ENGAGEMENT AT ORAN

Southland Times, Issue 24180, 17 July 1940, Page 5

ENGAGEMENT AT ORAN

STATEMENT ISSUED

IN DUBLIN LEGATION’S ATTEMPT TO BLAME BRITAIN ADMIRALTY REPLIES TO ALLEGATIONS (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received July 16, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, July 15. The French Legation in Dublin has issued a statement with reference to the French fleet “so that the Irish people will be in a position to form an independent neutral judgment.” It says that the ships at Oran were attacked when they were disarming and were in no position to manoeuvre or to fire. They had neither wireless nor aeroplanes at their disposal. If the British Admiralty or the Foreign Office had approached the French Government after the armistice concerning the clause relating to the fleet the French Government would have shown that full precautions were being taken to ensure that Germany and Italy could not take over the fleet even if they broke their pledge not to do so.

A British Admiralty communique states:

“A statement alleged to have been issued by the French Legation in Dublin last night has been brought to the notice of the Admiralty. Parts of this statement are so mischievous that it is considered desirable to make the following comment:— “By the terms of the Armistice the French Fleet was to be assembled at ports under Italian or German control and demilitarized, except for ‘watching the coast and mine-sweeping’ and, in the Italian terms, ‘except for units the Italian or German Governments may design for the protection of French colonial interests. “Whatever interpretation the French Government may have given to these terms it is clear to the British Government that the Germans and Italians had thereby provided themselves with excuses for keeping the whole of the French Fleet in a state of readiness for action against us when they wished.” FRENCH PREPARATIONS Referring to the action off Oran the British Admiralty states: “Shortly after the arrival of the ship carrying the British proposals the French warships began to prepare for sea and battle. Lengthy negotiations ensued and it was not until eight and a-half hours after the French had begun their preparations that the British opened fire. Within five minutes of this time the French ships replied and not long after French ships began moving out of harbour. During the afternoon our aircraft were attacked by a total of 21 French aeroplanes. “Regarding the torpedoing of a French light cruiser the facts are that an Admiralty representative interviewed the head of the French Naval Mission on the night of July 5. He expressed the Admiralty’s deep regret that a French light cruiser had been sunk because the instructions issued to submarines on the completion of operations on July 3 that French ships were no longer to be attacked had not reached one submarine. The last action against the ships at Merselkebir was on July 6 and at no time any British aircraft fire on any sailors or civilians leaving the disabled ships. Following the refusal of the French admiral at Dakar to accept any of the four alternatives offered him on July 7 action was taken early the next day to prevent the Richelieu from falling into the hands of the enemy. The assurances referred to in the Dublin statement were not given until July 12. From /the above it will be seen that the statement alleged to have been issued by the French Legation in Dublin is both inaccurate and misleading.