Timeline of the liberation of France

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Timeline of the liberation of the primary cities of France between 1943 and 1945.

Date City Town Dép.
No.		 Region[note 1] Liberating army/units Notes
1943-09-09Ajaccio2ACorsica(Operation Vesuvius) Liberation of Corsica
1943-09-10Sartène2ACorsicaLiberation of Corsica[1]
1943-09-23Porto-Vecchio2ACorsicaLiberation of Corsica
1943-10-04Bastia2BCorsicaFrench, 73rd Moroccan Goumiers of the 6th Tabor

Liberation of Corsica[2]

1944-06-06D-Day landings (Allied invasion of Europe as part of Operation Overlord)
1944-06-06Normandy coast14Normandy21st Army GroupNormandy Landings (start of Operation Overlord)
1944-06-06Ranville14Normandy 6th Airlanding Brigade Capture of the Caen canal and Orne river bridges
1944-06-07Bayeux14Normandy
Guéret23Nouvelle-Aquitaine
1944-06-08Tulle19Initial liberation by Francs-tireurs followed by same day by recapture by 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich and reprisals including 99 killed in Tulle massacre
1944-06-12Carentan50NormandyAmerican: 101st Airborne DivisionBattle of Carentan (1944-06-06 to 13)
1944-06-14Marèges Dam15
19		Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Limousin		Maquis du Limousin[3]
1944-07-01Cherbourg50NormandyAmericanBattle of Cherbourg
1944-07-18Saint-Lô50NormandyAmerican XIX Corps[4] Battle of Saint-Lô (July 7–19)
1944-06-06 –
1944-08-06		Caen14NormandyBritish, Canadian Second ArmyBattle for Caen
1944-07-28Coutances50Normandy[4]
1944-07-30Granville50Normandy[4]
1944-07-31Avranches50Normandy[4]
1944-08-04Rennes35Brittany[5]
Châteaubriant44Pays de la LoireAmerican[6]
1944-08-05Ancenis44Pays de la Loire[7]
1944-08-04 to 6Vannes56Brittany[8]
1944-08-06Mayenne53Pays de la Loire[9]
1944-08-08Le Mans72Pays de la Loire[10]
Quimper29BrittanyGerman departure[11]
Vire14NormandyAmerican, 29th Infantry Division (United States)[12]
1944-08-10Angers49Pays de la LoireAmerican[13]
1944-08-12Alençon61NormandyFrench, 2nd Armored Division (France)Falaise Pocket
Nantes44Pays de la LoireAmerican: Patton[14]
Privas07Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes[15]
1944-08-15 Operation Dragoon landings in southern France
1944-08-15Brive-la-Gaillarde19Nouvelle-AquitaineMaquis du Limousin [16]
1944-08-16Orléans45Centre-Val de LoireAmerican: Patton[4]
Tulle19Nouvelle-AquitaineMaquis du Limousin
1944-08-17Ussel19Nouvelle-AquitaineMaquis du Limousinretaken same day by Jesser forces[3] •Brigade Jesser [fr]
1944-08-17Saint-Malo35BrittanyBattle of Saint-Malo[17]
1944-08-17Tarbes6Occitanie[18][19]
1944-08-17Cahors46Nouvelle Aquitaine[20][21]
1944-08-18Chartres28Centre-Val de LoireAmerican: 3rd US Army: Patton [4]
Rambouillet78Île-de-FranceAmerican 3rd US Army: Patton
Blois41Centre-Val de Loire[22]
Perpignan66Occitanie[23]
1944-08-19Carcassonne11OccitanieGerman departure[24]
Périgueux24Nouvelle-AquitaineGerman departureBordeaux
Agen47German departureBordeaux
Montauban82OccitanieGerman departure[25]
Lourdes65Occitanie[18]
Toulouse[26]31OccitanieGerman departureToulouse libérée [fr] (Toulouse liberated): documentary on the liberation of Toulouse.
Foix09OccitanieSpanish maquis, commanded by Marcel Bigeard[27]
Auch32Occitanie[28]
Mantes-la-Jolie78le-de-FranceAmerican: Patton[4]
Digne04Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur[29]
Annecy74Auvergne-Rhône-AlpesLa Résistance[30]
Saint-Étienne42Auvergne-Rhône-AlpesGerman departure[31]
Le Puy-en-Velay43Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes[32]
1944-08-20Pau64Nouvelle-Aquitaine[33]
Albi81Occitanie[34]
1944-08-21Sens89Bourgogne-Franche-ComtéAmerican: General Patton[4]
Castres
Mazamet		81OccitanieRésistance du Tarn[35]
Château-Landon77Île-de-FranceAmerican: Patton[36]
Limoges87Nouvelle-AquitaineMaquis of colonel Georges Guingouin[37]
Mende48Occitanie[38]
Roanne42Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes[39]
Ussel19Nouvelle-AquitaineDeparture of the Jesser brigade; maquis du Limousin takes over[3]
1944-08-22Corrèze19Nouvelle-Aquitainemaquis du Limousin[3]
Millau12OccitanieGerman departure[40]
Grenoble38Auvergne-Rhône-Alpessee Grenoble's Saint-Bartholomew[29]
Gap05Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur[29]
Toulon83Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurAmerican: 7th Army VI Corps (United States) and French Army B
Chambéry73Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes[41]
Nemours, Fontainebleau, Fontaine-le-Port77Île-de-FranceAmerican[36]
1944-08-23Gap05Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurLimousin maquis[42][29]
1944-08-23 to 28Marseille13Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurFrench: Joseph de Goislard de MonsabertBattle of Marseille
