[From Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_French_Forces]
Free French Forces
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Free French Forces (French: Forces Françaises Libres aka FFL) were French fighters in World War II, who decided to continue fighting against Axis forces after the surrender of France and German occupation, following the call of General De Gaulle, and the de jure government ("Free French Government") of France in exile as of June 18, 1940.
[edit] History
[edit] Prelude
General Charles de Gaulle was a member of the French cabinet during the Battle of France, in 1940.
As French defence forces were increasingly overwhelmed, De Gaulle found
himself part of a small group of politicians who argued against a
negotiated surrender to Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. These views being shared by the President of the Council, Paul Reynaud, De Gaulle was sent as an emissary to the United Kingdom, where he was when the French government collapsed.
On 16 June, the new French President of the Council, Philippe Pétain, began negotiations with Axis officials. On 18 June, De Gaulle spoke to the French people via BBC radio. He asked French soldiers, sailors and airmen to join in the fight against the Nazis. In France, De Gaulle's "Appeal of June the 18th" (Appel du 18 juin)
was not widely heard, but subsequent discourse by De Gaulle could be
heard nationwide. Some of the British Cabinet had attempted to block
the speech, but were over-ruled by Winston Churchill. To this day, the Appeal of 18 June remains one of the most famous speeches in French history. Nevertheless, on 22 June, Pétain signed the surrender and became leader of the puppet regime known as Vichy France. (Vichy is the French town where the government was based.)
De Gaulle was tried in absentia in Vichy France and sentenced
to death for treason; he, on the other hand, regarded himself as the
last remaining member of the legitimate Reynaud government able to
exercise power, seeing the rise to power of Pétain as an
unconstitutional coup.
[edit] Cross of Lorraine
The capitaine de corvette Thierry d'Argenlieu suggested the adoption of the Cross of Lorraine as symbol of the Free French, both to recall the perseverance of Joan of Arc, whose symbol it had been, and as an answer to the Nazi cross.
In his general order n° 2 of 3 July 1940, Vice Admiral Émile Muselier,
two days after assuming the post of chief of the naval and air forces
of the Free French, created the bow flag displaying the French colours
with a red cross of Lorraine, and a cocarde also featuring the cross of Lorraine.
Despite repeated broadcasts, by the end of July that year, only
7,000 people had volunteered to join the Free French forces. The Free
French Navy had fifty ships and some 3,700 men operating as an
auxiliary force to the British Royal Navy.
A monument on Lyle Hill in Greenock in western Scotland,
in the shape of the Cross of Lorraine combined with an anchor, was
raised by subscription as a memorial to the Free French naval vessels
which sailed from the Firth of Clyde to take part in the Battle of the Atlantic, and is also locally associated with the memory of the loss of the Maillé Brézé which blew up at the Tail of the Bank.
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The Free French memorial on Lyle Hill, Greenock, overlooks Gourock.
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Free French Naval Ensign and French Naval Honour Jack
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Free French Forces adrian helmet with the Cross of Lorraine replacing the 1939-1940 French Republic "RF" emblem.
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[edit] Mers El Kébir and the war in Africa
In German and Italian hands, the French fleet would have been a
grave threat to Britain and the British Government was unable to take
this risk. In order to neutralise the threat, Winston Churchill
ordered that the French ships should rejoin the Allies, agree to be put
out of use in a British, French or neutral port or, as a last resort,
be destroyed by British attack (Operation Catapult). The Royal Navy attempted to persuade the French Navy to agree to these terms, but when that failed they attacked the French Navy at Mers El Kébir and Dakar (see [1]), on 3 July 1940.
This caused bitterness and division in France, particularly in the
Navy, and discouraged many French soldiers from joining the Free French
forces in Britain and elsewhere. Also, the attempt to persuade Vichy
French forces in Dakar to join De Gaulle failed. (See West African campaign and Operation Menace).
Some French warships, however, did remain on the Allied side and
others re-joined later, after the Axis occupation of Vichy France
codenamed Case Anton.
Those ships flew a separate flag, which continues as a mark of honour
for those ships that continue a name used by a Free french ship.
