<text id=00he0910><title>Invasion in the South</title>
<history>US Air Force: Events History</history>
<article><hdr>Invasion in the South</hdr><body>
<p>In August, a second invasion of France echoed on a smaller scale the landings of June in Normandy. It was preceded by concentrated bombing by strategic heavies of MAAF, hitting naval facilities at Toulon and other Mediterranean ports. The target list was expanded, just as at Normandy. One mission was unique to the area: air drops of weapons and supplies to the Maquis, the French underground that contributed so much to the war by harassment of the Germans and destruction of their facilities.
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<p>The invasion force landed on 15 August, in the face of light opposition, and took few casualties. More than 5,000 paratroopers were dropped a few miles inland from almost 400 planes of the Provisional Troop Carrier Air Division; others were landed during the day by parachute and by glider. The beachhead was seized, expanded and consolidated, and the drive north began up the Rhone valley. Seventh Army outran its supply train, necessitating air drops of supplies. Within a week the Germans were in full retreat, heading for Belfort, where they stood long enough to organize a withdrawal and to establish a defense line.
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<p>Every foot of the way, XII Tactical Air Command had supported the invasion and the northward drive. From late August, it was almost the only air strength the Allies had in the area, for the rest had been drawn back to try to finish off the war in Italy.
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<p>These rapid movements consumed supplies at an abnormal rate; spot shortages began to appear and then broaden. First Army needed 571,000 US gal (2.2 million liters) of fuel each day, and Patton's Third was burning 1 million US gal (3.8 million liters) every 24 hours. Air supply was tried. During one ten-10 period, IX Troop Carrier Command flew in 2.5 million US gal (9.5 million liters) of fuel, which met about 16 per cent of the total requirement. Even Eighth AF heavy bombers were pressed into tank-car service, with B-24s toting 200 5-US gal (19-liter) jerry-cans of gasoline in each bomb bay.
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<p>Paris was liberated on 25 August, and France was free soon after. Patton's Third, still at full throttle, reached Nancy and the outskirts of the Siegfried Line in mid-September and there ground to a halt, out of fuel.
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<p>By then, the Allies had established a continuous front from the Channel to Switzerland.
