ALLY v. ALLY . . . IN ORAN BAY

July 3, 1940

The capitulation of France made enemies out of allies. On these two pages are first official (French Government) pictures of the spectacular action which sealed that enmity--the Battle of Oran Bay.

Determined not to let the French Fleet fall into Adolf Hitler's hands, the British, on the morning of July 3 handed the Commander of the French Squadron in Oran Bay ( 200 miles east of Gibraltar) an ultimatum giving him six hours to join the British, go to America to be interned or scuttle his ships. The French officers began to argue with one another. Many a sailor refused to fight. Most of them did not even prepare their vessels for action (it takes a considerable head of steam to work the turrets of a battleship).

When the ultimatum expired, with only about three hours of daylight left to fight, the British Commander, Vice Admiral Sir James Fownes Somerville, felt he could wait no longer. With three capital ships, an aircraft carrier, three cruisers and a strong screen of destroyers he went into action. When he opened fire most of the French men of war were unprepared. So far as these pictures show, they never fired a shot.

Hull down over the horizon, the British capital ships' 15-inchers blasted away at the harbor (top right). The French ships, still at anchor when the bombardment began, were lined up for the slaughter. Those with steam up, hastily got under way. Taken from the upper works of a tall ship (probably the Dunkerque) the picture (lower right) shows the 26,500-ton battle cruiser Strasbourg, whose stern is visible beyond the bridge of the Provence (in the foreground), starting to pull out. Beyond her, the sister ship of the Provence, the 22,189-ton battleship Bretagne has already been hit by a salvo. A few moments later (upper left) the Strasbourg has got away, and over the stern of the burning Bretagne is visible the airplane tender Commandant Teste. One shell of a salvo is bursting in the water. A short time later the bombardment has ceased, and the Bretagne is heeled over (middle left). This picture, evidently taken from a heavy destroyer, is from another angle and the Teste is out of the picture to the right. In the final picture (lower left), only the bottom of the Bretagne is above water, her men are swimming, and the Teste still lies without steam up.

By the time night fell, British marksmanship had done a deadly job. Besides the Bretagne, by British accounts, the Provence and two destroyers were sunk by mines and gunfire as they attempted to get away. The Strasbourg, muffled in smoke screens laid down around her, limped out to sea damaged by a torpedo, accompanied by five cruisers and several destroyers. Next day British bombers came over, sank the Teste and damaged the Dunkerque which was beached.

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