Fantasque Time Line (France Fights On) - English Translation

[Wings]

July 13th, 1941

Ionian Sea - 23:48 (July 12th) - The Aurora and the Phoebe open fire. The firing officer of the Aurora, Michel Le Fanu, almost immediately obtains shots on target on the first of the transports, the Maria, which quickly starts to burn. Le Fanu then transfers his fire to the second transport "which seemed to be intact and soon was not" (the Sagitta). On its side, the Phoebe fires on "a large ship low in the water" (the oil tanker Conte di Misurata). Meanwhile, the Janus, the Greyhound and the Vasilissa Olga are engaged by the escort. The Ascari and the Aviere are hit several times, but the Janus is hit hard by the Taranto.
The three Allied DD have their work cut out for them against the eight Italians, and the two cruisers have to abandon the transports. The Aurora engages both the DL Pancaldo and Riboty. As precise as ever, it gets hits on the bridge and destroys the front turret of the former, then stops the latter. The Taranto tries to support the two destroyers, but finds herself targeted by the Phoebe's 5.25-inch guns.
At that moment, the battlefield is illuminated by an explosion "of extreme violence" (this quote, like the previous ones, is taken from the reports of the English officers). It is the Maria that has just blown up. The event creates some confusion. The Italian squadron leader, on board the Taranto, believes that the explosion is due to the firing of 15-inch guns. Fearing the presence of a British battleship and fearing a new "Gaudio massacre", he orders a retreat. Nevertheless, before withdrawing, the Italian destroyers launch all their torpedoes and hit the Janus and the Vasilissa Olga, which are seriously hit.
01:04 - His adversaries having disappeared in the night, "Bill" Agnew also decides to withdraw, after having scuttled the two destroyers that were hit (Allied sailors have learned not to attempt to save a ship in the range of Luftwaffe bombers). The Greyhound takes on board the survivors of the Janus and the Phoebe the crew of the Vassilissa Olga.
02:40 - The Sagitta also sinks after several explosions.
However, helped by minesweepers, the Conte di Misurata, severely damaged, is dragged the next morning in the Gulf of Patras. On the point of sinking, it runs aground at noon near Missolonghi. On learning of the fate of the Conte di Misurata, General Löhr orders to send anti-aircraft guns and pumping equipment to the grounded tanker. Meanwhile, the escort, of which five out of eight ships are more or less seriously damaged, reaches Corfu, then Brindisi.

 

[Wings]

July 13th, 1941

Cyclades - Another day of reduced air activity for the Luftwaffe. On Andros, the German troops are still holding on, although the perimeter of the bridgehead has shrunk.
The German commander of the theater of operations, Field Marshal List, requisitions all the remaining fishing boats in the area to transport reinforcements to the island.

North Africa - As the Hawk-81A2s delivered in crates to Casablanca from the Normandie are assembled and tested, they are flown through Oran, Algiers and Tunis to Benghazi, from where they reach Crete. Between July 13th and 15th, 54 of the 60 Normandie aircraft arrive on the island.

 

[Wings]

July 13th, 1941

Mönichkirchen - Hitler summons Admirals Raeder and Dönitz to his headquarters. He orders the second to send a flotilla of submarines to the Mediterranean to help the Italian navy.
My Führer," protests Dönitz, "this risks dispersing our forces, while the battle we are fighting in the Atlantic is particularly difficult. The large number of English escorts cost us heavy losses last spring; we lost valuable men, captains like Prien, Schepke or Kretschmer!"
- Let's talk about your Kretschmer! (Shame on you, this one, with his U-boat sunk beneath him, wascaptured by Captain Donald MacIntyre, Royal Navy, and the Allied propaganda made a big deal of it). The sending of U-boats to the Mediterranean was imperative. We have seen, last night again, that we can't count on the Italians!
- Good, my Führer. But such a redeployment cannot take place in the middle of summer, because the short and clear nights make it easier for the English and French patrol boats to work in the Straits of Gibraltar. It was necessary to wait a little while!
Hitler, reluctant, finally accepts a delay. The operation i scheduled for the end of September. It will be called "Blue Light".

 

[Wings]

