1945 WWII Route Map of Europe French 2nd Dragoon Regiment

This is a c. 1945 route map of the French 2nd Dragoon Regiment (2e Régiment de Dragons) in Western Europe during World War II. Such commemoratives route maps were published for many American regiments and divisions, but were not universally adopted by other Allied forces. We have occasionally seen British route maps, but comparable French maps, as here, are exceedingly rare.

Dragoons on the Move

Bright red arrows trace the regiment's movements from the amphibious landing in Provence (Operation Dragoon) north through France to meet the Allied army storming south from Normandy, and then east into Germany, across the Rhine, and finally to Innsbruck, where they were when the war ended. Cities along their route are labeled, including St. Tropez, Montpellier, Autun, Dijon, Oberkirch, and Constance. The regiment was equipped with M20 scout cars, a variant of the M8 Greyhound. An illustration of an Allied tank dominates France as it speeds toward Germany, where an opposing tank waits.

The 2nd Dragoon Regiment

The 2nd Dragoon Regiment is France's oldest cavalry regiment, founded in 1556. The regiment has fought in every war since its creation, including the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, World War I, and World War II. During World War II, it participated in the Battle of France until June 17, 1940. After the German occupation of southern France in November 1942, the Germans ordered the Vichy army dissolved. The 2e Régiment de Dragons officially dissolved on November 29, 1942, however nearly all the officers and men of the regiment decided to continue fighting, either by joining the French Resistance or by escaping to North Africa to fight with the Free French. The regiment was officially revived on November 7, 1943. It participated in the landings in Provence, the liberation of France, and invasion of Germany. The regiment was fighting in the Black Forest when Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945, and then was garrisoned in the French zone during the occupation of Austria.

Publication History and Census

This map was created by an unknown artist c. 1945. We have been unable to locate any references to this piece in databases or secondary sources, making this the only known surviving example.