Battle of Toulon (1944) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Toulon
Part of Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre and the European Theatre of World War II
Date 15–28 August 1944 Location Toulon, southern France Result Allied victory
Belligerents
France  United States	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Edgard de Larminat	Heinrich Ruhfus [de] Johannes Bäßler (DOW)
Strength
France: 52,000 men	18,000 men
Casualties and losses
2,700 killed and wounded	1,000 killed 17,000 captured

The Battle of Toulon (1944) was an important fight during World War II in southern France. It happened from August 20 to 26, 1944. During this battle, Free French forces, led by General Edgard de Larminat, freed the city of Toulon.

Why Toulon Was Important

View of downtown Toulon and the Mediterranean Sea from Mount Faron

Toulon was a very important port for the French Navy. In 1942, German troops tried to capture the French fleet there. But French sailors quickly sank their own 75 warships to stop the Germans from getting them. This event is known as the Scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon.

After the Normandy landings (called Operation Overlord) in northern France, the Allies needed more ports. Many northern ports were too damaged or too strongly defended. This made the ports of Marseille and Toulon in southern France very important targets. French leaders also wanted an invasion in the south. Finally, on July 14, Operation Dragoon was approved by the Allied leaders.

Toulon was hard to attack from the sea because it was well protected. So, the Allies planned to attack it from land. The land routes were also defended. A 700-meter-high hill offered great spots for artillery and observation. Nearby ridges had French bunkers, which the Germans later strengthened. The Germans also used guns from the sunken French ships to add more defenses along the coast.

On August 13, as part of Operation Nutmeg, American planes attacked Toulon Harbour. They faced heavy anti-aircraft fire.

The main Allied invasion of southern France, Operation Dragoon, began on August 15. The United States Seventh Army and the French First Army were part of this. General Alexander Patch ordered General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny to capture Toulon and Marseille at the same time. General de Larminat was put in charge of attacking Toulon.

The Battle Begins

The German troops defending Toulon were from the 242nd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht). They set up a strong defense line east of the city. Adolf Hitler had ordered them to defend Toulon to the very end. If they were going to lose, they were told to destroy the harbor.

The Germans tried to sink the remaining ships in Toulon harbor, like the battleship Strasbourg and the cruiser La Galissonnière. They wanted to block the southern channel. But American bombers sank these ships first.

On August 16, American planes returned to destroy the heavy German guns. This was a dangerous job because of the strong anti-aircraft fire. There were 28 raids in total against the submarine pens and artillery. Eight American planes were lost, and 125 were damaged. These attacks only slightly damaged the German defenses.

The 242nd German Division fought against the Allied forces until August 18. Then, the remaining German soldiers retreated into Toulon.

The original plan for Toulon was for the 3rd Algerian Infantry Division to attack from the north. The 9th Colonial Infantry Division would follow. Other units would create distractions and protect the flanks. The main attack was set for August 24.

However, the Allied invasion was going very well. So, General de Lattre decided to attack Toulon earlier. He started the attack on August 18 with the troops he had ready. Sixteen thousand French soldiers, with thirty tanks and some artillery, began the fight.

The 3rd Algerian Infantry Division attacked from the north. The 1st Free French Division attacked from the south. They were supported by the 1st Armored Division. The center attack was given to the 9th Colonial Infantry Division. General Larminat commanded 52,000 troops, mostly from the 1st Free French Division and the 9th Colonial Infantry Division.

Fighting in the City

On August 20, the 3rd Algerian Division reached the suburbs near Mont Faron. By August 21, Toulon was completely surrounded. That evening, the 3rd Algerian Division moved into the city streets. To the east, German troops used old French tanks to defend themselves.

By August 23, French troops were everywhere in the city. They raised the French flag, the tricolour. Many German soldiers were captured. On August 24, the last German defenses were taken, and 1,000 more prisoners were captured.

The Naval base was then attacked. Heavy fighting and artillery fire continued. One by one, the German forts surrendered. A victory parade was held on August 27. Even during the parade, German artillery guns, including the large 340mm guns, were still firing.

On August 27, some Germans tried to escape by sea. American ships stopped them. One German vessel escaped, one was captured, and four others were sunk.

At 10:45 PM, the German commander, Admiral Ruhfus, agreed to surrender without conditions. The remaining 1,880 German soldiers marched out the next day. The German positions had not fought as fiercely as Hitler had demanded. By September 13, the harbor was repaired enough for ships to use it again.

After the Battle

A German soldier who died during the fighting in Toulon.

The Battle of Toulon lasted nine days. The French forces had 2,700 soldiers killed or wounded. But they captured 17,000 German prisoners and took control of the huge naval base.

At the same time, the city of Marseille was also being freed. The Germans there surrendered on August 28. The overall Battle of Provence was won more than 60 days earlier than planned.

After the war, General Charles de Gaulle said that the battles for France were also battles fought by French people for France. He made sure that French generals like de Lattre and Leclerc were key figures in the Liberation of France. They were the ones who led the way into Marseille, Paris, and Toulon.

Today, the Naval Base in Toulon is still the main home of the French Navy. It includes the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which is the flagship of the fleet.

See also

• Battle of Marseille
• FFI
• Nazi Germany
• Operation Dragoon
• Vichy France
• Zone libre

Images for kids

• 

  A German soldier who died during the fighting in Toulon.