. The military history of France during World War II covers three periods. From 1939 until 1940, which witnessed a war against Germany by the. The period from 1940 until 1945, which saw competition between and the under General for control of the overseas empire. And 1944, witnessing the landings of the Allies in France (Normandy, Provence), expelling the German Army and putting an end to Vichy Regime. France and Britain declared war on Germany when it invaded Poland in September 1939.
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After the from 1939 to 1940, within seven weeks, the Germans invaded and defeated France and forced the British off the continent. France formally surrendered to Germany. In August 1943, the de Gaulle and Giraud forces merged in a single chain of command subordinated to Anglo-American leadership, meanwhile opposing French forces on the were subordinated to Soviet or German leaderships. This in-exile French force together with the (FFI) played a variable-scale role in the eventual by the and the defeat of Vichy France, and the. Vichy France fought for control over the with the Free French forces, which were aided by Britain and the U.S.
By 1943, all of the colonies, except for Indochina, had joined the Free French cause. The number of Free French troops grew with Allied success in North Africa and subsequent rallying of the Army of Africa which pursued the fight against the Axis fighting in many campaigns and eventually invading Italy, occupied France and Germany from 1944 to 1945 by demanding unconditional surrender to the in the.
On October 23, 1944, Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union officially recognized de Gaulle's regime as the (GPRF) which replaced the in-exile Vichy French State (its government having fled to in western Germany) and preceded the (1946). Recruitment in liberated France led to enlargements of the French armies. By the end of the war in Europe in May 1945, France had 1,250,000 troops, 10 divisions of which were fighting in Germany.
An corps was created to liberate then occupied by the Japanese. During the course of the war, French military losses totaled 212,000 dead, of which 92,000 were killed through the end of the campaign of 1940, 58,000 from 1940 to 1945 in other campaigns, 24,000 lost while serving in the, and a further 38,000 lost while serving with the German Army (including 32,000 '). Main article: After the French armies, Germany seized 2 million French prisoners of war and sent them to camps in Germany. About one third were released on various terms. Of the remainder, the officers and noncommissioned officers were kept in separate camps and did not work. The privates were sent out to work.
About half of them in German agriculture, where food supplies were adequate and controls were lenient. The others work in factories or mines, where conditions were much harsher. Free French Forces (1940–45). Arms of 's involved in the. Armies. Atlantic Army Detachment. Alpine Army Detachment Corps.
Divisions. 2nd Moroccan. 4th Moroccan Mountain Division. 9th Colonial Infantry Division.
27th Alpine Infantry Division. 1st Armoured Division. 3rd Armoured Division. 1st Infantry Division. 10th Infantry Division. 14th Infantry Division.
19th Infantry Division. 23rd Infantry Division. 25th Infantry Division. 36th Infantry Division. 1st Far East Colonial Division. 2nd Far East Colonial Division.
3rd and 4th Free French S.A.S. Battalions French State Army (1940–44). Secretary of State of the Vichy regime (white coat) and other French and German officers visiting the graves of Poles killed by the 's during the 1940, in 1943.
This event was exploited by the anti- Vichy French propaganda. The, (') was a Vichy French force created on 30 January 1943 by the French State for service as auxiliary of the German occupation army; hunting down the. Its commander was a battle of France veteran and volunteer; he took an oath of loyalty to in October 1943 and received a rank of in the. By 1944, the French Milice had over 35,000 members. Fire during an air raid by the Nazis on,. Circa 1943 The Nazis suspected Vichy determination after Torch and they occupied the southern 'free' part of metropolitan France known as Vichy France in November 1942, ( ). Also, the Libya-based performed several bombing attacks on Algiers's harbour and Eastern French Algeria cities (including and ).
Free French colonies In the autumn of 1940, the French colonies of, and joined the Free French side. French colonies in, and the joined later. Vichy French colonies was under Vichy control and Japanese oversight 1940-44 and then under total Japanese rule. The colonies of and in the remained under Vichy government control until 1942. Allied Angary (1940). Further information: Starting with on 3 July 1940, the British took pre-emptive actions to seize French vessels. Both combatants and merchant ships docked in British harbours of the , Mediterranean and Canada were suddenly taken captive by armed sailors and soldiers.
