Battle of Gabon

Infobox Military Conflict


conflict=Battle of Gabon
partof=African Campaigns, World War II
date=November 8–12, 1940
place=Gabon, French Equatorial Africa
result=Allied victory
combatant1=flagicon|United Kingdom United Kingdom
flagicon|France|free Free France
combatant2=flagicon|France Vichy France
commander1=flagicon|France|free Charles de Gaulle
flagicon|France|free Pierre Koenig
commander2=flagicon|France Marcel Tetu
strength1=
strength2=
casualties1=Unknown
casualties2=1 colonial sloop, 1 submarine

The Battle of Gabon or the Battle of Libreville was part of the West African Campaign of World War II fought in November 1940. The battle resulted in the Free French forces under General Charles de Gaulle taking Libreville, Gabon, and liberating all of French Equatorial Africa from Vichy French forces.

Background

On 8 October 1940, General de Gaulle arrived in Douala. On 12 October, he authorized plans for the invasion of Gabon. De Gaulle also wanted to use French Equatorial Africa as a base to launch attacks into Axis-controlled Libya. For this reason, he personally headed northward to survey the situation in Chad, located on the southern border of Libya.cite web
title=The Second World War in the French Overseas Empire
url=http://worldatwar.net/timeline/france/empire40-45.html
accessdate=2007-02-27 ]

On 27 October, Free French forces crossed into Gabon and took the town of Mitzic. On 5 November, the Vichy garrison at Lambarene capitulated. Meanwhile the main Free French forces under General Philippe Leclerc and General Marie Pierre Koenig departed from Douala, French Cameroon. Their goal was to take Libreville, Gabon.cite web
title=The Second World War in the French Overseas Empire
url=http://worldatwar.net/timeline/france/empire40-45.html
accessdate=2007-02-27 ]

Course of battle

On 8 November 1940, HMS "Milford" sank the Vichy submarine "Poncelet".cite web
title=Gabon Timeline
url=http://www.schudak.de/timelines/gabon1839-1960.html
accessdate=2007-02-28] Koenig's force landed at Pointe La Mondah. His forces included French Legionnaires (including the 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade), Senegalese, and Cameroonian troops.cite web
title=The Second World War in the French Overseas Empire
url=http://worldatwar.net/timeline/france/empire40-45.html
accessdate=2006-02-27 ]

On 9 November, Lysander aircraft operating out of Douala bombed the Libreville aerodrome. Koenig's force met stiff resistance approaching the city. But eventually he took the aerodrome. Free French naval forces, including the colonial sloop "Savorgnan de Brazza" attacked and sank the Vichy colonial sloop "Bougainville". The "Bougainville" was the sister ship to the "Savorgnan de Brazza". [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/6151.html] [http://www.seawaves.com/newsletters/TDIH/april/21Apr.txt]

On 12 November, the final Vichy forces capitulated at Port Gentil. Governor Masson, despairing of his actions, committed suicide. cite web
title=The Second World War in the French Overseas Empire
url=http://worldatwar.net/timeline/france/empire40-45.html
accessdate=2006-02-27 ]

Aftermath

On November 15, de Gaulle's personal appeal failed to persuade most of the captured Vichy soldiers, including General Tetu, to join the Free French. As a result, they were interned as prisoners of war in Brazzaville, Congo for the duration of the war.cite web
title=The Second World War in the French Overseas Empire
url=http://worldatwar.net/timeline/france/empire40-45.html
accessdate=2006-02-27 ]

ee also

* Battle of Dakar
* Battle of Madagascar

References

* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/6151.html Uboat.net on the Bougainville]
* [http://www.seawaves.com/newsletters/TDIH/april/21Apr.txt Launching of the Bougainville]