Battle of Madagascar
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Madagascar was the Allied
campaign to capture Vichy-French
-controlled Madagascar
during World War II
. It began on 5 May 1942. Fighting did not cease until 6 November.
In the 1880s, the bay was coveted by France, which claimed it as a coaling station for steamships travelling to French possessions in the east; the colonisation was formalised after the first Franco-Hova War when Queen Ranavalona III signed a treaty on 17 December 1885 giving France a protectorate over the bay and surrounding territory, as well as the islands of Nossi-Be and St. Marie de Madagascar. The colony's administration was subsumed into that of Madagascar in 1897.
In 1941, Antsiranana town, the bay and the channel were well protected by naval shore batteries.
were moving freely throughout the north and eastern Indian Ocean
. In March 1942, Japanese aircraft carriers conducted the Indian Ocean raid
. This raid drove the British Eastern Fleet
out of the north-east Indian Ocean and the British were forced to relocate to a new base at Kilindini (at Mombasa
), in Kenya
.
The move laid the British fleet open to a new angle of attack: the possibility of Japanese naval forces using forward bases in Madagascar had to be addressed. The potential use of these facilities particularly threatened Allied merchant shipping, the supply route to the British Eighth Army and also the Eastern Fleet.
Japanese submarines had the longest ranges of any at the time — more than 10000 miles (16,093.4 km) in some cases. Were these submarines able to utilise bases on Madagascar, Allied lines of communications would be affected across a region stretching from the Pacific and Australia
, to the Middle East
and South Atlantic.
On 17 December 1941, Admiral Fricke, Chief of Staff OKM met Vice Admiral Nomura the Japanese Naval Attaché, in Berlin to discuss the delimitation of respective operational areas of the German and Japanese navies. At another meeting on 27 March 1942, Fricke stressed the importance of the Indian Ocean to the Axis powers and expressed the desire that the Japanese begin operations against the northern Indian Ocean sea routes. Fricke further emphasized that Ceylon, Seychelles and Madagascar should have a higher priority for the Axis navies than operations against Australia. By 8 April, the Japanese announced to Fricke that they intended to commit four or five submarines and two auxiliary cruisers for operations in the western Indian Ocean between Aden and the Cape, but they refused to disclose their plans for operations against Madagascar and Ceylon, only reiterating their commitment to operations in the area.
operation against Madagascar. Churchill recognised the risk of a Japanese-controlled Madagascar to Indian Ocean shipping, particularly the sea route to India and Ceylon, and considered the port of Diego Suarez as the strategic key to Japanese influence in the Indian Ocean. However, Churchill also made it clear to planners that he did not feel Britain had the resources to mount such an operation and that he did not wish to see a joint operation which would combine British and Free French forces (the failure of the Free French at the Battle of Dakar
prompted this point of view) in securing the island.
By 12 March, Churchill was convinced of the importance of such an operation and the decision was reached that the planning of the invasion of Madagascar would continue in earnest and that it would specifically exclude the Free French. As a preliminary battle outline, Churchill gave the following guidelines to the planners and the operation was designated as :
On 14 March, "Force 121" was constituted under command of Major-General R.G. Sturges R.M. with Read-Admiral E.N. Syfret being placed in command of Naval Force H and the supporting shipping.
on the South African east coast. Here they were joined by the 13th Brigade Group of the 5th Division – General Sturges' force consisting of three infantry brigades, while Admiral Syfret's squadron consisted of the flag battleship Ramilles, aircraft carriers Illustrious and Indomitable, the cruisers Devonshire and Hermione, eleven destroyers, six minesweepers, six corvettes and auxiliaries. It was a formidable force to bring against the 8,000 men (mostly Malagasy) at Diego Suarez, but the Chiefs of Staff were adamant that the operation was to succeed, preferably without any fighting. This was to be the first British amphibious assault since the disastrous landings in the Dardanelles twenty-seven years before.
During the assembly in Durban, Field-Marshal Smuts pointed out that the mere seizure of Diego Suarez would be no guarantee against continuing Japanese aggression and urged that the ports of Majunga and Tamatave be occupied as well. This was evaluated by the Chiefs of Staff, but it was decided to retain Diego Suarez as the only objective due to lack of manpower. Churchill remarked that the only way to permanently secure Madagascar was by means of a strong fleet and adequate air support operating from Ceylon and sent General Wavell (India Command) a note stating that as soon as the initial objectives had been met, all responsibility for safeguarding Madagascar would be passed on to Wavell. He added that when the Commandos were withdrawn, the garrison duties would be performed by two African brigades and one brigade from the Belgian Congo or west coast of Africa.
