Britain realized the importance of having had lost France as a military ally in mainland Europe. The French Navy could still remain a symbol of power but, at this point, could easily fall into service for the invading Germans or Italians. There was a sense of urgency to assure the British government that, should the French fleet come under direct German threat, French sailors need sabotage their vessels for the greater good. The British Admiralty sent an order to guarantee such action on France's part. Captain C.S. Holland of the HMS Hood - the British capital ship - visited with French authorities and included French Admiral Gensoul. However, any British solution was rebuffed - the French would not surrender their ships to the British, nor join the British as an ally nor surrender their ships to foreign friendly parties in foreign ports elsewhere. After a final message from British Prime Minister Churchill to holland urging a swift end to the matter, Holland set forth a deadline that came and went. Ultimately, he ordered the guns of the HMS Hood to open fire, this on July 3rd, 1940. His crew diligently answered with trained accuracy and expediency. Swordfish aircraft from the carrier Ark Royal directed the action from above and consulted gunnery crews for improved accuracy in their subsequent shots. The HMS Valiant and HMS Resolution were part of the shelling fray.
Bretagne was one of the many French Fleet ships anchored in the harbor still. She was also one to take the main brunt of the British salvos and endured the first of such hits onto her design. French sailors were immediately killed or thrown overboard from the blast. Hot oil leaked across the harbor and did more damage to the living who managed a fall into the water. Thick black smoke stifled the air, suffocating those that managed to live between these direct salvos. HMS Hood's shells penetrated through the decks of the Bretagne and struck her magazine, ultimately dooming the ship for good. She listed to one side and eventually settled upside down, reportedly sinking in a short 20 seconds according to eye witness French sailors. Between 977 and 1,012 French sailors went down with the ship (sources vary) in fighting that lasted only one half-hour. Some French vessels tried to manage their way out of the harbor - and some did with success - but the French fleet proved a sitting duck in this surprise situation, caught unawares by the unseen and ultimate British intention.
As can be expected, French citizens were incensed by the unprovoked British action - conducted by a nation initially viewed as a strong ally in the fight against the Axis. The German propaganda machine sprung into action and used the event to paint the British was a barbaric brood wanting nothing but conquest of French lands. Memorials eventually eased out of the pain of the French people's and forgiveness for the Royal Navy and British government were hard to find across France proper.
In Britain and Washington, however, the decisive action was warranted considering the threat of the German capture of the French Fleet. Britain could manage a war against the Germany Navy well enough, but to do battle against both the German and former-French navies would have led to disastrous results. America was not officially at war with any one party at the time but supported the British action. In fact, the British action at Mers-el-Kebir was, what many believe to be, the prompting of American support for the British cause in terms of materiel. The hard decision proved the British had the fight in them and American rewarded the Royal Navy with the delivery of several mothballed US Navy destroyers via Lend-Lease. In a matter of time, America would soon join the war effort alongside Britain and forge an alliance that would keep the two as "friends" for the next seventy years.
Nevertheless, the French Fleet was destroyed and there would be no prize awaiting the conquering Germans at Mers-el-Kebir. Meanwhile, the Bretagne sat at the bottom of a foreign seabed for over a decade thereafter. The vessel would have to wait until 1952 before being salvaged, what was left of her falling to the scrapman's torch.
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