The crews were interned and the ships were taken over and distributed to the British or Polish fleets. Later, with the recognition of Charles de Gaulle as leader of the Free French government-in-exile, the interned personnel were set free and organized with new ships by the British.
American aid supplied under allowed expansion and reconstitution of a French navy as part of the Western allies. British capture French Navy ships in British ports were boarded by armed sailors, these included the submarine under repair in Plymouth in July 1940 which resulted on four deaths (3 British, 1 French) and the capture of the merchant MV Charles Plumier at Gibraltar in November 1940, which became which was later used as a command ship in several amphibious landings. Surcoufs repairs were completed and it was turned over to Free French forces by August 1940 and in 1941 was acting as escort to trans-Atlantic convoys.
Axis requisition (1940–1945) German capture As part of Case Anton, in operation Lila the Germans tried to seize the remaining French navy. In Toulon, the rather than let them be handed over. Seventy-seven vessels including three battleships, seven cruisers, and fifteen destroyers were deliberately sunk.
Some submarines ignored their orders to scuttle and escaped to fight on the allied cause. European Theatre of World War II. Main article: The on 1 September 1939 was a resounding success for German forces. France declared war to Germany on 3 September 1939 and invaded its western territory, with the led by general. This attempt was led by France's military obligation to help Poland per the, and was the following of the headed by the same commanding officer. Although tactically successful, as the advance in German territory reached 8 km, the Saar operation was abandoned on 12 September when the decided that all offensive actions were to be halted immediately.
This SWC was composed of Prime Minister and Lord Chatfield as the British delegation while Prime Minister and General formed the French delegation. As a result of the deliberations, General Gamelin ordered the French troops to withdraw to the in France, leaving Poland to its own fate facing the Germans and Soviets all alone; the latter entering Poland on 17 September. On 16 October, German general started a counter-offensive against France entering its territory a few kilometers and the last covering French forces left Germany the following day to defend their country. Battle of Belgium (May 10–28, 1940). French people staring and waving at the French Army remaining troops leaving metropolitan France at harbour in 1940 from 's (54:50) Encircled, the British, Belgian and French launched Operation Dynamo (May 26 – June 4) and later Operation Ariel (June 14–25), evacuating Allied forces from the northern pocket in Belgium and, beginning on May 26.
(see ) The Allied position was complicated by King 's surrender the following day, which was postponed until May 28. Confusion still reigned however, as after the evacuation at Dunkirk and while Paris was enduring its short-lived siege, the and a Scottish division were sent to and penetrated 200 miles inland toward Paris before they heard that Paris had fallen and France had capitulated. They retreated and re-embarked for England. At the same time as the Canadian 1st division landed in, the Canadian 242 Squadron of the RAF flew their to (100 miles south-east) and set up there to provide air cover. British retreat, French defeat (June 5–10, 1940). The German offensive in June sealed the defeat of the Allies.
The best and most modern French armies had been sent north and lost in the resulting encirclement; the French had lost their best heavy weaponry and their best armoured formations. Weygand was faced with a haemorrhage in the front stretching from Sedan to the, and the French government had begun to lose heart that the Germans could still be defeated, particularly as the remaining British forces were retreating from the battlefield returning to Great Britain, a particularly symbolic event for French morale, intensified by the German anti-British propaganda slogan 'The British will fight to the last Frenchman'. The Germans renewed their offensive on June 5 on the Somme. A panzer-led attack on Paris broke the scarce reserves that Weygand had put between the Germans and the capital, and on June 10 the French government fled to, declaring Paris an. Italy's declaration of war, French-Italian air battles, UK ends French support (June 10–11, 1940).
Main article: On June 21, in three places. Roughly thirty-two Italian divisions faced just four French divisions. Fighting continued in the east until, commanding the French Second Army group, was forced to surrender on June 22 by the armistice. France to the German armed forces on June 22 in the same railroad car at in which Germany in 1918.
This railway car was lost in allied air raids on the German capital of Berlin later in the war. German occupation, formation of Vichy France and Armistice army.
