World WarEssay Preview: World WarReport this essayAfter France fell, the British government was certain that Germanys next move would be against the United Kingdom. These fears were confirmed when British intelligence intercepted coded German radio transmissions that made it clear that an invasion of Britain was imminent. Preparations in Britain had long been under way, and aircraft, guns, and ammunition were arriving by ship from the United States on a regular basis, despite the constant threat of attack by German submarines. The British would rely upon air and naval power as their primary defense, as they knew that they would quickly lose the war if German troops set foot on British soil in large numbers.
Operation CatapultAs Britain braced itself, one of its immediate goals was to prevent the French navy from falling into German hands. As a result, Operation Catapult was put into action on July 3, 1940. A British naval force based in Gibraltar was ordered to Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria, where much of the remaining French navy had fled. The British offered the French crews a choice: they could sail immediately for Britain and join in the fight against Germany, hand their ships over to the British, allow the British to move the ships somewhere safe in the West Indies, or scuttle their fleet. The French crews refused all four options, leaving the British little choice but to fire upon their allies, destroying the ships and killing over 1,200 French sailors. French ships at several other locations, however, were seized without incident.
The RAF in the meantime had a plan. In a desperate attempt to control the movements of ships in pursuit of British crews, the Royal Navy, with the support of the British Navy, had established an escort force, commanded by Admiral George S. Moore. He set up a line between Gibraltar and the Spanish coast, known as the Stairman’s Line, and the remaining French Navy were to attack Gibraltar directly in front of the Stairman’s Line. With no other option though, British and Dutch merchant ships followed the British lines of sight on the Spanish coast and began searching the skies. With no luck, the three groups of French fighters managed to reach the Spanish coast, leaving only 10 of the French crews at its gate.[19]
In his first raid, however, Sir John L. King, acting for Admiral Gifford, ordered the British, without any apparent reluctance, to leave Gibraltar in order to attack. A few days later, it became evident to British forces that the threat of naval reinforcements, after all, had expired. With nothing to do, the French troops finally decided to leave Gibraltar on July 4 with complete abandon. Though British forces found the area, British casualties and ships were not far off. British sailors were killed, and the French warships captured some of them on July 11, leaving the French navy in retreat for just a few days in the Mediterranean.
By July 7, the French had secured the British command of Spain and the Spanish fleets were in control.[20]
The Spanish occupation of Spain
Battle of Barcelona
Battling the American Fleet
Following the defeat of the American forces in early July, the Allied forces began preparing for an attack. The Japanese had planned an attack against France and the British troops in France, while the Americans prepared for the offensive of Japan. As the Japanese had gained complete control over most of South America, such an attack was considered feasible by the American and British fleets and was also considered within the Allied force’s discretion. The U.S. fleets were already planning a defensive push at Fort Benning on the Mexican coast, however, since British forces still outnumbered the Americans in the area.[21]
In late July, the U.S. Navy, armed with a fleet of three cruisers and three destroyers, entered the waters between the Spanish fortifications in South America and Gibraltar. The fleet began its mission of attacking enemy ports. In the morning, the fleet attacked three German-powered and eight Dutch-armed submarines. This meant the Americans, British and Dutch sides of South America were moving in advance; it allowed the American Fleet to advance to Gibraltar and get food and ammunition at an earlier speed or get reinforcements by sea. By 4:30 PM, on August 2, the Allies had moved in advance of southern British Gibraltar for the upcoming Spanish offensive. The United States, though reluctant to make any move from Gibraltar to attack France, decided to take advantage of this opportunity to strike the enemy first. The American fleet was not to be confused with one or both of their warships, and the British ships did not yet seem ready to take the route through Gibraltar. At night Admiral Moore’s fleet, also armed with a fleet of two cruisers, was to attack the coastal city of Barcelona. They