Operation Menace: The Dakar Expedition and the Dudley North Affair

by Arthur J. Marder, Barry Gough (Introduction)

Overview

“A fascinating and well-written account of a failed military operation that deserves to be on the bookshelves of all those interested in naval history.” —Marine News

Continuing on from his study of the Oran operation of July 1940, when the French warships were destroyed at Mers-el-Kébir, the author investigates the allied expedition of September that year, with De Gaulle present, which unsuccessfully attempted to break the French at Dakar away from the Vichy Government. In addition, there is the story of the Admiral Sir Dudley North, Flag Officer Commanding at Gibraltar at the time, who was relieved from his post after allowing a French naval squadron to pass out of the Mediterranean and so jeopardize the Dakar operation.

A pet operation of Prime Minister Churchill, it was undertaken against all advice, and it turned out to be a fiasco. In the author’s words, “Menace exemplifies, in its genesis, planning, and execution, all that can go wrong in warfare; an operation fouled up by unforeseen contingencies, the accidents of war, and human error, and against a background of undue political interference, inadequate planning, and half-baked cooperation between Allies.”

Using Admiralty and Cabinet papers, as well as private sources of information, Marder weaves a skilled course through all the complex material to produce a masterly case-study of how an operation is mounted and how it can go disastrously wrong. It is a classic, tragi-comic illustration of the fog of war.

“Marder’s analysis is neutral and objective; his research is exhaustive and its results instructive . . . This is an example of naval history at its best and this volume is strongly recommended.” —Warship World

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781848323926
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date:	01/31/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	882,246
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

ARTHUR J MARDER was a meticulous researcher, teacher and writer who, born in 1910, was to become perhaps the most distinguished historian of the modern Royal Navy. He held a number of teaching posts in American universities and was to receive countless honours, as well as publish some fifteen major works on British naval history. He died in 1980.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Calendar of Events xxiv

Part 1 The Story of 'Menace': A Study in the Fog of War

Chapter 1 'Menace' is Born

1 The Situation in July 1940 3

2 Genesis 10

Chapter 2 Commanders, Planners, and Planning

1 Commanders and Planners 27

2 Evolution of the Plan 32

Chapter 3 Problems: Intelligence, Security, Delays, and Doubts

1 Intelligence Failures 39

2 Security Leaks 46

3 Delays 50

4 Doubts 55

Chapter 4 The Odyssey of Force M: I

1 The Expedition Sails 59

2 The Saga of the French Cruisers 68

Chapter 5 Odyssey: II

1 Crisis in London 83

2 The Chase 92

3 On the Eve 98

Chapter 6 The First Day of (he Operation: Situation 'Sticky'

1 Prologue 104

2 The First Bombardment

3 Plan Charles

Chapter 7 The Second Day of the Operation: Situation 'Nasty'

1 The Two Bombardments 131

2 To Try or Not to Try Again? 137

Chapter 8 The Third Day of the Operation: Failure and Withdrawal

1 Abandonment of the Operation 143

2 To Freetown and Beyond 149

Chapter 9 Post-mortem and Repercussions

1 Results, Causes, Lessons 158

2 Repercussions 172

3 The Churchill Connection 185

Part 2 The Story of Dudley North: Was Justice Done?

Chapter 10 Genesis of the Affair

1 North's Removal 195

2 The Admiralty v. North: the Respective Cases 209

3 Responsibilities 219

Chapter 11 North's Campaign for Vindication (1945-57)

1 The Affair Simmers 226

2 The Affair Comes to a Boil 238

3 Vindication-of a Sort 246

Chapter 12 Reflections

1 Was Justice Done? 256

2 Was North Made a Scapegoat? 260

Index 265