Fantasque Time Line (France Fights On) - English Translation
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The question isn't TTL's Neptunium and Plutonium, it is the next two that are highly likely to be different: Americium and Curium...
1520
December 28th, 1940
North Sea - The twin battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau leave Kiel to operate together against the Allied convoys. A stormy period is chosen to facilitate the breakthrough to the Atlantic for the twins, which the Royal Navy sailors nickname the Ugly Sisters.
North Sea - The twin battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau leave Kiel to operate together against the Allied convoys. A stormy period is chosen to facilitate the breakthrough to the Atlantic for the twins, which the Royal Navy sailors nickname the Ugly Sisters.
1521
December 29th, 1940
From Kassala to Keren - The Allied columns coming from Gheru and Biskia converge on Agordat, but the Italians hold on to this small town. Further south, the Australians approach Barentu.
However, as both sides are well aware, these are mere hors d'oeuvres. The campaign will be played out in Keren.
From Kassala to Keren - The Allied columns coming from Gheru and Biskia converge on Agordat, but the Italians hold on to this small town. Further south, the Australians approach Barentu.
However, as both sides are well aware, these are mere hors d'oeuvres. The campaign will be played out in Keren.
1522
December 30th, 1940
North Sea - Leaving Dundee on Boxing Day for its third mission in Norwegian waters, the MN Archimède is experimenting with the advantages and dangers of a very short-range launch.
On patrol in the south-east of the entrance to the Sognefjord, it spots at last light a small slow convoy (a cargo ship, an escort, speed 8 to 9 knots) arriving from the north and
towards the fjord. To intercept it, L.V. Attané decides to take advantage of the increasing darkness and to approach the surface by sailing close to the coast (relative: a good nautical mile). But, as the contact is close and Attané has just ordered to close the distance in semi-dive the starboard lookout suddenly sees, less than a thousand meters away, the silhouette of a third ship, which until then had remained camouflaged with the rocky terrain. The German archives reveal that it was the small torpedo boat Zack (ex-Norwegian Snøgg, of 220 tons, captured in May) which, having kept watch while waiting for the convoy was preparing to join it by following a route parallel to that of the Archimède. At about the same time, someone on board the Zack must have discovered the submersible as well, because the torpedo boat bends its course and interrogates the submarine by light signal. Probably in order to avoid if a U-Boat was in the vicinity, but a fatal precaution: as the distance quickly decreases, L.V. Attané launches the three torpedoes of the central steerable mount on his opponent. Two of them hit the target when it is only approximately 550 meters away. The small ship literally disintegrates, but the Archimède is sufficiently shaken by the shock wave of the explosion that its commander has to give up attacking the now alerted convoy. Having escaped from the escorting armed trawler, he must even resign himself to a premature return to Dundee.
Nevertheless, having surpassed its famous namesake predecessor of the Great War with four ships sunk and one damaged, the Archimède finishes 1940 at the top of the list of "classic" submarines in terms of the number of victories (the minelayer Rubis was already already ahead of it, but this would only be verified after the end of the conflict). In terms of tonnage sunk, it is another matter. That of the Archimède (1,988 GRT before the destruction of the Zack) is momentarily surpassed by the Persée (C.C. Lapierre) in a single victory obtained on November 12th against the Norwegian steamer requisitioned by the Germans: Kong Ring (1,994 GRT)! And the prize in northern waters could have gone to the Poncelet (C.C. de Saussine du Pont de Gault) if it had not been the victim of the same problem as the Fresnel with one of the doors of the forward torpedo tubes during the attack on a convoy off Mehavn, on November 29th. The only correctly launched torpedo damaged the German freighter Asien (3,894 GRT).
"This second incident with the tube doors led the French Admiralty to progressively control all the "1,500 tons". While waiting for their ship to undergo this examination, the commanders were instructed to use preferably the central mount and the stern tubes." (From Soldiers of the Deep - The French Navy's submarines during the war by Commandant Henri Vuillez - 2nd edition, completed by Claude Huan, Paris, 1992)
North Sea - Leaving Dundee on Boxing Day for its third mission in Norwegian waters, the MN Archimède is experimenting with the advantages and dangers of a very short-range launch.
On patrol in the south-east of the entrance to the Sognefjord, it spots at last light a small slow convoy (a cargo ship, an escort, speed 8 to 9 knots) arriving from the north and
towards the fjord. To intercept it, L.V. Attané decides to take advantage of the increasing darkness and to approach the surface by sailing close to the coast (relative: a good nautical mile). But, as the contact is close and Attané has just ordered to close the distance in semi-dive the starboard lookout suddenly sees, less than a thousand meters away, the silhouette of a third ship, which until then had remained camouflaged with the rocky terrain. The German archives reveal that it was the small torpedo boat Zack (ex-Norwegian Snøgg, of 220 tons, captured in May) which, having kept watch while waiting for the convoy was preparing to join it by following a route parallel to that of the Archimède. At about the same time, someone on board the Zack must have discovered the submersible as well, because the torpedo boat bends its course and interrogates the submarine by light signal. Probably in order to avoid if a U-Boat was in the vicinity, but a fatal precaution: as the distance quickly decreases, L.V. Attané launches the three torpedoes of the central steerable mount on his opponent. Two of them hit the target when it is only approximately 550 meters away. The small ship literally disintegrates, but the Archimède is sufficiently shaken by the shock wave of the explosion that its commander has to give up attacking the now alerted convoy. Having escaped from the escorting armed trawler, he must even resign himself to a premature return to Dundee.
Nevertheless, having surpassed its famous namesake predecessor of the Great War with four ships sunk and one damaged, the Archimède finishes 1940 at the top of the list of "classic" submarines in terms of the number of victories (the minelayer Rubis was already already ahead of it, but this would only be verified after the end of the conflict). In terms of tonnage sunk, it is another matter. That of the Archimède (1,988 GRT before the destruction of the Zack) is momentarily surpassed by the Persée (C.C. Lapierre) in a single victory obtained on November 12th against the Norwegian steamer requisitioned by the Germans: Kong Ring (1,994 GRT)! And the prize in northern waters could have gone to the Poncelet (C.C. de Saussine du Pont de Gault) if it had not been the victim of the same problem as the Fresnel with one of the doors of the forward torpedo tubes during the attack on a convoy off Mehavn, on November 29th. The only correctly launched torpedo damaged the German freighter Asien (3,894 GRT).