July 14th, 1941

Alger - The traditional Bastille Day parade must show the French people of all origins that the Army, despite the recent setbacks in Greece, is growing stronger every day.
In addition to infantrymen and armored vehicles, the parade is marked by a strong presence of the Armée de l'Air. Curtiss, Dewoitine, Lioré-Olivier and many others (including a few prototypes that will never have any descendants, but make a strong impression) roar by over the White City. For some fighter groups, it is the first step on the way to Crete.
The airmen reserve a surprise for the spectators at the end of the parade. Two Tiger Moth biplanes perform a dazzling aerial ballet, in such a tight formation that one would think they were bolted together (judging by the comments of the audience, many are convinced that this is indeed the case - attempts were made before the war, with mixed, even disastrous results).
De Gaulle, Reynaud and Laurent Eynac, in the grandstand, are visibly enjoying the show. After having exchanged a few words with the General, the Minister of the Air Force whispers an order to one of his collaborators, who immediately left by car. Up there, the demonstration continues - barrel rolls, rollovers, crossings in impeccable order. The two "Tigres Mous" finally disappear on the horizon, leaving the audience stunned.
Two hours later, Laurent Eynac's collaborator brings back from Maison-Blanche to the HQ of the Air Ministry - which shares a building with the War Ministry - two young pilots who are a little intimidated. It is a smiling De Gaulle (he has just received information confirming the obviously forced slowing down of the activities of the Luftwaffe in the Aegean Sea) which receives them, in company of Laurent Eynac: "Beautiful initiative and beautiful spectacle, Messieurs!
- Lieutenant Delachenal Pierre, my general, Meknès fighter school.
- Aspirant Noetinger Jacques, general, also fighter school.
De Gaulle continues: "I heard that the idea came from you?
- Well, General," replies Noetinger, "in reality, it was Pierre's idea - I mean, Commander Pierre Fleurquin. In Meknès, we were his students and he wanted to keep us to train the new ones. Most of the instructors there are, like him, former members of the Etampes patrol, starting with Colonel Amouroux.
- I learned about Commandant Fleurquin's fate," observes De Gaulle. "A very regrettable loss. But I now understand your vocation. It is good to follow the example of one's elders.
- That is our wish, General. We thought that recreating an acrobatic patrol could be useful in the dark period France is going through.
- Judging by the public's reaction today, your goal seems to be on track", comments Laurent Eynac.
- Yes, but today's demonstration, which we developed outside of our usual training hours, is still very perfectible", adds Delachenal. "And our little biplanes lack power...
- Bravo again," cut in De Gaulle, "but if such initiatives are commendable, they must not hinder the war effort. We are cruelly short of pilots in units... Nevertheless, your performance deserves encouragement. Time will tell if we can afford to continue it.

 

[Wings]

July 14th, 1941

Alger - The British projects in Iran are causing great tension in Franco-British relations.
At the end of the gala dinner offered by the president of the Republic Albert Lebrun on the occasion of the national holiday, at the time of cognac, liqueurs and cigars, an incident hardly felted between the United Kingdom High Commissioner, Sir Harold Nicolson, and Paul Reynaud and Roland de Margerie. Sir Harold, in terms that are as carefully chosen as they are cautious, nonetheless reproaches the fact that France has not yet frozen Iranian assets, nor reduced to the simplest terms the number of staff at the French representation in Tehran. To which Reynaud, annoyed, retorts that the government, whether in Algiers, Paris or "wherever it is," intends to make its own decisions and not to obey the orders of a foreign power, "whatever it is, and so friendly that it shows itself in general". Margerie goes further by saying that Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden had presented France with a fait accompli by launching the preparation of an operation against Iran without any consultation with their allies.
"Dear friend," says Margerie in a tone devoid of indulgence, and with a courtesy that is justly measured, "France has political and cultural interests in Iran that it will defend in its own way since it is left with no choice. And I am not telling you anything about our economic interests and, let's cut to the chase, oil interests. Were we not entitled to expect something else from your government, which is so careful to ask for our help when it needs it - when it cannot act otherwise, in fact... It would seem that it deplores the fact that the mediation or action of France is indispensable to him from time to time! Between us, there would be enough to justify the Anglophobic belches of Messrs Laval and consorts... not to mention the insanities of Dr. Goebbels! Finally, is it unreasonable to expect your government to give us in this matter, the assurance that it will take into account our interests and that it will respect them?"
Sir Harold seems reduced to nothing, and Margerie resumes: "I am convinced, my dear friend, that the President of the Council will approve of my asking you to transmit to 10 Downing Street and the Foreign Office the expression, not only of our misgivings, but also of our displeasure. You see, we will not be content to put up with it and put on a good countenance!"
Paul Reynaud, his jaw twitching, nods his head, and General de Gaulle, to whom the end of Margerie's remarks have not escaped, even smiles, while Sir Harold blushes! Indeed, in addition to the final remark (which only confirms the presence of Francophiles in the imperial staff), to hear a French diplomat, trained in the school of Philippe Berthelot, quote the 10 Downing Street and the Foreign Office instead of saying Winston (Churchill) and Anthony (Eden) is, if not an insult, at least a deliberate vexation.
At the end of the evening, after consultation with the principal members of the National Defense Committee and with Lebrun's approval, Paul Reynaud chooses to write directly to Churchill - but in French. The text of his letter is worked out during the night in private with Margerie and Dominique Leca.
"Dear Prime Minister and dear friend,
"Sir Harold has certainly informed you and Anthony Eden of our feelings about your plans in Iran. If we cannot - with regret, because our country's relations with Persia, and later with Iran, are as old as they are warm - we can only approve the United Kingdom for wanting to push Shah Reza to break totally and definitively with the Axis, we must deplore, I will not hide it from you, that the London Cabinet chose to hardly inform its allies and not even to ask for their opinion on the method chosen, which raises certain questions on our part which I must mention here.
"We are inclined to believe, I make no secret of it, that we are not acting with Iran as we did with Iraq. And we also believe that it would not have been unseemly for you to wish for French participation in the operations you are planning. It seems that you have not thought about it.
"I judge for myself, and the members of my government with me, that the War Cabinet has thus opened a breach in the Franco-British front and seriously damaged the alliance of our two countries, so necessary, as you and I are convinced, to the freedom of the world. The President of the Republic is in the same frame of mind, and I know that he intends to inform His Majesty King George VI.
"I want to believe, at least, that such a misfortune, due perhaps to the hostility towards France in some of your ministries, which have forgotten our brotherhood of arms in 1914-1918, will not happen again. Between us, I assure you, the permanence of the Entente cordiale is at this price. This is why I hope to have the opportunity soon, however, to renew with you the bonds of trust and friendship.
"Please accept, Mr. Prime Minister and dear friend, the expression of my highest consideration."
A special cabinet courier will fly from Maison-Blanche on the 15th at 11:30 a.m. to London via Lisbon and deliver this letter to Paul-Boncour in the evening. Winston Churchill will receive the missive from the High Commissioner on the 16th, sealed with wax and bearing the arms of the Republic. The Prime Minister cannot help but notice that, contrary to the customary exchanges between the two heads of government and their common habits, Paul Reynaud did not put anything of his own hand, with the sole exception of his signature.

