What was the detailed process of the battle of Dakar?

What was the detailed process of the battle of Dakar?

The Battle of Dakar, commonly known as threatening action, was an unsuccessful action launched by the Allied Forces in September 1940. Its purpose was to seize the control of French West Africa (Senegal) controlled by Vichy France, and Charles de Gaulle led the Free French Army to attack. The final result ended in the withdrawal of the allied forces.

1in June, 940, after the armistice agreement was signed between France and Germany, the French colonies showed both chaos and various loyalties. Some of them, such as French Cameroonian and French Equatorial Africa, joined the free French camp, but other areas, such as French North Africa, French West Africa, Syrian and French Indian zhina, are still under Vichy France's control. France's fleet in the Mediterranean can resist the British Royal Navy, forcing it not to go to the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean against German warships.

The French fleet may fall under the control of the Germans, so Britain raided the French fleet in Mills Kebil. When Britain eliminated a potential threat, their actions encouraged idle troops to join free France.

Charles de Gaulle believed that he could persuade Vichy's French troops in Dakar to join the Allies for many reasons. Taking refuge in Vichy French colony not only has political effects, but also has practical benefits: gold was first deposited in the Bank of France and the Polish government in exile, and later in Dakar; In addition, militarily, the port of Dakar is better than the original base of the allied forces in Sierra Leone, Africa.

Therefore, the Allies decided to send the aircraft carrier Atheros, three battleships barham, Warrior and Determination, five cruisers and ten destroyers to Dakar. In addition, some troop carriers were sent to transport a team of 8000 people. They first tried to negotiate with French Governor Vichy, but if the negotiations broke down, siege would be the first choice.

Vichy's battleship group in Dakar is led by the unfinished Richelieu class battleship, which is the most advanced warship in France. It left Brest port on June 18, before the German army arrived.

At that time, Li Sailiu only completed about 95%. Before the Vichy regime was established, HMS Hermes, a British aircraft carrier, was still under the command of the French army in Dakar. Once France took control of Vichy regime, it would be a disaster for the Allies.

However, it remains to be seen whether the competitive god will sail out of the port in time. Later, the Australian heavy cruiser Australia joined the protection. Planes taking off from Competitive God kept attacking Li Sailiu, hitting it with torpedoes. The French ship is broken and can't move, but it still has the ability to use as a floating battery. Three Vichy submarines and several small boats are also in Dakar.

A few days ago, three cruisers (Gloria, George Ray Gus and Mon Calm) and three destroyers came from Toulon in the south of France in the direction of Dhaka. Due to the mechanical failure of the Gloria, the fleet was delayed, and the Gloria was intercepted by Australians near Casablanca. Two other cruisers and destroyers escaped from the allied cruisers and arrived safely in Dakar.

On September 23, naval aviation dropped leaflets in Dakar. The free French plane tried to land at the airport, but the crew was immediately caught. Aircraft carriers Arthur Ross and Charles de Gaulle entered the harbor by boat, but they were shelled. 10:00, Australia whistled to the French warship Vichy, which was about to leave the port. When the warship returned to the port, the coastal battery began to shell the Australian. This led to the exchange of fire between warships, cruisers and shore guns. In the afternoon, Australians intercepted the Vichy destroyer L' Audacieux and forced it to return to the port.

Then in the afternoon, the Free French Army tried to land on the coast of Rufsqui in order to reach the northeast of Dakar.

In the next two days, the allied fleet continued to attack the coastal battery, but Vichy France continued to hold on. During the battle, two Vichy French submarines (Ajax and percy) were sunk and one destroyer was damaged. The allied fleet also suffered heavy losses: Determined was badly damaged by Bei Vezir, and the battleship barham was hit by a 380mm shell fired by Li Sailiu. Two cruisers were also damaged.

Finally, the Allies finally gave in and left Dakar and French West Africa in Vichy France's hands.

The failure of the allied forces was mainly due to political factors. Charles de Gaulle thought he could persuade Vichy France to take refuge in Dakar, but the actual result was not what Charles de Gaulle hoped, which lowered his position in the Allies. Even if he wins the battle of Gabon two months later, he can't completely make up for this mistake.