Editing Saumur (section)

===World War II===

{{stack|clear=true
| [[File:Loire Maine Saumur2 tango7174.jpg|thumb|The Saumur City Hall]]
| [[File:Loire Maine Saumur3 tango7174.jpg|thumb|The Cessart Bridge]]
}}
During the [[Battle of France]] in [[World War II]], Saumur was the site of the [[Battle of Saumur (1940)]]; the town and south bank of the [[Loire]] were defended by the teenage cadets of the [[Armoured Cavalry Branch Training School|cavalry school]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Roy |last=Macnab |title=For Honour Alone |year=1988 |publisher=Robert Hale |isbn=978-0709033318}}</ref>

In 1944 it was the target of the first [[Tallboy (bomb)|Tallboy]] and the fourth [[Azon]] bombing raids by Allied planes. On 8/9 June 1944,<ref name=saumur>{{cite web|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/saumur.html|title=Saumur Tunnel, 9th June 1944|work=Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary|access-date=2007-05-24|publisher=UK Crown|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040929000607/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/saumur.html|archive-date=29 September 2004|df=dmy-all}}</ref> {{cvt|12000|lb|kg|disp=flip}} [[Tallboy (bomb)|Tallboy]] "earthquake" bombs were first used, against a railway tunnel near Saumur. The hastily organized night raid was to stop a planned German [[Panzer Division]], travelling to engage the newly landed allied forces in Normandy. The panzers were expected to use the railway to cross the Loire. [[No. 83 Squadron RAF]] illuminated the area with flares from four [[Avro Lancaster]]s and marked the target at low level by three [[de Havilland Mosquito]]s. 25 Lancasters of [[No. 617 Squadron RAF]], the "Dambusters"  then dropped their Tallboys from {{cvt|18000|ft|disp=flip}} with great accuracy. They hit the approaches to the bridge, blocked the railway cutting and one pierced the roof of the tunnel, bringing down a huge quantity of rock and soil which blocked the tunnel, badly delaying the German reinforcements moving towards Normandy, especially [[2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich]].<ref name=diary>{{cite web|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/jun44.html|title=Campaign Diary June 1944|work=Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary|access-date=2007-05-24|publisher=UK Crown|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611023020/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/jun44.html|archive-date=11 June 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>[http://www.dambusters.org.uk/Saumar.html Saumur Railway Tunnel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323102117/http://www.dambusters.org.uk/Saumar.html |date=23 March 2013 }} dambusters.org.uk quoting AIR27/2128</ref> The damaged tunnel was quickly dug out to make a deeper cutting, resulting in the need for a second attack.

On 22 June, nine [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator]]s of the [[United States Army Air Forces]] used the new [[Azon]] {{cvt|1000|lb|kg|disp=flip}} glide bombs against the Saumur rail bridge;<ref name=usaaf>{{cite web|url=http://www.airwarweb.net/usaaf/8af_1944.php |title=8th Air Force 1944 Chronicles |access-date=2007-05-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912155604/http://www.airwarweb.net/usaaf/8af_1944.php |archive-date=12 September 2007 }}</ref>  escorted by 43 [[North American P-51 Mustang]]s. They failed to destroy the bridge. During the morning of 24 June, 38 American [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress]]es with conventional bombs attacked the bridge; escort was provided by 121 of 135 P-51s.<ref name=usaaf/> The bridge was damaged.

The town of Saumur was awarded the [[Croix de guerre 1939–1945|Croix de Guerre]] with palm for its resistance and display of French patriotism during the war.