 

[Wings]

July 14th, 1941

Aegean Sea - At Missolonghi, the Germans begin to pump what can be recovered as aviation fuel in the tanks of the Conte di Misurata. This fuel must be transported by road to the airfields in the Athens area. Löhr calls Hitler's HQ to warn him that the whole process will take at least three days and that the date of the beginning of the air offensive against Crete - called operation "Ikarus" - must be postponed to July 20th.

Andros - With the help of the reinforcements brought in the day before, the German forces succeed in consolidating their positions.

Eastern Mediterranean - The British reinforcement convoy passing near Crete, 30 Hurricanes fly directly from the Furious to the island. The carrier will then deliver the 30 other aircraft, in crates, to Karpathos.

Alexandria - Due to the losses suffered in six weeks of continuous action, the Aegean Sea Squadron is reorganized, still under the command of Vice-Admiral Pridham-Whippel, who receive the reinforcement of a new destroyer, the Lightning.
- Force A (Captain William "Bill" Agnew): CL HMS Ajax and Aurora (admiral), CLAA HMS Phoebe, DD HMS Greyhound, Imperial, Isis, Lightning.
- Force B: removed.
- Force C (Rear Admiral Lacroix): CL MN Montcalm, DL MN Volta, CT MN Le Fantasque, Guépard, Vauban, Verdun.
- Force D (Rear Admiral Godfroy, second in command): BB MN Courbet, DD (Bourrasque class) MN Mistral, Tempête, Tornade and Trombe, HMNZS/HMS Auckland, Black Swan, Egret.
- Force E: French and Yugoslavian torpedo boats and British Fairmile type B.

 

[Wings]

