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On the Track of a Forgotten Army

The Results of the Operations of the Free French Naval Forces in World War II

Summary/Abstract: Although Charles de Gaulle is one of the most recognized French statesmen, the history of the Free French Forces that contributed to the rise of this extraordinary character is hardly discovered even by historians. Among the various units of the organization, the Free French Naval Forces are perhaps the most neglected for different reasons. Therefore, this paper makes an attempt to fill this historiographical gap by presenting this more or less forgotten navy. The naval forces were established on 1 July 1940 and existed until 1 August 1943. During these three years, the navy of the Free France contributes to the Allied war effort and participates in the defence of convoys carrying supplies to Great Britain. With its limited staff, the fleet plays a secondary role in the Battle of the Atlantic, but its activity is very valuable from a political point of view because it contributes to the consolidation of the position of General de Gaulle’s movement and to the fact that France ends the war on the winning side of the conflict.

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