"This second incident with the tube doors led the French Admiralty to progressively control all the "1,500 tons". While waiting for their ship to undergo this examination, the commanders were instructed to use preferably the central mount and the stern tubes." (From Soldiers of the Deep - The French Navy's submarines during the war by Commandant Henri Vuillez - 2nd edition, completed by Claude Huan, Paris, 1992)
1523
December 30th, 1940
Rome - Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring himself travels to the Italian capital for an important staff meeting: the aim is to lay the foundations for Operation Merkur. General Albert Kesselring, commander of Luftflotte 2, and the commanding officers of the IVth, VIIIth and Xth Fliegerkorps are here, as well as Generals Kurt Student and Ugo Cavallero (for the ground forces) and the staff of the Regia Aeronautica, under the direction of General Francesco Pricolo (who is also Under-Secretary of State for Aviation).
Everything has to start with a major air offensive against Malta and Tunisia to force the Allies to concentrate their air power in this sector. Then, the paratroopers will throw themselves on their targets, Corsica and Sardinia, and reinforcements will be sent to them by sea, under the protection of the German air force.
Failure is not an option, the Führer wants to have a free hand to launch himself in the spring against the USSR!
Rome - Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring himself travels to the Italian capital for an important staff meeting: the aim is to lay the foundations for Operation Merkur. General Albert Kesselring, commander of Luftflotte 2, and the commanding officers of the IVth, VIIIth and Xth Fliegerkorps are here, as well as Generals Kurt Student and Ugo Cavallero (for the ground forces) and the staff of the Regia Aeronautica, under the direction of General Francesco Pricolo (who is also Under-Secretary of State for Aviation).
Everything has to start with a major air offensive against Malta and Tunisia to force the Allies to concentrate their air power in this sector. Then, the paratroopers will throw themselves on their targets, Corsica and Sardinia, and reinforcements will be sent to them by sea, under the protection of the German air force.
Failure is not an option, the Führer wants to have a free hand to launch himself in the spring against the USSR!
1526
December 31st, 1940
Casablanca - The so-called "New Year's Eve conference" brings together the French and British governments in Morocco.
At the end of this terrible year 1940, the two Allies are well aware of having come close to catastrophe. The English are still astonished and (discreetly) admiring of the heroic french perseverance, the French know that they have to rebuild both their Army and their Republic, but as for the strategy to be followed in 1941, their ideas are strongly divergent.
The French, led by Mandel and De Gaulle, fear a German-Italian attempt to retake Sardinia and make Corsica untenable. But Churchill, supported by the British Admiralty, fears a massive deployment of Axis air forces in Southern Italy and Sicily to strike Malta and cut the Mediterranean in two, disrupting the Imperial link with the Far East via the Mediterranean.
- What Mr. Hitler failed to do against England," comments the British Prime Minister, "he will try to do in the heart of the Mediterranean: a decisive air offensive, to make up for the insufficiency of his naval means. France has to concentrate its air resources in Tunisia, to support Malta and to affirm an air superiority over the Straits."
- This offensive is still hypothetical," replies Mandel. "We must first reinforce Corsica, and therefore Sardinia. And these movements are not only defensive. Corsica will allow us to launch a massive bombing campaign against the Italian industry, using heavy bombers that we have just bought from the American firm Consolidated*, to which your own bombers could lend a hand."
This prospect appeals to General "Bomber" Harris, head of Bomber Command:
"Excellent idea! We'll have a hard time using our Whitleys - they have the longest range, but they are too slow and vulnerable for the job. The Stirlings have a poor operational ceiling, they would have trouble crossing the Alps. But we could very well base Wellingtons in Corsica!"
Briefly, a dismayed silence on the French side. Wellingtons in Corsica... "It's war," sighs De Gaulle. "Napoleon will probably roll in his grave, to the Invalides, but it is true that your... planes would make it possible to constitute, with our LeO-451 and Consolidated-32, a powerful force capable of hitting targets in Northern Italy with 400 to 500 bombers starting next spring."
But Churchill pursues personal fixed ideas that date back to the other war: "There is a solution to force the Axis to divide its resources. Let us open a new front! We have
conquered the Dodecanese islands. Let's offer them to Greece in exchange for its alliance. After all, Mussolini has been insulting and offending Greece for a long time. Several Greek ships have been sunk by Italian submarines, allegedly by mistake, and relations between the two countries are atrocious. The Greek government will understand that its interest is to join us without waiting for the Italians to attack, and the Greek army will invade Albania. Yugoslavia is neutral - and even sympathizes with us**. It will forbid the Germans to come and support the Italians in Albania. A new defeat, added to the bombing raids coming from Corsica, Sardinia and even Albania, will push Italy to negotiate. It could even lead the Italian elites to get rid of Mr. Mussolini and to change sides! "
De Gaulle does not approve of this reasoning: "There was in this proposal," he comments in his Mémoires de Guerre, "a dispersion of means such as the Prime Minister of this naval nation that is England liked, but to which I could not willingly subscribe."
Léon Blum is not in favor of Churchill's idea either: "We went to war to protect one country," he says, "we are not going to draw another, without real guarantees, into the misfortunes and suffering that war inevitably entails". On the other hand, Mandel and Kérillis are seduced by Churchill's reasoning and by their own experience of the First War. Reynaud, on the other hand, stresses the need to reach an agreement with the British. He will have the last word, thanks to one of those compromises with which he is familiar.
France would reinforce Corsica and Sardinia, but would maintain enough resources in Tunisia to support Malta. The United Kingdom will reinforce the RAF in the Mediterranean and, if the Greeks accept the proposed agreement, will send "imperial" troops and air support to Greece.
In addition, the Royal Navy will send the battleship Queen Elizabeth and the cruisers Naiad and Fiji to augment Admiral Cunningham's forces in Alexandria, to compensate for the fact that the Valiant is about to cross the Atlantic to participate in the coverage of convoys against German raiders.
In exchange for this naval effort, the deployment of the Richelieu group (battleship Richelieu, heavy cruiser Algérie and four destroyers of the Le Hardi class: L'Adroit, Casque, Le Foudroyant and Le Hardi) at Scapa Flow with the Home Fleet is extended sine die. The Royal Navy has just commissioned the King George V, while the Prince of Wales would not be operational until June or July 1941. The presence of the Richelieu is thus strongly desired by the British Admiralty, and France is able to negotiate some improvements to its ships. The anti-aircraft armament of the Richelieu is completed and a radar type 279 (or 79Y) installed.