In March and April, the South African Air Force (SAAF) had conducted reconnaissance flights over Diego Suarez and No. 32, 36 and 37 Coastal Flights were withdrawn from maritime patrol operations and sent to Lindi
on the Indian Ocean coast of Tanzania, with an additional eleven Beauforts and six Marylands to provide close air support during the planned operations.
Allied commanders decided to launch an amphibious assault on Madagascar. The task was Operation Ironclad and executed by Force 121 comprising allied naval, land and air forces commanded by Major-General Robert Sturges
of the Royal Marines
. The British Army
landing force comprised 29th Independent Infantry Brigade Group
, No 5 (Army) Commando
and two brigades of the 5th Infantry Division
, the latter en-route to India with the remainder of their division. The Allied naval contingent consisted of over 50 vessels, drawn from Force H
, the British Home Fleet
and the British Eastern Fleet, commanded by Rear Admiral Edward Neville Syfret
. The fleet included HMS Illustrious
, her sister ship HMS Indomitable
and the aging battleship
HMS Ramillies
to cover the landings.
(SAAF), the first wave of the British 29th Infantry Brigade
and No. 5 Commando
landed in assault craft
on 5 May 1942, follow-up waves were by two brigades of the British 5th Infantry Division
and Royal Marines. All were carried ashore by landing craft
to Courrier Bay and Ambararata Bay, just west of the major port of Diego Suarez
(later known as Antsiranana), at the northern tip of Madagascar. A diversionary attack was staged to the east. Air cover was provided mainly by Fairey Albacore
s, Grumman Martlet
s and Fairey Swordfish
from the Fleet Air Arm
, which attacked Vichy shipping. A small number of SAAF planes assisted.
The defending Vichy forces, led by Governor General Armand Léon Annet
, included about 8,000 troops, of whom about 6,000 were Malagasy. A large proportion of the rest were Senegal
ese. Between 1,500 and 3,000 Vichy troops were concentrated around Diego Suarez. However, naval and air defences were relatively light and/or obsolete: eight coastal batteries
, two armed merchant cruisers, two sloop
s, five submarines, 17 Morane-Saulnier 406
fighters and 10 Potez 63 bombers.
Following fierce fighting, Diego Suarez was surrendered on 7 May, although substantial Vichy forces withdrew to the south.
The Japanese submarines I-10
, I-16 and I-20 arrived three weeks later on May 29. I-10s reconnaissance plane spotted HMS Ramillies at anchor in Diego Suarez harbor but the plane was spotted and Ramillies changed her berth. I-20 and I-16 launched two midget submarine
s, one of which managed to enter the harbor and fired two torpedoes while under depth charge
attack from two corvette
s. One torpedo seriously damaged Ramillies, while the second sank the 6,993 ton oil tanker
British Loyalty (later refloated). Ramillies was later repaired in Durban
and Plymouth
.
The crew of one of the submarines, Lieutenant Saburo Akieda and Petty Officer Masami Takemoto, beached their submarine (M-20b) at Nosy Antalikely and moved inland towards their pick-up point near Cape Amber. They were informed upon when they bought food at a village and both were killed in a firefight with Royal Marines
three days later. The second midget submarine was lost at sea and the body of one of its crew was found washed ashore a day later.
. On 22 June, the East Africa
n Brigade Group (King's African Rifles
) arrived on Madagascar. The South African 7th Motorized Brigade and the Rhodesian 27th Infantry Brigade
(including forces from East Africa
) were landed in the weeks following the arrival of the East Africans.
On 10 September the 29th Brigade and 22nd Brigade Group made an amphibious landing at Majunga, in the northwest, to re-launch Allied offensive operations ahead of the rainy season. Progress was slow for the Allied forces though. In addition to occasional small-scale clashes with enemy forces, they also encountered scores of obstacles erected on the main roads by Vichy soldiers. The Allies eventually captured the capital, Tananarive, without much opposition, and then the town of Ambalavao
. The last major action was at Andriamanalina on 18 October. Annet surrendered near Ilhosy, in the south of the island on 8 November.
The Allies suffered about 500 casualties in the landing at Diego Suarez, and 30 killed and 90 wounded in the operations which followed 10 September.
was appointed High Commissioner for Madagascar. French control of the island was not to last much longer though as, like many colonies, Madagascar sought its independence following the war. In 1947, the island experienced the Malagasy Uprising, a costly revolution that was crushed in 1948. It was not until 14 October 1958, about ten years later, that the Malagasy Republic
successfully proclaimed its independence from France
.
