One of the things that make Masters of the Air on Apple TV+ interesting is that it details true events that happened during World War II. Every episode gives us a glimpse of how the 100th Bomb Group fought for their country. But what is Operation Dragoon from Masters of the Air episode 8?
Spoiler Warning: This article includes spoilers for Masters of the Air episode 8, so proceed with caution.
What Happened in Masters of the Air Episode 8?
In episode 8 of Masters of the Air, Lt. Harry Crosby (played by Anthony Boyle) spearheads the plan of 200 missions to bomb the Normandy positions of the German army.
By doing so, they can destroy the Nazis' transport and telecommunications in this part of France.
The episode also introduces viewers to Operation Dragoon. As a way of setting up the start of the operation, members of the Tuskegee Airmen were assigned to hit their targets in the South of France.
During the operation, the airmen from the 99th Fighter Squadron were captured and brought to Stalag Luft III. They meet members of the 100th Bomb Group and prepare to break out from the camp.
Their fates, however, have not yet been revealed in this episode.
What Is Operation Dragoon in Masters of the Air?
Going back to the events of the episode, you may be wondering what Operation Dragoon is in Masters of the Air.
Originally called Operation Anvil, Operation Dragoon was the code name for the Allied invasion of southern France (Provence). The operation took place on August 15, 1944.
A separate operation, called Operation Overlord, was planned to be executed alongside this attack.
The operation took place in northern France (Normandy), but because of a lack of available resources, they canceled the second landing.
The plan was to attack the beaches so that there would be a fuel and travel equipment shortage for a land attack to happen.
Operation Dragoon was almost forced to stop in September 1944 before the French railway system and the southern ports were used to transport further supplies.
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Was Operation Dragoon a Success? How Many Died?
The American forces considered Operation Dragoon a success since it allowed them to liberate a large part of southern France in a month. The operation also caused several casualties to the German army.
Around 17,000 members of the Allied Forces were killed and injured during Operation Dragoon.
Meanwhile, the Germans incurred around 7,000 deaths and 10,000 injuries. There were also around 130,000 Germans captured.
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