Forgotten 2nd D-Day 1944: Operation Dragoon (WW2 Documentary)

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The summer of 1944 saw the Allies land in France not once but twice. Two months after Operation Overlord, the Allies also landed in Southern France during Operation Dragoon. It was "the perfect landing" and opened up the important ports of Marseille and Toulon for Allied logistics.
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Konstantin Bredyuk, Lisa Anderson, Brad Durbin, Jeremy K Jones, Murray Godfrey, John Ozment, Stephen Parker, Mavrides, Kristina Colburn, Stefan Jackowski, Cardboard, William Kincade, William Wallace, Daniel L Garza, Chris Daley, Malcolm Swan, Christoph Wolf, Simen Røste, Jim F Barlow, Taylor Allen, Adam Smith, James Giliberto, Albert B. Knapp MD, Tobias Wildenblanck, Richard L Benkin, Marco Kuhnert, Matt Barnes, Ramon Rijkhoek, Jan, Scott Deederly, gsporie, Kekoa, Bruce G. Hearns, Hans Broberg, Fogeltje
» SOURCES
Brooks Tomblin, Barbara, With Utmost Spirit: Allied Naval Operations in the Mediterranean 1942-1945, (Lexington, KY : University Press of Kentucky, 2022)
Clarke, Jeffrey J & Smith, Robert Ross, Riviera to the Rhine: The European Theater of Operations, (Washington D.C. : Center of Military History, United States Army, 1993)
Cross, Robin, Operation Dragoon: The Allied Liberation of the South of France: 1944, (New York, NY : Pegasus Books, 2019)
Funk, Arthur Layton, Hidden Ally: the French Resistance, Special Operations, and the Landings in Southern France, 1944, (New York, NY : Greenwood Press, 1992)
Quigley, Michael T, “Operation Dragoon: The Race Up the Rhone”, US Army School for Advanced Military Studies Fort Leavenworth United States, (2016)
»CREDITS
Presented by: Jesse Alexander
Written by: Mark Newton
Director: Toni Steller & Florian Wittig
Director of Photography: Toni Steller
Sound: Above Zero
Editing: Toni Steller
Motion Design: Toni Steller, Philipp Appelt
Mixing, Mastering & Sound Design: above-zero.com
Research by: Mark Newton
Fact checking: Florian Wittig
Channel Design: Simon Buckmaster
Contains licensed material by getty images
Maps: MapTiler/OpenStreetMap Contributors & GEOlayers3
All rights reserved - Real Time History GmbH 2023

[@realtimehistory]

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[@gspaulsson]

A little hint of Quebecois in St. Martin

[@brokenbridge6316]

Nicely done video. This operation isn't talked about enough. It's simply smoothed over if it's talked about at all.

[@timgosling6189]

Nicely researched and delivered. Well Done. In fact the only minor thing I noted was that the code name 'Jedburgh' came from a town in Northern England. It's therefore pronounced as 'Jed-burr-a' rather than 'Jed-berg'.

[@IanJohnGonzales]

Why nobody talked about this big operation?

[@rdbchase]

You don't talk about Hitler with your doctor? What does that mean?

[@RemzofFrance]

In memoriam : my grandfather, at the time captain who landed in Cavalaire with the 9th Colonial Infantry Division, made essentially of West African and Central African soldiers. He told me about the fight for Toulon, where he took prisoners that were indeed glad to surrender to professional soldiers and not theh Resistance, who had suffered the tortures and humiliation of occupation. There in Toulon he found also... my mother, whom he took with him to avoid her starvation. They crossed the Rhine together, Mom being adopted by the regiment, but that's another story.

[@flytiger53]

I would love to read the rest of the story.. My father's LST could have transported your grandfather's landing craft to the beach.

[@herrrobert5340]

I would also be very interested to hear the rest. Can't leave us with a cliffhanger like that!

[@RemzofFrance]

@@herrrobert5340 Capitaine Bruge. He was at the time an intelligence officer for the Division (Ninth Colonial) because he was stationed in Toulon prior to the war. I think he landed the 18th but I am not quite sure. He then took command of a company. They liberated Toulon, suffering heavy losses outside of the city.

