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The French fleet at the outbreak of World War II was the second most important navy in Europe and a force of considerable importance. The French had a powerful fleet, including battleships and cruisers. Both the French and Italian fleets were renowned for the speed of their cruisers. The reduction in the size of the British Royal Navy after World War I meant that the French fleet was of considerable importance, both in the Mediterranean where Allied supply lines were threatened by the Italian fleet and in the North Atlantic where the German U-boats proved to be an unexoectedly leathal challenge. France was when war broke out significantly expanhding its naval force. The French Navy was involved in a several operations during the first yeat of the War. This included the Battle of the Atlantic (September 1939-June 1940), the Allied Norwegian campaign (April 1940), and the Dunkirk evacuation (May 1940). As Italy only entered the War afew days before France surrendered to the Germans (June 1940), there were no significant operations in the Mediterranean. The French could have continued the War, both from Britain and the North Africa. The French fleet was a mobile force that could have operated from British ports and French portd in North Africa. Instead Marshall Pétain decided to surrender to the Germans. The suurender, however, exempted the French fleet. The fall of France, however, dramatically changed the strategic ballance in the Mediterranran. The Royal Navy would have to face the Italian fleet alone. Vichy refused to decommission the French battleships or turn them over to the British was unwilling to commit them to the British cause, so Britain, fearful they would fall into German hands, attacked the naval base at Oran where many of the ships were located (July 1940). American and Britain launched operationTorch (November 1942). Hitler disatisfied with the Vichy resistance, activated Case Anton, the occupation of the Vichy unoccupied zone of France. One of the goals was to seize the French navy ships in home ports, especially Toulon. The French Navy scuttled the ships before the Germas could seize them.
At the time of World War I, France had a massive navy. Possessinf big-pgun battle ships was seen as a important aspect of big power stasts> And France had a large empire extending into the Pacific. The Navy declined during the War. Some imprtant ships were lost. There were no important fleet engagements. The ships were lost primarily to U-boats and mines, mostly in the Mediterranean. The major problem, however, was that France was fighting for its life on the Western Front and desperate for men who were being consumed in the vital effort to hold back the Germans. Sailors were transferred to the trenchs and there was a complete freeze on nacal construction, except for a few patrol boats and sub-chasers. Many naval officers, even prominent admirals like Muselier and Darlan would learn artillery skills on the Western Front. The Mediterranean was the main front for the French Fleet. The Dardanelles camapign was particularly costly.
The French World War I Fleet was id consudeable size during World War I and played a major role in the blockade of the Central nPowers, especially in the Mediterranean. France like Britain drastically reduced the Fleet in compliance with the Washington’s treaty limitations (1922). French admirals shaped , a smaller, but homogeneous fleet of excellent quality, but did not adopt important innovations that would have affected its success had it played an important role in World War II as a British Royal Navy ally, especially the Battle of the Atlantic. French battleships had poor armored protection and the fleet lacked modern ASW capaabiklity. Little attention had been given to aircraft carrirs. The Béarn was the only French carrier. I was a converted battleship (1927). Two purpose carriers were begun, but never completed. The French Fleet at the outbreak of World War II was the second most important navy in Europe and a force of considerable importance. The French had a powerful fleet, including battleships and cruisers. Both the French and Italian fleets were renowned for the speed of their cruisers. The reduction in the size of the British Royal Navy after World War I meant that the French Fleet was of considerable importance, both in the Mediterranean where Allied supply lines were threatened by the Italian fleet and in the North Atlantic where the German U-boats proved to be an unexoectedly leathal challenge.
France was when war broke out significantly expanhding its naval force. The French Navy was involved in a several operations during the first yeat of the War. This included the Battle of the Atlantic (September 1939-June 1940), the Allied Norwegian campaign (April 1940), and the Dunkirk evacuation (May 1940). As Italy only entered the War afew days before France surrendered to the Germans (June 1940), there were no significant operations in the Mediterranean.
