Battle of Madagascar

Battle of Madagascar Part of the Indian Ocean theatre of World War II Kings African Rifles' 25 pdr battery in action near Ambositra in Madagascar against Vichy positions during Operation Steam Line Jane, September 1942. Date 5 May 1942 – 6 November 1942 Location Madagascar, Indian Ocean 12°16′S 49°17′E / 12.267°S 49.283°E / -12.267; 49.283Coordinates: 12°16′S 49°17′E / 12.267°S 49.283°E / -12.267; 49.283 Result Allied victory Territorial changes Free French administration established in Madagascar Belligerents British Commonwealth  United Kingdom  India  Northern Rhodesia  Southern Rhodesia Tanganyika  Australia (naval only)  South Africa Netherlands (naval only) Non-combatant Support: Belgium  Belgian Congo Poland Vichy France Madagascar Japan (naval only) Non-combatant Support: Germany Commanders and leaders Robert Sturges Edward Syfret Armand Annet Ishizaki Noboru Strength 10,000–15,000 soldiers (land forces) Vichy France: 8,000 troops[1] 6 tanks 35 aircraft[2] 4 warships[3] Casualties and losses 620 casualties in total (107 killed in action; 280 wounded; 108 died from disease)[2] 1 battleship heavily damaged 1 oil tanker sunk 150 killed in action; 500 wounded (does not include any casualties caused by disease)[2] 1,000~ POW[4] 2 midget submarines destroyed Location of Diego Suarez Bay

Indian Ocean Theater 27 February 1941 8 May 1941 Sydney and Kormoran Japanese merchant raiders Andaman Islands Homfreyganj massacre Christmas Island 1st Indian Ocean Easter Sunday Raid Cocos Islands Madagascar Réunion 13 November 1943 11 January 1944 14 February 1944 2nd Indian Ocean 17 July 1944

The Battle of Madagascar was the British campaign to capture Vichy French-controlled Madagascar during World War II. The seizure of the island by the British was to deny Madagascar's ports to Japanese Navy and to prevent the loss or impairment of the allies shipping line. It began with Operation Ironclad, the seizure of the port of Diego Suarez near the northern tip of the island, on 5 May 1942.^[1]

A subsequent campaign to secure the entire island, Operation Streamline Jane, was opened on 10 September. The allies broke into the interior linking up with forces on the coast and secured the island by the end of October. Fighting ceased and an armistice was granted on 6 November.^[5] This was the first large scale operation by the allies of World War Two combining sea, land and air forces.^[6]

Background

Geopolitical

Antsiranana is a large bay with a fine harbour near the northern tip of the island of Madagascar and has an opening to the east through a narrow channel called Oronjia Pass. The naval base of Antsirane lies on a peninsula between two of the four small bays enclosed within the Antsiranana bay. Antsiranana Bay cuts deeply into the northern tip of Madagascar (Cape Amber), almost severing it from the rest of the island.^[7] In the 1880s, the bay was coveted by France, which claimed it as a coaling station for steamships travelling to French possessions further east. The colonization was formalized after the first Franco-Hova War when Queen Ranavalona III signed a treaty on 17 December 1885 giving France a protectorate over the bay and surrounding territory, as well as the islands of Nosy Be and St. Marie de Madagascar. The colony's administration was subsumed into that of French Madagascar in 1897.^[8]

In 1941, Antsiranana town, the bay and the channel were well protected by naval shore batteries.^[7]

Axis

Following the Japanese conquest of South East Asia east of Burma by the end of February 1942, submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy were moving freely throughout the north and eastern expanses of the Indian Ocean. In March 1942, Japanese aircraft carriers conducted the Indian Ocean raid upon shipping in the bay of Bengal and bases in Colombo and Trincomalee in Ceylon. This raid drove the British Eastern Fleet out of the area and they were forced to relocate to a new base at Kilindini, near Mombasa, in Kenya.

The move made the British fleet more vulnerable to attack. The possibility of Japanese naval forces using forward bases in Madagascar had to be addressed. The potential use of these facilities particularly threatened Allied merchant shipping, the supply route to the British Eighth Army and also the Eastern Fleet.

Japanese submarines had the longest range of any Axis forces' subs at the time — more than 10,000 miles (16,000 km) in some cases, but being challenged by the U.S. Navy's then-relatively new Gato-class fleet submarines' 11,000 nautical mile (20,370 km) top range figures. If the IJN's subs were able to utilise bases on Madagascar, Allied lines of communication would be affected across a region stretching from the Pacific and Australia, to the Middle East and as far as the South Atlantic.