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
campaign to capture Vichy-French
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
-controlled Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It began on 5 May 1942. Fighting did not cease until 6 November.
Geo-political
Diego Suarez is a large bay and fine harbour on the northern tip of the island of Madagascar and has an opening to the east through a narrow channel called Oronjia Pass. The naval base of Antsirane, lies on a peninsula between two of the four small bays enclosed within the Diego Suarez bay. Diego Suarez Bay cuts deeply into the northern tip of Madagascar (Cape Amber), almost severing it from the rest of the island.In the 1880s, the bay was coveted by France, which claimed it as a coaling station for steamships travelling to French possessions in the east; the colonisation was formalised after the first Franco-Hova War when Queen Ranavalona III signed a treaty on 17 December 1885 giving France a protectorate over the bay and surrounding territory, as well as the islands of Nossi-Be and St. Marie de Madagascar. The colony's administration was subsumed into that of Madagascar in 1897.
In 1941, Antsiranana town, the bay and the channel were well protected by naval shore batteries.
Axis
Following their conquest of South East Asia (east of Burma by the end of February 1942), the Japanese high command was able to contemplate moves westward into the Indian Ocean. Submarines of the Imperial Japanese NavyImperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
were moving freely throughout the north and eastern Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. In March 1942, Japanese aircraft carriers conducted the Indian Ocean raid
Indian Ocean raid
The Indian Ocean raid was a naval sortie by the Fast Carrier Strike Force of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 31 March-10 April 1942 against Allied shipping and bases in the Indian Ocean. It was an early engagement of the Pacific campaign of World War II...
. This raid drove the British Eastern Fleet
British Eastern Fleet
The British Eastern Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy which existed from 1941 to 1971...
out of the north-east Indian Ocean and the British were forced to relocate to a new base at Kilindini (at Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
), in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
The move laid the British fleet open to a new angle of attack: the possibility of Japanese naval forces using forward bases in Madagascar had to be addressed. The potential use of these facilities particularly threatened Allied merchant shipping, the supply route to the British Eighth Army and also the Eastern Fleet.
Japanese submarines had the longest ranges of any at the time — more than 10000 miles (16,093.4 km) in some cases. Were these submarines able to utilise bases on Madagascar, Allied lines of communications would be affected across a region stretching from the Pacific and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and South Atlantic.
On 17 December 1941, Admiral Fricke, Chief of Staff OKM met Vice Admiral Nomura the Japanese Naval Attaché, in Berlin to discuss the delimitation of respective operational areas of the German and Japanese navies. At another meeting on 27 March 1942, Fricke stressed the importance of the Indian Ocean to the Axis powers and expressed the desire that the Japanese begin operations against the northern Indian Ocean sea routes. Fricke further emphasized that Ceylon, Seychelles and Madagascar should have a higher priority for the Axis navies than operations against Australia. By 8 April, the Japanese announced to Fricke that they intended to commit four or five submarines and two auxiliary cruisers for operations in the western Indian Ocean between Aden and the Cape, but they refused to disclose their plans for operations against Madagascar and Ceylon, only reiterating their commitment to operations in the area.
Allies
The Allies had heard the rumours of Japanese plans for the Indian Ocean and on 27 November 1941, the British Chiefs of Staff discussed the possibility that the Vichy government was preparing to either cede the whole of Madagascar to Japan, or to assign bases to the Japanese; Naval experts urged the occupation of the island as a precautionary measure. On 16 December, General de Gaulle in a letter to Churchill, also urged for a Free FrenchFree French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
operation against Madagascar. Churchill recognised the risk of a Japanese-controlled Madagascar to Indian Ocean shipping, particularly the sea route to India and Ceylon, and considered the port of Diego Suarez as the strategic key to Japanese influence in the Indian Ocean. However, Churchill also made it clear to planners that he did not feel Britain had the resources to mount such an operation and that he did not wish to see a joint operation which would combine British and Free French forces (the failure of the Free French at the Battle of Dakar
Battle of Dakar
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 , which was under Vichy French control, and to install the Free French under General Charles de Gaulle there.-Background:At...
prompted this point of view) in securing the island.
