Battle of Dakar

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Battle of Dakar
Part of World War II
Date September 23-25, 1940
Location Dakar, French West Africa
Result Vichy French victory
Combatants
United Kingdom
Australia
Free France
Netherlands
 Vichy France
Commanders
Andrew Cunningham Pierre François Boisson
Strength
2 battleships, 1 aircraft carrier, 4 cruisers, 10 destroyers 1 battleship, 2 cruisers, destroyers, coastal emplacements
Casualties
2 battleships and 2 cruisers damaged >2 destroyers damaged,
2 submarines sunk

The Battle of Dakar, also known as Operation Menace was an unsuccessful attempt 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 Cameroon 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 Royal Navy free to concentrate on the German warships in the North Sea and Atlantic. That the French fleet might fall into German control led to the destruction of the French Fleet at Mers-el-Kebir at the hands of the British. While eliminating a possible threat, it did nothing to encourage individual units to join the Free French.

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 only the political consequences if another Vichy French colony changed sides, but also more practical advantages, such as the fact that the gold reserves of the Banque de France and the Polish government in exile were stored in Dakar and, militarily, the better location of the port of Dakar for protecting the convoys sailing around Africa than Freetown, the base the Allies were using.

It was decided to send a naval force of an aircraft carrier, two battleships (of World War I vintage), four 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 French forces present at Dakar were led by the battleship Richelieu, one of the most advanced warships in the French fleet. It had left Brest on the 18 June before the Germans reached it. Richelieu was then only about 95% complete. Before the establishment of the Vichy government, HMS Hermes, an aircraft carrier, had been operating with the French forces in Dakar. Once the Vichy regime was in power, 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 it 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 for Dakar just a few days earlier. The 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.

On September 23, the Fleet Air Arm dropped propaganda leaflets on the city. Free French aircraft flew off Ark Royal and landed at the airport, but the crews were taken prisoner. A boat with representatives of De Gaulle entered the port but they were fired upon. At 10:00, Vichy French ships trying to leave the port were given warning shots from Australia. The ships returned to port but the coastal forts 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.

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

During the next two days, the Allied fleet attacked the coastal defences, as the Vichy French tried to prevent them. Two Vichy French submarines were sunk, and a destroyer damaged. After the Allied fleet also took heavy damage (both battleships and two cruisers were damaged), they withdrew, leaving Dakar and French West Africa in Vichy French hands.

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, which damaged his standing with the Allies. Even the successful Battle of Gabon, in November 1940, did not wholly repair this damage.

[edit] Order of battle

[edit] Allies

[edit] Vichy French

[edit] Sources

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