In the autumn of 1940, the French colonies of Cameroon, Chad, Moyen-Congo (Middle Congo), Oubangui-Chari and French Equatorial Africa
joined the Free French side. With the addition of French African
colonies came a large number of African soldiers. French colonies in New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and the New Hebrides joined later. The Polynesian colonies would become vital for supply lines for the war in the Pacific. French Indochina remained under Vichy control (mostly symbolic, as Japan supervised), while Guadeloupe and Martinique in the West Indies, as well as French Guiana, joined Free France in 1943.
In September 1941, De Gaulle created the Comité National Français (CNF; French National Committee), the Free French government-in-exile. On November 24 that year, the United States granted Lend-Lease support to the CNF.
Free French soldiers participated in the Allied North African campaign, in Libya and Egypt. General Marie Pierre Koenig and his unit, the 1st Free French Brigade, fought well against the Afrika Korps at the Battle of Bir Hakeim in June 1942, although eventually obliged to withdraw. From Chad, Colonel (later General) Philippe Leclerc led a column of 16,500 colonial troops to attack Italian forces.
During Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of Vichy-controlled French North Africa
in November 1942, many Vichy troops surrendered and joined the Free
French cause. Vichy coastal defences were captured by the French
Resistance. Vichy General Henri Giraud
rejoined the Allies, but he lacked the authority that was required and
De Gaulle kept his leadership of the Free French, despite American
objections.
Battleship Richelieu, the pride of the Free French Naval Forces.
The Nazis suspected Vichy determination after Torch and they occupied Vichy France in November 1942 (Case Anton). In response, the 60,000-strong Vichy forces in French North Africa—the Army of Africa—joined the Allied side as the French 19th Corps. They fought in Tunisia alongside the British 1st Army and the US VII Corps
for six months until April, 1943. Using antiquated equipment, they took
heavy casualties—16,000—against modern armour and a desperate German
enemy.
Free French forces also fought Italian troops in Ethiopia and Eritrea and faced French troops loyal to Vichy France in Syria and Lebanon. (See Syria-Lebanon campaign.)
In November 1943 the French forces received enough military
equipment through Lend-Lease to re-equip eight divisions and allow the
return of borrowed British equipment. At this point, the Free French
and ex-Vichy French Corps were merged.
[edit] The air war
There were sufficient Free French pilots, mainly from African
colonial bases, to man several squadrons based in Britain and North
Africa. They were initially equipped with a mixture of British, French
and American aircraft. They had mixed success at first, and French
army-air cooperation was often poor: see Armée de l'Air (Part II: Fighting for Free France, 1940-1945) for details.
At De Gaulle's initiative, the Groupe de Chasse 3 Normandie was formed on September 1, 1942, for service on the Eastern Front. It served with distinction and was awarded the supplementary title Niemen by Stalin.
[edit] The Forces Françaises Combattantes and National Council of the Resistance
The French Resistance
gradually grew in strength. Charles De Gaulle set a plan to bring
together the different groups under his leadership. He changed the name
of his movement to Forces Françaises Combattantes (Fighting French Forces) and sent Jean Moulin back to France to unite the eight major French Resistance groups into one organisation. Moulin got their agreement to form the Conseil National de la Résistance (National Council of the Resistance). He was eventually captured, and died under brutal torture.
[edit] Liberation of France
During the Italian campaign of 1943, 100,000 Free French soldiers fought on the Allied side. By the time of the Normandy Invasion,
the Free French forces numbered more than 400,000 strong. The Free
French 2nd Armoured Division, under General Leclerc, landed at Normandy and eventually led the drive towards Paris. The Free French 1st Army, under General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, joined the Allied invasion of southern France, and liberated the Vosges and southern Alsace.
Fearing the Germans would destroy Paris if attacked by a frontal assault, General Dwight Eisenhower
ordered his forces to cease their advance and reconnoitre the
situation. At this time, Parisians rose up in full-scale revolt. As the
Allied forces waited near Paris, General Eisenhower acceded to pressure
from de Gaulle and his Free French Forces, who, furious about the delay
and unwilling to allow the revolters to be slaughtered, as happened in
the Polish capital of Warsaw during the Warsaw Uprising, had threatened to attack single-handedly. General Eisenhower thus granted them the honour of spearheading the Allied assault, liberating the capital city.
[edit] End of the war
By September 1944 the Free French forces stood at 560,000, which rose to 1 million by the end of 1944, and were fighting in Alsace, the Alps and Brittany. By the end of the war in Europe (May 1945), the Free French forces comprised 1,250,000, including seven infantry and three armoured divisions fighting in Germany.