In order to manage this large French force in the long term, as well as the numerous leeway or auxiliary units present in British ports, Vice-Admiral Jean Odend'hal is appointed "Amiral Ouest", commanding the North Atlantic, Channel and North Sea theater. Already based in London, where he was in charge of relations with "their Lordships" (the British Admiralty), he will now be assisted in this task by the former second-in-command of the heavy cruiser Algérie, Commander Robert Jaujard. For the physical management of bases and installations granted by the British, he will be assisted by Vice-Admiral Lucius Cayol, former commander of the Brest defence sector. Rear Admiral Jacques Moreau also joins the North Atlantic theater: he is placed at the head of the "Ocean Patrols", this is the French contribution to the defence of the Home Waters and other Western Approaches. Finally, to command the Richelieu group at sea, Rear Admiral Edmond Derrien is chosen. He had proven himself in Norway, on board the cruiser Montcalm, on which he was able to operate his division with some success.
In addition, in the face of the depredations of German raiders in the Pacific and Indian Ocean and in order to show the Japanese that France does not intend to turn away from the Far East any more than the United Kingdom, the dispatch of significant naval forces to the Indian Ocean and Indochina is confirmed. These are the light cruisers Duguay-Trouin and Primauguet, which together with the Lamotte-Picquet will form the 6th Cruiser Division; the 4th DCT (Lynx, Tigre, Panthère) reinforced by the Léopard; the 7th TD (Typhon, Tramontane, Ouragan***), reinforced by the Simoun****; and nine 1,500-ton submarines.
The dispatch of the latter results in the virtual withdrawal of submarines from the Atlantic, where the fight against German raiders and German and Italian blockade runners is entrusted to surface ships. It will take the submarines leaving Casablanca and using the Suez Canal a little over a month to reach this theater of operations, at the economical speed of 10 knots on the surface. As for the units leaving Dakar and taking the route to the Cape of Good Hope, it would take them about 40 days. The ships sent to Indochina will be accompanied by the supply ship Jules-Verne, which will be stationed at Cam Ranh.
The new distribution of submarines should therefore be as follows:
- North Sea (Dundee): eleven boats (six "1,500 tons", the Rubis and four "600 tons").
- Atlantic: two "1,500-ton" boats.
- Mediterranean: 44 vessels (six "1,500 tons", six "1,100 tons", 26 "600 tons", five minelayers and the Aurore).
- Indian Ocean and Indochina: nine "1,500 tons".
.........
.........
.........
The year thus ends with the preparation by the two camps of operations whose combination will cause a gigantic chaos in the whole Mediterranean during the whole 1941 calendar year, sweeping away both the hopes of the Allies for a strategic air offensive and Hitler's plans for the USSR. The Sursaut will not allow the French to take their revenge in 1941, but keeping France in the war would have immense consequences on the balance of power in Europe and even on the other side of the world.
French submarine support ship MN Jules-Verne, accompanied by the submarine MN Antiope, Malta, 1940.
* These are B-24 Liberators, which the Armée de l'Air calls Consolidated-32.
** Since the Serbs saw France, crushed on its soil, continue to fight, they assimilate its situation to that of their country during the First World War and wish to come to its aid, as France did for Serbia in 14-18.
*** Swapped with the Tornade, unavailable. After refurbishment, the latter will join the Mistral within the 6th TD.
**** The 9th TD was dissolved in June, with the Fortuné joining the Basque and Forbin within the 3rd TD.
Casablanca - The so-called "New Year's Eve conference" brings together the French and British governments in Morocco.
At the end of this terrible year 1940, the two Allies are well aware of having come close to catastrophe. The English are still astonished and (discreetly) admiring of the heroic french perseverance, the French know that they have to rebuild both their Army and their Republic, but as for the strategy to be followed in 1941, their ideas are strongly divergent.
The French, led by Mandel and De Gaulle, fear a German-Italian attempt to retake Sardinia and make Corsica untenable. But Churchill, supported by the British Admiralty, fears a massive deployment of Axis air forces in Southern Italy and Sicily to strike Malta and cut the Mediterranean in two, disrupting the Imperial link with the Far East via the Mediterranean.
- What Mr. Hitler failed to do against England," comments the British Prime Minister, "he will try to do in the heart of the Mediterranean: a decisive air offensive, to make up for the insufficiency of his naval means. France has to concentrate its air resources in Tunisia, to support Malta and to affirm an air superiority over the Straits."
- This offensive is still hypothetical," replies Mandel. "We must first reinforce Corsica, and therefore Sardinia. And these movements are not only defensive. Corsica will allow us to launch a massive bombing campaign against the Italian industry, using heavy bombers that we have just bought from the American firm Consolidated*, to which your own bombers could lend a hand."
This prospect appeals to General "Bomber" Harris, head of Bomber Command:
"Excellent idea! We'll have a hard time using our Whitleys - they have the longest range, but they are too slow and vulnerable for the job. The Stirlings have a poor operational ceiling, they would have trouble crossing the Alps. But we could very well base Wellingtons in Corsica!"
Briefly, a dismayed silence on the French side. Wellingtons in Corsica... "It's war," sighs De Gaulle. "Napoleon will probably roll in his grave, to the Invalides, but it is true that your... planes would make it possible to constitute, with our LeO-451 and Consolidated-32, a powerful force capable of hitting targets in Northern Italy with 400 to 500 bombers starting next spring."
But Churchill pursues personal fixed ideas that date back to the other war: "There is a solution to force the Axis to divide its resources. Let us open a new front! We have
conquered the Dodecanese islands. Let's offer them to Greece in exchange for its alliance. After all, Mussolini has been insulting and offending Greece for a long time. Several Greek ships have been sunk by Italian submarines, allegedly by mistake, and relations between the two countries are atrocious. The Greek government will understand that its interest is to join us without waiting for the Italians to attack, and the Greek army will invade Albania. Yugoslavia is neutral - and even sympathizes with us**. It will forbid the Germans to come and support the Italians in Albania. A new defeat, added to the bombing raids coming from Corsica, Sardinia and even Albania, will push Italy to negotiate. It could even lead the Italian elites to get rid of Mr. Mussolini and to change sides! "
De Gaulle does not approve of this reasoning: "There was in this proposal," he comments in his Mémoires de Guerre, "a dispersion of means such as the Prime Minister of this naval nation that is England liked, but to which I could not willingly subscribe."
Léon Blum is not in favor of Churchill's idea either: "We went to war to protect one country," he says, "we are not going to draw another, without real guarantees, into the misfortunes and suffering that war inevitably entails". On the other hand, Mandel and Kérillis are seduced by Churchill's reasoning and by their own experience of the First War. Reynaud, on the other hand, stresses the need to reach an agreement with the British. He will have the last word, thanks to one of those compromises with which he is familiar.
