Paris '44: The City of Light Redeemed
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Cavalry to the rescue. Shermans of 2 Squadron, 12 Régiment des Chasseurs d’Afrique assemble at Vesly after disembarking at Utah Beach on 1 August 1944. (Photo: akg-images/The Image Works.)
The Memorial to the 2e DB’s fallen at Alençon during 9–11 August 1944. (Photo: John Bate-Williams.)
Résistants
De Gaulle’s military delegate to the Resistance in northern France, Jacques Chaban-Delmas was among the French Army’s youngest brigadier generals. Unobtrusive, highly intelligent and a fast runner, Chaban-Delmas took easily to the discipline required for clandestine life. (Photo: Memorial du Maréchal Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Musée Jean Moulin, Ville de Paris.)
The FTP’s Henri Rol-Tanguy was a disciplined Left-winger. Wrongfully accused of saying that Paris was worth 200,000 dead, Rol-Tanguy sent two envoys to the Allies and by the time Leclerc’s men arrived Rol-Tanguy’s men had confined the German garrison to a few central strongpoints. Here he wears the uniform of an infantry colonel in Billotte’s 10th (Paris) Division during the last months of the war. (Photo: Memorial du Maréchal Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Musée Jean Moulin, Ville de Paris.)
By initiating the insurrection on 19 August the Paris Police became heroes. Many ordinary policemen,—Gardiens de la Paix—detested the role they were forced to play during the Occupation; depth of feeling which seeded three resistance réseaux: Honneur de la Police, Police et Patrie, and Front National de la Police. Here young policemen cheer de Gaulle on 26 August 1944. (Photo: Robert Capa, Magnum Agency.)
An overturned lorry forms the bulk of this barricade across the Quai Saint-Michel with a fine view of the Préfecture and Notre Dame behind. The area south of the Ile de la Cité into the Latin Quarter was the epicentre of the Paris Insurrection while many other arrondissements, especially in western Paris, were oblivious of the August fighting. (Photo: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Magnum Agency.)
La Badauderie Heroique—“heroic onlookers” were—according to Jean Galtier-Boissière—divided into three categories; “les risques tout”—the “risk alls,”—les autres—those who watched from street corners, and les moins braves—the “less brave” who stood considerably further back. Here Henri Cartier-Bresson captures a group of risques tout clustered around insurrectionists firing a pre-war Hotchkiss machinegun. (Photo: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Magnum Agency.)
The view across south central Paris during the insurrection with puffs of smoke above the roof-line where street fighting is occurring. (Photo: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Magnum Agency.)
“The Gentleman of Paris,”—Swedish Consul General Raoul Nordling who saved over two thousand résistants from transportation to Germany during the last days of the Occupation and pleaded successfully with General von Choltitz for a truce to save both lives and heritage sites like Notre Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle. He also helped the 2e DB negotiate the last hours of fighting in Paris. (Photo: Roger-Viollet/The Image Works.)
The degradation of a boulevardier, Sacha Guitry interrogated by Comité Parisien de la Libération officials following his arrest as a collabo. In fact he had not collaborated with the Nazis at all but, since his Théatre Madeleine was frequented by off-duty German officers, Guitry looked like a collabo. After a few deeply unpleasant months in prison, including mock executions, Guitry was released without charge. (Photo: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Magnum Agency.)
Famous among the expats who lived in Paris during the interwar years, war correspondent and novelist Ernest Hemingway loved the city as much as any Frenchman. Appointing himself a de facto resistance leader, Hemingway gathered useful information on German positions between Rambouillet and Paris. But, following a personality clash with General Leclerc, Hemingway followed Langlade’s men into the city from the west, departing from the Champs Élysées to call on Picasso and Sylvia Beach before liberating the Ritz. (Photo: akg-images/The Image Works.)
Massu and his driver Georges Hipp. Massu followed Leclerc for seven years beginning in Africa. He was disappointed when Langlade prevented him from advancing beyond the Pont de Sevres on the night of 24 August. Entry into central Paris was reserved for Pierre Billotte’s battle group. (Photo: Memorial du Maréchal Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Musée Jean Moulin, Ville de Paris.)
First into Paris
“Dronne, get into Paris,” said Leclerc during the early evening of 24 August when Billotte’s battle group had got as far as they could. (Photo: Memorial du Maréchal Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Musée Jean Moulin, Ville de Paris.)
Captain Raymond Dronne and Spaniards from La Nueve. (Photo: Memorial du Maréchal Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Musée Jean Moulin, Ville de Paris.)
Lieutenant Louis Michard. A priest from the White Fathers in civilian life, Michard’s three Shermans—Montmirail, Champaubert and Romilly—joined Dronne’s advance guard which entered Paris on the evening of 24 August. Michard was killed by sniper fire in January 1945. (Photo: Memorial du Maréchal Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Musée Jean Moulin, Ville de Paris.)
25 August 1944—Liberation Day—Morning
Drawn up by the kerb on the Boulevard Montparnasse, outside the Brasserie Dumesnil (from L to R): Captain Christian Girard (Leclerc’s ADC in 1935 French tanker’s helmet), Jacques Chaban-Delmas and General Leclerc are snapped by Robert Capa while perusing a map of Paris. (Photo: Robert Capa, Magnum Agency.)