[edit] Notable Free French
(More cited on French Resistance)
[edit] External links
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See also:
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWfreefrench.htm
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Free French Forces
On this page:
Free French Forces
Discounts and Information about Military Relocation and PCS Moves
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Free French Forces
The Free French Forces (French: Forces Françaises Libres) were
French fighters in World War II, who decided to continue
fighting against Axis forces after the surrender of France and German occupation, following the call of General De Gaulle, and the de jure government ("Free French
Government") of France in exile as of June 18, 1940.
History
Prelude
General Charles de Gaulle was a member of the French cabinet during the Battle of France, in 1940. As French defence forces were increasingly overwhelmed, De Gaulle found himself part of a small group of
politicians who argued against a negotiated surrender to Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. These views being shared by the President of the Council, Paul Reynaud, De Gaulle was sent as an emissary to the United
Kingdom, where he was when the French government collapsed.
On 16 June, the new French President of the Council, Philippe Pétain, began negotiations with Axis officials. On
18 June, De Gaulle spoke to the French people via BBC radio. He
asked French soldiers, sailors and airmen to join in the fight against the Nazis. In France, De
Gaulle's "Appeal of June the 18th" (Appel du 18 juin) was not widely heard, but
subsequent discourse by De Gaulle could be heard nationwide. Some of the British Cabinet had attempted to block the speech, but
were over-ruled by Winston Churchill. To this day, the Appeal of 18 June remains one of the most famous speeches in French history. Nevertheless, on 22
June, Pétain signed the surrender and became leader of the puppet regime known as Vichy
France. (Vichy is the French town where the government was based.)
De Gaulle was tried in absentia in Vichy France and sentenced to death for treason; he, on the other hand, regarded
himself as the last remaining member of the legitimate Reynaud government able to exercise power, seeing the rise to power of
Pétain as an unconstitutional coup.
Cross of Lorraine
The capitaine de corvette Thierry d'Argenlieu suggested the adoption of the Cross
of Lorraine as symbol of the Free French, both to recall the perseverance of Joan of
Arc, whose symbol it had been, and as an answer to the Nazi cross.
In his general order n° 2 of 3 July 1940, Vice Admiral
Émile Muselier, two days after assuming the post of chief of the naval and air forces of
the Free French, created the bow flag displaying the French colours with a red cross of Lorraine, and a cocarde also featuring the cross of Lorraine.
The Free French memorial on Lyle Hill, Greenock, overlooks Gourock.
Despite repeated broadcasts, by the end of July that year, only 7,000 people had volunteered to join the Free French forces.
The Free French Navy had fifty ships and some 3,700 men operating as an auxiliary
force to the British Royal Navy.
A monument on Lyle Hill in Greenock in western Scotland,
in the shape of the Cross of Lorraine combined with an anchor, was raised by subscription as a memorial to the Free French naval
vessels which sailed from the Firth of Clyde to take part in the Battle of the Atlantic, and is also
locally associated with the memory of the loss of the Maillé Brézé which blew up at the Tail of the Bank.
Mers El Kébir and the war in Africa
In German and Italian hands, the French fleet would have been a grave threat to Britain and the British Government was unable
to take this risk. In order to neutralise the threat, Winston Churchill ordered that
the French ships should rejoin the Allies, agree to be put out of use in a British, French or neutral port or, as a last resort,
be destroyed by British attack (Operation Catapult).
The Royal Navy attempted to persuade the French Navy to agree to these terms, but when that
failed they attacked the French Navy at Mers El Kébir and Dakar (see [1]), on 3 July 1940.
This caused bitterness and
division in France, particularly in the Navy, and discouraged many
French soldiers from joining the Free French forces in Britain
and elsewhere. Also, the attempt to persuade Vichy French forces in
Dakar to join De Gaulle failed. (See West African campaign and Operation
Menace).
Free French Naval Ensign and French Naval Honour Jack
Some French warships, however, did remain on the Allied side and others re-joined later, after the Axis occupation of Vichy
France codenamed Case Anton. Those ships flew a separate flag, which continues as a mark of
honour for those ships that continue a name used by a Free french ship.
