Yves J. Bellanger

THE 5TH INFANTRY DIVISION

"RED DIAMOND"

 5th ID Patch

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