What happened to French soldiers after France surrendered?
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What happened to French soldiers after France surrendered?
After the French armies surrendered, Germany seized 2 million French prisoners of war and sent them to camps in Germany. About one third were released on various terms. Of the remainder, the officers and noncommissioned officers were kept in separate camps and did not work. The privates were sent out to work.
Did the French have an Air Force in ww2?
The designation ceased to exist in 1943 when the Free French Forces merged with General Giraud’s forces. The name was still in common use however, until the liberation of France in 1944, when they became the French Air Army. Martial Henri Valin commanded them from 1941 to 1944, then stayed on to command the Air Army.
Why did Churchill sink the French Navy?
Churchill, worried that one of the world’s great navies would end up in German hands, asked the French to turn the ships over to the British instead. The French refused, but Admiral Darlan, commander of the French fleet, swore that he would sink his own ships if the Germans ever tried to take control.
What did the French Navy do in ww2?
The French Navy saw little action during the war. However, in June 1940 it took part in the evacuation of Dunkirk. When it became clear that the Vichy government would not allow the French Navy to fight with the Allies, the Royal Air Force launched an attack on French ships at Mers-el-Kebir and Dakar.
Why were the French so easily defeated in ww2?
France suffered a humiliating defeat and was quickly occupied by Germany. Its failure was a result of a hopelessly divided French political elite, a lack of quality military leadership, rudimentary French military tactics.
When a country loses its will to fight, there’s not much you can do to inspire them to anything but quit. That left Churchill with a loose-end on his mind: The French Fleet. By June 10, 1940, the French Army was shattered, but the French Navy was amazingly intact.
Why was Britain worried about the French using their fleet?
The concern was not over the French using their fleet to assist their new conqueror. The real concern was that Germany would train their own sailors to command those ships. Members of Britain’s own navy spent time with the commanders of the French Fleet.
How did Churchill convince Britain to attack the French fleet?
Members of Britain’s own navy spent time with the commanders of the French Fleet. They were convinced that the commanders were dedicated to the cause of not surrendering to the Germans. On June 17, France pressed for peace with Germany. Before France could officially surrender, Churchill tried to convince his War Cabinet to attack the French Fleet.
How many sorties did the French Air Force carry out in WW2?
On May 17 French air force bombers carried out six sorties and French navy dive bombers 20. On the 23rd the air force managed just two bombing sorties and the surviving navy dive bombers six, with Latécoère 298 floatplanes based at Cherbourg carrying out a further 18 bombing missions south of Boulogne.