The Summer Of 1940 - And The Battle Of Britain

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THE SUMMER OF 1940 - AND THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN


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WWII* Chapter 6

Europe basked in almost continuously magnificent summer weather as the temporary lull in large-scale hostilities caused all the combatant nations to take stock, regroup, redefine their priorities and discuss what the other side would do next. In France on July 1st, the French Government moved once again, this time to the town that was to become synonymous with French collaboration with Hitler - Vichy. Nine days later, on the 10th, the French National Assembly at Vichy gave Petain full powers to govern by a massive majority of 569 votes to 80 with only 17 abstentions. The next day, President Lebrun resigned, and Petain proclaimed himself "Head of the French State", abolished the 1875 constitution and dismissed the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.
On July 3rd came the "Mers-el-Kebir affair". Believing with some justification that Hitler's and Mussolini's guarantees of the neutrality of the French fleet, given as part of the Armistice agreements, were not to be relied upon, Churchill ordered Royal Navy "Force H" under Vice-Admiral Sir James Somerville to secure for the Allies the naval squadron of Admiral Gensoul, currently at Mers-el-Kebir in Algeria, or sink them. After protracted negotiations, the French Admiral refused to join the British fleet, and, at 1656 hrs, the British ships opened fire. The French battleship Bretagne was sunk, with the loss of 977 lives, and the Dunkerque was badly damaged with 210 lives lost. Provence ran aground; Mogador was badly damaged. Only the battleship Strasbourg escaped to Toulon.
A similar tragedy could have happened at Alexandria, but for the good sense and co-operation of the two admirals concerned, Cunningham of the British Royal Navy, and Godfroy of the French. Despite his orders from Churchill to achieve results by nightfall on July 3rd, Cunningham held his fire and continued to negotiate. Godfroy, despite the appalling news from Mers-el-Kebir, did the same. On July 4th, agreement was reached. Godfroy's eleven ships were to be immobilised in Alexandria Harbour and land their fuel stocks, and the breech blocks of their guns and the detonators of their torpedoes were to be handed over to the French Consulate in Alexandria.
Nearer home for Churchill and England, French ships in British ports were seized on July 3rd, with some fighting on board the giant submarine Surcouf and the destroyer Mistral . Nor surprisingly, the Vichy government in France was not happy, and on July 5th Petain broke off diplomatic relations with Britain. On the same day, as a reprisal for the Mers-el-Kebir incident, Vichy French warships captured three British merchant ships.