Attack on Mers-el-Kébir

A British naval attack on French ships at Mers-el-Kébir, Algeria, on 3 July 1940, intended to prevent their possible use by Germany.

Operation Catapult: A British operation in July 1940 to seize or disable French naval forces after France’s armistice with Germany. Mers-el-Kébir was its deadliest action.
Fall of France: The German conquest of France and the Low Countries in May and June 1940. The defeat left Britain facing a former ally whose government had requested an armistice.
Vichy France: The French state headed by Philippe Pétain that governed unoccupied and occupied France from 1940 to 1944. Its government broke diplomatic relations with Britain after the attack.
French battleship Provence: A French battleship damaged at Mers-el-Kébir and later repaired for service under Vichy France. Provence was among the ships struck during the bombardment.
Force H: A British naval formation based at Gibraltar during the Second World War. Force H delivered the ultimatum and opened fire at Mers-el-Kébir.
Battle of France: The 1940 German campaign that defeated French, British, and allied forces in western Europe. Its outcome brought French naval ships under a government negotiating with Germany.
Charles de Gaulle: A French general who led the Free French movement against Axis powers during the Second World War. He supported the British action while seeking to rally French forces abroad.
French battleship Dunkerque: A French battleship damaged at Mers-el-Kébir and later attacked again by British forces at Mers-el-Kébir. Its damage and subsequent attack illustrate the operation’s continued focus on the fleet.
Hood: A British battlecruiser commissioned in 1920 and sunk by the German battleship Bismarck in 1941. Hood was among the British warships deployed in the attack.
Philippe Pétain: A French marshal who led the government that signed the 1940 armistice and later headed Vichy France. His government’s assurances did not persuade Britain that the fleet was secure.

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Attack on Pearl HarborCompared with: It offers a contrasting case of a surprise attack on a fleet in harbor.