Maquis des Vosges The Maquis des Vosges were groups of French resistance fighters in the Department of the Vosges during the Second World War . They were associated through an amalgamation of different resistance groups roughly when the " Conseil national de la Résistance " was created on 27 May 1943 . Maquis shrubland is a Mediterranean biome of dense scrub , which provided the guerrilla s with cover . Organisation of the resistance in the Vosges . At the beginning of 1943 the principal resistance movements operating in the Vosges were : The resistance reorganised at this time into four groupings : - Maquis de Bulgnéville : La Vacheresse , Urville , St - Ouen , Robécourt , Contrexéville . List of maquis in the Vosges department . - Maquis de Liffol : Bois de la Vendue , Bazoilles . - Maquis de Vaudeville : Coussey . - Maquis de la forêt de Neufeys : Neufchâteau , Bourlémont . - Maquis de Châtenois . - Maquis du Mont St - Jean : Vittel . - Maquis de Mirecourt : « La Chouette » , de la ferme de la Malhaye , du Haut de Recon , du Haut du Chia . - Maquis du Camp de la Délivrance : Lamarche ( 1er maquis vosgien ) . - Maquis de la Cense ( Rambervillers ) . - Maquis de Charmes ( en liaison avec le 1er groupe Lorraine ) . - Maquis de Châtel . - Maquis de la Forêt du Terne . - Maquis du Morillon . - Maquis de Grandrupt . - Maquis de Xertigny . - Maquis de St - Nabord . - Maquis du Haut - du - Bois . - Maquis de la Charme de l ' Ormont ( Tendon ) devenu le maquis de la Chapelotte , en limite du IVème groupement . - Maquis de la Chapelotte ( la Tête des Hérins et le Jardin David puis replié à Viombois en Meurthe - et - Moselle ) . - Maquis de Chatas qui prendra différents noms : de la Grande Fosse , de Grimaubois , du Col du Las , de Grandrupt , de la Petite Raon , de la Roche Mère Henry . - Maquis de Lordon ( Lusse ) . - Maquis de Fouchifol ( Coinches ) qui se repliera sur le Haut de Steige . - Maquis de la Charme de l ' Ormont ( Tendon ) . - Maquis de Corcieux , secondairement sur la commune de La Chapelle . - Maquis de Malanrupt ( Beauménil ) . - Maquis de Noiregoutte ( Rochesson ) . - Maquis de la Piquante Pierre ( Basse - sur - le - Rupt ) . - Maquis du Peut Haut ( Camp Kœnig ) . - Maquis des Roches de Morteville ( Saint - Maurice ) . - Maquis St - Jacques de Gérardmer . - Maquis du Séchenat ( Camp Louis ) . - Maquis du Haut du Tem ( hors du département , en Haute - Saône ) . - Maquis des Beuchots à Ternuay ( hors du département , en Haute - Saône ) . - Maquis du Pleinet à Ronchamp ( hors du département , en Haute - Saône ) . - Maquis de Beulotte - St - Laurent ( hors du département , en Haute - Saône ) . Each maquis used one or several areas allocated for receiving parachute drops , some by day and others by night . These areas were endowed with a codename and a key which was either a phrase or a single letter , so that the maquis could be forewarned of an imminent parachute drop of supplies or men . For example , the maquis de la Piquante Pierre used an area in Basse - sur - le - Rupt with codename " Coupole " allocated for nighttime drops . Its radio codes were the phrase " J ' espère vous revoir chérie " ( I hope to see you again , darling ) and the letter " U " . The various maquis awaited the order from the allied forces to enter action . The maquis main strategic role was to prepare the arrival of the allied forces by occupying key positions , particularly bridges , and preventing the Germans from regrouping by undertaking widespread operations throughout the Vosges region . When the American 3rd army began its offensive towards the Vosges , most of the Reich ' s security forces were gathered in the Vosges , principally at Bruyères ; on 5 September Heinrich Himmler made a short visit to Gerardmer to give orders to the officials of the Wehrmacht and the SS and especially to intensify the campaign against the Maquis . This most probably explains the targeted operations against the Maquis thereafter . The Vosges Maquis whose histories have been particularly well documented were the Maquis de Charmes , the Maquis Viombois , the Maquis Noiregotte , and the Maquis de la Piquante Pierre .