within. Jean Moulin was sent into France as his personal emissary to organize the efforts of the rapidly growing and diverse resistance groups and unite them under his command. At this point, groups (in addition to SOE agents) consisted of manual laborers, socialists, Communists, ex-military, police, Jews, peasants, and students (many of which were in their teens). The Bangs were no longer a priority; as D-Day grew closer, large-scale, heavier attacks to the Nazis were of utmost importance. In early spring of 1943, Gilbert Norman coordinated one such attack that would take place on the power stations in the town of Chaingy. “Whereas coal-driven engines were still used on the national north-to-south railway, the routes bisecting the country from the Atlantic coast to the Alps were electrified, and therefore vulnerable. The two thousand miles of high-voltage track were a perfect target for the Firm’s sabotage operations. The plan was to cut off power at the source, at the stations, with a series of explosions” (Rose 144). While they would most likely be rebuilt within a day or two, disruption of the coordination of war supplies and manpower reaching all parts of the Reich would deal a devastating blow to their plans. The trains carrying the food that would feed the French populace would remain unharmed; it was important to make sure they did not turn against the resistance. A total of eight teams including those led by Andrée and Gilbert themselves would destroy 27 power stations carrying 300,000 volts each. Agents had
(below) Andrée and her partner setting the bombs at their designated towers. Pliers were used to cut two small copper cylinders that held an acid, that acid would slowly corrode a springloaded lead wire connected to a striking pin which would set off the bomb.
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