Free French Naval Forces
Encyclopedia
Les Forces Navales Françaises Libres ("Free French Naval Forces") were the naval arm of the Free French Forces
during the Second World War. They were commanded by Admiral Emile Muselier
.
and the Appeal of 18 June, Charles de Gaulle
founded the Free French Forces
(Forces Françaises Libres
, or FFL), including a naval arm, the "Free French Naval Forces" (Les Forces Navales Françaises Libres, or FNFL). On the 30 June 1940, De Gaulle was joined by vice-admiral Émile Muselier
, who had come from Gibraltar
by flying boat. Muselier was the only flag officer of the French Navy to answer the call of De Gaulle.
The French fleet was widely dispersed. Some vessels were in port in France; others had escaped from France to British controlled ports, mainly in Britain itself or Alexandria
in Egypt
. At the first stage of Operation Catapult, the ships in the British ports of Plymouth
and Portsmouth
were simply boarded on the night of 3 July 1940. The then largest submarine
in the world, the Surcouf
, which had sought refuge in Portsmouth in June 1940 following the German invasion of France, resisted the British operation. In capturing the submarine, two British officers and one French sailor were killed. Other ships were the two obsolete battleships Paris
and Courbet, the destroyers Triomphant and the Léopard
, eight torpedo boats, five submarines (the Minerve, Junon) and a number of other ships of lesser importance.
As soon as the summer 1940, the submarines Minerve and Junon, as well as four aviso
s, departed from Plymouth. Towards the end of 1940, the destroyers Le Triomphant and Léopard followed. Le Triomphant sailed for New Caledonia
and spent the rest of the war based there and in Australia
. The ship saw action in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
To distinguish the FNFL from the Vichist
forces, vice-admiral Émile Muselier
created the bow flag displaying the French colours with a red cross of Lorraine
, and a cocarde also featuring the cross of Lorraine for aircraft of the Free French Naval Air Service
(Aéronavale Française Libre
) and the Free French Air Force
(Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres
).
A number of ships were leased by the British to compensate the lack a warships of the FNFL ; among them, the Hunt class destroyer
La Combattante and the Flower class corvette
Aconit
.
The FNFL suffered their first loss when the patrol boat Poulmic hit a mine and sank on the 7 November 1940 off Plymouth.
by personally sailing to Dakar with a British fleet which included a few Free French units; at the same time, a cruiser force had been sent by Vichy France
to reclaim African territories which had already announced their support to De Gaulle (notably Chad
). The resulting Battle of Dakar
ended on a Vichist victory. However, after the occupation of full France by the Germans after the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942, French West Africa also eventually joined the Free French.
When it did, important ships based in Dakar
were obtained: the modern battleship Richelieu
, the heavy cruiser Suffren
, light cruisers Gloire
, Montcalm
, Georges Leygues
, and a few destroyers, including cruiser-sized Le Fantasque class destroyer
s.
attempted to unite the French Resistance
, became an inspiring symbol when he was arrested, tortured by the Gestapo
and executed.
, and to the landing itself, with the Naval Commandos (Commandos Marine
) of Captain Philippe Kieffer
, climbing cliffs under fire to destroy German shore batteries.
The ships of the FNFL were deployed off the landing sites :
In addition the obsolete battleship Courbet was scuttled off Arromanches to serve as a Mulberry harbour
.
The cruisers Georges Leygues and Montcalm, along with the battleship USS Arkansas
provided fire support for the infantry until 10 June.
The Combattante silenced German coastal artillery of Courseulles-sur-Mer
. The next day, she started patrolling the Channel
. On 14 July, she ferried General Charles de Gaulle
to France.
during the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender
.
, who invented the modern aqua-lung
, and Yves Rocard
, who perfected the radar
. The aqua-lung became a major improvement for commando operations.
A number of warships were lost, notably the submarine Surcouf
, possibly sunk in a friendly fire
incident. Other losses include the destroyers Léopard, Mimosa, Alysse, and La Combattante ; submarine Narval ; patrol boats Poulmic and Vikings.
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
during the Second World War. They were commanded by Admiral Emile Muselier
Émile Muselier
Emile Henry Muselier was a French admiral who led the Free French Naval Forces during World War II. He was responsible for the idea of distinguishing his fleet from that of Vichy France by adopting the Cross of Lorraine, which later became the emblem of all of the Free French...
