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Lyons to Luxeil
After the rough battle in the Rhone Valley at Montelimar the Germans were on the
run. They did form small defenses to try to slow us up, but no real line of defense
until the Mozelle River. We did “hop scotch” through that area. We would go until
we ran out of supplies especially gasoline. Then we would pull over and units behind
us that had been repelled would go tearing through. Then supplies would catch up
and we would to tearing through the units that passed us, probably the day before.

All supplies were being unloaded where we landed in Southern France and were
being trucked or airlifted to us, mostly by truck convoy. I remember trying to
sleep by the roadside with tanks going by all night. They were about 200 yards
apart but when one would go by, throttle wide-open, the whole ground would shake.
During the day, French civilians would line the roadsides and hand us whatever they
had—fruit, flowers, or most anything. I remember on day we stopped for a few
minutes and this French lady run up and kissed me and handed me what I thought
was a cupcake. When we started up again I took a big bite and it was cottage
cheese and I never did like cottage cheese.

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The French people were glad to see us but I didn’t think too much of the French
army. We did admire French guerillas that helped us a lot. They were pretty good
scrappers and dealt the Germans a lot of misery.

The Germans, in retreating, stripped the country as they went, especially the
towns.

As I told you before we played “hop scotch’ in our advancing. Our columns were led
by tanks and tank destroyers. Our Infantry would be hanging all over them to ride.
They would hit a roadblock and the Infantry would climb off, deploy, and with tank
support would clear the way. Sometimes the Artillery wouldn’t even unload our guns
unless we were needed. Following the tanks and LD’s were every available truck
loaded with more Infantry. Then Infantry reserve units would be hanging on the
sides and etc. of our trucks. We might travel pretty fast for a few miles and then
set for a couple of hours until a road block was cleared or until a way could be found
around a blown-out bridge. We made some eighty miles in three days and hit Lyons.

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Lyons
It was said to be the silk capitol f the world and the second largest industrial city
in France. Our orders were to bypass it but lend help to the “Free France” to clear
it from the inside. There was quite a battle going on inside of town. What Germans
that were left were supported by a much-hated bunch of French known as “Vichy
Malice”. They supported the Germans all the way. As all bridges through town
were blown out we bypassed it. Only a small bunch of our Infantry went in with the
engineers to protect them while they cleared the bridges and to give the French
partisans help. We then pulled out to let them clean up their own mess. The
Germans immediately pulled out and I never knew the fate of some of the French
that were helping them. I am sure their fate was not to be envied. As Lyons wasn’t
hurt bad, the people come out better than most. I was lucky enough to get a week
of R and R there later. The people really rolled out the “red carpet” for us. In
fact, as far as R & R was concerned, it was even better than Rome. Don’t
misunderstand me, however. I wouldn’t have missed my week in Rome for anything.

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Lyons had a pretty good food supply left. As I remember that is where I tried my
first and only snails. The people really meant it as a treat to me but I passed them
up the second time around. The best I can describe the ones I had as find gravel
mixed in thin asphalt.

As some of the country we went through was supposed to have been Napoleon’s
route. I personally could have cared less whether Napoleon had been there ahead
of me. We did more or less parallel their border of Switzerland, quite a few miles
away. Of course the Germans did try to hold Vesoul on the Daubs River but gave it
up.

Luxevil
They also tried to hold Luxevil. Quote:

“Luxevil, with its hot Sulfur Spas dating back to Julius Cesar,
made a fine place for the Infantry to take a short break.”

However, the Artillery didn’t get to stop. That was okay since we had had it so
much easier than the Infantry. They left tank units and recon units along with the
3rd Division to keep the enemy from digging in. They left us in to support them. We
were also in support of the American 45th Division and French units.

The correct name of the Spas was Luxeuil-Les-Bains.

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