July 15th, 1941

Algiers, 08:30 - The doorbell rings at the Villa des Bougainvillées. The minister Jean Zay, who is about to borrow his Vivastella Renault to go to his offices in the former General Government, opens himself* to two well-dressed men but of little distinction.
The older man presents a card crossed out with the tricolor: "Commissaire Durand-Becq, de la Surveillance du Territoire. My respects, Mr. Minister, and forgive me for disturbing you. So early in the morning, I mean. Uh... my deputy, Inspector Lehmann."
At any rate, Arsène Lehmann, an Alsatian of strict observance, stands at attention.
- I recognized you, Inspector," replies Zay. "We're not exactly strangers to each other. I see you quite often, here and there, at ceremonies or receptions.
Durand-Becq clears his throat. His greasy Parisian accent stands out in the Mediterranean splendor of the White City: "Mr. Minister, the... uh... the captain... uh... the former minister... I mean... well, is Mr. Mendès-France at home?"
- Yes. He's finishing his breakfast.
- Ah! It's that... you see, Mr. Minister, I have orders to take Mr... Captain Mendès-France, I mean... that's it, the captain, yes, I mean, he must be taken to the Ministry of National Defense."
Jean Zay slept badly. He is not in a good mood: "Come on! Would we want to make him look like a deserter, by any chance? Or for a traitor to the Fatherland? These generals are indefatigable, really!
- Me, Mr. Minister, I obey. Orders are orders, especially when a minister gives them. I don't get out of here. I can only tell you that I must take the captain directly to THE minister."
Durand-Becq succeeds perfectly in making it clear that "the" was in capitals.
- To General de Gaulle?
- Himself in person, Mr. Minister. Who else?
Zay immediately relents: "De Gaulle! It must be very urgent or very serious, what he wants from Mendès, so that he would send him policemen.
Superintendent Durand-Becq looks naive, like the Adémaï character made famous by Noël-Noël: "Hey, Mr. Minister, maybe he was afraid that an officer would go astray in the Casbah."
- I'll call Captain Mendès-France, commissioner.
PMF takesthe time to put on his white suit and then said to the police: "You'll have to let me spend ten minutes at a good hairdresser's. I have to get a shave**.
The 11 Légère Citroën of the ST is driven by a policeman from Algiers with a bad appearance, who one could believe torn from the film of Pépé le Moko.
09:05 - Flanked by the two policemen, Captain Mendès-France is welcomed in the antichamber of the minister by the officer of ordinance of this one, the lieutenant Geoffroy
Chodron de Courcel, who has lost none of his diplomatic courtesy: "Good morning, Mr. Minister, I hope you had a good trip.
- With my escort, what could have happened to me?
- The General is waiting for you. I must confess that he is somewhat impatient to see you."
As much as the day before, at the parade podium, he seemed happy, at ease, almost blooming - if one can use this word about him - as much here is the author of the Fil de l'Épée cold, closed, apparently in the grip of a barely controlled anger. Even before PMF has greeted him, he throws him his Players: "You have disobeyed, Captain. I see that you didn't understand me. Shall I make myself clear, Captain? Do you need an explanation, some drawings, Captain?"
By repeating the rank of his interlocutor, De Gaulle obviously wants to mark the link of subordination.
- General, I don't understand, indeed," replies PMF.
- I had given you six months to throw away your strangles and to talk about glory. You succeeded not too badly, by the way. Bravo for your two citations.
- Thank you, General.
But De Gaulle continues, with a hint of disdain: "If it's the Legion of Honor that you need for your constituents, I will do... oh, this very morning... what is necessary."
Stiffened, heels together, little fingers on the seam of his pants, PMF remains silent.
- Finally, Mendes, what on earth are you looking for? I told you, and I'll tell you again: the State needs good ministers more than captains, however brave they may be. We lack of men, one repeats from the rooftops? It is true! However, to get killed, we will always have enough! Your Amiot were not enough for you? You want to feel the... the...
The General looks for a striking expression and continues, using the nickname of the cuirassiers in use among the Emperor's grognards: "You absolutely want to feel the big brothers? I recognize that they can offer, as coffins, a certain advantage! Four engines! What decorum!"
PMF rebels: "My general, my transfer was signed Charles de Gaulle."
- By me? Not at all, by God! Boris signed it for me, behind my back! I discovered it by chance. Don't deny it, Boris is your friend. He'll pay for this!
- It is also signed by Laurent Eynac.
- This... this...
Before the Minister of Defense could find the unseemly epithet for the little esteem he had for the Minister of the Air Force, PMF hastensto specify: "General, if I had been refused this transfer, I would have joined the Legion immediately. There, I would have been accepted.
- Ah! I had seen right when I sent you some argousins... I felt like ordering them to handcuff you! Finally, these gentlemen prevented you from ignoring me. As you did yesterday. And they saved you from doing something crazy. Romantic. Maybe respectable. But foolishness nonetheless. The Legion! Do you think you are in Pierre Benoît's Atlantis?
- Is it madness to want to face the enemy up close? You did it well!"
General de Gaulle raises his eyes to the sky: "Finally, explain to me once and for all why you persist in not wanting to serve the State! God knows that in the government, you would be more useful than in a plane.
- I have long served the State as best I could, precisely, in various functions, General. In my town hall, in Parliament, in the ministries. Today, I want to serve the Motherland. I want to serve. Only her! If she suffers, I must, like so many others who have no stripes on their sleeves, share in the front line the sufferings of her soldiers.
Shrugging his shoulders, the general quotes, with a hint of a smile, in a voice that does not hide his tiredness or disenchantment, the manuscript*** of his own Fil de l'Épée: "To serve, Mendes, to serve is sometimes paid at the price of bitterness that he will pay without begrudging, the one that the love of the Fatherland, the passion for the State and the highest ambition hold in their hearts."
- General, I...
- Do you believe for one second that I would not prefer, at this very moment, to command a division? That I would not want to lead the brigades of tanks launched to attack the positions of the enemy? That I don't dream of glory in the folds of a standard, like the Saint-Cyrian that I was?
The general pauses, as if out of breath, before growling:
- Do you think we can have the luxury of choice when the flag of the Enemy flies over Paris?
Pierre Mendès-France, moved, keeps silent. The windows of the office overlooks the port and the horizon of the Mediterranean. General de Gaulle contemplates the panorama for a moment, then concludes:
"After all, Captain, if you want to die in the field of honor, it is your right. We will give you a beautiful ceremony. But you should know that until you succeed in getting yourself killed, I will not give you a minute's respite until you see where your true duty lies. Your duty of state. Double duty, Captain. You may go."
PMF puts his cap back on, clicks his heels, salutes with his hand on his visor, then turns around like a discharged non-commissioned officer, and strolls out.
- The General was rather angry with you", Courcel says to him.
- My dear comrade, I realized that

* The two "fatmas" are late, as usual, the trolleybuses of Algiers having difficulty to function because of the lack of spare parts (manufactured in Metropolitan France) and mechanics (engaged in the new armored divisions). Things will get better when the Arsenal of Algiers, in margin of its military activities, opened a repair shop for public interest vehicles.
** Like many men of his generation and social background, PMF did not shave himself. It was still claimed in 1954 that he could not start working until the Quai d'Orsay's appointed barber had come to his office to play the badger and cabbage cutter.
*** The following aphorism still appears in the typescript of Le Fil de l'Épée kept by the Charles de Gaulle Institute. It was crossed out by the author on the first printing proofs, according to the oral testimony of Mr. Robert Burnand, reader at the Plon publishing house, collected in 1951.

