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Battle of Saint-Malo

1944 in FranceAugust 1944 eventsBattles of World War II involving FranceBattles of World War II involving the United KingdomBattles of World War II involving the United States
Conflicts in 1944Military history of BrittanyMilitary history of France during World War IIMilitary operations of World War II involving GermanyOperation OverlordSaint-MaloSeptember 1944 eventsUrban warfare
Bomb exploding during the Battle of Saint Malo August 1944
Bomb exploding during the Battle of Saint Malo August 1944

The Battle of Saint-Malo was fought between Allied and German forces to control the French coastal town of Saint-Malo during World War II. The battle formed part of the Allied breakout across France and took place between 4 August and 2 September 1944. United States Army units, with the support of Free French and British forces, successfully assaulted the town and defeated its German defenders. The German garrison on a nearby island continued to resist until 2 September. Saint-Malo was one of the French towns designated as a fortress under the German Atlantic Wall program, and its prewar defenses were expanded considerably before the Allied landings in Normandy during June 1944. As part of their invasion plans, the Allies intended to capture the town so that its port could be used to land supplies. While there was some debate over the necessity of this in August as the Allied forces broke out of Normandy and entered Brittany, it was decided to capture rather than contain Saint-Malo to secure its port and eliminate the German garrison. After initial attempts to capture the locality failed, the US Army began a siege operation. Infantry units attacked and defeated large numbers of fortified German positions with the support of artillery and aircraft. A fortification on the edge of Saint-Malo was the final German position on the mainland to hold out, and surrendered on 17 August. After extensive air and naval bombardments, the garrison on the nearby island of Cézembre surrendered on 2 September. German demolitions made it impractical to use Saint-Malo as a port. The town was also heavily damaged during the battle and was rebuilt after the war.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Battle of Saint-Malo (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Battle of Saint-Malo
Allée Louis Godin, Saint-Malo

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N 48.6481 ° E -2.0075 °
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Jean Coquelin

Allée Louis Godin
35400 Saint-Malo, Rocabey
Brittany, France
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Bomb exploding during the Battle of Saint Malo August 1944
Bomb exploding during the Battle of Saint Malo August 1944
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