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64-548: The bay's principal city, Antsiranana , is located on a headland. The bay was first recorded by European explorers in 1500; sailors in the service of Portugal named the bay for the leader of their expedition, Diogo Soares . The bay was later used for shelter by a number of pirates and privateers during the Golden Age of Piracy , and it has been speculated as a possible location of the legendary pirate colony Libertalia . This Diana Region of Madagascar location article

128-519: A British bombing raid on Ihosy airfield destroyed four Vichy aircraft. The last major action took place on 18 October, at Andramanalina , a U-shaped valley with the meandering Mangarahara River where an ambush was planned for British forces by Vichy troops. The King's African Rifles split into two columns and marched around the 'U' of the valley and met Vichy troops in the rear and then ambushed them. The Vichy troops suffered heavy losses which resulted in 800 of them surrendering. A single Morane fighter

192-602: A British force set out to capture Tamatave. Heavy surf interfered with the operation. As HMS Birmingham ' s launch was heading to shore it was fired at by French shore batteries and promptly turned around. Birmingham then opened her guns up on the shores batteries and within three minutes the French hauled up the white flag and surrendered. From there the South Lancashires and the Royal Welch Fusiliers set out to

256-624: A Vichy-held fort in Fianarantsoa , the only major centre of population that was still in French hands and where the remainder of the Vichy aircraft were now based. Also on September 25, British forces landed in the Comoros . Tetrarch and Valentine tanks of 'B' and 'C' Special Service Squadrons had been embarked for use in these operations, but they were not used as they could not ford the Ivondro River and

320-614: A base for British operations in the area. The island's defenders were caught by surprise and the key radio station and most of the sleeping defenders were captured. The Chief of Police and a few others attempted to escape by car but were stopped by roadblocks that had been assembled. The island's capture was carried out with no loss of life or major damage. The 27th (North Rhodesia) Infantry Brigade (including forces from East Africa ) landed in Madagascar on 8 August. The Vichy governor of Madagascar, Annet attempted to obtain reinforcements from

384-564: A raid on Majunga on 15 May. Fighting continued into 7 May but by the end of the day Operation Ironclad had effectively concluded. In just three days of fighting the British had seen 109 men killed and 283 wounded, with the French suffering 700 casualties. The Japanese submarines I-10 , I-16 , and I-20 arrived three weeks later on 29 May. I-10 ' s reconnaissance plane spotted HMS Ramillies at anchor in Diego-Suarez harbour, but

448-785: A wet season which lasts from December to March and a dry season which lasts the rest of the year with rainfall being uncommon but not impossible. Among the places of worship , they are predominantly Christian churches and temples: There are also Muslim mosques. 12°18′S 49°17′E  /  12.300°S 49.283°E  / -12.300; 49.283 Battle of Madagascar [REDACTED]   United Kingdom [REDACTED]   South Africa [REDACTED]   Vichy France 1941 1942 1944 1945 Second Sino-Japanese War Taishō period Shōwa period Asia-Pacific Mediterranean and Middle East Other campaigns Coups The Battle of Madagascar (5 May – 6 November 1942)

512-442: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Antsiranana Antsiranana ( Malagasy : Antsiranana Malagasy pronunciation: [antsʲˈraŋanə̥] ), named Diego-Suarez prior to 1975, is a city in the far north of Madagascar . Antsiranana is the capital of Diana Region . It had an estimated population of 115,015 in 2013. At the beginning of the 16th century, a Portuguese squadron of 13 ships crisscrossed

576-484: Is situated on Antsiranana Bay , one of the largest deep-water harbours in the Indian Ocean , but the remote location, and, until recently, a bad road to the south, rendered it unimportant for freight traffic. Arrachart Airport provides communication primarily with other parts of Madagascar. Antsiranana has a tropical savannah climate ( Aw ) with long, hot summer-like weather that lasts year round cut into two seasons;

640-705: The Bay of Bengal , and attacked bases in Colombo and Trincomalee in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka ). This raid drove the British Eastern Fleet out of the area and they were forced to relocate to a new base at Kilindini Harbour , Mombasa , Kenya . The move made the British fleet more vulnerable to attack. The possibility of Japanese naval forces using forward bases in Madagascar had to be addressed. The potential use of these facilities particularly threatened Allied merchant shipping,