 

[Wings]

July 15th, 1941

Tokyo - The successor to Yosuke Matsuoka as Japan's Foreign Minister, Admiral Toyoda, transmits to the French government a "follow-up note" stating that Japan could accept a partial redeployment of its troops in Siam in exchange for the suspension of railroad exchanges between Tonkin and China and the demilitarization of the northern part of Indochina. The Japanese troops would evacuate Siam completely once the "China Incident" was dealt with and after the holding of a pan-Asian peace conference in Tokyo, including Japan, France and Siam.

 

[Wings]

July 15th, 1941

Aegean Sea - On Andros and in the surrounding waters, the battle continues. The Yugoslavian launches Kajmakcalan, Orjen, Suvobor and Triglav attack the German traffic between the island of Kea and Piraeus, sinking several barges and two Siebel ferries. During this time, the Abdiel and the Emile-Bertin lay mines around the islands of Kithnos and Syros.
The same night, French reinforcements are transported from Rhodes to Andros, first by fast transports between Rhodes and Ikaria, then by small ships between Ikaria and the east coast of Andros, via Mykonos and Tinos.

Crete - The French Fighter Groups complete the integration of the Hawk-81 brought from the United States by the Normandie. The allied potential on the island is also reinforced by 24 Douglas DB-73 (A20A/B) light bombers arriving from North Africa.

 

[Wings]

July 16th, 1941

Tirana - Victor-Emmanuel III, king... of Albania, is visiting his recently reconquered capital. The reception of the notables and the population, somewhat impressed by the warlike upheavals of the spring, is courteous if not enthusiastic. The only incident to be deplored: a young man, whom the propaganda will wrongly present as "a Greek-Macedonian", empties his pistol on the car, without hitting anyone. This bad shooter was not aiming at the king, but the Albanian Prime Minister Shefqet Vërlaci... who had refused him a position in the administration!

 

[Wings]

July 16th, 1941

Cairo - Lieutenant-General Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck arrives from Delhi to replace Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Wavell as General Officer Commander in Chief Middle-East. Following the Allied defeat in Greece, Winston Churchill wants a new man to take charge of the British forces in the Middle East and to prepare without delay the next attempt to regain a foothold on the European continent. As Wavell had not failed, he is appointed Commander-in-Chief in India (in the position of his successor!): this permutation between equivalent positions is neither a reprimand nor a promotion for either of them.
So much for the official discourse. In reality, Churchill had already decided in April (and the first British setbacks in Albania against Rommel) to remove at the first opportunity a general with whom he had never gotten along and in whom he no longer has confidence. Since their first meeting, the relations between the two men, whose personalities are very different, have never been good. They had several crises, including the famous and insolent response to Churchill's criticism that British forces had evacuated Somaliland when they had suffered few casualties: "Big butcher's bill is not necessarily evidence of good tactics." Moreover, while Churchill was only thinking of reinforcing the units to regain the initiative in the Balkans, Wavell kept asking for reinforcements in the form of support units and non-combatants (engineers, depots, bases, civilian workers, etc.) to build the logistical base necessary for his operations.
Churchill, comparing the ratio of combat troops to rear services in Britain to what Wavell was calling for (and overlooking the fact that the Greek and Egyptian infrastructures were not comparable to the British infrastructure), found his demands unjustified and feared that they were the expression of an excess of prudence and of a timorous character.
On the other hand, it is true that, faced with the necessary schizophrenia of managing his vast command (at its peak with simultaneous operations in Greece, Ethiopia and Iraq!) and the incessant telegrams from the Prime Minister giving orders, counter-orders and advice, or asking for information on every detail - which he interpreted as signs of lack of confidence, Wavell was showing more and more signs of physical and mental fatigue. Nevertheless, he left his successor a well-kept house.
Auchinleck writes: "I do not wish to suggest that the situation on my arrival was not satisfactory - far from it. Not only was I strongly impressed by the solid foundations laid by my predecessor, but I was also able to appreciate the magnitude of the problems he had faced and the magnitude of his successes, while the British forces under his command and their Allies were speaking in more than forty languages."
The understanding between the two men is particularly evident during the first weeks of their exchange, with the dual management of the Iranian crisis. Indeed, while Iraq depends on the Middle East Command, Iran - which the British still call Persia - is in the geographical sector dependent on India Command: Cunningham's headquarters in Baghdad sent all his information to Delhi as well as to Cairo.
Recognizing in Wavell an expert on the "complicated Middle East", Auchinleck will be able to benefit from the enlightening comments and the wise advice that his colleague will gladly give him.

 

[Wings]

July 16th, 1941

Tonkin - Two freighters carrying one hundred Curtiss Hawk-81A2s in crates arrive at Haiphong. These planes are destined for the American Volunteer Group about to be formed in Hoa Binh. They are to be assembled by the Armée de l'Air depot in Hanoi.