In the autumn of 1940, the French colonies of Cameroon, Chad,
Moyen-Congo (Middle Congo), Oubangui-Chari
and French Equatorial Africa joined the Free French side. With the addition of
French African colonies came a large number of African soldiers. French colonies in New
Caledonia, French Polynesia, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and the New Hebrides joined
later. The Polynesian colonies would become vital for supply lines for the war in the Pacific. French Indochina remained under Vichy control (mostly symbolic, as Japan supervised), while
Guadeloupe and Martinique in the West Indies, as well as French Guiana, joined Free France in 1943.
In September 1941, De Gaulle created the Comité National Français (CNF; French National Committee), the Free French government-in-exile. On November
24 that year, the United States granted Lend-Lease support to the CNF.
Free French soldiers participated in the Allied North African campaign, in Libya and Egypt. General Marie Pierre Koenig and his unit, the 1st Free French
Brigade, fought well against the Afrika Korps at the Battle of Bir Hakeim in June 1942, although eventually obliged to
withdraw. From Chad, Colonel (later General) Philippe Leclerc led a column of 16,500 colonial troops to attack Italian forces.
During Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of Vichy-controlled French North Africa in November 1942, many Vichy troops surrendered and joined the Free French
cause. Vichy coastal defences were captured by the French Resistance. Vichy General Henri
Giraud rejoined the Allies, but he lacked the authority that was required and De Gaulle kept his leadership of the Free
French, despite American objections.
The Nazis suspected Vichy determination after Torch and they occupied Vichy France in November 1942 (Case
Anton). In response, the 60,000-strong Vichy forces in French North Africa—the Army of Africa—joined the Allied side as the
French 19th Corps. They fought in Tunisia alongside the British 1st Army and the US VII Corps for six months until
April, 1943. Using antiquated equipment, they took heavy casualties—16,000—against modern armour and a desperate German
enemy.
Free French forces also fought Italian troops in Ethiopia and Eritrea and faced French troops loyal to Vichy France in Syria and
Lebanon. (See Syria-Lebanon campaign.)
In November 1943 the French forces received enough military equipment through Lend-Lease to re-equip eight divisions and allow
the return of borrowed British equipment. At this point, the Free French and ex-Vichy French Corps were merged.
The air war
There were sufficient Free French pilots, mainly from African colonial bases, to man several squadrons based in Britain and
North Africa. They were initially equipped with a mixture of British, French and American aircraft. They had mixed success at
first, and French army-air cooperation was often poor: see Armée de
l'Air (Part II: Fighting for Free France, 1940-1945) for details.
At De Gaulle's initiative, the Groupe de Chasse 3 Normandie was formed on
September 1, 1942, for service on the Eastern Front. It served with distinction and was awarded the supplementary title
Niemen by Stalin.
The Forces Françaises Combattantes and National Council of the Resistance
The French Resistance gradually grew in strength. Charles De Gaulle set a plan to
bring together the different groups under his leadership. He changed the name of his movement to Forces Françaises
Combattantes (Fighting French Forces) and sent Jean Moulin back to France to unite the
eight major French Resistance groups into one organisation. Moulin got their agreement
to form the Conseil National de la Résistance (National Council of the
Resistance). He was eventually captured, and died under brutal torture.
Liberation of France
During the Italian campaign of 1943, 100,000 Free French soldiers
fought on the Allied side. By the time of the Normandy Invasion, the Free French
forces numbered more than 400,000 strong. The Free French 2nd Armoured Division, under General Leclerc, landed at
Normandy and eventually led the drive towards Paris. The Free
French 1st Army, under General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, joined the
Allied invasion of southern France, and liberated the Vosges and southern Alsace.
Fearing the Germans would destroy Paris if attacked by a frontal assault, General Dwight Eisenhower
ordered his forces to cease their advance and reconnoitre the
situation. At this
time, Parisians rose up in full-scale revolt. As the Allied forces
waited near Paris, General Eisenhower acceded to pressure from
De Gaulle and his Free French Forces, who, furious about the delay and
unwilling to allow the revolters to be slaughtered, as
happened in the Polish capital of Warsaw during the
Warsaw Uprising, had threatened to attack single-handedly. General Eisenhower thus
granted them the honour of spearheading the Allied assault, liberating the capital
city.
End of the war
By September 1944 the Free French forces stood at 560,000, which rose to 1 million by the end of
1944, and were fighting in Alsace, the Alps and Brittany. By the end of the war in Europe (May 1945), the Free French forces
comprised 1,250,000, including seven infantry and three armoured divisions fighting in Germany.
