Mers-El Kebir

On this date in 1940 a British fleet opened fire on French warships anchored at the naval base of Mers-El Kebir in the French colony of Algeria.  Nearly 1,300 French naval personnel were killed.  Until a week earlier France had been an ally of Britain in the war against Nazi Germany.  The British attack was ordered by Prime Minister Winston Churchill.  Churchill later wrote, "This was the most hateful decision, the most unnatural and painful in which I have ever been concerned".

France had signed an armistice with Germany and Italy on June 25.  Although its fleet remained under control of Marshal Petain's new French government, Britain was concerned the Germans would seize control of the powerful French navy and threaten British naval supremacy which, if lost, would assure German victory.  Churchill and the War Cabinet concluded the French fleet must be neutralized.  It is also likely that Churchill felt he needed to demonstrate to the United States that Britain would do whatever was necessary to continue fighting the Germans.  The Prime Minister was desperate for American help and knew there was substantial doubt of Britain's willingness to continue on alone.

On July 3 after the French did not respond to the British ultimatum demanding they either surrender their ships and sailors or sail to the French West Indies, the British began firing.  In the ensuing battle the British destroyed one French battleship while two other battleships and three destroyers were damaged and run aground by their crews.  Only two British personnel were killed.

The following day President Franklin D Roosevelt told the French ambassador he would have taken the same action as the British.

French battleship under fire