 

[Wings]

July 16th, 1941

Cyclades - The Luftwaffe increases its attacks against Andros, Ikaria and Samos, in the hope of preventing the Allies from strengthening their positions. These raids are met by the Dewoitine D-520M and D-523 deployed in the Dodecanese. Their reaction forces the Ju 87 to limit themselves to tactical support over Andros, where the French fighters are absent, only the Ju 88s are used to attack the better defended targets. In addition, the pace of the Luftwaffe missions remains limited by its fuel and ammunition supply problems.

 

[Wings]

July 16th, 1941

Otranto Strait - HMS Upholder, of the 10th submarine flotilla of the Royal Navy, carries out one of the most daring and effective submarine attacks on the Italian naval transport. Its commander, Captain Wanklyn, succeeds in penetrating the screen of an Italian fast convoy and sinks the liners Neptunia and Oceania (19,500 tons each), loaded with German troops. sent by this route with their equipment to relieve the congestion of the Greek road network. The escorts manage to save most of the men but all the equipment is lost.

 

[Wings]

July 16th, 1941

Alger - What had changed in the German night air raids? The first answer has finally reached the French command through the channel of the Resistance, with the week's delay that messages take to cross Spain or to be transmitted by radio*: the Germans no longer sent the slow He 111s, but Ju 88s, the same ones that had attacked Algiers during the day the previous month. And the Ju 88s, in order to escape the flak, were bombing in a slight dive, transforming their altitude into speed and thus thwarting the pointing of the anti-aircraft artillery, built on the postulate of constant altitude and speed. Moreover, they move away much faster than their predecessors from the Algerian coasts, making the interception by the night fighters more random and the pursuit quite vain, in spite of the assistance of the detection stations.
Only consolation, the weak load of bombs that could carry each aircraft using this tactic (because of the fuel consumption necessary for the return at high speed) explain that the raids do not cause more than relatively minor damages, but they still put the nerves of the Algerians to the test.
.........
Blida Air Base - In his office, Captain Pouyade turns the problem over and over in his head: how to shoot down these damned Junkers 88? He is not yet reproached, but it will not be long before before... It is then that Lieutenant Karel Kuttelwascher knocks on his door. He has an idea!
- Captain, we know that they leave from Perpignan. If we knew the exact time of their return, we could get them! As they are now going too fast on their route and we don't know their route, we have to catch them where they have to go and fly slowly: their airfield, when they land!
- But the Glenns don't have enough autonomy to go and keep watch over Perpignan!
- That's why you have to go quietly, get there at the same time as them, shoot down two or three, and leave immediately. It's possible!
- And as I know you, you have checked by yourself only yesterday or the day before! But you didn't catch anyone because you had to get back, otherwise you'd have to swim back.
- Oh, captain, I... I may have wandered a little to the north... But I thought that if the Resistance could provide us with their return times, we could be at the rendezvous...
- Ah... Yes, that sounds feasible. I had also thought of attacking them at the nest, but I didn't think that we could do it by finding out their exact return times.
- I'm volunteering to go back... sorry, for the first mission, of course!
- Wait, Karel, we're not there yet. But it is accepted.
Pouyade then calls his intelligence officer, who can only confirm the absence of the information he has requested: the Resistance did note the number of planes that had left, the number that had returned, but not the times of departure or return. This information (especially the return) is then requested for the next reports, to be transmitted in absolute priority - but it will be necessary to wait until August to obtain it.

* Because of the lack of transmitting stations, and even more so because of the lack of operators, it often took one or even two weeks before information from Metropolitan France reached Algiers via the radio transmissions. It is only from the spring of 1942 that the efficiency and the rapidity of the links of this type would become more satisfactory, but at that time, the Abwehr and the Gestapo would start relentlessly to search for the transmitters. In 1941, most of the information coming from the south of France arrived by mail, with coded letters posted in Figueiras or Cadaquès, to several mailboxes in and around Algeciras, from where they were then sent to Gibraltar by carrier, before being flown to Algiers. This took a week, which was the same time as the messages transmitted by radio. For censorship and the Spanish police, each message was sent to several addresses, which only remained in service only for a limited time.

 

[Wings]

July 17th, 1941

Indian Ocean - The Kormoran is hunting again on the maritime routes that serve Singapore, in the Sunda Strait and the Bali Strait, then off Ceylon and in the Arabian Sea, out of Allied air cover. But success is not forthcoming, despite the intensive use of his Arado seaplane to try to spot prey.