On 17 December 1941, Vice Admiral Fricke, Chief of Staff of Germany's Maritime Warfare Command (Seekriegsleitung), met Vice Admiral Naokuni Nomura, the Japanese Naval Attaché, in Berlin to discuss the delimitation of respective operational areas between the Kriegsmarine and Imperial Japanese Navy forces. At another meeting on 27 March 1942, Fricke stressed the importance of the Indian Ocean to the Axis powers and expressed the desire that the Japanese begin operations against the northern Indian Ocean sea routes. Fricke further emphasized that Ceylon, the Seychelles and Madagascar should have a higher priority for the Axis navies than operations against Australia.^[9] By 8 April, the Japanese announced to Fricke that they intended to commit four or five submarines and two auxiliary cruisers for operations in the western Indian Ocean between Aden and the Cape, but they refused to disclose their plans for operations against Madagascar and Ceylon, only reiterating their commitment to operations in the area.^[10]

Allies

The Allies had heard the rumours of Japanese plans for the Indian Ocean and on 27 November 1941, the British Chiefs of Staff discussed the possibility that the Vichy government might cede the whole of Madagascar to Japan, or alternatively permit the Japanese navy to establish bases on the island. British naval advisors urged the occupation of the island as a precautionary measure.^[11] On 16 December, General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French in London, sent a letter to the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, in which he also urged a Free French operation against Madagascar.^[12] Churchill recognised the risk of a Japanese-controlled Madagascar to Indian Ocean shipping, particularly to the important sea route to India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and considered the port of Diego Suarez as the strategic key to Japanese influence in the Indian Ocean. However, he also made it clear to planners that he did not feel Britain had the resources to mount such an operation and, following experience in the Battle of Dakar in September 1940, did not want a joint operation launched by British and Free French forces to secure the island.^[12]

By 12 March, Churchill had been convinced of the importance of such an operation and the decision was reached that the planning of the invasion of Madagascar would begin in earnest. It was agreed that the Free French would be explicitly excluded from the operation. As a preliminary battle outline, Churchill gave the following guidelines to the planners^[13] and the operation was designated Operation Bonus:^[14]

• Force H, the ships guarding the Western Mediterranean, should move south from Gibraltar and should be replaced by an American Task Force
• The 4,000 men and ships proposed by Lord Mountbatten for the operation, should be retained as the nucleus around which the plan should be built
• The operation should commence around 30 April 1942
• In the event of success, the commandos recommended by Mountbatten should be replaced by Garrison Troops as soon as possible^[13]

On 14 March, "Force 121" was constituted under the command of Major-General Robert Sturges of the Royal Marines with Rear-Admiral Edward Syfret being placed in command of Naval Force H and the supporting sea force.^[15]

Allied preparations

Force 121 left the Clyde in Scotland on 23 March and joined up with South African-born Admiral Syfret's ships at Freetown in Sierra Leone, proceeding from there in two convoys to their assembly point at Durban on the South African east coast. Here they were joined by the 13th Brigade Group of the 5th Division – General Sturges' force consisting of three infantry brigades, while Admiral Syfret's squadron consisted of the flag battleship HMS Ramillies, the aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious and HMS Indomitable, the cruisers HMS Hermione and HMS Devonshire, eleven destroyers, six minesweepers, six corvettes and auxiliaries. It was a formidable force to bring against the 8,000 men (mostly Malagasy) at Diego Suarez, but the Chiefs of Staff were adamant that the operation was to succeed, preferably without any fighting.^[15]

This was to be the first British amphibious assault since the disastrous landings in the Dardanelles twenty-seven years before.^[16]

During the assembly in Durban, Field-Marshal Jan Smuts pointed out that the mere seizure of Diego Suarez would be no guarantee against continuing Japanese aggression and urged that the ports of Majunga and Tamatave be occupied as well. This was evaluated by the Chiefs of Staff, but it was decided to retain Diego Suarez as the only objective due to the lack of manpower.^[15] Churchill remarked that the only way to permanently secure Madagascar was by means of a strong fleet and adequate air support operating from Ceylon and sent General Archibald Wavell (India Command), a note stating that as soon as the initial objectives had been met, all responsibility for safeguarding Madagascar would be passed on to Wavell. He added that when the Commandos were withdrawn, garrison duties would be performed by two African brigades and one brigade from the Belgian Congo or west coast of Africa.^[17]