[@kaa13]

Mon père...My father, landed in Saint-Tropez with the 7th Algerian Riflemen Regiment , 3rd Algerian Infantry Div. He was wounded on 22/8 in the outskirts of Marseilles winning the Croix de Guerre with a divisional citation,the Military medal and later the Légion d 'Honneur but losing one eye and the hearing on the right side.. the "extra story" is that 25 years later the family lived in the village his battalion liberated the day before being wounded and our house was exactly on the road they went through at dawn before attacking the nearby German positions. His regiment traveled from Tarento (Italy) where they had one month rest and replenishment after the italy campaign, to the French shore on the british troop transport "Lancashire". The 9th Colonial Infantry had some month before the task of an assault landing on the Elbe island and had a hard fight there against the German garrison.

[@ICRangerT]

My Grandfather was there

[@justme_gb]

I'm always impressed by Jesse's ability to properly pronounce any language.

[@himlingpatrice]

It's impressive. The amazing thing is that he obviously didn't use a tool to check how to pronounce. The proof, he fell into the trap of pronouncing the name of the city of Fréjus... one of the only French cities whose final "s" is pronounced.

[@bobcannell7603]

I think Jedburgh is 'jedburra' and not 'jedburg'. It's a Scottish name. Like Edinburgh.

[@trekt9641]

An european with standards Pretty much everyone tries to do this but US of A citizens

[@JonnyVincent1]

According to his website he speaks English French and German fluently, and some Russian

[@flashgordon6670]

“any language”? I think he might struggle with Swahili and other African languages like the bushmen of the Kalahari with all their clicks and weird noises. And what a about Irish, Klingon, Jedi and languages of Asia? No can can speak “any language” fluently, so there’s really no point boasting about it bc I can always find a language that they can’t speak and that I can speak better.

[@internettroll7604]

A guy I worked with father was a part of the invasion at Omaha. He is known as the man who slept though d-day. His craft hit a mine and he was thrown through the air onto a hedgehog where another body cushioned his fall. For 48 hours he was unconscious as the battle raged on around him. Somehow he did not receive any further damage. He woke up after the battle to a medic tending to him.

[@RK-cj4oc]

48 hours is a coma. Unless he had to go to a hospital after this kind of sounds like a lie. He was thrown out and just pretended to be KO. Again. Sounds like it. Amd that guy is still a hero for his service

[@DENVICKED]

​@@RK-cj4octhen he was probably knocked into a light coma?

[@halomaestro3384]

​@@RK-cj4oche likely had some sort of decent concussion that was mistreated, as well as maybe it was actually 16-20 not 48 hrs considering they made it off the beach on the first day so could then be treated safely on the beach

[@bogusmogus9551]

Yes, I have been in and out of consciousness from fighting etc. this can happen. You have been watching too many hollywood movies where they punch someone 'out'. doesn't work like that. I was in and out for three days but was in hospital for ten.

[@stevensko9153]

​@@RK-cj4ocsmart dude

[@stevenhall2408]

My great uncle Robert Foreman participated in Dragoon as a member of the 1st Special Service Force. It was said he jumped in with the 1st Airborne Task Force, since he was an in theater replacement he had not gone thru jump school so he earned his jump wings with a combat star for 1 jump! He told me stories he didn't even tell his own sons because I had been a paratrooper, it really was an honor to know him.

[@JjackVideo]

Let me guess. War crimes buddies?

[@pauldray2108]

The Force rubber boated onto the Ilses D'Hyeres, they didn't parachute with the FATF but on the 19th August where ordered to be join them, later joining them on the 20th/21st...

[@michaelzann6485]

My dad was in that assault. He had been in Italy and was in the capture of Rome.

[@Leo0991]

My Grandfather was a medic during Dragoon and he told me dad [after 25-30 years] that he lost his two best buds in that fight. The three of them were together apparently and the german machine gun chattered and pop pop, one bullet got one friend and the other bullet got the other. He was never the same after that.

[@rsfaeges5298]

🙏

[@ShortReviewerRetroGames]

Your mom was the founder of barracks bunnies salute too her fam. Many infantry man marry the barracks bunny

[@krisfrederick5001]

"Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops," Eisenhower wrote. "My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone." -Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander. This was his other speech. D-Day was never a guarantee

[@johnclarencemercado4218]

I have known this "other" announcement in the D-Day novel written by Jeff Shaara called "The Steel Wave". The first time I've known that this exists gave me goosebumps.

[@thomastanita6022]

mine alone .... always admired his willingness to take full responsibility for failure and spread praise for success.

[@matteoferrarizanolini6724]

I’m Not American but Eisenhower Not only Was a great commander but probably an underrated and yet even greater president. His speech chance for peace in 1953 foreseen the risk of military lobbies and predicted the continuos state of War for the us of the last 70 years.

