| Original caption: “Air Punishment For The Retreating Nazi – The retreating Nazi in France gets no rest from the Allied Air Forces. The photograph shows how his convoy and vehicles are continually under bombardment of allied airmen. An American jeep drives through two twisted lines of what used to be the transport of a German panzer division, knocked out by P-47 Thunder-bombers, and then piled high on either side of the road by bulldozers of the advancing Seventh Army in France.” Note that many of these vehicles are soft-skinned civilian transports, confiscated from the French. There are 22-millimeter (0.78 inch) anti-aircraft guns and a Panzerkampfwagen V Panther tank in the background. This column, consisting of vehicles from the 11th Panzer Division, fought a rear guard action on Route 7 to allow the Nazi German 19th Army to escape during the Allied Operation Dragoon, the landings in Southern France. While Marseille and Toulon were liberated by Free French Army B (later 1st French Army), the German Heer (“Army”) retreat continued. The 11th Panzer Division started several feint attacks toward Aix-en-Provence to discourage any further Allied advance. By doing so, LXXXV Corps, as well as IV Luftwaffe Field Corps, were able to successfully retreat from the Allied advance at the Rhône River. Unsure of German plans, Allied commanders did not move in time to cut off their retreat. A mobile combat command, designated Task Force Butler after its commander, Brigadier General Frederic B. Butler (October 5, 1896 – June 20, 1987), was ordered to cut off the Heer’s escape. Butler deployed his tanks, cavalry scouts, and infantry on the heights near Montélimar, a small city on the east bank of the Rhône River after engaging rear guard units and snipers. The French Forces of the Interior (the maquis) gave him plenty of logistical and intelligence support, and attacked the retreating Germans as well. Montélimar lay directly on the German escape route. Following Task Force Butler was the United States Army’s 36th Infantry Division. Both Task Force Butler and the 36th Infantry Division were short on ammunition, food, and supplies. After see-saw battles where the 11th Panzer division, other German units, Task Force Butler, the 36th Division and finally elements of the United States Army’s 45th Division were committed to blocking the 19th Army’s escape, the Americans were also almost surrounded, only a thin road line leading to their supplies. As the 36th Division was seemingly making no progress, an angry Theatre commander United States Army General Lucian K. Truscott Jr. (January 9, 1895 – September 12, 1965) arrived at 36th Infantry Division Commander, United States Army General John E. Dahlquist’s (March 12, 1896 – July 30, 1975) headquarters on August 26 to relieve him of command. However, on seeing the heavy terrain and shattered forces, he refrained and left the headquarters again. Finally, during August 26-28, the majority of the German forces were able to escape, leaving behind 4,000 burnt-out vehicles and 1,500 dead horses. On August 29, the Allies captured Montélimar, and the final German troops trying to break out surrendered. The Germans suffered 2,100 battle casualties plus 8,000 prisoners of war captured, while the Americans had 1,575 casualties. Total losses of the 19th Army since the Dragoon landings now amounted to over 57,000. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0402.jpg |
| Image Size | 995.06 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2924 x 2300 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | August 26, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | Montélimar |
| State or Province | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes |
| Country | France |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NRE-338-FTL(EF)-2802(7) |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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