Operation Dragoon - Invasion Of Southern France

  15 to 17 August 1944

3 of 3

 

Preliminary - 5 July to 11 August 1944

 
Returning to Belfast, Northern Ireland, after the battle for Cherbourg, TEXAS prepared for her third invasion and final combat role in Europe/Africa, the invasion of Southern France. While in Belfast she took on stores and fuel. The catapult and airplanes were placed back aboard with the catapult lashed to the deck. She departed Belfast for Oran, Algeria, on 15 July.

 

Lt Cmdr Derickson  medal for Cherbourg
En-route with TEXAS were several British aircraft carriers to provide airplane support for the invasion. On 19 July, sound contacts were reported indicating possible submarine and the escorting destroyers dropped a depth change pattern. The carriers continued on their way when TEXAS turned and entered Oran, on 23 July.

Catapult on the deck

The stay in Oran was brief (23 - 27 July) during which the catapult was installed atop Turret 3. On 27 July, she headed for Taranto, Italy

Arriving in Taranto, on 31 July, the next 11 days were in preparation for the invasion. During the preparation, time was allowed for an USO show aboard ship. In the show was Jack Haley, the Tin Man from the movie "Wizard of Oz". 

 

USO Show - Taranto

                                                                         

11 to 14 August Sails for Invasion Beaches 
On 11 August, BB35 sails from Taranto for Southern France accompanied by many of the same ships from Normandy and Cherbourg.  

Flagship - Bombardment Force Task Force 85 (Area Delta)

Gunfire fire was in support of the 45th Infantry Division.  In the one of the other two landing groups was the 36th Infantry Division, the "T Patch" division from Texas.  Red highlighted ship names are French ships.

Battleships

Light Cruisers

Destroyers

TEXAS

Nevada

Philidelphia

Montcalm

Gerges Leygues

 

 

Ellyson Rodman Emmons   Forrest Fitch  Hambleton  Macomb   Hobson Le Fantasque

Le Terrible

Le Marlin

                                                                            

The Invasion

15 to 17 August 1944

15 to 17 August 1944

15th:  Arriving at the invasion in the early morning of the 15th, TEXAS entered her fire support area at 0415. At 0440 the BB35 war diary reports the first sounds of the air support bombs exploding. At 0653 she starting shelling her assigned target P-39, a group of 5 220mm coastal defense guns in rock emplacement. Spotting for the firing was provided by airplane but the target was hard to locate due to haze and smoke. At 0815 all bombardment was ceased so the infantry could go ashore. In the 1.25 hours of firing, TEXAS hurled 155 14" shells and 17 5" shells at the Germans.

Unlike the problems at Omaha, the Delta landing was made without enemy opposition. The seven waves all got ashore by the planned completion time of 0910. Over 100 landing craft had placed 33,000 men and 3,300 vehicles ashore in about an hour without losing a single craft or casualty. (Inspection of the beach defenses on D plus one revealed the defenders were dead at their guns from the aerial and naval gunfire or driven away by the intensity). The 45th pushed quickly inland and by 2400 had accomplished the invasion objectives and suffered only 109 casualties

(In Area Alpha, a similar situation occurred and total casualties were 264 at the end of the day. Area Camel though faced some strong opposition)

Later firings are listed in the BB35 War Diary but no type of gun, quantity or time. At 2031, TEXAS left the Fire Support Area for "Delta Night Retirement Area". At 2058 a formations of German planes enters her vicinity and BB35 fired at the planes with 3" and 40mm guns

16th

TEXAS returns to her fire support area at 0330 but no calls for gunfire support are received. At 1900 she moved to the "Delta Night Retirement Area".

17th

At 0200, TEXAS is ordered to depart for Palermo, Sicily, concluding her part in the invasion and her last combat in Europe/Africa

 

Return to America - 18 August to 14 September 1944

Arriving in Palermo on the 18th, her planes and aviation personnel were brought back aboard. She departed on the 19th, with ARKANSAS for ORAN. ARKANSAS developed engineering problems and the ships diverted to Algiers, Algeria, arriving on the 21st. The NEVADA joined them on the 26th. The three ships departed on the 30th and arrived in Oran on the 31st. 

The group departed on 4 September with TEXAS going into the New York Navy Yard on the 14th.  This yard period would be the final WWII alteration to the ships exterior structure.

The return to America was the 20th crossing of the Atlantic since January 1942 and the last for BB35.