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Operation Catapult

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End of the Affair
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Operation Catapult " 'OPERATION Catapult,' " in Winston Churchill's words, "com-prised the simultaneous seizure, control, or effective disablement or destruction of all the accessible French Fleet."1 "Accessible" meant principally those ships present in English waters and at Alexandria, Oran, and Dakar, with no action contemplated against French ships in Toulon, Algiers, or Casablanca, sites that were judged to be too strongly defended. The action commenced on July 3. In the early hours of the morning all French vessels lying in Portsmouth, Plymouth, Falmouth, Southampton, Sheerness, and other British harbors were boarded and forcibly seized by English troops. The net haul included two old battleships (the Paris and the Courbet), two light cruisers, eight destroyers, six submarines, and some 200 lesser craft. The transfer to British control was peaceably achieved except on the destroyer Mistral, where sabotage was at-tempted, and the submarine Surcouf, where, all told, four were killed. The action was of necessity a complete surprise—only the evening before British officers had entertained their French col-leagues—and to Churchill demonstrated the ease with which the Germans might have taken possession of any French warships lying in ports controlled by them. However, in that the attack took place in British harbors, where there was no chance of the French ships falling into enemy hands and where measures had already been taken to prevent their departure for France or Africa, the military justifica-tion for the operation was not strictly preventive. Already on June 29 the British had decided to use the destroyers captured, insofar as they could be manned, and the small craft in the harbors, especially since the latter were among the categories the Franco-German armistice 352
© 2020 University of California Press, Berkeley

Operation Catapult " 'OPERATION Catapult,' " in Winston Churchill's words, "com-prised the simultaneous seizure, control, or effective disablement or destruction of all the accessible French Fleet."1 "Accessible" meant principally those ships present in English waters and at Alexandria, Oran, and Dakar, with no action contemplated against French ships in Toulon, Algiers, or Casablanca, sites that were judged to be too strongly defended. The action commenced on July 3. In the early hours of the morning all French vessels lying in Portsmouth, Plymouth, Falmouth, Southampton, Sheerness, and other British harbors were boarded and forcibly seized by English troops. The net haul included two old battleships (the Paris and the Courbet), two light cruisers, eight destroyers, six submarines, and some 200 lesser craft. The transfer to British control was peaceably achieved except on the destroyer Mistral, where sabotage was at-tempted, and the submarine Surcouf, where, all told, four were killed. The action was of necessity a complete surprise—only the evening before British officers had entertained their French col-leagues—and to Churchill demonstrated the ease with which the Germans might have taken possession of any French warships lying in ports controlled by them. However, in that the attack took place in British harbors, where there was no chance of the French ships falling into enemy hands and where measures had already been taken to prevent their departure for France or Africa, the military justifica-tion for the operation was not strictly preventive. Already on June 29 the British had decided to use the destroyers captured, insofar as they could be manned, and the small craft in the harbors, especially since the latter were among the categories the Franco-German armistice 352
© 2020 University of California Press, Berkeley

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents VII
  3. Preface XIII
  4. Abbreviations Used in Appendices and Notes XVII
  5. Comincia la Commedia
  6. The Separate Slide Over the Precipice 3
  7. The Reluctant Allies 8
  8. Slouching into War: Poland 18
  9. The Politics of Pessimism 21
  10. Disparities, Divisions, and the Search for Diversions 26
  11. Finland: The Alliance Makes Its Debut 37
  12. Dress Rehearsal in Norway 43
  13. All Quiet on the Western Front 52
  14. The Allied Balance Sheet 57
  15. Tightening the Knot 61
  16. I. Trial by Fire in the North (May 10-June 4)
  17. Breakthrough on the Meuse 71
  18. The Battle for Air Support 74
  19. The Looming Contingency 80
  20. Paper Tiger: The Counterattack Manqué 89
  21. A Chill Descends 95
  22. Giving Up the Ghost 101
  23. Dunkirk 109
  24. II. The Growing Rift Between the Allies (May 15-June 12)
  25. “A Certain Eventuality” 123
  26. The French Temptation 130
  27. The Problem Posed 137
  28. May 26: The Crisis Contained 143
  29. Stiffening the French 153
  30. Always Hungry, Always Asking for More 160
  31. The Battle Lost 169
  32. III. Crisis Over the Armistice (June 12 - June 16)
  33. The Opening Phase: June 12 181
  34. Paul Reynaud at Tours: June 13 187
  35. Cangé II: June 13 201
  36. June 14: Dangerous Moves 206
  37. The Slide Downhill: June 15 211
  38. June 16: Britain's Conditional Acceptance 219
  39. June 16: The Proposal of Union 227
  40. The Government's Collapse 234
  41. IV. The Question of the French Fleet (June 17- June 22)
  42. The Telegrams Resurface 247
  43. Promises, Promises 256
  44. To Leave or Not to Leave 262
  45. The Bordeaux Conversations 267
  46. Hitler’s Terms 274
  47. Sir Ronald’s Vigil- Diplomatic Confusion 281
  48. Diplomatic Conclusions 287
  49. V. Towards a Final Break (June 17-July 4)
  50. The Politics of Intimidation 297
  51. North Africa: Its Role in British Policy 303
  52. North Africa: The French View 313
  53. Caution Cast Off 318
  54. Straws in the Wind 325
  55. The Enigma of Admiral Darlan 329
  56. British Planning and the French Fleet 340
  57. Operation Catapult 352
  58. Mers-el-Kébir: Analysis and Aftermath 361
  59. End of the Affair 369
  60. When All Is Said and Done
  61. The Nature of the Problem 377
  62. Resolution and Inevitability 390
  63. Appendices
  64. A. Leopold's Surrender 403
  65. B. Churchill, Weygand, and the Breton Redoubt 406
  66. C. Mme Hélène de Portes 409
  67. D. Reynaud’s Last Appeal to Roosevelt 413
  68. E. The Possibility of a Coup in Bordeaux 416
  69. F. Behind the Chautemps Proposal 419
  70. G. The Case of the Elusive Telegrams 421
  71. H. Reynaud’s Cabinet- Rundown on the Armistice 424
  72. I. Reynaud’s Resignation 428
  73. J. Reynaud and the American Embassy 430
  74. K. The Republic’s Three Presidents 432
  75. L. Churchill Roosevelt and the British Fleet 435
  76. Notes and References
  77. Bibliography
  78. Index
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https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520313712-049

