Operation Dragoon - After Action Reports

Record of Events

Regimental Headquarters Company
517th Parachute Infantry Regiment

            Regimental Headquarters Company was divided between two take-off fields for the enplaning.  Demolition Hq. 1st and 3rd Bn Demolition Sections and 11 men from the Wire Section Enplaned at Orbetello Airfield with the 3rd Battalion of the 517th Parachute Infantry, while the remainder of the Company and Headquarters went to Ombrone Airfield with the 2nd Battalion of the 517 Parachute Infantry.

             The Demotion Sections and Wire Section landed in the hills approximately three kilometers Northeast of Callian, France.  Lt. Minard assembled most of the Demolition men and moved near Callian where they joined the 3rd Battalion and proceeded to the Regimental CP, arriving at “D” plus two.

            S/Sgt. Allison, Tec 5 Boynton joined Captain Hooper, Co. “G” and five men from the 3rd Battalion.  A firefight between a group of approximately 30 Germans that were trapped on a highway in a bus and an ambulance and elements of Service and Hq. Company was seen to be in progress.  The vehicle was destroyed, five enemy killed, nine wounded and 16 captured.  Pvt. Miller of Regtl. Hq. Co. was seriously wounded in this encounter and was evacuated to Callian and hospitalized by the French. 

            Captain Hooper, S/Sgt. Allison and 7 men, then occupied the town of Callian for three days until driven out by a force of approximately 200 Germans.  They then moved to Montauroux which was held by Lt. McElroy and 34 EM.  S/Sgt. Allison, Tec 5 Boynton and a few members of the FFI then blew a road crater in the highway near Callian which runs between Fayance and Grasse, trapping four German trucks and 22 Germans who were taken prisoner by the FFI.  Captain Hooper then moved his men to San Raphael and arrived on “D” plus Five. 

            Lt. Lempke dropped on the hills Northeast of Callian and soon assembled approximately 30 men, including the Wire Section, a few demolition men and a mixed group of British and 3rd Battalion men.  Lt. Lempke moved his men South and West of Callian where they met the enemy in a force which was estimated at one Company.  Casualties estimated at 30 men were inflicted on the enemy by mortar and small arms fire.  Enemy reinforcements were very quickly brought up and Lt. Lempke withdrew and led his group to the Regimental CP on “D” plus four. 

            The remainder of the Company jumped with the 2nd Battalion and landed in the vicinity of Le Muy.  Lt. Tait and Company Headquarters landed approximately two kilometers Northeast of Le Muy.  He assembled 1st Sgt. Arnold and seven men and was later joined by elements from other companies of the 2nd Battalion.  Lt. Tait led the men toward Le Muy in an attempt to orient himself and was fired upon from the town.  The entire group withdrew a short distance to a defiladed area and engaged the enemy.  Three casualties were inflicted upon the enemy according to the British who shortly took over the area.  A perimeter defense was then formed with the British and an attack was made on the position by a German patrol estimated at 40 men at 1000 and 1400 hours.  Lt. Tait led his group toward La Motte when they encountered elements of the British.  They directed him to the Regimental CP. 

            Captain Pearce, Tec 4 Durbin and Tec 4 VanCleave dropped on a German fortified area approximately 1 kilometer North East of Le Muy.  Captain Pearce sustained a broken leg on the jump.  Tec 4 VanCleave was fired upon immediately upon landing, but evaded the fire by hiding in a vineyard.  Three of the enemy pursued him.  VanCleave disposed of one with his trench knife and killed the remaining two with a hand grenade when they came to investigate the struggle.  At 0900 hours he contacted a British patrol which he heard passing by calling to them over the wall which surrounded the fortification.  At 1100 hours the British attacked the fortification with mortars, and under cover of smoke, entered the fortification.  In the ensuing fight approximately 30 Germans were killed, 20 wounded and 20 captured.  Captain Pearce was then evacuated.

            Lt. Pattin and part of the 2nd Bn. Demolition Section landed approximately 11 kilometers South of La Motte.  He assembled his section and equipment and moved to a bridge North and East of La Motte which he prepared for demolition.  Then, with part of his Section, he established a road block on the highway between Le Muy and Les Arcs near the railroad bridge.  No enemy of any force was encountered.

            Lt. Alicki, with the remainder of the 2nd Bn. Demolition Section and the Regimental M.P.’s landed ½ mile South of Le Muy.  He assembled 4 of his men and moved North.  He encountered Major Paxton, S-3, and a large group of men who led him to the C.P.

            Sgt. Brown, who was in the same place as Lt. Alicki, assembled eight men from the stick and was immediately surrounded by a force of Germans estimated to be 30 men.  In the fight that followed, Pvt. Ciner was killed and the remainder captured.  They were taken to a German prisoner-of-war enclosure at Le Muy and were held until the town was captured by the 550th on the afternoon of “D” plus two.

            Captain Dearing and Captain Bigler landed approximately one kilometer Northeast of Le Muy and assembled approximately 10 men from the Communications Platoon.  Captain Dearing led the men toward Le Muy when he met a group of 20 men of the 2nd Bn. and 460th PFA Bn.  At daybreak, the group was on the outskirts of Le Muy when a German motorcycle patrol was encountered.  Three Germans were killed.

            Captain Dearing then attempted to lead the group to the Company assembly area but was immediately pinned down by enemy fire.  An attack on a strong point which was between Captain Dearing and the assembly area was launched with Captain Dearing leading half the men on the right flank and Captain Bigler furnishing a base of fire and attacking from the left.  Captain Dearing with eight EM succeeded in capturing the strong point from the right but the enemy brought in reinforcements of men, mortars and 88’s.  Captain Dearing and three EM were wounded and all nine men were captured.  They were taken to Le Muy where the wounded were treated by a French doctor and a captured British medic.  They were liberated when the 550th Glider Inf. Bn. captured Le Muy on “D” plus one.

            Captain Bigler withdrew his group and led them to the Regimental CP after dar, arriving on the morning of “D” plus one, three walking wounded.  Estimated enemy casualties were 12 killed and wounded.

            Major Paxton, Regimental S-3, landed approximately 1-1/2 miles South of Le Muy.  He assembled his men and waited on the field until daybreak.  At daybreak, he led the men toward Le Muy meeting Chaplain Brown, Lt. Mitchell, Captain Kinzer, Major Vella, Lt. Alicki and approximately 75 EM.  After orienting himself, he moved to the assembly area by way of La Motte.  On the way, two enemy on motorcycles were killed.  No enemy were found in La Motte.  Captain Newberry with approximately half of 2nd Bn. was encountered shortly thereafter and stated that the rest of the 460th PFA Bn. was in position and that they had communications with the 1st Bn., who were moving on their objective.  Major Paxton instructed Captain Newberry to proceed to his objective and led his men to the Regimental CP arriving at 1130 hours on D Day.  At approximately 1300 hours, Colonel Graves arrived with elements of F Company and took command.

RICHARD A. BIGLER
Capt., Infantry
Commanding