The Battle of Dakar, also known as Operation Menace, was an unsuccessful attempt in September 1940 by the
Allies
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
to capture the strategic port of
Dakar
Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...
in
French West Africa
French West Africa (french: Afrique-Occidentale française, ) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burki ...
(modern-day
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
). It was hoped that the success of the operation could overthrow the pro-German
Vichy French
Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its terr ...
administration in the colony, and be replaced by a pro-Allied
Free French
Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...
one under General
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...
.
Background
At the beginning of World War II, the French fleet in the Mediterranean was to have countered the
Italian Navy
"Fatherland and Honour"
, patron =
, colors =
, colors_label =
, march = ( is the return of soldiers to their barrack, or sailors to their ship after a ...
, thereby leaving the British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
free to concentrate on the German warships in the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
and Atlantic.
After the
defeat of France and the conclusion of the
armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...
between France and Nazi Germany in June 1940, there was considerable confusion as to the allegiance of the various French colonies. Some, like
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
and
French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa (french: link=no, Afrique-Équatoriale française), or the AEF, was the federation of French colonial possessions in Equatorial Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River into the Sahel, and comprising what are ...
, joined the Free French, but others, including
the North African colonies,
French West Africa
French West Africa (french: Afrique-Occidentale française, ) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burki ...
,
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
and
Indochina
Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...
, remained under Vichy control. The possibility that the French fleet might come under German control led the British to
attack the French Fleet at Mers-el-Kebir on 3 July 1940. While the British had eliminated a potential threat, the attack discouraged other units from joining the Free French and Allies.
![GoreeGun](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/GoreeGun.jpg)
De Gaulle believed that he could persuade the French forces in Dakar to join the Allied cause. Much would be gained by this. Another Vichy French colony changing sides would have great political impact; the gold reserves of the
Banque de France
The Bank of France ( French: ''Banque de France''), headquartered in Paris, is the central bank of France. Founded in 1800, it began as a private institution for managing state debts and issuing notes. It is responsible for the accounts of the F ...
and the
Polish government in exile were stored in Dakar; and the port of Dakar was far superior as a naval base to
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and p ...
,
British Sierra Leone
The Colony and Protectorate of Sierra Leone (informally British Sierra Leone) was the British colonial administration in Sierra Leone from 1808 to 1961, part of the British Empire from the abolitionism era until the decolonisation era. The Crow ...
, which was the only Allied port in the area.
Thus the Allies decided to send a task force to Dakar: an
aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
(), two
battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...
s ( and ), five
cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles.
The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...
s, ten
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
s, and several transports carrying 8,000 troops (the 101st Brigade of the
Royal Marines
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
and the 13th demi-brigade of the
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, Armoured Cavalry Arm, cavalry, Military engineering, engineers, Airborne forces, airborne troops. It was created ...
). Their orders were to negotiate with the French governor for a peaceful occupation, but if this was unsuccessful, to take the city by force.
The Vichy forces present at Dakar included the unfinished battleship , one of the most advanced warships in the French fleet, then about 95% complete. She had left
Brest, France
Brest (; ) is a port city in the Finistère department, Brittany. Located in a sheltered bay not far from the western tip of the peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French mi ...
on 18 June, just before the Germans reached the port. Before the establishment of the Vichy government, , 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
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...
. Aircraft from ''Hermes'' attacked ''Richelieu'' and had struck her once with a torpedo. The French ship was immobilized but was still able to function as a floating gun battery.
A force of three cruisers, comprising , , and , and three destroyers had left
Toulon
Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
in southern France for Dakar just a few days earlier. ''Gloire'' was slowed by mechanical troubles and was intercepted by ''Australia,'' which ordered the French cruiser to sail for
Casablanca
Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
. The other two cruisers and the destroyers outran the pursuing Allied cruisers and reached Dakar safely. Three Vichy submarines and several lighter ships were also at Dakar.
Battle
![HMS Ark Royal h85716](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/HMS_Ark_Royal_h85716.jpg)
On 23 September, the
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...
dropped
propaganda
Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...
leaflets on the city of Dakar. Then, two Free French
Caudron C.272
The Caudron C.270 ''Luciole'' ("Firefly") was a sporting, touring and trainer aircraft produced in France in the 1930s, derived from the C.230.
