Whose Navy Now?

In Great Britain and the Americas last week, first reaction to news of the fall of France was grim silence. Next was: what about the French Navy? Well were people justified in their concern about whether the French Navy was still French--or to be surrendered to Germany with the Army. Added to Italy's Navy and what remains of the German, the French Navy would give the Axis a preponderance (in terms of capital ships) of 15 to 14 over the British, with at least five new battleships (including the French Richelieu) about ready for the Axis, to five new ones for Britain. But the British must now maintain fleets in three places: at home, at Gibraltar, at Suez. The Axis need divide its strength only into two parts: Atlantic and Mediterranean.

The French Navy's battleships would not team well with the Axis heavyweights. The latter are built for speed, the heavily armored French for slow, stand-up fighting. French ordnance, too, is different, even the 8-in. and 6-in. guns being fitted for shells heavier than any other Navy uses. The Axis would have to run the French arsenals to use the big French ships. But the lighter categories would be most useful. Added to Italy's big submarine and destroyer flotillas, the French flotillas would make an Axis blockade of Britain fairly easy.

In the fateful hours that followed Premier Pteain's request for an armistice, the whereabouts and ultimate disposition of the French Navy became crucial. Much of it was known to be in the Eastern Mediterranean. Whether its officers would obey a call to come in and surrender, or would scuttle or intern themselves, or would stay with the British, became questions upon which the fate of Britain--and perhaps the fate of the Western World--hung.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.