Battle of Dakar

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Battle of Dakar
Part of African Campaigns, World War II
Date September 23–September 25, 1940
Location Dakar, French West Africa
Result Vichy French victory
Belligerents
 United Kingdom
 Australia
 Free French Forces		 France Vichy France
Commanders
United Kingdom John Cunningham
France Charles De Gaulle		 France Pierre François Boisson
Strength
2 battleships, 1 aircraft carrier, 5 cruisers, 10 destroyers 1 battleship, 2 cruisers, 4 destroyers, coastal emplacements
Casualties and losses
2 battleships and 2 cruisers damaged 1 destroyer sunk,
2 submarines sunk
v • d • e

The Battle of Dakar, also known as Operation Menace, was an unsuccessful attempt in September 1940 by the Allies to capture the strategic port of Dakar in French West Africa (modern-day Senegal), which was under Vichy French control, and to install the Free French under General Charles de Gaulle there.

Contents

[edit] Background

After the conclusion of the armistice between France and Germany in June 1940, there was considerable confusion as to the allegiance of the various French colonies. Some, like French Cameroun and French Equatorial Africa, joined the Free French, but others, such as French North Africa, French West Africa, Syria and French Indochina, remained under Vichy French control. The French fleet in the Mediterranean had been able to counter the Italian navy there leaving the British Royal Navy free to concentrate on the German warships in the North Sea and Atlantic. The possibility that the French fleet might fall into German control led the British to attack the French Fleet at Mers-el-Kebir. While the British had eliminated a potential threat, their action did nothing to encourage individual units to join the Free French.

French coastal battery at Gorée Island, Dakar

De Gaulle believed that he could persuade the Vichy French forces in Dakar to join the Allied cause. There were several advantages to this: not just the political consequences in prompting another Vichy French colony to change sides, but also practical advantages: the gold reserves of the Banque de France and the Polish government in exile were stored in Dakar; and, militarily, the port of Dakar was far better for protecting Allied convoys sailing around Africa than Freetown, Sierra Leone, the base the Allies had been using to that point.

General de Gaulle with General Sir Edward Spears, Churchill's personal representative to the Free French, en route for Dakar in September 1940 aboard the Dutch liner, Westernland.

Thus, the Allies decided to send a naval force of an aircraft carrier ( HMS Ark Royal), two battleships (HMS Resolution and Barham), five cruisers, and ten destroyers to Dakar. Several transports would transport the 8,000 troops. Their orders were first to try and negotiate with the Vichy French governor, but if this was unsuccessful, to take the city by force.

The Vichy forces present at Dakar were led by the unfinished battleship Richelieu, one of the most advanced warships in the French fleet, then about 95% complete. She had left Brest, France on 18 June, before the Germans reached the port. Before the establishment of the Vichy government, HMS Hermes, a British aircraft carrier, had been operating with the French forces in Dakar. Once the Vichy regime was in power, however, Hermes left port but remained on watch, and was joined by the Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Australia. Planes from Hermes had attacked the Richelieu, and had struck her once with a torpedo. The French ship was immobilised but was able to function as a floating gun battery. Three Vichy submarines and several lighter ships were also at Dakar. A force of three cruisers (Gloire, Georges Leygues, and Montcalm) and three destroyers had left Toulon, in southern France, for Dakar just a few days earlier. Gloire was slowed by mechanical troubles, and was intercepted by Australia and ordered to sail for Casablanca. The other two cruisers and the destroyers outran the pursuing Allied cruisers and had reached Dakar safely.

[edit] Course of the battle

HMS Ark Royal and some of its Fairey Swordfish

On September 23, the Fleet Air Arm dropped propaganda leaflets on the city of Dakar. Free French aircraft flew off Ark Royal and landed at the airport, but the crews were immediately taken prisoner. A boat with representatives of de Gaulle entered the port but they were fired upon. At 10:00, Vichy ships trying to leave the port were given warning shots from Australia. As the ships returned to port the coastal forts in turn opened fire on Australia. This led to an engagement between the battleships and cruisers and the forts. In the afternoon Australia intercepted and fired on the Vichy destroyer L'Audacieux, setting it on fire and causing it to be beached.

Also in the afternoon, an attempt was made to set Free French troops ashore on a beach at Rufisque, to the northeast of Dakar. The attack failed when they came under heavy fire from strongpoints defending the beach. General de Gaulle declared he did not want to "shed the blood of Frenchmen for Frenchmen" and called off the assault.

During the next two days, the Allied fleet continued to attack the coastal defences, and the Vichy forces continued to defend them. During these engagements, two Vichy submarines (Persée and Ajax) were sunk, and a destroyer damaged. The Allied fleet also suffered damage: Resolution was torpedoed by the Bévéziers and Barham hit by two shells from the secondary armament of Richelieu'. Two cruisers were also damaged. Richelieu was hit by two 15" shells from Barham. The damage to turret number 2 and a subsequent blow-back incident in this turret, put it out of action.

Overall, the Battle of Dakar did not go well for the Allies. The Vichy forces did not back down. Resolution was so heavily damaged she had to be towed to Cape Town. During most of this conflict, bombers of the Vichy French Air Force (Armée de l'Air de Vichy), based in North Africa, bombed the British base at Gibraltar. On September 24 about 50 aircraft dropped 150 bombs while on September 25 about 100 aircraft dropped 300 bombs on the harbor and dockyards. Most of the bombs missed. Some damage but few casualties were caused. Finally, the Allies withdrew, leaving Dakar and French West Africa in Vichy hands.

[edit] Aftermath

The effects of the Allied failure were mostly political. De Gaulle had believed that he would be able to persuade the Vichy French at Dakar to change sides, but this turned out not to be the case, a result that damaged his standing among the Allies. Even his success in the Battle of Gabon two months later did not wholly repair this damage.

English novelist Evelyn Waugh participated in the expedition as an officer in the Royal Marines. The battle has a role in his semi-autobiographical novel Men at Arms, which forms the first part of his Sword of Honour trilogy.

[edit] Order of battle

[edit] Allies

HMS Barham

[edit] Vichy French

French cruiser Georges Leygues

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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