The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Three sloops, identified as L'Impetueuse, La Curieuse and Chamois of the Vichy French fleet which were scuttled by their French crews in Toulon harbour on 27 November 1942. French Admiral Jean Darlan wanted the French fleet to leave Toulon and sail to Dakar to join the allied forces after the allied invasion of Algeria and Tunisia in November 1942 (Operation Torch). The French crews were unable to agree to this, but did not want the Germans to seize the ships either. On the night of 27 November 1942 German forces attempted to seize the fleet, but forewarned of the German plans, French crews managed to scuttle the majority of the larger vessels anchored in Toulon, some of which burned for up to three weeks.
The Vichy French light cruiser, Marseillaise, settled and listing heavily to port, after being scuttled in Toulon harbour by her Vichy French crew on 27 November 1942. French Admiral Jean Darlan wante
The Vichy French cruiser, Algerie, lying on the harbour bed with only her forward turrets and superstructure above water, after being scuttled in Toulon harbour by her French crew on 27 November 1942.
Captured German film of the French fleet scuttled at Toulon on 27 Nov 1942 by order of Admiral Laborde when the city was occupied by the II SS Panzer Corps.
The battleship HMS Barham of the Royal Navy in port. Built in 1915 with a displacement of 31,000 tons, Barham was part of the Eastern Mediterranean Fleet in mid 1940 and in September 1940 was included
Gallipoli, Turkey. 1915. The hulk of the French Navy battleship Massena off V Beach in the Cape Helles area. The ship had been towed from Toulon and scuttled next to the River Clyde, on 9 November 191
HMS Renown, HMS Victorious and HMS Rodney, taken from HMAS Quiberon en route to Algiers. In October 1942, HMAS Quiberon formed part of a unit of the large British naval forces that sailed as Force 'H
