Battle of Dakar
from Wikipedia
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.
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.
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.
Thus, the Allies decided to send a naval force of an aircraft carrier (HMS Ark Royal), two battleships (HMS Resolution and HMS 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 French forces present at Dakar were led by the unfinished battleship Richelieu, one of the most advanced warships in the French fleet. She had left Brest, France on the 18 June before the Germans reached the port. Richelieu was then about 95% complete. 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. 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.
Course of the Battle
On September 23, the Fleet Air Arm dropped propaganda leaflets on the city of Dakar. Free French aircraft flew off HMS 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 French 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 French continued to defend them. During these engagements, two Vichy French submarines (Persée and Ajax) were sunk, and a destroyer damaged. The Allied fleet also took heavy damage: HMS Resolution was torpedoed by the Bévéziers, and HMS Barham was hit by a 380mm shell from the Richelieu. Two cruisers were also damaged.
Finally, the Allies withdrew, leaving Dakar and French West Africa in Vichy French hands.
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.
