General Leclerc's French Armored Division Lands at Utah Beach

June 8, 2025 - Reading time: 4 minutes

French M4 Sherman tanks of General Leclerc’s 2nd Armored Division land at Utah Beach, August 1, 1944.

In this historic photograph, M4 Sherman tanks of the 2nd French Armored Division, led by General Philippe Leclerc, are seen rolling off the sands of Utah Beach on August 1, 1944. The tanks belong to the 2nd Squadron of the 12th Regiment of African Riflemen — a unit formed from Free French forces determined to reclaim their homeland from Nazi occupation.

This moment marks a crucial point in the Allied liberation of France. While the landings on D-Day (June 6) are often spotlighted, the arrival of Leclerc’s troops represents the resurgence of the French military, now armed with American equipment and fighting alongside Allied troops as equals.

The tanks shown are M4A2 Sherman medium tanks, supplied by the United States under the Lend-Lease program. Despite being considered less armored than their German counterparts, Shermans were highly reliable, easier to produce and maintain, and often deployed in numbers that overwhelmed Axis defenses.

Leclerc’s Division, formally known as the 2e Division Blindée, would later liberate Paris on August 25, a symbolic victory that electrified the French resistance and restored national pride. The path from the beaches of Normandy to the streets of Paris was hard-fought, but it began here, with treads cutting into the wet sand of Utah Beach.

🖼️ Technical photo data:

• 📸 Photographer: Unknown war correspondent

• 📅 Date: August 1, 1944

• 📍 Location: Normandy, France