704-575: The Free French in London, sent a letter to the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill , in which he also urged a Free French operation against Madagascar. Churchill recognised the risk of a Japanese-controlled Madagascar to Indian Ocean shipping, particularly to the important sea route to India and Ceylon , and considered the port of Diego-Suarez as the strategic key to Japanese influence in

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768-579: The French Empire following the war. In 1947, the island experienced the Malagasy Uprising , a costly revolution that was crushed in 1948. It was not until 26 June 1960, about twelve years later, that the Malagasy Republic successfully proclaimed its independence from France . Campaign service in Madagascar did not qualify for the British and Commonwealth Africa Star . It was instead covered by

832-681: The Royal Marines with Rear-Admiral Edward Syfret being placed in command of naval Force H and the supporting sea force. Force 121 left the Clyde in Scotland on 23 March and joined with South African-born Syfret's ships at Freetown in Sierra Leone, proceeding from there in two convoys to their assembly point at Durban on the South African east coast. Here they were joined by the 13th Brigade Group of

896-549: The Royal Marines . The British Army landing force included the 29th Independent Infantry Brigade Group , No 5 (Army) Commando , and two brigades of the 5th Infantry Division , the latter en route to India with the remainder of their division. The Allied naval contingent consisted of over 50 vessels, drawn from Force H, the British Home Fleet and the British Eastern Fleet , commanded by Syfret. The fleet included

960-669: The Seychelles , and Madagascar should have a higher priority for the Axis navies than operations against Australia . By 8 April, the Japanese announced to Fricke that they intended to commit four or five submarines and two auxiliary cruisers for operations in the western Indian Ocean between Aden and the Cape of Good Hope , but they refused to disclose their plans for operations against Madagascar and Ceylon, only reiterating their commitment to operations in

1024-659: The Union Jack . Having severed communications with Tananarive, the Allies intended to re-launch the offensive ahead of the rainy season . Progress was slow for the Allied forces. In addition to occasional small-scale clashes with Vichy forces, they also encountered scores of obstacles erected on the main roads by Vichy soldiers. Vichy forces attempted to destroy the second bridge on the Majunga-Tananarive road, but only succeeded in causing

1088-423: The 5th Division – General Sturges' force consisting of three infantry brigades, while Syfret's squadron consisted of the flag battleship HMS  Ramillies , the aircraft carriers HMS  Illustrious and HMS  Indomitable , the cruisers HMS  Hermione and HMS  Devonshire , eleven destroyers , six minesweepers , six corvettes and auxiliaries. It was a formidable force to bring against

1152-597: The 8,000 troops (mostly conscripted Malagasy ) at Diego-Suarez, but the chiefs of staff were adamant that the operation was to succeed, preferably without any fighting. This was to be the first British amphibious assault since the disastrous landings in the Dardanelles twenty-seven years before. During the assembly in Durban, Field-Marshal Jan Smuts pointed out that the mere seizure of Diego-Suarez would be no guarantee against continuing Japanese aggression and urged that

1216-491: The British 17th Infantry Brigade , after toiling through mangrove swamp and thick bush took the town of Diego-Suarez taking a hundred prisoners of war . The Ambararata Bay force, the 29th Independent Brigade, headed towards the French naval base of Antisarane. With assistance from six Valentines of 'B' Special Service Squadron and six Tetrarch light tanks of 'C' Special Service Squadron they advanced 21 miles overcoming light resistance with bayonet charges. Antisarane itself

1280-593: The Germans in France in 1940. With Madagascar in their hands, the Allies established military and naval installations across the island. The island was crucial for the rest of the war. Its deep water ports were vital for control of the passageway to India and the Persian corridor, and were now beyond the grasp of the Axis. This was the first large-scale operation of World War II by the Allies combining sea, land, and air forces. In

1344-622: The Imperial Japanese Navy's submarines could use bases on Madagascar, Allied lines of communication would be affected across a region stretching from the Pacific and Australia , to the Middle East and as far as the South Atlantic . On 17 December 1941, Vice Admiral Fricke , Chief of Staff of Germany's Maritime Warfare Command ( Seekriegsleitung ), met Vice Admiral Naokuni Nomura ,