Main article: A fighter aviation group nicknamed fought on the as part of the Soviet air force. These French volunteers were equipped with first-rate Soviet-built fighters.
At de Gaulle's initiative, the was formed on September 1, 1942, for service on the along the Soviet. It served with distinction with Soviet aircraft and was awarded the supplementary title (from the Belaruss river) by Stalin. Its first commander was Jean Tulasne who was KIA The group Normandie-Niemen evolved from a single squadron called 'Normandie' to a full regiment called which included Squadron, Squadron and Squadron. Their battle honors were 1943, 1943, Orche 1944, 1944, 1944, 1945 and 1945. By the end of World War II, the Free French unit counted 273 certified victories, 37 non-certified victories and 45 damaged aircraft with 869 fights and 42 dead. On May 31, 1945, Normandie-Niemen squadrons were directed to Moscow by the Soviet authorities who decided to allow them to return in France with their aircraft as a reward.
The 40 French pilots still active with the regiment flew back to France in Yak-3 fighter planes. They arrived at, Poland on June 15, 1945, and in Paris, through, and, on June 21 (their arrival at Stuttgart and parade at Le Bourget were taped ). Maquis du Limousin (June 1942 – August 1944).
French colonial troops entering, in June 1944. This success was followed in June 1944 by the in which the 9th Colonial Infantry Division (9 DIC) and Choc battalions of I Corps assaulted and seized the heavily fortified island, defended by German fortress infantry and coastal artillery troops.
Combat on the island was characterized by close-in fighting, use of, well-ranged German artillery, and the liberal use of. France maquis warfare (January–July, 1944) Battle of Vercors (January–July).
Main article: : FTP forces ( Francs-tireurs partisans) under fought the Wehrmacht General 's brigade. Campaign of France (1944–1945) By the time of the, the Free French forces numbered 500,000 regulars and more than 100,000 FFI. The, under General, landed at in on August 2 and eventually led the drive towards Paris later that month. The FFI (French Resistance) began to seriously harass the German forces, cutting roads, railways, making ambushes as well as fighting battles alongside their allies. French SAS Brittany airborne landings (June 5–18, 1944) Operation Samwest (June 5–9). Main article: Free French infantry fighting in the Normandy beaches on June 6 is limited to the (1er BFMC) under Free French Navy Major. The 's 1er BFMC comprised 177 commandos and had been created at, Scotland after the.
This All-French unit, including many as was close to England, was attached to the British under Lieutenant-Colonel Dawson. It was the very first infantry unit to touch the sand of, (Normandy) in the landing full-scale operation Operation Overlord; preceding the 3rd British Infantry Division. This honor was a courtesy of (S.S.B.) commander Scottish Brigadier who slowed down the British commandos landing crafts to let pass the French 527 (Troop 1) and LCI 528 (Troop 8).
The 1er BFMC's Normandy campaign lasted 83 days, casualty rate was high, from the 117 Kieffer commandos of June 6, only 24 survived. Free French naval operations (June 3–16).
(2e DB) in Normandy during. The 2nd Division landed at Utah Beach (Normandy), on August 1, 1944, about two months after the, and served under 's. Battle for Normandy (July 1944) The 2nd division played a critical role in, the Allied breakthrough from Normandy, when it served as a link between American and Canadian armies and made rapid progress against German forces. They all but destroyed the and defeated several other German units. During the Battle for Normandy, the 2nd Division lost 133 men killed, 648 wounded, and 85 missing.
Division material losses included 76 armored vehicles, 7 cannons, 27 halftracks, and 133 other vehicles. In the same period, the 2nd Division inflicted losses on the Germans of 4,500 killed and 8,800 taken prisoner, while the Germans' material losses in combat against the 2nd Division during the same period were 117 tanks, 79 cannons, and 750 wheeled vehicles. Liberation of Paris (August 24–25, 1944). Crowds of French people line the to view the tanks and pass before the on 26 August 1944.
