The French Navy 1939-1942.. The National Navy in World War II

An authoritative and illustrated analysis of the official French Navy during World War II, under the command of the Third Republic and the Vichy government. At the outbreak of World War II, the French National Navy was the most powerful navy in continental Europe, united in its goal of defending the homeland and the colonial empire. It was a product of France's unique naval doctrine and weapons development in the 1920s and 1930s, as a continental power with global interests. The fall of France shattered this unity, with the fleet divided between loyalty to the Vichy government and Free France. In this book, Hughes Canuel provides a meticulous and focused operational study of the official French Navy during World War II, from its involvement alongside its British allies in 1939-1940 through to the tragic end of the Vichy fleet in the port of Toulon in 1942. Drawing on a wealth of French, British and American archival material, and drawing on years of research conducted by the author, the book explores French warships, their capabilities, and the roles in which the fleet was built. For its performance, and the battles it fought - including operations off the coast of Norway, confronting the German invaders in the Atlantic, operations in Indochina, and the battle with the Allies in Operation Torch. Backed by rare photographs, stunning battle scenes, 3D diagrams of battles and fleet formations, and a map of France's naval responsibilities, this book is an essential guide to one of the least known major naval forces of World War II.