The Provence Landings: A Forgotten Chapter, A Memorial Dive

When we talk about the Landing, the image that often comes to mind is that of the Normandy beaches on June 6, 1944. However, a few weeks later, another large-scale operation was to seal the liberation of the French territory: Operation Dragoon. On August 15, the Allied forces stormed the coasts of the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes, turning Provence into a place of memory as important as Normandy.

Secret Preparations and Allied Invasion

For months, Operation Dragoon was prepared in the utmost secrecy. Aerial reconnaissance, information gathering via resistance networks, intensive troop training: nothing was left to chance. On the night of August 14 to 15, 1944, nearly 30,000 men and 3,600 vehicles, aboard 130 transport and logistics support ships, escorted by a hundred warships and minesweepers, landed on the beaches of the Var. The fleet, supported by Allied aviation, simultaneously departed from Algeria, Corsica, and Italy.

The goal was clear: to open a second front after Normandy to annihilate the enemy troops, cut off their retreat, and force them to surrender. The operation also aimed to regain control of the strategic ports of Toulon and Marseille.

The Night of the Turn

During the night of August 14 to 15, the 10 convoys gathered off Corsica, feigning a direction towards Genoa to deceive the adversary, set course for the French coasts. The first to land were the American rangers, on the Îles d’Or, followed by the French commandos who landed near Lavandou.

The Var coastline was divided into three key sectors:

• Alpha : Ramatuelle and Cavalaire
• Camel : Saint-Raphaël
• Delta : Sainte-Maxime

An improvised landing strip was set up south of Pampelonne beach, at Ramatuelle. Simultaneously, 5,000 paratroopers were dropped in the hinterland to secure the Argens Valley, with the support of the FFI (French Forces of the Interior), stemming from the fusion of major Resistance movements. Their mission: to prevent enemy forces from converging on the landing zones.