France would reinforce Corsica and Sardinia, but would maintain enough resources in Tunisia to support Malta. The United Kingdom will reinforce the RAF in the Mediterranean and, if the Greeks accept the proposed agreement, will send "imperial" troops and air support to Greece.
In addition, the Royal Navy will send the battleship Queen Elizabeth and the cruisers Naiad and Fiji to augment Admiral Cunningham's forces in Alexandria, to compensate for the fact that the Valiant is about to cross the Atlantic to participate in the coverage of convoys against German raiders.
In exchange for this naval effort, the deployment of the Richelieu group (battleship Richelieu, heavy cruiser Algérie and four destroyers of the Le Hardi class: L'Adroit, Casque, Le Foudroyant and Le Hardi) at Scapa Flow with the Home Fleet is extended sine die. The Royal Navy has just commissioned the King George V, while the Prince of Wales would not be operational until June or July 1941. The presence of the Richelieu is thus strongly desired by the British Admiralty, and France is able to negotiate some improvements to its ships. The anti-aircraft armament of the Richelieu is completed and a radar type 279 (or 79Y) installed.
In order to manage this large French force in the long term, as well as the numerous leeway or auxiliary units present in British ports, Vice-Admiral Jean Odend'hal is appointed "Amiral Ouest", commanding the North Atlantic, Channel and North Sea theater. Already based in London, where he was in charge of relations with "their Lordships" (the British Admiralty), he will now be assisted in this task by the former second-in-command of the heavy cruiser Algérie, Commander Robert Jaujard. For the physical management of bases and installations granted by the British, he will be assisted by Vice-Admiral Lucius Cayol, former commander of the Brest defence sector. Rear Admiral Jacques Moreau also joins the North Atlantic theater: he is placed at the head of the "Ocean Patrols", this is the French contribution to the defence of the Home Waters and other Western Approaches. Finally, to command the Richelieu group at sea, Rear Admiral Edmond Derrien is chosen. He had proven himself in Norway, on board the cruiser Montcalm, on which he was able to operate his division with some success.
In addition, in the face of the depredations of German raiders in the Pacific and Indian Ocean and in order to show the Japanese that France does not intend to turn away from the Far East any more than the United Kingdom, the dispatch of significant naval forces to the Indian Ocean and Indochina is confirmed. These are the light cruisers Duguay-Trouin and Primauguet, which together with the Lamotte-Picquet will form the 6th Cruiser Division; the 4th DCT (Lynx, Tigre, Panthère) reinforced by the Léopard; the 7th TD (Typhon, Tramontane, Ouragan***), reinforced by the Simoun****; and nine 1,500-ton submarines.
The dispatch of the latter results in the virtual withdrawal of submarines from the Atlantic, where the fight against German raiders and German and Italian blockade runners is entrusted to surface ships. It will take the submarines leaving Casablanca and using the Suez Canal a little over a month to reach this theater of operations, at the economical speed of 10 knots on the surface. As for the units leaving Dakar and taking the route to the Cape of Good Hope, it would take them about 40 days. The ships sent to Indochina will be accompanied by the supply ship Jules-Verne, which will be stationed at Cam Ranh.
The new distribution of submarines should therefore be as follows:
- North Sea (Dundee): eleven boats (six "1,500 tons", the Rubis and four "600 tons").
- Atlantic: two "1,500-ton" boats.
- Mediterranean: 44 vessels (six "1,500 tons", six "1,100 tons", 26 "600 tons", five minelayers and the Aurore).
- Indian Ocean and Indochina: nine "1,500 tons".
.........
.........
.........
The year thus ends with the preparation by the two camps of operations whose combination will cause a gigantic chaos in the whole Mediterranean during the whole 1941 calendar year, sweeping away both the hopes of the Allies for a strategic air offensive and Hitler's plans for the USSR. The Sursaut will not allow the French to take their revenge in 1941, but keeping France in the war would have immense consequences on the balance of power in Europe and even on the other side of the world.
French submarine support ship MN Jules-Verne, accompanied by the submarine MN Antiope, Malta, 1940.
* These are B-24 Liberators, which the Armée de l'Air calls Consolidated-32.
** Since the Serbs saw France, crushed on its soil, continue to fight, they assimilate its situation to that of their country during the First World War and wish to come to its aid, as France did for Serbia in 14-18.
*** Swapped with the Tornade, unavailable. After refurbishment, the latter will join the Mistral within the 6th TD.
**** The 9th TD was dissolved in June, with the Fortuné joining the Basque and Forbin within the 3rd TD.
1528 - November/December naval losses, comparaison to OTL
Allies
HMS Swordfish (S-class submarine), sunk by a German mine off the Isle of Wight as OTL
HMS Regulus (Rainbow-class submarine), sunk by an Italian mine off Taranto as OTL
HMS Acheron (A-class destroyer), sunk by a German mine off the Isle of Wight as OTL
HMS Hyperion (H-class destroyer), sunk by an Italian mine southeast of Malta as OTL
Axis
KGM T6 (Type 35-class torpedo boat), sunk by a British mine off Stavanger as OTL
KGM U-37 (Type IXA-class submarine), forced to beach on Cape Juby by the MN L'Algéroise and MN La Cherbourgeoise (OTL scuttled in May 1945)
HMS Swordfish (S-class submarine), sunk by a German mine off the Isle of Wight as OTL
HMS Regulus (Rainbow-class submarine), sunk by an Italian mine off Taranto as OTL
HMS Acheron (A-class destroyer), sunk by a German mine off the Isle of Wight as OTL
HMS Hyperion (H-class destroyer), sunk by an Italian mine southeast of Malta as OTL
Axis
KGM T6 (Type 35-class torpedo boat), sunk by a British mine off Stavanger as OTL
KGM U-37 (Type IXA-class submarine), forced to beach on Cape Juby by the MN L'Algéroise and MN La Cherbourgeoise (OTL scuttled in May 1945)
1529
January 1st, 1941
- Entrenched camp in Djibouti
After its transfer from Lebanon to Egypt and its engagement in Libya, the 86th DIA took time to re-equip and reinforce itself before taking the boat to Djibouti, where it landed in early December. This large unit is both close to and very different from the one mobilized at the beginning of the war. It is still far from a modern infantry division such as the Army's re-equipment program envisages, but on several points, the changes are significant. The Libyan campaign highlight the importance of motorization and
motorization and communications. The 86th DIA sees the removal of the H (for horse-drawn) to many of its components (divisional artillery, infantry regiments...), when the horses (left in Lebanon) were replaced by vehicles of various origins: captured from the Italians, rented (?) from civilians, borrowed (!) from Commonwealth troops, even very officially purchased (15 Marmon-Herrington type self-propelled guns acquired from the South Africans). The radio equipment was reinforced in the same French spirit of resourcefulness and, for want of a better word, DIY.
