In 1937, when Darlan was promoted to admiral and became commander-in-chief, the French Navy had changed from a second-rate navy with only three dreadnoughts of the "Lone Pull" class after World War I to the most modern navy in the world, ranking fourth in the world in terms of overall strength. It should be said: Darlan made an indelible contribution to the reconstruction of the French Navy. In 1940, the actual strength of the French Navy was as follows:

3 dreadnoughts of the "Lone Pull" class: Lone Pull, Ocean, Paris

3 super-dreadnoughts of the "Provence" (provincial) class: Provence, Brittany, Lorraine "Dunkirk"

2 battleships: Dunkirk, Strasbourg

1 battleship of the "Richelieu" class: ......

In addition, there were more than 50 destroyers of various types and 101 submarines of various types, which was such a powerful fleet, but in 1940 on the Western Front, due to the rapid rout of the army, it was forced to concentrate in the port and wait to be disarmed. At that time, the French Navy was deployed as follows:

The military ports of Portsmouth and Plymouth on the British mainland: two battleships, four cruisers, several submarines, eight destroyers, and about two hundred smaller auxiliaries, minesweepers and anti-submarine ships. Anglo-occupied Alexandria, Egypt: one battleship, four cruisers, the military ports of Oran and Mearsk in French North Africa: "Dunkirk" and "Strasbourg", several light cruisers, a number of destroyers, submarines and other ships.

French Algiers: seven cruisers,

French Casablanca: "Jean? Barr".

French Dakar: "Richelieu".

French West Indies: 1 aircraft carrier, 2 cruisers

Martinique: one aircraft carrier, two light cruisers

At this time, the French navy had no enemies and no allies, and the French Third Republic had already succumbed to the iron heel of Germany. And where will this world's fourth-largest fleet go...... At this time, François, the only one who was able to master the entire French Navy. Admiral Darlang. How will this reinventor of the French Navy choose, there are two paths in front of him. Embrace the Atlantic and lead your own fleet to fight alongside your former allies. In order to restore the glory of France, or to embrace the Mediterranean, according to the orders of the Vichy government, the fleet was sealed in the port of Toulon, and lived under the watchful eye of the enemy.

He did not believe in Hitler's promises, just as he did not believe in the British, and all he had in mind was France. He understood. His departure meant the complete fall of mainland France, and he remained, leaving France with a shred of dignity. Eventually, as a military man, he obeyed the government, obeyed orders, and was forced to join the company of the Germans whom he hated.

Darlan's behavior strengthened the determination of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and the British Navy began to implement the "Ballista Project". The sound of Mirskbill's cannons made him equally hateful to the British, and the death of 1297 sailors angered the entire French Navy.

The "Ballista Plan" was a plan developed by the British Royal Navy to seize and control the French Navy after learning of the surrender of France, in order to prevent Germany from using the French Navy to attack the British mainland or threaten the transport lines. The program was carried out in June-July 1940 in three regions.

In the British mainland, Portsmouth and Plymouth military ports. On the morning of June 24, the British Navy abruptly disarmed the French fleet and controlled it with arms. With the exception of the submarine "Surguv", there were no armed clashes in the entire takeover.

In the French West Indies, on July 3, the local French fleet disarmed in agreement with the United States. At the military ports of Oran and Mirskbir on the coast of North Africa, the British put forward the following conditions: (1) to continue the war against Germany and Italy with the British; (2) the reduction of crew and the dispatch of British ports under the supervision of the British; (3) sailed to a French port in the West Indies under the supervision of the British fleet and disarmed. or in custody with the United States. If the French fleet refuses the proposal, it must scuttle the ship within six hours.

Such a request was rejected by the French fleet. So the Royal Navy's "H Fleet", under the command of Vice Admiral Somerville, made a decision on the harbor. The French Atlantic Fleet under the command of Admiral Sur launched an onslaught. The most helpless battle of Mirskbir in the history of world naval warfare began. Under the fire of the British navy and the sea, the French fleet trapped in the harbor suffered heavy losses, the "Brittany" was blown up by British carrier-based aircraft, the "Dunkirk" and "Provence" ran aground, the "Strasbourg" fled back to Toulon after being heavily damaged, the French lost 3 battleships and many small ships, 1,297 French sailors were killed and 341 were wounded.

This event led to the Pétain government severing diplomatic relations with Great Britain. Darlan immediately ordered retaliatory measures and bombed Gibraltar. From then on, the French navy regarded the British as its old enemy.

After the implementation of the "Ballista Project", the strength of the French Navy was greatly damaged, but the British Navy was not reassured, and in September 1940, the British launched another "intimidation" operation against the French naval fleet in Dakar, North Africa. During the Battle of Dakar, the French fleet stationed in Dakar, supported by batteries and cruisers arriving from home, damaged the British destroyers "Ingerfield", "Prophet" and "Cumberland", and severely damaged the battleship "Resolute". Two French submarines were sunk. Two destroyers were burned and stranded, and the battleship "Richelieu" was damaged. The result of the Battle of Dakar was the victory of the Vichy government, but the British also achieved their main goal - the destruction of the battleship "Richelieu".

Britain no longer faces a maritime threat from France. At the same time, the Battle of Mearsbir and the Battle of Dakar also turned Britain and France, the former allies, against each other.

The turning point happened again to Darlan, who was already the commander-in-chief of the three armies of the Vichy government, and who happened to be visiting his sick son in Oran when the "torch" plan was being implemented. Out of a deep hatred of the Germans, much more than the British, he ordered an immediate ceasefire on the fleets, and ordered the remaining French fleets at Toulon and Dakar to sail quickly to North Africa. However, the French fleet in Toulon was unwilling to fight alongside the British fleet, they could not forgive the British for the mistakes they had made in Mirskbir and Dakar, and the commander of the Toulon fleet, Admiral Laborde, categorically rejected Darlan's demands. The British paid the price for their actions that year.

At the same time, news of an immediate ceasefire across French North Africa reached Germany, and Hitler once again bypassed Limer and directly ordered the capture of the French fleet in Toulon. Faced with the encirclement of the Germans, the arrogant French navy refused the aid of the British, unwilling to give in to the enemy, whether they were Germans or British, and they chose the most tragic way of all, self-sinking, in accordance with the orders issued by Marshal Petain and Darlan in July 1940.

The French fleet, including 3 battleships, 8 cruisers, 17 destroyers, 16 torpedo boats, 16 submarines, 7 communications ships, 3 reconnaissance ships, and more than 60 transports, tankers, dredgers, and tugboats, all sank themselves, and only 1 destroyer, 1 torpedo boat, and 5 oil tankers were captured by the Germans because they did not sink themselves.

…… (To be continued)

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