[@jwiles545]

Nothing in war is guaranteed. However, in hindsight, there was little chance the operation would fail. Even if Omaha had failed, the other beaches were successful.

[@cookemike]

Thank you for covering this. In all the history shows I've watched over the years, I've never heard of this operation in such detail.

[@realtimehistory]

we were also surprised the first time we heard about this.

[@jeromebarry1741]

@@realtimehistory Everything went right, mostly, and it's not dramatic enough for a movie or a book.

[@imdeplorable2241]

​@@realtimehistoryI must agree with Mike and Jerome. This is an excellent telling of this, a little-known part of the War. The pace is perfect and I like the eyewitness accounts you provide. Very well done. You and your team should be very proud. 👏 Thank you for the education. 👍

[@miltonpasley3398]

My dad's unit was pulled out of Italy for Dragoon (B Company, 1 Bn, 517th PIR which with the addition of a BN of Parachute Field Artillery and a Company of Parachute Engineers jumped as the 517th PRCT) which was under the 1st Airborne Taskforce for Dragoon. You talked about the Airborne being scattered, on 1st, 2nd BN along with Regimental HQ and the Artillery, Engineers landed anywhere near the DZ, With 3rd BN under LTC Melvin Z;;ais (latter General) landing in Monte Cario, Monaco. I grew up going to the Regiments conventions, and hearing stories of Dragoon from the veterans of the 517th PIR.

[@kevinWW2E]

Hi, im from Southern France and the 517th liberated my village in 1944. I would really love to hear from you if you have any story from the 517th or your Dad during the war.

[@miltonpasley3398]

@@kevinWW2E The three stories I heard about dad from other members of the Regiment that were confirmed by dad were. 1 during the jump dad went through the roof of a convent braking his M-1 carbine it turned out that after the nuns realized dad was a U.S. Paratroop and part of the invasion they stopped beating on him. Seeing the broken stock on his weapon they revealed that they were part of the underground and gave dad a leased/loaned 1920's Thompson sub-machine gun with the cocking handle on the top and the two pistol type grips and two 50 round circular drum magazines that dad carried for the rest of the war. 2. Dad was entering a house soon after that, as he eased the door open a cuckoo clock cco cooed and dad perfectly stitched all the numbers, hands and the cookoo bird (dad said he could not have done that again if he tried). 3 the unit needed some wire so dad entered a house that was partially destroyed and started to strip out the wiring and was up on some furniture trying to pull the wires out of the ceiling, when he heard a small voice (turned out to be from a old lady) asking him not to do that! Dad who as a industrial sowing machine mechanic before going in the army in late 39 was required to know electricians skills and be certified (and part of the electricians union) as part of his job wound up fixing the ladies wiring so that she has power in the rooms that were not too damaged (i.e. cutting the damaged section out of the loop so the other parts could be used without blowing the fuses).

[@kevinWW2E]

@@miltonpasley3398 Thank you very much for taking the time to answer me. these are really very interesting stories, the 517th had fierce fighting where I live.

[@mileslong9675]

My dad was there. (R.I.P.) He was a radioman in the Merchant Marine. His ship lowered cargo nets over the side, and French troops climbed down and into landing craft. Because of his high school French language classes, he was also used as interpreter. He said the French troops were eager to go. Little is known about the Merchant Marine involvement in the war.

[@lastmanstanding-xp3ub]

I believe my Great Grandfather was a Merchant Marine or a navyman in the Pacific. All I really know is he worked on ships carrying supplies to the troops, I never knew him but my Great Grandmother left me his Navy rank & designation insignias which I framed and put on my wall. Ive also heard and read that that type of work (supply shipping) was highly dangerous in both theaters due to U-boats, air attacks, mines, etcetera.

[@colindebourg9012]

My late Father was a merchant seaman (1940 - 1946) and he was aboard the troopship Empire Farmer on D Day, Mum said when he came home he was deaf and shook for a week after.

[@roland2879]

Great job, thanks for this video. My father told me a lot about this landing, he was an elite scout in the 3rd regiment of Moroccan Spahis. The French campaign was very hard in Alsace, where he suffered a lot throughout the winter of 1944-45. But at the end of his "Italy-France-Germany-Austria tour", as he said, he came back alive but very saddened by the loss of many friends. He always had a lot of admiration for the Americans and he told us "Don't forget, if you are here and free, it's first of all due to Uncle Sam."

[@TOMCATnbr]

All the video is an outstanding work, but as french, I want to particularly point the fact that you spell every French word or town exactly as we spell them! And it pretty rare. It clearly show the level of dedication you've put on the writing of this episode. You've got yourself, one more subscriber.

