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Maquis Des Glières
The Maquis des Glières was a Free French Resistance group, which fought against the 1940–1944 German occupation of France in World War II. The name is also given to the military conflict that opposed Resistance fighters to German, Vichy and Milice forces. Resistance At the end of 1943, the French Resistance in the French Alps of Haute-Savoie needed arms. To find good drop zones to supply the Maquis with arms and sabotage equipment, a mission composed of Richard Heslop from the Special Operations Executive and Captain Rosenthal from the Free French Forces was sent from London. The Glières Plateau, a high remote mountain table close to Lake Annecy, was chosen. On 31 January 1944, Lieutenant Tom Morel, of the '' Chasseurs alpins'' from the 27th ''chasseurs alpins'' battalion (mountain light infantry) in Annecy, was commissioned to collect parachute drops from the Royal Air Force (RAF) with 100 men. Captain Rosenthal, the Free French representative, persuaded the other sta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilising all resources in pursuit of total war. Tanks in World War II, Tanks and Air warfare of World War II, aircraft played major roles, enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, first and only nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II is the List of wars by death toll, deadliest conflict in history, causing World War II casualties, the death of 70 to 85 million people, more than half of whom were civilians. Millions died in genocides, including the Holocaust, and by massacres, starvation, and disease. After the Allied victory, Allied-occupied Germany, Germany, Allied-occupied Austria, Austria, Occupation of Japan, Japan, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
French Alps
The French Alps are the portions of the Alps mountain range that stand within France, located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions. While some of the ranges of the French Alps are entirely in France, others, such as the Mont Blanc massif, are shared with Switzerland and Italy. At , Mont Blanc, on the France–Italy border, is the highest mountain in the Alps, and the highest Western European mountain. Notable towns in the French Alps include Grenoble, Chamonix, Annecy, Chambéry, Évian-les-Bains and Albertville. Ranges and summits Ski areas The largest connected ski areas are: # Les Trois Vallées ( Courchevel, Méribel, La Tania, Brides-les-Bains, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, Les Menuires, Val Thorens and Orelle): 338 slopes, 600 km of pistes. # Portes du Soleil ( Avoriaz, Châtel, Morzine, Les Gets, Saint-Jean d'Aulps, La Chapelle d'Abondance, Abondance, Montriond, Swiss resorts): 288 slopes, 650 km of sl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sten
The STEN (or Sten gun) is a British submachine gun chambered in 9×19mm which was used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and during the Korean War. The Sten paired a simple design with a low production cost, facilitating mass production to meet the demand for submachine guns. As well as equipping regular units, the Sten was distributed to resistance groups within occupied Europe. Its simple design made it an effective insurgency weapon for resistance groups. The Sten is a select fire, blowback-operated weapon with a side-mounted magazine. Sten is an acronym, derived from the names of the weapon's chief designers: Major Reginald V. Shepherd and Harold J. Turpin, and "En" for the Enfield factory. Around four million Stens in various versions were made in the 1940s, making it the second most produced submachine gun of the Second World War, after the Soviet PPSh-41. The Sten served as the basis for the Sterling submachine gun, which repl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
27e Bataillon De Chasseurs Alpins
The ''27 bataillon de chasseurs alpins'' (27 BCA) is a Chasseurs alpins battalion of the French Army. It is a heavily decorated unit, whose members wear the fourragère of the Legion of Honour. Organisation The 27 BCA operated under the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade, which specialises in combat in extreme conditions, both in mountain and urban zones. The 27 BCA comprises * 6 combat companies, including one reserve intervention unit * Support Company * Command and Logistics Company * Administration and Support Unit * Fanfare du 27e Bataillon de Chasseurs Alpin History The 27 BCA was created after the Franco-Prussian War. It distinguished itself during the First World War, earning 9 mentions in despatches and the fourragère of the Legion of Honour. During the Second World War, it notably took part in the Battles of Narvik. After it was disbanded after Case Anton, some of its elements trained the Maquis des Glières; in subsequent combat against SS units the Battalion ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). Following the Allies of World War I, Allied victory over the Central Powers in 1918, the RAF emerged as the largest air force in the world at the time. Since its formation, the RAF has played History of the Royal Air Force, a significant role in Military history of the United Kingdom, British military history. In particular, during the Second World War, the RAF established Air supremacy, air superiority over Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain, and led the Allied strategic bombing effort. The RAF's mission is to support the objectives of the British Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), Ministry of Defence (MOD), which are to "provide the capabilities nee ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Annecy
