Yves J. Bellanger
THE 5TH INFANTRY DIVISION
"RED DIAMOND"
BATTLE OF CHARTRES
Chartres was the next huge city to
be liberated. The 7th Armored Division had been working over the
town with its artillery for two days as the 5th bivouacked outside
the city. Advance elements of the 10th CT had a brief engagement
at Spoir, near a chateau west of Chartres on the 16th.
Armored division tanks drove into the
city but were forced back at the end of the 18th of August. Corps
decided it was an infantry job so the 7th was pulled out of the
battle and the 5th was given the job. The 2nd and 3rd Bns of the
11th CT quickly located a German pocket of resistance, enveloped
it and captured 100 prisoners with the threat of mortar and cannon
company fire. A large pocket of resistance, about 1,000 strong
was located as the two battalions drove into the southwestern
outskirts of the city the night of 18-19 August. The Germans had
an 88 mm and several 20 and 40 mm guns emplaced around a church,
upon which was draped a red cross flag. They were using the church
steeple for an observation post. Cannon Company opened fire at
daylight, and kept firing for 45 minutes. When the Cannon Company
fire lifted, infantrymen walked into the area with only four shots
being fired by Germans. A German colonel surrendered a battered
force of 700 at 1100 hours and the battle was over. An estimated
200-300 jerries had been killed, caught in the pocket between
battalions, and 40 men of Company A, 40th Armored Infantry, 7th
Armored Division were found.
The Chartres cathedral, one of the
most famous in the world, was untouched by the war that swirled
around it.
Chartres liberated by the Red Diamond, with much captured material
in German warehouses, the 7th Armored roared northward to Dreux
while the 5th Division continued striking eastward toward the
Seine, 50 kilometers south of Paris.
The 2nd CT, which bivouacked near Maintenon,
moved eastward on 21 August, overcoming road blocks and passing
through enemy artillery fire until it was stopped by artillery
and small arms fire 3,000 yards west of Etampes. Two light tanks
of the 735th were knocked out and the 1st Bn attacked after preparatory
fires by the 21st Field Artillery. Outskirts of the city were
reached by nightfall when three companies moved during the night
to cut off escape routes exiting north, southeast and east out
of Etampes. Patrols entered the city that night and the regiment
entered the morning of the 22nd without resistance. Company A
of the 7th Engineers cleared the numerous mines and booby traps.
The 10th CT, moving east captured Malesherbes
and the bridge over the Essonne intact, continuing to take La
Chapelle La Reine at 2030 hours on 23rd August after a brisk battle
against enemy tanks, light artillery and automatic weapons. 278
prisoners were captured. A reconnaissance party, including the
regiment's Mine Platoon, hurried ahead to the aid of a small group
of FFI defending a bridge at Nemours. The bridge was secured and
German-prepared demolitions of aerial bombs were removed by the
Mine Platoon. Vehicles used that bridge and foot troops crossed
the Loing river by foot bridge and rowboats at Grez as the CT
advanced toward Montereau on the Seine.
Pages 16 and 17 of the History booklet
of the 5th Infantry Division, published at Metz, France,
in December 1944.
Page 15 contains pictures.
The story continues in Seine
River Crossings page.
Fontainebleau and Montereau
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Created in July 2001
Updated July 18, 2001 by Yves
J. Bellanger