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Marocco during WWII

by K.Kocjancic on 12 Nov 2003, 14:05

What was happening in Marocco during WWII?

Anything interesting?

Regards,

Kocjo

K.Kocjancic

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Marocco during WWII

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Re: Marocco during WWII

by tyskaorden on 12 Nov 2003, 20:05

Kocjo wrote:What was happening in Marocco during WWII?

Anything interesting?

Regards,

Kocjo

Well most of it was in the hands of the Vichy-French, execept the coastal area along the Mediterrean Sea which was a Spanish possesion.

The international (British, French and Spanish)zone of Tangier was taken over by Spanish troops in June 1940, with the pretext of

preserving the neutrality of the Zone. The last Spanish troops withdrew in October 1945, and Tangier reverted to its international status,

now with also the US and the Sovietunion represented. In 1956 the international status was terminated and Tangier was returned to

Morocco.

The Allied landed in French Morocco in 1942 as part of Operation Torch. They were met by resistance from the French troops, ie in the

Casablanca area, but this was soon quelled.

//Tyskaorden alias Marcus Karlsson

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by David Lehmann on 12 Nov 2003, 20:39

http://www.feldgrau.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3963

The 8 Nov. 1942 landings at Fedhala, Mehedia and Safi were not precisely an US Army success and the day had to be saved by

the excellent US Navy fire. The americans were unable to arrive, after 3 days of fighting, in front of Casablanca (not to mention

the same idea to occupy that town) and were allowed to enter there only on 12 Nov. after the French Admiral Darlan had

signed a truce which led him to power in French North Africa.

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Thanks!

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FRENCH ORDER OF BATTLE - MOROCCO - 8 November 1942

French forces in Morocco were organised into four divisions plus coastal defences.

Division de Fez - General Salbert- 4e Rgiment de Tirailleurs Marocains (4e RTM), in Taza and Boured

- 5e Rgiment de Tirailleurs Marocains (5e RTM), in Oujda and Guercif

- 11e Rgiment de Tirailleurs Algriens (11e RTA), in Fez and Gafsa- one battalion of the 3e Rgiment Etranger d'Infanterie (3e REI - Foreign Legion), in Fez and Ksar-el-Souk

- one battalion of the 6e Rgiment de Tirailleurs Sngalais (6e RTS), in Fez

- 1er Rgiment Etranger de Cavalerie (1er REC - Foreign Legion), in Fez, Oujda and Guercif

- 63e Rgiment d'Artillerie Africain (63e RAA)

Division de Mekns - General Dody- 7e Rgiment de Tirailleurs Marocains (7e RTM), in Mekns and Midelt

- 8e Rgiment de Tirailleurs Marocains (8e RTM), in Mekns and Ouezzan

- one or two battalion(s) of the 3e Rgiment Etranger d'Infanterie (3e REI - Foreign Legion), in Hel Hajeb, Mekns and Knitra

- 3e Rgiment de Spahis Marocains (3e RSM)

- 11e Groupe d'Escadrons Autonome Ports de Chasseurs d'Afrique (11e GACA - motorised battalion)

- 64e Rgiment d'Artillerie Africain (64e RAA)

Division de Casablanca - General Bthouart- 1er Rgiment de Tirailleurs Marocains (1er RTM), in Port-Lyautey and Souk-el-Arba

- 6e Rgiment de Tirailleurs Marocains (6e RTM), in Casablanca, Kasbah Tadla and Mazagan

- Rgiment d'Infanterie Coloniale du Maroc (RICM), in Rabat, Casablanca and Mazagan

- one battalion of the 6e Rgiment de Tirailleurs Sngalais (6e RTS), in Casablanca

- 1er Rgiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique (1er RCA)

- part of the 3e Rgiment de Spahis Marocains (3e RSM), in Rabat

- Rgiment d'Artillerie Coloniale du Maroc (RACM)

Division de Marrakech - General Henry-Martin- 2e Rgiment de Tirailleurs Marocains (2e RTM), in Marrakech, Mogador and Agadir

- 2e Rgiment Etranger d'Infanterie (2e REI - Foreign Legion), in Marrakech, Ouarzazat and Agadir

- one battalion of the 6e Rgiment de Tirailleurs Sngalais (6e RTS), in Marrakech

- 4e Rgiment de Spahis Marocains (4e RSM), in Marrakech and Tiznit

- Rgiment d'Artillerie Coloniale du Maroc (RACM)

Coastal defence batteries :


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- Port-Lyautey area

Batterie Ponsot (Mehdia) : 2 x 138mm Mle 1923

- Fedala area

Batterie de Fedala : 3 x 100mm Mle 1897/1917, 1 x twin 13.2mm CAD AA HMG

Batterie de Pont Blondin : 3 x 138 mm Mle 1910, 1 x single 13.2mm CAS AA HMG

Dfense des Passes : 2 x 75 mm G

- Casablanca area

Batterie d'Oukacha : 4 x 100mm Mle 1897/17, 2 x twin 13.2mm CAD AA HMG

Batterie du poste d'entre de rade : 2 x 75mm G, 2 x twin 13.2mm CAD AA HMG

Batterie d'El Hank : 4 x 194mm Mle 1902, 4 x 138mm Mle 1910, 4 x 13.2mm CA AA HMG

- Mazagan area

Batterie : 2 x 75mm G

- Mogador area

Batterie : 2 x 75mm G

- Safi area

Batterie de la Railleuse : 4 x 130mm Mle 1924

Batterie du Port : 2 x 75 mm, 2 x 13.2mm CA AA HMG

- Agadir areaBatterie de Brougham : 4 x 100mm MLe 1897/1917

----------------------

Fighter SquadronsGroupement de Chasse 25 (Cdt de Saint-Albin)