Annecy ( , ; , also ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Haute-Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of Southeastern France. It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, south of Geneva, Switzerland. Nicknamed the "Pearl of the French Alps" in Raoul Blanchard's monograph describing its location between lake and mountains, the town controls the northern entrance to the lake gorge. Due to a lack of available building land between the lake and the protected Semnoz mountain, its population has remained stable, around 50,000 inhabitants, since 1950. However, the 2017 merger with several ex-communes extended the population of the city to 128,199 inhabitants and that of the Urban unit, urban area to 177,622, placing Annecy seventh in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Switching from the County of Geneva, counts of Geneva's dwelling in the 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
27th Mountain Infantry Brigade (France)
The 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade () is a mountain infantry formation of the French Army. The brigade is subordinated to the 1st Armored Division and specializes in mountain warfare. History The brigade is heir to the traditions of *the 1st Alpine Division French Forces of the Interior (FFI), created in September 1944 *renamed the 27th Alpine Division and finally 27th Alpine Infantry Division in December 1944 *the 27th Alpine Brigade in December 1962 *the 27th Alpine Division in August 1976 *the 27th ''division d'infanterie de montagne'' (27th DIM) in July 1994. With the end of conscription, all of the French Army's divisions were downsized and the 27th became a brigade in 1999. After the liberation of the Combe de Savoie and the Grésivaudan, Colonel Jean Vallette d'Osia became the commander of the 1st Alpine Division of the French Forces of the Interior (''1ere Division alpine FFI'') in September 1944, which unified the mountain units created in the French Resistance in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tom Morel
Théodose "Tom" Morel (; 1 August 1915 – 10 March 1944) was a career military officer and French Resistance fighter. A student, then instructor, at the Saint-Cyr military academy, he fought for the French Army against the Italians in the Alps. After the Fall of France, he led the Maquis des Glières, organizing attacks and parachute drops, and was the recipient of multiple military awards including the Croix de Guerre. He was killed in action at the end of a successful commando raid. He is memorialized at Saint-Cyr and by the French scouting movement. Youth and military career Morel was born into a family of the Lyon bourgeoisie. His father was the son of a Lyon silk industrialist and his mother was from a family of Savoie jurists and soldiers. He was well schooled by the Lyon Jesuits where he was a ''Scout de France'' and patrol leader (1st Lyon, externat St Joseph), and moved towards a military career. At the Versailles private school of Sainte-Geneviève took the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lake Annecy
Lake Annecy (, ) is a perialpine lake in Haute-Savoie in France. It is named after the city of Annecy, which marks the start of the Thiou, Lake Annecy's outflow river.Jean-Daniel Stanley and Thomas F. Jorstad, ''Direct Sediment Dispersal from Mountain to Shore, with Bypassing via Three Human-Modified Channel Systems to Lake Annecy, SE France'' (2004) Volume 20 (4) Journal of Coastal Research pp 958 - 96JStor The lake is at feet above sea level. At approximately , it is the third-largest List of lakes in France, lake in France, after the Lac du Bourget and Lac de Grand-Lieu, if the French part of Lake Geneva, which is shared between Switzerland and France, is excluded. It is a popular tourist destination known for its swimming and water sports. The lake was formed about 18,000 years ago, at the time the large alpine glaciers melted. It is fed by many small rivers from the surrounding mountains (Ire, Eau morte, Laudon, Bornette and Biolon) and a powerful underwater source, the Boub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Thames in southeast England, at the head of a tidal estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years. Its ancient core and financial centre, the City of London, was founded by the Roman Empire, Romans as Londinium and has retained its medieval boundaries. The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has been the centuries-long host of Government of the United Kingdom, the national government and Parliament of the United Kingdom, parliament. London grew rapidly 19th-century London, in the 19th century, becoming the world's List of largest cities throughout history, largest city at the time. Since the 19th cen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Free French Forces
__NOTOC__ The French Liberation Army ( ; AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (; FFL) during World War II. The military force of Free France, it participated in the Italian and Tunisian campaigns before joining in the Liberation of France with other Western Allies of World War II. It went on to join the Western Allied invasion of Germany. History The French Liberation Army was created in January 1943 when the Army of Africa () led by General Giraud was combined with the Free French Forces of General de Gaulle. The AFL participated in the campaigns of Tunisia and Italy; during the Italian campaign the AFL was known as the French Expeditionary Corps in Italy ( ''en Italie or CEFI)'' making a quarter of the troops deployed. The AFL was key in the liberation of Corsica, the first French metropolitan department to be liberated. The troops that landed 2 months after D-Day were the 2nd A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