[@Supersonicspyro]

One correction my French friend, I think you mean speak or say instead of spell, spell and or spelling is how the word is written

[@hlynnkeith9334]

My uncle was a medic in Operation Dragoon. Before Dragoon, he had seen action at Anzio. Wounded by mortar at the Battle of the Rhine.

[@daviddouglas6610]

Thanks for highlighting this, my dad was in the RN and took part in all 5 'D days' in the med .His ship was the sobieskie a captured polish passenger ship that was turned into a troopship for the duration

[@gamingfrance7135]

Very well detailed description on the operation Dragoon ! It reminds me my grandfather who fought with CEF (Corps Expéditionnaire Français) in Italy (Battle of Garigliano), and then took part to Operation Dragoon, march toward the Rhône Valley, up to les Vosges (against Colmar Pocket and the defense of Strasbourg), and then took part in the Rhine Danube operations to cross the Rhine, and finished in Austria !

[@cidermancider3418]

About Polish volunteers in German army. They were forced to join Wehrmacht, as recognized by Germans as second-grade Germans. They come from Wielkopolska, Silesia and Pomerania regions.

[@Artur_M.]

Especially the last two regions. What people often don't realize (even in Poland) is that German policies towards Poles differed between the General Government and the territories incorporated into the Reich, and even between various provinces of the latter. It was even a source of controversy and infighting between the nazies themselves, as, for example, Arthur Greiser and Albert Forster had different ideas on how to realize the task of Germanizing the territories under their authority.

[@zainmudassir2964]

Many in Eastern Europe risked death in concentration camps. Not lot of options to survive and many will rejoin Allied forces

[@Average_Historian]

I just want to add onto it and say that they where put in the ROA Russian liberation army basically Russians and Polish that fought for the Soviet union that switch sides when they surrendered that was what most of the 352nd Wehrmacht or Heer ( Heer is a term of the German army while Wehrmacht is Luftwaffe kriegsmarine and Heer put together and SS is it’s own paramilitary ) infantry division witch where on Omaha beach and some of the Normandy campaign before they were destroyed and made into the 352nd Volksgrenadier division and there where also Polish in the SS too to point that out

[@Artur_M.]

@The_History_Animaniac ROA and other such formations are different thing than Poles (including Silesians and Kashubians) from Pomerania and Upper Silesia conscripted into Wehrmacht. Also, no, there were no Poles in the SS unless you count the actual ethnic Germans from Poland.

[@Average_Historian]

@@Artur_M. alright I am not talking about Divisions or certain units for the SS as I know a few individuals who are Polish and fought for the SS and ROA was made up of Russians, mainly but they were also a few poles in there as a few of the soldiers in the 352nd Infantry Division for ROA on Omaha beach and where made up of Polish in Russian

[@oliversherman2414]

I visited southern France in 2018 or 19 (I don't remember when) in Saint Maxine. One day we went to the beach where we saw a ruined Sherman tank by the car park as a memorial to Operation Dragoon

[@realtimehistory]

must be an interesting sight in such a tourist hotspot.

[@oliversherman2414]

@@realtimehistory yeah it was great

[@jameslay7437]

@@oliversherman2414there is a bunker not to far away from there it’s on a point use to be old Roman thing I can’t remember what exactly

[@oliversherman2414]

@@jameslay7437 cool

[@sosteve9113]

Ive been there in the same year,makes you very humble

[@jean-robertlombard1416]

Bonjour de France. I'm from Le Pradet near Toulon and my father and grand father (who fought during WW1 in Verdun) were there when operation "Dragoon" was launched. Near the beaches and rocks are still plenty of bunkers, poles with barbwires and even some ammunitions (I found a lot in the early 90's) If you know people having pictures from the fort of "La Colle noire" and the surroundings during the war, I'll be very pleased to get in touch with them. Au plaisir.

[@atomic4650]

No idea why this operation is talked so little about.

[@realtimehistory]

We wondered that too. Might it be that the operation went too "smoothly" and thus is less exciting to retell?