G.C. I/5 (26x Curtiss H-75)

G.C. II/5 (20x Curtiss H-75 + 13x Dewoitine 520)

Aronautique navaleFlotille 1F (LV Folliot)

HQ (1x Dewoitine 520)

Esc. 1AC (13x Dewoitine 520)

Esc. 2AC (13x Dewoitine 520)

Bomber SquadronsGroupement de Bombardement 11 (Colonel de Lahoulle)

G.B. I/23 (13x Lior et Olivier 451)

G.B. II/23 (13x Lior et Olivier 451)

G.B. I/32 (13x Douglas DB-7)

G.B. II/32 (13x Douglas DB-7)

Aronautique navaleFlotille 3F (LV Mathon)

HQ (1x Glenn-Martin 167F)

Esc. 2B (6x Glenn-Martin 167F)

Esc. 3B (6x Glenn-Martin 167F)

Reconnaissance SquadronsG.R. I/22 (13x Lior et Olivier 451)

G.R. I/52 (13x Potez 63.11)

Transport SquadronsG.T. I/15 (18x Potez 29, 4x Farman 222.2, 1x Farman 222.3, 1x Farman 224)

G.T. III/15 (?x Amiot 143, ?x Lior et Olivier 451)

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Thanks A LOT!

Regards,

Kocjo

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I should be able to find info about the French navy in that area and grossly the US/UK component composition as well as the major events

in Morocco during this TORCH operation if you want.

David

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Panzermeyer wrote:I should be able to find info about the French navy in that area and grossly the US/UK component

composition as well as the major events in Morocco during this TORCH operation if you want.

David

I would be very grateful. But there is no hurry - take your time.

TIA;

Kocjo


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K.Kocjancic

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The French Navy in Morroco :

1x battleship in construction : "Jean-Bart"

1x light cruiser : "Primauguet"

2x counter-torpedo boats : "Milan" and "Albatros"

7x torpedo boats : "Fougueux", "Frondeur", "L'Alcyon", "Brestois", "Boulonnais", "Tempte and Simoun"

3x avisos : "La Grandire", "La Gracieuse" and "Commandant Delage"

5x patrol boats : "Chasseur II", Victoria", "Algroise", "Sablaise", "Servannaise"

11x mine sweepers11x submarines : "Sidi-Ferruch", "Le Tonnant", "Le Conqurant", "Orphe", "Mduse", "Orade", "Psych", "La Sybille", "Amazone",

"Antiope" and "Amphitrite".

No real match for the numerous destroyers, aricraft-carriers, cruisers and battleships of the US/UK fleet.

The US/UK invasion force consisted of :

- Escort Force H provided by the Royal Navy : 27 ships

3 battleships

5 cruisers

2 aircraft carriers

17 destroyers

- The Center Task Force, destination Oran in Algeria :

Commanders : Admiral Troubridge (Royal Navy) and General Fredendall (US Army)

37 ships + transport ships

About 39000 soldiers for the landing

- The Eastern Task Force, destination Algiers in Algeria :

Commanders : Admiral Burrough (Royal Navy) General Ryder

34 ships + transport ships

23000 British soldiers + 10000 US soldiers for the landing

- And since we are here interested in Morocco, the Western Task Force (TF34), destination Fedhala, Mehdia and Safi for the landings.The objectives are to take Safi (an important port on the Atlantic), Casablanca (and its port) and Port-Lyautey (and its airbases).

Commanders : Admiral Hewitt (US Navy) and General Patton (US Army)

77 ships + 29 transport ships

35000 US soldiers

250 tanks (55 are Shermans whose destination is Safi, the other are mainly Stuarts)

28x Grumman Avenger

36x Douglas SBD Dauntless

108x F4F-4 Wildcat

76x P-40 destined to be ground based in Port Lyautey

The US provided 172 planes (the P40 are only transported) and the Royal Navy provides :

7x Fulmar

35x Albacore

35x Martlet IV

51x Seafire IIc

39x Sea Hurricane IIc6x Swordfish

total : 345 US/UK planes in the area.


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TF34 is divided into :

- Northern landing group (9000 men)

landing in Mehdia, objective Port Lyautey

- Center landing group (19000 men)

landing in Fedhala, objective Casablanca and its harbor

- Southern landing group (6500 men)

landing in Safi harbor, next to Marrakech

Total superiority of the US/British forces in both sea and air.

On the ground, the French forces in November 1942 have still the same equipments than in 1939-1940 and about 120000 men in the whole

North Africa.

other map : http://membres.lycos.fr/manusnake/carte ... uement.jpg

1) Landing in Fedhala (next to Casablanca) and Cherqui19000 men and 1701 vehicles.

The French beaches are defended by :- 3x 100mm

- 2x 75mm

- 4x 138mm

- the 102nd costal infantry company

- 3 FT-17 tanks (already in service during WW1)

- about 100 Moroccan skirmisher

A real tiny force in face of the whole fleet support and the men landing there.

On the evening of 7th November, the General Bthouart sent a liaison officer to give orders not to resist to the landings (behind the military

stuff there were intricate political discussions and they wanted to join the allies) but only the infantry was informed, not the sailors in the

costal batteries.

A French convoy at sea met TF34 and was captured but could warn the French HQ.

A French searchlight spotted a US destroyer which opened fire and destroyed it.

At 7.13 the French opened fire.The CL-40 Brooklyn and 4 destroyers attacked the 138mm guns. Not less than 152mm shells were fired on them but only 2 hit the French

position. 1x 138mm gun and the observation post were destroyed.

