FIRE EXCHANGED WITH SHORE

Southland Times, Issue 24242, 27 September 1940, Page 5

FIRE EXCHANGED WITH SHORE

It was learned tonight that the British force which accompanied General de Gaulle to Dakar to lend him support is being withdrawn from that region, following the general’s own withdrawal of his troops and ships. This fact was revealed by the Minister of Information, Mr' A. Duff Cooper, 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 ffiad reached the Government that German influence was spreading to Dakar. DESPATCH OF CRUISERS “Meanwhile, while the expedition was on its way, the Vichy Government despatched three cruisers from Toulon which passed through the Straits of 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 has 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 suffering 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 a tricolour and a white flag attempted to land at Dakar, and met a hostile reception, being fired on and seriously wounded. The port batteries opened fire on one of General de Gaulle’s warships and subsequently on one of his Majesty’s ships which was standing by in order to given General de Gaulle support and assistance if needed. Before returning the French fire the admiral commanding made the following signal in plain language: ‘I will be compelled to return the fire unless the 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 Richelieu was joined to that of the shore batteries and conseauently her fire had to be returned.

“The British naval, commander warned the French authorities that submarines would be engaged if they left 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 was 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 ’’ A French naval despatch to Vichy claims that one of the two British battleships shelling Dakar was torpedoed and listing badly. A French cruiser scored direct hits on the other warships.