DRAMATIC BRITISH ACTION

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21157, 5 July 1940, Page 7

DRAMATIC BRITISH ACTION

VESSELS SEIZED WITH LITTLE LOSS REMAINING UNITS OF FRENCH FLEET CRIPPLED ROYAL NAVY ACCOMPLISHES SENSATIONAL TASK (Official Wireless) (Received July 5, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, July 4 The Prime Minister, Mr Winston Churchill, in a statement in the House of Commons, announced with sincere sorrow the measures which the Government had felt bound to take to prevent the French Fleet from falling into German hands. He said that in deciding on these measures there was not the slightest hesitation or divergence among the Cabinet, and proceeded: — “ Early yesterday morning, after preparations had been made, we took the greater part- of the 1 rench Fleet under our control or else called upon it with adequate forces to comply with our requirements. That portion of the French Fleet which was unable to reach French ports came into the harbours of Portsmouth and Plymouth about ten days ago. “Two battleships, two light cruisers and some submarines, including the Surcouf, eight destroyers and approximately 200 small craft lying at Portsmouth and Plymouth were boarded by superior forces. Brief notice had been given where possible to the captains and the operation was successfully carried out without resistance, except in one instance. Several French submarines also joined us independently, and we accepted their service. “ At Alexandria, where there is a strong British Fleet, there is a French battleship, several cruisers and a number of smaller ships. They have been informed that they cannot be permitted to leave the harbour to fall into the power of the German conquerors of France. Measures have been taken to ensure that these ship will be sunk or otherwise made to comply with our wishes. “ The anguish which this process has caused the British Admiralty can be imagined. We shall offer the fullest facilities to all French officers and men at Alexandria who wish to continue the war. “ The most serious part of the story is that two of the finest vessels of the French Fleet, the. Dunquerque and the Strasbourg, modern battle-cruisers, lay with two battleships, several light cruisers and a number of destroyers, submarines and other vessels at Oran. The French Admiral there refused to oomply with the demands contained in the note presented to him, and announced his intention of fighting. “ A battle squadron had arrived at Oran under ViceAdmiral Somerville, supported by cruisers and strong flotillas. At 5.58 p.m. he opened fire upon the powerful French Fleet, which was supported by shore batteries. At 6.6 p.m. he reported that he was heavily engaged. At 7.30 p.m. Vice-Admiral Somerville reported that a battle-cruiser of the Strasbourg class had been damaged and one of the Bretenne class sunk. Another battleship of the same class, two French destroyers and a seaplane carrier were also sunk or were burning. “ During the action one French battle-cruiser which slipped out of the harbour was pursued by aircraft and hit by at least one torpedo. Vice-Admiral Somerville’s Fleet is in all respects intact. The Italian Navy kept out of the way.” Mr Churchill added: “A large proportion of the French Fleet is in our hands or has been put out of action or otherwise withheld from Germany by yesterday’s events. Other French ships are at sea. Everything possible will be done to prevent their falling into enemy hands.”

Remarkable Scene In House There was a remarkable scene of enthusiasm at the conclusion of the impressive and inspiring speech in which Mr Winston Churchill revealed the measures taken to prevent the French Fleet from falling into German hands. “When two nations are fighting together in a long solemn alliance against a common foe, one of them may be stricken down and overwhelmed and may be forced to ask its ally to release it from its obligations,” said Mr Churchill, “but the least that could be expected was that the French Government, in abandoning the conflict and leaving its whole weight to fall upon Britain and the British Empire, would have been careful not to inflict needless injury upon its faithful comrade, in whose final victory the sole chance of French freedom lay and lies. ■{‘We offered to give full release to the French from the treaty obligations, although they were designed precisely for the case which arose, on one condition —namely, that the French Fleet should be sailed foi British harbours before separate armistice negotiations were held This was not done. “On the contrary, in spite of every kind of private and personal promise given by Admiral Parian to his British naval colleagues, the armistice was signed, which was bound to place the French Fleet as effectively in the power of Germany and Italy as that portion of A French Fleet which was placed in our power when, many of them being unable to reach French ports, came into Portsmouth and Plymouth about ten days ago. “But I must place on record that what might have been a mortal injury was done us by the Bordeaux Government, with full knowledge of

the consequences and dangers, and after rejecting all our appeals at the moment when they were abandoning the alliance and breaking the engagement which fortified it.” Callous French Treatment Mr Churchill referred to the handing over to Germany by the Bordeaux Government of bver four hundred German air pilots, [ prisoners in France, many of \ them shot down by the Royal Air | Force, as another example of the . callous and perhaps even malevolent treatment which Britain had received not from the French nation, which had never been and apparently never was to be consulted, but from the Bordeaux Government. "Such wrongful deeds will not, I am sure, be condoned by history, and I firmly believe that a generation of Frenchmen will arise who will clear the national honour of all countenance of them. I never in my experience have seen so grim or sombre a question as what we were to do about the French Fleet discussed in the Cabinet. “It shows how strong were our reasons for the course which we thought it our duty to take that every member of the Cabinet had the same conviction about what should be done. There was not the slightest hesitation or divergence among them, and the three service Ministers, as well as men like Mr Duff Cooper and Lord Lloyd particularly, noted for their long friendship with France, when consulted, were equally convinced that no other decision was i possible from that which we were taking. It was a decision to which, with aching hearts but clear vision, we unitedly came. Fleet Taken Under Control "Accordingly early on the morning of July 3. after all preparations had been made, we took the greater part of the French Fleet under our control or else called upon them with adequate force to comply with our