Since its arrival on the French Somali Coast, the 86th DIA has carried out cover and diversionary missions, but it is now going to take action. General Cazaban, who is commanding it, is in a hurry to fight. The relatively secondary role of his division during Operation Alma was not enough for him!
The 86th is essentially composed of the 29th Algerian Rifle Regiment (29th RTA, Lt. Colonel Jourdan) and the 1st and 2nd Zouave Regiments (1st RZ, Lt-Colonel Fromentin, and 2nd RZ, Colonel Quignon). Colonel Arnaud de La Ménardière commands the divisional infantry and Colonel Billiot the divisional artillery. The 86th DIA is usefully supported by Ethiopian elements. The work of Major Salan (before his departure for the Gojjam) and his predecessor, during the British 101 mission, had indeed borne some fruit in the uprising of the tribes of eastern Ethiopia. The rebel leader (Ras) Abebe Aragai, routed by the Italians at about 40 km south of Ancober (120 km from Addis Ababa in the direction of Djibouti), had taken refuge in the French Somali Coast - he and his men are thirsty for revenge.
- Hargeisa
On this New Year's Day, the concerns of the French combatants have not changed: not to let the Italian troops blow away.
Lieutenant Messmer's diary - "This year Santa Claus wore stars. General Legentilhomme came to inspect the front. He was able to see the very high morale of the units engaged. There is no doubt that the continuation of operations will give us the opportunity to take the advantage over the Italian troops. By helping our British allies to equalize the score before halftime, we were well prepared for the final confrontation... and victory!"
- Entrenched camp in Djibouti
After its transfer from Lebanon to Egypt and its engagement in Libya, the 86th DIA took time to re-equip and reinforce itself before taking the boat to Djibouti, where it landed in early December. This large unit is both close to and very different from the one mobilized at the beginning of the war. It is still far from a modern infantry division such as the Army's re-equipment program envisages, but on several points, the changes are significant. The Libyan campaign highlight the importance of motorization and
motorization and communications. The 86th DIA sees the removal of the H (for horse-drawn) to many of its components (divisional artillery, infantry regiments...), when the horses (left in Lebanon) were replaced by vehicles of various origins: captured from the Italians, rented (?) from civilians, borrowed (!) from Commonwealth troops, even very officially purchased (15 Marmon-Herrington type self-propelled guns acquired from the South Africans). The radio equipment was reinforced in the same French spirit of resourcefulness and, for want of a better word, DIY.
Since its arrival on the French Somali Coast, the 86th DIA has carried out cover and diversionary missions, but it is now going to take action. General Cazaban, who is commanding it, is in a hurry to fight. The relatively secondary role of his division during Operation Alma was not enough for him!
The 86th is essentially composed of the 29th Algerian Rifle Regiment (29th RTA, Lt. Colonel Jourdan) and the 1st and 2nd Zouave Regiments (1st RZ, Lt-Colonel Fromentin, and 2nd RZ, Colonel Quignon). Colonel Arnaud de La Ménardière commands the divisional infantry and Colonel Billiot the divisional artillery. The 86th DIA is usefully supported by Ethiopian elements. The work of Major Salan (before his departure for the Gojjam) and his predecessor, during the British 101 mission, had indeed borne some fruit in the uprising of the tribes of eastern Ethiopia. The rebel leader (Ras) Abebe Aragai, routed by the Italians at about 40 km south of Ancober (120 km from Addis Ababa in the direction of Djibouti), had taken refuge in the French Somali Coast - he and his men are thirsty for revenge.
- Hargeisa
On this New Year's Day, the concerns of the French combatants have not changed: not to let the Italian troops blow away.
Lieutenant Messmer's diary - "This year Santa Claus wore stars. General Legentilhomme came to inspect the front. He was able to see the very high morale of the units engaged. There is no doubt that the continuation of operations will give us the opportunity to take the advantage over the Italian troops. By helping our British allies to equalize the score before halftime, we were well prepared for the final confrontation... and victory!"
1530
January 1st, 1941
Paris - Pierre Laval, who spent the holidays in Chateldon, gives Otto Abetz a letter intended for the Führer. Beyond the usual banalities, the head of the NEF expresses the hope that France and Germany could renew real diplomatic relations in 1941.
It is a fact that the Reich persists in ignoring - or in considering null and void, which, in this case, amounts to the same thing - the appointment since October 1940 of Paul de Villelume as ambassador of the NEF in Berlin. Not only did Villelume - whose appointment was published in the Official Journal of the NEF - never received his passports, but the Wilhelmstraße carefully abstained from any sign that could have suggested that it was considering, in any way, endorsing the choice of the person or the mission with which he would have been charged. Villelume mourns in Paris, where he pours out his recriminations in collaborationist salons, accusing "the President" of abandoning him.
Until then, no one had dared to point out to Pierre Laval that retaining a prominent member of Paul Reynaud's entourage, whatever his attitude and opinions since the summer of 1939, to ensure the representation of his regime in Berlin is perhaps not the most opportune option: the Führer has a tenacious grudge... On the contrary, the head of the NEF thinks that the fact of having been part of a legal ministerial cabinet gave Villelume (and himself) a veneer of respectability.
Moreover, the character chosen does not explain everything: Laval had suffered a similar setback with Italy. The Duce and the Chigi Palace also refused to accept the official appointment of Victor Barthélemy as NEF ambassador in Rome. All they did was concede the role of a "small telegrapher" - an unofficial telegrapher who, moreover, does not have much to transmit...
Paris - Pierre Laval, who spent the holidays in Chateldon, gives Otto Abetz a letter intended for the Führer. Beyond the usual banalities, the head of the NEF expresses the hope that France and Germany could renew real diplomatic relations in 1941.
