Table of Contents
- 1 Did Germany use French ships in ww2?
- 2 Why didn’t Germany use the French Navy?
- 3 Did Churchill sink French ships?
- 4 What happened to the Vichy French after ww2?
- 5 How strong is the French Navy?
- 6 How many battleships did France have in WW2?
- 7 What happened to the battleships Surcouf and Paris?
- 8 Why did France stop building battleships in 1922?
Did Germany use French ships in ww2?
The scuttling of the French fleet at Toulon was orchestrated by Vichy France on 27 November 1942 to prevent Nazi German forces from taking it over. The Germans began Operation Anton but the French naval crews used subterfuge to delay them until the scuttling was complete.
Later the other half of the French Fleet at Toulon scuttled their ships to prevent German capture. So the quick answer is that they didn’t because they were sunk. You can’t use what you haven’t got, and the Germans never got their hands on the French fleet.
Did the British sink the French fleet in ww2?
The British bombardment of the base killed 1,297 French servicemen, sank a battleship and damaged five other ships, for a British loss of five aircraft shot down and two crewmen killed….Attack on Mers-el-Kébir.
| Date | 3 July 1940 |
|---|---|
| Location | Off Mers El Kébir, French Algeria, North Africa 35°43′10″N 0°41′20″W |
| Result | British victory |
Did Churchill sink French ships?
Hitler’s concerns were not known to Britain. However, on July 1, Churchill was finally able to get the backing of the War Cabinet to sink the ships if they would not be surrendered. In less than ten minutes, 1,297 French soldiers were dead, and 3 capital ships along with 1 destroyer were damaged or destroyed.
What happened to the Vichy French after ww2?
The last of the Vichy exiles were captured in the Sigmaringen enclave in April 1945. Pétain was put on trial for treason by the new Provisional Government, and sentenced to death, but that was commuted to life imprisonment by de Gaulle.
Why did Churchill sink French fleet?
Churchill, worried that one of the world’s great navies would end up in German hands, asked the French to turn the ships over to the British instead. The French refused, but Admiral Darlan, commander of the French fleet, swore that he would sink his own ships if the Germans ever tried to take control.
The chief of the naval staff is Vice-admiral d’escadre Arnaud de Tarlé, and as of 2014 the Navy has an active strength of 36,776 military personnel and 2,909 civilian staff. The Navy is organised into four main operational branches: The Force d’Action Navale (Naval Action Force) – The surface fleet.
How many battleships did France have in WW2?
French Battleships in World War II At the start of WWII, France was among the second rank of the world’s major naval powers. Their dreadnought construction program had been interrupted by the outbreak of WWI, leaving them with five pre-1914 battleships, two Courbet s and three Bretagne s.
What was the French Navy like during WW2?
The French Navy during World War II The story of the French Navy during World War II is one of bravery, one of tragedy, and one of defiance. The French Navy (Marine Nationale) was the fourth strongest navy in the world at the beginning of World War II in the fall of 1939. The French were in economic dire straits at the end of the First World War.
What happened to the battleships Surcouf and Paris?
The large submarine Surcouf was captured in a British port following the fall of France, despite resistance offered by her crew. The elderly battleship Paris, captured in a British port after the French surrendered to the Germans. She was returned to the French government after the war and later scrapped.
Why did France stop building battleships in 1922?
Their fleet was obsolete and ineffective, but they immediately made plans to modernize. The French were signators to the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. This treaty placed a moratorium on the construction of battleships for several years and limited cruiser tonnage to a maximum of 10,000 tons per ship.