The attack was the main part of Operation Catapult, a British plan to neutralise or destroy neutral French ships to prevent them from falling into German hands after the Allied defeat in the Battle of France.
Firing on the French Fleet at Mers-el-Kebir was horrific but necessary for British security.
Why didn’t Germany take the French fleet?
Because the British Royal Navy bombarded The French Fleet whilst it was in Harbour. They feared it would fall into the hands of the Germans and be used to attack Great Britain.
Who sank the most ships in ww2?
With 33 ships sunk, the USS Tang sank the most tonnage of shipping in World War II for the United States.
The Royal Navy only had this advantage because the British ships spent months at sea, so the captains were able to give their crew constant exercise at the guns, whereas the French and Spanish were stuck in port due to the British blockade, so rarely got the opportunity to do any serious practice.
Why was France so useless in ww2?
The following analysis concludes that the French lost in 1940 mainly because of three reasons: intelligence failure, operational and tactical inferiority, and poor strategic leadership.
Who destroyed the French fleet in ww2?
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
July 3, 1940. After only 54 days into office, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered his Navy to take control of French ships, or destroy them if the French refused to relinquish control.
Why did the French surrender so quickly?
In reality there were multiple reasons for the sudden French collapse, including the surprise German attack through the Ardennes. While there were pockets of resistance to the Nazis under occupation, a substantial proportion of the French population collaborated with the Germans.
What was the toughest ship in ww2?
Even as world wars go, the U.S.S. Nevada was a resilient ship: It was the only battleship to get underway during the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, surviving bombs and torpedoes before the burning vessel was beached and later repaired.
What is the largest warship ever sunk?
The 73,000-ton (66,224 metric tons) Musashi and sister ship Yamato were the largest battleships the world has ever known. Allied forces sunk the Musashi on October 24, 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, considered the largest naval battle of World War II and quite possibly the largest naval battle in history.
Why did submariners eat lemons?
James Lind is remembered as the man who helped to conquer a killer disease. His reported experiment on board a naval ship in 1747 showed that oranges and lemons were a cure for scurvy.
Is France or UK Army stronger?
The Royal Navy is made up of 32,450 regular, trained personnel (including Royal Marines); compared with the French Navy’s 35,000. :: Combat and Support Ships – 69 French (excluding training vessels and tugs) vs 73 British. :: Nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarines – 4 each.
Who is richer UK or France?
Its latest World Economic League Table, which looks at the prospects for all 193 countries, forecasts the UK economy will be 16 per cent larger than France’s by 2036. The UK’s is currently estimated to be worth £2.1 trillion, 3.6 per cent larger than France’s.
Could the UK beat France in a war?
Without nuclear weapons, being honest, there is no winner. The firepower of France, although only superior to that of the United Kingdom by a narrow margin, would not serve much unless the French Armed Forces manage to deal with the Royal Air Force and then with the Royal Navy and its respectable submarines.
Were German tanks better than French?
The French had built a larger number of modern tanks than the Germans and these were on average better armed and armoured.
Did the French have better tanks than the Germans?
In armour and firepower, French tanks were generally not inferior to their German counterparts. In one incident, a single Char B1 “Eure” was able to destroy thirteen German tanks within a few minutes in Stonne on 16 May 1940, all of them Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks.
Why is Austria not blamed for ww2?
According to the founders of the Second Austrian Republic, the 1938 Anschluss was an act of military aggression by the Third Reich. Austrian statehood had been interrupted and therefore the newly revived Austria of 1945 could not and should not be considered responsible for the Nazis’ crimes in any way.
Who suffered the most damage in ww2?
the Soviet Union
Belarus suffered the worst devastation of any country during the war in terms of a percentage of its population. Over a quarter of its population, 2,290,000 people, died during the conflict. In terms of total numbers, the Soviet Union bore an incredible brunt of casualties during WWII.
What ship fired the last shot in ww2?
On May 8, 1945, the British cruiser HMS Dido was en route to Copenhagen Denmark. At one point during the journey, a lone German aircraft approached the ship. The Dido’s guns fired one shot and the plane flew away – it was VE day and that was the last shot fired in the Second World War in Europe.
Who defeated the French fleet?
British
In one of the most decisive naval battles in history, a British fleet under Admiral Lord Nelson defeats a combined French and Spanish fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar, fought off the coast of Spain.
What was the largest surrender in history?
On April 9, 1942, Major General Edward P. King Jr. surrenders at Bataan, Philippines—against General Douglas MacArthur’s orders—and 78,000 troops (66,000 Filipinos and 12,000 Americans), the largest contingent of U.S. soldiers ever to surrender, are taken captive by the Japanese.