The most celebrated moment in the 2nd's history involved the. Allied strategy emphasized destroying German forces retreating towards the, but when the French Resistance under staged an uprising in the city, Charles de Gaulle pleaded with to send help. Eisenhower agreed and Leclerc's forces headed for Paris. After hard fighting that cost the 2nd Division 35 tanks, 6 self-propelled guns, and 111 vehicles, the military governor of Paris, surrendered the city at the. Jubilant crowds greeted French forces, and de Gaulle conducted a famous parade through the city. Lorraine Campaign, Liberation of Strasbourg (1944 – January 1945).
Free French talks to his men from the 501° RCC. Operation Dragoon was the invasion of southern France, on August 15, 1944, as part of World War II. The invasion took place between Toulon and. During the planning stages, the operation was known as Anvil, to complement Operation Hammer, which was at that time the codename for the invasion of. Subsequently, both plans were renamed, the latter becoming Operation Overlord, the former becoming Operation Dragoon; a name supposedly picked by Winston Churchill, who was opposed to the plan, and claimed to having been 'dragooned' into accepting it. The plan originally envisaged a mixture of Free French and American troops taking Toulon and later, with subsequent revisions encompassing. The plan was revised throughout 1944, however, with conflict developing between British military staff — who were opposed to the landings, arguing that the troops and equipment should be either retained in Italy or sent there — and American military staff, who were in favour of the assault.
This was part of a larger Anglo-American strategic disagreement. The balance was tipped in favour of Dragoon by two events: the eventual fall of Rome in early June, plus the success of Operation Cobra, the breakout from the Normandy pocket, at the end of the month. Operation Dragoon's was set for August 15, 1944.
The final go-ahead was given at short notice. US and French soldiers comparing their respective weapons in, in 1944. The, also known as the Southern Group of Armies, commanded by Lieutenant General was created in and activated on August 1, 1944, to consolidate the combined French and American forces that were planning to invade southern France in Operation Dragoon. At first it was subordinate to (Allied Forces Headquarters) under the command of Field Marshal Sir who was the supreme commander of the. One month after the invasion, command was handed over to (Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Forces) under U.S.
General, the supreme commander of Allied forces on the. The assault troops were formed of three American divisions of the, reinforced by a French armoured division. The landed on the left at Alpha Beach , the landed in the centre at Delta Beach , and the landed on the right at Camel Beach. These were supported by French commando groups landing on both flanks, and by Rugby Force, a parachute assault in the Le Muy-Le Luc area by the 1st Airborne Task Force:, the U.S., and a composite U.S. Airborne glider regimental combat team formed from the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion, the 550th Glider Infantry Battalion, and the 1st Battalion, 551st Parachute Infantry regiment.
The took two offshore islands to protect the beachhead. Naval gunfire from Allied ships, including battleships, and and a fleet of over 50 cruisers and destroyers supported the landings. Seven Allied provided air cover. Over ninety-four thousand troops and eleven thousand vehicles were landed on the first day. A number of German troops had been diverted to fight the Allied forces in Northern France after Operation Overlord and a major attack by fighters, coordinated by Captain of the, helped drive the remaining German forces back from the beachhead in advance of the landing. As a result, the Allied forces met little resistance as they moved inland.
The quick success of this invasion, with a twenty-mile penetration in twenty-four hours, sparked a major uprising by resistance fighters in Paris. Follow-up formations included US VI Corps HQ, (later redesignated the French First Army) and French I and II Corps. 2e DB commander General Leclerc in a. The rapid retreat of the German Nineteenth Army resulted in swift gains for the Allied forces. The plans had envisaged greater resistance near the landing areas and underestimated transport needs. The consequent need for vehicle fuel outstripped supply, and this shortage proved to be a greater impediment to the advance than German resistance. As a result, several German formations escaped into the Vosges and Germany.
The Dragoon force met up with southern thrusts from Overlord in mid-September, near. Operation Dragoon included a glider landing and a deception.
