Operation Dingson
| Operation Dingson | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Normandy Landings | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 French Resistance Free French Forces |
 Germany | ||||||
Operation Dingson (5–18 June 1944) was an operation in the
At this time there were approximately 100,000 German troops, and artillery, preparing to move to the Normandy landing areas.
Immediately upon landing in Brittany, on the night of 5 June 1944 (11 h 30), the Free French SAS who jumped in near Plumelec went into action fighting against German troops (actually, Georgians and Ukrainians).
One hour later (0 h 40), the first victim of the liberation of his country, Corporal Émile Bouétard (born 1915 in Brittany) was killed near Plumelec.
The Free French SAS established a base (Saint-Marcel) and began to arm and equip members of local resistance fighters, operating with up to 3,000 Maquis fighters and 200 paratroopers. However, their base was heavily attacked by a German paratroop division on 18 June and was forced to disperse.[1][2]
A few weeks later, Captain Pierre Marienne and 17 of his companions (6 paratroopers, 8 resistance fighters and 3 farmers) were summarily executed after being captured in Kerihuel, Plumelec (12 July at dawn).
The Dingson team was joined by the men who had just completed Operation Cooney. Dingson was conducted alongside Operation Samwest and Operation Lost.
Operation Dingson 35A
On 5 August 1944, 10
The SAS teams remained behind enemy lines in occupied territory until the Allies arrived. The glider pilots were looked after by the local Resistance and then met up with the advancing American army at Auray.
Notes
- ISBN 0-85045-396-8.
- ISBN 0-670-03762-1.
- ISBN 2-7427-0220-2
- Henry Corta (1921–1998), a Free French SAS lieutenant veteran, les bérets rouges (red berets), Paris, 1952, amicale des anciens parachutistes SAS,
- Henry Corta, Qui ose gagne (Who dares wins), Vincennes, 1997, service historique de l'armée de terre. ISBN 978-2-86323-103-6