It is a fact that the Reich persists in ignoring - or in considering null and void, which, in this case, amounts to the same thing - the appointment since October 1940 of Paul de Villelume as ambassador of the NEF in Berlin. Not only did Villelume - whose appointment was published in the Official Journal of the NEF - never received his passports, but the Wilhelmstraße carefully abstained from any sign that could have suggested that it was considering, in any way, endorsing the choice of the person or the mission with which he would have been charged. Villelume mourns in Paris, where he pours out his recriminations in collaborationist salons, accusing "the President" of abandoning him.
Until then, no one had dared to point out to Pierre Laval that retaining a prominent member of Paul Reynaud's entourage, whatever his attitude and opinions since the summer of 1939, to ensure the representation of his regime in Berlin is perhaps not the most opportune option: the Führer has a tenacious grudge... On the contrary, the head of the NEF thinks that the fact of having been part of a legal ministerial cabinet gave Villelume (and himself) a veneer of respectability.
Moreover, the character chosen does not explain everything: Laval had suffered a similar setback with Italy. The Duce and the Chigi Palace also refused to accept the official appointment of Victor Barthélemy as NEF ambassador in Rome. All they did was concede the role of a "small telegrapher" - an unofficial telegrapher who, moreover, does not have much to transmit...
1531
January 1st, 1940
Berlin - Admiral Wilhelm Canaris and his wife Erika have a sober Christmas. Like every morning since the beginning of the war, including Sundays and holidays, the admiral
arrives at the Abwehr headquarters in Berlin, on Tirpitzufer, to read the latest reports from his agents and the latest information. The duty officer Kapitänleutnant Ulrich von Lochmann, presents him with a summary.
Then Canaris dictates a memorandum to Fräulein Angelika Boppenhausen, one of his two secretaries, who was asked to give up her leave. This memo is soberly entitled
"Possibilities of Reich Action East of the Suez".
Berlin - Admiral Wilhelm Canaris and his wife Erika have a sober Christmas. Like every morning since the beginning of the war, including Sundays and holidays, the admiral
arrives at the Abwehr headquarters in Berlin, on Tirpitzufer, to read the latest reports from his agents and the latest information. The duty officer Kapitänleutnant Ulrich von Lochmann, presents him with a summary.
Then Canaris dictates a memorandum to Fräulein Angelika Boppenhausen, one of his two secretaries, who was asked to give up her leave. This memo is soberly entitled
"Possibilities of Reich Action East of the Suez".
1532
January 2nd, 1941
North: the Indo-Australian offensive - From Kassala to Keren - The troops of the 4th Indian Division, which had been besieging Agordat for three days, are taken from behind by 250 Italo-Eritrean cavalrymen who emerge from the early morning mist and make a charge, shooting and grenading everything in sight and causing heavy losses before withdrawing. History has recorded this action as the last cavalry charge that a British Empire unit had to face.
Since the capture of Ghéru, the troops of the 4th Indian Division have been harassed by Italian irregulars, who appear and disappear seemingly at will, sowing death and desolation in their path. Although this harassment does not prevent the progression of the Commonwealth troops, this harassment considerably slows down the advance towards Keren.
In spite of this action, the soldiers of the 4th Indian Division launch another attack during the day and finally take Agordat.
However, further south, Barentu repels the frontal attack of the Australian column. General Platt orders the former northern column to pursue the Italians who withdrew from Agordat to Keren and sent the central column south to take Barentu from behind.
North: the Indo-Australian offensive - From Kassala to Keren - The troops of the 4th Indian Division, which had been besieging Agordat for three days, are taken from behind by 250 Italo-Eritrean cavalrymen who emerge from the early morning mist and make a charge, shooting and grenading everything in sight and causing heavy losses before withdrawing. History has recorded this action as the last cavalry charge that a British Empire unit had to face.
Since the capture of Ghéru, the troops of the 4th Indian Division have been harassed by Italian irregulars, who appear and disappear seemingly at will, sowing death and desolation in their path. Although this harassment does not prevent the progression of the Commonwealth troops, this harassment considerably slows down the advance towards Keren.
In spite of this action, the soldiers of the 4th Indian Division launch another attack during the day and finally take Agordat.
However, further south, Barentu repels the frontal attack of the Australian column. General Platt orders the former northern column to pursue the Italians who withdrew from Agordat to Keren and sent the central column south to take Barentu from behind.
1533
January 2nd, 1941
Northwest: the Belgian-Indian offensive - Metemna - Marching diary of General Ermens - "Since the capture of Gallabat, we have progressed towards Metemna. The town is now in sight. Little activity, except for a few ambushes. The Italian troops are discreet and the outskirts of the town seem to be little fortified." The commander of the Public Force might be right.
Northwest: the Belgian-Indian offensive - Metemna - Marching diary of General Ermens - "Since the capture of Gallabat, we have progressed towards Metemna. The town is now in sight. Little activity, except for a few ambushes. The Italian troops are discreet and the outskirts of the town seem to be little fortified." The commander of the Public Force might be right.
1534
January 2nd, 1941
South: the Anglo-South African offensive - Italian Somalia - On the north-eastern front, on the Italian Somalia side, the allied reconnaissance shows that the enemy troops, estimated at six regular brigades supported by locally recruited troops, are regrouped behind the Juba River, the best defensive position in the area. The Italian general staff considered - and rightly so - that the great plains of Italian Somalia are impossible to defend.
General Cunningham then launches Operation Canvas. The plan is to take Kismayu and the fords of the Juba River before moving on Mogadishu. The support of the Royal Navy is to support the Allied advance and supply the columns of the 11th and 12th East African Divisions. The South African Air Force (SAAF) has to bomb the main Italian airfields, at Afmadu and Gelib. Until control of the skies is assured, movements are to be made at night as much as possible.
South: the Anglo-South African offensive - Italian Somalia - On the north-eastern front, on the Italian Somalia side, the allied reconnaissance shows that the enemy troops, estimated at six regular brigades supported by locally recruited troops, are regrouped behind the Juba River, the best defensive position in the area. The Italian general staff considered - and rightly so - that the great plains of Italian Somalia are impossible to defend.
General Cunningham then launches Operation Canvas. The plan is to take Kismayu and the fords of the Juba River before moving on Mogadishu. The support of the Royal Navy is to support the Allied advance and supply the columns of the 11th and 12th East African Divisions. The South African Air Force (SAAF) has to bomb the main Italian airfields, at Afmadu and Gelib. Until control of the skies is assured, movements are to be made at night as much as possible.
