[Powerbits]

A big line up of Sherman M4A2 tanks with the French 12e Regiment De Chasseurs d’Afrique, part of the 2e Division Blindée, commanded by General Philippe LeClerc, taken August of 1944, nearby Vesly, Normandy, France.
The first Sherman, MAURIENNE, 12e RCA, 2e Escadron
was destroyed at Gros-Rederching (Moselle) on january 4th 1945,
the second one, TARENTAISE, at Rouessé-Fontaine (Sarthe) on august 12th 1944. The tank was hit several times and caught fire. The crew managed to evacuate, Chief Marshal of Logis Bizard, was wounded.

The French 2nd Armored Division (French: 2e Division Blindée, 2e DB), fought during the final phases of World War II in the Western Front. The division was formed around a core of units that had fought in the North African campaign, and re-organized into a light armored division in 1943. The division embarked in April 1944 and shipped to various ports in Britain.

On 29 July 1944, bound for France, the division embarked at Southampton. During combat in 1944, the division liberated Paris, defeated a Panzer brigade during the armored clashes in Lorraine, forced the Saverne Gap and liberated Strasbourg.
After taking part in the Battle of the Colmar Pocket, the division was moved west and assaulted the German-held Atlantic port of Royan, before recrossing France in April 1945 and participating in the final fighting in southern Germany, even going into Hitler’s “Eagle’s Nest as one of the first units”

Colour: Colourised PIECE of JAKE
(Photo source – US Army Signal Corps)

[Author]

Posts