 

[Wings]

July 17th, 1941

Alger -In the morning, an extraordinary meeting of the French government is held to discuss the Japanese "follow-up note" of the 15th. The ministers are all informed of the real intentions, thanks to the transmission by the American government of the messages sent by Tokyo to its embassy in Washington.
The President of the Council, Paul Reynaud, and Henry de Kérillis (Minister of the Navy [and Transport]) recommend appeasement: "It seems to me preferable to respond to the Japanese note in a moderately favorable manner, to prevent a further deterioration of the situation in Indochina," Reynaud says. All our forces must be concentrated in Europe. For Kérillis, "We must not forget that our government draws much from Indochina, thanks to taxes on the production of rubber and various minerals. We cannot run the risk of being deprived of them for having irritated the Japanese government."
Georges Mandel hesitates: "I understand your arguments, Mr. President of the Council, as well as those of Mr. de Kérillis. Nevertheless, you know the importance that the American government attaches to supporting China in its conflict with Japan. To submit to Japanese demands would be to risk altering our relations with the United States, and we can't afford that either!"
On the other hand, Léon Blum and Marius Moutet (Minister of Colonies, or rather of Overseas France) energetically advocate a hard line against Japanese pressure: "All our information concurs: the American government is now ready for a direct confrontation with Japan's aggressive policy," says Blum. "It must not miss our support!"
Moutet and Kérillis then exchange some rather lively remarks on the importance of French economic interests in Indochina. Reynaud restores calm before asking General de Gaulle, Minister of War, who until then had seemed little concerned by the debate, his opinion.
However, when he crushes his cigarette and stands up to answer, pushing back his chair to make himself more comfortable, the assistants (who are beginning to know him) understand that Charles de Gaulle has strong and well-defined ideas on the subject. He will speak without interruption during a great quarter of an hour. He himself reproduced this speech, obviously prepared in advance, in his famous Mémoires de Guerre. We recall hereafter the essential points.
De Gaulle begins with a summary of the local military situation. "Indochina, Gentlemen, is virtually impossible to defend, in the present state of our forces, against a determined Japanese attack. In spite of their courage, the French and colonial troops at our disposal will only be able to resist in an organized manner for three weeks at best, due to the considerable disproportion of the forces. Beyond that, only guerrilla warfare in the mountains of the center of the region will remain. The dispatch of forces from North Africa is unfeasible, not only because it would seriously weaken our military capabilities in the Mediterranean, but also because the transfer of troops and equipment sufficient to face a Japanese attack would require eight to twelve months to complete. But if there is to be a Japanese attack, we can be sure that it will come much sooner, perhaps even by the end of this year. From a strictly military point of view, I would therefore be inclined to accept a compromise with Japan."
But - and this part of his speech has become famous, to the point of being invoked at any time and out of place by today's politicians - De Gaulle emphasizes that what is the strength of Fighting France even when the military situation seems compromised is not the fact that his government is technically legal (unlike the Laval government, which of course De Gaulle does not quote). "It is the legitimacy and not the legality of our government that matters, gentlemen, both to the people of occupied France as well as in the eyes of the rest of the world and of friendly or enemy nations. Now, if this government were to yield to Japanese pressure, it would seem to give its consent to a veritable strangulation of the China of Kunming. How, I ask you, Gentlemen, can France continue to proclaim that she is fighting for freedom and against the aggression of dictatorships if, at the same time, it betrayed other peoples who are fighting for the same ideals? What is at stake here, do not doubt it, goes much further than the loss of a colony, however rich it may be, which we hope is temporary.
On the other hand, a Japanese aggression against Indochina would certainly precipitate the entry of the United States into the war, which we and Mr. Churchill's government have been seeking for too long already.
That is why, Mr. President of the Council, if you should decide to submit this question to the vote of the government, I would unhesitatingly side with MM. Blum and Moutet."
This vote does not take place. Indeed, De Gaulle's speech tips the balance decisively. The Japanese note is rejected and it is decided to seek by all means a cooperation with the United States in the Far East.
Politically, this Council of Ministers has more subtle and long-term effects.
Paul Reynaud's authority as head of government is significantly weakened, while that of De Gaulle, considered as the pivot between the left and right wings of the national unity cabinet, is considerably strengthened.

 

[Wings]

July 17th, 1941

Andros - The fights are still fierce. For a week, the Franco-Greek defenders have inflicted significant losses on the attackers. However, the German forces are now regularly reinforced, and Andros is too close to Athens to be effectively defended by the Allied fighters. Evacuation is ordered.

Taranto and Ancona - To support the German offensive in the Aegean Sea, Supermarina (the Italian naval headquarters) sets up a special squadron composed mainly of old destroyers and modern speedboats. These ships set sail in small groups to Piraeus, where the squadron is based from the 19th. It includes a destroyer: the ex-scout cruiser Carlo Mirabello*, and ten torpedo boats: two Curtatone class, the Calatafimi and Castelfidardo**, four La Masa-class, Giuseppe La Masa, Giacinto Carini, Giacomo Medici and Angelo Bassini***, and four of Spica class, the Castore, Centauro, Cigno and Climene****. In addition, there are 15 modern speedboats: five of the Baglietto fast, 18 m / 21.5 t: the MAS 501, 503, 512, 513, 522 and ten of the standard Baglietto model, 20 m / 25.2 t: MAS 530, 531, 533, 536, 537, 539, 541, 543, 546, 548*****. Supermarina does not neglect to add to these 26 vessels ten minesweepers, the RD-18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 36, 37, 38 and 39.
In the same spirit, the Kriegsmarine orders the 3rd S Flotilla to support the boats of the 2nd Flotilla, sent to the Mediterranean waters in January to take part in Operation
Merkur. After the loss of the S.10, the 2nd Flotilla, equipped with narrow boats, includes the S.6, 7, 8 and 9, powered by MAN diesel engines, very disappointing, and the S.11, 12 and 13, powered by Daimler-Benz engines, much more reliable. Based in Naples for rest and repairs after Merkur, these seven ships are ordered to join the Italian squadron in Taranto, before heading for Piraeus. The 3rd S Flotilla (also equipped with small vessels capable of passing the locks of the Rhine-Rhone canal) includes the S.31, 34, 35, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59 and 61. These ten vessels are to travel from Rotterdam to Marseille, and from there to Taranto and Piraeus. They will therefore not be operational until August 10th at the earliest. In theory, the attack of Crete from the Cyclades, once the allied forces in the island effectively "softened" by the Luftwaffe offensive, should begin on that date.