.
History
In the wake of the ArmisticeArmistice with France (Second Compiègne)
The Second Armistice at Compiègne was signed at 18:50 on 22 June 1940 near Compiègne, in the department of Oise, between Nazi Germany and France...
and the Appeal of 18 June, Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
founded the Free French Forces
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
(Forces Françaises Libres
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
, or FFL), including a naval arm, the "Free French Naval Forces" (Les Forces Navales Françaises Libres, or FNFL). On the 30 June 1940, De Gaulle was joined by vice-admiral Émile Muselier
Émile Muselier
Emile Henry Muselier was a French admiral who led the Free French Naval Forces during World War II. He was responsible for the idea of distinguishing his fleet from that of Vichy France by adopting the Cross of Lorraine, which later became the emblem of all of the Free French...
, who had come from Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
by flying boat. Muselier was the only flag officer of the French Navy to answer the call of De Gaulle.
The French fleet was widely dispersed. Some vessels were in port in France; others had escaped from France to British controlled ports, mainly in Britain itself or Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. At the first stage of Operation Catapult, the ships in the British ports of Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
and Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
were simply boarded on the night of 3 July 1940. The then largest submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
in the world, the Surcouf
Surcouf (N N 3)
Surcouf was a French submarine ordered to be built in December 1927, launched on 18 October 1929, and commissioned in May 1934. Surcouf—named after the French privateer Robert Surcouf—was the largest submarine ever built until surpassed by the Japanese I-400s. Her short wartime career was marked...
, which had sought refuge in Portsmouth in June 1940 following the German invasion of France, resisted the British operation. In capturing the submarine, two British officers and one French sailor were killed. Other ships were the two obsolete battleships Paris
French battleship Paris
Paris was the third ship of the s, the first dreadnoughts built for the French Navy. She was completed before World War I as part of the 1911 naval building programme. She spent the war in the Mediterranean, spending most of 1914 providing gunfire support for the Montenegrin Army until her sister...
and Courbet, the destroyers Triomphant and the Léopard
French destroyer Léopard
The Léopard was a Chacal class destroyer of the French Navy. As one of the large destroyers of her time, she was designed to escort convoys, large naval units, or serve as a light cruiser in remote sectors of the French Empire...
, eight torpedo boats, five submarines (the Minerve, Junon) and a number of other ships of lesser importance.
As soon as the summer 1940, the submarines Minerve and Junon, as well as four aviso
Aviso
An aviso , a kind of dispatch boat or advice boat, survives particularly in the French navy, they are considered equivalent to the modern sloop....
s, departed from Plymouth. Towards the end of 1940, the destroyers Le Triomphant and Léopard followed. Le Triomphant sailed for New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
and spent the rest of the war based there and in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The ship saw action in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
To distinguish the FNFL from the Vichist
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
forces, vice-admiral Émile Muselier
Émile Muselier
Emile Henry Muselier was a French admiral who led the Free French Naval Forces during World War II. He was responsible for the idea of distinguishing his fleet from that of Vichy France by adopting the Cross of Lorraine, which later became the emblem of all of the Free French...
created the bow flag displaying the French colours with a red cross of Lorraine
Cross of Lorraine
The Cross of Lorraine is originally a heraldic cross. The two-barred cross consists of a vertical line crossed by two smaller horizontal bars. In the ancient version, both bars were of the same length. In 20th century use it is "graded" with the upper bar being the shortest...
, and a cocarde also featuring the cross of Lorraine for aircraft of the Free French Naval Air Service
Free French Naval Air Service
The Free French Naval Air Service was the air arm of Free French Naval Forces during the Second World War....
(Aéronavale Française Libre
Free French Naval Air Service
The Free French Naval Air Service was the air arm of Free French Naval Forces during the Second World War....
) and the Free French Air Force
Free French Air Force
The Free French Air Force was the air arm of the Free French Forces during the Second World War.-Fighting for Free France — the FAFL in French North Africa :...
(Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres
Free French Air Force
The Free French Air Force was the air arm of the Free French Forces during the Second World War.-Fighting for Free France — the FAFL in French North Africa :...