1944-08-24Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire58Bourgogne-Franche-ComtéGerman departure[43]
Dax40Nouvelle-Aquitaine[18]
Saint-Flour15Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes[44]
77Île-de-FranceAmerican[45][36]
1944-08-24 to 25Paris75Île-de-FranceFrench: 2nd DB, US 4th Infantry Division;[4] German departure; see also Liberation of Paris
1944-08-2578Centre-Val-de-LoireFrench: 2nd DB
Vernon27Normandy[46]
Guéret23Nouvelle-AquitaineFinal liberation of Guéret by the Maquis du Limousinliberation of Guéret [fr], Maquis du Limousin
77Île-de-FranceAmerican[36]
Avignon84Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur[47]
1944-08-25 to 26Troyes10Grand EstAmerican[4][48]
1944-08-2677Île-de-FranceAmerican[36]
1944-08-26Vichy03Auvergne-Rhône-AlpesGerman departure
1944-08-27Clermont-Ferrand63Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes[49]
77Île-de-FranceAmerican: Patton[36]
1944-08-28Les Sables-d'Olonne85Pays de la LoireGerman departure
51Grand EstAmerican
Nice06Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur[50] See also Liberation of Nice [fr]
77Île-de-FranceAmerican[36]
Bordeaux33Nouvelle-AquitaineGerman departure[51]
1944-08-29Niort79[52]
1944-08-30Rouen76NormandyCanadian[53]
1944-08-30Beauvais60Hauts-de-FranceBritish[54]
1944-08-30Laon02Hauts-de-France[55]
1944-08-30Uzès30Occitanie[47]
1944-08-21 to 30Montélimar26Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes[29]
1944-08-30Reims51Grand Est[56]
1944-08-30Saint-Dizier52Grand EstAmerican: general Patton[57][58]
1944-08-31Amiens80Hauts-de-FranceBritish 2nd Army: general Dempsey[59]
1944-08-31Charleville-Mézières08Grand Est[60][61]
1944-08-31Verdun55Grand Est
1944-09-01Cézembre35BrittanyLiberation of Saint-Malo
1944-09-01Tours37Centre-Val-de-LoireMaillé massacre[62]
1944-09-01Angoulême16Nouvelle-Aquitaine
1944-09-01Le Pouzin07Auvergne-Rhône-AlpesHistory of Pouzin in the Second World War [fr]
1944-09-01Dieppe76NormandyCanadian, Fusiliers Mont-Royal, Royal Regiment of CanadaSee also: Dieppe Raid (Operation Jubilee, 19 August 1942)
1944-09-02Loches37Centre-Val de Loire[63][64]
1944-09-02Valenciennes59Hauts-de-FranceAmerican[59]
1944-09-02Montpellier34OccitanieFrench: général de Lattre[47]
1944-09-03Arras62Hauts-de-FranceBritish Second Army[59]
1944-09-03Lille59Hauts-de-FranceBritish Second Army[59]
1944-09-03Lyon69Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes[4] see also 1st Army (France)
1944-09-04Montreuil62Hauts-de-FranceCanadian: General Crerar[59]
1944-09-04Bourg-en-Bresse01Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes[65]
1944-09-04Mâcon71Bourgogne-Franche-Comté[66]
1944-09-04Vierzon18Centre-Val de Loire[67]
1944-09-05Saint-Omer62Hauts-de-FrancePolish[59]
1944-09-05Poitiers86Nouvelle-Aquitaine
1944-09-05Chalon-sur-Saône71Bourgogne-Franche-Comté[69]
1944-09-06Moulins03Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes[70]
1944-09-07Besançon25Bourgogne-Franche-Comté[29]
1944-09-07Briançon05Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
1944-09-09Dole39Bourgogne-Franche-Comté[71]
1944-09-09Nevers58Bourgogne-Franche-Comté[72]
1944-09-09Autun71Bourgogne-Franche-Comté[72]
1944-09-10Issoudun36Centre-Val de LoireSurrender of the Elster column [fr] à la sous-préfecture;[73][74] See also Elster column [fr]
1944-09-11Dijon21Bourgogne-Franche-Comté[72]
1944-09-12Le Havre76NormandyI CorpsOperation Astonia
1944-09-12Andelot-Blancheville52Grand EstAmerican[48]
1944-09-12Nod-sur-Seine21Bourgogne-Franche-ComtéJunction of the armored forces of the 2nd Armored Division (France) of General Leclerc with that of the 1st Armored Division (France) under General de Lattre de Tassigny[75][4]
1944-09-12Vesoul70Bourgogne-Franche-Comté[76]
1944-09-13Chaumont52Grand EstGermans evacuated in the night of September 12 to September 13. 2nd Armored Division (France) entered the town[48]
1944-09-16Beaugency45Centre-Val de Loire;[77] see also Surrender of the Elster column [fr]
1944-08-08 –
1944-09-18		Brest29BretagneBattle for Brest (7 August – 19 September 1944)
1944-09-19Boulogne-sur-Mer62Hauts-de-France
1944-09-19Nancy54Grand EstBattle of Nancy (1944)
1944-09-24Épinal88Grand Est*[78]
1944-09-30Calais62Hauts-de-FranceFirst Canadian ArmyOperation Undergo
1944-11-20Belfort90Bourgogne-Franche-Comté[79]
1944-11-21Mulhouse68Grand EstIre DB of general Jean Touzet du Vigier.
1944-11-22Metz57Grand EstUS Third Army[80] Battle of Metz
1944-11-23Strasbourg67Grand EstFrench, 2e DBHistory of Strasbourg
1944-11-27Villé67Grand EstAmericanVillé
1944-12-0457Grand EstUS Third ArmyCarling[citation needed], Guebenhouse[81]

