the scuttling of the fleet in Toulon Liberation – The Times Hub

November 28, 2021

For the honor of the flag, in order not to fall into German hands which had just invaded the free zone, the French navy sank all its ships.

Two years after Mers-el-Kbir in 1940, on November 27, 1942, the French fleet once again saw a large part of its ships sink. But this time, it will be scuttling by the very hand of the French. On the evening of November 27, 90% of the ships moored in Toulon harbor were scuttled. All large ocean-going combat vessels are sunk or unrecoverable. A total of 235,000 tonnes rendered useless i.e. three battleships, seven cruisers, fifteen destroyers, thirteen torpedo boats, six avisos, twelve submarines, nine patrol boats and dredgers, nineteen service vessels, one vessel school, twenty-eight tugs and four lifting docks. A suicide for the glory and in respect of the promise made by the admiralty never to fall into the hands of the Germans.

On November 11, Hitler launched Operation Anton in total violation of the armistice agreement signed in June 1940. The Germans invaded the free zone. An invasion in their eyes necessary since the Allies landed on November 8 in North Africa, Morocco and Algeria.

But above all, Hitler feared that the French fleet consigned to the Toulon naval base would consider that after the invasion of the free zone, it was released from article 8 of the armistice agreement which imposed neutrality on it, and does not join the allied forces. The city is now the only unoccupied enclave in mainland France.

On November 26, two panzer columns set in motion to take the arsenal. Code name of the operation: Lila. On the morning of the 27th, the German soldiers arrested the maritime prefect, Admiral Marquis. His Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Robin, manages to escape and transmit to the Arsenal Major General, Rear Admiral Dornon, the scuttling order which he immediately retransmits to the Admiral. Laborde aboard the Strasbourg, flagship of the high seas forces. This radio launches the general destruction order, also reflected by optical signals. The scuttling teams must act quickly. The German tanks entered the arsenal but lost precious time, being unable to find their way around. This leaves time for the scutters to finish their work.

At 6 am, the first explosions are heard then follow one another. The teams light the wicks, open the valves, drown the bunkers sometimes under the threat of German soldiers. Some ships like cruisers Algeria, Marseillaise Where Dupleix will burn for several days. Three submarines manage to reach Algeria and join the Free French Naval Forces (FNFL). That day, the Royale the nickname given to the navy saved the honor of its flag.

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the scuttling of the fleet in Toulon Liberation - The Times Hub