Wearing his battered képi, a cine still of Dronne planning the assault on the telephone exchange with Amado Granell (right) while his bodyguard, Pirlian Krikor, looks into the camera from behind. (Photo: Memorial du Maréchal Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Musée Jean Moulin, Ville de Paris.)
Commandant (Major) Jean Fanneau de la Horie. A petit-co of Leclerc’s at Saint-Cyr who remained loyal to Vichy until 1942. La Horie negotiated with von Choltitz via Nordling and later took von Choltitz into captivity after the assault on the Hotel Meurice. (Photo: Memorial du Maréchal Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Musée Jean Moulin, Ville de Paris.)
Les brancardiers—the stretcher bearers who, dressed in white, gathered the wounded and dying throughout the fighting, taking them to the French capital’s ancient and excellent hospitals. (Photo: Robert Capa, Magnum Agency.)
Captured on horseback in 1940 Captain Jacques Branet escaped via Russia along with Alain de Boissieu and Pierre Billotte. During his squadron’s advance up the Rue de Rivoli and the attack on the Hotel Meurice Branet lost two tank commanders and was himself wounded. (Photo: Memorial du Maréchal Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Musée Jean Moulin, Ville de Paris.)
Sergeant Marcel Bizien, seen here in tropical uniform, was one of the earliest members of the squadron Branet formed in England. Bizien was killed by sniper fire when dismounting from the Douaumont to capture the crew of the Panther on the Place de la Concorde. (Photo: Memorial du Maréchal Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Musée Jean Moulin, Ville de Paris.)
The Panther for which Bizien gave his life. Whether it was knocked out by the Tank Destroyer Simoun firing from beside the Arc de Triomphe or by Lieutenant Nouveau’s Sherman Champagne which had emerged onto the Rond Point or by Bizien’s Douaumont remains one of WW2’s small mysteries. (Photo: Mary Evans/Grenville Collins/The Image Works.)
Carried in a White Scout Car, Leclerc arrives at the Gare Montparnasse with General von Choltitz. Also in the picture are Maurice Kriegel-Valrimont (left), Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy (in beret) and Jacques Chaban-Delmas behind Leclerc. (Photo: Memorial du Maréchal Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Musée Jean Moulin, Ville de Paris.)
If Hitler had known that General Dietrich von Choltitz had been on the fringes of the 20 July conspiracy he would never have become the Occupation’s last military governor of Paris. A guilt-ridden and war-weary man, von Choltitz obfuscated, disobeyed and lied rather than carry out Hitler’s destruction orders. Here von Choltitz signs surrender orders for those German strongpoints still holding out. (Photo: Musée Carnavalet/Roger-Viollet/The Image Works.)
/> “Well done Leclerc,” says de Gaulle, despite complaining that Rol-Tanguy has signed the surrender document above Leclerc. (Photo: Memorial du Maréchal Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Musée Jean Moulin, Ville de Paris.)
26 August 1944—The March down the Champs Élysées
A much rewarded favourite of both Leclerc and de Gaulle, Captain Raymond Dronne and his Spaniards were chosen as the 2e DB’s advance guard into the city and to provide security for de Gaulle for 26 August’s march down the Champs Élysées. After the war Dronne became a politician and journalist. Two of his books are sources for Paris ’44. (Photo: Memorial du Maréchal Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Musée Jean Moulin, Ville de Paris.)
De Gaulle and his retinue, (from L to R) André Le Troquer, Georges Bidault, de Gaulle, Prefect of Police Charles Luizet, Alexandre Parodi and General (later Marshal) Alphonse Juin, gather at the Arc de Triomphe before commencing the victory march down the Champs Élysées. (Photo: Memorial du Maréchal Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Musée Jean Moulin, Ville de Paris.)
The great march begins; to de Gaulle’s right is Alexandre Parodi, the head of ‘The Delegation,’ slightly behind in French Army uniform are generals Koenig and Leclerc, while in French Air Force blue is the very tall Claude Guy, de Gaulle’s ADC. But there was a hitch; Georges Dukson, a black resistance officer and “Lion of the 17th Arrondissement,” attached himself to de Gaulle’s group to resolve a bet. Henri Cartier-Bresson caught the moment when Dukson was apparently manhandled to one side. (Photo: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Magnum Agency.)
The crowning moment of their four-year Gaullist odyssey; Leclerc, Guillebon and Girard arrive at Notre Dame for the Liberation Te Deum. (Photo: Memorial du Maréchal Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Musée Jean Moulin, Ville de Paris.)
While Paris suffered little devastation compared to other cities during World War 2, there was plenty of repair work after the Liberation. Here Cartier-Bresson records damage to a mansard room at the Quai d’Orsay, where small arms fire smashed through slates, battens and inner walls to evict its German defenders. (Photo: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Magnum Agency.)
Après l’Ondée. The Place de la Concorde, Autumn 1944. The leaves have fallen, the ground is wet. While lanterns shimmer like tiny pearls, only torn-up cobbles testify to the summer’s excitement. The lights are back on in the City of Light. (Photo: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Magnum Agency.)