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1408-515: The Indian Ocean coast of Tanganyika , with an additional eleven Bristol Beauforts and six Martin Marylands to provide close air support during the planned operations. Allied commanders decided to launch an amphibious assault on Madagascar. The task was Operation Ironclad, executed by Force 121. It included Allied naval, land and air forces and was commanded by Major-General Robert Sturges of

1472-507: The Indian Ocean. However, he also made it clear to planners that he did not feel Britain had the resources to mount such an operation and, following experience in the Battle of Dakar in September 1940, did not want a joint operation launched by British and Free French forces to secure the island. By 12 March 1942, Churchill had been convinced of the importance of such an operation and the decision

1536-510: The Indian Ocean; One of these ships went adrift, and its captain, Diego Diaz, was therefore the first European to discover the Big Island on August 10, 1500. In February 1506, Admiral Herman Suarez recognized the place and so Antomabokala, former capital of Ankarana, acquired its name of Diego Suarez, which comes from the contraction of the first name of the captain and the name of the Admiral. In 1635,

1600-536: The Japanese naval attaché , in Berlin to discuss the delimitation of respective operational areas between the German Kriegsmarine and Imperial Japanese Navy forces. At another meeting on 27 March 1942, Fricke stressed the importance of the Indian Ocean to the Axis powers and expressed the desire that the Japanese begin operations against the northern Indian Ocean sea routes. Fricke further emphasized that Ceylon ,

1664-452: The Vichy line and caused chaos. Fire was poured on the Vichy defences from behind and the radio station and a barracks were captured. In all 200 prisoners were taken, but the South Lancashires had to withdraw as communication with the main force was nonexistent after the radio set failed. At this time, the Vichy government in France began to learn of the landings, and Admiral Darlan sent a message to Governor Annet telling him to "Firmly defend

1728-435: The Vichy rear area. The marines created a "disturbance in the town out of all proportion to their numbers" taking the French artillery command post along with its barracks and the naval depot. At the same time the troops of the 17th Infantry Brigade had broken through the defences and were soon marching in the town. The Vichy defence was broken and Antisarane surrendered that evening, although substantial Vichy forces withdrew to

1792-558: The aircraft carrier Illustrious , her sister ship Indomitable and the ageing battleship Ramillies to cover the landings. Following many reconnaissance missions by the South African Air Force , the first wave of the British 29th Infantry Brigade and No. 5 Commando landed in assault craft on 5 May, with follow-up waves by two brigades of the 5th Infantry Division and Royal Marines. All were carried ashore by landing craft to Courrier Bay and Ambararata Bay, just west of

1856-616: The area. The Allies had heard the rumours of Japanese plans for the Indian Ocean and on 27 November 1941, the British Chiefs of Staff discussed the possibility that the Vichy government might cede the whole of Madagascar to Japan, or alternatively permit the Japanese Navy to establish bases on the island. British naval advisors urged the occupation of the island as a precautionary measure. On 16 December, General Charles de Gaulle , leader of

1920-529: The armed merchant cruiser Bougainville and then the submarine Bévéziers , although one Swordfish was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and its crew was taken prisoner. The aircraft shot down had been dropping leaflets in French that encouraged the Vichy troops to surrender. The defending Vichy forces, led by Governor General Armand Léon Annet , included about 8,000 troops, of whom about 6,000 were Malagasy tirailleurs ( colonial infantry ). A large proportion of

1984-592: The bay was mentioned for the first time under this name by the French pilot Berthelot, author of an oriental map of Africa and Madagascar. In 1824, the bay was explored by the English hydrographer Owen, then in 1833, Captain Bigeault, commandant of La Nièvre, traveled the North East coast to carry out hydrographic surveys. In the 1880s, the bay was coveted by France , which desired it as a coaling station for steamships . After

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2048-455: The central Vichy government, particularly aircraft but was unable to do so. By August, Vichy air strength on the island consisted of four Morane fighters and three Potez-63s. The operation code-named "Stream Line Jane" (sometimes given as "Streamline Jane") consisted of three sub-operations code-named Stream, Line and Jane. Stream and Jane were, respectively, the amphibious landings at Majunga on 10 September and Tamatave on 18 September, while Line