1535
January 2nd, 1941
East: the Franco-British offensive - Djibouti - In eastern Ethiopia, the Italian forces facing the Allied troops are estimated at one division, the 40th Cacciatori d'Africa (210th and 211th RI) and seven colonial infantry brigades, supported by about thirty tanks and artillery. In reality, the reinforcements sent to Keren, without however guaranteeing the resistance of the citadel, had considerably weakened the defense. In addition to the 40th ID, the Franco-British only have five BC in front of them, the 7th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 70th - the latter having been severely hit by the landing at Berbera. More than half of the armoured vehicles areL3/35 tankettes, there are only a dozen M11/39 tanks. Finally, a good part of the available artillery available is to reinforce Keren. And these troops must cover a very wide front.
As for the "Western Air Force", mostly grouped on the bases of Dire-Dawa and Giggiga after the capture of Hargeisa, have suffered the wear and tear of six months of campaigning and fighting. Only a few aircraft are available. Operating from Djibouti for the Armée de l'Air, from Berbera for the RAF, the Allied planes hold the Italians in January, and from the end of February onwards they have complete control of the sky.
At General Legentilhomme's headquarters, aerial reconnaissance shows that the Italian troops in front of Djibouti had begun a gradual withdrawal in the direction of Dire-Dawa. The capture of Hargeisa has unbalanced the front and poses a threat to Giggiga and Harrar, on the enemy right wing, and the Italian command therefore concentrates its troops. Legentilhomme is well aware that he must not give his opponents time to turn around, nor to destroy the lines of communication behind them.
Indeed, the information collected by the Ethiopian partisans shows that the Italian troops who are withdrawing are sabotaging sections of the railroad. Major Henri, of the 2nd Bureau, exclaims that, obviously, "someone was inspired by the American Civil War! You'd almost expect to see 'tie' rails around telegraph poles."
The key to the situation here, as everywhere in the Ethiopian theater of operations, is supply. And the main logistical artery in the region is the railway line Djibouti, Dire-Dawa, Addis Ababa, operated by the venerable CFE, the Compagnie Ferroviaire d'Ethiopie. Started at the end of the nineteenth century as a single track, the line did not reach the capital of Ethiopia until 1929, 784 km from its starting point, the port of Djibouti. We had to cancel another line to the second city of the country, Harrar, located in a mountainous massif that was too difficult to cross. A series of engineering works allow to cross mountains and rivers and it is feared that the Italian command will sacrifice tunnels and viaducts to slow down the march of the allied troops. It is therefore necessary to give the Italian engineers as little time as possible to avoid irreparable destruction. Indeed, there are repair possibilities exist, but they do not go beyond routine maintenance. The teams of the CFE in charge of restoring the tracks are led by the head of Maintenance Yann Madec, from Carantec in Finistère. Madec will lead his men on the heels of the French troops - he already knows that he will have to work miracles with the equipment in stock at the Djibouti port terminal.
"In accordance with the instructions given by General Wavell and endorsed at the conference in Khartoum (...) the forces under my direct command, i.e. the French and the Commonwealth troops landed at Berbera, received the following orders for an advance along three axes:
- along the railroad to Dire-Dawa: 86th DIA and Ethiopian auxiliary elements.
- along the Djibouti-Gildessa track, on the right flank: 1st RTS-CFS, 8th group and a colonial artillery group.
- from Hargeisa to Giggiga, on the left flank: 2nd RTS-CFS and British forceslanded at Berbera.
(...)
The role of the partisans will be mainly reconnaissance and intelligence. (...) However, the fear of sabotage of the tunnel crossing the Harr Mountains, 180 kilometers of Djibouti, made us prepare an operation of control and possible mine clearance by two sections trained for this purpose and supported by the Ethiopian partisans. Their progress as discreetly as possible through the mountains began two weeks ago."
(Extract from a report by General Legentilhomme to the Minister of War)
East: the Franco-British offensive - Djibouti - In eastern Ethiopia, the Italian forces facing the Allied troops are estimated at one division, the 40th Cacciatori d'Africa (210th and 211th RI) and seven colonial infantry brigades, supported by about thirty tanks and artillery. In reality, the reinforcements sent to Keren, without however guaranteeing the resistance of the citadel, had considerably weakened the defense. In addition to the 40th ID, the Franco-British only have five BC in front of them, the 7th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 70th - the latter having been severely hit by the landing at Berbera. More than half of the armoured vehicles areL3/35 tankettes, there are only a dozen M11/39 tanks. Finally, a good part of the available artillery available is to reinforce Keren. And these troops must cover a very wide front.
As for the "Western Air Force", mostly grouped on the bases of Dire-Dawa and Giggiga after the capture of Hargeisa, have suffered the wear and tear of six months of campaigning and fighting. Only a few aircraft are available. Operating from Djibouti for the Armée de l'Air, from Berbera for the RAF, the Allied planes hold the Italians in January, and from the end of February onwards they have complete control of the sky.
At General Legentilhomme's headquarters, aerial reconnaissance shows that the Italian troops in front of Djibouti had begun a gradual withdrawal in the direction of Dire-Dawa. The capture of Hargeisa has unbalanced the front and poses a threat to Giggiga and Harrar, on the enemy right wing, and the Italian command therefore concentrates its troops. Legentilhomme is well aware that he must not give his opponents time to turn around, nor to destroy the lines of communication behind them.
Indeed, the information collected by the Ethiopian partisans shows that the Italian troops who are withdrawing are sabotaging sections of the railroad. Major Henri, of the 2nd Bureau, exclaims that, obviously, "someone was inspired by the American Civil War! You'd almost expect to see 'tie' rails around telegraph poles."
The key to the situation here, as everywhere in the Ethiopian theater of operations, is supply. And the main logistical artery in the region is the railway line Djibouti, Dire-Dawa, Addis Ababa, operated by the venerable CFE, the Compagnie Ferroviaire d'Ethiopie. Started at the end of the nineteenth century as a single track, the line did not reach the capital of Ethiopia until 1929, 784 km from its starting point, the port of Djibouti. We had to cancel another line to the second city of the country, Harrar, located in a mountainous massif that was too difficult to cross. A series of engineering works allow to cross mountains and rivers and it is feared that the Italian command will sacrifice tunnels and viaducts to slow down the march of the allied troops. It is therefore necessary to give the Italian engineers as little time as possible to avoid irreparable destruction. Indeed, there are repair possibilities exist, but they do not go beyond routine maintenance. The teams of the CFE in charge of restoring the tracks are led by the head of Maintenance Yann Madec, from Carantec in Finistère. Madec will lead his men on the heels of the French troops - he already knows that he will have to work miracles with the equipment in stock at the Djibouti port terminal.