By 12 March, Churchill was convinced of the importance of such an operation and the decision was reached that the planning of the invasion of Madagascar would continue in earnest and that it would specifically exclude the Free French. As a preliminary battle outline, Churchill gave the following guidelines to the planners and the operation was designated as :
- Force H, the squadron guarding the Western Mediterranean should move south from Gibraltar and should be replaced by an American Task Force;
- The 4,000 men and ships proposed by Lord Mountbatten for the operation, should be retained as the nucleus around which the plan should be built;
- The operation should commence around 30 April 1942;
- In the event of success, the commandos recommended by Mountbatten should be replaced by Garrison Troops as soon as possible.
On 14 March, "Force 121" was constituted under command of Major-General R.G. Sturges R.M. with Read-Admiral E.N. Syfret being placed in command of Naval Force H and the supporting shipping.
Allied preparations
Force 121 left England on 23 March and joined up with Admiral Syfret's ships at Freetown, proceeding from there in two convoys to their assembly point at DurbanDurban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
on the South African east coast. Here they were joined by the 13th Brigade Group of the 5th Division – General Sturges' force consisting of three infantry brigades, while Admiral Syfret's squadron consisted of the flag battleship Ramilles, aircraft carriers Illustrious and Indomitable, the cruisers Devonshire and Hermione, eleven destroyers, six minesweepers, six corvettes and auxiliaries. It was a formidable force to bring against the 8,000 men (mostly Malagasy) at Diego Suarez, but the Chiefs of Staff were adamant that the operation was to succeed, preferably without any fighting. This was to be the first British amphibious assault since the disastrous landings in the Dardanelles twenty-seven years before.
During the assembly in Durban, Field-Marshal Smuts pointed out that the mere seizure of Diego Suarez would be no guarantee against continuing Japanese aggression and urged that the ports of Majunga and Tamatave be occupied as well. This was evaluated by the Chiefs of Staff, but it was decided to retain Diego Suarez as the only objective due to lack of manpower. Churchill remarked that the only way to permanently secure Madagascar was by means of a strong fleet and adequate air support operating from Ceylon and sent General Wavell (India Command) a note stating that as soon as the initial objectives had been met, all responsibility for safeguarding Madagascar would be passed on to Wavell. He added that when the Commandos were withdrawn, the garrison duties would be performed by two African brigades and one brigade from the Belgian Congo or west coast of Africa.
In March and April, the South African Air Force (SAAF) had conducted reconnaissance flights over Diego Suarez and No. 32, 36 and 37 Coastal Flights were withdrawn from maritime patrol operations and sent to Lindi
Lindi
Lindi is a coastal town located at the far end of the Lindi Bay, on the Indian Ocean in southeastern Tanzania. The town is 450 kilometers south of Dar es Salaam and 105 kilometers north of Mtwara, the southernmost coastal town in Tanzania, and gives its name to the surrounding Lindi Region, one...
on the Indian Ocean coast of Tanzania, with an additional eleven Beauforts and six Marylands to provide close air support during the planned operations.
Operation Ironclad
Allied commanders decided to launch an amphibious assault on Madagascar. The task was Operation Ironclad and executed by Force 121 comprising allied naval, land and air forces commanded by Major-General Robert Sturges
Robert Sturges
Lieutenant General Sir Robert Grice Sturges KBE, CB, DSO was an officer in the Royal Marines.In World War I, Sturges fought in the Gallipoli Campaign and the Battle of Jutland....
of the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
. The British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
landing force comprised 29th Independent Infantry Brigade Group
British 29th Infantry Brigade
The 29th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade unit of the British Army. It was originally raised in 1914 and saw service during the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War.-First World War:...
, No 5 (Army) Commando
No. 5 Commando
No. 5 Commando was a battalion-sized commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War.Formed in July 1940, the unit took part in a couple of small-scale raids in France in 1941 and contributed some personnel to Operation Chariot before taking part in the landings on Madagascar in 1942...
and two brigades of the 5th Infantry Division
British 5th Infantry Division
The 5th Infantry Division is a regular army division of the British Army. It was established by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington for service in the Peninsula War, as part of the Anglo-Portuguese Army, and has been active for most of the period since, including the First World War and the...
, the latter en-route to India with the remainder of their division. The Allied naval contingent consisted of over 50 vessels, drawn from Force H
Force H
Force H was a British naval formation during the Second World War. It was formed in 1940 to replace French naval power in the western Mediterranean that had been removed by the French armistice with Nazi Germany....
, the British Home Fleet
British Home Fleet
The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy which operated in the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967.-Pre–First World War:...
and the British Eastern Fleet, commanded by Rear Admiral Edward Neville Syfret
Edward Neville Syfret
Admiral Sir Edward Neville Syfret GCB, KBE was a British naval officer who served with the Royal Navy in World War I and World War II. He was knighted for his part in Operation Pedestal, the critical Malta convoy...
