436 : The Atlantic 



The new phase of Atlantic naval warfare — in fact, of naval warfare 

 anywhere — made its first appearance in 1942. Briefly put this was the 

 use of concentrated navy units to support a massive landing and inva- 

 sion of enemy-held territory. This has been called an amphibious 

 operation but usually involves a concerted attack by sea, land and air 

 forces. In such undertakings the purpose of the naval action is not pri- 

 marily to attack or sink the vessels of another navy, though this may 

 be incidentally involved, but to destroy the enemy's shore installations 

 and to lay down a screen of fire under the protection of which the 

 landings may be effected. An operation of this kind involves the use 

 of ships of all sizes and purposes from the largest battleship to inflata- 

 ble rubber boats, including new and specially devised craft such as 

 those designed to carry and land tanks, combat personnel, ammuni- 

 tion, supplies, etc. 



The first operation of this kind took place on November 8, 1942, 

 and involved a concerted landing and invasion of a large strip of coast 

 in French North Africa. This extended from Oran and Algiers at the 

 Mediterranean end to Safi, which is 125 miles south of Casablanca, 

 at the Atlantic end. It is said that before spreading out to take their 

 positions for this attack the combined task forces covered over 

 twenty-five square miles of sea area. The movement of the American 

 forces and the British forces had to be carefully timed, co-ordinated 

 and integrated. The difference in scale between this and the historic 

 types of naval operation may be judged from the fact that, counting 

 the warships, transports and cargo vessels, over 850 ships were 

 involved in the operation. Obviously the planning of such an oper- 

 ation required both speed and patience and the decision to invade 

 North Africa had been made by the joint chiefs of staff four months 

 before it was carried out. 



There was some resistance on the part of the French at Fedala and 

 Casablanca but this was overcome within a few days. Resistance 

 petered out after Admiral Jean Frangois Darlan, who was the 

 commander in North Africa for Petain's government, was designated 

 by the Americans as the continuing commander of the French forces 

 in North Africa. In exchange for this recognition Darlan ordered the 

 termination of resistance. The task of the operation, however, was by 

 no means over. 



The Germans, in retaliation for their losses, sent troops into "Unoc- 

 cupied France." The part of the French fleet that had not been dis- 

 posed of at Oran had been guarded in the harbor of Toulon. Here the 