The DD-603 Murphy was hit and forced to retreat.

At 9.30 the French battery was captured by an infantry assault.

The 100mm battery damaged the destroyer but it was hardly bombarded by the 203mm guns of the CA-31 Augusta. This battery is also

assaulted by the US infantry but they lost about 100 KIA in front of it. The battery surrendered at 14.00 after having destroyed its own guns.

Only 15 French soldiers were still alive.

A small auxiliary ship, the "Abb Desgranges" still resisted with only a few LMGs and 5 revolvers, its crew resisted until the ship sank.

During the operation 150 landing ships (LCMs) out of 347 were destroyed by the French defenses.

In front of Casablanca there was a small naval battle, small because the French fleet is there really small compared to the US/UK combat

fleet in the area.

From the ground the El Hank battery supported the naval battle, as did the "Jean-Bart" battleship which is immobilized in the harbor (in

construction) but with one operationnal turret of 4x380mm guns.

First there was an artillery duel between the "Jean-Bart" + El Hank and the


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BB-59 Massachussets

CA-37 Tuscaloosa

CA-45 Wichita

1 light cruiser, a few torpedo and counter-torpedo boats as well as several subs tried to sail out from the harbor to attack the US/UK fleet.

UK/US losses after the naval battle :

- 5x ships damaged (including the Admiral ship)

- 1x transport ship sunk

- 1x SBD Dauntless destroyed

French losses after the naval battle :

- 6x torpedo boats sunk

- 4x submarines sunk

- 4x ships damaged

- 490 KIA, 969 WIA

2) Landing at Mehdia, objective is Port Lyautey

The Admiral Michelier and the staff of General Nogus clearly canceled the orders of Bthouart who told not to fight.

3 FT-17 tanks + infantry counter-attacked and pulled the US troops back on the shores. The US General Truscott requisitionned the landing

boats crews to fight as infantry men.

Finally after huge naval artillery support, the 138mm battery was captured but after 48 hours of fighting the US beachhead is still very thinand unsecure.

3) Landing at Safi (200 km South of Casablanca)2 ships entering the harbor with commandos at night captured the harbor installation and the 2nd Armored Division was able to disembark

about 55 Shermans in Safi. The other beaches allowed only the landing of Stuarts.

AERIAL BATTLE OVER MOROCCO :

The USN air fleet wanted to destroy the French planes based in Morocco. As indicated in the previous post, the French air force is small

compared to the 172 US planes (not counting all the UK planes) and except the Dewoitine D-520 only composed of old H-75 fighters. The

108 USN Wildcats will have to face 86 French fighers but only 40 were rather modern. Despite the surprise and the fact that most of the

aircrafts were at ground when then air raids were launched, the French air force reacted.

Over Casablanca the Wildcats of the VF-41 encoutered the old Curtiss H-75 of the GC II/5. 4x Wildcats, 3x Dauntless and 7x H-75 were

shot down.

5x bombers of the GB I/32 and the whole GB I/33 were destroyed on the ground.

In Port Lyautey about 10 D-520 and 6 bombers are destroyed on the ground. At least 2 Wildcats are destroyed by a D-520 but it was also hit

and the pilot had to crash its plane and to evacuate it.

During the 8th November morning French fighters straffed the landing beaches at Fedhala and several landing boats were destroyed.

At 12.30 a few French bombers attacked the beachheads without losses.

On 9th November, 5x H-75 from GC II/5 straffed again the beaches.

Later a bigger attack involving 10x bombers from GB II23, 3x bombers from GB I/32 escorted by 15x H-75 from GC I/5 was launched.

Several transport and landing boats were destroyed but no really important ship is hit. The Wildcats from VF-9 intercepted the French

aircraft, the bombers went back safely but the 4x H-75 were destroyed, as well as 1x Wildcat.

At 14.00 an important US raid surprised on ground 4x DB-7, 5x H-75 and 6x D-520. The small French air force in Morocco was then

neutralized.

At Safi, the US planes were provied by the ACV-29 Santee whose crews were very green. From 31 aircrafts, 21 lost themselves and were

forced to emergency landings ont the ground.

Finally, on 11th November, the US had lost 44 planes from 172 at the beginning :

25x Wildcats

9x Dauntless

10x Avenger

The "Jean-Bart" battleship is damaged but will be repaired and will have a long post WW2 carreer. Here a recce photo of the "Jean-Bart"

taken by a US plane :


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http://www.voodoo.cz/battleships/france/richel.html

---------

After the landings on 8th November 1942, the situation on 9th November is still tricky, especially for the Mehdia beachhead which is indanger. This day is crucial both on the military level and on the political level because there are discussions between Morocco and the

Vichy HQ (Bthouart, Darlan, Weygand, Auphan) as well as discussions between Darlan and the US HQ. Before Operation Torch all the

operation were accepted by General Giraud (Free French) but the US wanted to get rid of the Free French of General De Gaulle and

negociate with the Vichy forces.

Darlan has to look at the same time at the situation in North Africa and at the situation in France, where the Vichy government is

frightening an invasion of the free area by the Germans if the resistance to the US/UK forces is not apparent enough.

Darlan is negociating with the US while Ptain is convicing the Germans that the French forces in North Africa do everything to resist to

the landing forces.

During the 9th November there are several small fightings while the US are trying to securize and increase their beachheads and while the

Shermans of the 2nd AD are moving from Safi towards Casablanca. Sometimes the French are defeated and sometimes not. An armored car

group for example makes US POWs at two times and captures also 4 Stuart tanks.

