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Very scarce Top Secret Bigot-rated map and view sheet covering the U.S. invasion of southern France (Operation Dragoon), at Camel Beach, in the vicinity of St. Tropez.

The side of the sheet with views includes four isometric perspectives on the relevant part of southern France, with the most general stretching from Cavalaire Sur Mer to Antheor, including Saint-Tropez. The views get more focused as one moves up the sheet and the view at the top shows a detailed treatment of the defenses around Calangue d'Antheor.

On the other side of the sheet, the map depicts several landing zones and relevant shore defenses, such as gun emplacements, pillboxes, fortifications, etc.

A manuscript "O'Connel" next to one of the landing zones hints at the battle-used nature of the map.

This area was the site of landings for Camel Force and Delta Force during the Allied invasion of southern France, known as Operation Dragoon, on August 15, 1944. Specifically, Rade D'Agay was called Camel Beach and saw the landing of the 36th Infantry Division.

Camel Beach

In the eastern sector of Operation Dragoon, Camel Beach saw the heaviest action. This beach was defended by several well-emplaced coastal guns, as well as flak batteries. Through heavy German fire, the Allies attempted to land at the shore. However, at sector Red of the Camel Beach landing zone, the Allies were not able to succeed. A bombing run of 90 Allied B-24 bombers was called in against a German strongpoint here. Even with the assistance of naval fire, the Allies were not able to bring the landing ships close to the shore. They decided to avoid Camel Red and land only at the sectors of Camel Blue and Camel Green, which was successful.

The BIGOT classification

Both the map and the key are rated "BIGOT TOP SECRET". Introduced during the Second World War, BIGOT was the highest-level military security classification, above Top Secret. Some sources suggest that it was an acronym for “British Invasion of German Occupied Territory;” others, that it was a “backronym” for “To Gib,” the code stamped on the papers of officers headed to Gibraltar in advance of the 1942 North Africa invasion.

Whatever the origins of the term, extraordinary efforts were made to protect BIGOT-level material. When for example a practice landing (“Operation Tiger”) on the Devon coast was ambushed by U-Boats, Eisenhower himself ordered the recovery of the bodies of the ten known victims with BIGOT clearance. This was necessary to prove that they had not been captured alive, as their capture would have compromised the invasion plans and necessitated its cancellation.