| Special Forces Operations in August 1944 |
| August 14th, 1944 – September 23rd, 1944 |
| Operation Chrysler |
| Office of Strategic Services Operational Group Pat |
| Launched just days after the Allied landings in southern France (Operation Dragoon, August 15th, 1944), Operational Group PAT’s Operation Chrysler inserted a 15-man Office of Strategic Services team into the Haute-Loire region. They parachuted in near Le Puy-en-Velay to assist local Maquis fighters. The unit conducted demolition raids on German convoys and railway junctions, trained Resistance fighters, and coordinated air drops of supplies. Their operations forced the retreating German 19. Armee to divert forces for internal security. The team continued operations through September, helping the Allies secure key communication lines leading north to Lyon and beyond. |
| August 18th, 1944 – October 20th, 1944 |
| Operation Sparkplug |
| Office of Strategic Services Operational Groups Sparkplug |
| Office of Strategic Services Sparkplug team parachuted into the Apuan Alps of northern Tuscany, Italy. The area was vital for German logistics along the Gothic Line, their last major defensive barrier in Italy. Working with Italian partisans, the Office of Strategic Services operatives trained fighters, ambushed German convoys, and disabled supply routes using timed explosives and coordinated attacks. Their sabotage forced German units to reroute and slowed reinforcements to the front. The mission, which lasted until October 20th, 1944, directly contributed to the success of Allied breakthroughs near Florence and Bologna, and demonstrated the effectiveness of small, mobile special forces in mountainous terrain. |
| August 22nd, 1944 – September 17th, 1944 |
| Operation Greenhouse |
| Office of Strategic Services Operational Group Greenhouse |
| Office of Strategic Services Operational Group Greenhouse parachuted into the Rhône Valley to exploit the German withdrawal after Operation Dragoon. Their objective was to destroy escape routes and prevent an orderly retreat. The team blew up railway bridges near Montélimar and Lyon, targeted fuel depots, and coordinated with Resistance fighters to block mountain passes. Their actions slowed the German 19th Army’s escape, allowing U.S. and Free French forces to inflict serious losses during pursuit operations. By September 17th, 1944, the front lines overtook their positions, and the team was exfiltrated. |
| August 24th, 1944 – September 1st, 1944 |
| Brandenburg Relief of Bucharest |
| Brandenburgers |
| In August 1944, an operation involving two companies from Fallschirmjäger-Battalion Brandenburg and two companies from Brandenburg’s 3rd Regiment aims to execute the “Relief of Bucharest” in Romania. The primary objective is to rescue two generals and their troops surrounded by pro-Soviet Romanian forces in the city. On August 24th, 1944, the operation begins with Brandenburg Fallschirmjäger capturing Bucharest’s Otopeni Airport around midday. They hold the airport until 19:00, allowing additional soldiers to arrive by Me 323 Gigant aircraft. By 21:00, the airport and encircled German Headquarters are under German control. Negotiations with some Romanian factions still loyal to the Germans result in assurances of safe passage to the Yugoslav border for German forces in and around Bucharest. On September 1st, 1944, the cooperation unravels as the departing German column, guarded by Brandenburg forces, is betrayed by the Romanians and handed over to the Soviets. Only a few, if any, Brandenburg soldiers survive Soviet captivity. The operation’s outcome significantly reduces the strength of Fallschirmjäger-Battalion Brandenburg, cutting its Order of Battle by half. |
| August 25th, 1944 – August 26th, 1944 |
| Operation Rumford |
| No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando |
| Operation Rumford. Five men Belgian No. 4 Troop of No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando under command of Lieutenant W. Dauppe, Hunt class destroyer H.M.S. Albrighton. Their mission is to capture the Isle of Yeu, France. The assault force is taken to the Isle of Yeu by the H.M.S. Albrighton under command of Lieutenant J.J.S. Hooker. Lance-Corporal Legand lands the party ashore. After interrogating a local, the assault force finds out that the Germans have abandoned the isle taking their battery of 75 mm guns with them. On the return journey HMS Albrighton intercepts and captures two trawlers carrying 22 Germans who claim to have murdered their officers and are fleeing to Spain. The Germans were taken prisoner and trawlers sunk by the H.M.S. Albrighton. |
| August 31st, 1944 – October 1st, 1944 |
| Unternehmen Landfried |
| SS-Jäger-Bataillon 502 |
| Unternehmen Landfried. Three troops of twenty-five men of SS-Jäger-Bataillon 502 under command of SS-Obersturmführer Walter Girg. Their mission is to distribute weapons among civilians and establish a defensive line between Temesburg and Kronstadt to stop the Russian and Romanian advance. However, the equipment is defective, and the situation on the ground changes, rendering the original mission impossible. Girg arranges a new mission with his men and recruits German Romanians from SS-Frontleitstelle Vienna. They fly to Neuburg and meet with SS-General Pfleps, who approves their plans. The mission involves three reconnaissance and sabotage groups operating in different areas. They are to avoid direct contact with the enemy, gather intelligence from the population, and report via wireless telegraphy (W/T). Each group is equipped with uniforms resembling Allied paratroopers and carries essential supplies, including weapons, explosives, maps, and rations. They cross the Hungarian border without encountering enemy units and march towards their designated areas. Girg’s group faces a skirmish with a Russian unit but manages to escape. They observe the Russian army’s advance and mark it on their maps. Later, they travel by train toward the front near Schaerszburg and move close to the Russian columns. They arrive in Nades, a Romanian depot, and pose as Romanian stragglers. However, their true identity is discovered, and they are captured by the Russians. Girg escapes but sustains injuries. He reports to the German lines, providing valuable intelligence about the Russian intentions. Another group, the Eastern troop, successfully rescues stranded German soldiers and destroys the water mains in Kronstadt. The West troop gathers reconnaissance information in the Klausburg area. Throughout the mission, the casualty rate is around 40%. Some of the mission’s men, previously left behind in Romania, join a W/T intelligence group operating in the region in March 1945. They had been declared missing in action since October 1944. |