The French are organizing the defenses and roadblocks around Casablanca :

* East :

- III/6e RTS on the Rabat-Casablanca road, next to An Sebaa

- II/6e RTM on the road 106

- 4x 90mm AA guns in An Sebaa

- reinforcement of An Sebaa by 4 platoons of surviving sailors (each man issued with a carbine, each squad with 1 LMG, 1 MMG and 10

grenades).

* South : III/6e RTM on the Marrakech road

* South-West : II/RICM

* West, near El Hank : I/6e RTM and 4x 90 AA guns.

On 9th November the positions are attacked by SBD Dauntless attack planes without significant results.

PORT-LYAUTEY :The US troops who landed at Mehdia are in a difficult position and have to face many French counter-attacks which reach the beaches. The

1st Bn, 60th Infantry Rgt supported by Stuart tanks is facing the III/1e RTM supported by few Renault R-35 / Hotchkiss H-35 tanks. 4

Stuarts and 2 R-35/H-35 are destroyed but the US troops are saved by the intervention of the USN air fleet which blocks the French attack.

4 times the US troops take Mehdia and 4 times they are pulled back.

On 11th November the French infantry counter-attcks and takes back the 138mm battery lost on 8th November, the Lighthouse and part of

the beach but finally thanks to an important tank offensive the US are able to capture Mehdia and Port Lyautey. At 11.30 there are still

several French pockets bu the first P-40s are landing on the captured airbase. In Mehdia there were about 89 US and 133 French KIA.

AN SEBAA BATTLE (east of Casablanca) :On 10th November at dawn, the US infantry + Stuarts attack the II/6e RTS and the sailors in An Sebaa. The French 90mm guns causes

many KIA by firing on US mortar positions which have to be changed frequently but the French guns are neutralized by naval heavy

artillery fire. At 11.00 the French are forced to leave An Sebaa and to move to the main resistance line. Two sailors platoons have sustained

50% losses and encircled are forced to surrender. The other units manage to retreat properly.


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2 French avisos, the "Commandant Delage" and the "Gracieuse" block the US offensive with their 100mm guns but are forced to flee in

front of the cruiser Augusta and the destroyers Edison, Boyle, Tillman and Rowan. The US attack is stopped here, they are waiting for the

Shermans who landed in Safi.

In Casablanca the French are not at all defeated. Darlan and the General Clark have finally concluded a cease-fire. The French orders are to

go back to the barracks, to preserve the intigrity of all the facilities, equipments and armaments and to exchange the POWs.

The consequences of operation Torch for the French are :

- invasion of the free area by the Germans

- self-destruction of the high sea fleet based in Toulon to prevent its capture by the Germans (there was small fightings between the French

sailor and the Germans from the 7.PzD in Toulon)

- but also the beginning of a new mobilization of the whole French forces in North Africa on the allied (US, UK and Free French side).

After that, in 1943 there is no distinction anymore between Free French and Vichy French, there is only a French Army.

----------

Beside my comments I found several US webpages, .PDF and .PPT presentations that are rich in information :

ORDER OF BATTLE :http://www.internet-esq.com/ussaugusta/ ... battle.htm

http://www.internet-esq.com/ussaugusta/torch/index.htm

!!! DETAILED HISTORY WHICH WILL GIVE YOU ALL THE MAIN INFO I GUESS : http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/jfq_pubs/optorch4.pdf

http://www.naval-history.net/WW2CampaignsAmphibious.htm

http://www.colorado.edu/NROTC/Marine_Pa ... Africa.ppt

http://www.harwich.edu/depts/history/pp ... sld030.htm

http://www.nrotc.tulane.edu/Naval_Scien ... 201942.ppt

http://www.ku.edu/~kunrotc/academics/384/Torch.ppt

Regards,

David

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Re: Marocco during WWII

by Tiornu on 15 Nov 2003, 23:11

The Battle of Casablanca represents the worst defeat suffered in the war by the French navy. The sneak attack crushes the local naval

detachment, which inflicts almost no damage in return. I think Massachusetts got hit by two insignificant shells, and that was it.

Tiornu

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And ? What would you have expected with a tiny naval force stationned in its harbor in front of the huge US/UK fleet containing manybattleships, cruisers, aircraft-carriers, submarines, destroyers ? In face of it you have one light cruiser, an immobilized battleship with one

operationnal turret that wasn't sunk and little secondary ships.

The value and effectiveness of the French Vichy Army was also tested for example in Syria where the Australian, British and Free French

forces didn't led a very brilliant campaign in 1941 when they attacked the Vichy French territory. Several British units were totally

destroyed.

David

Last edited by David Lehmann on 16 Nov 2003, 16:42, edited 1 time in total.

David Lehmann

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by Musashi on 16 Nov 2003, 00:47

I would like to get to know more about the campaign in Syria in 1941. Could you give me a few links?

Regards,

Chris

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As usually it is not easy just to indicate websites if there are not good ones about the subject but have a look at this it should by useful

enough I guess.

About the Syrian campaign I didn't studied with websites but 2 good magazines :

1) Histoire de Guerre n24 - there is an article from Henri de Wailly (a good historian who wrote different books about the fightings in

Gembloux, the DCR from De Gaulle etc.) ; "Syrie 1941 - la guerre censure" (the censured war, because it is not well studied in France

because of the fratricide fights and the first time the Foreign Legion fought against the Foreign Legion).


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2) MILITARIA Magazine HS n50 (this is really a fabulous serie) : Opration au Proche-Orient. De l'Irak la Syrie - 1941. By Yves

Buffetaud and profiles by Jean Restayn. If somebody reads French I would advice to order it, it's a good synthesis.

http://www.store4war.com/detail.php?art ... R@euro&ad=

Image

3) Mockler, Anthony. OUR ENEMIES THE FRENCH. London: Leo Cooper, 1976. This is probably the best work on the subject.