).
A number of ships were leased by the British to compensate the lack a warships of the FNFL ; among them, the Hunt class destroyer
Hunt class destroyer
The Hunt class was a class of Destroyer escort of the Royal Navy. The first vessels were ordered early in 1939, and the class saw extensive service in World War II, particularly on the British East Coast and Mediterranean convoys. They were named after British fox hunts...
La Combattante and the Flower class corvette
Flower class corvette
The Flower-class corvette was a class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic...
Aconit
French corvette Aconit
Aconit was one of the nine s lent by the Royal Navy to the Force Navales Françaises Libres . During World War II, she escorted 116 convoys, spending 728 days at sea...
.
The FNFL suffered their first loss when the patrol boat Poulmic hit a mine and sank on the 7 November 1940 off Plymouth.
Africa
Soon after the fall of France, Free France was but a government in exile based in England, with no land of its own to speak of and very few land or sea forces. In an attempt to establish his authority on an important French territory, General de Gaulle attempted to rally French West AfricaFrench West Africa
French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan , French Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire , Upper Volta , Dahomey and Niger...
by personally sailing to Dakar with a British fleet which included a few Free French units; at the same time, a cruiser force had been sent by Vichy France
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
to reclaim African territories which had already announced their support to De Gaulle (notably Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
). The resulting Battle of Dakar
Battle of Dakar
The Battle of Dakar, also known as Operation Menace, was an unsuccessful attempt in September 1940 by the Allies to capture the strategic port of Dakar in French West Africa , which was under Vichy French control, and to install the Free French under General Charles de Gaulle there.-Background:At...
ended on a Vichist victory. However, after the occupation of full France by the Germans after the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942, French West Africa also eventually joined the Free French.
When it did, important ships based in Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
were obtained: the modern battleship Richelieu
French battleship Richelieu (1939)
The Richelieu was a battleship of the French Navy, lead ship of her class. She served during World War II, on the Vichy Regime side, notably fending off an Allied attempt on Dakar, and later with Allied forces in the Indian Ocean in 1944 and 1945...
, the heavy cruiser Suffren
French cruiser Suffren
The Suffren was a heavy cruiser of the French Navy, the name ship of the four-ship Suffren class. Launched in 1927, she was named for the 18th-century French admiral Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez, becoming the sixth vessel to bear the name Suffren.-World War II:In early June 1940, at the...
, light cruisers Gloire
French cruiser Gloire
The Gloire was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class.After completing trials, Gloire arrived in Brest on 18 November 1937, then left for French Indochina on 1 December, returning to Brest on 16 April 1938. Gloire joined the 4th Cruiser Division in January 1939, with which she visited...
, Montcalm
French cruiser Montcalm
The Montcalm was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class, named in honour of Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. During World War II, she served with both Vichy France and the Allies.-Pre-war:...
, Georges Leygues
French cruiser Georges Leygues
The Georges Leygues was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she served with both the Vichy France and Allies. She was named for the prominent 19th and 20th century French politician Georges Leygues....
, and a few destroyers, including cruiser-sized Le Fantasque class destroyer
Le Fantasque class destroyer
The Fantasque class of six large, very fast destroyers was ordered under the French naval programme of 1930...
s.
Role in the French Resistance
Captain d'Estienne d'OrvesHenri Honoré d'Estienne d'Orves
Henri Honoré d'Estienne d'Orves was a French Navy officer, reputed "first martyr of Free France" and one of the major heroes of the French Resistance.-Early life:...
attempted to unite the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
, became an inspiring symbol when he was arrested, tortured by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
and executed.
D-Day: Operation Neptune
In the summer of 1944, the Invasion of Normandy took place. The FNFL took part in both naval side of the operations, Operation NeptuneOperation Neptune
The Normandy landings, codenamed Operation Neptune, were the landing operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy, in Operation Overlord, during World War II. The landings commenced on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 , beginning at 6:30 AM British Double Summer Time...
, and to the landing itself, with the Naval Commandos (Commandos Marine
Naval commandos (France)
The Naval Commandos are the special forces of the French Navy. They are made up of ~500 members, mostly based in northwestern France , with several bases across the country for specific training needs. The Naval Commandos are nicknamed bérets verts . Their qualification training is one of the...