Notable Free French
(More cited on French Resistance)
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading
user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by
professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Mentioned In
Free French Forces is mentioned in these AnswerPages:
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The Free French Air Force (FAFL)
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The record of the FAFL over the course of the Second World War is as follows :
344 enemy aircraft shot down 46 probable 97 damaged 104 vessels sunk,
set on fire or damaged hundreds of vehicles, locomotives and equipment
of all kinds destroyed on all fronts.
 Normandie-Niemen fighter group
Combat missions flown : 5 240 Victories : 273 enemy aircraft shot down,
36 probable, 45 damaged Pilots : 96 Pilots killed or missing in
action : 42
Ile de France fighter group
Combat missions flown : 6 029 - 8 410 combat flying hours Victories :
35 enemy aircraft shot down, 6 probable, 35 damaged Pilots : 78 Pilots
killed or missing in action : 37
Alsace fighter group
Combat missions flown : 4 500 Victories : 32 enemy aircraft shot down,
4 probable, 14 damaged Pilots : 87 Pilots killed or missing in action :
21
Lorraine bomber group
Combat missions flown : 3 500 including 900 in Africa and 260 from
Britain Mission flying hours : 5 200 3 000 tonnes of bombs dropped
including 500 in Africa and 2 500 on the western front Victories : 2
enemy aircraft shot down, 3 damaged and one submarine sunk The Lorraine
group lost 35 aircraft 113 killed, 41 wounded, 19 captured
Bretagne bomber group
Combat missions flown : 21 Flying hours : 4 504 Number of crews : 36 Losses : 5 killed, 3 captured
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The Battle of Bir Hakeim
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At
the end of May 1942, the Free French 1st brigade occupied the southern
sector of the British 8th Army's deployment in Libya, facing German and
Italian Axis troops. This was a key point on the extreme left of the
position since it could prevent any potential encirclement from the
south of Allied forces retreating in disarray from the defeat and the
fall of Tobruk that had opened the road to Cairo for the German tanks.
On 27 May 1942, the position of Bir Hakeim came under attack from the Italian "Ariete"
armoured division and was engaged in fierce fighting that even reached
into the interior of the stronghold. The enemy was driven back, leaving
40 tanks on the field.
From 1 to 10 June the position came under methodical
attack and was completely surrounded by German and Italian forces in
vastly superior numbers. General Rommel, in command of the enemy
forces, endeavoured to remove the obstacle barring his advance. General
Koenig, commanding the French brigade, responded to an ultimatum from
Rommel calling upon him to surrender, with the words, "We are not here
to surrender".
Despite the most intense artillery fire and aerial
bombardment, the brigade held off every enemy attack, gave not an inch
of ground and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy.
The
incredible boldness of a group of volunteers from the "Train"
(transport corps) enabled a convoy of 30 lorries to reach the position
under cover of night. By 10 June, however, supplies of water, food and
ammunition were virtually exhausted. The garrison was given the order
to retreat by the commander of the British 8th Army. During the night
of 10 to 11 June, the brigade broke through the encircling enemy lines
by sheer force, negotiating mine fields and bringing back its wounded
and any equipment still usable.
By holding out for far longer than could have been
hoped, in a feat which won worldwide acclaim, the Free French 1st
Brigade had enabled the British 8th Army to withdraw in good order and
had won the time needed to prepare for a reversal of the situation at
El Alamein. For the French population labouring under German
oppression, it confirmed their faith in their destiny and in ultimate
victory. The Resistance inside France, under Jean Moulin and Christian
Pineau, joined with Free France to create a single Fighting France.
The military cemetery on the site of the battle itself
has been maintained in memory of those who fell. It is reached by a
track, lined with crosses of Lorraine, that runs from El Adem.
Because of its isolation, the 182 bodies it once
contained have been transferred to El Adem alongside the bodies of the
first four French soldiers to fall at Cyrenaica on 21 January 1941, and
those of the six men who lost their lives in the in the Khufra raid led
by General Leclerc.