[@Leon-lt5gv]

Proberly it wasn't so soft ' ie' underbelly ' we all had a pop ' at trying to fight into southern italy ' uk lost 1000s the u.s lost 1000s so did the canadians ' italy was harder to penetrate than normandy ' 😁 but caused mass confusion ' but nerverless made hitler think ' he was surrounde at this point 😁 problem ' the public lost 1000s of lives also '

[@guru47pi]

It's the same reason we don't talk much about the neutralization of Rabaul, or really any battles in France/Germany/low countries besides D-day, Market Garden and the Bulge. People aren't interested in overwhelming victories. We like the dramatic narrative of determined or smart heroes winning despite the odds, or cautionary tales against dumb commanders; David and Goliath stories only appeal to those who identify with David. These successes hugely affected the war, and set examples of how to fight a war with minimum casualties, and we should speak and learn from them

[@omahadreaming5432]

It was somewhat controversial as a "pointless" operation. Many people thought it diverted a lot of resources that could have better been used elsewhere to defeat an enemy force that was most likely going to retreat anyways.

[@Leon-lt5gv]

@@guru47pi they seem to avoid battles that were lost ' not so much on tv ' but social media only want to see the battles that were won ' espeially in style '😁

[@glennkeller5171]

Thank you for this great documentary!! My grandfather landed at Marseille with the 14 Armor Division. He was a Medic with the 499 Armored Field Artillery battalion. He did not talk about the war very much. I learned about him just recently. It is amazing that such an undertaking is not talked about at all.

[@notagain9196]

A well researched video. I’m 78 and have to confess that I have never heard of Operation Dragoon. Makes me wonder how many similar exploits have gone unreported.

[@timothyallen6411]

Montelimar is also the name of a boardgame about the battle, Task Force Butler, and (at the start) the 11 Panzer. Published by Compass Games and uses Adam Starkweather's "Company Scale System". Well worth looking at to get a feel for what the American, French, and German forces were up against.

[@FlyngSnoopy]

Thank you for putting this together! My Grandpa dropped with the 596th Parachute Combat Engineers for Op. Dragoon.

[@MrSebfrench76]

The quality of this work, as how it is narrated so lively, blow my mind. Plus: your french accent is close to the perfection 👍👍 Huge kudos from Normandy.

[@4bunnylarry]

My dad was a pathfinder for this invasion. Was in the 550th Airborne Battalion. Was dropped miles from his LZ. Had a radar sending set to guide the invasion in. Got back to the rest of his unit in time to capture LeMuy, France.

[@Garwfechan-ry5lk]

First Class, my father was SOE but in the Balkans from 1941 to 1944 previously in Greece and North Africa and France in 1940. finished the war in Germany behind enemy lines with Commando's . This is the best version of this Invasion that I have seen. Very well done and concise and TRUE!

[@perdog9859]

I'm reading a great biography about Eisenhower called, "Eisenhower: A Soldier's Life." I just finished the chapter that covered this operation. It was a bit controversial and argued over, primarily between Eisenhower and Churchill. Churchill had almost a zealous belief in continuing the Italian campaign in force, and didn't want resources (especially the limited and precious amphibious landing ships) pulled away from Italy for this op, but Eisenhower was adament to avoid a slow bloody slugfest in Italy and stuck to his guns to execute it and create the faster, more maneuverable "broad front" across France.

[@johnburns4017]

Dragoon could have landed in Northern Italy, sandwiching the Germans. But it could have been over in June in Italy if that clown General Clark never disobeyed orders and peeled off to Rome for a photo shoot when they could have surrounded the German army.

[@bigwoody4704]

Johnny - Italy was a defenders dream Mountains/Valleys/Rivers,if lucky just hills/ravines/ streams stick to your coffee table coloring books. Clark was a clown but actually commanded better than monty(which isn't saying much) who got called back to England after getting stuck in Italy much like Sicily. Monty disobeyed IKE many times and only moved when the weight of allied advantages came into play not because of his ability. Auchinleck,Slim,O'Connor all much more capable. Of course johnny your favorite fraud had 4 yhrs to cross the channel so you blame Americans - what a big girls blouse you are

[@curtiskretzer8898]

Eisenhower had his orders that would embolden Stalin(& that was why he had those orders;the west bending over for the ☭hordes that would invest the east)

[@questioneverything8376]

I have lived on the Cote d'azur for about 45 years now and this is one of best researched and presented histories of operation Dragoon that I have seen. Very interesting, thanks.

[@MartinLopez-mo7tm]

Excellent video. Capturing Marseille and Toulon was a big deal for Allied logistics.

[@palmergriffiths1952]

My Grandfather was in Operation Dragoon as a Canadian member of The U.S./Canada First Special Service Force.

[@rayt8606]

My grandfather landed by glider at Le Mitan with the 2nd independent parachute brigade. The campaign is not forgotten by the local people and big ceremonies take place every August.

