ABANDONED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24414, 27 September 1940, Page 7

ABANDONED

1 THE DAKAR OPERATIONS FORCES WITHDRAWN SURVEY OF SITUATION STRATEGIC MAPHEUVRING ! (United Press Association) ' (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 25. 1 It is authoritatively stated that General de Gaulle has decided to i abandon his operations for the , occupation of Dakar. It is understood that the decision was made because the operations threatened to develop in a direction not envisaged when the exj pedition was launched. The Ministry of Information com- > munique concludes: " Fire from the French battleship Richelieu was joined to thai of the shore batteries; consequently her fire had to be re- \ turned. The British naval commander warned the French authorities that submarines would be en- ' gaged if they left the harbour. In ; spite of this warning, three sub- ; marines made attacks on our ships and active measures had to be taken against them, with the result that 1 two were sunk. But the entire crew | of one were fortunately saved and ' will be repatriated at the first op- ; portunity. The forces of General de ' Gaulle attempted to make a land- | ing, 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 1 of the Govi ernment to enter into serious warlike | operations against Frenchmen who felt it their dutv 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 fellow countrymen. The forces concerned, therefore, are now being withdrawn from the region of Dakar." Part of Wide Web The events at Dakar, says the Yorkshire Post, must be viewed as part of a wide web of strategic manoeuvre, stretching from Africa through the Mediterranean to IndoChina. "In the view of the Axis Powers and Japan, the French colonial empire is ripe for dissolution, and Germany and Italy mean to use some of it for establishing a new order in Africa and the Near East. Japan dreams of a new order in Asia which will include the Dutch East Indies and perhaps the Philippines. Privileges she is trying to secure in Indo-China are not required merely to help her war on the Chinese. 1 These far-reaching prospects are hidden from the people of France, who were told that the Vichy Government was determined to keep the French empire intact. All the men 1 of Vichy in fact are doing is to preserve all they can for the convenience of the aggressor countries, : whose intrigues they are powerless to restrain. "Herr von Ribbentrop's visit to Rome was concerned with Axis plans for action throughout the vast area, from Syria to Dakar. The Spanish Minister for the Interior, Senor Suner, is in Berlin receiving instructions as to the role mapped out for Spain in these ambitious undertakings. She is to be given territory in French Morocco in return for assisting with an assault on Gibraltar. Mussolini wants Tunis and Syria from France, together with Egypt and the Sudan. West Africa will be preserved for Hitler. He would be able to look across the Atlantic towards the Americas, a prospect which the New York Times, writing on Dakar, has not overlooked. He would be well placed also to set about ' liberating' South Africa with General Hertzog's aid. Dakar is the kevooint of these widespread schemes." THE BRITISH FORCE WITHDRAWAL ANNOUNCED REPORT OF THE FIGHTING LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, Sept. 25. It was learned to-night that the British force which accompanied General de Gaulle to Dakar to lend him support was now being withdrawn from that region following the general's own withdrawal of troops and ships. This fact was revealed by the Minister of Information in a statement detailing the, circumstances leading to the Dakar expedition, which says: " General de Gaulle had good reason to believe from information which reached him that a large proportion of the French population in 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 goodwill and support of Britain. " Britain was all the more ready to afford General de Gaulle this support as information reached the Government that German influence was spreading to Dakar. Meanwhile, whilst the expedition was on passage, the Vichy Government despatched 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 concerned passing through the Straits of Gibraltar. When, having done so, they pursued a southerly course they were permitted to oroceed, and 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 i Royal Navy intercepted their passage < and insisted on their reversing their : course, which they eventually did, ; two of them returning to Dakar and ] the third, which was suffering from i

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 the white flag, attempted to land at Dakar and met with a hostile reception. They were fired on and seriously wounded. The port batteries opened fire on 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 assistance if needed. Before returning the French fire the admiral commanding made the following signal in plain language:—' Will be compelled to return 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." The Vichy Version According to Vichy messages, the French losses to noon were 120 servicemen and 6f civilians killed, 138 servicemen and 225 civiltens wounded. There were further heavy casualties in the afternoon. Three British and one French plane were destroyed. The Richslier lies helpless in the dry dock. There were three major operations on September 24, apart from six unsuccessful British attempts to land troops 80 milts on eithe- side of Dakar. British planes operated from an aircraft carrier, and also from Bathurst. Bombing attacks were centred on the port, but the native and European town is so close that the bombs caused widespread casualties. The British United Press Vichy correspondent says the cafualties at Dakar exceed 600. It is claimed that neither the Richelieu nor the shore batteries were damaged. France and Germany are discussing the incident, which may speed up the return o f the French Government to Paris. Tt now appears that the Richelieu is 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 Gene-, ral de Gaulle's forces have gained a footing.