BRITAIN’S BOLD STROKE

Evening Star, Issue 23620, 5 July 1940, Page 7

BRITAIN’S BOLD STROKE

French Fleet Seized Majority of Ships in Our Hands One Unit Refuses to Surrender Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, July 4. The majority of the ships of the French fleet are now in British bands. The following statement on the seizure of the fleet by the British Navy has been issued by the Ministry of Information:— It will be recalled that His Majesty’s Government asked the French Government' not to rely on any promises made by Germany and Italy that the French fleet 'would not be used against its former Ally. But the French Government undertook, in signing an armistice, to allow the fleet to fall into enemy bands. His Majesty’s Government, having lost all trust in promises made by the enemy and acting in its own interests and in the hopes of restoring the liberty of France and the integrity of the French Empire, decided to take i&eps to ensure that the French fleet would not be used against it. Steps were accordingly taken in the early morning of July 3 to place all French men-of-war in British ports in British hands. These measures were carried out successfully, but owing to a misunderstanding two casualties were suffered. At the same time commanders of French ships in North African ports were offered certain conditions designed to keep their ships out of German hands, and were informed that, if none of the conditions was acceded to, Britain would be forced to take action. His Majesty’s Government regrets to announce that the French admiral at Oran refused to accede to any of the conditions, with the inevitable result that His Majesty’s ships were forced to take action against the vessels of their former Ally. The engagement is continuing. That no capital ships of the French navy had fallen mto German or Italian hands was a statement made to a reporter in London to-day by Admiral Muselier, who was recently appointed by General de Gaulle to command the free French naval and air forces. He added that other units had either been seized by the British Navy or destroyed. Several French battleships on the stocks had been towed to safety, together with the workmen, so that they might be completed. Admiral Muselier added that the part o| the French mercantile" mamne that was free had come under His orders, and from it and from valuable cargoes seized he now had sufficient resources and several million pounds to keep his forces going for several years. ENGAGEMENT AT ORAN. The first account of the action at Oran has been given by the American journalist, MrH. R. Knickerbocker, 1 which appears in all the leading American morning newspapers. The following is the account given by Mr Knickerbocker: — The British Navy has seized or put out of action all unit# of the French fleet which were about to return to France to fulfil the terms of the armistice The principal action occurred at Oran, where the French admiral refused to comply with the conditions requested by the British. After. the British had exhausted all means of persuasion, they issued an ultimatum to the French admiral to surrender by 3 o’clock in the afternoon. At that hour the French ships tried to sail out of the harbour, and from 3 o’clock onwards a battle has been raging. • It was a matter of life and death that the French navy should not fall into enemy hands In interviews with French naval officers, Mr Knickerbocker was told that the Germans were using every method of intimidation and coercion to force the French personnel to co-operate and comply with the terms of the armistice. Further, he was informed that the Nazis had issued a warning that every female member of the families who disregarded the orders would be interned in concentration camps. 1 Mr Knickerbocker concluded his article by stating that Admiral Darlan had sent the following message to his fleet: — “ This is my last order. Hereafter disregard, all orders, even if they are signed by me. Above all, do not surrender your ships.”