Combat in Southern France
As a non-divisional unit for the entire war, it was attached to the 82nd Airborne Division during the Allied invasion of Italy as part of the provisional 1st Airborne Task Force for the invasion of southern France in August 1944. On 15 August 1944, they finally got into the war with their first combat jump during Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of southern France. They liberated Draguignan, France on 15 August 1944 and on 29 August, they liberated Nice.
From 15 August 1944 through 17 November 1944, the 551st, along with the 509th Infantry Regiment and the 550th Airborne Infantry Battalion, protected the right flank of the 7th Army in the French French-Italian Alps as mountain troops against the Austrian 5th Hocchgebirgesjager Division. On 22 November 1944 the Battalion was attached to the 101st Airborne Division. The Battalion then moved to Laon in northern France on 8 December 1944, and on 19 December 1944 were suddenly summoned to help stem the Ardennes offensive.
Read more about this topic: 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion (United States)
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