"In accordance with the instructions given by General Wavell and endorsed at the conference in Khartoum (...) the forces under my direct command, i.e. the French and the Commonwealth troops landed at Berbera, received the following orders for an advance along three axes:
- along the railroad to Dire-Dawa: 86th DIA and Ethiopian auxiliary elements.
- along the Djibouti-Gildessa track, on the right flank: 1st RTS-CFS, 8th group and a colonial artillery group.
- from Hargeisa to Giggiga, on the left flank: 2nd RTS-CFS and British forceslanded at Berbera.
(...)
The role of the partisans will be mainly reconnaissance and intelligence. (...) However, the fear of sabotage of the tunnel crossing the Harr Mountains, 180 kilometers of Djibouti, made us prepare an operation of control and possible mine clearance by two sections trained for this purpose and supported by the Ethiopian partisans. Their progress as discreetly as possible through the mountains began two weeks ago."
(Extract from a report by General Legentilhomme to the Minister of War)
1536
January 2nd, 1941
Paris - The French who joyfully celebrated New Year's Eve were not very numerous - the disorganization of the commercial circuits only allowed a random supply of the cities. But as a New Year's gift, the Ministry of Supply is offering them food cards, which everyone would only ever call ration cards.
They only concern bread, pasta and sugar, but all foodstuffs will be progressively affected before the end of the summer. And we will soon see "heating cards" (for coal) and "textile cards" (for clothing) appear.
Paris - The French who joyfully celebrated New Year's Eve were not very numerous - the disorganization of the commercial circuits only allowed a random supply of the cities. But as a New Year's gift, the Ministry of Supply is offering them food cards, which everyone would only ever call ration cards.
They only concern bread, pasta and sugar, but all foodstuffs will be progressively affected before the end of the summer. And we will soon see "heating cards" (for coal) and "textile cards" (for clothing) appear.
1537
January 2nd, 1941
Kerguelen - In the morning, the German privateer Atlantis leaves its anchorage in Gazelle Bay, after having modified its camouflage. The SKL having assigned its former area of operation to the Kormoran, Captain Rogge decides to head for the northern part of the Indian Ocean. He takes with him the twenty or so French prisoners, some of whom had served in the campaign in France and were particularly depressed to have been captured by the Boche on the other side of the world!
For his part, Rogge is aware that the repairs carried out on the hull are insufficient, after his ship ran aground on arrival in Kerguelen.
However, the captain does not want to stay there any longer, because the French have certainly dispatched a ship from Madagascar or Reunion. Moreover, there are still some survivors of the garrison holed up in the hills, even if they hardly represent a threat.
In fact, a French ship is heading towards the archipelago. After the loss of the radio link with the small garrison of Kerguelen, the naval staff in Reunion Island decided to send the armed trawler Aspirant Brun, in charge of the supply of the French Austral Islands. In afternoon of the 2nd, the crew of the Aspirant Brun spots a cargo ship flying the Norwegian flag off the Kerguelen Islands. The proximity of the whaling fleets could explain the presence of a ship in such an unusual place, but the captain nevertheless orders the inspection of the suspect vessel, after having warned La Réunion by radio.
Rogge lets the French patrol boat approach, then orders the radio jamming, reveals its flag and opens fire. The fight is unequal, the three 100 mm guns of the Fench cannot do anything agaist the six 150 mm guns of the privateer and its speed does not allow it to escape. The old trawler, which is set on fire, is finished off by a torpedo.
The survivors are recovered and join their compatriots in the holds of the Atlantis. The German ship suffered little from the French fire, but the repairs carried out on its hull show signs of weakness. Rogge knows that he would have to limit his speed, even though he has to get away from the area as quickly as possible.
In Reunion Island, Rear Admiral Jean-Louis Négadelle, commander for the Indian Ocean, understands that there is a German raider in the area when he learns that the Aspirant Brun is no longer responding. He orders the colonial avisos D'Entrecasteaux and Dumont-d'Urville to track down the culprit and warns his British counterpart, who dispatches the light cruiser HMNZS Leander from the north of the Indian Ocean and the heavy cruiser HMS Cumberland from the South Atlantic.
French armed trawer Aspirant Brun, Action of January 2nd 1941, off the Kerguelen.
Kerguelen - In the morning, the German privateer Atlantis leaves its anchorage in Gazelle Bay, after having modified its camouflage. The SKL having assigned its former area of operation to the Kormoran, Captain Rogge decides to head for the northern part of the Indian Ocean. He takes with him the twenty or so French prisoners, some of whom had served in the campaign in France and were particularly depressed to have been captured by the Boche on the other side of the world!
For his part, Rogge is aware that the repairs carried out on the hull are insufficient, after his ship ran aground on arrival in Kerguelen.
However, the captain does not want to stay there any longer, because the French have certainly dispatched a ship from Madagascar or Reunion. Moreover, there are still some survivors of the garrison holed up in the hills, even if they hardly represent a threat.
In fact, a French ship is heading towards the archipelago. After the loss of the radio link with the small garrison of Kerguelen, the naval staff in Reunion Island decided to send the armed trawler Aspirant Brun, in charge of the supply of the French Austral Islands. In afternoon of the 2nd, the crew of the Aspirant Brun spots a cargo ship flying the Norwegian flag off the Kerguelen Islands. The proximity of the whaling fleets could explain the presence of a ship in such an unusual place, but the captain nevertheless orders the inspection of the suspect vessel, after having warned La Réunion by radio.
Rogge lets the French patrol boat approach, then orders the radio jamming, reveals its flag and opens fire. The fight is unequal, the three 100 mm guns of the Fench cannot do anything agaist the six 150 mm guns of the privateer and its speed does not allow it to escape. The old trawler, which is set on fire, is finished off by a torpedo.
The survivors are recovered and join their compatriots in the holds of the Atlantis. The German ship suffered little from the French fire, but the repairs carried out on its hull show signs of weakness. Rogge knows that he would have to limit his speed, even though he has to get away from the area as quickly as possible.
In Reunion Island, Rear Admiral Jean-Louis Négadelle, commander for the Indian Ocean, understands that there is a German raider in the area when he learns that the Aspirant Brun is no longer responding. He orders the colonial avisos D'Entrecasteaux and Dumont-d'Urville to track down the culprit and warns his British counterpart, who dispatches the light cruiser HMNZS Leander from the north of the Indian Ocean and the heavy cruiser HMS Cumberland from the South Atlantic.
French armed trawer Aspirant Brun, Action of January 2nd 1941, off the Kerguelen.
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