. The fleet included HMS Illustrious
HMS Illustrious (R87)
HMS Illustrious , the fourth Illustrious of the British Royal Navy, was an aircraft carrier which saw service in World War II, the lead ship of the Illustrious-class of carriers which also included Victorious, Formidable, and Indomitable.-Construction:Illustrious was built by Vickers-Armstrongs at...
, her sister ship HMS Indomitable
HMS Indomitable (R92)
HMS Indomitable was a modified Illustrious class aircraft carrier of the British Royal Navy. The Illustrious class came about due to the 1937 Naval Programme...
and the aging battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
HMS Ramillies
HMS Ramillies (07)
HMS Ramillies was a Revenge-class battleship of the Royal Navy, named after the Battle of Ramillies. The ship is notable for having served in both the First and Second World Wars...
to cover the landings.
The landings
Following many reconnaissance missions by the South African Air ForceSouth African Air Force
The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
(SAAF), the first wave of the British 29th Infantry Brigade
British 29th Infantry Brigade
The 29th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade unit of the British Army. It was originally raised in 1914 and saw service during the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War.-First World War:...
and No. 5 Commando
No. 5 Commando
No. 5 Commando was a battalion-sized commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War.Formed in July 1940, the unit took part in a couple of small-scale raids in France in 1941 and contributed some personnel to Operation Chariot before taking part in the landings on Madagascar in 1942...
landed in assault craft
Landing Craft Assault
The Landing Craft Assault was a British landing craft used extensively in World War II. Its primary purpose was to ferry troops from transport ships to attack enemy-held shores. The craft derived from a prototype designed by John I. Thornycroft Ltd. During the war it was manufactured throughout...
on 5 May 1942, follow-up waves were by two brigades of the British 5th Infantry Division
British 5th Infantry Division
The 5th Infantry Division is a regular army division of the British Army. It was established by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington for service in the Peninsula War, as part of the Anglo-Portuguese Army, and has been active for most of the period since, including the First World War and the...
and Royal Marines. All were carried ashore by landing craft
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
to Courrier Bay and Ambararata Bay, just west of the major port of Diego Suarez
Antsiranana
Antsiranana , named Diego-Suarez prior to 1975, is a city at the northern tip of Madagascar.Antsiranana is the capital of Diana Region.-Transports:...
(later known as Antsiranana), at the northern tip of Madagascar. A diversionary attack was staged to the east. Air cover was provided mainly by Fairey Albacore
Fairey Albacore
The Fairey Albacore was a British single-engine carrier-borne biplane torpedo bomber built by Fairey Aviation between 1939 and 1943 for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and used during the Second World War. It had a three-man crew and was designed for spotting and reconnaissance as well as delivering...
s, Grumman Martlet
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
s and Fairey Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
from the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
, which attacked Vichy shipping. A small number of SAAF planes assisted.
Armand Léon Annet
Armand Léon Annet was a Governor for various colonies in French Colonial Empire.- Life :Annet was born in Paris....
, included about 8,000 troops, of whom about 6,000 were Malagasy. A large proportion of the rest were Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
ese. Between 1,500 and 3,000 Vichy troops were concentrated around Diego Suarez. However, naval and air defences were relatively light and/or obsolete: eight coastal batteries
Coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
, two armed merchant cruisers, two sloop
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
s, five submarines, 17 Morane-Saulnier 406
Morane-Saulnier M.S.406
The M.S.406 was a French Armée de l'Air fighter aircraft built by Morane-Saulnier starting in 1938. Numerically it was France's most important fighter during the opening stages of World War II....
fighters and 10 Potez 63 bombers.
Following fierce fighting, Diego Suarez was surrendered on 7 May, although substantial Vichy forces withdrew to the south.
The Japanese submarines I-10
Japanese submarine I-10
IJN I-10 was a Japanese long-range fleet submarine of Type A1 which saw service in World War II.I-10 conducted long-range operations in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, using her seaplane to carry out reconnaissance on the harbours of Durban and Port Elizabeth and other locales, including...
, I-16 and I-20 arrived three weeks later on May 29. I-10s reconnaissance plane spotted HMS Ramillies at anchor in Diego Suarez harbor but the plane was spotted and Ramillies changed her berth. I-20 and I-16 launched two midget submarine
Midget submarine
A midget submarine is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to 6 or 8, with little or no on-board living accommodation...
s, one of which managed to enter the harbor and fired two torpedoes while under depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
attack from two corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
s. One torpedo seriously damaged Ramillies, while the second sank the 6,993 ton oil tanker
Oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
British Loyalty (later refloated). Ramillies was later repaired in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
and Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
.
