Britain, Planning

There have been some suggestions, supported by Adm Pound, the 1st Sea Lord, that the British Fleet should be withdrawn from the Eastern Mediterranean. The idea is squashed by Churchill. This is a brave decision when it has not yet been established that the Italians are likely to misuse their considerable resources and when the problem of the French Fleet has not yet been resolved.

Britain, Policy

The British government and Admiralty are desperately worried by the status of the French navy and fear that it will fall into German hands. They therefore take action to prevent this. At Plymouth and Portsmouth 2 French battleships, 9 destroyers and many smaller ships are taken over with a little bloodshed in some minor skirmishes.

British forces seize 59 major French warships in British harbors. Among the ships are the battleships Courbet and Paris, and the giant submarine Surcouf. There is fighting aboard the Surcouf and the destroyer Mistral with some casualties.

East Africa

In Italian East Africa, British forces attack the defenses of Metemma. The Italian air force carries out another successful attack on the air and naval base at Aden.

German Raiders

The German auxiliary cruiser Komet leaves Gotenhafen in the Baltic for the Pacific Ocean. The Komet is under the command of Konteradmiral Robert Eyssen. He is to sail around the North Cape of Norway and heading east via the Siberian Sea passage.

Mediterranean

At Mers-el-Kebir naval base in Algeria there is an entirely different story. Here the British Adm Sir James Somerville has been sent with the 2 battleships and 1 battlecruiser of Force H supported by an aircraft carrier. Somerville has been ordered to present various alternative schemes for the demobilization of the French ships and their removal to distant ports.

After a multi-option ultimatum and tense negotiations, the British opened fire in the late afternoon. Within 15 minutes it was all over, and some 1300 French sailors were dead, with nary a hit on the attacking British force.

Naval Battle at Mers-el-Kebir, French Algeria

After France signed an armistice with Germany, the British government moved to destroy what it could of the French Navy, trying to prevent the ships from falling into German hands. Several ships were badly damaged, one sunk, and 1,297 French sailors were killed in the attack.

French Destroyer Mogador in Flames

Provence (Foreground), Strasbourg (Center) and Bretagne Seen Exploding in the Background

The French Adm Marcel-Bruno Gensoul has 4 battleships and a large complement of supporting vessels. The deadline in Somerville's orders expires before the negotiations have achieved an agreement and he feels compelled to open fire. The Bretogne is sunk (977 killed), and the Provence and the Dunkerque (210 killed) are badly damaged. The battle-cruiser Strasbourg, the carrier Commandant Teste and 5 destroyers steam out of the port and succeed in getting away to Toulon. Negotiations are proceeding in Alexandria between the British and French commanders there.[MORE]

Occupied Holland

Former Dutch Commander-in-Chief Gen Henri Winkelman is arrested and taken to Germany for 'hindering' the demobilization of the Dutch Army.