D-Day: The French Resistance

French resistance
Figure 1.--Not only did the Resistance play a key role in the success of the D-Day landings, but French civilians not formally involved in the Resistance assisted the Allied troops by informing about directions and local German troop dispositions. Of course this occurred throughout the campaign in France, but D-Day was the time that the Allies were most vulnerable and the issue most in doubt. Here villagers from St. Aubin are telling British Commandos (4th Brigade) about German troop deployments around Ouisteham--a key D-Day objective. Source: Imperial War Museum.

The French Resistance was a key element in the succes of the D-Day landings. Actual attacks on the Germans were limited, in part by the viciouness of German reprisals. Instead in the months running up to D-Day, focused on developing intelligence on the German troop dispositions and on construction of the Atlantic Wall. The Resistance also atacked the French communications and transportation network--especially the raillines. German reprisals were not as severe if German troops were not killed. The Resistance had expanded greatly in 1943-44. In part because of the NAZI demands to conscript French workers for forced labor in the Reich and in part because it was becoming increasionly clear that the NAZIs were losing the War. Estimates suggest that there 60 intelligence cells solely devoted to collect intelligence. The Allies were collecting intelligence through aerial reconisance, but there are limitations to aerial reconisance. The Resistance helped to fill in the gaps. The Allies received 3,000 written reports as well as 700 radio reports during May 1944 alone. The Resistance succeeded in destroyed 1,800 railway engines, nearly as many as the 2,400 destroyed by Allied air operations. The combined impact of this, attacks on bridges, and other transport targets had by June 1944 virtually brought the French transport systen to a standstill. This made it very difficult for the Germans to move supplies to forward units manning the Atlantic Wall. The Resistance was also very active on the night preceedin D-Day as well as the following days. Not only did the Resistance play a key role, but French civilians not formally involved in the Resistance assisted the Allied troops by informing about directions and local German troop dispositions. Of course this occurred throughout the campaign in France, but D-Day was the time that the Allies were most vulnerable and the issue most in doubt.

Importance

The French Resistance was a key element in the succes of the D-Day landings. General Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote after the War, "Throughout France the Resistance had been of inestimable value in the campaign. Without their great assistance the liberation of France would have consumed a much longer time and meant greater losses to ourselves."

Resistance Strategy

Actual attacks on the Germans were limited, in part by the viciouness of German reprisals. Instead in the months running up to D-Day, focused on developing intelligence on the German troop dispositions and on construction of the Atlantic Wall. The Resistance also atacked the French communications and transportation network--especially the rail lines. German reprisals were not as severe if German troops were not killed. There were attacks on German soldiers, but these were realtively limited. The Ressistance wanted to play a more active role, but the German resopnse to acts of sabatoge especially attacks on Germans was so vicious, focused primarily on civilians, that the Resistance was ordered to concentrate on intelligance work which was in fact more important than killing a few German soldiers..

Growth of the Resistance

The Resistance had expanded greatly in 1943-44. In part because of the NAZI demands to conscript French workers for forced labor in the Reich and in part because it was becoming increasionly clear that the NAZIs were losing the War.

Intelligence

Estimates suggest that there 60 intelligence cells solely devoted to collect intelligence. The Allies were collecting intelligence through aerial reconisance, but there are limitations to aerial reconisance. The Resistance helped to fill in the gaps. The Allies received 3,000 written reports as well as 700 radio reports during May 1944 alone. The Allies faced a serious delema. They could not be sure if Resistance units were compromised by the NAZIs and French collaborators. The location and timing of the D-Day landings were the greatest operational secret of the War. Success was based on convincing the Germans that the attack would come at the Pas de Calais rather than Normandy. Thanks to the Resistance, the Allies knew a great deal about the German preparations and troop deployment. The Resissantce provided detailed information pn the position of batteries, amunition and fuel dumps, troop deployment, and other information. This was obtained through observation, such as reports from French fishermen. There were many other ways as well. The German employed French clerical staff. In this way the French were able to obtain information on a variety of mundane beaureacratic information, such as the delivery of rations. This information, however, could be used to discern the size of many German garrisons. Virtunally none of this kind of information was available to the Germans about Allied preparations. Thus the Allies were able to convince the Germans that the main Allied invasion would come at the Pas de Calais. (One of the often unreported stories of World War II is the failure of German intelligence. Mahor Allied attacks wee not picked up by the Germans. The D-Day landings is but one example, others major examples include: Moscow (1941), Torch (1942), Stalingrad (1942), and Sicily (1943).)