The crew of one of the submarines, Lieutenant Saburo Akieda and Petty Officer Masami Takemoto, beached their submarine (M-20b) at Nosy Antalikely and moved inland towards their pick-up point near Cape Amber. They were informed upon when they bought food at a village and both were killed in a firefight with Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
three days later. The second midget submarine was lost at sea and the body of one of its crew was found washed ashore a day later.
The land campaign
Hostilities continued at a low level for several months. During the summer of 1942, the two brigades of the British 5th Infantry Division were transferred to IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. On 22 June, the East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
n Brigade Group (King's African Rifles
King's African Rifles
The King's African Rifles was a multi-battalion British colonial regiment raised from the various British possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s. It performed both military and internal security functions within the East African colonies as well as external service as...
) arrived on Madagascar. The South African 7th Motorized Brigade and the Rhodesian 27th Infantry Brigade
Rhodesian Army
The Rhodesian Security Forces consisted of the Rhodesian Army, Royal Rhodesian Air Force, British South Africa Police, Rhodesian Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Guard Force.- Rhodesian Army :...
(including forces from East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
) were landed in the weeks following the arrival of the East Africans.
Ambalavao
Ambalavao is a city in Madagascar.Ambalavao is in the Haute Matsiatra region.The city is in the most southern part of the Central Highlands, near the city of Fianarantsoa....
. The last major action was at Andriamanalina on 18 October. Annet surrendered near Ilhosy, in the south of the island on 8 November.
The Allies suffered about 500 casualties in the landing at Diego Suarez, and 30 killed and 90 wounded in the operations which followed 10 September.
Aftermath
Free French General Paul LegentilhommePaul Legentilhomme
Paul Legentilhomme was an officer in the French Army during World War I and World War II. After the fall of France in 1940, he joined the forces of the Free French...
was appointed High Commissioner for Madagascar. French control of the island was not to last much longer though as, like many colonies, Madagascar sought its independence following the war. In 1947, the island experienced the Malagasy Uprising, a costly revolution that was crushed in 1948. It was not until 14 October 1958, about ten years later, that the Malagasy Republic
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
successfully proclaimed its independence from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Allied Forces
| Naval Forces | |||||
| Battleships | HMS Ramillies HMS Ramillies (07) HMS Ramillies was a Revenge-class battleship of the Royal Navy, named after the Battle of Ramillies. The ship is notable for having served in both the First and Second World Wars... |
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| Aircraft Carriers | HMS Illustrious HMS Illustrious (R87) HMS Illustrious , the fourth Illustrious of the British Royal Navy, was an aircraft carrier which saw service in World War II, the lead ship of the Illustrious-class of carriers which also included Victorious, Formidable, and Indomitable.-Construction:Illustrious was built by Vickers-Armstrongs at... |
HMS Indomitable HMS Indomitable (R92) HMS Indomitable was a modified Illustrious class aircraft carrier of the British Royal Navy. The Illustrious class came about due to the 1937 Naval Programme... |
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| Cruisers | HMS Hermione HMS Hermione (74) HMS Hermione was a Dido class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, She was built by Alexander Stephen and Sons, , with the keel being laid down on 6 October 1937. She was launched on 18 May 1939, and commissioned 25 March 1941.... |
HMS Devonshire HMS Devonshire (39) HMS Devonshire was a County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was part of the London subgroup of the County class, and saw service in the Second World War.-Early career:... |
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| Destroyers | HMS Active HMS Active (H14) HMS Active, the tenth Active , launched in 1929, was an A class destroyer. She served in World War II, taking part in the sinking of four submarines. She was broken up in 1947.... |
HMS Anthony HMS Anthony (H40) HMS Anthony was an A-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War.-Construction and commissioning:Anthony was ordered from Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Greenock, Scotland on 6 March 1928 under the 1927 Programme... |
HMS Duncan HMS Duncan (D99) HMS Duncan was a D-class destroyer leader built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s. The ship was initially assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet before she was transferred to the China Station in early 1935 where she remained until mid-1939. Duncan returned to the Mediterranean Fleet just after... |