In March and April, the South African Air Force (SAAF) had conducted reconnaissance flights over Diego Suarez and No. 32, 36 and 37 Coastal Flights were withdrawn from maritime patrol operations and sent to Lindi on the Indian Ocean coast of Tanganyika, with an additional eleven Bristol Beauforts and six Martin Marylands to provide close air support during the planned operations.^[7]

Campaign

Allied commanders decided to launch an amphibious assault on Madagascar. The task was Operation Ironclad and executed by Force 121; it would comprise allied naval, land and air forces and be commanded by Major-General Robert Sturges of the Royal Marines. The British Army landing force comprised 29th Independent Infantry Brigade Group, No 5 (Army) Commando and two brigades of the 5th Infantry Division, the latter en route to India with the remainder of their division. The Allied naval contingent consisted of over 50 vessels, drawn from Force H, the British Home Fleet and the British Eastern Fleet, commanded by Rear Admiral Edward Neville Syfret. The fleet included the aircraft carrier Illustrious, her sister ship Indomitable and the ageing battleship Ramillies to cover the landings.

Landings (Operation Ironclad)

Following many reconnaissance missions by the SAAF, the first wave of the British 29th Infantry Brigade and No. 5 Commando landed in assault craft on 5 May 1942, follow-up waves were by two brigades of the 5th Infantry Division and Royal Marines. All were carried ashore by landing craft to Courrier Bay and Ambararata Bay, just west of the major port of Diego Suarez (later known as Antsiranana), at the northern tip of Madagascar. A diversionary attack was staged to the east. Air cover was provided mainly by Fairey Albacore and Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers which attacked Vichy shipping. They were supported by Grumman Martlets (known by the Americans as the F4F Wildcat) fighters from the Fleet Air Arm. A small number of SAAF planes assisted.

The defending Vichy forces, led by Governor General Armand Léon Annet, included about 8,000 troops, of whom about 6,000 were Malagasy tirailleurs (colonial infantry). A large proportion of the rest were Senegalese. Between 1,500 and 3,000 Vichy troops were concentrated around Diego Suarez.^[1] However, naval and air defences were relatively light and/or obsolete: eight coastal batteries, two armed merchant cruisers, two sloops, five submarines, 17 Morane-Saulnier 406 fighters and 10 Potez 63 bombers.

The beach landings met with virtually no resistance and these troops seized Vichy coastal batteries and barracks. The Courier Bay force - the 17th Infantry Brigade after toiling through mangrove swamp and thick bush took the town of Diego Suarez taking a hundred prisoners. The Ambararata Bay force - the 29th independent brigade headed towards the French naval base of Antisarane.^[1] With assistance from six Valentines and six Tetrarch light tanks of 'B' Special Service Squadron they advanced 21 miles overcoming light resistance with bayonet charges.^[18] Antisarane itself was heavily defended with trenches, two redoubts, pillboxes and flanked on both sides by impenetrable swamps.^[19]

On the morning of 6 May a frontal assault on the defences failed with the loss of three Valentines and two Tetrarchs.^[18] Another assault by the South Lancashire's worked their way around the defences but the swamps and bad terrain meant they were broken up into groups. Nevertheless they swung behind the Vichy line and caused chaos - fire was poured on the Vichy defences from behind and the radio station and a barracks were seized.^[19] In all 200 prisoners were taken but the South Lancs had to withdraw as communication with the main force was non existent after the radio set had failed. With the French defence highly effective the deadlock was broken when the old destroyer HMS Anthony dashed straight past the harbour defences of Antisarane and landed fifty Royal Marines amidst the Vichy rear area.^[19] The Marines created "disturbance in the town out of all proportion to their numbers" taking the French artillery command post along with its barracks and the naval depot. At the same time the troops of the 17th infantry brigade had broken through the defences and were soon marching in the town. The Vichy defence was broken and Antisarane surrendered that evening, although substantial Vichy forces withdrew to the south.^[20]

The Japanese submarines I-10, I-16 and I-20 arrived three weeks later on 29 May. I-10's reconnaissance plane spotted HMS Ramillies at anchor in Diego Suarez harbour but the plane was spotted and Ramillies changed her berth. I-20 and I-16 launched two midget submarines, one of which managed to enter the harbour and fired two torpedoes while under depth charge attack from two corvettes. One torpedo seriously damaged Ramillies, while the second sank the 6,993 ton oil tanker British Loyalty (later refloated).^[21] Ramillies was later repaired in Durban and Plymouth.