2112-451: The central span of the bridge to sag merely 3 ft into the river below, meaning that Allied vehicles could still pass over. Once the Vichy forces realised their mistake, a Potez-63 aircraft was sent to drop bombs to finish off the bridge, but the attack failed. The Allies eventually captured the capital, Tananarive , without much opposition, and then the town of Ambalavao , but the devoutly Vichy Governor Annet escaped. Eight days later

2176-500: The destruction of 10 out of the 12 tanks the British had brought to Madagascar. The British had been unaware of the strength of the French defences known as the 'Joffre line', and were hugely surprised at the level of resistance they had come across. Another assault by the South Lancashires worked their way around the Vichy defences but the swamps and bad terrain meant they were broken up into groups. Nevertheless, they swung behind

2240-500: The first Franco-Hova War , Queen Ranavalona III signed a treaty on December 17, 1885, granting France a protectorate over the bay and surrounding territory, as well as the islands of Nosy-Be and Ste. Marie de Madagascar . The French took possession of their new colony and the Bay of Diego Suarez (also called Bay of Antomboko at that time). It was then called Etablissement français de Diego-Suarez (French Establishment of Diego-Suarez) and

2304-594: The first bricks of the cathedrale. In 1919 there was an epidemics of the Spanish flu followed by an outbreak of the plague in 1920. Still, in 1925 the Province de Diego-Suarez had 13695 habitants. In 1942, Diego-Suarez was the primary objective of Operation Ironclad , the starting point of the Allied invasion and capture of Madagascar . The Allies were concerned that Japan would pressure Vichy France into granting use of Madagascar, as they had with French Indo-China during

2368-435: The first day. On the morning of 6 May a frontal assault on the defences failed with the loss of three Valentines and two Tetrarchs. Three Vichy Potez 63s attempted to attack the beach landing points but were intercepted by British Martlets and two were shot down. Albacores were used to bomb French defences, while a Swordfish managed to sink the submarine Le Héros . By the end of the day fierce resistance had resulted in

2432-516: The honour of our flag", and "Fight to the limit of your possibilities ... and make the British pay dearly." The Vichy forces then asked for assistance from the Japanese, who were in no position to provide substantial support. With the Vichy French defence highly effective, the deadlock was broken when the old destroyer HMS  Anthony dashed straight past the harbour defences of Antisarane and landed fifty Royal Marines from Ramillies amidst

2496-565: The initial objectives had been met, all responsibility for safeguarding Madagascar would be passed on to Wavell. He added that when the commandos were withdrawn, garrison duties would be performed by two African brigades and one brigade from the Belgian Congo or west coast of Africa. In March and April, the South African Air Force (SAAF) had conducted reconnaissance flights over Diego-Suarez and No. 32, 36 and 37 Coastal Flights were withdrawn from maritime patrol operations and sent to Lindi on

2560-458: The major port of Diego-Suarez, at the northern tip of Madagascar. A diversionary attack was staged to the east. Air cover was provided mainly by Fairey Albacore and Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers which attacked Vichy shipping and the airfield at Arrachart . They were supported by Grumman Martlets fighters from the Fleet Air Arm . A small number of SAAF planes assisted. The Swordfish sank

2624-589: The makeshift Allied planning of the war's early years, the invasion of Madagascar held a prominent strategic place. Historian John Grehan has claimed that the British capture of Madagascar before it could fall into Japanese hands was so crucial in the context of the war that it led to Japan's eventual downfall and defeat. Free French General Paul Legentilhomme was appointed High Commissioner for Madagascar in December 1942 only to replace British administration. Like many colonies , Madagascar sought its independence from

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2688-406: The midget submarines, Lieutenant Saburo Akieda and Petty Officer Masami Takemoto, beached their craft ( M-20b ) at Nosy Antalikely and moved inland towards their pick-up point near Cape Amber. They were betrayed when they bought food at the village of Anijabe and both were killed in a firefight with Royal Marines three days later. One marine was killed in the action as well. The second midget submarine

