Friday, August 25, 1944
The days that marked the Battle of Normandy
On the 25th of August the city of Paris was liberated, and the German general von Scholtitz signed the surrender of his troops. To the north and south of Paris, the Germans continue to cross the Seine river by all means. Despite the American armored attacks and the incessant raids of the Allied aviation, the majority of the Germans who had been stationed in Normandy for several weeks succeeded in reaching the east bank of the Seine.
The Americans and the British also crossed makeshift bridges over the Seine and progressed north and south of Paris to try to cut the road to the German forces withdrawing.
Northeast of Caen, Belgian brigade soldiers, accompanied by the paratroopers of the 5th Brigade, commanded by Poett, were still cleaning up the region of German defenders who had been ordered to delay the Allied advance in this area, thus leaving the west bank of the Seine without too much pressure. The town of Honfleur is thus fully liberated, and the Belgian armored car squadrons manage to enter the localities of Saint-Gatien, Beuzeville and Fiquefleur.
On August 25, 1944, the Allies launched the “red ball express”, a logistics axis linking Cherbourg, Saint-Lô and Chartres, with 67 transport companies. All three Allied armies have reached the Seine river: the battle of Normandy is over. Eisenhower and Montgomery are already looking ahead to the Ruhr breakthrough.
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