4) Buckley, Christopher. FIVE VENTURES. London: HMSO, 1954, 1977. Also good, but only one of its five chapters is devoted to the

Levant.

The British, Australian, and Indian official histories also provide good information. Not surprisingly, it is difficult to find much in French on

the subject.

Iraq campaign just before is related ... and with the link at the bottom you will find interesting books

http://www.sonic.net/~bstone/history/iraq.shtml

French Air Force OB in Syria :

http://france1940.free.fr/vichy/ada_syri.html

About the Syrian campaign

http://www.sonic.net/~bstone/history/exporter.shtml

website in French :

http://www.farac.org/php/article.php3?id_article=186

Regards,

David

Last edited by David Lehmann on 16 Nov 2003, 06:18, edited 3 times in total.

David Lehmann

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Casablanca

by Tiornu on 16 Nov 2003, 03:31

"And ? What would you have expected with a tiny naval force stationned in its harbor...." I would expect pretty much exactly what

happened. The Americans went in with overwhelming force. Even without the element of surprise, the French had little hope of making any

impact.

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In complement to the sonic.net text I can provide different data about the order of battles and the losses. I don't know why this webpage

seems to insist on the "Senegalese" because there are few of them in fact.

CAMPAIGN IN SYRIA : 8 JUNE - 12 JULY 1941

ALLIED vs VICHY

Exporter was the British code-name for their invasion of Vichy French Syria in June 1941. The attack was prompted by the recent Vichydecision to supply the anti-British rebels in Iraq with arms and to allow German aircraft transit rights in support of the operations of these

rebels. It seemed that the Germans were on their way to gaining control of the territory -- a prospect obviously intolerable from the British

point of view. For their part, the French were uninterested in ceding control of their colony to Britain, and were also concerned to

demonstrate to the Germans that they would defend their possessions vigorously if attacked by the British, thus justifying continued French

-- as opposed to German -- control of France's overseas possessions. Ironically, both sides would be fighting at least partially to ensure a

Syria free from German control.

At the beginning of June, Britain managed to scrape together what she considered as sufficient force to overwhelm Vichy resistance. It was

hoped that the presence of a Free French column among the invaders would soften the blow and render serious fighting unnecessary -- as

late as 21 May Churchill was describing the proposed operation as a 'armed political inroad' and indeed the invasion itself began with

usually futile attempts to induce the French to give up without fighting.

British expectations notwithstanding, several factors combined to make French resistance both vigorous and effective. The first was that the

commander in Syria until May 1940 had been General Weygand, who in spite of his failure to reverse the collapse of France when

summoned home at the time of the German invasion in 1940, was both an energetic officer and a powerful figure in the French army.

During his tenure in French Syria, he had conceived the idea of landing in Salonika with the forces at his disposal, and with that end in

view, had formed out of the French Army of the Levant a small but relatively powerful and battle-ready force of all arms numbering about

sixteen thousand men, the Groupement des Forces Mobiles du Levant. This was aside from a numerically roughly equal force of less

impressive native auxiliaries, levies, and police forces of various types.

In spite of the disarmament clauses of the armistice, the French force remained largely intact and moreover, had been been thoroughly

purged of British sympathizers in the wake of Mers el Kebir, Dakar, and England's various efforts to bring the French colonies over to the

Free French cause. Those who remained regarded the Free French as traitors, had been embittered by the various British attacks on French

forces and possessions, and were motivated to redeem the honor of France. What Britain had hoped would be a relatively bloodless

demonstration of force turned into a small but hard-fought little campaign. Three Commonwealth battalions were virtually wiped out, and

Commonwealth and Free French losses totalized about 5140 men, while for their part, the Vichy French suffered about 6000 casualties

before deciding that their position was hopeless, that honor had been thoroughly satisfied, and that they could lay down their arms. To putthese figures into perspective, British losses suffered in the concurrent Operation Battleaxe conducted against Rommel totalled only 969

officers and men. At a time in the war when Britain was deploying only very small forces overseas, Exporter was one of her bloodier fights.

ALLIED OB

Lieutenant-General Wilson, General Officer Commanding, Palestine and Transjordan, was in overall command of at least the land forces

operating from Palestine; whether his authority extended over Habforce and 10th Indian Division is less clear. Vice Admiral E.L.S. King

was commander of 15th Cruiser Squadron, the principle naval force involved in the campaign, while Air-Commodore J.O. Brown was Air

Officer Commanding Palestine and Jordan and Air Vice-Marshall D'Albiac was in command in Iraq.

At the start of the campaign, direct field command of the forces advancing up the central and coastal routes from Palestine rested with

Major General Lavarack, commander of 7th Australian Division. 5th Indian Brigade and Free French operated on the Damascus axis the

command relationship of these two formations with respect to each other being left undefined.

As time went on, more units arrived and it became obvious that the British were going to have to assume primary responsibility for the

drive on Damascus. On 18th June, a major reorganization was put in hand. General Lavarack was given 1st Australian Corps Headquarters

and put in charge of all Commonwealth land operations in Southern Syria and the Lebanon. Hence from this date all land units on the

Allied side in the campaign with the exception of the Free French, Habforce, and 10th Indian Division fell under its authority. Under

Lavarack, Major General Allen was put in charge of 7th Australian Division and the units on the coastal and central routes, while Major

General Evetts, commander of the newly-arriving British 6th Division, also took command of 5th Indian Brigade and assumed

responsibility for the Damascus sector. The fast-fading Free French remained formally independent.