[@Ukrainian__Patriot]

Thank you! An excellent documentary with appealing animated maps and original footage. Well done. Better than many documentaries I've seen on "original old-style TV" in the 1970's, 1980's and 90's.

[@pacificostudios]

Dragoon might have been more costly if not so many German troops had not been pinned down in Normandy and forced to garrison the Atlantic ports. In fact, Paris was liberated at the same time as the Dragoon landings, and the Falaise Gap was closing then too.

[@TheHypnogog]

Always detailed and balanced historical reporting. This is a great channel.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

It was an informative historical coverage of Drugoon operation ... I did not hear about it within such details....thank you( real time history) channel for sharing it

[@bookaufman9643]

I wouldn't say that the second French invasion is forgotten but it is definitely under explored and was a really smart move to get a lot of troops further ahead and to create a pincers situation or at least the promise of that. I've always thought it was one of the smarter moves at that point during the War and was definitely more effective than that slog through Italy.😊

[@Average_Historian]

Better word would be under rated

[@flankspeed]

You can bet that military forces took account of it.

[@thunderbird1921]

There was a third massive amphibious assault that actually took place IN Italy: The Anzio landings. While eventually successful, the U.S. and British forces found themselves facing FAR stronger German resistance than expected and barely managed to claw their way out of potential disaster.

[@lllordllloyd]

Channels can't resist the clickbait and sensation. It $hi#s me to tears. I visited the Smithsonian recently, there was a book offering "The Untold Story of American Pilots who Waged a Secret War Against Japan". It was a book about the Flying Tigers, possibly the most famous, identifiable and iconic fighter group of World War II. Real Time History, you earn no respect with this bollocks.

[@rabbit251]

@@lllordllloyd Must be a Russian bot.

[@williestyle35]

So glad that Jesse Alexander and Real Time History have fully branched out with these great history videos! Thank you to Jesse, Mark, Toni, and everyone!

[@Robertetcollin2017]

My great grandfather was crew chief of a sherman tank from the 5th free French armoured division. He landed on the 16th with the logistics in Frejus, as he had sea sickness on the 15th, that day he found out his 2 buddies graves, RIP those heroes

[@williamhalsted4]

I just discovered this channel, and it is great. I love the graphics, presentation, storytelling, secondary and primary source quotations, attention to pronunciation, and all the awesome historical footage. I admire the men who braved the battles with their film cameras for this. I look forward to watching more of your work.

[@russellredgate5950]

My father was an artillery officer with the 36th division. He was aboard LST 282, when it was bombed and set ablaze. He was wounded, but rejoined the 36th after a couple of weeks.

[@sanecosine505-8]

My Great Grandfather served in the navy during the 40’s. His ship was a destroyer, the USS BALDWIN. My great grandfather, Sonar-man 2C Howard Ulm Jr. was present at both Utah Beach on D-Day and was present at Operation Dragoon. His generation was the greatest.

[@stevenyates4535]

A COMPLETE STUDDDDD

[@CrossOfBayonne]

My friend August Caccavone landed at Marseille with the 7th Army as part of Op Dragoon in August 1944. He also fought in the Bulge

[@KJAkk]

My grandfather was aboard USS Catoctin (AGC-5) the flagship during the landing as a US army signal air warning unit AKA a fighter direction unit. The ship was bombed on 8th August, with 6 of her crew were killed and 31 wounded. My grandfather had gone below deck to get his helmet when the alert was sounded. He choked up and could not talk about what he saw when he got to the top of the ladder going onto the deck where the bomb hit.

[@rsfaeges5298]

🙏

[@alex4833]

Excellent video. I never heard of Operation Dragoon but found this to be informative and great as always. Kudos. Happy Friday!

[@chrisvickers7928]

Canadian Tommy Prince who had served in the 1st Canadian Airborne and then joined the 1st Special Services as a scout in southern Italy and then Anzio. He was landed with his unit in Operation Dragoon where he also served as a scout behind the enemy .lines. On one scouting mission he came upon a firefight between Germans and some French partisans. Since he had arrived behind the German positions he began sniping them until they withdrew. The French commander sent a recommendation that he receive a Croix de Guerre. The message never reached de Gaulle but he did earn a Military Medal and a Silver Star for his service in Italy and France.

[@michaelzann6485]

My father also was in the 1st SSF .He was in the assault on one of the fortified islands in southern France.

[@fxgo4552]

EXCELLENT video and narration as usual. Outstanding!

[@realtimehistory]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@bigsarge2085]

Always learn something new! Excellent documentary.

