Free French Naval Forces

"Les Forces Navales Françaises Libres" ("Free French Naval Forces") were the naval arm of the Free French Forces during the Second World War. They were commanded by Admiral Emile Muselier.

History

In the wake of the Armistice and the Appeal of 18 June, De Gaulle founded the Free French Forces ("Forces Françaises Libres", or FFL), including a naval arm, the "Free French Naval Forces" ("Les Forces Navales Françaises Libres", or FNFL). On the 30 June 1940, De Gaulle was joined by vice-admiral Émile Muselier, who had come from Gibraltar by flying boat. Muselier was the only flag officer of the French Navy to answer the call of De Gaulle.

The French fleet was widely dispersed. Some vessels were in port in France; others had escaped from France to British controlled ports, mainly in Britain itself or Alexandria in Egypt. At the first stage of Operation Catapult, the ships in the British ports of Plymouth and Portsmouth were simply boarded on the night of 3 July 1940. The then largest submarine in the world, the "Surcouf", which had sought refuge in Portsmouth in June 1940 following the German invasion of France, resisted the British operation. In capturing the submarine, two British officers and one French sailor were killed. Other ships were the two obsolete battleships "Paris" and "Courbet", the destroyers "Le Triomphant" and the "Léopard", eight torpedo boats, 5 submarines (the "Minerve", "Junon") and a number of other ships of lesser importance.

As soon as the summer 1940, the submarines "Minerve" and "Junon", as well as four avisos, departed from Plymouth. Towards the end of 1940, the destroyers "Le Triomphant" and "Léopard" followed. "Le Triomphant" sailed for New Caledonia and spent the rest of the war based there and in Australia. The ship saw action in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

To distinguish the FNFL from the Vichist forces, vice-admiral Émile Muselier created the bow flag displaying the French colours with a red cross of Lorraine, and a cocarde also featuring the cross of Lorraine for aircraft of the Free French Naval Air Service ("Aéronavale Française Libre") and the Free French Air Force ("Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres").

A number of ships were leased by the British to compensate the lack a warships of the FNFL ; among them, the Hunt class destroyer "La Combattante" and the Flower class corvette "Aconit".

The FNFL suffered their first loss when the patrol boat "Poulmic" hit a mine and sank on the 7 November 1940 off Plymouth [fr [http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/fr_compagnon/1015.html Paul Vibert] on ordredelaliberation.fr] .

Africa

Soon after the fall of France, Free France was but a government in exile, with no land to speak of, and very little land and sea forces. In an attempt to set his authority on an important French territory, General De Gaulle attempted to rally French West Africa by personally sailing to Dakar with a British fleet, comprising a few Free French units; at the same time, a cruiser force had been sent by Vichy France to reclaim African territories which had already declared their support to De Gaulle (notably Chad). The resulting Battle of Dakar ended on a Vichist tactical victory, which did not prevent French West Africa from eventually joining the Fighting French in November 1942.

When it did, important ships based in Dakar were obtained: the modern battleship "Richelieu", the heavy cruiser "Suffren", light cruisers "Gloire", "Montcalm", "Georges Leygues", and a few destroyers, including cruiser-sized "Le Fantasque" class destroyers.

Role in the French Resistance

Captain d'Estienne d'Orves attempted to unite the French Resistance, became an inspiring symbol when he was arrested, tortured by the Gestapo and executed.

D-Day : Operation Neptune

In the summer of 1944, the Invasion of Normandy took place. The FNFL took part in both naval side of the operations, "Operation Neptune", and to the landing itself, with the Naval Commandos ("Commandos Marine") of Captain Philippe Kieffer, climbing cliffs under fire to destroy German shore batteries.

The ships of the FNFL were deployed off the landing sites :

* Utah Beach: corvettes "Aconit" and "Renoncule"
* Omaha Beach: cruisers "Georges Leygues" and "Montcalm" ; frigates "Escarmouche" and "Aventure" ; and "Roselys" ;
* Gold Beach: Corvette "Surprise"
* Juno Beach: frigate "Découverte" ; corvette "Estienne d'Orves" ; and torpedo boat "La Combattante"

In addition the obsolete battleship "Courbet" was scuttled off Arromanches to serve as a Mulberry harbour.

The cruisers "Georges Leygues" and "Montcalm", along with the battleship USS "Arkansas" provided fire support for the infantry until the 10 of June.

The "Combattante" silenced German coastal artillery of Courseulles-sur-Mer. The next day, she started patrolling the Channel. On the 14th of July, she ferried General De Gaulle to France [ [http://www.grieme.org/comb.htm LA COMBATTANTE] ] .

Pacific War

The "Richelieu" was present in Tokyo Bay during the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender.

Technical innovations

The FNFL also harboured technical innovators, like Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who invented the modern aqua-lung, and Yves Rocard, who perfected the radar. The aqua-lung became a major improvement for commando operations.

Losses

The merchant fleet of the FNFL suffered heavy casualties, amounting to one quarter of its men.

A number of warships were lost, notably the submarine "Surcouf", possibly sunk in a friendly fire incident. Other losses include the destroyers "Léopard", "Mimosa", "Alysse", and "La Combattante" ; submarine "Narval" ; patrol boats "Poulmic" and "Vikings".

Notes and links

See also

* List of ships of the Forces navales françaises libres

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.charles-de-gaulle.org/article.php3?id_article=156 charles-de-gaulle.org]
* [http://perso.orange.fr/stephane.delogu/fnfl.html FNFL]
* [http://tmg110.tripod.com/freefr.htm "HONOR, UNITY, SALVATION" -- FLAGS & ENSIGNS OF FREE FRANCE]
* [http://www.fotw.net/flags/fr~fnfl.html Free French Naval Forces (1940-1944)]
* [http://www.1939-45.org/articles/fnfl/listefnfl.htm LA MARINE MARCHANDE FNFL]