Mers El Kebir July 1940 French Newsreel

FRENCH NEWSREEL July 1940-
At the dawn of WWII, The French and the English, friends and allies for over 100 years, fought valiantly, side by side, committed to stopping the German War machine. But in the summer of 1940, Germany invaded France.

The English, with concern that the French Naval Fleet would fall into German hands, requested that their friends defect. The French Admiralty refused.

On July 3, 1940, the unthinkable occurred. An event wished to be forgotten by history. Friends were forced to fight against friends. The British attacked the French, sinking their ships, killing over 1000 men.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• French
• World
• War
• II
• Navy
• English

[Bushroot]

Mers-el-Kebir was thus not just unnecessary, but was also a sharp betrayal for the French. Despite the British fears being understandable, it's easy to see why the French would have considered it a "massacre" or "atrocity".

[Fridomfry]

You have to grasp the political & moral sides. The French fleet had received strict and permanent scuttle orders, in the case of any foreign force tried to take control of it. They had to be executed even if a contrary order was given. The British offer was tempting, but it also meant that the Brits didn't trust the French officers' word of honour. Moreover, had the French admiral complied with the British offer, he would have taken the responibility of breaking the armistice with Germany!

[tigerscriber]

The blame was Darlan's. He should've taken Churchills offer to join the fight against the Nazi's, well before the French armistice with the Nazis was signed. France was pleased enough to see the Allies 5 years later. With the French fleet we'd've got there quicker. Bad decision.

That doesn't make it easy viewing.

[11nytram11]

@Silver4567z And finally was Gensoul's attitude. He did nothing. He was insulted that Summerville didn't come see him in person so refused to even consider any options that would see the episode end bloodlessly. He didn't tell Darlan about the option to sail to French ports in the New World - something Darlan had told him to do should a foreign power attempt to seize the fleet.

[11nytram11]

@Silver4567z There seems to be a reluctance from certain quarters amugst the French to even attempt to understand why the attack on the Fleet at Mers-el-Kabir by the British had to happen. Not only did the British need to remove the danger of the French Fleet being used against it but also the attack on a former ally turned German Puppet proved to the rest of the world that Britain had the resolve to fight on, alone if necessary, which removed all doubt America had about Britain giving in.

[11nytram11]

@Silver4567z We, in hindsight, know that the French were as good as their word and scuttled their fleet at Toulon when the Germans tried to sieze it but that happened in 1942 and the attack at Mers-el-Kabir happened in 1940. The whole war had changed in those years. In 1940 Britain stood alone against Germany and its very exitance was threaten, in 1942 Britain was safe, beggining to gain to upper hand and America had joined the war.

[11nytram11]

@Silver4567z Furthermore your French Government at the time was Vichy-France which was a German puppet state. The British could not and would not take the word of a German Puppet State when their very existance relied on the continued uniterrupted use of the Atlantic trade routes. As long as the French Fleet was in European Waters it posed a threat to British Shipping regardless of whatever promised the French had given. Had Gensoul chosen to fight under De Gaulle it would have been different.

[11nytram11]

@Silver4567z You could have kept you fleet undamaged and perfectly capable of protecting your colonies if Gensoul agreed to sail to Neutral American Waters or to French Bases in the Caribbean or America. The option you suggested - the "screw you" option - Gensoul decided to use in reality and we all know that turned out brilliantly. You'll note that Gensoul neglected to inform Darlan of the third option and requested reinforcements.

[Silver4567z]

Just admit it, it was a fucking mistake. I bet it was the reason De Gaule started to hate Anglos guts. I read he was disgusted at the Londoners celebrating this "Great Victory"

The French people were disgusted. I also bet that event was a cataclyst for the cooperation between vichy and the the third reich

[Silver4567z]

@11nytram11 What about the fourth option: What the fuck do you think your doing ? I have no ultimatum to receive from you. We need our fleet in the colonies. We were covering your ass during your retreat four weeks ago and you received assurances that we will scuttle the fleet instead of rendering it to to the germans so fuck off...

Note that the anglos did not wait for a answer and started dropping mines in the port entrance...

[11nytram11]

@Silver4567z Gensoul was given three options by the British prior to the attack. 1)Sail with the Royal Navy as allies against the Germans 2)sail to a British port, turn over their ships for use against the Germans - ships would be returned at the wars end or their lose reimbersed - and be repatriated or 3)sail to the Caribbean or neutral American water and remove their ships from the German's potential reach. If none of these options were taken the Britsh would open fire. Gensoul did nothing.

[TheMightOfTheEnglish]

@Bushroot easy to say now , 60 odd years after the event , the thing was ,the vichey french were traitors ,the leadership was. the US were at the time isolationist ,the ussr was not at war with germany , if the germans had got hold of french fleet , we would of lost the mediterranean , lost malta ,eygpt, the suez canal, our link with india, the whole war would of had a different outcome, half of france was occupied , the only betrayal was the vichey french to france .