Attack on Mers-el-Kébir
On the 25th of June 1940, the armistice between France and Nazi Germany came into effect. This agreement left the French Navy intact but under a new political reality. The British War Cabinet feared that these ships would fall into Axis hands. Article 8, Paragraph 2 of the Armistice terms stated that Germany had no intention to make demands regarding the fleet during peace negotiations. However, Britain viewed this as no guarantee against neutralisation. On the 24th of June, Admiral François Darlan assured Winston Churchill that the fleet would remain under French control. Yet Churchill ordered a demand that the French Navy should either join with the Royal Navy or be neutralised. Philippe Pétain formed a government on the 16th of June with a view to ending the war. By tonnage, about 40 per cent of the fleet was in Toulon near Marseille. Another 40 per cent sat in French North Africa. The remaining 20 per cent were located in Britain, Alexandria, and the French West Indies. Benito Mussolini made overtures to seize the ships. Adolf Hitler feared that an attempted takeover would provoke the fleet into defecting to the British. The French leaders used the fleet as a bargaining counter to keep German forces out of unoccupied France.
Admiral James Somerville commanded Force H from Gibraltar. He received orders to deliver an ultimatum to Admiral Marcel-Bruno Gensoul at Mers-el-Kébir. Somerville passed the duty of presenting terms to Captain Cedric Holland, commander of the carrier Ark Royal. Gensoul felt affronted that negotiations were conducted by a less-senior officer. He sent his lieutenant Bernard Dufay instead. This decision led to much delay and confusion during the talks. As negotiations continued, it became clear that agreement was unlikely. The French made preparations for action and armed 42 aircraft ready for take-off. Darlan was at home on the 3rd of July and could not be contacted. Gensoul told the French government that the alternatives were internment or battle. He omitted the option of sailing to the French West Indies. Removing the fleet to US waters had formed part of the orders given by Darlan to Gensoul in the event that a foreign power should attempt to seize his ships. Churchill ordered that a demand be made that the French Navy should either join with the Royal Navy or be neutralised in a manner guaranteed to prevent the ships falling into Axis hands.
At 5:50 p.m. on the 3rd of July, British ships opened fire from their position off Oran. The battleship Provence replied within 90 seconds but the main armament of Dunkerque and Strasbourg was forward of the superstructure. They could not immediately bring their guns to bear because they were tied up at the mole. Their sterns faced the sea while their bows pointed toward land. The third British salvo hit Bretagne and detonated a magazine. The ship sank with 977 of her crew at 6:18 p.m. After thirty salvoes, the French ships ceased fire. Force H altered course to avoid return fire from the French coastal forts. Provence was badly damaged by several hits. Dunkerque was hit by three shells and severely damaged. It ran aground to avoid sinking. The destroyer lost its stern and two other destroyers were damaged. Their crews ran them aground to prevent them from sinking. Four French Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 fighters arrived and outnumbered the British Skuas. Another nine French fighters were spotted at 6:20 p.m. A dogfight ensued in which a Curtiss H-75 and an M.S.406 were damaged. Three more Curtiss fighters appeared and there was another engagement.
Strasbourg, three destroyers and one gunboat managed to escape from the port under attack. They avoided mines and fled under fire from Swordfish bombers. The French ships shot down two Swordfish. Their crews were rescued by the destroyer. A French flying boat also bombed a British destroyer. At 6:30 p.m., Somerville ordered his ships to pursue. Rigault de Genouilly met Force H at 6:45 p.m. and steamed towards Hood. She came under fire from light cruisers Enterprise and Eurydice at 6:50 p.m. respectively. Hood fired several 15-inch shells at Rigault de Genouilly. The French ship replied with nineteen 15-inch shells before being hit by Enterprise and withdrawing. A British aircraft had sighted Danaé and Eurydice shortly before 8:00 p.m. It dropped illuminated floats to guide a British destroyer to them. The destroyer depth-charged the two submarines but they escaped without damage. Valiant and Resolution fell behind Hood. Somerville concluded that he would be outnumbered if he engaged Strasbourg after dark. He called off the pursuit at 7:00 p.m. Strasbourg reached Toulon on the 4th of July. The French cruiser force from Algiers missed its rendezvous but arrived at Toulon on the 4th of July. During the night of 3/the 4th of July, Ariane, Danaé, Diane and Eurydice patrolled on the surface off Oran until 8:00 p.m. On the 4th of July, the British submarine encountered Rigault de Genouilly off the Algerian coast. They mistook her for a cruiser and sank her.
Churchill wrote that this was the most hateful decision in which he had ever been concerned. Relations between Britain and France were severely strained for some time. The Germans enjoyed a propaganda coup from the attack. Somerville said it was the biggest political blunder of modern times. He stated that it would rouse the whole world against them. Eric Seal, Churchill's principal private secretary, noted that Churchill believed Americans were impressed by ruthlessness. On the 4th of July, Roosevelt told the French ambassador that he would have done the same. Jean Lacouture blamed the tragedy mainly on miscommunication. If Darlan had been in contact on the day or if Somerville had possessed a more diplomatic character, a deal might have been done. In 2015, George Melton offered a dissenting opinion. He argued that much of the historiography represented a Churchillian perspective. Melton claimed the attack was unnecessary because the French Navy planned to scull its ships as a matter of honour. The results were opposite to what the British intended. It prompted French ships to concentrate at Toulon where they formed a powerful striking force. This made them far greater danger of seizure by Axis forces. The attack united the French Navy and people in hostility to the British.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
What date did the attack on Mers-el-Kébir occur?
The attack on Mers-el-Kébir occurred at 5:50 p.m. on the 3rd of July 1940.
Who commanded Force H during the British attack on the French Navy?
Admiral James Somerville commanded Force H from Gibraltar during the operation against the French fleet.
How many crew members died when the battleship Bretagne sank?
The battleship Bretagne sank with 977 of her crew after a magazine detonated following a hit by the third British salvo.
Where did the French ships Strasbourg and others escape to after the battle?
Strasbourg, three destroyers, and one gunboat escaped the port under fire and reached Toulon on the 4th of July 1940.
Why did Winston Churchill order the neutralisation of the French Navy in 1940?
Winston Churchill ordered the demand that the French Navy should either join with the Royal Navy or be neutralised because he feared these ships would fall into Axis hands.