A planned benefit of Dragoon was the usefulness of the port of Marseille. The rapid Allied advance after Operation Cobra and Dragoon slowed almost to a halt in September 1944 due to a critical lack of supplies, as thousands of tons of supplies were shunted to NW France to compensate for the inadequacies of port facilities and land transport in northern Europe. Marseille and the southern French railways were brought back into service despite heavy damage to the Port of Marseille and its railroad trunk lines. They became a significant supply route for the Allied advance into Germany, providing about a third of the Allied needs. Operation Romeo (August 15, 1944). A was mounted on rail in, on board French and British troops. 1944 The French First Army under performed spectacularly in the capture of Toulon and Marseilles.
'The original plan intended to attack the two ports in succession. The accelerated landings of de Lattre's French forces, however, and the general situation allowed concurrent operations against both.
De Lattre ordered Lt. To move west against Toulon along the coast, with two infantry divisions supported by tanks and commandos. Simultaneously, a second force, under Maj. And consisting of one infantry division and similar supporting forces, would advance in a more northwesterly direction, encircling the naval port from the north and west and probing toward Marseille. De Lattre knew that the German garrisons at the ports were substantial: some 18,000 troops of all types at Toulon and another 13,000, mostly army, at Marseille. However, Resistance sources also told him that the defenders had not yet put much effort into protecting the landward approaches to the ports, and he was convinced that a quick strike by experienced combat troops might well crack their defenses before they had a chance to coalesce. Speed was essential.
On the morning of August 20, with the German command in Toulon still in a state of confusion and the Nineteenth Army more concerned with Truscott's westward progress well north of the port, de Larminat attacked from the east while Monsabert circled around to the north, quickly outflanking Toulon's hasty defenses along the coast. By the 21st Monsabert had cut the Toulon-Marseille road, and several of his units had entered Toulon from the west, penetrating to within two miles of the main waterfront.
Between 21 and 23 August, the French slowly squeezed the Germans back into the inner city in a series of almost continuous street fights. As the German defense lost coherence, isolated groups began to surrender, with the last organized resistance ending on the 26th and the formal German surrender occurring on 28 August. The battle cost de Lattre about 2,700 casualties, but the French claimed 17,000 prisoners, indicating that few Germans had followed the Fuehrer's 'stand and die' order.
Even as French forces occupied Toulon, Monsabert began the attack on Marseille, generally screening German defenses along the coast and striking from the northeastern and northern approaches. Early gains on the 22d put French troops within five to eight miles of the city's center, while a major Resistance uprising within the port encouraged French soldiers to strike deeper. Although de Lattre urged caution, concerned over the dispersion of his forces and the shortage of fuel for his tanks and trucks, Monsabert's infantry plunged into the heart of Marseille in the early hours of 23 August. Their initiative decided the issue, and the fighting soon became a matter of battling from street to street and from house to house, as in Toulon. On the evening of the 27th, the German commander parleyed with Monsabert to arrange terms and a formal surrender became effective on the 28th, the same day as the capitulation of Toulon. At Marseille, the French took over 1,800 casualties and acquired roughly 11,000 more prisoners. Equally important, both ports, although badly damaged by German demolitions, were in Allied hands many weeks ahead of schedule.'
Liberation of north-eastern France (September 1944 – March 1945) Moving north, the French First Army liberated on 2 September 1944 and moved into the southern, capturing and at the close of November 1944. Following the capture of the Belfort Gap, French operations in the area of Burnhaupt destroyed the German IV Luftwaffe Korps. In February 1945, with the assistance of the, the First Army collapsed the and cleared the west bank of the of Germans in the area south of. Western Allied invasion of Germany (1945). Main article: The British began to doubt Admiral Darlan's promise to Churchill to not allow the French fleet at Toulon to fall into German hands by the wording of the armistice conditions. In the end, the killing 1000 French soldiers at Mers El Kebir alone. This action led to feelings of animosity and mistrust between the Vichy French and their former British allies.
During the course of the war, Vichy France forces lost 2,653 soldiers and lost 20,000. In German and Italian hands, the French fleet would have been a grave threat to Britain and the British Government was unable to take this risk. In order to neutralise the threat, Winston Churchill ordered that the French ships should rejoin the Allies, agree to be put out of use in a British, French or neutral port or, as a last resort, be destroyed by British attack. The attempted to persuade the French Navy to agree to these terms, but when that failed they attacked the French Navy at and (see ), on July 3, 1940. This caused bitterness and division in France, particularly in the Navy, and discouraged many French soldiers from joining the Free French forces in Britain and elsewhere. Also, the attempt to persuade Vichy French forces in to join De Gaulle failed. Sabotage operation in Greece (June 12–13, 1942).
