Channel markers are great episodes. Can you do one on the British attacks on the French fleet? Both the one that resulted in action and the one where a peaceful resolution was reached?
Thanks! We appreciate your taking the time to watch and comment. We will definitely and eventually dig into the subject of the French fleet between 1940 and 1943. Another issue is the offer of the US government to purchase the battleships mentioned here, rather than have them fall into German hands. Thanks again!
Great video, helping English speaking viewers understand France during the war. You're right about negotiations. Churchill's decision to confront and attack the French fleet was a poor call. If the French fleet had wanted to collaborate, it already would have done so, and would not have been in Africa in the first place. While Churchill had a point, he also had, and disdained, other, better options.
The unsaid here was the pressure on PM Churchill by the 1st lord of the sea Dudley Pound, to whom Churchill owed 1st his return as Navy Minister & from there to PM. Churchill could refuse him nothing, even later covering for his murderous blunder of dispersing the 32-cargo ship of PQ-17 convoy, offering them to Doenitz’s 🦈 & Hermann’s vultures. 20 ships, most of them 🇺🇸 were sunk, yet the one responsible for removing the escort & dispersing the convoy remained untouchable, lordship oblige. Back to Catapult, Admiral Dudley North, Naval Prefect of Gibraltar protested, calling it Boomerang 🪃 & paid for it with a long disgrace. While in Alexandria, Admiral Andrew Cunningham made a Gentleman’s Agreement with the French Admiral commanding a task force of cruisers to avoid bloodshed. Re : Anthony Heckstall-Smith “The Fleet That Faced Both Ways”
The tragedy of the French Navy in WW2, could have been averted…. Had they taken any of the other options that their pre-surrender treaty obligations defined they would have assist CDG and the Free French in their gallant efforts and retained and bolstered the pride of France. Even if the Free French forces had been stationed and secured the Caribbean they would have freed up extensive US forces to secure the Eastern Seaboard from the coming U-boat threat….. imagine the horror on the bridge of Bismark to encounter a pair of French battleships paired with Hood and DOY…..
Tragedy indeed. Is it worth delving into these issues further, or perhaps picking up the story with the Darlan and Eisenhower agreement in November 1942, following the fate of the French ships? In any case, thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
Bearing Straight, can you make a video about the December 1914 Falklands Naval Battle that resulted in Admiral Graf Spee paving the way for General Belgrano ? The Kaiser’s Pacific Fleet 1st attacked Tahiti to seize the coal reserves for their ships. A miserable 😖 little French gunboat thwarted them long enough for them to waste ammo & fuel without any possible replenishment. Then they moved to the Chilean Coast, where off Coronel they scored what they thought 💭 a very glorious victory against the Royal Navy. & then rounding Cape Horn, their depleted ammo & fuel in the face of the Avengers left them down.
The Jean-Bart’s escape while unfinished was made one day after RMS Lancastria packed with British soldiers & French refugees was sunk & her survivors strafed by Hermann vultures. The cruel fate of captain Grant Sharp was that 2 years later, while commanding RMS Laconia, he found himself in the same tragedy this time by one Doenitz’s 🦈 That was too much for the brave sailor who went down with his ship.
Oh God. The French. Who knows why the French do things? You certainly can't ask the buggers because then you run the risk of them answering and you end up even more confused.