The Germans proceeded to conquer virtually all of Western Europe. After a few months of the "Phony War", France's turn came. The Germans struck on a wide front against the neutral Netherlands, Belgiym, and Luxemburg. The terror bombing of Rotterdam convinced the already hard-pressed Dutch Army to surrender. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) rushed north to aid the Dutch. The Germans then struck in the Belgian Ardenes which allowed them to avoid the formidable Maginot Line. The French and Belgians considered the Ardenes impassable to tanks. The Germans managed to easily penetrate the rough terraine, crossed two substantial rivers, and the XIX Panzer Corps rapidly reached the English Channel--cutting the BEF off from the French and rendering the Maginot Line uselss. The French entrenched behind the Maginot Line simply could not cope with the exposive highly mobil style of Blitzkrieg warfare. The Panzers surrounded the Belgian Army which King Leopold III surrendered. The BEF was within Hitler's grasp. The Panzers were only a few miles south of Dunkirk and facing no serious opposition. Hitler ordered the Panzers to halt. Some believe that he hoped this gesture would help convince the British to comes to terms, other believe that is was just as it was described at the time, aneeded pause to regroup and prepare for a more coordinated assault. [Davidson, p. 408 and Fest, p. 630.] What ever the reason, this 48-hour respite allowed the British to organize a defensive perimter around Dunkirk and begin an almost miraculous withdawl. Nearly 340,000 men were evacuated from Dunkirk, including French and Dutch sholdiers. This is even more important that it sounds as akmost all if the British sholdiers were regulars and would form the corps of the future British Army that would play such an important role in the War. All of the BEF's equipment, however, was lost. Paris soon fell and the French signed a NAZI imposed armistace. The collapse of France after only a few weeks was a disaster of emense proportions. It was the French Army that had provided the bulk of the allied War Western Front in World War I. The German victory was no ccomplished with superior numbers or weaponry. In fact they had fewer men, tank, and planes. What they had was a superior tactical doctrine. The Germans were amazed to find, for example, that French tanks were not even equipped with radios, and a more disciplined fighting force. NAZI propaganda began to describe Hitler as " Der grösste Feldherr Allerzeiten " (the greatest field commander of all time). [Davidson, p. 483.]
The French could have continued the War, both from Britain and the North Africa. The French fleet was a mobile force that could have operated from British ports and French portd in North Africa. Instead Marshall Pétain decided to surrender to the Germans. The French Fleet was esentially a bargaiing chip. The suurender exempted the French Fleet. Most French naval officers remained loyal to Petain and Vichy France.
The fall of France dramatically changed the strategic ballance in the Mediterranran. The Royal Navy would have to face the Italian fleet alone. Vichy refused to decommission the French battleships or turn them over to the British was unwilling to commit them to the British cause, so Britain, fearful they would fall into German hands, attacked the naval base at >Oran where many of the ships were located (July 1940).
Churchill's most difficult decission after France fell was the order he gave to neutralize the French fleet. French vessels were located in various locations. About 200 smaller Frenc vessels were located in British ports and seized with only limited incidents. Some if the most powerfull units in the Frenmch fleet, including the powerful battle crusiers Strassbourg and Dunkerque. Churchill ordered a powerful British squadron, Force H, commanded by Adm. Summerville to Mers El Kebir where the French fleet had sought shelter. The French fleet was given the options of joining the British in the fight against the NAZIs, imobilizing their vessels, or destruction. The French rejected all three options, but assured the British that it would not let the fleet fall into German hands. the British demands and the British opened fire. About 1,200 French sailors were killed. Only the French battleship Strassbourg survived undamaged. The principal action occurred at Mers El Kebir, but Operation Catapult also included actions againt the French vessels in British ports.
Nearly 100 smaller French naval vessels and their crews vomplied with General Charles de Gaulle's request to join forces with the British. Most of the fleet, including all its capital ships, maintained loyalty to Vichy.
The Royal Navy aircraft carrier launched an attack on the Richelieu, one of the most modern and powerful ships in the French Navy. It was in the Vichy controlled port of Dakar. One torpedo struck and damaged Richelieu.
The fast battleship Richlieu hasits own unique story. It was France's most modern battleship and a rare major ship that the Free French managed to obtain. It was Completed just days before the Germans completed the conquest of France (June 1949). Richelieu sailed for Dakar in French West Africa to maintain French control. There the British attempted to convince the captain to join the Free French Naval Forces or sink her. The primary effort was Operation Catapult (July 1940). When this failed the British and Free ftench tried to take Dakar, resulting oin the Battle of Dakar (September1949). Richlieu was damaged in both attacks. Repair efforts werre madevin Dakar, but were not completed because of limited facilities. The Free French gainedcontrol after the Torch landings (November 1942). She was ordered to the United States for repairs and modernizatio (figure 1). Richlieu served with the British Home Fleet (early 1944). It was then deployed to the Eastern Fleet for operations against the Japanese in the Indian Ocean. These included several bombardment operations. She was present during the Battle of the Malacca Strait, but was too far away to actually engage the Japanese ships before they were sunk (May 1945).
The Mers-el-Kébiraction had so poisoned realtions with theBritish, leading to both French Fleet actions at Dakar and withe Operation Totch landings. The primarybaction was at Casablanca which as it happened was with the Americans. Here thedefincies of the French fleet werevsoon appasrent.
American and Britain launched operation Torch (November 1942). Hitler disatisfied with the Vichy resistance, activated Case Anton, the occupation of the Vichy unoccupied southern zone of France. This was probably something he was thinking about anyway. One of the major goals was to seize the French navy ships in home ports, especially Toulon. The French captains as previously ordered scuttled their vessels. Many sailors on board set about destroying the guns. The Germans backed by tanks rolling into the baval bases were furious. Admiral Darlan wrote to Churchill, claiming that he was right and that Churchill should have trusted him.
A few smaller French ships and submarines managed to escape the German Case Anton action. They joined de Gaulle's Free French Naval Forces and fought with the British until the end of the War. Free French naval mforces also fought in the Pacific. Richelieu was present at the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay (September 1945). . .
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