[@burtonedwards2120]

If I’m not mistaken, Audie Murphy took part in this operation.

[@waltertross3581]

chapeau for your flawless pronunciation of French and German names!

[@jessealexander2695]

Thanks!

[@indianajones4321]

Dragoon is definitely underrated

[@ibeetellingya5683]

This video is very on point and polished. Bravo.

[@prazcuray1388]

Great job, keep up the amazing work, thank you 🙏

[@morgan97475]

I've heard this campaign being called "the Champagne Campaign". I do wish you had identified the airborne forces involved. I believe they were: 517th PIR, 555th PIB, and the 442d IN Rgt (Nisei troops) brought in with gliders. I don't recall the other a/b units involved. Great video.

[@mikemurley8656]

Only the Antitank Company of the 442d RCT (attached to the 517th PIR and layer replaced by the 552nd Airborne AT Company in October 1944) was landed by glider. The rest of the 442nd landed at Marseilles on 30 Sept 1944 and then moved to the Vosges Mountains. The 1st Airborne Task Force's part of of DRAGOON was RUGBY. It was successful with the exception of the failure of the 550th AIB to immediately capture Le Muy (it was taken on the 16th). The primary combat units 1st Airborne Task Force under MG Robert Frederick consisted of: U.S. 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion - Lt. Col. William P. Yarborough 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion - Lt. Col. John Cooper U.S. 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment - Col. Rupert D. Graves 460th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion - Lt. Col. Raymond L. Cato 596th Airborne Engineer Company - Capt. Robert W. Dalrymple U.S. 550th Airborne Infantry Battalion (Glider) - Lt. Col. Edward I. Sachs U.S. 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion - Lt. Col. Wood G. Joerg 602d Glider Field Artillery Battalion - Maj. George M. Hunt British 2nd (Independent) Parachute Brigade - Brig. Charles Hilary Vaughan Pritchard [detached 26 August for operations in Greece - Operation MANNA] 4th Parachute Battalion - Lt. Col. H.B. Coxen 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion - Lt. Col. D.R. Hunter 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion - Lt. Col. V.W. Barlow 1st Independent Parachute Platoon (Pathfinders)[13] 1st Special Service Force (U.S./Canada) - Col. Edwin A. Walker [attached 22 August] The 1st SSF, while parachute qualified, was part of the seaborne landings, capturing the islands of Port Cros and Île du Levant and was attached afterwards.

[@morgan97475]

@@mikemurley8656 You rock! Thank you! I completely forgot about the 509th. Duh!

[@robertlovre3282]

Where were airborne troops stationed before hand? Where did transports originate ?

[@morgan97475]

@@robertlovre3282 I think they all staged out of Italy.

[@GeorgeSemel]

You beat me to it. I have known about "The Champagne Campaign" from the time I was a little boy, I am 68 now. The problem is that WW-II was a huge event, and a lot of it kind of got swept to the back pages. Let's face it, they never made a movie about it.

[@exharkhun5605]

As always an excellent documentary. ❤

[@garykyle5750]

Brilliant excellent presentation. Great contribution to history.

[@JihaddJay]

You folks do great work to keep history alive and well.

[@Ealdorman_of_Mercia]

I have just been discovering this channel for the last few days. It is EXCELLENT. 10/10

[@blackfenbldr9178]

I live in a small village next to where this happened, there are still some bunkers next to my village, i love to know people are interested by this !

[@blackfenbldr9178]

Close to les îles d'hyères !

[@oliversherman2414]

I love your channel keep up the great stuff

[@Roberto-tu5re]

Never heard of this operation and considering its gains amazed not more is said of it, great video and thank you

[@nicoc6387]

Looking forward to watching the rest of this very well-made documentary (i have to clock off right now). Also, it's so refreshing to hear French and German names pronounced perfectly!

[@Angrymuscles]

Now we need another forgotten campaign, the liberation of East Africa from the Italians. The first country to fall to fascism and the first to be liberated from it, but nobody has even heard of it. I'd love to see it covered.

[@JimmySmith-du7xz]

Great video. Very informative!

[@Jilktube]

Glad this operation is finally getting some exposure.

[@lornerogers5178]

My father landed on Juno Beach, Section 'Nan', sub section 'Red' at 0730. His unit was 5th Field Combat Engineers, Canadian Army 3rd Division. They went in on LSTs with armoured Bret (a type of machinegun) carrier, a armoured bulldozer with a shelf welded on the back of the blade holding prepared charges to blow up obstacles and a jeep with a radio. Dad was the Driver/Radio Operator. They landed an hour before the first wave of assault troops landed. Aside from some sidearms they were unarmed . They were to clear the way. They went in under heavy fire, especially those infamous German machineguns. Aside from a copy of their Unit War Diary, I have never seen or heard any mention of the unit and their exploits.

