| Original caption: “Resistance to the Germans – French Army Returns to France.” Joyous French civilians greet the M4A2 Sherman tank “Ile de France,” of the 2nd Battalion, Douzième Régiment de Cuirassiers d’Afrique, Deuxième Division Blindée (“Twelfth African Cuirassier Regiment, Second Armored Division”). The “SOMUA” nameplate is mounted on the front glacis plate armor. The Douzième Régiment de Cuirassiers d’Afrique was originally equipped with the SOMUA-35, and many tankers removed the nameplate of their old French tanks and mounted them on their new American M4A2 Shermans they received through Lend-Lease. SOMUA is an acronym that stands for Société d’outillage mécanique et d’usinage d’artillerie, (“Mechanical tooling and artillery machining company”). On August 8, faced with a determined counterattack by the 2nd Schutzstaffel (SS) Panzer Division Das Reich, Deuxième Division Blindée moved 4,000 vehicles, following the United States Army’s 79th Infantry Division and 5th Armored Division in 2 columns. Gasoline trucks led the way, since air attacks were precluded by the weather, and the Americans would resolve any Nazi German resistance before the fuel bowsers arrived. Thus, the tanks would be able to refuel immediately. Villagers lined the roads of the 30-kilometer (18-mile) column, barely visible in the dark, shouting with joy. The Deuxième Division Blindée headed for the Loire River, where the United States Army Corps Of Engineers had erected 2 enormous Bailey pontoon bridges named “Miss America” to transport XV Corps across. There The United States 3rd Army would encircle the German 7th Army at Malaise by linking up with the British and Canadians. August 10 was the beginning of combat for the Deuxième Division Blindée. They engaged the 9th and 2nd SS Panzer Divisions at Alençon with rapid tactics, bypassing Nazi German strongpoints, or obliterating them with artillery fire. The speed of the Deuxième Division Blindée enabled the seizure of many bridges over the Sarthe River, opening the way to Paris. The Germans abandoned Alençon without firing a shot; it was the 1st town completely liberated by Free French forces. The M4A2 “Ile de France” landed on Utah Beach at Saint Martin de Vareville from USS LST-517 on August 1, 1944. Lieutenant Jean Baillou, the Platoon Leader and tank commander, was wounded when this tank was destroyed in action on August 12. He survived the war to become an instructor in tank combat. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0422.jpg |
| Image Size | 564.88 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2924 x 2200 |
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| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | August 8, 1944 |
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| Country | France |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NLR-PHOCO-A-65638(96) |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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