World War II Database

Dakar, the present day capital of Senegal, was a major naval port of French West Africa. Additionally, it was also important for that the city held the gold reserves of the Banque de France and the exiled Polish government.

On 8 Jul 1940, five days after defeating the Vichy-French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir, British carrier Hermes launched swordfish torpedo bombers in attempt to destroy Vichy-French battleship Richelieu to eliminate it as a threat. A torpedo hit Richelieu below the armored deck, and disabled the starboard propulsion shaft. Flooding caused her stern to touch bottom, though she was re-floated a few days later and made sea-worthy for emergencies. Richelieu remained in Dakar as a gun platform.

In the morning of 23 Sep 1940, a combined fleet of British and Free French ships reached Dakar to conduct negotiations en force. The fleet consisted of aircraft carrier Ark Royal, battleship Resolutions, battleship Barham, four cruisers, ten destroyers, and several transports with 8,000 troops aboard; the operation was code named Operation Menace. Opposite them, the Vichy-French operated the battleship/gun platform Richelieu, three submarines, two cruisers, three destroyers, and several lighter ships. As Free French personnel arrived by air, other Allied aircraft dropped propaganda leaflets on the city to sway public opinion. Meanwhile, General Charles de Gaulle sent negotiators by ship. The Vichy-French reacted with hostility; the personnel that landed at the airport were detained, and the ship carrying de Gaulle's staff was fired upon. At 1000, Australian cruiser Australia fired warning shots on Vichy-French ships attempted to leave the port, and received fire from Vichy-French coastal guns as the response. The Allied fleet returned fire, setting Vichy-French destroyer L'Audacieux on fire and forcing it to be beached. That afternoon, Free French troops landed at Rufisque, northeast of Dakar; facing heavy defensive fire, de Gaulle called off the landing to avoid "shed[ding] the blood of Frenchmen for Frenchmen".

On 24 and 25 Sep, Allied fleet bombarded the coastal fortifications from the sea. Two Vichy-French submarines, Persée and Ajax, left port on attack, but were sunk during the process; submarine Bévéziers, however, was able to penetrate the Allied screen and fire her torpedoes at British battleship Resolution. Meanwhile, battleships Richelieu and Barham exchanged fire. Richelieu hit Barham with two secondary gun shells, while Barham hit Richelieu twice with her 15-inch primary guns. Even though a blowback accident disabled Richelieu's number two turret, significantly reducing Vichy-French firepower, the Allies decided to depart to avoid further damage to their fleet.

This Vichy-French victory was of little consequence militarily, but on the political scene it was significant. De Gaulle, who was one of the main proponents for this operation, previously convinced the Allies that this operation was certain victory; as the Allies failed to take Dakar, his standing among his British peers was now damaged.

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