French II/33 Groupe 'Savoie' were involved in. It was on board a F-5B-1-LO variant that ( ) was shot down in 1944. Involved infantry, air force and armored cavalry forces from the Army of Africa including 4th Moroccan Tabor (66th, 67th & 68th Goums landed on July 13 at ) from U.S. 7th Army, No. II/5 'LaFayette' French Squadron with and No. II/7 'Nice' French Squadron with (both from ), II/33 Groupe 'Savoie' with from the and 131st RCC with tanks.
Liberation of Corsica (September–October 1943). French cruiser Georges Leygues. The, also known as Operation Menace, was an unsuccessful attempt by the to capture the strategic port of in (modern-day ), which was under Vichy French control, and to install the under General Charles de Gaulle there.
De Gaulle believed that he could persuade the Vichy French forces in Dakar to join the Allied cause. There were several advantages to this; not only the political consequences if another Vichy French colonies changed sides, but also more practical advantages, such as the fact that the gold reserves of the and the were stored in Dakar and, militarily, the better location of the port of Dakar for protecting the convoys sailing around Africa than, the base the Allies were using. It was decided to send a naval force of an, two (of World War I vintage), four and ten to Dakar. Several transports, would transport the 8,000 troops. Their orders were first to try and negotiate with the Vichy French governor, but if this was unsuccessful, to take the city by force. The Vichy French forces present at Dakar were led by a battleship, the, one of the most advanced in the French fleet.
It had left Brest on the June 18 before the Germans reached it. Richelieu was then only about 95% complete.
Before the establishment of the Vichy government, an aircraft carrier, had been operating with the French forces in Dakar. Once the Vichy regime was in power, Hermes left port but remained on watch, and was joined by the Australian. Planes from Hermes had attacked the Richelieu, and had struck it once with a torpedo. The French ship was immobilised but was able to function as a floating gun battery. Three Vichy submarines and several lighter ships were also at Dakar. A force of three cruisers (, and ) and three destroyers had left for Dakar just a few days earlier.
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The Gloire was slowed by mechanical troubles, and was intercepted by Australia and ordered to sail for Casablanca. The other two cruisers and the destroyers outran the pursuing Allied cruisers and had reached Dakar safely.
On September 23, the dropped leaflets on the city. Free French aircraft flew off from Ark Royal and landed at the airport, but the crews were taken prisoner.
A boat with representatives of de Gaulle entered the port but were fired upon. At 10:00, Vichy French ships trying to leave the port were given warning shots from Australia. The ships returned to port but the coastal forts opened fire on Australia. This led to an engagement between the battleships and cruisers and the forts.
In the afternoon, Australia intercepted and fired on the Vichy destroyer, setting it on fire and causing it to be beached. In the afternoon, an attempt was made to set Free French troops ashore on a beach at, to the north east of Dakar, but they came under heavy fire from strong points defending the beach. De Gaulle declared he did not want to 'shed the blood of Frenchmen for Frenchmen' and the attack was called off. During the next two days, the Allied fleet attacked the coastal defences, as the Vichy French tried to prevent them. Two Vichy French submarines were sunk, and a destroyer damaged. After the Allied fleet also took heavy damage (both battleships and two cruisers were damaged), they withdrew, leaving Dakar and French West Africa in Vichy French hands.
The effects of the Allied failure were mostly political. De Gaulle had believed that he would be able to persuade the Vichy French at Dakar to change sides, but this turned out not to be the case, which damaged his standing with the Allies. Battle of Gabon (November 8–10, 1940). Main article: Coup of Algiers As agreed at, starting at midnight and continuing through the early hours of 8 November, as the invasion troops were approaching the shore, a group of 400 French resistance under the command of and staged a coup in the city of Algiers. They seized key targets, including the telephone exchange, radio station, governor's house and the headquarters of 19th Corps. Then drove to the residence of General, the senior French Army officer in North Africa, with some resistance fighters. While the resistance surrounded the house, making Juin effectively a prisoner, Murphy attempted to persuade him to side with the Allies.