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The Free French Naval Force (FNFL)
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Little
more than a handful of sailors, headed by Admiral Muselier, responded
to General de Gaulle's call. Seven thousand of them would set sail in a
dozen fighting ships, and two thousand others in some sixty merchant
vessels. The Free French navy, though modest in size, immediately
proved itself a highly effective force. The FNFL sailed alongside the
Royal Navy in the difficult years of 1941-42, when the outcome was so
uncertain and when the enemy seemed to be triumphant on every front,
whether in the Atlantic, the Channel or the Mediterranean. After the
USSR, Japan and the USA entered the war, Free French naval forces were
to be found on all the world's oceans, and in every theatre of
operations.
The FNFL's war record is remarkable :
Pride of place must go to the merchant vessels which made a hugely important contribution to victory, for example the Fort Binger which drove off an enemy submarine with gunfire, the tanker Franche Comté, indefatigably refuelling the convoy escorts, the Indochinois,
nicknamed the "Atlantic tram" for the regularity of its solo crossings
and which, under incessant bombardment, brought a thousand tons of meat
to the population of Malta who had tasted none in the past ten months,
or the Félix Roussel which, under Japanese fire in Singapore, managed to save a thousand women and children.
The destroyers, torpedo boats, despatch vessels,
frigates, corvettes and patrol boats played an important role in the
Battle of the Atlantic, of which Churchill said, "It was the battle
that had to be won at all costs, for without this victory there would
have been no other battles and no other victories". Four U-boats were
officially sunk, U 136 by the Léopard, U 432 and 444 by the Aconit, U 609 by the Lobélia.
In the course of the war our surface ships carried out over fifty
depth-charge attacks on German submarines, inflicting considerable
damage and playing a part in submarine kills never officially
attributed to them.
The submarines were particularly active :
The Rubis completed 28 combat missions, and laid 683 mines which were officially recorded as sinking 16 enemy vessels.
The Minerve and the Junon carried out numerous patrols along the coast of Norway in search of the battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz or on hazardous special operations to land secret agents.
The Curie performed distinguished
service in the Mediterranean where, on her 13th patrol, she succeeded
in destroying three cargo vessels in a matter of hours.
The submarine chasers operated in the front line in the
Channel and in the Thames estuary, and took part in the Bruneval and
Dieppe operations.
From March 1943 onwards, the 23rd flotilla of motor
torpedo boats (MTB) went into action in the Channel. Their mission was
to intercept and destroy enemy convoys and patrols along the shores of
France. They performed brilliantly, sinking or damaging about twenty
enemy vessels.
The Fusiliers-marins, or marines, rank among some of
the most distinguished units of the FNFL. The 1er BFM (1st Marine
Battalion), later to become the 1er RFM (1st Marine Regiment), fought
alongside the 1ère DFL (1st Free French Division) and shared its glory
at Bir Hakeim and in Africa, Syria, Italy and France. The 1er BFM
commandos were to carry out a large number of covert but hazardous
raids in the Scilly Isles and along the coasts of France, Belgium and
Holland and, of course, performed with distinction at Ouistreham on 6
June 1944.
The naval air arm commenced operations at the end of
1943, with the 6th FE (6th reconnaissance flotilla). It numbered among
its ranks many who had won glory with the air-marine group, the famous
340 squadron, flying combat missions over the Channel during the Battle
of Britain and at the time of Dieppe.
Taking part in the Normandy landings were : the 1er BFM commandos, the Courbet, La Combattante,
four frigates, four corvettes, six submarine chasers and 8 MTBs (motor
torpedo boats). Most of these were later engaged in mopping up pockets
of resistance on the Atlantic seaboard.
In addition to the tally of enemy submarines and
surface vessels sunk, the FNFL also accounted for 16 enemy aircraft, 6
falling to the Courbet and 8 to the submarine hunters.
Our vessels often came to the assistance of ships in
distress. The FNFL can claim to its credit over 1 300 rescues at sea,
the record being held by Commandant Détroyat with 322 in a single operation.
The FNFL unfortunately paid a price for its activity in
heavy losses. The merchant marine suffered most (25% of its men), but
the navy was not spared either, with the Léopard, Surcouf, and Submarine chaser 5 lost at sea, and the Narval, Mimosa, Alysse, Vikings, Poulmic, Submarine chaser 8 and La Combattante
lost to enemy action. The achievements of this handful of men are
nonetheless impressive. Few though they were, they succeeded in
destroying or damaging more enemy submarines, surface vessels and
aircraft than the rest of the French navy put together.
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