) of Captain Philippe Kieffer
Philippe Kieffer
Philippe Kieffer , capitaine de frégate in the French Navy, was a French officer and political personality, and a hero of the Free French Forces.- Life and career :...
, climbing cliffs under fire to destroy German shore batteries.
The ships of the FNFL were deployed off the landing sites :
- Utah BeachUtah BeachUtah Beach was the code name for the right flank, or westernmost, of the Allied landing beaches during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord on 6 June 1944...
: corvettes AconitFrench corvette AconitAconit was one of the nine s lent by the Royal Navy to the Force Navales Françaises Libres . During World War II, she escorted 116 convoys, spending 728 days at sea...
and Renoncule - Omaha BeachOmaha BeachOmaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
: cruisers Georges LeyguesFrench cruiser Georges LeyguesThe Georges Leygues was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she served with both the Vichy France and Allies. She was named for the prominent 19th and 20th century French politician Georges Leygues....
and MontcalmFrench cruiser MontcalmThe Montcalm was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class, named in honour of Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. During World War II, she served with both Vichy France and the Allies.-Pre-war:...
; frigates Escarmouche and Aventure ; and Roselys ; - Gold BeachGold BeachGold Beach was the code name of one of the D-Day landing beaches that Allied forces used to invade German-occupied France on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
: Corvette Surprise - Juno BeachJuno BeachJuno or Juno Beach was one of five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. The sector spanned from Saint-Aubin, a village just east of the British Gold sector, to Courseulles, just west of the British Sword sector...
: frigate Découverte ; corvette Estienne d'Orves ; and torpedo boat La Combattante
In addition the obsolete battleship Courbet was scuttled off Arromanches to serve as a Mulberry harbour
Mulberry harbour
A Mulberry harbour was a British type of temporary harbour developed in World War II to offload cargo on the beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy....
.
The cruisers Georges Leygues and Montcalm, along with the battleship USS Arkansas
USS Arkansas (BB-33)
USS Arkansas , a was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 25th state.A dreadnought battleship, Arkansas was laid down on 25 January 1910 at Camden, New Jersey, by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation. She was launched on 14 January 1911 sponsored by Miss Nancy Louise...
provided fire support for the infantry until 10 June.
The Combattante silenced German coastal artillery of Courseulles-sur-Mer
Courseulles-sur-Mer
Courseulles-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.It is a popular tourist destination not only with locals but also with international visitors who come to tour the Normandy landing beaches...
. The next day, she started patrolling the Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. On 14 July, she ferried General Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
to France.
Pacific War
The Richelieu was present in Tokyo BayTokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
during the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender
Japanese Instrument of Surrender
The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was the written agreement that enabled the Surrender of Japan, marking the end of World War II. It was signed by representatives from the Empire of Japan, the United States of America, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist...
.
Technical innovations
The FNFL also harboured technical innovators, like Captain Jacques-Yves CousteauJacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau was a French naval officer, explorer, ecologist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water...
, who invented the modern aqua-lung
Aqua-lung
Aqua-Lung was the original name of the first open-circuit free-swimming underwater breathing set in reaching worldwide popularity and commercial success...
, and Yves Rocard
Yves Rocard
Yves-André Rocard was a French physicist who helped develop the atomic bomb for France.After obtaining a double doctorate in mathematics and physics he was awarded the professorship in electronic physics at the École normale supérieure in Paris.As a member of a Resistance group during the Second...
, who perfected the radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
. The aqua-lung became a major improvement for commando operations.
Losses
The merchant fleet of the FNFL suffered heavy casualties, amounting to one quarter of its men.A number of warships were lost, notably the submarine Surcouf
Surcouf (N N 3)
Surcouf was a French submarine ordered to be built in December 1927, launched on 18 October 1929, and commissioned in May 1934. Surcouf—named after the French privateer Robert Surcouf—was the largest submarine ever built until surpassed by the Japanese I-400s. Her short wartime career was marked...
, possibly sunk in a friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
incident. Other losses include the destroyers Léopard, Mimosa, Alysse, and La Combattante ; submarine Narval ; patrol boats Poulmic and Vikings.