British at Dakar

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 76, 26 September 1940, Page 12

British at Dakar

SERIOUS OPERATIONS NEVER INTENDED

(British Official Wireless.) 'September/ 26, 2.15 p.m.) RUGBY, September 25. It was learned tonight that the British force which accompanied General de Gaulle to Dakar to lend him support is now being withdrawn from that region following* the General's own withdrawal of his troops and ships. This fact was revealed by the Ministry of Information in a statement detailing the circumstances ieading to the Dakar expedition.

The statement says: "Genex'al de Gaulle had good reason to believe, from information which reached him, that a large proportion of the French population of Senegal supported the Free French movement and would welcome his arrival and that a similar situation might be established there to that which exists in French Equatorial Africa. He therefore proposed to Britain that he should proceed there with some of the troops at his disposal, with the good will and support of Britain. Britain was all the more ready to afford General de Gaulle this support, as information had reached the Government that German influence was spreading to Dakar. "Meanwhile, whilst the expedition was en route, the Vichy Government dispatched three cruisers from Toulon which passed through Gibraltar and eventually arrived at Dakar. It is no part of the Government's policy to interfere with the movements of French men-of-war as long as they are not destined for any ports under German control. For this reason no hindrance was put in the way of the vessels in question passing through the Straits' of Gibraltar. When; having done so, they pursued a southerly course they were permitted to proceed.. They therefore reached Dakar without interference. When they later put to sea, again steaming south, it was thought that they might be intending to interfere with the situation existing in French Equatorial Africa, which had already declared for General de Gaulle. Ships of the Royal Navy intercepted their passage and insisted on their reversing their course, which they eventually did, two of them returning to Dakar, and a third, which was suf-. fering from engine trouble, being escorted by one of his Majesty's ships towards Casablanca. "On the morning of September 23 emissaries of General de Gaulle, flying the tricolour and a white flag, attempted to land at Dakar and met with a hostile reception, being fired on and seriously wounded. The port batteries opened' fire otn one of General de Gaulle's warships and subsequently on his Majesty's ships which were standing by in order to render General de Gaulle support and asistance if needed. Before returning the French fire the Admiral in command made the following signal in plain language: 'I shall be compelled to return your fire, unless fire ceases.' As the fire of the shore batteries did not cease it was returned, and both his Majesty's, ships and the shore batteries scored hits and incurred casualties.

"Fire from the French battleship Kichelieu was joined to that of the shore batteries, and consequently her. fire had to be returned. The British naval commander warned the French authorities that submarines would be engaged if they were left in the harbour. In spite of this warning three submarines made attacks on our ships and active measures had to be taken against them, with the result that two were sunk, but the entire crew of one were fortunately saved and will be repatriated at the first opportunity. .

"The forces of General de Gaulle attempted to make a landing which was not successful, and when it became plain that only a major operation of war could secure all of Dakar it was decided to discontinue the hostilities, as it had never been the intention of the Government to enter into serious warlike operations against Frenchmen who felt it their duty to obey the commands of the Vichy Government. General de Gaulle himself was most anxious that he should not be the cause of bloodshed to his fellow-countrymen. The forces concerned therefore are now being withdrawn from the region of Dakar."

hitting the arsenal, the south mole, and one big ship. Heavy smoke was observed. "The bombs catsed far greater damage than was done in any past Italian or German raid," it was stated. "This will not be the last reprisal if the British continue to shell Dakar." The Berlin news agency stated that French planes continued the bombing of Gibraltar this morning. It now appears that the Richelieu was beached but .is using her guns. The Government has received no news from Dakar since the afternoon of September 24, when bombs put the local radio station out of action, and is unable to say whether General de Gaulle's forces have gained a footing. LONDON, September 25. It is stated unofficially in Vichy that the British made six attempts to land troops under General de Gaulle in West Africa, but that all were repulsed. The British commander, it was' said, threatened to destroy the fortifications and occupy the city unless the defenders surrendered by 6 a.m. today, but the Governor-General, M. Boisson, declared: "We will fight to the end." The • statement adds that the British sank the submarine Persee, which had holed a British cruiser. Most of the crew were saved. French coastal artillery shot down three British planes. A semi-official announcement in Vichy says that M. Boisson had ample forces to repel a landing, but that, the British wer.e immensely superior at sea, having two battleships, four cruisers, six destroyers, and six troopships, carrying 7000 troops. The French had the crippled Richelieu, but considered that the . cruiser Georges Leygues and three destroyers were not able to be used.

Admiral Darlan said that the French ships had begun reprisals. Air attacks concentrated on the reservoir at Dakar were ineffective.