Liberty Road French 2nd Armored Division Chahains
- 23
- See on map
Liberty Road of General Leclerc's 2nd Frencb Armored Division marking the crossroads that was the point of contact on August 13, 1944 between the Groupement Tactique DIO (GTD) coming from Carrouges and the Groupement Tactique Langlade (GTL) coming from Alençon.
Text on the panel:
The Chahains sector was liberated by General Leclerc's 2º D.B. in the middle of the day on Sunday August 13, 1944.
This crossroads, at the intersection of the Sées/Carrouges (D 908) and Alençon/Carrouges (D 2) roads, was the point of contact between the Dio battle group (GTD), coming from Carrouges, and the Langlade battle group (GTL), coming from Alençon along the southern edge of the Écouves forest.
On August 13, 1944, General Leclerc continued his encirclement maneuver and launched the offensive west of the Ecouves forest.
On leaving Alençon, the Langlade battle group split into two sub-groups. On one side, the Massu sub-group (closest to the Ecouves forest) moved through Radon, Saint-Nicolas-des-Bois, Livaie and Rouperroux. Slightly further south, sub-group Minjonnet took the route Cuissai, La Roche-Mabile, La Guéfrie (Saint-Ellier les Bois). Rouperroux then Chahains.
The Dio battle group, which had liberated Carrouges in the late morning, approached the Chahains crossroads in turn in the early afternoon, creating a huge traffic jam. Major Massu, trapped, decided to set up his command post there at around 3pm. With each group refusing to leave its place, progress towards Sées continued with great difficulty. What's more, the road was also clogged with burning enemy vehicles hit by Allied aircraft.
On this site:
The milestone Voie de la 2ª D.B. was inaugurated on August 13, 2014, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Liberation.
In the village of Chahains:
On the stele beside the church are inscribed the names of three soldiers of the 2ª D.B. killed in the area on August 13 and 14, 1944.
Georges Carle (2ª Régiment de Marche du Tchad)
Armand Johier (1/40° Regiment d'Artillerie Nord Africain)
Marcel Juy (12 Regiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique)
Caporal Joseph Grandvaux (2” Régiment de Marche du Tchad) was killed on August 13, 1944 at the carrefour des Érables (on the D 908 at the edge of the commune).
Photo credit and contribution Le Bourvellec Eric
