Office of Strategic Services Operational Groups

Mission:
To strengthen the resistance movement in Southern France.

To prevent the movement of the enemy along the following three routes (listed in order of priority):
1. The railroad and road running north-south along the western bank of the Durance River (Highway No. 96).
2. The Route Napoleon between the coast (Nice and Cannes) and Sisteron on the Durance.
3. The railroad running east-west through Meyrargues and Draguignan.

To send back to Algiers, by radio, all possible information with respect to enemy concentrations, movements, etc., in the area bounded roughly by the above three routes.

Summary:
3 August. Flight left Blida Airport at 2316 hours in Sterling bomber piloted by Wing Commander of the RAF. He did an excellent job. DZ, "Prisonier," was 4K northwest of Braves. It was a small rock-covered plateau bordered on one side by a sharp precipice and on the other side by a high cliff. It was suitable for supply drops but not for body drops. Reception consisted of a few F.T.P boys expecting only supplies to be dropped.

A mistake in the DZ required a back-breaking 2-day, 2K carry of the equipment dropped with the Section to where the Maquis trucks could pick it up. There followed a 3-day walk in woods by daylight and on roads by night with an additional lift by truck to a base central to targets in the Basses Alps near St. Jurs.

In the next four nights demolition was effected of four bridges along lines of enemy communication: railroad bridge between Sisteron and Pepin; railroad bridge between Digne and Barreme; road bridge between Meyrargues and Pertuis; and railroad bridge between Drillane and Volx. To completely tie up vehicular traffic in the area, and force the Germans to use Highway No. 64 and the Route Napoleon where chances of hitting the enemy would be better when anticipated troop movements started, four additional bridges were blown. The Section split into two teams to cover these two routes. Positions for ambush were selected but opportunity ended when Gen. Butler's Task Force started through.

Lt. Brandes contacted Gen. Butler at Reis, provided information about the area, and was given the mission of protecting the right flank, the Napoleon Highway. Subsequently accomplished was the placement of a road block on an important highway under enemy fire with the loss of one Maquis. Joint activities of the Section, Maquis, and American units continued until the area was taken over by Allied troops.

T/5 Dyas had injured his knee on the drop and had been left in a Maquis camp. After several days he was joined by SO Capt. Geoffry Jones who had dropped in the same area. The two headed south to meet airborne forces spearheading the Southern France invasion. T/5 Dyas proved a valuable help to paratroopers suddenly descending on him from hundreds of C47s in the wrong area, and to additional airborne and OSS personnel, especially as an interpreter and provider of information, and by the time he rejoined his Section had experienced many hazardous situations.

T/5 Lanteigne injured his lower spine on the drop which disabled him temporarily and was left behind. After some days the Maquis took him as a demolitions man to blow a bridge. At the target scene, with disregard for all the expert OG tried to tell them, the operation was bungled and aborted. Days later, travelling to Monteuroux with Maquis he encountered 30 American and British paratroopers who had been been dropped off course, and who were assured they were protected by Maquis. When a German truck drove into town fire was exchanged but terminated when T/5 Lanteigne threw a grenade. With two others, T/5 Lanteigne left to find help but after days he had to continue alone when the others stopped to rest. He reached a house where he was given water and food and was driven to a nearby Army unit.

Summary compiled by John Hamblet.