germans had done at the Rhône, they still had to advance through French partisan-dominated terrain. About 88,000 men moved north, leaving 20,000 in southwestern France behind. During the retreat, about 19,000 men were captured by the Allies and 60,000 men reached Army Group{{nbsp}}G's line, where they were integrated into the defense of the Vosges Mountains.{{sfnp|Vogel|1983|pp=601–602}}