The crew of one of the midget submarines, Lieutenant Saburo Akieda and Petty Officer Masami Takemoto, beached their craft (M-20b) at Nosy Antalikely and moved inland towards their pick-up point near Cape Amber. They were informed-upon when they bought food at the village of Anijabe and both were killed in a firefight with Royal Marines three days later; one Marine was killed in the action as well. The second midget submarine was lost at sea and the body of one of its crew was found washed ashore a day later.^[21]

Ground campaign (Operation Streamline Jane)

Hostilities continued at a low level for several months. After 19 May two brigades of the 5th Infantry Division were transferred to India. On 8 June, the 22nd (East Africa) Brigade Group arrived on Madagascar^[22] The 7th South African Motorized Brigade arrived on 24 June.^[23] The 27th (North Rhodesia) Infantry Brigade (including forces from East Africa) landed on 8 August.^[24]

On 10 September the 29th Brigade and 22nd Brigade Group made an amphibious landing at Majunga which was another port on the western coast of the island. No. 5 Commando spearheaded the landing and faced machine gun fire but despite this they stormed the quayside, took control of the local post office, stormed the Governor's Residence and raised the Union Jack.^[25] Having severed communications with Tannanarive, the allies intended to re-launch the offensive ahead of the rainy season. Progress was slow for the Allied forces though. In addition to occasional small-scale clashes with Vichy forces, they also encountered scores of obstacles erected on the main roads by Vichy soldiers. The Allies eventually captured the capital, Tananarive, without much opposition, and then the town of Ambalavao but the devoutly Vichy Governor Annet had escaped.^[26]

Eight days later a British force set out to seize Tamatave. Heavy surf interfered with the operation; as HMS Birmingham's launch was heading into shore it was fired at by French shore batteries and promptly turned around. Birmingham then opened her guns up on the shores batteries and within three minutes the French hauled up the white flag; Tamatave fell into British hands. From there the South Lancashires and the Royal Welch Fusiliers set out to the South to link up with forces there. After they reached Tananarive they pressed on towards Moramanga and on September 25 they linked up with the Kings African Rifles having secured the British lines of communication around the island. At the same time the East African infantry and South African armoured cars set out to find the elusive Governor Annet.^[26]

The last major action took place on 18 October, at Andramanalina - a U shaped valley with the meandering Mangarahara River where an ambush was planned for British forces by Vichy troops. The King African Riles split into two columns and marched around the 'U' of the valley and met Vichy troops in the rear and then ambushed them. The Vichy troops suffered heavy losses which resulted in 800 of them surrendering.^[26] A week later the Kings African rifles then entered Fianarantosa but found Annet gone, this time near Ihosy 100 miles South of them. The Africans swiftly moved after him but they received an envoy from from Annet asking for terms of surrender - he had had enough and couldn't escape further. An armistice was signed in Ambalavao on 6 November, and Annet surrendered two days later.^[27]

The Allies suffered about 500 casualties in the landing at Diego Suarez, and 30 more killed and 90 wounded in the operations which followed on 10 September.

Aftermath

With Madagascar firmly in allied hands the allies established military and naval installations across the island. The island was crucial for the rest of the war - its deep water ports were vital to control the passageway to India and the Persian corridor, and this was now beyond the grasp of the Axis.^[26] This was the first large scale operation of World War Two by the allies; combining sea, land and air forces. In the makeshift allied planning of the wars early years, the invasion of Madagascar held a prominent strategic place. ^[6]

Free French General Paul Legentilhomme was appointed High Commissioner for Madagascar. Like many colonies, Madagascar sought its independence following the war. In 1947, the island experienced the Malagasy Uprising, a costly revolution that was crushed in 1948. It was not until 26 June 1960, about twelve years later, that the Malagasy Republic successfully proclaimed its independence from France.

Campaign service in Madagascar did not qualify for the British and Commonwealth Africa Star. It was instead covered by the 1939–1945 Star.^[28]

Order of battle

Allied Forces

Naval forces

Battleships

HMS Ramillies

HMS Warspite

Aircraft Carriers

HMS Illustrious

HMS Indomitable

Cruisers

HMS Birmingham^[29]

HMS Dauntless^[29]

HMS Gambia^[29]

HMS Hermione

HMS Devonshire

HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck

Minelayer

HMS Manxman^[29]

Monitor

HMS Erebus^[29]

Seaplane Carrier

HMS Albatross^[29]

Destroyers

HMS Active

HMS Anthony

HMS Arrow^[29]

HMS Blackmore^[29]

HMS Duncan

HMS Fortune^[29]

HMS Foxhound^[29]

HMS Inconstant

HMS Hotspur^[29]

HMS Javelin

HMS Laforey

HMS Lightning

HMS Lookout

HMAS Napier^[29]

