Here's my addition:
Destruction of Royan, France
During
World War II, two
German fortresses defended the Gironde Estuary: Gironde Mündung Nord (or Royan) and Gironde Mündung Süd (or La
Pointe de Grave). These constituted one of the Atlantic "pockets" which the Germans held on to grimly well after the liberation of the rest of France. In the early hours of January 5, 1945, planes of the
Royal Air Force, having been told that nobody was left in Royan but Germans and collaborators, bombed the centre of Royan out of existence in two raids. The blame for this raid is usually attributed to
Free French General de Larminat.
[1]
The
Allied operation against the German forces on Île d'Oléron and at the mouth of the Gironde River, began with a general naval bombardment at 0750 on April 15, 1945, some 10 months after
D-Day. For five days the
US naval task force assisted the
French ground forces with naval bombardment and aerial reconnaissance in the assault on Royan and the Pointe de Grave area at the mouth of the Gironde. American
B-17 Flying Fortress and
B-24 Liberator aircraft carried out aerial bombing missions, including extensive and pioneering use of
napalm, finishing the destruction of January 5.
More than 3000 French civilians were in the town, of whom half were killed or injured in the air raids.
Blandford writes, "There was a Free French commander with the US sixth army outside Royan, who was not informed until too late. The message was in French and the American signalman could not understand it. It took four hours to get it translated".
Howard Zinn, author of
A People's History of the United States was one of the many bombardiers that attacked Royan during World War Two and later wrote on the topic.
Oh yeah, the RAF aircraft were manned by FREE FRENCH crews!!!
When I was there in 1958 thru 1960, Royan was rebuilt because the FRENCH demanded they USA and Britain pay for it as it was destroyed by their aircraft and munitions. AND WE DID!!!!!
Of all the little towns and villages I visited in southern France, Royan was the only one that didn't have bullet holes from the Hundred Years War or Napoleon's times.
But, the inhabitants were as rude, unwashed and unfriendly as any other place I visited in my least favorite country in Europe. :salute2:
