In June 1940 the French government made peace with Germany and was replaced (in the south) by an authoritarian state led by Philippe Pétain. As part of the armistice, Germany and Italy agreed to allow France to keep it's naval fleets and would not attempt to capture said fleets for use against the Allies. Despite this and personal assurances from the French, the British remained skeptical of whether or not Germany would maintain it's end of the agreement.
If the Germans seized control of the French fleet, the balance of [naval] power would tip in favor of the Germans. The British felt that the risk was too great and gave the French an ultimatum. The ultimatum was that the French should either assist the British (Free French Forces) during the war or surrender their ships to the British, who would then allow the French crew to return home (to France). A third option of transferring ownership of the ships to the United States and returning the French crews home was originally supposed to be offered, but the British liaison went against orders omitted the option when delivering the ultimatum to the French.
The ultimatum was it was supposed to be delivered is below:
It is impossible for us, your comrades up to now, to allow your fine ships to fall into the power of the German enemy. We are determined to fight on until the end, and if we win, as we think we shall, we shall never forget that France was our Ally, that our interests are the same as hers, and that our common enemy is Germany. Should we conquer we solemnly declare that we shall restore the greatness and territory of France. For this purpose we must make sure that the best ships of the French Navy are not used against us by the common foe. In these circumstances, His Majesty's Government have instructed me to demand that the French Fleet now at Mers el Kebir and Oran shall act in accordance with one of the following alternatives;
(a) Sail with us and continue the fight until victory against the Germans.
(b) Sail with reduced crews under our control to a British port. The reduced crews would be repatriated at the earliest moment.
If either of these courses is adopted by you we will restore your ships to France at the conclusion of the war or pay full compensation if they are damaged meanwhile.
(c) Alternatively if you feel bound to stipulate that your ships should not be used against the Germans unless they break the Armistice, then sail them with us with reduced crews to some French port in the West Indies — Martinique for instance — where they can be demilitarised to our satisfaction, or perhaps be entrusted to the United States and remain safe until the end of the war, the crews being repatriated.
If you refuse these fair offers, I must with profound regret, require you to sink your ships within 6 hours.
Finally, failing the above, I have the orders from His Majesty's Government to use whatever force may be necessary to prevent your ships from falling into German hands.
After receiving the ultimatum, the British and French entered into talks over the future of the French fleet and it's crew, however both sides felt as though little progress had been reached. Negotiations were thereafter ended and the British began dropping anti-ship to prevent the French fleet from fleeing. Viewing the dropping of anti-ship mines as an act of aggression, the French shot down one of the British planes, killing it's two-man crew. After the loss of British lives, Winston Churchill ordered that the British eliminate the French fleet.
The battle was a decisive British victory, with the French fleet suffering a major loss of assets and life. Nearly 1300 Frenchmen were killed in the attack and around 350 were wounded; they also completely lost one ship, while taking severe damage to six other vessels. The British on the other hand only lost six aircraft and the aforementioned two lives. The French later retaliated by bombing the British city of Gibraltar.
The battle is a matter of some controversy, especially for the French. There is some disagreement over whether or not it was necessary for the British to attack the French fleet to begin with. The British argue that the risk of the fleet falling into German hands was too great and would have been devastating for the British war effort. Others criticize the British officers for not relaying the entire ultimatum as they had been ordered to, and that the French may have accepted the undelivered terms, avoiding over a thousand deaths. What do you think, was the British attack on the French fleet justified?
If the Germans seized control of the French fleet, the balance of [naval] power would tip in favor of the Germans. The British felt that the risk was too great and gave the French an ultimatum. The ultimatum was that the French should either assist the British (Free French Forces) during the war or surrender their ships to the British, who would then allow the French crew to return home (to France). A third option of transferring ownership of the ships to the United States and returning the French crews home was originally supposed to be offered, but the British liaison went against orders omitted the option when delivering the ultimatum to the French.
The ultimatum was it was supposed to be delivered is below:
Quote:
It is impossible for us, your comrades up to now, to allow your fine ships to fall into the power of the German enemy. We are determined to fight on until the end, and if we win, as we think we shall, we shall never forget that France was our Ally, that our interests are the same as hers, and that our common enemy is Germany. Should we conquer we solemnly declare that we shall restore the greatness and territory of France. For this purpose we must make sure that the best ships of the French Navy are not used against us by the common foe. In these circumstances, His Majesty's Government have instructed me to demand that the French Fleet now at Mers el Kebir and Oran shall act in accordance with one of the following alternatives;
(a) Sail with us and continue the fight until victory against the Germans.
(b) Sail with reduced crews under our control to a British port. The reduced crews would be repatriated at the earliest moment.
If either of these courses is adopted by you we will restore your ships to France at the conclusion of the war or pay full compensation if they are damaged meanwhile.
(c) Alternatively if you feel bound to stipulate that your ships should not be used against the Germans unless they break the Armistice, then sail them with us with reduced crews to some French port in the West Indies — Martinique for instance — where they can be demilitarised to our satisfaction, or perhaps be entrusted to the United States and remain safe until the end of the war, the crews being repatriated.
If you refuse these fair offers, I must with profound regret, require you to sink your ships within 6 hours.
Finally, failing the above, I have the orders from His Majesty's Government to use whatever force may be necessary to prevent your ships from falling into German hands.
The battle was a decisive British victory, with the French fleet suffering a major loss of assets and life. Nearly 1300 Frenchmen were killed in the attack and around 350 were wounded; they also completely lost one ship, while taking severe damage to six other vessels. The British on the other hand only lost six aircraft and the aforementioned two lives. The French later retaliated by bombing the British city of Gibraltar.
The battle is a matter of some controversy, especially for the French. There is some disagreement over whether or not it was necessary for the British to attack the French fleet to begin with. The British argue that the risk of the fleet falling into German hands was too great and would have been devastating for the British war effort. Others criticize the British officers for not relaying the entire ultimatum as they had been ordered to, and that the French may have accepted the undelivered terms, avoiding over a thousand deaths. What do you think, was the British attack on the French fleet justified?