HMS Inconstant HMS Inconstant (H49) HMS Inconstant was an I-class destroyer laid down as TCG Muavenet for the Turkish Navy by Vickers Armstrong Naval Construction Works at Barrow-in-Furness on 24 May 1939, purchased in September 1939 by the Royal Navy, launched on 24 February 1941 and commissioned on 24 January 1942.Inconstant... |
HMS Javelin HMS Javelin (F61) HMS Javelin was a J-class destroyer of the Royal Navy laid down by John Brown and Company, Limited, at Clydebank in Scotland on 11 October 1937, launched on 21 December 1938, and commissioned on 10 June 1939.... |
| HMS Laforey HMS Laforey (G99) HMS Laforey was a L class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was commissioned in and served during the Second World War, and was torpedoed and sunk by a U-boat in 1944... |
HMS Lightning HMS Lightning (G55) HMS Lightning was an L-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 22 April 1940 and sunk on 12 March 1943 by German Motor Torpedo Boat S-55.... |
HMS Lookout | HMS Nizam HMAS Nizam (G38) HMAS Nizam was an N class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy . The destroyer, named after Sir Osman Ali Khan, The Last Nizam of Hyderabad, was commissioned into the RAN in 1940, although the ship remained the property of the Royal Navy for her entire career.Nizam spent the early part of her... |
HMS Norman HMAS Norman (G49) HMAS Norman was an N class operated by the Royal Australian Navy during World War II. Entering service in 1941, the ship was on loan from the Royal Navy.... |
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| HMS Pakenham | HMS Paladin HMS Paladin (G69) HMS Paladin was a P-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during the Second World War. She was built by John Brown and Co. Ltd., Clydebank... |
HMS Panther HMS Panther (G41) HMS Panther was a P class destroyer of the Royal Navy laid down on 5 March 1940 by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company and launched on 28 May of the following year... |
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| Corvettes: | HMS Freesia | HMS Auricula | HMS Nigella | HMS Fritillary | HMS Genista HMS Genista Two vessels of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Genista, after the flower: was an Arabis-class minesweeping sloop built by Napier & Miller and launched on 26 February 1916. Sunk by German submarine U-57 in the Atlantic on 23 October 1916.. was a Flower-class corvette launched at Harland & Wolff... |
| HMS Cyclamen | HMS Thyme | HMS Jasmine | |||
| Minesweepers: | HMS Cromer HMS Cromer (J128) HMS Cromer was a Bangor class minesweeper commissioned by the Royal Navy in 1941. She was named after the North Norfolk seaside town of the same name.... |
HMS Poole Alexander Stephen and Sons Alexander Stephen and Sons Limited, often referred to simply as Alex Stephens or just Stephens, was a Scottish shipbuilding company based in Linthouse, Govan in Glasgow, on the River Clyde.-History:... |
HMS Romney Bangor class minesweeper The Bangor-class minesweepers were a class of minesweepers operated by the Royal Navy , Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Indian Navy during World War II.... |
HMS Cromarty Bangor class minesweeper The Bangor-class minesweepers were a class of minesweepers operated by the Royal Navy , Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Indian Navy during World War II.... |
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| Assault transports: | HMS Winchester Castle | HMS Royal Ulsterman | HMS Keren | HMS Karanja | MS Sobieski MS Sobieski M/S Sobieski was a Polish passenger ship built for the Polish Ocena Lines to replace the aging and ; a sister ship to the MS Chrobry. She was named in honour of the Polish king Jan III Sobieski.... (Polish) |
| Special ships: | HMS Derwentdale Landing Craft Assault The Landing Craft Assault was a British landing craft used extensively in World War II. Its primary purpose was to ferry troops from transport ships to attack enemy-held shores. The craft derived from a prototype designed by John I. Thornycroft Ltd. During the war it was manufactured throughout... (LCA) |
HMS Bachaquero (LST) | |||
| Troop ships: | SS Oronsay SS Oronsay (1925) For other ships called SS Oronsay, see OronsaySS Oronsay was an ocean liner built for the Orient Steam Navigation Company. Her maiden voyage started on 7 February 1925 from London to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. She continued on this route until the outbreak of World War II... |
SS Duchess of Atholl | SS Franconia | ||
| Stores and MT ships: | SS Empire Kingsley | M/S Thalatta | SS Mahout | SS City of Hong Kong | SS Mairnbank |
| SS Martand II | |||||
| Ground Forces | |||
| 29th Infantry Brigade (independent) | Amphibious landing near Diego Suarez on 5 May 1942: | 2nd South Lancashire Regiment | 2nd East Lancashire Regiment |
| 1st Royal Scots Fusiliers | 2nd Royal Welch Fusiliers | ||
| 455th Light Battery (Royal Artillery) | MG company | ||