Design and construction
It was a conventional biplane with single-bay, unstaggered wings of equal s ...
aircraft and a
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish is a biplane torpedo bomber, designed by the Fairey Aviation Company. Originating in the early 1930s, the Swordfish, nicknamed "Stringbag", was principally operated by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. It was also used ...
carrying three Free French officers flew off ''Ark Royal'' and landed at the airport, but their crews were immediately taken prisoner. On one of the prisoners was found a list of Free French sympathisers in Dakar, whom the Vichy authorities promptly rounded up.
[Sutherland and Canwell, p. 27] A boat with representatives of de Gaulle entered the port but was fired upon. British aircraft were also fired upon by the anti-aircraft guns of the ''Richelieu'' and a
Curtiss Hawk 75
The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, is an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation ...
fighter.
At 10:00, Vichy ships trying to leave the port were given warning shots from ''Australia''. As these ships returned to port, Vichy-controlled coastal batteries opened fire on ''Australia''. Their guns, which had a range of , were
240mm/50 Modèle 1902 gun that had come from the
''Vergniaud'', a French
semi-dreadnought
The dreadnought (alternatively spelled dreadnaught) was the predominant type of battleship in the early 20th century. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's , had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her ...
battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...
that had been scrapped in the 1920s. An engagement between the Allied fleet and the batteries continued for several hours. In the afternoon ''Australia'' intercepted and fired on the Vichy destroyer , setting her on fire and causing her to be beached.
Also in the afternoon, an attempt was made to set Free French troops ashore on a beach at
Rufisque
Rufisque ( ar, روفيسك; Wolof: Tëngeéj) is a city in the Dakar region of western Senegal, at the base of the Cap-Vert Peninsula. It has a population of 179,797 (2002 census). In the past it was an important port city in its own right, but ...
, to the south-east of Dakar. However, Vichy reconnaissance aircraft spotted the attempted landing
and the attack failed due to fog and 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. At first light on 24 September, six
Blackburn Skua
The Blackburn B-24 Skua was a carrier-based low-wing, two-seater, single-radial engine aircraft by the British aviation company Blackburn Aircraft. It was the first Royal Navy carrier-borne all-metal cantilever monoplane aircraft, as well as ...
s set out to bomb ''Richelieu,'' but little damage was done.
[Sutherland and Canwell, p. 28] Six Swordfish also attacked the coastal guns, but their attack also caused limited damage.
Another 6 Swordfish set out to bomb ''Richelieu'', but one was hit by anti-aircraft fire and went down in flames.
The remaining aircraft then came under attack from three or four Curtiss Hawks and a dogfight ensued, in which two or three Swordfish were shot down.
[Sutherland and Canwell, p. 29] In total, 4 of the 9 Swordfish aircrew were killed on the attack on the ''Richelieu''.
Later in the afternoon 9 Swordfish and 3 Skuas set out on another attack on the Vichy ships, with two more Swordfish being lost to anti-aircraft fire.
Richelieu's gunners claimed to have shot down three of the British aircraft lost. Throughout the day, Curtiss Hawks would attack British aircraft every time they attempted to carry out reconnaissance or attack French positions.
Eventually'', Richelieu'' was hit by two 15-inch shells from ''Barham''. On the second day of action, guns 7 and 8 (in turret number 2) of ''Richelieu'' failed on the first round. The following day, the crews were switched and main turret number 1 was used. Propellant charges reconditioned from charges left by the battleship ''Strasbourg'' in Dakar, in winter 1939, were used but these gave a significant reduction in range and caused problems of fire control. Over the two days ''Richelieu'' used her 380mm main guns fired a total of 24 rounds, among them there seemed to be one near miss on ''Barham'', based on ''Richelieu''s operation journal and British maintenance archive.
During these engagements, two Vichy submarines (
''Persée'' and
''Ajax'') were sunk, and the destroyer ''L'Audacieux'' damaged.
The Allied fleet also suffered damage: ''Resolution'' was torpedoed by the submarine , and ''Barham'' was hit by two shells from the coastal defence batteries which had been manned by crew from the No 1 main turret of ''Richelieu''.
''Barham'' also took blast damage on the starboard lower bulge from a 380mm round fired by ''Richelieu'' that fell short. The structure was forced inwards for 7 feet, causing minor flooding.
The cruisers ''Australia'' and ''Cumberland'' were also damaged. On the final day of action several more dogfights occurred over the skies of Dakar, with the French Curtiss Hawks generally outgunning the British Swordfish and Skuas.