2752-438: The northern tip of the island, on 5 May 1942. A subsequent campaign to secure the entire island, Operations Stream, Line and Jane, was opened on 10 September. The Allies broke into the interior, linking up with forces on the coast and secured the island by the end of October. Fighting ceased and an armistice was granted on 6 November. This was the first big operation by the Allies combining sea, land and air forces . The island

2816-529: The oil tanker British Loyalty . France continued to operate a military base in the city following Malagasy independence in 1960. Between 1973 and 1975, French forces were withdrawn. The University of Antsiranana was founded in 1976. Lycée Français Diego Suarez , or Lycée Français Sadi-Carnot, is a French international school in Antsiranana. Historically it was the Collège français Sadi Carnot. Antsiranana

2880-486: The plane was spotted and Ramillies changed her berth. I-20 and I-16 launched two midget submarines , one of which managed to enter the harbour and fired two torpedoes while under depth charge attack from two corvettes. One torpedo seriously damaged Ramillies , while the second sank the 6,993-ton oil tanker British Loyalty (later refloated). Ramillies was later repaired in Durban and Plymouth . The crew of one of

2944-501: The population. In 1886 the colony had a population of 2500 habitants. In 1887 a civil governor, Froger, replaced Caillet. In 1888 the islands of Nosy Be and Ile Sainte-Marie were attached to the colony . In 1900 the Decauville railway at Diégo Suarez was built. The Second Pacific Squadron of Imperial Russia anchored and was resupplied at Diego-Suarez on its way to the Battle of Tsushima in 1905. On 21 March 1909 were laid down

3008-427: The ports of Majunga and Tamatave be occupied as well. This was evaluated by the chiefs of staff, but it was decided to retain Diego-Suarez as the only objective due to the lack of manpower. Churchill remarked that the only way to permanently secure Madagascar was by means of a strong fleet and adequate air support operating from Ceylon and sent General Archibald Wavell (India Command) a note stating that as soon as

3072-407: The previous year, and determined that the island should not be made a base for the interception of Allied shipping. Diego-Suarez, with its superb harbour and a concentration of government officials, was selected as the initial invasion point. The Japanese responded with an attack by midget submarines on the British naval forces in the harbour, damaging the battleship HMS  Ramillies and sinking

3136-531: The railway bridges were unsuitable. On 29 September, two companies of the South African Pretoria Highlanders performed the only amphibious landing by South African forces of the entire war at the west coast harbor town of Tulear some 900 miles south of Diego Suarez. HMS Birmingham , 2 destroyers and 200 Royal Marines supported the unopposed landing. On 6 October, a Morane fighter strafed British positions near Antinchi , and on 8 October

3200-468: The rest of the island. In the 1880s, the bay was coveted by France, which claimed it as a coaling station for steamships travelling to French possessions farther east. The colonization was formalized after the first Franco-Hova War when Queen Ranavalona III signed a treaty on 17 December 1885 giving France a protectorate over the bay and surrounding territory; as well as the islands of Nosy Be and St. Marie de Madagascar . The colony's administration

3264-451: The rest were Senegalese . Between 1,500 and 3,000 Vichy troops were concentrated around Diego-Suarez. Naval and air defences were relatively light or obsolete: eight coastal batteries, two armed merchant cruisers , two sloops , five submarines, 17 Morane-Saulnier 406 fighters and ten Potez 63 bombers. The beach landings met with virtually no resistance and these troops seized Vichy coastal batteries and barracks. The Courier Bay force,

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3328-534: The south to link up with forces there. After they reached Tananarive they pressed on towards Moramanga and on 25 September they linked up with the King's African Rifles having secured the British lines of communication around the island. At the same time the East African infantry and South African armoured cars set out to find the elusive Governor Annet. The same day, a bombing raid was launched by South African Marylands on

3392-404: The south. On 7 May British Martlets encountered three Morane French fighters, with one Martlet being shot down. All three of the French fighters were then shot down, meaning that by the third day of the attack on Madagascar, twelve Moranes and five Potez 63s had been destroyed out of a total of 35 Vichy aircraft on the entire island. A further three Potez bombers were destroyed on the ground during

