Battle of Dakar

Battle of Dakar
Part of World War II
Date23–25 September 1940
(2 days)
Location
Off Dakar, French West Africa
Result Vichy French victory
Belligerents

 Vichy France

Commanders and leaders
 Vichy France Pierre Boisson
Strength
  • 1 aircraft carrier
  • 2 battleships
  • 5 cruisers
  • 10 destroyers
  • 22+ aircraft
  • 180 troops[1]
  • 1 battleship
  • 2 cruisers
  • 4 destroyers
  • 3 submarines
  • coastal emplacements
  • 6+ aircraft
Casualties and losses
2 battleships damaged
2 cruisers damaged
6 torpedo planes lost		 1 destroyer grounded
2 submarines sunk
1 battleship damaged
Danish freighter MS Tacoma sunk[2]
100 dead
182 wounded[3]
84 civilians dead
197 civilians wounded[4][5][6]

The Battle of Dakar, also known as Operation Menace, was an unsuccessful attempt in September 1940 by the Allies to capture the strategic port of Dakar in French West Africa (modern-day Senegal). It was hoped that the success of the operation could overthrow the pro-German Vichy French administration in the colony, and be replaced by a pro-Allied Free French one under General Charles de Gaulle.

  1. ^ Smith, Colin (2010). England's Last War Against France: Fighting Vichy 1940-1942. London: Phoenix. p. 123. ISBN 978-0-7538-2705-5.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference den was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference lise was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945 – The Naval History of World War Two. London: Chatham Publishing. p. 42. ISBN 978-1-59114-119-8.
  5. ^ Jordan, John; Dumas, Robert (2009). French Battleships 1922–1956. Barnsley: Seaforth Punblishing. p. 147. ISBN 978-1-84832-034-5.
  6. ^ Williams, 152-154