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents VII
  3. Preface XIII
  4. Abbreviations Used in Appendices and Notes XVII
  5. Comincia la Commedia
  6. The Separate Slide Over the Precipice 3
  7. The Reluctant Allies 8
  8. Slouching into War: Poland 18
  9. The Politics of Pessimism 21
  10. Disparities, Divisions, and the Search for Diversions 26
  11. Finland: The Alliance Makes Its Debut 37
  12. Dress Rehearsal in Norway 43
  13. All Quiet on the Western Front 52
  14. The Allied Balance Sheet 57
  15. Tightening the Knot 61
  16. I. Trial by Fire in the North (May 10-June 4)
  17. Breakthrough on the Meuse 71
  18. The Battle for Air Support 74
  19. The Looming Contingency 80
  20. Paper Tiger: The Counterattack Manqué 89
  21. A Chill Descends 95
  22. Giving Up the Ghost 101
  23. Dunkirk 109
  24. II. The Growing Rift Between the Allies (May 15-June 12)
  25. “A Certain Eventuality” 123
  26. The French Temptation 130
  27. The Problem Posed 137
  28. May 26: The Crisis Contained 143
  29. Stiffening the French 153
  30. Always Hungry, Always Asking for More 160
  31. The Battle Lost 169
  32. III. Crisis Over the Armistice (June 12 - June 16)
  33. The Opening Phase: June 12 181
  34. Paul Reynaud at Tours: June 13 187
  35. Cangé II: June 13 201
  36. June 14: Dangerous Moves 206
  37. The Slide Downhill: June 15 211
  38. June 16: Britain's Conditional Acceptance 219
  39. June 16: The Proposal of Union 227
  40. The Government's Collapse 234
  41. IV. The Question of the French Fleet (June 17- June 22)
  42. The Telegrams Resurface 247
  43. Promises, Promises 256
  44. To Leave or Not to Leave 262
  45. The Bordeaux Conversations 267
  46. Hitler’s Terms 274
  47. Sir Ronald’s Vigil- Diplomatic Confusion 281
  48. Diplomatic Conclusions 287
  49. V. Towards a Final Break (June 17-July 4)
  50. The Politics of Intimidation 297
  51. North Africa: Its Role in British Policy 303
  52. North Africa: The French View 313
  53. Caution Cast Off 318
  54. Straws in the Wind 325
  55. The Enigma of Admiral Darlan 329
  56. British Planning and the French Fleet 340
  57. Operation Catapult 352
  58. Mers-el-Kébir: Analysis and Aftermath 361
  59. End of the Affair 369
  60. When All Is Said and Done
  61. The Nature of the Problem 377
  62. Resolution and Inevitability 390
  63. Appendices
  64. A. Leopold's Surrender 403
  65. B. Churchill, Weygand, and the Breton Redoubt 406
  66. C. Mme Hélène de Portes 409
  67. D. Reynaud’s Last Appeal to Roosevelt 413
  68. E. The Possibility of a Coup in Bordeaux 416
  69. F. Behind the Chautemps Proposal 419
  70. G. The Case of the Elusive Telegrams 421
  71. H. Reynaud’s Cabinet- Rundown on the Armistice 424
  72. I. Reynaud’s Resignation 428
  73. J. Reynaud and the American Embassy 430
  74. K. The Republic’s Three Presidents 432
  75. L. Churchill Roosevelt and the British Fleet 435
  76. Notes and References
  77. Bibliography
  78. Index
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