A. Ground forces

1) 8 June - 17 June 1941 :

N11 Special Service Battalion (Scottish Commando)

Cheshire Yeomanry Regiment (horsed)


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Scots Greys/Staffordshire composite column (lorried infantry and armored cars)

7th Australian Division

- 25th Australian Infantry Brigade

2/25th Battalion

2/31st Battalion

2/33rd Battalion

- 21st Australian Infantry Brigade

2/14th Battalion

2/16th Battalion

2/27th Battalion

- 2/3rd Australian Machine-Gun Battalion

- 2/2nd Pioneers

- 2/4th Australian Field Regiment (artillery)



- 2/2nd Antitank Regiment : apparently consisted of 6th AT battery and 7th AT Battery

- 170th Light Anti-Aircraft battery

- 6th Australian Divisional Cavalry Regiment (light tanks)

- 2/5th Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers

- 2/6th Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers

- 2/5th Field Park Company, Royal Australian Engineers

- unspecified squadron or squadrons, Royal Dragoons (British armored cars)- 9th Australian Divisional Cavalry Regiment .

- C Battalion, Layforce Commando

5th Indian Infantry Brigade

1st Royal Fusiliers

4/6th Rajputana Rifles

3/1st Punjab Rifles

1st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery:

9th Field Battery, Royal Artillery

11th Field Battery, Royal Artillery

171th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery

18th Company, Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners

1st DFL (1st Free French Division) :- Free French 1st Infantry brigade (Colonel Cazaud)

1st Bataillon de Marche

2nd Bataillon de Marche

1st Bataillon de Legion Etrangere

- Free French 2nd Infantry brigade (Colonel Gnin)

3rd Bataillon de Marche

4th Bataillon de Marche

1st Bataillon d'infanterie de marine

1st Bataillon de fusiliers marins

- 1st Artillery battery (Cne Laurent-Champrosay)

- 1st Escadron de Spahis marocains (Cne Jourdier)

- 1st Compagnie de chars (Cne Volvey) : 12 Hotchkiss H-39

- Section de sapeurs mineurs (Lt Desmaisons)

- Groupement Collet (Colonel Collet) (453 men not endivisionned). Based on the Circassian squadrons Colonel Collet had brought awaywith him when he went over to the Free French on 21 May, this consisted of a squadron of Circassian horsed cavalry, another in lorries, two

cannons, 1 AT gun, and five armored cars.

2) 18 June - 12 July 1941 :

Australian 17th Brigade.

Formed around 4 July. The constituent battalions had already been engaged separately.

Habforce (entered Syria from Iraq on 21 June) :

- 4th Cavalry Brigade (lorried):

Household Cavalry Regiment

Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry

Warwickshire Yeomanry

- 1st Battalion, The Essex Regiment

- The Arab Legion of John Bagot Glubb Pacha (350 men) : 9 troops of motorized infantry in armored trucks with machine guns and 1 troop

of three home-made armored cars.


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- 60th Field Artillery Regiment (25 pdr)

- An Australian antitank battery (2pdr)

- 169th Light Anti-aircraft battery (40mm Bofors)

- one engineer attached group

Indian 10th Division. This formation entered Northern Syria from Iraq on 20 June :

- 21st Indian Brigade

4/13 Frontier Force Rifles

2/4 Gurkha Rifles (Prince of Wales' Own)

2/10 Gurkha Rifles

Attached :

13th D.C.O Lancers (armored cars)

157th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery

9th Field Company Royal Indian Engineers

- 20th Indian Brigade

3/11 Sikh Regiment

2/7 Gurkha Rifles

2/8 Gurkha Rifles

- 25th Indian Brigade

3/9 Jat regiment

1/5 Mahratta Light Infantry

2/11 Sikh Regiment

The Transjordan Frontier Force. A British-officered unit that formed part of the Imperial forces and primarily functioned as gendarmerie. Inthe Iraq campaign, it had distinguished itself primarily by refusing to cross the frontier and fight fellow Moslems, and the unit does not

seem to have been highly regarded as a combat formation. By the time of Exporter, the force apparently consisted of the following :

- Mechanized Regiment : formed of two mechanized squadrons

- Horsed Regiment : formed of three cavalry squadrons.

- Mobile Guard Squadron : charged with line of communications duties.

Both the mechanized and the horse regiments took part in Exporter. The mechanized regiment apparently included Bren carriers. The

regiment managed to lose Ezraa to a sudden French sally from the Jebel Druse but participated in taking it back.

6th Infantry Division :

- 16th Infantry Brigade (entered Syria on 16 June)

2nd King's Own (detached to 7th Australian)

2nd Queen's Royal Regiment

2nd Leicester Regiment

- 23rd Infantry Brigade (newly reformed; mentioned on 24 June as garrison troops and finally entered action on July 10-11)1st Durham Light Infantry

4th Border Regiment

11th Czech Battalion

- 14th Infantry Brigade (present in reserve on 10 July, newly arrived from Palestine)

1st Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

2nd York and Lancaster

2nd Black Watch

- 2nd Field Company, Royal Engineers (listed as assigned 29 June)

- Attached : North Somerset Yeomanry (lorried, entered action on 10 July)

B. Royal Air force

No. 11 Squadron : Blenheim IVNo. 80 Squadron : Hurricane

No. 3 R.A.A.F. Squadron : Tomahawk

No. 208 Army Co-operation Sq. : Hurricane

X Flight : Gladiator

815 Sq. : Swordfish

No. 84 Squadron : Blenheim, based in Iraq

Present, but not noted as assigned to Exporter :

803 Squadron : Fulmar, based in Palestine

829 Squadron: Swordfish/Albacore, based in Cyprus

Additional air units assigned beginning 17 June after Battleaxe was called off :

No. 45 Squadron : Blenheim

No. 450/260 Composite Sq. : Hurricane

No. 806/33 Composite Sq. : Hurricane


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Operated from Egypt against Aleppo and Beirut:

No. 37 Squadron : Wellington




No. 127 Squadron : four Hurricanes and four Gladiators supported the advance of 10th Indian Division from Iraq beginning 30 June.