[Sutherland and Canwell, p. 30]
Aftermath
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
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
. In most of this conflict, bombers of the
Vichy French Air Force
The Air Force (french: Armée de l'air), usually referred to as the Air Force of Vichy (''Armée de l'air de Vichy'') or Armistice Air Force (''Armée de l'Air de l'armistice'') for clarity, was the aerial branch of the Armistice Army of Vichy Fra ...
(''Armée de l'Air de Vichy''), based in North Africa, bombed the British base at
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
. On 24 September about 50 aircraft dropped 150 bombs while on 25 September about 100 aircraft dropped 300 bombs on the harbour and dockyards. Most of the bombs missed. Some damage was caused, and a few civilians were killed. The raid on 25 September also caused the sinking of the British
armed trawler
Naval trawlers are vessels built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes; they were widely used during the First and Second World Wars. Some—known in the Royal Navy as "Admiralty trawlers"— were purpose-built t ...
.
Naval-History.net
/ref>
Finally, the Allies withdrew, leaving Dakar and French West Africa in Vichy 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, a result that damaged his standing among the Allies. Even his success in the Battle of Gabon
The Battle of Gabon (French: ''Bataille du Gabon''), also called the Gabon Campaign (''Campagne du Gabon''), occurred in November 1940 during World War II. The battle resulted in forces under the orders of General de Gaulle taking the colony ...
two months later did not wholly repair this damage. He would have to content himself with the much less important and economically developed French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa (french: link=no, Afrique-Équatoriale française), or the AEF, was the federation of French colonial possessions in Equatorial Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River into the Sahel, and comprising what are ...
as the main Free French
Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...
territory for the time being.
English novelist Evelyn Waugh
Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires ''Decli ...
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
The ''Sword of Honour'' is a trilogy of novels by Evelyn Waugh which loosely parallel Waugh's experiences during the Second World War. Published by Chapman & Hall from 1952 to 1961, the novels are: ''Men at Arms'' (1952); ''Officers and Gentl ...
'' trilogy.
Order of battle
Allies
* Aircraft carrier:
* Battleships: ,
* Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...
s: , ,
* Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...
s: ,
* Destroyers: , , , , , , , , , ,
* Escorts/patrol boats: , , , , ,
* Merchant ships: four Free French and one British
* Transports: and '' Westernland'' (Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
ocean liner
An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships).
Ca ...
s), (Polish ocean liner) and three more
* 101 Royal Marine Brigade
Vichy French
* Battleship:
* Light cruisers: ,
* Destroyers: , , ,
* Escorts/patrol boats: , , , , ,
* Auxiliary cruiser
An armed merchantman is a merchant ship equipped with guns, usually for defensive purposes, either by design or after the fact. In the days of sail, piracy and privateers, many merchantmen would be routinely armed, especially those engaging in ...
s: , , , ,
* Merchant ships: , ,[ Lindbæk, Lise (1969). ''Norway's new saga of the sea: the story of her merchant marine in World War II''. Exposition Press, p. 204. ISBN] (Danish freighter)
* Submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
s: , ,
See also
* Military history of Gibraltar during World War II
The military history of Gibraltar during World War II exemplifies Gibraltar's position as a British Empire, British fortress since the early 18th century and as a vital factor in British military strategy, both as a foothold on the Europe, c ...
* Syria-Lebanon Campaign
* Battle of Madagascar
The Battle of Madagascar (5 May – 6 November 1942) was a British campaign to capture the Vichy French-controlled island Madagascar during World War II. The seizure of the island by the British was to deny Madagascar's ports to the Imperial ...
References
Further reading
* Churchill, Winston. ''The Second World War'', Vol 2 Book II Chapter xxiv `Dakar`.
*
* Sutherland, Jon; Canwell, ''Diane, Vichy Air Force at War: The French Airforce that Fought the Allies in World War II'' (Barnsley: Pen & Sword Aviation, 2011),
* Thomas, Martin. "The Anglo‐French divorce over West Africa and the limitations of strategic planning, June‐December 1940." ''Diplomacy and Statecraft'' 6.1 (1995): 252–278.
* Williams, John, ''The Guns of Dakar: September, 1940'' (Heinemann Educational Books, 1976).
*
External links
Dakar: Operation Menace
Book review: ''The Guns of Dakar'' and ''Operation Menace''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dakar
Conflicts in 1940
Dakar
History of Senegal
French West Africa
1940 in French West Africa
Naval battles of World War II involving Australia
Naval battles of World War II involving France
Naval battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom
20th century in Dakar
September 1940 events
Military battles of Vichy France