British Capture French Ships (# 119)
British Ultimatum (# 120)
British Open Fire (# 121)

Both admirals had agreed to maintain the ‘status quo’ until the next day. However, when the news of the attack at Mers-el-Kebir was received on the flagship DUQUESNE, Admiral Godfroy hardened immediately. However, the night went by with the English perhaps under greater tension than the French.

On the morning of the 4th, the French ships saw all the guns of the British ships, tampions out, trained on them. When this was called to Admiral Cunningham’s attention, he immediately ordered the guns trained fore and aft.

After many discussions, the crisis was settled at the end of the day. The English would make no attempt to seize the French ships by force. The French, on their side, would unload their fuel oil and would store all breech-blocks of their guns and the firing pins of their torpedoes at the French consulate. A written agreement was signed on that basis by both commanders-in-chief on July 7th. This ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ was scrupulously observed until 1943, by Admiral Godfroy as well as by Admiral Cunningham and his successor, Admiral Henry Harwood.

Admiral Darlan, who was still seething with anger, accepted the compromise without any great confidence. As for Winston Churchill, he desecrated the spirit in which the agreement had been achieved by reporting to the House of Commons the next day: "Measures have been taken to insure that the French ships, commanded by a very gallant admiral, shall either be sunk or accept our demands.”

The British aggression was to extend as far as Dakar, where the incomplete RICHELIEU had taken refuge after escaping the Germans at Brest on June 23rd. No one in this French West African colony had any real knowledge of the true political situation in France. They were confused by the British Men-Of-War which stayed on at Dakar after the armistice.

To get away from that environment, the RICHELIEU put to sea on June 25th, planning to go to Casablanca. But the British sent forces to intercept her. She was ordered back to Dakar.

On the morning of the 5th July, the British aircraft carrier HMS HERMES, commanded by Captain Onslow, and the Australian cruiser HMAS AUSTRALIA, coming from Freetown, had joined the cruiser HMS DORSETSHIRE which was observing the movements of the French naval forces off Dakar.

On the 7th July, an order arrives from the Admiralty to give the French commander at Dakar an ultimatum similar to the one given at Mers-el-Kebir in order to eliminate the battleship RICHELIEU, commanded by Captain Marzin. The French commander refuses entry to the British sloop HMS MILFORD, which approaches with the emissary and the ultimatum.

Following this refusal, a fast British motor launch from the aircraft carrier HMS HERMES under command of LCDR Bristowe, enters the harbour after dark, slips over the defence boom unnoticed, creeps along the port side of the RICHELIEU and drops four 400 pound depth charges under her stern. For some reason, they did not explode. Then six SWORDFISH from HMS HERMES attack the RICHELIEU and get one torpedo hit under her stern, and she sank down to rest on the bottom of the shallow harbour. the RICHELIEU had never fired her main battery, and her anti-aircraft battery was not yet in working order.

The remaining French ships, including cruiser PRIMAUGUET, the sloop BOUGAINVILLE and several destroyers are undamaged. An attempt by French aircraft to attack the British ships fails; nor are the French submarines LE GLORIEUX & LE HEROS, which were deployed, able to attack the British ships.

The French politicians surrounding Marshal Petain, being realists, had been forced to submit to the Germans to end the fight for which they could see no possible success. But not a single one had ever desired, until then, to break with England. In fact, it was generally believed that the armistice would apply only for a limited period, and that then all Europe, including England, would in some measure or other, arrive at a common understanding.

But these illusions were completely wrecked by the tragedy of Mers-el-Kebir. Until then, France had felt some shame at abandoning their fighting comrades, but from the moment those comrades turned their guns against France, the French no longer entertained any scruples. They had been freed from any such. The English had thought only of themselves - now France had only to imitate them and think of France first. The break could, of course, only profit the Germans!