World War II Database

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.

Toulon Military Port Interactive Map

Toulon Military Port Timeline

Photographs