"After the 'Liberation' of Loches the maquisards put up road blocks on the routes coming into town, fearing German reprisals because troops were passing through, having been ordered to march to the East. The country was not yet liberated. At Loches several German columns attacked the town on 20 August from several different points of access.
*Route de Tours, at the spot called Marray a small German contingent attempted to get into town at 9 am, but an hour of fighting was enough to make them turn back.
*Route de Ligueil, at around 10:30 am nearly 500 German soldiers attacked the road block at Blanchardiere Farm. Facing them were 11 maquisards of the FTPF. After 2 hours of battle the Germans retreated, but took around a hundred inhabitants of Ligeuil hostage and positioned them around their convoy. Equipped with these human shields, they turned back towards la Blanchardiere in the early afternoon. Despite 3 hostages fatally wounded, the maquisards held their position and the Germans turned around to head for Bournan and Sainte Maure.
*Route du Perusson, at the same time a German convoy was engaged in fighting at la Cloutiere. The FTPF, installed at the Tivoli Camp, joined the men of the Maquis Lecoz who were defending the road block. Around 6 pm the German Army gave up and turned back, realising that they were too few to face these French Resistants.
*Route de Manthelan, more than 600 German soldiers crossed the Forest of Manthelan in the late morning. They extended their front line from the Mouzay road to the Chanceaux road, then progressed up to the Ligeuil road. Against the Germans, the maquisards were ill equipped and too few in number, and they could not hold the position. Around 5:30 pm the enemy fired a canon on the Donjon de Loches from Bel-Ebat. The maquisards fought even in retreat, after the loss of about 20 men during the days fighting. Loches fell..."
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This poster is part of an exhibition in the Chancellerie on 'Loches in 1944' https://www.ville-loches.fr/expositions-article-3-10-56.html
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