However, he was treated to a surprise: Admiral, the commander of all French forces, was in Algiers on a private visit. Juin insisted on contacting Darlan, and Murphy was unable to persuade either to side with the Allies. In the early morning, the Gendarmerie arrived and released Juin and Darlan. Allied invasion of Oran. Members of the ' (1ere Compagnie de Chasseurs Parachutistes) during the link-up between advanced units of the 1st and 8th British armies in the – area of. Previously a company of Free French paratroopers, the French SAS squadron were the first of a range of units 'acquired' by Major Stirling as the SAS expanded. Giraud's Army of Africa fought in Tunisia (late ) alongside de Gaulle's Free French Forces, the and the for six months until April, 1943.
Using antiquated equipment, they took heavy casualties – 16,000 – against modern armour of the German enemy. Run for Tunis (November 10 – December 25, 1942).
Main article: France had fallen, her empire in tatters, but her flag still flew from the isolated but strategically important ex-Italian fort of El Tag which dominated the Kufra oasis in Southern Libya. Free France had struck a blow, a beginning in the campaign to recapture France and defeat the. Colonel Leclerc and the intrepid Lt Col (commander of French Forces in ), on the orders of de Gaulle in London, were tasked with attacking Italian positions in Libya with the motley forces at their disposal in Chad which had declared for Free France. Kufra was the obvious target. The task of striking at the heavily defended oasis at Kufra was made all the more difficult by the use of inadequate transport to cross sand dunes and the rocky, considered to be impassable to vehicles. Fortunately for the French, assistance was received from Major of the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG), who was keen to join with the Free French to test the Italians.
Clayton had under his command G (Guards) and T (New Zealand) patrols, a total of seventy-six men in twenty-six vehicles. In order to assist in the attack against Kufra, a raid was mounted against the airfield at the oasis of, capital of the region of Libya. Ten Free French (three officers, two sergeants and five native soldiers) under d'Ornano met with Clayton's LRDG patrols on January 6, 1941, at Kayouge. The combined force reached Murzuk on January 11. In a daring daylight raid, they surprised the sentries and swept through the oasis, devastating the base. The majority of the force attacked the main fort, while a troop from T patrol under engaged the airfield defences, destroying three aircraft and capturing a number of prisoners. The success of the raid was tempered by the loss of a T patrol member and the intrepid d'Ornano.
Another wounded French officer cauterised his leg wound with his own cigarette, much to the admiration of the LRDG. A diversionary raid by mounted failed after it was betrayed by local guides, prompting Leclerc to relegate these troops to recon duties only. After the success of the Murzuk raid, Leclerc, who had assumed overall command, marshalled his forces to take on Kufra itself.
Intelligence indicated that the Oasis was defended by two defensive lines based around the El Tag fort which included barbed wire, trenches, machine guns and light AA (anti-aircraft) defences. The garrison was thought to comprise a battalion of Askaris (Colonial Infantry) under Colonel Leo, plus supporting troops. In addition to the static defences, the oasis was defended by, a specialist mobile force and the forerunner of the famous ' companies of the mid war period. The company was composed of desert veterans crewing various and trucks equipped with HMGs and 20 mm AA weapons, together with some. The company also had the support of its own air arm to assist in long range reconnaissance and ground attack. Leclerc could not pinpoint the Saharianas, so he tasked the LRDG with the job of hunting them down and robbing the defenders of their mobile reserve.
Unfortunately for the LRDG, a radio intercept unit at Kufra picked up their radio traffic and they were spotted from the air. The defenders had been on their guard since Murzuk.
G patrol had been kept in reserve and Major Clayton was leading T patrol, 30 men in 11 trucks. The patrol was at on the morning of January 31 when an Italian aircraft appeared overhead. The trucks scattered and made for some hills, and the plane flew away without attacking them. The patrol took cover among some rocks in a small at and camouflaged the trucks, before preparing to have lunch. The plane returned and circled over the wadi, where it directed a patrol of the Auto-Saharan Company to intercept the (LRDG). During fierce fighting, the LRDG patrol came off second best to superior Italian firepower and constant air attack.
