History - War at a Glance

Racing Toward the Rhine The Germans that escape the Falaise Pocket now become victims of Allied air superiority. Fighters and fighter-bombers roam the summer sky, strafing troop concentrations and attacking anything with wheels. The roads leading north are strewn with blasted and burning equipment and dead German soldiers. When the retreating Germans aren’t being ravaged from the air, Allied infantry and armor are biting at their heels. On August 19, Third Army units cross the Seine at Mantes. On the same day, French resistance groups stage an uprising in Paris; the German response is token, and a plan to destroy bridges and public works goes unexecuted. The city is liberated six days later by the French Second Armored Division. While the Allies were breaking out in Normandy, more Allied troops came ashore in Operation Anvil, a landing in the south of France. These forces drive north through the Rhône River valley and link up with the forces from Normandy. The landings take place on August 15. By late in the month, leading units are closing on Grenoble. On September 11 units of the Seventh Army link up with the Third Army near Dijon.