C. Royal Navy

- light cruisers

Phoebe

Ajax

-anti-aircraft cruiser :

Coventry

- destroyers

Kandahar

Kimberley

Jackal

Janus

IlexIsis

Hotspur

Hero

- landing ship :

Glengyle

And the fleet of Alexandria is not far away.

--> Reinforcements :

On 10 June :

- destroyers : Stuart (Royal Australian Navy), Jaguar, Griffin, and Defender

- submarine : Parthian, is mentioned as sinking the Souffleur on 25 June.

Vichy French OB

General Dentz was the French High Commissioner in Syria. Admiral Gouton commanded French naval forces. The commander of the

Levant Air Force was General Jeannekyn. General De Verdilhac had been appointed commander of the Army of the Levant on 15 May.

Below him, the most important French land forces were initially distributed among various territorial commands roughly as follows:

North Syria. HQ at Aleppo. Colonel Rottier commander. Few if any French troops were assigned to this sector. As noted below, the best of

the Syrian Bataillons du Levant were kept here in the hope that they could discourage the Turks from intervening.

The Lebanon. HQ at Beirut. General Arbalosse commanding. On the eve of the invasion, Arbalosse had the two Algerian regiments under

his direct command. In addition, at least some of the 4e Regiment de Spahis Tunisiens, and 1 or 2 companies of legionnaires made anappearance on the first day.

South Syria. HQ at Damascus. General Delhomme commanding. The Tunisians and Senegalese were assigned to this sector. Also,

apparently, the Moroccan battalion and at least one Syrian Batallion du Levant. Of these, two battalions of the Tunisians were off to the east

in the Jebel Druse together with five squadrons of Druse cavalry, under the subordinate but physically detached command of Colonel

Bouvier.

Reserve. The 24e Regiment Mixte Coloniale and the bulk of the Foreign Legion . Also, the two mechanized regiments.

A. Ground forces (about 30,000 men)

French land forces in Syria were divided into two very different groups: regular French army troops, generally of high quality, and the

various forces France had raised from the indigenous Syrian population, known collectively as Troupes Speciales. After the Foreign Legionand the RICM, the moroccans are considered the best soldiers, followed by the Algerians, the Senegalese and the Tunisians.

1) FRENCH REGULARS :


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INFANTRY :

- 6e Regiment de la Legion Etrangere (4 battalions) (Colonel Barre)

- 24e Regiment Mixte Colonial (Colonel Picot)

- 22e Regiment de tirailleurs algeriens (3 battalions)

- 29e Regiment de tirailleurs algeriens (3 battalions)

- 16e Regiment de tirailleurs tunisions (3 battalions)

- 5e bataillon du 1e Rgiment de tirailleurs marocains

- 17e Regiment de tirailleurs sngalais (3 battalions)

MECHANIZED TROOPS :

- 6e RCA (Regiment de chasseurs d'Afrique)

- 7e RCA (Regiment de chasseurs d'Afrique)

These were ad hoc formations with a total between them of 90 Renault R-35 and FT-17 tanks and 'rather more' armored cars of unspecified

type : each regiment seems to have been organized into two squadrons of tanks and two squadrons of armored cars.

CAVALRY :

- 1e Spahis marocain (cavalry)

- 4e Spahis tunisien (cavalry)

- 8e Spahis algerien (cavalry)

a total of 2000 horsemen/lorried infantry with a few armored cars.

2) TROUPES SPECIALES :

They didn't participate in the fighting all that much.

INFANTRY :

3 Batallions de Chasseurs Libanais (Lebanese infantry)

8 Batallions du Levant (Syrian infantry of various types : Alaouite etc.). Some of them were kept in kept in the North as a deterrent to a

possible Turkish thrust.

CAVALRY :

A total of about 50 squadrons of irregular cavalry existed, numbering about a hundred men each and variously (Druse, Tcherkess/

Circassians etc.). Most of these squadrons were horsed, although two of the remaining twelve Circassian squadrons were lorried. In spite of

Collet's desertion to the Free French, the Circassians seem to have differed from the norm in being effective fighters, 10 of their squadrons

participating with French tanks and armored cars and 1 company of Senegalese infantry in the annihilation of the 1st Royal Fusiliers at

Kuneitra. As for the rest, a total of 5 squadrons of Druse cavalry were based in the Jebel Druse, 2 of which participated in the fighting.

- Circassian cavalry squadrons : specific unit designations include the 13th, 14th, and 36th (horsed), and the 41st and 42nd (lorried).

- Druse cavalry squadrons. 5 mentioned as present in the Jebel Druse. None specifically named.- 21st, 23rd, 25th, and 28th Light Squadrons, Djejirah Cavalry

- 4th Squadron. North Syrian Cavalry'

DESERT LIGHT COMPANIES :

3 of these existed: each consisting of about 200 camel-mounted Bedouin tribesmen with armored cars. The first company took part with

The Foreign Legion in the prolonged defense of Palmyra but the second was routed with remarkable ease in a rather one-sided engagement

with John Bagot Glubb's Arab Legion.