After severe losses, the surviving seven trucks of the patrol were forced to withdraw, leaving behind their commanding officer, who was captured along with several others. Other survivors embarked on epic journeys to seek safety.
After this reverse, the LRDG force was forced to withdraw and refit, leaving Leclerc the services of one LRDG vehicle from T patrol crucially equipped for desert navigation. Leclerc pressed on with his attack, in spite of losing a copy of his plan to the enemy with the capture of Major Clayton.
After conducting further, Leclerc reorganized his forces on February 16. He abandoned his two armoured cars and took with him the remaining serviceable artillery piece, a crucial decision. On the 17th, Leclerc's forces brushed with the Saharianas and despite a disparity in firepower were able to drive them off, as the Kufra garrison failed to intervene. Following this, El Tag was surrounded, despite a further attack from the Saharan's and harassment from the air, the French laid siege to the fort. The lone 75 mm gun was placed 3000 m from the fort, beyond range of the defences and accurately delivered 20 shells per day at regular intervals. Despite having superior numbers, Italian resolve faltered. Negotiations to surrender began on February 28 and finally on March 1, 1941, the Free French captured El Tag and with it, the oasis at Kufra.
Battle of Gazala (May 26 – June 21, 1942). Charging an stronghold during the (Libya, June 1942). The Battle of Bir Hakeim was fought between the and the Brigade, with support from the. The German commander was and the French commander was. The outnumbered Free French Brigade heroically resisted for sixteen days.
It allowed the Allied Forces to regroup and prepare for the battle of. The Germans attacked Bir Hakeim on May 26, 1942. Over the next two weeks, the flew 1,400 sorties against the defences, whilst 4 German/Italian divisions attacked. On June 2, 3, and 5, the German forces requested that Koenig surrender, he refused and launched counterattacks with his. Despite the explosion of the defences dump, the French continued to fight using ammunition brought in by British during the night. Meanwhile, the dropped water and other supplies.
On June 9, the authorized a retreat and during the night of June 10/June 11 the defenders of Bir Hakeim escaped. Subordinate units of the defending 1st Free French Brigade were:.
2nd and 3rd battalions of the of the. 1st battalion of. 1st battalion of. the Pacific battalion. 2nd of.
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22nd North African company (6 sections). 1st company (engineers). signals company. 101st transport company (trains/automobiles). a light medical ambulance Fezzan-Tripolitania campaign (December 1942 – February 1943).
Main article: By 1945 continued French presence in the Levant saw nationalist demonstrations which the French tried to quell. With heavy civilian losses, Winston Churchill in June despite being rebuffed by Charles De Gaulle ordered British forces into Syria from with orders to impose a ceasefire. British forces then reached the Damascus following which the French were escorted and confined to their barracks. With political pressure added De Gaulle ordered a ceasefire and France withdrew from Syria the following year. Allied invasion of French Madagascar (May 5 – November 8, 1942). Main article: Japan seized overall control of Indochina but the Vichy government ran local affairs until 1944.
Limited Allied support to French Indochina (1943–1945) The FEFEO was created on paper by General de Gaulle in October 1943, however the actual composition of a full scale expeditionary force -the C.L.I./Gaur were small specialized units- dedicated to liberate French Indohina from the outnumbering Japanese forces was delayed as the European theatre of operations, and the liberation of metropolitan France, became a top priority for deployment of the limited French forces. The United States Chief of Staff also formally restricted the Allied support to French Indochina, 14th USAAF Commander (a ) wrote in his memoirs the now famous statement: 'I carried out my orders to the letter but I did not relish the idea of leaving Frenchmen to be slaughtered in the jungle while I was forced officially to ignore their plight.' In contrast, the British, who trained the first C.L.I./Gaurs supported French Indochina through its, flew aerial supply missions for the airborne commandos, delivering tommy guns, mortars and grenades from their Calcutta base. SOE's French Indo-China Section (1943–1945).
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