From: WORLD WAR II DAY BY DAY, Donald Sommerville, Greenwich CT:Brompton Books, 1989 15 August, 1944 Southern France Allied forces land in southern France between Toulon and Cannes. This is operation Dragoon, originally and for most of the planning stage, known as Anvil. The code name has been changed because it is believed that the Germans have discovered it and its significance. The landing forces are from General Patch's US Seventh Army. Truscott's VI Corps provides the three divisions that make up the bulk of the assault force. The follow-up formation is General de Lattre's 11 French Corps. French commando units also land from the sea in the first wave and there is also an airborne attack. This involves 5000 men from a composite parachute group and they drop inland near Le Muy. Before these or the seaborne forces go in there are attacks by 1300 land-based aircraft and naval shelling. Admiral Hewitt is in command of the naval forces. The largest group of special troops lands on the island of Levante with cover from the battleship LORRAINE and other vessels. General Daniels' 3rd Infantry Division lands in the Baie de Cavalaire and among the bombardment group here is the battleship RAMILLES. The fire support for General Eagle's 45th Infantry is provided by the battleships TEXAS and NEVADA. This landing is in the Baie de Bugnon. The left flank division is the 36th Infantry, General Dahlquist, with support from the ARKANSAS. As well as the land-based air cover, five British and two American escort carriers add fighter support (216 aircraft). In addition to the battleships mentioned fire support is also provided by 20 cruisers and 31 destroyers. A further four cruisers and 60 destroyers perform escort duties. There is almost no resistance to the landings and only 183 casualties are taken. Churchill has come to observe the operation from aboard a destroyer and, from his account in his memoirs, seems to have been bored by the lack of action. The German force in the south of France is General Weise's Nineteenth Army. This formation has only seven poor quality infantry divisions and the better trained and equipped 11 Panzer Division to cover the whole of the south and southeast of the country. Clearly, this is an inadequate force.