


Toulon Military Port
Type | Â Â Â | Naval Port |
Historical Name of Location |    | Toulon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France |
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
ww2dbaseThe military port of Toulon (French: arsenal de Toulon) had its start in 1514 when King Louis XII ordered the construction of the fort Tour Royale at Toulon on the Mediterranean coast of southern France. Many expansion efforts in the subsequent centuries, and the base in operation during the WW2 era was largely the product of 19th century and 20th century efforts. Several French warships sortied from this main naval port in the early months of the European War to patrol the high seas as well as to bombard enemy targets in northwestern Italy. After the French armistice, many of the major French warships were moored at Toulon. After what Germany perceived as a lack of French enthusiasm in defending North Africa against the Allied invasion, the Germans marched toward the port at dawn of 27 Nov 1942. While Fort Lamalgue, along with Admiral André Marquis, was captured swiftly, the French Navy was able to scuttle three battleships, seven cruisers, 15 destroyers, and a number of smaller craft, thus reducing German gain at the end of the operation to three disarmed destroyers, four damaged submarines, three civilian ships, two obsolete battleships of little military value, 27 small craft, and 40,000 tons of fuel oil. In German occupation, some of the ships were salvaged by the Germans and the Italians, while the base itself was used for German submarine operations. The Allies bombed the Toulon military port several times, causing heavy damage. After the war, it continued to serve as the principal military port of the French Navy.
ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia
Last Major Update: Mar 2014
Toulon Military Port Interactive Map
Toulon Military Port Timeline
1 Oct 1931Â | Marcel-Bruno Gensoul was made the chief of the 3rd Maritime Region, based at Toulon, France. |
4 Jul 1940 | French battleship Strasbourg and four destroyers arrived at Toulon, France after fleeing from the Battle of Mers-el-Kébir. |
4 Jul 1940Â | Marseillaise arrived at Toulon, France. |
9 Sep 1940Â | French intelligence reported a possible invasion of Dakar in West Africa by General de Gaulle's forces, supported by the British. In response, French cruisers Georges Leygues, Montcalm, and Gloire, plus three destroyers, were ordered to sail from Toulon, France to reinforce Dakar. |
9 Sep 1940Â | Montcalm departed Toulon, France. |
27 Nov 1942Â | Germans occupied naval base at Toulon; French Navy scuttled warships to avoid German capture. |
27 Nov 1942Â | Dupleix received extensive damage as her own crew set off demolition charges to prevent German capture as the Germans entered Toulon, France. |
27 Nov 1942Â | Jean de Vienne was scuttled at Toulon, France. |
27 Nov 1942Â | Marseillaise was scuttled by her own crew at Toulon, France. |
27 Nov 1942Â | Foch was scuttled at Toulon, France. |
27 Nov 1942Â | Colbert was scuttled at Toulon, France to prevent German capture. |
27 Nov 1942 | Algérie was scuttled at Toulon, France. |
18 Feb 1943Â | Jean de Vienne was raised at Toulon, France and pressed into Italian Navy service under the new name FR.11. |
18 Mar 1943 | Italians began to raise the wreck of Algérie in sections at Toulon, France. |
16 Apr 1943Â | Italians raised the wreck of Foch at Toulon, France for repair. |
22 May 1943Â | The Italian flag was hoisted aboard captured French cruiser Jean de Vienne at Toulon, France. |
22 May 1943 | The Italian flag was hoisted aboard captured French cruiser La Galissonnière at Toulon, France. |
3 Jul 1943Â | Italians raised destroyed French cruiser Dupleix at Toulon, France. |
2 Sep 1943 | Captured French submarine Henri Poincaré departed Toulon, France with an Italian crew. |
17 Nov 1943Â | Foch's wreck was captured by the Germans at Toulon, France. |
23 Nov 1943Â | FR.11 was damaged by Allied bombing at Toulon, France and sank to the bottom. |
7 Mar 1944 | Allied aircraft bombed the wreck of Algérie at Toulon, France, causing it to sink again; prior to the bombing the Italians had attempted to raise the wreck in sections. |
18 Aug 1944Â | Foch's wreck was sunk at the mouth of Toulon harbor, France as a blockship. |
20 Aug 1944Â | Blockship Foch was hit by two aerial bombs at the mouth of the Toulon harbor, France. |
21 Aug 1944Â | French First Army enveloped Toulon, France. |
27 Aug 1944Â | The last German troops in Toulon, France surrendered. |
28 Aug 1944Â | FR.11 was captured by the Allies at Toulon, France. |
13 Sep 1944Â | Cruiser Georges Leygues arrived at Toulon, France. |
Photographs
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WW2-Era Place Name | Toulon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France |
Lat/Long | 43.1194, 5.9164 |
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George Patton, 31 May 1944

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