World War II Database

Between 8 and 12 Oct 1940, General Charles de Gaulle met with his staff at Douala, French Equatorial Africa (in Cameroon today), concluding the high level plans for an invasion of Gabon. In addition to establishing Free French influence there, de Gaulle also wished to establish Gabon as a staging point for a possible attack against German and Italian forces in Libya.

On 27 Oct, Free French forces crossed into Gabon and took the town of Mitzic. On 5 Nov, Free French forces oversaw the surrender of Vichy-French forces at Lambarene. On 8 Nov 1940, British sloop Milford patrolled the Gabon coast and sank Vichy-French submarine Poncelet. Later that day, General Pierre Kœnig's troops, consisted of French Legionnaires, Senegalese, and Cameroonian troops, landed at Pointe La Mondah near Libreville. On 9 Nov, Lysander aircraft took off from Douala and bombed the airfield at Libreville, softening resistance for Kœnig's troops, who took over the airfield by the end of the day. In the sea, sister sloops Savorgnan de Brazza and Bougainville, serving the Free French and Vichy-French navies, respectively, resulting in the sinking of Bougainville.

On 12 Nov 1940, the last Vichy-French stronghold at Port Gentil fell. Vichy-French Governor of Gabon Georges Pierre Masson committed suicide as the last pockets of his troops surrendered. Failing to persuade Vichy-French General Marcel Tetu and his men to fight for the Free French cause, de Gaulle kept them in a prisoners of war camp in Brazzaville, Congo for the remainder of the war.

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