[@ohdehhan]

Similar to my grandfather, who was a driver with Royal Engineers and landed at Sword Beach. I read his unit's book which details all their movements. I was unable to find any accounts anywhere else about engineers missions. From their book it looks like a very interesting set of challenges they faced.

[@bendover1333]

Great video on an often undercovered operation of the war. It would be great if you could do a similar overview of the Allied 1945 spring offensive in Northern Italy, or even just on the Italian Campaign as a whole after the fall of Rome. Unfortunately, it seems that after the fall of Rome and the shift of attention to D-day and Normandy, there is very little on KZbin about the rest of the Italian Campaign

[@charlesayache6801]

You are right, one of my uncles died in the liberation of Sienna with the CEF and very little is documented about the italian campaign after the liberation of Rome.

[@dansmith4077]

Brilliant video thank you

[@kungfuchimp5788]

Another excellent installment.

[@BMC-hl2uh]

Another outstanding video. Congratulations.

[@JuanRojo-bv7jm]

thank you for your video. It is interesting and well presented.

[@MrLee-ue7iu]

Very nice video, and very easy to understand. Thank you.

[@Frenchylikeshikes]

THANK YOU for finally getting that day out lf the shadows. It is barely talked about in general, and mainly in the Anglo-Saxon world. Even in France, we learnt about it very quickly in History lessons, like it's was secondary thing.

[@drkmriggs]

This is terrific. I love the maps, the detail and of course your excellent French and German accents!

[@QALibrary]

thank you for this video

[@samsongarner1741]

Great channel. Thanks Jesse!

[@Nothing2NV]

This was a great video. Thank you

[@Alexander-dt8sk]

Thank you for this account. My southern French relatives would appreciate this greatly.

[@ISawABear]

YES! glad to see Dragoon getting some love.

[@bmhh123]

Great content!

[@Sabelzahnmowe]

Very nice Video again. Thank you everyone

[@seantomlinson3320]

I’m impressed. Very neat and well done.

[@fredericsagniez9536]

Congratulations for your French towns pronounciations ! not very often from English mother tongue speakers !! And beyond that, thanks a lot for this clear and well documented videos !

[@renedugarte3898]

Very interesting thank you for showing us this well documented video 👍

[@quintijnnagtegaal3543]

Awesome documentary!

[@L_Train]

I used to run a channel that had some actual footage of operation dragoon. It showed preparation at sea, the landings, and moving inland. Unfortunately those videos are no longer available.

[@avanticurecanti9998]

Very clever, Jesse, getting your video out before Indy reaches August '44.

[@matthewjay660]

Real Time History, I'm a French teacher and I never knew about Dragoon. Thank-you for this exposé!

[@jonathanlong6987]

My Daddy skippered a USN LCI at Dragoon. More than once he commented on how French cruisers closed close inshore (home waters!) to smother 88s with their 152 salvos.

[@badkneesone]

Well done!

[@rogerwebb2058]

Fascinating. Watching this gives me the sensation of actually being there during all of this. It’s somewhat spooky!!

[@andrewsoboeiro6979]

Interested to see how Indy covers this in August

[@DieterVanHolder]

This really is a really high quality channel

[@flankspeed]

This is an excellent example of historical presentation on KZbin. My compliments to the presenter, truly bilingual, gets it all right enough 😊 Just one thing: "Jedburgh" should be pronounced. /buru/ instead of /burg/

[@arsnova1321]

Another excellent video. If you guys are reading this, I would love to see a RTH episode focusing just on the Battle of Caen!

[@vanishingfolklore]

great footage

[@user-qg8rb7be6x]

Always detailed and balanced historical reporting. This is a great channel.. No idea why this operation is talked so little about..

[@fiorinopizio4554]

"Bonjour, Champagne?" -some french dude to the american troops during the landing

[@DonMeaker]

The most successful landing, with nearly the entire German Army Group being cut off. At that time General Truscott was the most experienced amphibious landing commander, having had roles at Dieppe, deputy to Patton at Oran, 3rd Infantry division in Sicily, and 3rd Infantry division commander and 6th Corps Commander at Anzio. He later commanded 5th Army, 3rd Army and 15th Army Group.

[@l108613]

Epic video