Well, anything else about
Argentan?
Um... no,
not at the moment anyway.
Otherwise:
1. I was about to recall, for
Dragoon, the
Mediterranean Wall (
not as strong as the Atlantic wall, but still with several hundreds of concrete bunkers) and the presence of the Free French battleship
Lorraine.
But then I remembered having already written a lot about this scenario (
including about orders of battle) and, guess what, these two points were already mentioned! Not about to do twice the same thing, or almost, shall I?
But then, it gave me
two ideas...
(
There is just NO way we could represent all the different warships that were involved, as there would simply have very too much of them! But I do assume of course that it is necessary, within the framework of this campaign, to represent this Free French battleship: Lorraine.
More info already? Okay:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_ba ... p_Lorraine )
2. Once the battleship Lorraine has been seen, or moved, or allowed to make its first shots, an event could be added to say some nice and immersive words about it... In addition, this could be an opportunity to briefly recall the events of Mers-el-Kebir, the huge Surcouf, etc. Objective: to remind that at the beginning of the Second World War, France had one of the most powerful navies in the world! And even
an aircraft carrier!
(And that's something
new.) And this may deserve a second event together with a second cool picture (this one, perhaps?:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... uselang=fr ) Even if he didn't fight, it might be worth a mention... Who, today, has still heard of
Béarn?
(
By the way, (Le) Béarn - with accent in French, yes - is a French province towards the Pyrenees, historically connected to (La) Gascogne. Gascony, Bearn, that's on overall the region of origin of the famous d'Artagnan of the Three Musketeers (whose character immortalized by the cinema is in fact strongly based on someone who really existed!)...)
(More info? There are already some:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_ai ... B%C3%A9arn )
3. A bomber group Lorraine, a battleship Lorraine... what did the French have to use so much this name?
It is because this region was very important in the fights between Germans and French (war 1870-1871, then first world war).
By the way, here is an image
that certainly deserves to be displayed somewhere:
https://fr.vikidia.org/wiki/Fichier:Fra ... elibre.png
France at the end of 1942 with its three zones: the free zone in green (with Corsica!), the occupied zone in pink (with all the Atlantic part - preparation of the German defenses, the Atlantic Wall) and the zone annexed by Germany in blue (including, of course, Alsace and Lorraine!).
When we talk about the regime, or government, of Vichy... well, on this map we also see the location of this town, the capital of the French collaborationist government led by Général Pétain (yet a hero of the first world war, but a tired man)...
The Pétain government chose to base itself in Vichy, in the free zone. This was a strategic decision because the city was well connected to Paris by train and was located near the demarcation line with the occupied zone. In addition, the hotel infrastructure made it easy to accommodate the members of the government. It is because the government chose this city to establish itself that we now speak of the Vichy regime.
Here with Pierre Laval, an influent man, partisan of a collaboration with Germany:
https://img-4.linternaute.com/phvlFrppr ... 493644.jpg
The "famous" Petain-Hitler handshake:
http://edu.pmera.fr/spip.php?article336
A (quick) translation of this text gives something like:
"
At Montoire, on October 24, 1940, Pétain shook hands with Hitler.
This was the gesture of betrayal, the one that radically changed the perception that the French could have had of the new Vichy regime.
*******
Immediately after the defeat, Pétain appeared as the providential man, the one who was going to be a bulwark against Nazi barbarism.
Pétain was the Marshal of France, the winner of the great battle of Verdun in 1916. There is no doubt that his glory and prestige would impose themselves on the victorious Germans.
But the French were soon to be disappointed.
First, he obtained full powers from a frightened National Assembly and thus created a new regime: the French State.
On October 3, he had a statute for the Jews adopted, which marked the beginning of the persecutions and which he brought as a gift of alliance to Hitler at Montoire.
This handshake shocked many French people, who now at least questioned the real intentions of the Marshal.
Only four months after the defeat, and already, they were shaking hands as if they were sealing a contract.
This handshake clearly marks the choice of collaboration, which is a French demand under the pretext of alleviating France's misfortune.
But it is much more: it is a betrayal! France thus became an ally of Nazi Germany, whose projects (defeating the USSR, destroying communism) and racist ideology (exterminating the Jews) it now supported.
For the Germans, it was very advantageous: the French themselves would do the dirty work, without even having to be asked or coerced.
Finally, it was a fool's bargain: France would derive almost no benefit from this policy of collaboration.
On October 30, 1940, aware of the disturbance caused by this famous handshake, Pétain gave a speech on the radio that attempted, in retrospect, to justify the meeting with Hitler. But it was above all an additional admission: France was thus committed, alongside the Nazis, to the construction of a new order in Europe, the one desired by Hitler and sketched out in Mein Kampf as early as 1924.
*******
"Frenchman!
I freely accepted the Führer's invitation. I was not subjected, on his part, to any Diktat, any pressure.
A collaboration was envisaged between our two countries. I accepted the principle (...) It is in honor and to maintain the French unity, a unity of ten centuries, within the framework of a constructive activity of the new European order, that I enter today in the way of the collaboration.
Thus, in the near future, the burden of our country's sufferings could be lightened, the fate of our prisoners improved, the burden of occupation costs eased. Thus could be softened the line of demarcation and facilitated the administration and the supply of the territory. (...)
Up to now I have spoken to you like a father; today I am speaking to you like a leader. Follow me. Keep your confidence in eternal France. " -
Radio address by Philippe Pétain, October 30, 1940"
Later, the 11th November 1942 - Germany enters the free zone
In response to the Allied landing in North Africa on November 8, Adolf Hitler launched "Operation Attila" on France. The Germans invaded the south of the country (
including Corsica - that's why we've already fought them in the awesome Corsican scenario), considered a "free zone". The Vichy government was placed under the direct control and influence of Germany.
About Lorraine, a view of France in 1942, the town of Vichy, perhaps a handshake... there is matter for few more immersive events.
( 
There, you have to rewrite them in the translation tools, unfortunately... Sorry for that. 
Well, well, if you wish to add more picture related to the splendid 16Argentan scenario, there may be this cool picture to implement: 
)
I fear that once Argentan has been taken, there is then an immediate Major Victory and thus that we won't perhaps see this message - or perhaps right before the end. 
so the (historical) reference to him may be deleted simply. 
The French troops took a decisive part in the pursuit, over 700 kilometers, of the 19th German army (whose retreat was covered by the 11th Panzer Division which led several effective counter-attacks)... 