HMAS Nepal^[29]

HMAS Nizam

HMAS Norman

HMS Pakenham

HMS Paladin

HMS Panther

HNLMS Van Galen^[29]

HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes^[29]

Corvettes

HMS Freesia

HMS Auricula

HMS Nigella

HMS Fritillary

HMS Genista

HMS Cyclamen

HMS Thyme

HMS Jasmine

Minesweepers

HMS Cromer

HMS Poole

HMS Romney

HMS Cromarty

Assault transports

HMS Winchester Castle

HMS Royal Ulsterman

HMS Keren

HMS Karanja

MS Sobieski (Polish)

Special ships

HMS Derwentdale (LCA)

HMS Bachaquero (LST)

Troop ships...

SS Oronsay

SS Duchess of Atholl

RMS Franconia

Stores and MT ships

SS Empire Kingsley

M/S Thalatta

SS Mahout

SS City of Hong Kong

SS Mairnbank

SS Martand II^[30]

Ground forces

29th Infantry Brigade (independent) arrived via amphibious landing near Diego Suarez on 5 May 1942

2nd South Lancashire Regiment

2nd East Lancashire Regiment

1st Royal Scots Fusiliers

2nd Royal Welch Fusiliers

455th Light Battery (Royal Artillery)

MG company

'B' Special Service Squadron with 6 Valentine and 6 Tetrarch tanks

Commandos arrived via amphibious landing near Diego Suarez on 5 May 1942

No. 5 Commando

British 17th Infantry Brigade Group (of 5th Division) landed near Diego Suarez as second wave on 5 May 1942

2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers

2nd Northamptonshire Regiment

6th Seaforth Highlanders

9th Field Regiment (Royal Artillery)

British 13th Infantry Brigade (of 5th Division) landed near Diego Suarez as third wave on 6 May 1942. Departed 19 May 1942 for India

2nd Cameronians

2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

2nd Wiltshire Regiment

East African Brigade Group arrived 22 June to replace 13 and 17 Brigades

South African 7th Motorised Brigade

Rhodesian 27th Infantry Brigade arrived 8 August 1942; departed 29 June 1944

2nd Northern Rhodesia Regiment

3rd Northern Rhodesia Regiment

4th Northern Rhodesia Regiment

55th (Tanganyika) Light Battery

57th (East African) Field Battery^[30]

Fleet Air Arm

Aboard HMS Illustrious

881 Squadron - 12 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat (Martlet Mk.II)

882 Squadron - 8 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat (Martlet Mk.II) 1 Fairey Fulmar

810 Squadron - 10 Fairey Swordfish

829 Squadron - 10 Fairey Swordfish

Aboard HMS Indomitable

800 Squadron - 8 Fairey Fulmar

806 Squadron - 4 Fairey Fulmar

880 Squadron - 6 Hawker Sea Hurricane Mk IA

827 Squadron - 12 Fairey Albacore

831 Squadron - 12 Fairey Albacore^[30]

Vichy France

Naval Forces

Merchant Cruiser Bougainville 2

Sloop D'Entrecasteaux

Submarines

Bévéziers

Héros

Monge^[30]

Land forces

The following order of battle represents the Malagasy and Vichy French forces on the island directly after the initial Ironclad landings.^[33]

West coast

Two platoons of reservists and volunteers at Nossi-Bé

Two companies of the Régiment Mixte Malgache (RMM – Mixed Madagascar Regiment) at Ambanja

One battalion of the 1er RMM at Majunga

East coast

One battalion of the 1er RMM at Tamatave

One artillery section (65mm) at Tamatave

One company of the 1er RMM at Brickaville

Centre of the island

Three battalions of the 1er RMM at Tananarive

One motorised reconnaissance detachment at Tananarive

Emyrne battery at Tananarive

One artillery section (65mm) at Tananarive

One engineer company at Tananarive

One company of the 1er RMM at Mevatanana

One company of the Bataillon de Tirailleurs Malgaches (BTM - Malagasy Tirailleurs Battalion) at Fianarantsoa

South of the island

Other

One company of the BTM at Fort Dauphin

One company of the BTM at Tuléar

Japan

Naval forces

• Submarines I-10 (with reconnaissance aircraft), I-16, I-18 (damaged by heavy seas and arrived late), I-20
• Midget submarines M-16b, M-20b

See also

• Force H

Footnotes

References

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Operation Ironclad.

• exordio.com, ?, "Operación Ironclad" (Spanish language)
• Outline of Japanese involvement
• BBC History Magazine podcast about the Battle of Madagascar