Attacks on Communications and Transport

The Resistance played an important role in cutting communications and transportation lines. They sabatoged railroad tracks, bridges, and destroyed locomotives. The rail lines could be easily repaired using locally conscripted forced labor. It was much more difficult to replace locomotives and bridges. The Resistance in particular targeted supply trains, although not knowing where the invasion woulf fall, they could not just target supply trains to Normandy. Phone and telegram lines were also cut. The Resistance succeeded in destroyed 1,800 railway engines, nearly as many as the 2,400 destroyed by Allied air operations. The combined impact of this, attacks on bridges, and other transport targets had by June 1944 virtually brought the French transport systen to a standstill. This made it very difficult for the Germans to move supplies to forward units manning the Atlantic Wall.

D-Day Attacks

The Resistance was also very active on the night preceeding D-Day as well as the following days. Attack on rail lines were especially important. The French rail system was one of the finest in Europe, second only to the German rail system. It was the principal transport used by the Wehrmacht to move and supply its units and to move panzers. Trucks might disperse supplies from rail heads, but a very large proportion of the Wehrmacht's supplies were transported by rail. And it was the rail lines that were the Resistance's principal target. There had been Resistance attacks on the rail lines before D-Day and they had been hammered by air attacks. On the night of D-Day the Resistance struck with its full force. Eisenhoweer's instructions were not to strike at German military units, fearing massive reprisals against civilians. Instead the Resistance struck at the counrty's rail network. There were a range of attacks, including some factories, telephone lines, amunition dumps, and even highway convoys. The Resistance's focus, however, was the rail network. Their accomplishments are legendary and the German ability to use the Fremch rail lines was severely impeded. Here time was the key factor. The Germans coulkd only succeed if they struck rapidly while the Allies only had a few divsions and limited equipment ashore. The Allies had far superior forces in England, but for the first week, the German forces in France were far superior to those the Allies put ashore in Normandy. Thus any delay to German troop movements that first week wre critical. Allied air power had to focus on close air support for the lsnding force and concentrated on Normandy . It was up to the Resistance to delay the Germans away from Normandy trying to move up or supply the troops in Normandy. The Resistance on the night preceeding D-Day carried out 950 ttacks on the rail lines all over France. Main lines in France were affected, including lines away from the coast such as Lyon and Marseilles. The Resistance could not be instructed just to hit rail lines in the Normandy area as that would have tipped off the Germans where the Allies would land, but important rail junctions all ovr France were hit hard, such as Lille, Troyes, and Tourcoing. Many of these junctions were hit within a day or two of D-Day and largely kept in capacitated for a month. The main north-south line in France is the Paris-Toulouse line. The Resistance hit the line 800 times in June. This was immportant because the powerful 2nd SS Panzer Division wa stationed in Toulouse and it was one of the units after D-Day that was ordered to Normandy. Because of the Resistance attacks, it took the Division 11 days to entrain its Panzers. And of course by that time the Normandy bridgehead was firmly established.

French Civilians

Not only did the Resistance play a key role in the success of the D-Day landings, but French civilians not formally involved in the Resistance assisted the Allied troops by informing about directions and local German troop dispositions. Of course this occurred throughout the campaign in France, but D-Day was the time that the Allies were most vulnerable and the issue most in doubt.







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Created: 12:57 AM 4/4/2006
Last updated: 12:57 AM 4/4/2006