3456-582: The supply route to the British Eighth Army and also the Eastern Fleet. Japanese Kaidai-type submarines had the longest range of any Axis submarines at the time – more than 10,000 mi (16,000 km) in some cases, but being challenged by the United States Navy 's then-relatively new Gato -class fleet submarines ' 11,000 nmi (20,000 km; 13,000 mi) top range figures. If

3520-589: Was an Allied campaign to capture the Vichy French -controlled island Madagascar during World War II . The seizure of the island by the British was to deny Madagascar's ports to the Imperial Japanese Navy and to prevent the loss or impairment of the Allied shipping routes to India, Australia and Southeast Asia. It began with Operation Ironclad , the seizure of the port of Diego-Suarez (now Antsiranana ) near

3584-526: Was heavily defended with trenches, two redoubts, pillboxes, and flanked on both sides by impenetrable swamps. Arrachart airfield was attacked, with five of the Morane fighters being destroyed and another two damaged, while two Potez-63s were also damaged. This attack effectively resulted in the Vichy air strength on the island being reduced by 25 per cent. Two Morane fighters did briefly appear and strafe beaches at Courier Bay, but two more Vichy aircraft were lost on

3648-549: Was lost at sea and the body of a crewman was found washed ashore a day later. Hostilities continued at a low level for several months. After 19 May two brigades of the 5th Infantry Division were transferred to India. On 8 June, the 22nd (East Africa) Brigade Group arrived on Madagascar. The 7th South African Motorized Brigade arrived on 24 June. On 2 July, an invasion force was sent to the Vichy-held island of Mayotte to take control of its valuable radio station and to use it as

3712-479: Was operational until 21 October, and even strafed South African troops, but by 21 October the only serviceable aircraft the Vichy forces had was a Salmson Phrygane transport aircraft. On 25 October the King's African Rifles entered Fianarantsoa but found Annet gone, this time near Ihosy 100 miles south. The Africans swiftly moved after him, but they received an envoy from Annet asking for terms of surrender. He had had enough and couldn't escape further. An armistice

3776-495: Was placed under Free French control. Diego-Suarez is a large bay, with a fine harbour, near the northern tip of the island of Madagascar. It has an opening to the east through a narrow channel called Oronjia Pass. The naval base of Diego-Suarez lies on a peninsula between two of the four small bays enclosed within Diego-Suarez Bay. The bay cuts deeply into the northern tip of Madagascar's Cape Amber, almost severing it from

3840-488: Was placed under the command of Frigate captain Caillet who is the founder of the city of Diego Suarez. The first barracks were built at Cap Diego. The first habitants of the new colony were Creoles from Réunion & Mauritius , as well as from the French possession of Toamasina , Nosy Be , Ile Sainte-Marie , Mayotte and Mahajanga . Run away slaves ( Makoas ), Antankarana and Sakalava made up another big part of

3904-460: Was reached that the planning of the invasion of Madagascar would begin in earnest. It was agreed that the Free French would be explicitly excluded from the operation. As a preliminary battle outline, Churchill gave the following guidelines to the planners and the operation was designated Operation Bonus : On 14 March, Force 121 was constituted under the command of Major-General Robert Sturges of

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3968-451: Was signed in Ambalavao on 6 November, and Annet surrendered two days later. The Allies suffered about 500 casualties in the landing at Diego-Suarez, and 30 more killed and 90 wounded in the operations which followed on 10 September 1942. Julian Jackson, in his biography of de Gaulle, observed that the French had held out longer against the Allies in Madagascar in 1942 than they had against

4032-500: Was subsumed into that of French Madagascar in 1897. In 1941, Diego-Suarez town, the bay and the channel were well protected by naval shore batteries . Following the Japanese conquest of Southeast Asia east of Burma by the end of February 1942, submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy moved freely throughout the north and eastern expanses of the Indian Ocean . In March, Japanese aircraft carriers raided merchant ships in

4096-431: Was the advance from Majunga to the French capital, Tananarive , which fell on 23 September. On 10 September the 29th Brigade and 22nd Brigade Group made an amphibious landing at Majunga, another port on the west coast of the island. No. 5 Commando spearheaded the landing and faced machine gun fire but despite this they stormed the quayside, took control of the local post office, stormed the governor's residence and raised

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