1st Edition

The Road to Oran Anglo-French Naval Relations, September 1939-July 1940

By David Brown Copyright 2004
258 Pages
by Routledge

258 Pages
by Routledge

256 Pages
by Routledge

On 3 July 1940, soon after the collapse of the French front and France's request for an armistice, a reluctant Royal Navy commander opened fire on the French Navy squadron at Mers-el-Kebir. Some 1,300 French sailors lost their lives. The late David Brown's detailed account finally conveys an objective understanding of the course of events that led up to this tragedy. This new book makes... Read more

Foreword by Contre-Admiral Jean Kessler Preface  Dramatis Personae  Introduction  1. Anglo-French Naval Staff Planning and Co-operation on the Eve of War  2. The Phoney War  3. The Mediterranean, 27 March-27 May 1940  4. Dunkirk to Bordeaux, 1-15 June  5. Political Collapse, 16 June 24  6. Pétain's First Day, 17 June 29  7. Last Meeting of the Admirals, 18 June  8. Bordeaux, 19-21 June: Armistice or Africa?  9. The Other Side of the Hill, 17-21 June 50  10. The Terms, 22 June  11. 23 June  12. 24 June  13. The Armistice, 25 June  14. The Cruise of the Richelieu, 25-26 June  15. 27 June  16. 28 June  17. 29 June  18. 30 June  19. 1 July  20. The Orders for Operation 'Catapult', 2 July  21. Mers el-Kébir: The parley, 3 July  22. The Bombardment of Mers el-Kebir, 3 July

Biography

The late David Brown was head of the Naval Historical Branch at the Ministry of Defence, London, for over 25 years. He is author of many books on naval history.