Continental Greece - Despite the congestion of the available land, aircraft of the IVth FliegerKorps, coming from Romania, start to deploy in Megara, Corinth and Mycenae to prepare for the Ikarus offensive, which is finally scheduled to begin on the 20th.

* Twin of the Augusto Riboty and like it limited to 27 knots.
** From the 16th torpedo boat squadron, ceded by the Department of Upper Tyrrhenian.
*** Two units of the 3rd squadron, also from the Upper Tyrrhenian, and two from the 7th.
**** The entire 11th squadron.
***** These fifteen launches are divided into four recomposed squadrons: the 3rd (MAS 541, 543, 546, 548), the 9th (MAS 501, 503, 512, 513), the 14th (MAS 530, 531, 533, 539) and the 16th (MAS 522, 536, 537).

 

[Wings]

July 17th, 1941

Gibraltar - Arrival of the submarine HMS Talisman (Lt. M. Willmott). Initially planned to reinforce the 1st Flotilla, it will remain in Gibraltar and integrate the 8th. In return, the submarine HMS P-32 (Lt. D.A.B. Abdy) will leave the Rock and the 8th Flotilla two days later to join Malta and the 10th Flotilla, where she will replace HMS Undaunted (she will arrive in Malta on July 23rd).

 

[Wings]

July 17th, 1941

To the northwest of Tripoli, from 01:45 GMT (+1 French time, +2 Italian time) - An already old submarine, the Marcantonio Colonna (CC Cristiano Masi) is the last of the four Vettor Pisani class units still in the front line. It is carrying out a new offensive patrol against Allied traffic, particularly French traffic, which, after having followed along the Tunisian coast, goes to occupied Tripoli and sometimes to Benghazi.
The Colonna intercepts a small, apparently isolated merchant ship on the surface and attacks it with its 102 mm gun. In fact, it is the boarding ship Ville de Ténès (AD245), in the civilian coaster 390 GRT of the Schiaffino company, which fires back with its piece of 90. And he is not alone: delayed by a machine problem, he tries to catch up with the convoy of which he was one of the escorts. While fighting, his commander calls for help. Help arrives in the form of two torpedo boats, the VTB-38 and 40.
Absorbed in their progressively victorious artillery duel with the Ville de Ténès, Commander Masi and his men are almost too late to see the arrival of the fast boats. Unable to envisage fleeing on the surface, Masi takes the risk of diving while the speedboats are preparing to torpedo his ship. This does not save the Colonna. The two VTBs each have eight depth charges, which they use effectively, managing to cause water ingress to the submarine. However, their stock of depth charges quickly exhausted, they interrupt their hunt to come to the aid of the crew of the Ville de Ténès, which is sinking.
However, the affair does not end there. The Colonna manages to dive away from the ship, but has to return to the surface because of the water ingress that weighs it down. While her pumps are trying to spread the waterways, she sets a course at 15 knots towards the nearest Italian land, Pantelleria. However, the island is eleven hours away, which means that the Colonna will not be able to reach it until around 15:00 Italian time (13:00 GMT), which means it will be daylight.
So the crew is trying to get the boat in diving condition to escape any possible danger. Useless work: the dilapidated equipment did not take the shocks well. At 05:37 Italian time (03:37 GMT), one of the diesel engines breaks down. The speed of the Colonna drops to 10 knots, delaying the arrival in Pantelleria until around 18:30 Italian time (16:30 GMT).
And what the crew feared would happen: shortly before 09:00 Italian time (07:00 GMT), the submarine is spotted and attacked by a French LeO H257B seaplane, which leaves with a smoking engine but whose bombs surround the submarine, causing further damage. His boat is now dragging itself at 8 knots, or even less.
Commander Masi is waiting for the coup de grâce. However, he is to benefit from a stroke of luck. At 09:18 Italian time (07:18 GMT) the submarine Fratelli Bandiera (LV
Pietro Prosperini), which is operating in the Gulf of Hammamet and which Maricosom, having been informed of the Colonna's troubles, sent to recover the crew of the latter. This is done just before the arrival of new French ASM aircraft, which can only witness the sinking of the Colonna, which is scuttled, while the Bandiera saves itself by diving.