OTHER FORCES :

Fawzi el Quwukji : This inveterate guerilla fighter was not strictly speaking part of the French OOB in Syria, but he and his men were

present, and indeed, gave the British some of the nastier shocks they received on the desert flank. At one point, his forces were reported to

consist of five hundred men and seventy lorries. Some unknown number of his followers set upon a company of the 4/13 Frontier Force

Rifles at Raqqa on the night of July 8th/9th and fought with them hand to hand until dawn, when help arrived and the Arabs slipped back

into the desert.


Not surprisingly, British control of the seas and German oversight of French military movements made reinforcement of Syria by any

significant number of troops difficult. Nevertheless, the French did try. A scheme to transport five battalions from French North Africa by

cruiser was vetoed by the Germans, but one battalion was sent by rail from Metropolitan France to Salonika. There, the Turks proved

unwilling to grant it transit rights by rail, while the Germans declined to provide transport aircraft. Eventually a sea passage was attempted

on two French merchant ships, but one was sunk by British aircraft while the other turned back rather than meet the same fate.

B. Air Force and Air Fleet

- Fighter Squadrons

G.C. III/6 : 25x Dewoitine 520 in Rayack (Lebanon)

G.C. I/7 : 12x Morane 406 in Estabel (Lebanon) and 6x Morane 406 in Alep-Nerab (Syria)

- Bomber Squadrons


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G.B. I/39 : 10x Glenn-Martin 167F in Madjaloun (Lebanon) and 2x Glenn-Martin 167F in Rayack (Lebanon)

E.B. 3/39 : 6x Bloch MB.200 in Madjaloun (Lebanon)

- Reconnaissance / Observation Squadrons

G.R. II/39 : 12x Potez 63.11 in Damas-Mezz (Syria)

G.A.O. 583 : 5x Potez 63.11 in Alep-Nerab (Syria)

E.O. 592 : 6x Potez 25TOE in Rayack (Lebanon)

E.O. 593 : 6x Potez 25TOE in Alep-Nerab (Syria)

E.O. 594 : 6x Potez 25TOE in Damas-Mezz (Syria)

E.O. 595 : 6x Potez 25TOE in Palmyre (Syria)

E.O. 596 : 4x Potez 25TOE in Deir ez-Zor (Syria)

Note : The strength of E.O.592 to 595 is theoretical rather than actual strength.

- Air fleet :

Esc. 19S : 5x Loire 130 in Tripoli (Lebanon)

TOTAL : 43 fighters, 18 bombers, 45 reconnaissance aircrafts = 106 aircrafts


- Fighters :

G.C. II/3 : 20x Dewoitine 520 in Alep-Nerab (20 June)

- Bombers :G.B. I/12 : 11x LeO 451 in Alep-Nerab/Qousseir (14 June)

G.B. I/25 : 12x LeO 451 in Alep-Nerab (14 June)

G.B. I/31 : 10x LeO 451 in Qoussier (14 June)

- Transport :

G.T. 1/15 : 9x Farman 222 and 4x Potez 650 (14 June)

- Air fleet :

Fighters : Esc. 1AC : 12x Dewoitine 520 in Alep/Madjaloun (4 July)

Bombers : Esc. 6B/Esc. 7B : 12x Glenn-Martin 167F in Madjaloun (20 June)

Torpedo Bombers : Esc. 1T : 6x Latecoere 298 in Tripoli (Lebanon) (4 July)

C. French Navy (based in Beirut)

- Counter-torpedo boats :

Valmy

Gupard

- Submarines :

Caman

Marsouin

Souffleur

- Aviso :

Elan

- Tanker :Adour


- Destroyers :

Chevalier-Paul, sunk off Cyprus en route to Beirut 16 June

Vauquelin (22 June)

LOSSES :

1) Allies :

- About 5140 KIA + WIA : 1740 Australians, 1800 Indians, 800 British, 800 Free French

- about 45 aircrafts


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- 1 counter-torpedo boat and 1 merchant ship sunk

- 3 destroyers and 2 tankers heavily damaged, out of use for a long time

- After the cease-fire 1300 British POWs are liberated on 21st July 1941

- The N11 Special Service Battalion (Scottish Commando, 500 men + 30 officers). Its landing was totally defeated and the unit is

completely destroyed or captured in a few hours.

- The 1st Bn, Royal Fusiliers surrendered for the first time of its history (470 POWs). It was cut off by a Vichy counterattack and the entire

battalion was lost.

- The 5th Indian Brigade is totally destroyed in 4 days

- In Palmyra, the Habforce and the mechanized regiment of the Transjordan Frontier Force are blocked during 15 days by the Commandant

Ghrardi from the Foreign Legion with :

* 1st desert light company (meharist)

* 15th company of the Foreign Legion

In total less than 500 men to defend Palmyra against the whole Habforce. When they finally surrendered only 165 were still alive.

The Aussies lost about 1740 killed and wounded during the month of combat (as opposed to about 3000 killed and wounded during the

much lengthier siege of Tobruk).

2) Vichy forces :

- 1036 KIA and about 5000 WIA- about 100 aircrafts (most of them destroyed on the ground)

- 1 destroyer sunk

- 1 merchant ship sunk

- possibly 1 submarine sunk

- 3 torpedo boats lightly damaged

When the campaign ended, only some 4285 Vichy troops elected to join de Gaulle. The 32,000 remainder were evacuated by sea to French

North Africa under Allied supervision. The Australians saluted them on the quay with honot because they fought bravely. In November

1942, these same Vichy French forces fought against the too much "green" US Army divisions during operation Torch. In 1943 the former

Vichy colonial forces in North Africa were transformed into the bulk of the Free French forces that went on to campaign in Italy, France

and Germany.

Regards,

David

David Lehmann

Member

Posts: 2459

Joined: 01 Apr 2002, 11:50

Location: France

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AHF - Marocco During WWII-1

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