| Commandos | Amphibious landing near Diego Suarez on 5 May 1942. | No. 5 Commando | |
| British 17th Infantry Brigade Group (of 5th Division): | Landed near Diego Suarez as second wave on 5 May 1942: | 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers | 2nd Northamptonshire Regiment |
| 6th Seaforth Highlanders | 9th Field Regiment (Royal Artillery) | ||
| British 13th Infantry Brigade (of 5th Division): | Landed near Diego Suarez as third wave on 6 May 1942: | 2nd Cameronians | 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers |
| 2nd Wiltshire Regiment | |||
| East African Brigade Group | Arrived 22 June to replace 13 and 17 Brigades | ||
| South African 7th Motorised Brigade | |||
| Rhodesian 27th Infantry Brigade Rhodesian Army The Rhodesian Security Forces consisted of the Rhodesian Army, Royal Rhodesian Air Force, British South Africa Police, Rhodesian Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Guard Force.- Rhodesian Army :... |
Arrived 8 August 1942; departed 29 June 1944 | 2nd Northern Rhodesia Regiment | 3rd Northern Rhodesia Regiment |
| 4th Northern Rhodesia Regiment | 55th (Tanganyika) Light Battery | ||
| 57th (East African) Field Battery | |||
| Air Forces | ||
| Aboard HMS Illustrious | 881 Squadron | 12 Grumman Martlett III's |
| 882 Squadron | 8 Grumman Martlett's, 1 Fairey Fulmar Fairey Fulmar The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne fighter aircraft that served with the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. A total of 600 were built by Fairey Aviation at its Stockport factory between January 1940 and December 1942... |
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| 810 Squadron | 10 Fairey Swordfish Fairey Swordfish The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War... |
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| 829 Squadron | 10 Fairey Swordfish Fairey Swordfish The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War... |
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| Aboard HMS Indomitable | 800 Squadron | 8 Fairey Fulmar Fairey Fulmar The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne fighter aircraft that served with the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. A total of 600 were built by Fairey Aviation at its Stockport factory between January 1940 and December 1942... |
| 806 Squadron | 4 Fairey Fulmar Fairey Fulmar The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne fighter aircraft that served with the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. A total of 600 were built by Fairey Aviation at its Stockport factory between January 1940 and December 1942... |
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| 880 Squadron | 6 Hawker Sea Hurricane | |
| 827 Squadron | 12 Fairey Albacore Fairey Albacore The Fairey Albacore was a British single-engine carrier-borne biplane torpedo bomber built by Fairey Aviation between 1939 and 1943 for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and used during the Second World War. It had a three-man crew and was designed for spotting and reconnaissance as well as delivering... |
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| 831 Squadron | 12 Fairey Albacore Fairey Albacore The Fairey Albacore was a British single-engine carrier-borne biplane torpedo bomber built by Fairey Aviation between 1939 and 1943 for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and used during the Second World War. It had a three-man crew and was designed for spotting and reconnaissance as well as delivering... |
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Vichy France
| Naval Forces | |||||
| Merchant Cruisers | Bougainville 2 | XXXX | |||
| Sloops | D'entrecasteaux | XXXX | |||
| Submarines | Béveziers | Héros | Monge | xxxx | xxxx |
Land Forces
The following order of battle represents the Malagasy and Vichy French forces on the island directly after the initial landings.West Coast
- 2 platoons of reservists and volunteers at Nossi-Bé
- 2 companies of the Régiment Mixte Malgache (RMM - Mixed Madagascar Regiment) at Ambanja
- 1 battalion of the 1er RMM at Majunga
East Coast
- 1 battalion of the 1er RMM at Tamatave
- 1 artillery section (65mm) at Tamatave
- 1 company of the 1er RMM at Brickaville
Centre of the island
- 3 battalions of the 1er RMM at Tananarive
- 1 motorised reconnaissance detachment at Tananarive
- Emyrne battery at Tananarive
- 1 artillery section (65mm) at Tananarive
- 1 engineer company at Tananarive
- 1 company of the 1er RMM at Mevatanana
- 1 company of the BTM at Fianarantsoa
- South of the island
Naval Forces
- Submarines I-10Japanese submarine I-10IJN I-10 was a Japanese long-range fleet submarine of Type A1 which saw service in World War II.I-10 conducted long-range operations in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, using her seaplane to carry out reconnaissance on the harbours of Durban and Port Elizabeth and other locales, including...
(with reconnaissance aircraft), I-16, I-18 (damaged by heavy seas and arrived late), I-20 - Midget submarines M-16b, M-20b