Puttelange-aux-Lacs[83]

1944-12-06Sarreguemines57Grand EstAmerican[84]
1945-02-02Colmar68Grand EstFrench and American Colmar Pocket
1945-02-04Turckheim68Grand EstColmar Pocket
1945-03-14Forbach57Grand EstFrench and American[85]
1945-03-16Bitche57Grand EstAmericanLiberation of Bitche [fr]
Haguenau67Grand Estaméricaine[86]
1945-03-19Wissembourg67 Grand EstAmerican: General Alexander Patch[87]
Lauterbourg67Grand EstFrench[88]
1945-04-18Royan17Nouvelle-Aquitaine[89]
1945-04-24Saorge06Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur[90]
1945-04-30Oléron17Nouvelle-Aquitaine[91]
1945-05-08End of World War II in Europe (Germany surrenders; Victory in Europe Day)
1945-05-08La Rochelle17Nouvelle-AquitaineHistory of La Rochelle
1945-05-09Dunkirk59Hauts-de-Franceisolated by Siege of Dunkirk (1944–45)
1945-05-09Île de Ré17Nouvelle-Aquitaine

[92]

1945-05-1056BretagneLorient pocket [fr]
1945-05-1144Pays de la LoireBypassed and isolated as Saint-Nazaire pocket

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